Magic Monday

[ecosophia]

It's getting on for midnight, so we can proceed with a new Magic Monday. Ask me anything about occultism and I'll do my best to answer it. With certain exceptions, any question received by midnight Monday Eastern time will get an answer. Please note:  Any question or comment received after then will not get an answer, and in fact will just be deleted. (I've been getting an increasing number of people trying to post after these are closed, so will have to draw a harder line than before.) If you're in a hurry, or suspect you may be the 143,916th person to ask a question, please check out the very rough version 1.0 of The Magic Monday FAQ here. Also: I will not be putting through or answering any more questions about practicing magic around children. I've answered those in simple declarative sentences in the FAQ. If you read the FAQ and don't think your question has been answered, read it again. If that doesn't help, consider remedial reading classes; yes, it really is as simple and straightforward as the FAQ says. 

The picture? A wooden disk. In the traditions of the Fellowship of the Hermetic Rose and the orders and systems related to it, the disk or pentacle is the emblem and working tool of elemental earth.  The disk is traditionally painted or decorated with a symbol the individual initiate considers sacred, whatever that happens to be -- I saw pentacles made by Christian initiates that had an image of Christ on the cross on them, for example, surrounded by Christian holy names and words of power. The disk can be used as a means of magical protection, imposing the unyielding solidity of the element of earth between the initiate and any hostile magical force

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With that said, have at it!

***This Magic Monday is now closed -- in other words, no more comments will be put through. See you next week!***

Comments

Connecting to the Egregore of The Church of Sevenplanes

[(Anonymous)]

Dear Archdruid John, and members of the group,

Many years ago, I was inducted into the Church of Sevenplanes and made bishop. It was an internet church and was not an apostolic church. Bishops had an advisory role within his/her territory. There was no "authority" attached to this role.

Its doctrine/philosophy was many paths to the Divine
https://web.archive.org/web/20010331115545/http://www.sevenplanes.org/doctrine.htm

The Church has long been defunct. The Archbishop passed away in 2012. I often wonder if there are any living members left. Perhaps, I am the last of the bishops left. I often wonder if the church has an egregore. Would an internet church have an egregore? Should I revive the church? How would I connect to the egregore?

Any opinions?

All blessings

[bofur_the_dwarf]

Good morning JMG,

Thanks for your site and blessings, as always.

I was reading last week's Magic Monday and you blew my mind, so I figured it was time for my first MM question:

https://ecosophia.dreamwidth.org/247613.html?thread=43402301#cmt43402301

Quite a number of years ago, I experienced a family tragedy in which (to make a long story short) someone in my family died unexpectedly. And the thing is - I knew. Several hours before I officially found out, I just "knew".

Is this experience common? I have always assumed that it was something that happens to other people, so that I've never really discussed it with anyone before, but now you've got me wondering.

[(Anonymous)]

Good morning and thank you as always.

Do you know of any sources that discuss the use of magic in interaction with animals? I imagine it could open up interesting doors for improving communication with them--I've also been thinking of the raven Ariel followed in the Witch of Criswell.

SoP with Buddhist associations

[(Anonymous)]

Dear JMG,

The Sphere of Protection comes with directional associations for the four cardinal directions and elements.

The Buddhas of the four cardinal directions have traditional associations that differ from the Western esoteric associations of the elements and directions, e.g. Amitabha the Buddha of the West is red and associated with fire; Ratnasambhava the Buddha of the South is associated with earth; etc.

If I want to the SoP with the Buddhas, how could I reconcile this?

Thanks

[(Anonymous)]

To report:
A while back there was some discussion in the comments here about demons and the internet, and I made a comment about 'computer ikons' -- and I'd like to say that my experiment with iconography was a roaring success, despite not being a member of the orthodox christian faith.

I have a couple of computers (to my shame, I suppose)-- a big desktop boat-anchor rescued from the trash at my old job that has horsepower for CAD and 3D work; a broken laptop bolted to the wall in the shop for some equipment; and a quasi-working laptop I share with my wife. All of them have been equally involved in things I wanted to curtail -- endless scrolling, pornography, et cetera.

