Magic Monday

[ecosophia]

Once again, it's technically Monday now -- past midnight Eastern time -- and here I am on Dreamwidth, so it's time for another Magic Monday.  (Later than usual in this case, as I've just finished final edits on the sixth Weird of Hali novel -- pant, pant, pant.)

Ask me anything about occultism and I'll do my best to answer it. Any question received by midnight Monday Eastern time will get an answer, though it may be Tuesday sometime before I get to them all.

With that said, have at it! 

***This Magic Monday is now closed to new questions. See you next Monday!***

Comments

[(Anonymous)]

JMG, I know you don't have a cell phone, but maybe others here can help me with something: I've reason to suspect that the SoP disrupts glamour on electronic devices. This is for the following reasons: One, I used the SoP near a TV and it didn't turn on for around an hour; two, I cast it near my phone, and I've never been as drawn into my phone as others, and keep running into phone issues; three, it seems plausible based on my understanding of things.

I'm curious if anyone has anything to add to this, whether it be evidence for or against the effect.

[ecosophia]

Interesting! I'd also be curious to hear if anyone else has had this experience.

[(Anonymous)]

In the SOP, does one trace the symbol for a gate, and THEN speak and vibrate, while pointing to the centre?

If so, when banishing, would it be in the same order or the symbol traced after the verbal banishing?

For a while I've been speaking and tracing at the same time but I suspect now that this might not be the way.

Also, should vibration be directed to the fingertips of the tracing hand?

Thank you for Magic Mondays and all the patient answers you give us!

[ecosophia]

Yes, you trace and then speak, both when invoking and when banishing. I trace the figure, visualizing it as though drawn in a line of light, and then hold that visualization when I speak and vibrate.

Yes, vibration should be directed to the fingertips of the pointing hand, and then -- with practice -- beyond the fingertips, into the symbol itself. You know you've gotten good at vibration when you can get the sensation of vibration outside your physical body, and shape it into any form you desire.

[(Anonymous)]

I would love to learn the skills of animal transformation, invisibility, and creating artificial elementals, as part of a magic system which makes use of both the solar and telluric currents. The only such system I know of is the one laid out in the Druid Magic Handbook, which I have been practicing (for only a year).

I asked before if the Druid Magic Handbook practices can lead to the skill of animal transformation—what I meant to ask is whether they can be a foundation for it, not whether animal transformation is included in the handbook.

Would it be possible for someone who masters the Druid Magic Handbook and/or Dolmen Arch practices, and reads extensively about animal transformation (and invisibility) methods from other traditions, to create rituals which allow for formation of a body of transformation within the DMH (and/or DA) framework? What about learning to create artificial elementals?

[ecosophia]

Yes, that would be possible. It would take a thorough mastery of the material and a great deal of study, but it could certainly be done. As for artificial elementals, why bother with that when you can interact with the other kind?

A small spell cast

[scotlyn]

It is probably ok to break silence on this one. Ireland went to the polls last Friday. During my SOP that morning I visualised my "cross of light" connecting me to the whole of the land, and I visualised all the blessings as flowing out through that connection across the land. I then set up a candle to burn from the time the polls opened at 7am until they closed at 10pm, positioned over my written intention, which I also held in mind as often as I thought of it throughout the day.

Intention was written thusly: "Fear ebbs, love flows in, votes cast with clear eye, yes wins"

"Yes" did win (the politics are very well detailed and considered elsewhere online) by a hugely significant margin, at 66.3% to 33.4% of votes cast.

I do think my spell was enhanced by the practical work of canvassing and persuading work I had been caught up in for the 6 weeks previously.

I also do believe I could live with any blowback that might come from this intention, as expressed - which I had meditated about for some time.

I guess I would like to know if you have any view on how this kind of political, magical intention stacks up against others you've described.

Re: A small spell cast

[ecosophia]

Precise, economical, and effective. I note that you had a positive intention very precisely aimed at your goal; you grounded your working by also engaging in practical action on the material plane; and you worked through the consequences in meditation.

Thus, you achieved your intention. Nicely done.

[(Anonymous)]

(Tolkienguy)

So, at the end of last year/beginning of this year, I started trying a ceremonial magic practice again, and...wierd stuff happened.

