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 candle. In the traditions of the Fellowship of the Hermetic Rose and the orders and systems related to it, four candles are used on the altar as emblems of the four elements: yellow for air, red for fire, blue for water, and green for earth. All four are placed on the altar for the Seeker and Initiate grades, the first and last initiatory rituals of the system, and just one for each of the elemental grades between. It's a simple and elegant way to denote which grade is being worked. The original Golden Dawn used the cross and triangle shown below on the right for the same purpose, with the cross moving into various positions relative to the triangle; yes, that works too.

Buy Me A Coffee

Ko-Fi

I've had several people ask about tipping me for answers here, and though I certainly don't require that I won't turn it down. You can use either of the links above to access my online tip jar; Buymeacoffee is good for small tips, Ko-Fi is better for larger ones. (I used to use PayPal but they developed an allergy to free speech, so I've developed an allergy to them.) If you're interested in political and economic astrology, or simply prefer to use a subscription service to support your favorite authors, you can find my Patreon page here and my SubscribeStar page here. 

 

I've also had quite a few people over the years ask me where they should buy my books, and here's the answer. Bookshop.org is an alternative online bookstore that supports local bookstores and authors, which a certain gargantuan corporation doesn't, and I have a shop there, which you can check out here. Please consider patronizing it if you'd like to purchase any of my books online.

And don't forget to look up your Pangalactic New Age Soul Signature at CosmicOom.com.

With that said, have at it!

***This Magic Monday is now closed -- as in, no further comments will be put through. See you next Monday!***

Comments

Numerology and war

[(Anonymous)]

Happy Monday JMG,
In 2002, I came across a link about numerology and 9/11. Doubt I could find it now, or if it even exists anymore but I still remember it very clearly. The introduction laid out how 9 and 11 are very powerful numbers in numerology and the choice for that particular date was far from chance. The site listed many of the important players and events in the drama at the time, pointing out 9 and 11 connections. Nothing earth shattering but the one thing I distinctly remember, was a warning about war breaking out in 2003. Obviously it did and the warning stated that a 2003 conflict portends a greater and far worse conflict to follow around 2023. I’m guessing they came to this conclusion through numerology and I had meant to bring this up last Monday but with this weekend’s events, it seems even more pertinent now. In your meditations, do you sense anything seismic on the horizon? I subscribe to your astrology readings so I know we have an eclipse around the corner bringing its usual trouble but a flashpoint start of war seems different. From an occult perspective, what do you think about the start of another war in the Middle East?

Re: Numerology and war

[ecosophia]

I've been preparing for seismic events for quite a while now -- thus the whole collapse now and avoid the rush business, which I've been discussing publicly for more than a decade. Once the US began to lose its capacity to maintain its global hegemony, war in the Middle East was inevitable; it's hard to say at this point, with the fog of war as dense around Israel as I've ever seen it, whether the current war is the beginning of the great struggle to come or simply one of the foreshocks. One way or another, though, what used to be normal is vanishing in the rearview mirror; get used to convulsive change.

Remembering My Mom and Plato's Influence on the Old Testatment

[jprussell]

Good Evening,

Where I am, we've been blessed with some stunningly lovely fall weather after some much-needed rainfall. I hope you and yours are enjoying similar!

To Share: A bit more personal this week, I share some thoughts about my mother as we come to the anniversary of her passing: https://jpowellrussell.com/#remembering_my_mom

To Ask: I recently heard about a hypothesis that the Old Testament is consciously modeled on Plato and is essentially an attempt to do what he recommended in the /Republic/ and take the known myths of a people and rework them to create a body of belief that would help forge a unified and virtuous people. Advocates of this theory point to similarities in the content and ordering of the Old Testament and Plato's presentation of "the Law," to the fact that we have no textual record of the Old Testament earlier than the time of the Septuagint, and some of the archaeological and textual evidence we do have (like the Elephantine letters) that show the Hebrews being fairly normal eastern Mediterranean polytheists with multiple Gods, temples, harvest festivals and the like, with no mention of things that we now know to be central to the religion (Moses, the Law, the Exodus, and so forth). Have you, JMG, or anyone else here, heard of this theory, and what kind of credibility do you give it? I've heard it second hand from intelligent and knowledgeable people, but it strikes me as one of those theories that might appeal precisely because it is contrarian. Some sources the folks I'm talking to are drawing from: Plato and the Creation of the Hebrew Bible by Russel Gmirkin and Biblical Interpretation Beyond Historicity edited by Ingrid Hjelm and Thomas Thompson

As always, thanks very much to JMG and everyone else here for all that you do.