On two of the machines I set the desktop background to images of icons of Christ Pantokrator; one I left as a landscape as a control. On the two "iconified" machines, I have been in absolute control of my computer use and have not spent one minute more than I actually desired to, restricting my use to specific tasks. Nor have I feel any urge to hit up unsavory sites when using those machines. On the "control" machine, my behaviour is as difficult to regulate as ever.

Interestingly enough, I am not an Orthodox Christian-- nor would I call myself a Christian of any stripe, though I do not deny the divinity of Christ. So if anyone here should be able to replicate my experiment, regardless of religious affiliation.

To ask:
Functionally I suppose it is a wash, but can anyone think of a secondary test that would help me tell if the judging eyes of Christ Pantokrator are boosting my willpower, OR if the presence of that image on my desktop is blocking demonic fascination, allowing me to better exert my existing store of willpower?

[(Anonymous)]

Happy Monday, JMG,
Thanks for hosting. I am looking at the picture and would like to clarify. Is it a disk (like a CD) or a sphere (like Earth)?
Kirsten

Freemason? RosicrucianTh? And the Magical Connection?

[(Anonymous)]

I recently joined a Freemason lodge, hoping to get a combination of fellowship and group spirituality, ideally with a touch of "magic" or, at least, productive group visualization.

I'm beginning to get the idea, as I think you hinted recently, the spirituality isn't there in normal lodges.

Searching, I stumbled on this: https://pansophers.com/memphis-misraim-review/

That, actually, is only one of a series of linked articles discussing and comparing 5 groups related to Rosicrucianism. Three of the other groups are of special interest to me, because of your writings:
https://pansophers.com/martinist-order-review-martinism/
https://pansophers.com/hermetic-order-of-the-golden-dawn-review/
https://pansophers.com/rudolf-steiner-rosicrucian-review-anthroposphy/?
And (since I've now listed all the others): https://pansophers.com/rosicrucian-order-amorc-review/

So, a few questions:
(1) Do you have any feedback on what he writes and concludes in his comparisons?
(2) Do you have any suggestions on which of these are actually reasonably “reachable” after a start in a more pedestrian Freemason group? Or do you think I need to start from scratch?

FWIW, I am drawn to inner work; but I'm not so interested in ceremonial dressings. I like the message content in the Freemason oaths, and I like the camaraderie, but I'm frankly bothered that the focus of the meetings seems strangely disconnected from the oaths. It's sort of: let's contribute to salve children maimed in Ukraine, but opposing US involvement in the war, itself, is too “political".

So, I'm trying to leverage my membership to find another, more mystical, lodge, which also has group spirit?

Any comments or direction would be much appreciated. Do you at least agree with the author's critique of the various groups? Do agree with the linkage? Also, if you have any suggestions on use of magic, or otherwise, to speed up my seeking, I would appreciate that!

[(Anonymous)]

Hello John Michael Greer, I need your wisdom and experience

I've been sitting on the subject of magic and occultism for a few years now but I continue to have an insanely big problem with choosing my path. I've tried traditional witchcraft and it's too edgy for me with its crossroads devil and so on, I've tried necromancy but well...it's not very healthy. I've tried working with angels based on European grimuars, I've tried demonolatry, I've tried working in the traditions associated with the fey. I don't want to jump from flower to flower like that. Is there any way to get a feel for it? That this is The Path?

[(Anonymous)]

Greetings Mr. Greer

Im trying to change my job, are there any spells (mostly in field of natural magic) I can do to increse my chances? Maybe some praying or invocation?

xeno transplants

[ritaer]

JMG,
I don't recall what, if anything, you may have said about the occult or metaphysical aspects of organ transplants. Recent developments have brought in a new aspect--the first successful transplant of a pig heart into a human being. I know there have been transplants of heart valves and perhaps bone or cartilage from pigs and maybe other animals, but this is the first actual living organ to be removed from a pig and placed in a human. I don't imagine traditional lore has anything to say, but I wonder what your evaluation of this may be.