Typically, it was the sense that somehow, something was watching me (wish I could italicize that). It usually occurred at work-I work as a picker at a warehouse, so my normal role is going through long isles of stored product with a pushcart, filling orders. While I was doing the regular banishing out of Gareth Knight's work (I think its a banishing-the "sphere" exercise), I would-quite often-get a distinct feeling that there was somebody at the end of an aisleway watching me-and would turn around only for there to be nobody there. This was disturbing enough, but one night I suddenly woke up with the unmistakable feeling that something or someone had been in my room, beside my bed. This was very frightening and I sent you an email afterwards. Also-and this is difficult to describe-my thoughts began to seem...choppier and more jumbled, more chaotic (its kind of hard to put into words). In addition to having Aspergers, I have what I am pretty sure is an undiagnosed case of depression (I have never seen a doctor about it and don't take meds for it or anything). I've dealt with suicidal thoughts, off and on, since I was an undergrad-but around the time the things I described above happened, the depression and suicidal thoughts suddenly got much worse. I don't know if it was because of the magic or not-a...rather dissapointing career-related sequence of events was going on in my life at the time, and that might have caused it.

Eventually, all of the above alarmed me enough that I stopped the ceremonial magic practice, at which point...well, I hate to say this on this forum, but the above all seemed to go away. I later told this story to a priest, who said what I had experienced was a giant demonic attack and I should never have tried magic. I have thought about this, though, and-well, neither JMG nor any of the people who comment here seem like what the funny-collar-wearers told me you were. (And I also ran into a...rather shady situation, that I don't feel comfortable discussing in a public forum, with an aspiring funny-collar wearer at that same church). I'm planning on checking out the local Unitarian Universalist church sometime when I don't feel dog-tired from my job (I work 10 hours a day, including on Saturday nights, and don't get off till 2am, so going to church is often the last thing I feel like doing!) I have even thought of practicing magic again-but does anyone have any idea what might have happened to me? Is what I described normal? Was I going insane?

Bad Stuff happening

[(Anonymous)]

Hi Tolkein Guy,
My experience has been the opposite. i had similar experiences to yours before I took up the spiritual practices in the Druidry handbook.

As I developed a regular Druid practice, I had fewer frightening experiences and for almost two years, nothing untoward happened.

Then, I started getting flashed. Odd things happened such as seeing a huge flash of golden light in the night as I closed my SOP in the garden and waking up at night to find the bedroom filled with golden light that faded and left me in the dark again but feeling very relaxed and content and I went right back to sleep.

Magic, or this sort of magic, may not be right for you or not right for you at this moment. Please be guided by our host. He gives very sensible and kind advice.

Concerned about you!
Max Rogers

[(Anonymous)]

I don't recall the details but some years ago there was a scandal where American politicians at a summer camp were filmed setting a statue of Baal on fire or something like that. It fed Illuminati-type theories. Have you ever seen any evidence the elites have their own distinct occult and spiritual practices? Or even if more regular occultism is popular among the rich and powerful?

Cremation of Care

[(Anonymous)]

Hello, if it helps I recall that this was known as the "Cremation of Care" ritual at Bohemian Grove. The story was covered in sardonic yet gripping fashion by Jon Ronson, a British semi-satirical journalist who was hanging around with Alex Jones and some other folk, trying to document that whole conspiracy subculture from a puzzled ordinary-bloke POV. His documentary on this was called The Secret Rulers of the World. I'd be interested in JMG's take on that too!

Magic Monday

[(Anonymous)]

JGM,

Thank you for hosting those sessions and answering our questions.

I was interested in the astrology discussions from the previous weeks and compiled my birth chart I learned that although my Sun sign is Aquarius, I have (as someone born in early 1990)
a big stellium in the Capricorn - Mercury, Venus, Uranus, Saturn and Neptune. On top of that it seems that my chart has all of those planets in opposition to Jupiter exalted in Cancer. I have no idea how to interpret it, any advice?

Changeling

Re: Magic Monday

[ecosophia]

Sure. My advice is to get a good book on natal astrology and work through it step by step, seeing what each of these positions and relationships mean. That way you'll understand your chart in some detail, and be able to figure out how best to use your strengths and cover for your weaknesses.

[(Anonymous)]

Dear JMG,

I have a question about occultism and mental health.

I have been struggling with anxiety for many years. It mostly manifests itself as a fear of uncertainty and rejection. For example, I am terrified of going out and looking for a new job.

I recently discovered your book "Learning Ritual Magic" and am now close to finishing work on the third chapter. As I dive further into the occult it has become appealing to use the skills I am learning to make the world around me feel more secure. Examples could be using divination to make the future more predictable or making a ritual to help me find a new workplace.