My blessings and best wishes to all who will have them,
Jeff

Re: Remembering My Mom and Plato's Influence on the Old Testatment

[ecosophia]

I'm not at all familiar with the theory, and I'd want to see much more evidence before accepting such a claim. It seems to me, though, that Christianity might fill that prescription much more precisely than Judaism.

Karma Generator?

[(Anonymous)]

Hi JMG,

My gut tells me "Do Not!" click any link pertaining to the paragliding Hamas havoc in Israel. That link is everywhere, and no doubt millions of people have watched it. I get a similar "Do Not!" vibe when I'm reading blogs on what's happening in Ukraine. Missile strike? Okay. Cleaning out a destroyed tank? People getting blown away? Absolutely not. If it features bleeding, no way. I just move along.

I wonder if the possibly implied voyeurism of watching actual people suffer causes whoever chooses to watch from a safe place to share some of the perpetrator's karma in creating such a scene in the first place.

I think there's also a sense that perhaps I've been in those situations myself over many lifetimes, and just don't want to relive the trauma.

What do you think?

Thanks as always,
OtterGirl

Re: Karma Generator?

[ecosophia]

If you've got a feeling that tells you to stay away from such things, follow it. Karma or no karma, you gain nothing from that sort of voyeurism -- and yes, it may well be a matter of reliving old traumas.

Journaling options

[(Anonymous)]

Hi JMG,

I've seen journaling come up in your replies here and on the other site as a way of digging into hidden beliefs and emotional baggage and such.

I've started slowly (slowly!) working my way through the Octagon Society materials this week.

I was wondering if you had any further recommendations or suggestions for regular journaling practices. Journaling seems like a natural fit with discursive meditation. Would that be one way to approach it?

Thank you!

Re: Journaling options

[ecosophia]

Sure, you can approach it that way with good results.

My usual approach is to engage in a written dialogue. I write down a question, and then listen for whatever answer surfaces in my mind and write it down unedited. I then continue the dialogue by asking another question or making a comment, and seeing what reaction surfaces to that. That's related to discursive meditation, of course, but -- at least for me -- the dialogue format makes it easier to get repressed stuff to surface.

Alchemy and ceremonial magic

[(Anonymous)]

Hello Archdruid

I have some thoughts about alchemy and ceremonial magic, I don't know if you will agree with me.

Lately I have been meditating a lot on the question of the role of alchemy and ceremonial magic, and I came up with a theory that both of these paths lead to the same thing but through different paths

Where alchemy is a path of transformation into what is more perfect (so it is strikte directed to the inside of the adept) so ceremonial magic brings change to the "outside" of the adept. However, our ,,outside'' also affects the ,,inside'' and vice versa.

This means that by practicing alchemy we make changes in ourselves which makes a change in our surroundings and by practicing ceremonial magic we make changes around us which changes us.

what do you think about it?

Re: Alchemy and ceremonial magic

[ecosophia]

Hmm. It seems to me that your definitions of alchemy and ceremonial magic are a bit narrow. For example, there are alchemical practices that definitely work on the external world, and there are also plenty of magical practices that are intended to bring about change within the practitioner. Thus it might be worth looking at whether there are significant differences in the practices of these two arts, which can be applied to varying goals.

Sigils

[(Anonymous)]

Hello JMG


I'm looking for a good book on sigils, is there any you could recommend (I'm practicing mostly natural magic and druidism from your books, if that helps anything)

Re: Sigils

[ecosophia]

Sigils in the modern sense of the term -- that is to say, abstract visual objects composed by the practitioner to express an intention -- were an invention of Austin Osman Spare and were taken up and developed by the Chaos Magic movement. I'm not a great fan of Spare's magic (though I appreciate his artistic work) and Chaos Magic doesn't do anything for me, so I don't have any books to recommend. Anyone else have a suggestion?