A second, more personal question. When I sit down to meditate I find I have to consciously correct a tendency for my head to cock slightly up and to the left, as though I am looking toward the corner of the room. I have considered that there may be a physical cause, muscle tension or something of the sort, but I also wondered if my subconscious is trying to tell me something.

BB,
Rita

SOP to LRP transition

[hearthculture]

Hi John Michael Greer and Fellow Commenters,

Over the past decade, between parenting young children and various other adventures, I did much reading and meditation, but little practice beyond the SOP - only establishing a firm commitment to a daily SOP, divination, and meditation for the last couple years. I now have some more space, and with my children being old enough, I decided to more firmly commit to a full magical practice. This summer, I found the Celtic Golden Dawn in a friendly bookstore and it seemed a lovely complement to the herbalism practiced by my spouse and a rigorous step into ritual magic practice to complement the years of study.

After a few months of working with the CGD, I’m gaining much insight from the cosmology and correspondences, and enjoying the thought work. I’m however a bit distressed about the ritual work. During my time practicing the SOP, I experienced tangible effects from the working and experienced increased energy and wellbeing. I have some sensations from the Lesser Rituals of the Pentagram, but find that I’m energetically weaker after, sometimes even during the working. I also don’t have the same clear perception of cleanliness and lightness from the banishing. I would have thought that the visualization element would be easier after much successful practice, yet interestingly, I can imagine all the parts except for the pentacles, I can somewhat establish a gap where they should be, but cannot “see” them the way I see everything else.

A. Do you believe this could be part of the SOP/LBRP incompatibility you’ve mentioned - could my previous attuning to the SOP be interfering with establishing the LBRP?
B. Do you think it will clear up with time, or are there people who just aren’t as compatible with one or the other?
C. Could the energetic drain be a function of being in the first stages and not having an MP exercise yet?
D. If for some reason this continues to be a problem rather than just a transition, does your recommendation to stick it out with a system apply, or would it make sense to use the CGD for it’s herbal lore and meditation themes, while committing to a magical practice that uses the SOP (like DMH or FHR?)

As an addendum - I have noted this for some time and resisted asking as I felt it more important to keep the commitment, and I was wary of the oft-mentioned “doldrums stage” of practice, though I feel I've some familiarity with that (I had a period of no “progress” or sensation with the SOP, though it was not directly draining.) My divination is not clear about the causes (perhaps I’m too close to the issue,) but it shows a fruitful result of pursuing magical practice through any of the mentioned systems including the CGD (though each in a unique way.)

I also asked on the recent UGC post and perhaps I submitted after a comment cutoff: I notice that the Celtic Golden Dawn isn't one of the additional orders in the prospectus. I thought that perhaps this was because it is more tightly focused on ritual magic, whereas most of the other orders seem more focused on occult knowledge, mysticism, and healing. Then I thought that it is based on Golden Dawn magic which is a different lineage than much of what you inherited from John Gilbert. Though I believe the FHR also descends from the GD and involves ritual magic, so I thought I'd check.
E. What's the reason for its exclusion?

(I also checked in with myself about whether I'm asking this now because of the enticement of pursuing ordination utilizing multiple complementary systems - say the WotGS or FHR alongside my ongoing work with the MOE and OSA. Though it certainly seems more convenient that way; I am open to and capable of integrating the CGD as I've been doing, and do not see it as an impediment to seeking ordination, even if the CGD work is not directly acknowledged as part of the ordination process. I am most concerned that I'm experiencing the SOP/LBRP incompatibility in a sustained way, and that perhaps I should respect that rather than push through it.)

I'm grateful as always for this space and your counsel.

[(Anonymous)]

A few years ago, one of my friends' dad had a mental breakdown. Back in the middle years of the 1980s, he had a choice to make between pursuing the love of his life, or hiding that he had fallen in love with a man in order to continue a career with the military. He chose the later; and gradually came to regret it. Eventually, the remorse became such that he ended up having a full blown break from reality: denying he had ever made the decision, insisting he was still a young man, and that it was still the 1980s.