However, I also have a sense that this is the wrong path and that I should find a way to cure the anxiety itself. The mental health profession has failed me here - the Cognitive-Behavioural therapy I was put through lost all trace of an effect as soon as I finished treatment.

My question for you is, is there anything in occultism that can help me deal with my anxiety in a healthy fashion? Or should I go back to looking for solutions in other places?

Best regards,
A newcomer to the occult

[ecosophia]

I'm not a licensed mental health practitioner, and under American law I'm not permitted to do anything that would count as diagnosing, prescribing, or offering treatment for any mental health condition. People do jail time for answering questions like yours -- the medical industry in the US is extremely protective of its income stream, and it's far from unknown (or even uncommon) for public figures in the alternative health or alternative spirituality field to be targeted by sting operations meant to get them into legal trouble.

For that reason all I can say is that I wish you well, and encourage you to find a solution to your anxiety problems that works for you.

Masturbation and magic

[(Anonymous)]

Dear JMG, You've written on this blog about the polarity created by sexual intercourse but I was wondering about the effect of masturbation on magical practice. In my reading it is often something some authors get in bit of a state about but is this out dated morality or something deeper?

Re: Masturbation and magic

[ecosophia]

As far as I can tell, the only reason it's an issue is that Victorians got hysterical about the subject. (There was actually an organization called the White Cross in Britain and America dedicated to stamping out masturbation.) Sexual behavior generally doesn't have any particular impact on magic unless you specifically set out to include it -- whether than means via ritual intercourse, the kind of polarity work that doesn't involve actual contact, or celibacy and the redirection of sexual energies into other channels -- all of which are options, but none of which are required.

Remember that many of the authors of older occult books had to deal with the weird bit of Christian rhetoric that assumes that occultism is all about having lots of casual sex. Thus there was often a bit of moral posturing in their books, especially on a subject such as masturbation, which would make them look properly moral in the eyes of the mainstream, and would also chase off those people who were looking for lots of casual sex and thought they could get it via occultism!

Geomancy

[casmen900]

Good day Mr Greer,

I’ve a couple of questions on Geomancy.

Question No. 1 - My parents have a joint bank account and their money was seized by federal prosecutors on account that there were cash deposits made by a firm that’s under investigation for tax evasion. A potential lawsuit could drag Pa, Ma.

I cast a geomancy chart and the question was:
“Will my parents’ money be unblocked?”
The mothers , 1st thru 4th were, respectively, Fortuna Major, Via, Via and Laetitia.

I checked the 2nd house (Via) but then I reasoned it’s my parents’ money, not mine.
So I checked the 5th house (Caput Draconis) as it stands for my father’s money.
But wait... What about my mother’s money ?
There we go, on to the 11th house (Tristitia) for it speaks of my mother’s money.
Would it be” other people’s money” in 8th house (Cauda Draconis)?

How would you read the chart?
Also, could I look for information on the potential lawsuit using the same chart? Is that acceptable? Or should I cast a new chart?
Either way, where would “lawsuits” be positioned?
On the 7th house?
On the 10th house (7th house from my father’s perspective)?
On the 4th house (7th house from my mother’s perspective)?
On the 2nd house(7th house from other people’s Money)?

The road is long with many a winding turn...


Question No. 2 - I know there are several ways of laying the figures in the House Chart. So I guess one has to acknowledge that there will be different answers for questions like “What Planet Rules my Guardian Genius?”.
I cast the figures once and put them into three diferente layouts.
The first one as given in your book “The Art and Practice of Geomancy”.
The second (Esoteric Method ) and the third (Golden Dawn Method) as given in Stephen Skinner’s Terrestrial Astrology – Divination by Geomancy -Appendix III
The results for the 11th house were:
First layout  the figure VIA (Moon)
Second layout  the figure PUELLA (Venus)
Third layo the figure RUBEUS (Mars)
Interestingly enough I was born under Aries (Mars). My rising sign is Cancer (Moon).
I was also born under Aries Moon so the sign the Moon entered next was Taurus (Venus).

Is it a far-fetched idea that we could have more than one Guardian Genius like a shaman that has many helping spirits?
Iamblichus’ “Theurgia or On the Mysteries of Egypt” says “...One Guardian Demon Only to an Individual...”

What do you say?

Re: Geomancy

[ecosophia]

Beginners routinely land themselves in confusions of this sort. That's why I recommend that you start out with shield charts, where you can take the judge and witnesses as the answer, and move to house charts only when you've gotten a good enough sense of the system that you can deal with a complex pattern.