Radionics

[(Anonymous)]

Good day to you, JMG!!


In your great wisdom, do you know where I can find reliable information on the topic of ,,radionics'' and building magic machines (I am looking for something in the topics of magic engineering, I know it is a pretty little researched topic but I need some start. Maybe something about psychotronics?

Re: Radionics

[ecosophia]

Well, I don't have any "great wisdom" to offer but I've looked into radionics. I recommend David V. Tansley's books -- as far as I know they're out of print, but readily available in the used book market. Borderland Sciences Research Foundation also has some good sources, though you'll have to pay through the nose for them --

https://borderlandsciences.org/cart/alt-health/radionics/

While you're at it, do read up on orgonomy, Wilhelm Reich's contribution to the subject. James DeMeo's a good source here -- his Orgone Accumulator Handbook is very solid, and his website is worth reading:

http://www.orgonelab.org/

[(Anonymous)]

Hello sage!

Time for a little story time

Be warned, it's a story of youthful stupidity and wooing!

When I was young and entered the world of occultism and magic I searched for my path for a long time and bad luck (or maybe fate) put me in the company of a sect practicing demonolatry. From what my eyes saw the priest of this sect was an extremely powerful magician (or a really good con artist). And fate led me in such a way that I accepted a demonolatry initiation during which I renounced my connection with the Judeo-Christian god and Jesus.

As I got older, I wised up, as I usually do. I said goodbye to the demons and ended my cooperation, cut myself off from this path and purified myself decently. I focused my magic on more , "celestial" atmospheres but continued to stay away from Judeo-Christian forces.

However, recently something happened to me that made me think. Walking to the place of power in my city (where the ley lines meet) I passed by the Church of St. Mikochal and something touched me. I looked into Wednesday and fell into a light trance. In the trance I saw an angel, I asked him if I was worthy to stay here at which the angel said , "you continue to be a child of God, you can stay here and I have no ill intentions towards you".

And here is my question, I really wanted to take up kabbalah for a long time. Based on this event, is it possible to hypothesize that I can at least try and not be burned on the spot? :D

[ecosophia]

The Christian god is much more forgiving than many of his followers are. If you decide to reach out to him I think you'll get a favorable response.

Visualization in Ritual

[egyptianvulture]

Good day,

Recently I have begun the Learning Ritual Magic course in your book by the same title. I am in the second lesson and performing the Qabalistic Cross. Having performed it a few times I have developed some questions regarding visualization and what one should expect or aim for in terms of visualization.

1. Firstly, when one visualizes, is it okay to do the visualization with my eyes closed as I have been or is it necessary to have the eyes open? I anticipate the latter being more important as the rituals become more physically active and include more complex gestures and circumambulations such as in the LBRP or the Rose Cross. So far, however it has been easier to hold the picture of the expansion into space, the cross, the spheres, the light, etc. while the eyes are closed.

2. Secondly, what am i supposed to "see" when visualizing? I have read in David Conway's An Occult Primer that he recommends learning how to actually "see" the elements of the ritual in front of you. He suggests a progressive course of visualizing first a color, then shapes, the tattwas, etc. against a blank wall, so that when one performs a ritual they actually see the things, with their physical sight, in front of them. This seems different than building up a mental image with the imagination, and seems like an outward projection somehow. Much of my inquiry also stems from the recent Magic Monday discussion on seeing the apple in one's mind's eye. You mentioned your own skill had improved in this regard, no doubt from practicing visualization for so long, but I was unsure how much this connects to visualization in the context of ritual. If it is relevant, I wouldn't estimate myself too highly on this scale but I am not someone who is incapable of seeing anything.

I understand also that other senses (ideally all) should be engaged in visualization, for example "feeling" heat radiate from the south when the angel Michael is visualized in the LBRP. While I have not done that specific ritual and have not involved the other senses much so far in ritual, those senses don't seem as difficult to engage as sight. I have a sense also that understanding how to properly visualize and what is meant when one says "visualization" my be a semantic issue, so any clarification on visualization, methods, how to improve, and what to expect/aim for, is greatly appreciated by this neophyte.

Best Regards and a happy magical Monday

Re: Visualization in Ritual

[ecosophia]

1) You can do it with eyes open or closed, however you wish.

