Magic Monday

[ecosophia]

Midnight is just a few moments away, and so it's time to launch a new Magic Monday. Ask me anything about occultism, and 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.  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 1.1 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.  And further:  I've decided that questions involving the evocation of spirits are permanently off topic here. The point of occultism is to develop your own capacities, not to try to bully or wheedle other beings into doing things for you. I've discussed this in a post on my blog.

The image? I field a lot of questions about my books these days, so I've decided to do little capsule summaries of them here, one per week. The book above on the left was my thirty-second published book, another volume for the Ancient Order of Druids in America. At the time I wrote it, in 2012, the AODA was shaping up to be the only surviving branch of the various esoteric orders and traditions that John Gilbert had passed on to me and my late wife, and so the two of us (both then archdruids in AODA) and the rest of the Grand Grove talked about what else we might be able to recover. Reactivating a branch of the Universal Gnostic Church seemed like a good idea -- but we didn't want it to be yet another Pagan ordination mill churning out certificates for people who just wanted to perform marriages and claim unearned moral authority. Long conversations resulted in the idea of a monastic clergy, aloing the lines of the UGC's own monastic orders, with a distinctive liturgy and training program.

This book was the result:  a discussion of the Gnostic Celtic Church, its origins, and its training program, together with complete texts of its liturgies.  Anyone can perform its communion ceremony, btw -- in this tradition becoming a priest doesn't confer any rights, it involves instead taking on responsibilities.  The GCC is still a thriving concern in AODA, and details can be found here. If you're interested in the book, you can order a copy here.

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, and no more comments will be put through. See you next week!***

Comments

[hippieviking]

This is a question for Robert Mathiesen or Winifred Hodge Rose or possibly anyone else who has some understanding of runes in the older Germanic languages.

Background: I regularly engage in physical training of various kinds and I like to row on a rowing machine. I like using the rowing machine because, if used appropriately, it can be made into a brutally difficult workout and there really isn't much of a way to game it. It can be an absolute gut check, with the only way to succeed being to drive through a whole lot of pain and discomfort.

A couple days ago, I was rowing and trying to set a new personal record. About halfway through a workout over 40 minutes long, I was struggling but still going. A thought entered my head, with crystal clarity, to take off the mjollnir that I have worn daily for many years. At this point in my life, I have experienced enough weirdness that, even though I've never received something like that before, I reached up, ripped the mjollnir off, and tossed it to the side.

Again with crystal clarity, I heard the voice in my head and knew it was Thor, telling me not to put the mjollnir back on until I beat 40 minutes. Just to clarify, I don't really have a rower's build and even though I am quite fit, I was questioning whether I even possessed the physicality to do such a thing. Nonetheless, I went for it with abandon. I drove myself to the point where I was physically ill and my muscles were giving out, and then pulling more. I broke my previous best record by a large margin. It wasn't good enough. I missed the 40-minute mark by over 40 seconds.

I was definitely distressed by this. I felt absolutely naked without the mjollnir, but I wasn't putting it back on. I had been challenged and failed to meet the challenge. I decided to take this in the spirit of uruz, a challenge that must be overcome. I refrained from any strenuous activity for the next 36 hours and prepared myself in every way I possibly could, reviewing technique, eating for substantial energy, etc. All the while, I did not tell myself "I will succeed" but rather that "I refuse to fail."

After my 36 hours of preparation, I set up my rowing machine, tied my mjollnir where I could see it, and put the figure of Thor from our family altar on a chair in front of the rower. I proceeded to do an absolutely viciously punishing row. Well before the end, when my body was trying to give up and I was refusing to let it, I had my wife pouring quarts of water on my head. I felt like my body was being pushed into full-on adrenal fatigue. My muscles were demanding to give out, but I refused to let them. I drove on and I finished with 9 seconds to spare.

First I had to recover enough that I stopped shaking and could stand without wobbling. Then I retrieved my mjollnir and as I put it back on, in my head, crystal clear, was Thor's voice, "Fucking SAVAGE."

Savage is not a term I use or think of often, but the use of this particular word was extremely synchronistic on several levels. I haven't gotten a tattoo in many years and didn't have any intention of getting more, but I have now decided that I am going to get a new tattoo to commemorate this ordeal.