I'd cast one reading about the money and another about the potential for a lawsuit. I'd choose one of my parents to ask about, even though it's a joint account, in order to avoid unnecessary confusions. It would be best to use your father, since that way he's the fourth, his money is the fifth, the government is the tenth (this stays the same, since it's your government too), and the threat of legal penalties is the third (which is his twelfth); from the figures in these houses, and the relationships between them, I'd then synthesize the answer.

As far as your second question, choose one system and cast a divination with that in mind. Doing what you've done is like writing someone a letter in English and then trying to read the answer as though it's French.

Intention

[(Anonymous)]

Dear JMG,

So I've been doing CGD for nearly two years (!) - about to do the first exam. And it strikes me that the intention by which I do the work is as important as the work itself. I've noticed a shift in my background thinking from curiosity eg "what is happening when I do the pentagram ritual?" to belief "this really does work" (even though I'm still not sure what I mean by that...) How important would you say that background thinking is? And if so, is it still worth doing if I have some skeptism?
Cheers

Re: Intention

[ecosophia]

That varies from person to person. Experiment with it and see how important it is to you.

[(Anonymous)]

Hi there!

How do you discover the purpose that your higher self needs to fulfill? Is fulfilling this purpose what Maslow would call being self-actualized?

Thank you.

[ecosophia]

I'm not a great fan of Maslow. As for finding the purpose, why, that depends from person to person. All I can tell you is that if you have a clear sense that there's something you should be doing, and things relating to it keep on popping up in your life over and over again, and you just get angrier and more brittle about it because you're not willing to face some things in your life that relate to it, and you back yourself further and further into a corner in order to reject it...things may not end well for you.

deities from different traditions

[(Anonymous)]

Dear JMG,

Do you have any thoughts on connecting with deities from different traditions?
For example, Durga (as the destroyer of evil yet also the embodiment of purity, knowledge, truth and self-realization) and Kuan Yin (as goddess of mercy and compassion)?

Considering Durga, for some reason Ganesh kept popping into mind (I am not very familiar with Hindu deities so not sure why that would be - subsequent reading gives a clue, but this interested me).

I do not have a personal deity but more just try to connect with 'source', but a number of synchronicities/coincidences have led me to consider a different approach; but, having limited experience of such matters, I don't want to rush into things and am just trying to gently consider the matter.

If linking with archetypes Durga, Ganesh, Kwan Yin is not contra-indicated, do you think a healing archetype/deity would go along with them?

Thank you.

(earthworm)

Re: deities from different traditions

[ecosophia]

Your relationship to a deity is as irreducibly personal as a love affair, and no one else can tell you what is or isn't right for you. All I can suggest is that you do your homework, find out as much as possible about the deities in question, and pay attention to whether the tradition that worships that deity is or isn't comfortable with having people from other cultures join in that worship. (Buddhists tend to be very enthusiastic about other people invoking Buddhist deities such as Kwan Yin; I'll defer to the Hindus among us as to whether they have the same attitude.)

Astrology and Dreams

[(Anonymous)]

After studying astrology for a few years and keeping track of transits, I've become aware that my dreams sometimes reflect lunar transits. For example, the Moon opposition Mercury, and I dreamt of someone mishandling my money and disfiguring bank notes from my wallet. Another time it was Moon opposition Venus and square Mars, and I dreamt of adultery. When I have a really peculiar and vivid dream, I check the planets immediately upon awakening and sure enough there's something obviously connected to the dream I just had (my houses are usually involved in the themes at hand too). The Moon's position seems to determine everything (the Moon occupies my Lot of Spirit too).

Do you have any thoughts? Ever heard of this?

Re: Astrology and Dreams

[ecosophia]

That sort of thing was considered commonplace in the Middle Ages, so you're in a grand old tradition. ;-) The Moon governs dreams, so none of this is surprising.

Update

[(Anonymous)]

The results several weeks after putting Grandpa's Keen Kutter pocket knife under the TV are a 90% reduction in viewing time and similar increase in time spent communicating with each other.
It's been my practice to whet the blade with the incantation from time to time which I intend to recharge it's effectiveness. The blade points directly north as it sits now, I'm wondering if orientation has any effect on the experiment.
Thank you for suggesting this. I'm hoping you suggest more experiments like this regularly.