2) Many people get bent out of shape about this; don't worry about what you "should" see. Simply imagine things as clearly and vividly as you can. Yes, that includes ritual -- a lot of my practice has been a matter of daily banishing rituals for the last forty years.

Astrological symbolic focus

[sea_spray]

Hi JMG

When thinking about hope's of future romance would focusing on the astrological symbol of venus be a useful way to direct the emotional energy, and is this an existing practice?
I would hope that aphrodite or venus could receve that energy as a kind of offering and know how to direct positively, for me or others in need of it.

Thanks
Sea spray

Re: Astrological symbolic focus

[ecosophia]

You could certainly do it with that intention, and I think it would be well received. You might consider praying about it to her first, however.

Geomantic House Chart Question

[(Anonymous)]

Hello John Michael,

What house would contain the figure for my husband's children from a previous marraige, and what house for thier children? I am casting a chart for myself.

Thank you.

Kind Regards,
Scarlet Squamous Aphid

Re: Geomantic House Chart Question

[ecosophia]

Your husband's children would be the fifth house from his house, or the eleventh house of the chart. Their children would be the fifth house from their house, or the third house of the chart.

Boundaries/Perception from last week

[methylethyl]

To everybody who chimed in on my question about boundaries and perception last Monday: Thank you!

I get the very best reading recommendations from the commentariat here :)

[charlesnapo1]

Hi JMG, I have been working and meditating with the mansions of the Moon spirits for several years now.
Is a field that for some reason I have been very attracted to.
I find this spirits very responsive to connect to humans even more than planetary ones, there is so much conflicting info on them if you read Agrippa you get a feeling that they are Angelic in nature, if you read The picatrix almost everything is for evil doing.
I feel them to be strange but friendly, how would you categorize them? Are they Angelic? Star intelligences? What’s there role with humans?
Thanks

[ecosophia]

One of the constant sources of confusion in the old literature of magic is that everyone describes spirits based on their own experiences. The writers whose work went into the Picatrix seem to have had bad experiences with the lunar spirits, and thought they were malefic; Agrippa had much better experiences, and thought that they were angelic. Me, I find them somewhere in between spirits proper and intelligences; "strange but friendly" isn't a bad description at all.

[betwixttheworlds]

During meditation I realized that a Vesica Pisces is formed twice during a total solar eclipse. I wonder if those times have a magical moment? Eclipses are considered malefic, yet a VP seems to be something positive.

Fulvous Discombobulated Neanderthal

[ecosophia]

If you pull a manhole cover half off the manhole, it also forms a vesica, but if you step on it, down you go into the sewer. In the same sense, an eclipse is malefic even though some of its moments can be quite beautiful.

The relationship between the Sephiroth and the Wheel of the Year

[inykane]

I have been pondering the relationship between the Sephiroth and the stations of the sun in the Wheel of the Year (eight stations). You have presented a model where Kether corresponds to Spirit Above and is at winter solstice and Spirit Below then logically occupies the Summer solstice. That leaves six spaces for the rest. Am I right in assuming that Binah and Chockmah do not fit into this model?

Also, if I remember correctly, Malkuth is at the center, at the "right now". Initiation begins with Samhain, what feels very much like Geburah in its harsh nature. Am I off the track? Tipareth would feel like spring equinox. Chesed might be between winter solstice and spring equinox. It would seem balanced. Then Netzach at Belteine and perhaps Yesod between Summer and Autumn equinox would then be left with Yesod.

Or am I getting this wrong? Would it be better to look at the stations as they are, as they appear here in this environment and meditate on what they tell me?

Re: The relationship between the Sephiroth and the Wheel of the Year

[ecosophia]

There are, that I know of, half a dozen different ways to map the sephiroth onto the wheel of the year. If you want to use one of your own, by all means.

Rituals on the astral

[(Anonymous)]

JMG I know you do not do much dream interpretation, but this about practicalities and consequences more than interpretation...

Over the years I have sometimes had dreams that are somehow more lucid where I have the ability to pause a scene, rewind it, and make small adjustments - usually this has been in circumstances like someone about to be hit by a car or some other accident like that - sort of like moving someone out from under a falling piano what have you.