So, my question for Winifred or Robert or others is this: I know that savage is derived from French originally and so has no Germanic etymological lineage to draw from, but what would the equivalent word be in old Norse or one of the northern Germanic dialects? The sense of the word that I am thinking of is "fierce, violent, uncontrolled." Could you suggest an appropriate word that could be readily written in the elder futhark, or potentially one of the other futharks?

Thanks,
HV

[ecosophia]

I can't contribute anything to the Norse or Germanic linguistic side of this, but thank you -- this is awesome.

Two Drafts of the "All Father" Prayer and a Question on "God-Forms"

[jprussell]

Good Evening,

Once again, to any who marked it, a happy Midsummer/Summer Solstice! To those who didn't, I hope you are spending your summer in whatever way you like best.

To Share: I've put together two rather rough drafts of the "All Father" prayer for my Heathen Rosary undertaking, after a long poetic fallow time: https://jpowellrussell.com/#two_rough_all_father_prayers

To Ask:

1. For any so moved, I would very much welcome any thoughts on the above-linked prayers/poems over at my own dreamwidth post for gathering comments on the post: https://jprussell.dreamwidth.org/20195.html

2. For JMG, or anyone else with thoughts, I'm reading a book about Odhinn (The Search for Odhinn) where the author (Shani Oates) uses the term "god-form." From what I know of her background and her general approach, it seems likely that it comes from Wicca and applies in something like the "all Gods are one God, all Goddesses are one Goddess" sense, but another commenter brought up the possible connection with Golden Dawn terminology and suggested I ask about it here. So, any thoughts on what that term might mean and any assumptions that might be buried within it?

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

My blessings to all who welcome them,
Jeff

Re: Two Drafts of the "All Father" Prayer and a Question on "God-Forms"

[ecosophia]

In the Golden Dawn tradition, a godform is the image of a god that a mage takes on in order to represent that deity in an initiation or some other magical ceremony. For example, in the GD's Neophyte initiation, the Hierophant represents the god Osiris, and visualizes himself as the god, striving to embody the consciousness of the god in the ritual. The same thing is done as a meditative exercise in esoteric Buddhism -- the practitioner enters into meditation, puts his hands into the mudra of a deity, recites the mantra of the deity, and imagines himself as vividly as possible as the deity.

I don't know the book you've cited, so I have no idea if that's what the author is talking about, of course.

[(Anonymous)]

I'm doing research into the topic of the internet as a system of dark magic, and keep finding myself circling back to the way that internet has been extraordinarily sexualized pretty much right from the start, and at this point it seems pretty clear to me that this playing a major role in charging the internet with at least some of it's power. This is a topic I have never researched, so I'm hoping you could help point me in the right direction. Do you know any good sources on sex magic or the occult effects of masturbation? I have read your post On the Metaphysics of Sex, but think I need to look at this further in order to complete this project.

[ecosophia]

I recommend Dion Fortune's The Esoteric Philosophy of Love and Marriage and P.B. Randolph's Magia Sexualis for this.

Appropriate subjects for divination

[mountainchild]

I'm familiar with using divination to ask about what is currently going on, or what will be going on, how it's relevant and what one should know about it. But I was curious, is divination also a useful tool for gaining better insight and understanding about things that have already happened?

Re: Appropriate subjects for divination

[ecosophia]

Of course! You can use divination to explore anything you can't learn by ordinary material/sensory means, and insight and understanding about anything belongs in that category.

Daskalos & the Archangels

[(Anonymous)]

Good Day JMG.

Years ago I bought two books from the Daskalos (The Magus of Strovalos) organization. One book on his metaphysical theory and one book on practice. In them he describes his idea that each human incarnates with five classes of elemental archangelic entities. Is this an idea you’ve come across before?

Thank you

Re: Daskalos & the Archangels

[ecosophia]

No, and it seems rather odd to me. Archangels rank high above human beings, and have better things to to than tagging along with us when we incarnate.

Interpreting geomantic charts without yes/no questions

[nightsgate]

Evening JMG. I'm presently working through your *The Art and Practice of Geomancy* and I've hit on a speed bump.

When casting for a question with an open-ended range of answers, how does one go about interpreting the chart for practical advice?