Re: Update

[ecosophia]

Hmm! I've changed the orientation on the knife on my internet router to see what if any effect that has. I'd encourage others to try the same thing.

Hyperborea is a fun place to be - just don't annoy the locals!

[ferngladefarm.blogspot.com.au]

Hi John Michael,

Well, I just spotted in the news that your previous corner of the planet got thumped by yet another one in a thousand year storm, although it is a poor descriptor because the last one happened only two years ago. Baltimore community devastated after 'once every 1,000-year' flooding (http://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-05-28/baltimore-floods-state-of-emergency-declared/9808448)

It is a bit of a disaster. About two weeks back I copped about 40% of that rainfall and it was pretty wet I can tell you. Down in Hobart they scored a similar amount of rain to Maryland and cars were washing down the streets of that town too. The weather seems to be getting more extreme as we add ever more energy to the atmosphere.

Does the occult traditions have any nature centered rituals (I believe in preparation first and foremost as a way of appeasing the local weather spirits - and then secondly increasing the diversity of life here) centered upon appeasing the local weather spirits and appealing to them?

Chris

Re: Hyperborea is a fun place to be - just don't annoy the locals!

[ecosophia]

The way you deal with weather spirits and other elemental powers is to establish long-term relationships with them -- this is best done via the methods of traditional Pagan nature spirituality. You'll still have the occasional massive storm et al., because that's the way nature does things, but overall the results are better with this than without it.

In the present case, though, we're dealing with the consequences of centuries of abuse of the environment. A few rituals here, a few offerings there, simply aren't going to cut it. The best we can hope for at this point is that we as individuals won't be too drastically affected.

cleansing...

[kayr]

A friend of mine has experienced a rather turbulent and upsetting separation from her room mate with whom she bought the house she is now living in. My friend has bought her room mate out and is now the sole owner of the house and she desires to do a deep cleaning to remove the bad energies left over from this separation.

Smudging with sage or a little bit of salt in the cleaning water is all that occurs to me as a means of cleansing her house. Can you please suggest a better way to go about such a cleansing?

Thanks.

Re: cleansing...

[ecosophia]

There are several good ways to do this sort of thing. One of the best -- so long as the house isn't carpeted! -- is to do a floor wash. Suggest that she get a bottle of Florida Water -- this is a cologne much used in traditional conjure -- some kosher salt, and the hot spice of her choice (white pepper is the one I usually use). To a bucket of mop water, add half a cup of Florida water, a tablespoon of salt, and a teaspoon of the hot spice. Then take a new mop that's never been used for any other purpose, and mop the entire house with it, beginning in the kitchen (the symbolic heart of the house) and ending at the front door. Once this is done, burn a blessing and purifying incense such as frankincense in the kitchen and, if they shared a bed, in the bedroom. That'll clean the place energetically and bring in positive energies for the future.

[(Anonymous)]

How are correspondences worked out by first principles? For example, on ABS plastic. You've already mentioned that fossil fuel-based plastics have a death energy to them.

On the same note, can the energies of plastics be put to a positive use?

[ecosophia]

They aren't worked out on first principles. They're worked out by observing their effects over time, and experimenting with those effects. If you want to figure out what you can do with plastics, get busy observing and then experimenting!

Geomancy

[(Anonymous)]

Hello!

I am studying and practising geomancy for some time now via your book.

I did a divination with the following question:

"Should I seek to open up another business in the XYZ region?"

The left hand witness was Albus, the Judge Via and the right hand Puer
I interpreted the above as being favourable overall.

However, the way of the points went right up to the 2nd mother figure of Amissio, which incidentally is the 2nd house of the house chart related to businesses. Both pretty unfavourable.

Hence I seem to get contradictory interpretations there. Any suggestions?

Regards

Re: Geomancy

[ecosophia]

It's not contradictory at all. The judge and witnesses give you your answer, the way of the points simply qualifies it.

What this reading shows is that the business idea is a good one but you're rushing into it without suitable preparation, and so it may not work in the long run. You're rushing into it -- this is what the way of points shows -- because you've suffered a loss in some other part of your life, probably (because it's in the first triplicity) something that affects you personally rather than in a business context.