What worries me is that I think I recognize some of the dynamics that were at work with this mental breakdown playing out on a larger scale. I think the case can be made American society made a major mistake with the embrace of consumerism in the 1950s, and I think the collective consciousness is starting to grapple with this; and some of the weirder dynamics in American politics and culture look a lot like the months leading up to the mental breakdown I mentioned above.

Can egregors go insane in this fashion?

God of numbers

[(Anonymous)]

Hi JMG,

There are many gods of the written word, but do you know of any gods of numbers and mathematics? I would like to pray to one to help with my numeracy.

Thanks.

Water treatment

[(Anonymous)]

Hi JMG,

Over on your other blog, you wrote about how a potential cause of people getting fatter could be due to chemicals in the water. Whilst I don't doubt this is true, could there be an etheric/homeopathic element to this as well, as I imagine water treatment plants don't necessarily take out all the etheric debris from drinking water?

And on a similar note, for the unethically minded, could one poison someone homeopathically? If so, it would be untraceable, surely, as chemically, you'd only given them water? I only ask out of curiosity, so don't answer if it'll give people bad ideas.

Thanks.

[(Anonymous)]

Hi JMG,

What do you think about the book "Orders of the Quest - The Holy Grail" by Manly P. Hall? Do you think it provides useful hints about the mystery behind the Grail?

Dreams and other weirdness

[(Anonymous)]

Dear JMG,

For the last few weeks, starting a bit before the earthquake in Morroco, I've been having strange, very active, and mostly disturbing dreams. My girl friend is suffering from the same, and today at lunch I found out that my whole family is dealing with the same issue. We're all having a very active dream space. I've been doing the SOP (for quite a few months now), and when I feel it's going to be a bad night, I pray 10 Hail-Mary's and an Our Father before going to sleep. The bad dreams went mostly away, but the amount of them is still immense. If it was just me, I'd just blame my unconscious, but since it's affecting other people, I wonder if you know some other cause.

So, the question is, do you know what might be happening? Weird stuff in the skies? Astral crud? Mass amounts of people dying (Morocco and Libya?)? Any indications on how to have a less dream-heavy sleep?

Second question is, I have a daily prayer ritual, in which I talk to Gods that are in the various directions. Today, I went to the direction where Michael, the Archangel usually is (he recently moved from North to South), and I'm pretty sure it wasn't him I interacted with. The whole time we were together felt strange. Long story short, I went straight to the Godess with whom I have the closest relation with, and after talking a bit, she told me to go away, since it wasn't a good time to be there. By there, I got the meaning the light trance/astral place I use to go and communicate with them. And that I did, saying my thank-yous to the gods fast and coming back to waking consciousness.

It was a very odd experience. I've had this daily prayer ritual for more than 3 years, and they never told me anything of the sort. Do you have any idea of what could have happened?

Kind wishes, and thanks in advance.

Qs

[(Anonymous)]

Greetings everyone incl JMG,

I have a few questions open for JMG (but open to all):

1) Based on everything you've learnt so far, are platonic forms real or is reality more berkeleyean in nature? And how the material plane in the occult bridges with Berkeley or Kant?

2) I'm similarly slightly struggling to understand freedom when the principle of sufficient reason rules it on on the material level atleast. Could you help me understand freedom, its relation to the material plane and time, and Schopenhauer's argument. I understand Nietzsche's instinct for freedom the most but struggle to integrate it with my spiritual life.

3) How does meaning actually work and how it relates to consciousness rather than symbolic logic? I once made a mistake in a divination but my meaning was intact and I realised the signifiers didn't really matter. I am trying to understand the nature of meaning and its relation to all our senses, including objects and signifiers.

4) An insight from my experience with large language models (LLMs) is an increasing feeling that we will build robots/artificial intelligence that will be able to act as the substrate for spirits to be born into them, LLMs will act as the bridge layer between consciousness and the phenomenal world, and they will be the key to breaking John Searle's chinese room argument, as well as Hubert Dreyfus' arguments about why AI will never exist. I think you speculated something like this. Wonder what your thoughts are now?