For example -- in a casting this morning, I asked who could I serve/help (in the context of a group or audience) in a way that would benefit both of us in (a well-defined goal).

RW: Caput Drac.
LW: Puella
J: Fortuna Min.

That's a favorable result as I understand it -- but I'm unsure of how to use this to guide future decisions.

Is it as simple as finding an interpretation that makes sense of the witnesses and judge?

In the house chart, given that the quesited is hidden to me, I took this as a 4th House question. The figure there is Caput Drac. which also passes to 6th and 11th houses, suggesting a connection to employees/servants and friends and sources of help.

There's no obvious perfections in the house chart (unless there's an aspect I've missed).

The Reconciler came up as Cauda Drac. from Albus in the 1st House, which concerns me despite the otherwise favorable read.

There's some intriguing suggestions in this chart, but I'm a bit stumped as to the best way to weave it into a sensible direction.

I've only read up through chapter 6 in your book, so if the answer's lying ahead of me, feel free to tell me to "read the book, dummy"

Re: Interpreting geomantic charts without yes/no questions

[ecosophia]

Okay, this is another place where overthinking gets in the way. What's the basic meaning of Fortuna Minor? "Move fast and get help from others." What's the basic meaning of Caput Draconis? "Begin it now." There's your advice. Cauda Draconis as reconciler suggests that this project won't be dragging on indefinitely -- it'll do something, and then end.

Ecosophia Prayer List

[tunesmyth]

At this link is the full 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. 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 or at the first link above.

* * *
This week I would like to bring special attention to the following prayer requests.

May Jennifer have a safe and healthy pregnancy, may the delivery go smoothly, and may her baby be born healthy and blessed.

May Ecosophian, whose cat Cheesecake (picture)ran away on Wednesday 6/12, be safely reunited with Cheesecake; and may Cheesecake be protected and guided on his journey home.

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 Jennifer’s father Robert, who passed away on May 29th, be blessed and soothed, and may his soul be helped to its ultimate destiny and greatest good.

Tyler A's wife Monika's pregnancy is high risk, and has now successfully entered the third trimester; may Monika and baby Isabelle both be blessed with good health and a smooth delivery.

May Jennifer's mother Nancy G. in SW Missouri is still recovering from various troubles including brain surgery for hydrocephaly; may she be healed, regain her mobility, and be encouraged with loving energy.

May Erika, who recently lost her partner James and has been dealing with major knee problems (and who senses a connection between the two), be healed in both broken heart and broken knee, and be able to dance in the sun once more.

May Doug Y of Geauga County, Ohio be supported and healed as he makes his way through the diagnosis and treatment process for prostate cancer.

May Ms. Krieger's hometown of Norwalk, Connecticut recover quickly and fully from the gasoline tanker fire that destroyed an overpass and shut down interstate 95 on May 2. May the anger and fire that has made driving in the area so fraught cool down in a way that benefits all beings. May all people, animals, and other beings around the highway, the adjacent river and the harbor be protected and blessed, and may the natural environment improve to the benefit of all. (update)

May Christina, who passed away on 5/8, experience a peaceful repose; may the minor child she leaves behind be cared for, and the needs of all affected me met; and may her family be comforted in this difficult time.

May Frank Rudolf Hartman of Altadena California (picture), who is receiving chemotherapy, be completely cured of the lymphoma that is afflicting him, and may he return to full health.

May Just Another Green Rage Monster's father, who is dealing with Stage 4 Lymphoma, and mother, who is primary caregiver, be blessed, protected and healed.

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 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

[ecosophia]

Thank you for this as always!

[(Anonymous)]

Has anyone read The Devil’s Best Trick, by Randall Sullivan? If you, like me, are a victim of 20th-century American “education,” I recommend it. He does a good job of condensing the history of Western religion and making it easy to follow. Enjoy!

I don’t know if it would be too basic for serious scholars of religion such as our host, but I think it’s great for the rest of us.

—Princess Cutekitten

solstice and full moon

[earthworm_uk]

Dear JMG
With a solstice and full moon so close together, how might that have been expected to manifest and did any astrological indications add or subtract anything to/from that?
Thanks.