Haven't had one of those for a while until last night. This one was different - I do not usually have frightening dreams where things are so dysfunctional/dystopian, but this was so surreal that I 'paused' the dream in almost shock to think 'what in the name of the gods is going on?'
When I did that, I was suddenly aware of a wash of what can only be called negative energy - harsh and lots of it - my stuff immediately kicked in on automatic and I found I needed to make a decision, but a thought appeared in my dream mind... 'You do not know what is going on here, do not interfere', and I certainly did not understand what was going on, but the admonition to keep out felt external not internal dialogue - not that that makes it invalid of course - I've read that seeing an angel can be a shock because of our limited perceptions.

I called for understanding and the wisdom to choose well and a flash of thoughts came through, but I did not feel any wiser. Sort of timeless but no time to mess about, I decided to act, thinking that if I led the person away it might open up a new path but that if they did not choose it, they might return to the situation.

So, I rewound the paused scene, entered the scene, took the person by the arm and imagined a door behind me which I opened, led them through and then up a long stairwell.
But the scene reverted to being back in the room - I paused it again and re-wound a bit further, this time with a strong feeling of 'be more direct in your action' so I took hold of their arm again and this time it felt like I just flew into the air and up and out.

As soon as I did that I awoke wondering what just happened - the situation was so 'wrong' it is hard to describe, yet I had the feeling that acting might just open a possibility, it was not clear and perhaps I need to learn when to mind my own business.

The dream was shocking in it's level of dysfunctional barbarity - I did not understand what was going on but felt compelled to try and do something to break the flow.

And, finally my real question:
My foolishness as a human in a meat-sack is one thing, but finding myself in a dreamstate (lucid rather than non-lucid), would I be correct in thinking that doing something stupid in a lucid dream could have unexpected consequences, and more to the point, is there anything you've come across in occult practices that could be a useful training tool to help avoid doing something terminally stupid!? On the one hand not understanding made me hesitant, on the other, it seemed wrong not to try and do something... thing is, that could be very very stupid. Fools rush in where angels fear to tread.

Or put another way; what interested me was the speed and efficacy of my counter-measures kicking in the dreamstate. Because astral? If so, how to enhance practice?

In practicing the tree of light, I have been getting increasing 'pressure' and awareness of cauldrons and below soles of feet and above head cauldron, but for the first time last night before finishing and ending the practice, I was suddenly aware of shifting geometric forms at third eye. As usual I complete closing, but wow, last night was a doozy.

Re: Rituals on the astral

[ecosophia]

You'd have to ask someone who has experience with this kind of dreamwork, which I don't. Anyone else have a suggestion?

Ecosophia Prayer List

[tunesmyth]

At this link is a complete list of all of the requests for prayer that have recently appeared at ecosophia.net and ecosophia.dreamwidth.org, as well as in the comments of the prayer list posts. A printable version of the entire prayer list current as of 10/9 may be downloaded here. Please feel free to add any or all of the requests to your own prayers.

If I missed anybody, or if you would like to add a prayer request for yourself or anyone who has given you consent (or for whom a relevant person holds power of consent) to the list, please feel free to leave a comment below.

* * *
Here are a selection of prayers I'd like to bring special attention to this week.

May Kyle's friend Amanda, who though in her early thirties is undergoing various difficult treatments for brain cancer, make a full recovery; and may her body and spirit heal with grace.

May Jeff Huggin's friends Dale and Tracy be blessed and healed; may Dale's blood and spinal fluid infection clear up sufficiently to receive a heart valve replacement; may his medical procedures go smoothly and with success; and may Dale and Tracy successfully surmount these difficulties.

Russ Hopson, the spouse of Kate Bowden, friend of Peter Van Erp, is suffering from a yet undiagnosed malady which has caused seizures. Please pray for understanding for his physicians, and his recovery to health.

May Mya be released from her addiction, may her emotional, mental, and physical bodies by fully healed; and may she find Higher guidance as she makes her way on her life path.

May Erika's partner James, who has just learned he has cancer all over inside him on his liver and lungs, be blessed, healed and protected.

In the case of Princess Cutekitten and the large bank who is suing her, may justice be done, with harm to none.

