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.  (The picture is W.E. Butler, one of Dion Fortune's students and a major teacher and writer about occultism in his own right.)

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 week!***

(And, by the way, closed means closed. I had someone else try to put through a question on Wednesday. If you've got a question on any day but Monday, please save it for the next Monday!) 

Comments

[(Anonymous)]

What is the origin (if known) of the visualization of expanding until one is standing on the 1’ diameter sphere of the earth?

Was there a different way of doing the same thing, when people’s concept of the world was based more on their lived experience and less on abstract knowledge that they live on a spherical planet? (I would imagine that, though it has been known for a while that the earth is round, this fact only fairly recently became so prominent in our everyday concept of where we are.)

Combining natural magic

[(Anonymous)]

Why is it so much easier to combine natural magic systems than ceremonial magic systems? For instance, the diaspora of Native American, West African and European natural magic in the south seems to work successfully by your comments, yet you were skeptical last week of ceremonial systems combining East Asian and European magic especially when it came to energy work. Is this because reconciling the different philosophies and morals of the two cultures is not possible because they are not close enough or that they have not had close enough contact for long enough? Or is that they have not formed a hybrid culture. Do the "Barbarians at the Gates" tend to be the forerunners of magical innovations?

[(Anonymous)]

I have been working through the Druid Magic Handbook for nearly a year, and have recently started to use the SOP for practical purposes and practice the Grove ritual. My visual imagination, which was nonexistent (I could imagine sounds, sensations, spatial relationships and such; I could not picture light, colours, or imagery) is still tenuous and weak.

Is it best to wait for my visualization ability to catch up before proceeding to anything more advanced? Or is it fine to compensate with other imaginal senses?

Also, do you have any insight into why people have different levels of ability to visualize, and what factors of upbringing influence this?

[ecosophia]

The expansion visualization is apparently quite recent. It's not included in the original version of the Lesser Ritual of the Pentagram in the Golden Dawn papers, in Crowley's version in Liber O, or in Butler's The Magician: His Training and Work, which latter was my introduction to the ritual. I find that I'm not sure where I got it -- it's been part of my practice for many decades, but I read a vast amount of magical literature back in the day.

The thing is, you can cultivate the lived experience of being on a spherical planet; it doesn't have to be abstract. Lie on a grassy hill sometime on an early summer evening when the Moon is already up and the evening star is visible, and make an effort to realize that you're not looking up from a floor, you're looking out from the side of a sphere, and the Moon and Venus and the Sun are also spheres, whirling through deep space. Do it with suitable intensity and it won't be abstract any longer...

Re: Combining natural magic

[ecosophia]

Hmm. I've tried to explain this repeatedly and I'm not sure where the confusion is coming from. The problem is specifically with combining those aspects of East Asian magic that move life energy through the body and those aspects of Western magic that do the same thing, and the difficulty is that combining them can mess with your health. That's the issue. It doesn't apply to the rest of ceremonial magic, as far as I know; it's only, and specifically, that running energy through the body in two competing fashions can cause serious trouble to the subtle body. Thus it has nothing to do with reconciling philosophies or morals, or the length of time the cultures have been in contact; the problem is comparable to the problem you get when you take two medications and their side effects interact in ways that make you sick. Does that clarify things a bit?

[ecosophia]

By all means compensate with the other imaginal senses. There's no reason to wait for an improvement of your visualization that may or may not occur. As for why different people have different capacities for visualization, I don't know that anybody knows the reason; it would be an interesting subject for research.

[jenniferkobernik]

Hi JMG,

In my copy of The Druid Magic Handbook, both Alban Arthuan and Alban Heruin are listed as being associated symbolically with the new moon, and none of the stations with the full moon. I am assuming that this is an error and that Alban Heruin should be associated with the full moon and Alban Arthuan with the new moon, but I wanted to confirm that before proceeding in error. Thanks!