Oh dear... I may have just answered my question re how things might manifest and people behave:

I think we are on the cusp of a major escalation in the war in Ukraine, with U.S. assets likely to be targeted in the coming days. It is one thing for Ukraine to hit military targets inside Russia, but Ukraine’s attack with U.S. supplied missiles today on tourists sunbathing on the beaches of Sevastopol breached a Russian-redline that is likely to provoke a significant Russian response, which will include targeting U.S. reconnaissance aircraft operating in the Black Sea and the Baltic Ocean. And that is for starters.
https://sonar21.com/u-s-crosses-redline-and-russia-is-now-ready-to-respond-with-force/

Blimey. Might be time to buckle-up. Maybe this is the UK and US deep state establishment way of ultimately destroying themselves.

Probably completely unrelated, but I was strangely motivated to write and publish this over the weekend:
https://earthworm-uk.dreamwidth.org/

'Mercy' is not usually one of the main focusses of my practice - it's in the mix, but not like this.

Re: solstice and full moon

[ecosophia]

The full moon is always a time of heightened energy, since the cycles of the moon influence the life force -- it's at its strongest just before and during the full moon, and at its weakest just before and during the new moon. Combine that with the influx of energy that comes down at each of the four "star gates," the solstices and equinoxes, and anyone unstable is likely to wig out. For those who can regain their balance, however, it's a time of great power when much can be accomplished.

INRI

[(Anonymous)]

Hey JMG

I have recently been meditating upon "The analysis of INRI" as described in C.O.P., and I wanted to ask you if you could point me to any sources that describe the meaning or history of this invocation?

Also, I want to share something that I have learned so far about this invocation, which is that it seems to use symbolism involving the numbers 3 and 7. The "Analysis" is based on the Ternary of forces symbolised by I.A.O., which is then used to make the quarternary of INRI. IAO and INRI together produce 7 letters. Furthermore, it appears that the Ternary is represented in 7 different ways, as Greek letters (IAO), Hebrew letters (Yod nun resh yod), English letters (INRI), astrological forces, Egyptian deities, Latin letters (LVX), and finally as postures.

J.L.Mc12

Re: INRI

[ecosophia]

The analysis of INRI is first documented in the Golden Dawn's inner order papers, though it draws on symbolism that was well known in the Renaissance; nobody knows who invented it. As for its meaning, you're supposed to work that out for yourself in meditation...

[eyvindmartinsson]

Greetings!

I have been doing daily tarot-readings along the lines of "what do I need to understand about the things happening today?" for 2+ years, both single and three cards, and it never really seem to amount to much; when going over it the next day they very, very rarely connect to anything that I can recall in any meaningful way (to me that is). Are some people just hopeless when it comes to the tarot?

[ecosophia]

Yes, that happens. Since you've given it more than a year, it's entirely reasonable to try some other form of divination and see if that suits you better.

Praying for people

[quoadsacra]

Apologies if this question has come up before. I'm interested in the thinking behind asking people's consent before praying for them and if there is anywhere I can read up more on this.

The reason I am asking this now is that I was recently at a Buddhist meditation evening and there was a guided meditation called the "metta bhavana" where we were invited to picture and send wishes of wellbeing towards 1) a friend 2) a neutral person we hardly know 3) someone we have difficulty with.

The first thing that came into my mind was - should I be doing that without the other person's consent?

Maybe it's different if I'm just sending out my own "metta" rather than invoking any deities etc. but I still thought it was worth asking for a second opinion. Thanks.

- Graham

Re: Praying for people

[ecosophia]

I disagree with the notion that it's appropriate to pray for, or bless, or send positive energy to anyone without their consent. It simply isn't true that everyone appreciates that, or wants it, nor does anyone have the right to make anyone else's life conform to their sense of what "better" means!

I haven't seen anything in writing on this subject, I'm sorry to say. A great many people seem to think that they have the right to mess with other people's lives, as long as they themselves think the results would be an improvement.

Subtle effects of photographs

[(Anonymous)]

Dear JMG,

Firstly I want to thank you for your essay on the symbolism of the ‘new and improved’ pride flag—with it being ‘pride month’ these flags are everywhere and I shudder slightly whenever I walk past one because you laid out the underlying symbology so clearly that now it is impossible to unsee it.

Secondly, my question—as I’ve developed in my spiritual practice and become more sensitive to subtle energies, I’ve increasingly started feeling that taking photos (that sort of frequent mindless snapping away) just feels… very wrong somehow. I’ve been travelling and yet have taken almost no photos.