Lp9's hometown, East Palestine, Ohio, for the safety and welfare of their people, animals and all living beings in and around East Palestine, and to improve the natural environment there to the benefit of all. 

* * *
Guidelines for how long prayer requests stay on the list, how to word requests, how to be added to the weekly email list, how to improve the chances of your prayer being answered, and several other common questions and issues, are now to be found at the Ecosophia Prayer List FAQ.

If there are any among you who might wish to join me in a bit of astrological timing, I pray each week for the health of all those with health problems on the list on the astrological hour of the Sun on Sundays, bearing in mind the Sun's rulerships of heart, brain, and vital energies. If this appeals to you, I invite you to join me.

Re: Ecosophia Prayer List

[(Anonymous)]

I added my request on my own behalf, with a question about whether or not a longer follow up message would be appropriate there.

Rituals on the astral

[(Anonymous)]

PS to that last about dreams; I'm now wondering if you can direct me towards texts?
Maybe something along the lines of:-
'Etiquette on the Astral: how not to screw-up when you don't understand what is going on!'
;)

Thank you.

Re: Rituals on the astral

[ecosophia]

Again, that's dream literature, and not something I've studied.

[iprescott]

Hello JMG,

I have fallen behind in reading the blogs. I looked through your posts for the UGC akd I did read the course of study for Ordination to become priest/Priestess but dod not see a course of study for the Order of the Monk. Was there one posted that I missed?

Best Regards,

Ian

Ordination for marriages?

[(Anonymous)]

I'll slip in with another question about ordination in the UGC.

Would this quality a person to perform marriages recognized by states?

[(Anonymous)]

Good morning, and thank you as always.

Are you aware of any good ways to work with the planetary energies of and/or improve the relationship with a planet when it is afflicted, beyond just planetary charity? I am doing that but I would like to know if there's more that might help, or if things like talismanic work might become viable after a few rounds of charity. In my case I'm mildly afflicted in Mars and Jupiter.

On an unrelated and more academic note, I've been encountering numerous synchronicities lately around the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, and it has inspired me to learn more about them and their theology. For those here who are interested in such things, I found a dissertation on the subject of how Joseph Smith's ideas and theology may unexpectedly have some connections to hermetic traditions. It's an intriguing piece of scholarship. https://escholarship.org/content/qt0506z43c/qt0506z43c_noSplash_b92d55e79a1f05fa631426fecef6df14.pdf

[kimberlysteele]

From what little work I have done with Ares/Mars, he has assisted me in looking at the worst things I have done in my life. He has guided me to take responsibility for those events and the damage done instead of blaming the lot of it on others or circumstances or the equally bad problem of endlessly torturing myself over those mistakes and abjectly worrying about the inevitable karma down the road. When I am tempted to backslide with similar behaviors, Ares enters my consciousness to remind me not to fall into my established ruts anymore. I also invoke him by doing some jumping jacks, squats, and push-ups if I am feeling listless, unmotivated, or lazy.

On a lighter note, here are some ideas for planetary devotion that don't involve money:

https://kimberlysteele.dreamwidth.org/13793.html

AI, Consciousness, and Magic

[(Anonymous)]

AI, Consciousness, and Magic
There’s a lot of discussion—and concerns, which I share—about artificial intelligence and its impacts and implications, with people from many backgrounds offering their input, including philosophers, scientists, psychologists, technologists, futurists, etc. I figured it would be interesting for us here to discuss the subject from magical and esoteric perspectives.

One of the main points of discussion is whether AI can be considered ‘conscious’ or ‘self-aware,’ or whether it is strongly tending in that direction even if it isn’t quite there yet. I want to start here by using the definition of magic that says magic is ‘the art of causing changes in consciousness in accordance with will,’ and unpack that with respect to AI.

So in this context we have a several loaded terms: ‘cause,’ ‘change,’ ‘consciousness,’ and ‘will,’ to which we can add the even more loaded term ‘free will.’ Let’s start with consciousness, and begin with the question of “whose consciousness are we talking about—one’s own, or other people’s?”