Natural Magic

[(Anonymous)]

I am currently reading your Encyclopedia of Natural Magic, and liking it very much. My question: do you know of any magical remedies that herbalists or lore masters of yore would have used against persistent dizziness, i.e., vertigo? If not, can you refer me to any traditional texts that might treat the topic?

Kevin

Re: Combining natural magic

[(Anonymous)]

Yes. Enormously.

[ecosophia]

You're quite correct -- that was in error. The full moon is to the moon what the summer solstice is to the sun.

Re: Natural Magic

[ecosophia]

That would traditionally have been treated as a medical problem, and I don't offer medical advice, because people do jail time in the US for practicing medicine without a license; the medical profession is very protective of its lucrative monopoly. I encourage you to consult a health care practitioner licensed to practice in your state.

[jenniferkobernik]

Thank you!

Astrological question

[(Anonymous)]

I have a question concerning a natal horoscope, my own. If the cusp of the second House is in Aquarius, how does that affect the situation of the native? In my chart, the cusp of that House is in the last degree of Aquarius. There are no important celestial bodies in the House, nor in that sign.

Since (I gather) Saturn rules Aquarius, I infer that the status of that planet may be relevant. He is well placed by sign, in the first House, but afflicted by aspect and retrograde.

I’ve done quite a few searches online in hopes of discovering the answer for myself, but so far only Vedic astrology sites give any answers in depth, and that is not a tradition I have been working with.

[(Anonymous)]

What do you think of the bicameral theory of conciousness?

[(Anonymous)]

You said you were very impressed with the results of the Masons' and other fraternal groups' youth training programmes. How do these programmes work and are occult methods part of them?

Witchcraft

[(Anonymous)]

Hello!

What is your understanding of witchcraft and its practices? And what are the major differences between that and magic as practiced by druids and all?

PS: I am aware that these could be far too general questions, but try your best.

Karim

Watcher on the threshold

[(Anonymous)]

Thank you for magic Monday.

Dion Fortune wrote in Mystical Kabbalah ch 22: “This brings us to the great question, which might almost be called the Dweller on the Threshold of occult science, the horror which confronts every adventurer into the Unseen which unites in itself the functions of the Sphinx, and asks a question of the soul upon the answer to which hangs his fate. Shall he be condemned to wander in the realms of illusion? Shall he be turned back on to the planes of form, or shall he he permitted to pass on into the Light?”

Despite being interested and feeling a strong pull towards occultism my whole life, I have had, what I believe to be, several encounters with The Watcher in which I have recoiled in fear.

Is this an indication that my practice is not yet enough and something that can be overcome by perseverance in study and practice, or should I take it as indication that I do not have the constitution, and relent?

[violetcabra]

Hi JMG,

I'm curious if you know of, or have speculations, on the astrological attributions and magical uses of pine, especially the eastern white pine that abounds in New England?

My thoughts: Matthew Wood emphasizes pines usefulness for improving breathing, even just by walking underneath them. This would indicate Gemini to me. They are associated with the risen Solar God in the depth of winter which is quite Solar, and Dion Fortune considers them to be a Dionysian incense, another solar reference. They produce a golden sap which can be burnt as an incense by itself, or at least I did growing up.

Pine is calming, it increases contemplation and the ability to breath. Interestingly, I've read that people tend to be less comfortable in pine forests than under broad leaf trees. Catherine Yronwode suggests fresh pine needles in a bath to remove mental negativity, an indication I'll have to try tonight! She apparently uses it in a general purifying way, with the note that the smell of pine tends to draw money, which I would imagine would indicate a potential Jovial influence.

So I'm inclined to see pine as solar, but then could easily be convinced that it is more useful to see it as ruled by Jupiter (like cedar) or Saturn (Yew and Myrrh).

As always, your perspectives and thoughts are much appreciated. If other readers who have worked with pine in natural, astrological or ceremonial magic want to weigh in I'd be delighted.