I feel like quite apart from taking you out of the moment and acting as a crutch to building memory and awareness, there might actually be some draining of life force.

The traditional cultures which considered photos in this way come to mind, and now I wonder if there may be some truth to that. Do you know or guess at the effects of modern smartphone photography? Or does it not do anything and I’m just crazy? Does anyone else feel this way too?

I note that it seems people who take photos very consciously and deliberately and for art purposes, it feels pretty different.

Thank you so much!

Re: Subtle effects of photographs

[ecosophia]

I don't know of anything on the subject, but if it feels wrong to you, don't do it. Your intuition is worth listening to.

a year and a bean

[randomactsofkarmasc]

I am halfway through reading The White Goddess by Robert Graves. IIRC, in a past MM, there was a discussion on why "a year and a day" was a measurement. In The White Goddess, Graves states that the ancient common-law month in Britain was 28 days. Thirteen lunar months of 28 equals 364 days. Calendar-makers placed a no-month day between the first and last of the 28 day months, so "the farmer's year lasted, from the calendar-maker's point of view, literally a year and a day."

Also, regarding spitting beans at ghosts/spirits, Graves said that the ancient Greeks believed that beans contain a soul. (They sprout in spirals and they release "breath" when you eat them.) He didn't explain the rationale of why spitting a bean would discourage the ghost/spirit; perhaps they thought beans behaved like Poke-balls :-).

Re: a year and a bean

[ecosophia]

Graves' book is fascinating, but I'd encourage you to look up any assertion he makes in some other source because, um, he's not always correct. As a historian, he was a really good poet.

Akashic Record; "Illuminati"

[(Anonymous)]

Dear JMG,

Is there such a reality as the Akashic Record, and can it be accurately read and interpreted by any mere mortals? Or only by spiritual masters? Or even if it exists is it completely unknowable?

Also, your thoughts on what/who the "illuminati" actually is and how much control they exert over humanity? What about their alleged equation with the Annunaki and "reptilians"? Is there a secret "cabal" atop the pyramid that has cosnciously conspired against humanity in their own interests for centuries? Or to your mind is all this pure fantasy and "con-spirituality" propaganda?

Many thanks for the time and response!

Re: Akashic Record; "Illuminati"

[ecosophia]

Ah, the akashic record. That was the hypothesis behind one of the two great projects in the occult community in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The idea was that everything that has ever happened is permanently engraved on the akasha, the element of ether, and could be read by clairvoyants. Three generations of occultists worked hard on that, and unfortunately what they found is that material gained by clairvoyance is a random mix of accurate glimpses, projected chatter from other minds, and dream imagery churned out by the personal subconscious. Most occult schools dropped the whole concept once it became clear it didn't work, but the New Age movement never got the memo and is still pushing a failed hypothesis as revealed truth.

As for the Illuminati, they were a short-lived liberal political conspiracy in 18th-century Germany, which was broken up by the police. People looking for someone to blame for the French Revolution took that reality and inflated it into this notion of a vast secret society that has the world by the throat. The Annunaki were mythological beings from Sumerian mythology that Zechariah Sitchin redefined as evil aliens in a bunch of very dubious books; the "reptilians" were an invention of David Icke, who apparently watched too many reruns of that otherwise forgettable SF miniseries "V" when he was stoned or something.

Do conspiracies exist? Of course they do. There are lots of them, of various levels of power and continuity, and they compete with each other. (You might find this post of mine from my main blog useful along these lines.) But there isn't one big uber-conspiracy, partly because nobody bothers keeping up the conspiracy schtick once they seize power, and partly because the people who crave power and wealth are each other's worst enemies. They're always out to stab each other in the back, since that's the easiest way to get more power and wealth. Do you recall the politics in the original novel Dune, with the great houses of the Landsraad, the imperial house, the Spacing Guild, and the Bene Gesserit all playing against each other all the time? Frank Herbert knew his stuff; every ruling class is like that.

Blessings; MOE Master Attunement; accumulation in the neck?