If you have any reading material for the above to recommend, I appreciate it.

[(Anonymous)]

JMG
I have heard you mention that wishing/praying to win the something like rhe lottery can cause problems because you are wanting something for nothing. Does attracting/wishing money through the use of the stock market have the same downfalls as doing the same through gambling?

A friend

[(Anonymous)]

John--

I was moved to fashion a wand out of the maple branch I asked about on a prior MM. I don't have a strong ceremonial magic background, but feel that this wand is supposed to assist my work in some way. For a solitary practitioner, what are some fundamental uses for a wand?

Holy Water

[milkyway1]

Hi JMG,

Thanks for answering questions again this week! :-)

The Gnostic Lesson instructions for making Holy Water say to put the salt onto something non-metallic - but why? I'd have assumed that divine blessings wouldn't be derailed by a measly metallic spoon... :D

What am I missing?

Milkyway

[(Anonymous)]

Do you know of any tradition, gnostic or otherwise, which employs Mary, Eve, and Sophia as a kind of female Trinity?

Magic training and what holds it back

[(Anonymous)]

Hi,

I am working my way through the book Learning Ritual Magic and I am currently on lesson 3: where the Pentagram ritual is introduced.

I am finding that I am strongly drawn into old/unwanted compulsive habits particularly after I’ve performed it (and done the Qabalistic cross, and closing). These behaviours are ones that I wish to shed and yet the draw is particularly strong some days after concluding my daily practice. Is this a case of the Watcher at the Threshold?

I have been continuing to work on the will training exercises for a number of weeks (having completed your 7 week course) and that helps to an extent but still the draw is strong. Have you any other suggestions for how I can build some more opposing momentum to these behaviours?

On the other hand since I incorporated the Qabilistic Cross (in lesson 2) I’ve found that people who would usually encourage or indulge my less desired habits seem to all be busy and unavailable! Which is a blessing in itself, and leaves only ‘me’ as the remaining challenge.

My best wishes from the UK.

PS I am very grateful you wrote this book. Magic amongst my millennial peers here in England mostly consists of doing whatever they wish it to be (with sometimes worrying results). Your book and its clear guidance is a great antidote to that!

Intrusive thoughts

[(Anonymous)]

Dear Mr Greer,
First of all, I'd like to thank you for hosting this platform.

I've always suffered from mild OCD and various intrusive thoughts. Now, ever since I developped a regular occult practice and started treating the contents of my mind seriously, I've been experiencing a new outburst of disturbing intrusive thoughts such as "I curse you" (this one in particular; always in first person, as if I was cursing someone in my presence, even though I have no such intent) or say, pertaining to demonolatry, again always trying to insert themselves as "my" thoughts or wishes.
My strategy has been mostly to ignore them, or to directly negate them (saying "That's not true.", "I actually offer my blessing to this person." etc.); I also perform the LBRP and pray daily. The problem persists, however — you can't make yourself not think of the pink elephant after all...

My question is:
1) What could be the source of such intrusive thoughts? Why some individuals seem to be more prone to this than others?
2) Do you know of any other solutions than the ones I've listed?

I hope my query isn't off-topic ;). If others wish to chime in, I'm happy to listen, of course.

~ J. S.

Cultivating mental energy

[(Anonymous)]

Thank you for hosting these Magic Mondays.

A few weeks back I asked about my own experiences as someone who works with children, and noticed some interesting astral and mental energy fluctuations in their presence. My question this week is: what sorts of practices can I cultivate to transmute that astral energy into mental energy? I practice Qigong for 1-2 hours a day, which involves standing and walking meditation, and it's been very been very beneficial, but I am not certain that is one of its functions. Thank you.

[(Anonymous)]

Hi JMG. Last week, there was a discussion about a Sacred Clan which emerged as the result of a breeding program by Atlanteans. Where can I find details about this lore?