JMG has discussed the use of magic in politics and in the formation of public opinions and perceptions in “The King in Orange” (such a great title!), and elsewhere. Information technology, including AI, played a large role in that during the period covered by this book, and is playing an ever greater role as time goes by. It’s very easy to imagine AI running amok here, generating ‘news’ reports, images, posts and blogs that trigger people across the political spectrum into changes in their consciousness, awareness, and opinions about what is purportedly going on around them. So is AI doing magic here? (I caught a headline recently stating that ‘Alexa’ is now telling some people that the 2020 election was stolen…hopefully, this is caused by someone hacking it, not by a political opinion that ‘Alexa’ came up with by itself and decided to tell people about it.)

What about AI changing its own consciousness? Computer systems already do this, in the sense of ‘learning’ based on new input, and AI can generate new algorithms for itself, if I understand correctly. AI that uses nanorobots could self-repair and even expand itself and its functions, causing changes in its consciousness. I think that the meaning of ‘change in consciousness’ involves perception as well as thought processes, along with the resulting opinions and worldview. AI does something analogous to thought processes and learning. Does it ‘perceive,’ though? Does it have ‘perceptions’? Some AI systems can ‘see’ and ‘hear,’ like the aforementioned Alexa. How about perceptions like ‘opinions’ in the sense of ‘viewpoints which may not be logical or based on verifiable data’? Does AI have those, and if so, can it change them by itself, on its own initiative?

What about ‘will’? To fit into the definition of magic, changes in consciousness need to be directed by will, and presumably free-will is considered to be at least part of the mix. Does AI have ‘will’, and if so, is there any free-will involved? Where does ‘will’ come from, how is it generated? Instinct, conditioning, biological processes, thought-processes, influences from others around us: all these play roles in our ‘will’ though they are not the entirety of our will. Do all of these things operate in AI? Perhaps some do, but not all.

Commentators on AI issues suggest that the objectives programmed into computer and AI systems are analogous to ‘will,’ for example the objective of analyzing and solving problems or following commands. If one takes a limited view of the ‘will’ of the magician—that it is simply will-power and the intention to achieve something by magic—then AI may well have or develop ‘will’ in that sense, and hence be able to perform magic according to our definition. But if we take a deeper and more nuanced view of Will, as something that arises from the totality of our self, our biology, our history, our souls, our ‘karma’ / wyrd / orlog, as well as spiritual and other influences beyond the limitations of time and space, then can AI have that kind of will? It seems doubtful, to me.

That leads in some other interesting directions, such as the question of souls and spirits, and what connection AI could have with these, as well as the related question of the life-force and its role in AI, if any. David Spangler has written a very interesting book called “Techno-Elementals” that takes a look at some of these questions and their implications from an esoteric perspective. Since I don’t mean to hog all the bandwidth on this blog, I’ll save a discussion of those ideas for next week, but I’d like to hear JMG’s and others’ views about whether this definition of magic can cast any light on whether AI can be considered ‘conscious,’ or potentially so.

Respectfully,
Winifred Hodge Rose

Re: AI, Consciousness, and Magic

[(Anonymous)]

AI will probably continue to get better at imitating consciousness, but it is extremely unlikely to actually become conscious, because modeling a process does not create the thing that is being modeled (ie, a highly accurate software model of the human circulatory system will not cause your computer to start bleeding.)

I recommend looking into the work of Bernardo Kastrup; he’s a computer scientist and philosopher who has been working in the field of metaphysical idealism, and has a lot of knowledgeable things to say about AI and consciousness.

[(Anonymous)]

JMG,

I know someone who plays the fiddle who took up keyboards as a means to improve his fiddle playing. Not beinng musically inclined I don't remember the reasoning, but it did make me think of a question for MM.

What was the 2nd occult path you chose to practice and was there a reason you chose that particular path? Or was it more instinct or happenstance?

AV

[ecosophia]

The second magical path I followed, after my initial work in Golden Dawn magic, was Druidry, and that happened because I knew someone who was involved in the Druid scene. Obviously I found it congenial!

[(Anonymous)]

Goodmorning JMG!

What are the most potent or effective methods and exercises for uncovering/remember one’s purpose or work to be done in this incarnation?

Thank you!

[ecosophia]

Most people don't have a purpose or a work to do in a given incarnation, other than in the very broad sense of "gain experience and work through karma." If you have a specific purpose or some specific work to do, that'll be apparent almost instantly if you look back over your life: there'll be some repeated challenge or some issue that just won't go away, and dealing with that is your purpose and your work. Otherwise? Don't worry about it. As Sri Aurobindo liked to say, from one perspective God is an eternal child playing an eternal game in an eternal garden...