[milkyway1]

Good morning,

I hope you had a good weekend, and everybody else here too. :-)

1. For everybody:

I perform a blessing ceremony again this Wednesday, for everybody who would like to be blessed. More info and signup for this week here:

https://thehiddenthings.com/weekly-blessings-25

I am grateful to everybody who signs up, as this gives me a chance to practice my blessing skills.


2. For MOE practitioners:

I offer an MOE Master attunement on Sunday, July 14th. More infos here:

https://thehiddenthings.com/moe-master-attunement-2024-07

(Remember that you can also be re-attuned if you already received the Master attunement! :-) )

I'd like to know in advance that at least one person will participate. If you're going to be there, and nobody else has replied yet, please leave a quick note either here or over on my site. Thanks!


3. To JMG: Why is the back of the neck a place where unwanted energies and influences can collect more than elsewhere on the body? I get the soles of the feet, but the back of the neck doesn't make more sense than, say, the forehead, palms or solarplexus area.

(And yep, my pre-ordered copy of the Four Elements finally arrived - promptly on the day after the solstice! :D The actual work will have to wait a bit, but I decided I deserve at least a first casual read after waiting for a few months, and that's where I stumbled upon the soles-and-neck comment... ;-) )

Thanks a lot for hosting MM again,

Milkyway

Re: Blessings; MOE Master Attunement; accumulation in the neck?

[ecosophia]

I wish I knew. I know it happens, but I don't happen to know why. Maybe because it's a bottleneck between the head and the torso?

Geomancy Reading

[betwixtworlds]

Hi JMG,

I cast a geomancy reading about whether doing X was in alignment with my soul. I flipped a coin 16 times because I'm starting to wonder if internet divination could be manipulated by other beings.

My first witness was Puer, the second, Puella, the judge was Conjunctio and the reconciler was Albus. I took this as a sign that it was the right balance between two polarities, that I had found a Ternary reconciling two opposites within me.

Is this an adequate interpretation?

Thank you.
Tangerine Tangential Cactus

Re: Geomancy Reading

[ecosophia]

That's certainly a reasonable one.

Publishing a book: auspicious dates.

[(Anonymous)]

I recently sent back the corrected proofs of my first ever book and the subject of Pluto and the fall of empires. My editor asked if I'd given any thought to the publication date - astrologically speaking. I thought a date with Mercury direct and a waxing moon. Is there anything in particular you look out for?

Andy

Re: Publishing a book: auspicious dates.

[ecosophia]

Check the potential dates against your natal chart. If you can get a day in which at least one benefic planet is applying by conjunction, trine or sextile to your natal sun, moon, or Jupiter, and no malefic planets are applying by square, opposition, or conjunction to any of those, that'll be an excellent day.

[(Anonymous)]

John--

A question and a question/comment.

First, a question re a geomancy shield chart I did recently around work. There is a managerial position which I have long sought that has been vacant for some time now and may be posted (seeking applicants) in the near future. I did a shield chart around whether or not I should apply. (My present position could be best described as a senior technical professional slot.)

The court consisted of Tristitia (RW), Rubeus (LW), and Acquisito (J). There was no via punctis. The First Daughter was Conjunctio and the Rectifier therefore came out as Fortuna Major.

My first reading of this is that the position is within reach (Acquisito) but won't be what I desire or want necessarily (Rubeus). I'm unclear what Sorrow/Trisitia may indicate in the RW slot. I know the 1D foten indicates the querant's current situation and so I'm thinking Conjunctio represents a crossroads and key decision-point. I'm also unclear how to interpret the Rectifer of Fortuna Major in this combination, as Fortuna Major is generally very good, but the presence of Rubeus seems to negate that sense. How would you read that chart?

Second, an observation re acts of bad faith. I was on a business trip recently and the hotel room had not only a Gideon Bible but also a Book of Mormon. When I picked up the latter, however, I discovered that someone had ripped out whole sections of pages throughout, leaving the book apparently intact but rendering it useless. It was an obvious act of desecration. What kind of karmic consequences would result form such an act? I cannot imagine them to be good...

It saddened me to see such a thing done, even though the scripture in question wasn't of my particular path.

Thank you.

[ecosophia]

1) What that reading says is "you can get that position, but you'll hate it."

2) I don't have access to the lords of Karma, so can't tell you exactly how it will work out, but it won't be good.