[tumeric]

I walked into the Theosophical Bookshop the other day to buy the Cosmic Doctrine, and was umming and ahhing about also getting Halls Secret Teaching of the Ages.
Not knowing where to look, as I walked in I turned left and within 2 seconds my eyes found the Halls book. (I rarely look at that shelf when in there)
OK, that's a pretty good sign to buy the book which I did.

I've always thought of it as trusting the universe/god/whatever, and noticed if you exercise that, it gets stronger.
Back when I used to meditate allot that sort of thing (like synchronicity) used to happen allot. But I never understood it.

What is that? How does that work?

Deity names

[orathbone]

Dear JMG, I have a question about the use of the various names of deities in magical rituals and prayers. For instance Hu Gadarn can be Hu the mighty or Heu’c. I’m sure there are more variants and of course the ones originally used in pre-christian times are likely to be different again.
My question is does any of this matter and when one calls on a deity how specific is this call? Or to put it another way are Hermes, Mercury and Wotan all the same power, variations of the same power, or individual powers? Are Ceridwen and the Virgin Mary both the same mother goddess or different aspects of one goddess, or quite separate?
If the specific name or variant of a name is not that important how does one decide which to use?
I’m probably over thinking this as in practice it all seems to ‘work’ but it’s still a nagging intellectual issue for me.

Working with a goddess

[(Anonymous)]

Hi John,
I’m undertaking the OBOD course. As part of my regular meditations, as part of the coursework, I visit a grove. Earlier this year I met a goddess who agreed to help me and provide guidance as I move forward, not just as part of the course but in life generally. Over time I have come to realise, as part of various visions and answers to questions I posed, that in previous lives we knew each other very well, and were very close, and there is no doubt there is a strong bond between us. Have you ever met a goddess/god that you knew in a previous life and was willing to work with you?
Thanks

Initiation

[(Anonymous)]

Hi JMG,

I am getting ready for my initiation ceremony for Ovate in CGD and am noticing a couple of things.
A) I'm surprisingly frightened, or at least that its bringing up some emotional feedback that is interesting. Im also finding it fascinating to look at how far I've come, but as it's been a while, it's hard to know what changes are from the work and what are the results of other things, like getting married. I won't list the experience and insights here but there are many. I'm not sure it's valuable to pull apart and do a forensic examination of what caused what changes, unless you think that is useful? However, I do what to give appropriate acknowledgement to the work.
B) I've not done much formal initiation, but it always struck me as doing one was to be recognised in a new way (like getting married) by others. I'm wondering if I am missing something by doing this initiation privately. While I acknowledge the value of self practice AND that I am the primary agent in my development - they are what count, I'm wanting to ensure I give the initiation it's due honouring, fit for the order. What are your thoughts on this?

Kind regards,
Edward

Hair

[saturns_pet]

JMG and All:

I have excellent hair. It's a Shiva-level hairdo situation. It makes me curious about what my ancestors were up to in Canada in the 1800s but that is not my question. lol. But my question is about my hair.

Please consider the following in a context of natural magic as you've described it in your fine book.

If I were to make a part of my ample locks available for a wig for a person in need of a prosthetic hairdo, then would I need to do anything to prevent any etheric and/or astral links from bonding me to that recipient and/or influencing them by some 'sympathetic' action?

Anyone wearing a wig made from my hair would, if that hair retained traces of my spirit, be going for an odd ride, and perhaps even develop a durable case of that dreaded pseudo-lycanthropy! I might need a warning label for that wig if it comes to be...

Of course now I want to call it a Wig Of Wyrding +3 and ink an image of it in that old TSR-era style. Shout out to all who remember THACO!

NaCl Or Bust,

Saturn's Pet

[(Anonymous)]

Hi, happy Monday!

Can tarot cards be used to communicate with land spirits?
If not, what is a way they can be communicated with?

Thank you for your time.

[(Anonymous)]

If you had sufficient resources to do research in any areas of magic you wanted, what areas would you concentrate on?