Fungal fulminations

[(Anonymous)]

Hi JMG,

This is less a question, more just a ramble that I'd like your thoughts on.

I've noticed things seem to be getting mouldy more easily in the past few years. A loaf of bread gets mould in only a few days, where it used to take a week. In our house, I've had to varnish or paint any untreated wood, or it starts getting mould on it within a few weeks. This isn't just me either, friends and family have commented on it too. Granted, our country (UK) seems to be developing a more tropical island climate (hotter and wetter - in line with what you've said about convection cells), where mould grows more easily, but abroad too, people seem to keep getting ill from fungal infections as well - even pre-covid, there had been an uptick in otherwise healthy people getting horrible fungal lung and skin infections and the like (I think there were widespread outbreaks in the swampier areas of America and India). When sampled, the fungi appeared to be relatively common strains, and no one was quite sure why they'd suddenly gone pathogenic.

I'm wondering if fungi have started evolving to clean up the messes we are leaving behind. Case in point - there are fungi that evolved within the space of 50 years to live inside the totally artificial habitat of nuclear waste cooling ponds, and use melanin in the chemical pathway to do so, gaining their energy and metabolites from the nuclear decay products. Plastic and petrochemicals too, are a rich energy source (hence why they burn so well), but the only reason they stick around so long is because nothing has yet evolved to digest them. Fungi may be the ones that can, and if they do, modern society will literally grind to a halt without synthetic lubricants, O-rings, fuel tanks, etc.

You've said before that fungi have a "death energy". This seems ominous. It makes me think they are proliferating in anticipation of a lot of death to feed on.

Fungi are weird though. They live unseen and break everything down, then the first we see of them are their sexual organs and the rot they create. The living embodiment of solve et coalula I guess.

Fungi seem to be entering popular culture a lot recently as well - just this weekend I went to a art installation type thing which was themed around a fantasy world filled with fungi. There was a book I read a few years ago (which I think was made into a film) called "The girl with all the gifts" about a fungus which killed/zombified most humans, but was symbiotic with some humans, and gave them enhanced abilities. A mutated form of the "caterpillar zombie fungus", cordyceps, was also the main plot device of a video game (and now a TV series) called "The last of us".

Mushroom psychedelics seem to be in vogue at the moment too (albeit on the down-low), with people growing their own at home and microdosing, and lots of research into soil mycelium which facilitate tree communication (known as the "Wood wide web",because scientists love puns)

And then there are the meat substitutes - I remember a few years ago, a poster commented on here about how a mycoprotein (fungal) burger gave them a weird psychic hypersensitivity for a week or so (I've had one of burgers too, but all it did was just upset my stomach). I've mentioned to my wife that if a hive-minded fungal organism wanted to spread itself into as many people as possible, mycoprotein fake meat would be a pretty good way to do so.

Anyway, I just wondered if you or anyone else had any thoughts on thus, or had picked up anything from the astral, etc.

Mr. Crow

Re: Fungal fulminations

[(Anonymous)]

It could be that the fungi are more widespread and active. It could also be that more people have reduced health overall, from so many things in modern life that are so destructive in recent decades. Minor fungal infections that could have been easily fought off in the past. They might now be too much for overburdened immune systems and depleted general health.

I returned to the Los Angeles area few years ago, from many years away. I grew up in a valley further inland, known for being generally warmer and drier than where I am now. Even with that, the number of days that are both hot and extremely humid, very uncomfortable, seem to be many times more than in my youth.

Waite Sources

[(Anonymous)]

It seems like there are plenty of sources on the Fellowship of the Rosy Cross, but I can't seem to find much on the Independent and Rectified Rite of the Golden Dawn that was practiced at the Isis-Urania Temple after the split. Do you know of any sources that discuss or publish Waite's Rectified Golden Dawn Rite?

Re: Waite Sources

[ecosophia]

No, and I wish I did. There was a lot of variation in Golden Dawn rituals -- much more than most people realize -- and it would be intriguing to see the Rectified Rite ceremonies.