Prayer request

[(Anonymous)]

I present a prayer request for my 20 year-old daughter Jenny who will undergo left shoulder surgery June 27, to treat instability that has resulted in over 50 dislocations and threatens disability. May this surgery succeed in stabilizing her shoulder, and enable her to reach and push/pull/lift 20 pounds.

—Lunar Apprentice

The Power of Three

[(Anonymous)]

I notice the idea of the ternary is now getting used in this election cycle by the RFK Jr. campaign as evidenced in this video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=obQXMIpWDBk&ab_channel=RobertF.KennedyJr.

Politics seems like an obvious place where the power of three could be better employed. What other places do people think it might be useful to inject some ternary thinking?

Eagle Fang Warrior 5000

Re: The Power of Three

[ecosophia]

Moral rhetoric comes to mind. "Either you're doing exactly what I tell you, or you're BAD!!!" is a classic binary, and could use some help...

Gnostic reveries

[(Anonymous)]

This question, I think, could be asked on magic Monday. It is a biblical question. Which one could argue that creation of the world is kinda magical…

If not I understand

In Genesis, who is the “our” and the “us” that man is created in the image of? Who is god talking to?
One more..
God was regretful and repentant of man before the flood.. regretful and repentant to whom?

Sincerely yours

Re: Gnostic reveries

[ecosophia]

I recommend finding a translation of the Bible that doesn't flatten out all the different Hebrew labels for the divine into bland words like "God" and "Lord." Here's the Hebrew of the passage you have in mind:

ויאמר אלהים נעשה אדם בצלמנו כדמותנו

In our alphabet, it's "Vayomer Elohim naaseh Adam besalmenu kidmutenu"; in English, word for word, "and-said Elohim let-us-make Adam in-our-image according-to-our-likeness."

The word usually translated "God" here is אלהים , Elohim. It's a plural noun -- -im is one of the Hebrew plural endings, like -s in English. So it doesn't mean "God." It means "gods." That's who the "our" and "us" is: the gods, of which Yahweh was only one.

As for your second question, it's not necessary to bring in other deities there. Haven't you ever done something stupid and regretted it, without worrying about what other people thought about it? I'm reminded of a similar passage in a different source:

"the reasonable creatures of the Earth,
let them vex and weed out one another,
and the dwelling places, let them forget their names:
the work of man, and his pomp, let them be defaced:
his buildings let them become caves for the beasts of the field.
Confound her understanding with darkness.
For why? It repenteth me I made man."

You might find it interesting to read Raphael Patai's The Hebrew Goddess and Robert Graves' Hebrew Myths: The Book of Genesis, which have quite a few details to answer the question you're raising here.

[(Anonymous)]

Can an object be "charmed" in the sense of being endowed with a great deal of luck?

Without going into detail, in my family we have an object that seems to have nine lives. Despite repeated careless treatment and rough handling by the kids - including GETTING LOST outside the home any number of times - it always turns up, and no worse for the wear.

Is this a "thing" that can happen? And how does it happen? Can our love for an object endow it with power?

[ecosophia]

Yes, it's a thing that can happen. It's not the thing that has the power, though, it's the love that's powerful.

[(Anonymous)]

Hi JMG,

A while back, I thought I might be jinxed—you suggested I try a change of routine. The jinx, if that’s what it is, is still there—what should I try next?

I don’t have a whole lot of routine because I’m retired—should I make a routine and then change it? Or try something else? There seem to be plenty of people who want me at their beck and call, so I guess I could make a routine of becking and answering? And then change that routine?

For those of you who look forward to when you retire and will not be at the beck and call of a large corporation—I regret to report it doesn’t work that way. You will just have more time to be at the beck and call of all those large corporations—insurance, etc—that had been lurking in the background.

—Princess Cutekitten

[ecosophia]

The next step I'd advise, if this is acceptable to your religious beliefs, is to get a good natal chart reading from an astrologer. That should tell you where your negative karma is and how you can work around it.

[(Anonymous)]

A hardcover book on Astrology just came into my possession for a single dollar. Teach Yourself Books Astrology by Jeff Mayo, 1964. It is very heavy on the psychological interpretation, with many Jung references. Is this a reputable introduction to the subject?

[ecosophia]

I'm not familiar with it. Anyone else?