Memory work

[(Anonymous)]

I am a brother mason, and am starting to go through the chairs. I am looking for a book on memory that would be applicable to the skills of learning lodge work. I remember that you have discussed several books on this general subject in your blogs. I'm 54, and my normal system is to read and unconsciously extract the essence of the text, and remember that. If I need more detail, I can normally recall where those details can be found, and look them up fresh, which works well with my technical job, but not for lodge.
Dennis D

Re: Memory work

[ecosophia]

You might want to read Frances Yates' The Art of Memory and see if the method it discusses -- which was traditionally used in Scottish operative lodges, btw! -- will work for you. Other than that, most of the brothers I know who've learned the rituals recited them aloud, a lot. That's my method of choice for ritual -- something about repeating it aloud, and hearing the words over and over again, helps them sink in faster than otherwise.

SOP and Hermetic magic

[(Anonymous)]

Hello,

The SOP ritual seems to be part of the druid tradition. Is the middle pillar exercise an equivalent ritual to it from the hermetic tradition? Or is there another one.

Thanks

Re: SOP and Hermetic magic

[ecosophia]

The SoP isn't specific to Druidry -- it was also used in a Gnostic church, two Hermetic magical orders, and an Essene order. If you want to do an equivalent that's more specifically Hermetic, the Lesser Ritual of the Pentagram and the Middle Pillar exercise, done together, are a fair equivalent.

New planets, alien magics

[(Anonymous)]

Some astronomers are confidently positing a new Planet Nine to explain some weird orbits beyond Neptune. And another planet has been suggested to explain the Kuiper cliff, which would be closer to the Sun than the aforementioned (ain't numbering pesky). If new planets were discovered, what would this mean astrologically? Would the planet's size and distance from Earth be a factor? Does us becoming aware of this planet alter how it might influence us? What strange new magics could lurk in these new worlds?

A lot of speculative questions.

Re: New planets, alien magics

[ecosophia]

This kind of thing has been happening in astrology since the discovery of Uranus back in 1784, so astrologers are used to it. They'd put the newly discovered planet into charts, and start tracking the way its influence seems to affect them and their clients when activated by transits, progressions, primary arcs, and so forth. It takes a few years, but within a decade or so interpretations converge on a common set of themes.

The discovery of a planet does seem to have a significant effect on human society, as new social factors come into play beginning about 30 years (a Saturn cycle) before a planet's official discovery. When a celestial body loses its status as a planet -- this happened to Ceres around 1850 and to Pluto in 2006 -- there's a thirty-year window as the influence fades out.

Electricity

[(Anonymous)]

Hello JMG and countless thank you's for providing this weekly forum!

Does occultism have insight on this thing we call electricity? Is it a blind force or does it have intelligent properties? Is it benign?
Just what are we toying with here?

Re: Electricity

[ecosophia]

Some of the old Theosophists wrote on that subject, but it hasn't gotten a lot of attention of late. My sense is that it's a blind force, but that's just a personal sense.

[jenniferkobernik]

You mentioned last week that fossils fuels and their derivatives have a strong death energy, and tend to deaden the people around them. Can this be mitigated, perhaps by covering/enclosing the plastic with metal, wood, or cloth, or by placing something living (such as a potted plant) near the plastic item to counter its influence?

[ecosophia]

Sounds to me as though you have a great set of experiments ahead of you!

Learning ritual magic

[(Anonymous)]

Hi JMG,

I have been considering a response of yours from last week to a question along the lines of "should I learn ritual magic" and how it answers itself if you consider whether you have that driving passion that means you can't NOT do something. You compared it to becoming a successful writer, I think.

I know you recommend that everyone engages with some sort of spiritual practice, but with the above in mind would you say that a complete system such as your Celtic Golden Dawn is thus not suited to those who have to ask themselves the above question, and are intrigued but not certain if ritual magic is their ultimate thing? Or is it adaptable or serviceable as a spiritual path like any other?

Many thanks,

Morfran.

Re: Learning ritual magic

[ecosophia]

I encourage people to experiment with different paths before settling on one. If you're interested in The Celtic Golden Dawn, say, read the first knowledge lecture and try out the practices it covers. See how those feel to you, and decide on that basis whether you want to do the next.

There's an interpersonal game called "Convince Me" that some people play quite a bit, where they go on at (usually) vast length about how they're waffling about this thing, pulled this way, pulled that, and invite people to try to convince them to stop waffling. Of course it's part of the game that they never actually stop waffling -- they just want the attention. You've probably seen people do this with half-failed relationships, or with jobs they claim they hate. It's very common also in spirituality, where people approach teachers with the sort of language we saw last week. I habitually give them an answer that amounts to "I don't play that game," and they vanish from sight.

You aren't playing that game, so you won't get the same response... ;-)