Magic Monday

[ecosophia]

Midnight is just a few minutes away, and so it's time to launch a new Magic Monday. Ask me anything about occultism, and with certain exceptions noted below, 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 about getting goodies from spirits are also 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. As I mentioned last week, once I found a publisher willing to bring out my fiction, a lot of it found its way into print in a hurry, so we're going to be in tentacle territory for a while now.  This was my fifty-second published book, and it's another tentacle novel, but it's not a part of the core Weird of Hali sequence. The Shoggoth Concerto came slithering up out of my subconscious while I was hoping to get the rest of the Weird published but things weren't looking especially promising; I thought that an independent novel set in the same fictional cosmos might be able to get a hearing at one of the big publishers...and then I started writing, and it turned into the oddest of my many odd books.

You know all those stories about someone who has brash new innovative ideas and gets bullied by the defenders of tradition?  This is a story about someone who wants to do something traditional and gets bullied by the avant-garde, which is of course much more common these days. It's also about love, memory, magic, and shoggoths, and to my taste, it's still the best of my novels. I did submit it to a big publisher; I actually got a personal response, which is rare, saying that it was too quiet and too weird -- those were the editor's exact words -- but that if I wanted to write something more publishable I could send it directly to her. I rolled my eyes and found someplace else to publish, as bending the knee to the shallow fashionable clichés of big-brand fantasy and SF is the last thing I wanted (or want) to do. If shoggoths or classical music appeal to you, you can buy a copy of The Shoggoth Concerto here if you're in the US and here if you're elsewhere.

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

[green_alchemy]

1. I am in my first Saturn Return. I was riding the waves well for a time period, but have been struggling with the limits and flaws of myself more recently. One weakness of mine is frequent mental delusions. Romantic interests I do not follow up on because of false fears and expectations, pursuing hobbies that aren't worth my time nor contribute to anyone's betterment but myself, etc. In worse cases, it's pure paranoia and anxiety fantasies along the lines of "I will never have a partner in this life if I fail my Saturn Return" and "I *must* have a partner now if I am to succeed in my Saturn Return." (I've become obsessed with finding partnership over the last few months, and I am increasingly aware that says something about me not being OK with my own self and needing to engage in self-acceptance work.) I think you've said that Saturn Returns are generally better for learning what your problems are and less great for actually resolving them. What is your advice on the Return - am I too paranoid RE the consequences of not succeeding during it?

2. I got two geomancy charts that essentially outline two paths I can take in life. Let's call the first chart "A":

https://georatio.com/?c=a76f&t=1&d=7&s=2&q=

And the second chart "B":

https://georatio.com/?c=2947&t=1&d=7&s=2&q=

I believe these are answered in the form of whole house charts, not as questions pertaining to specific houses, but as that's too much information to analyze in one post, I would like your opinion which path seems better based on the Witnesses and Judge and the figure in the 4th house. To my mind, both charts are only weakly positive, though Tristitia and Puer are both generally negative figures.

3. Much like any human in incarnation, I have many desires. Some of them I fully realize are counter-useful and yet they keep popping up. Meditation helps me become more aware of them, but they can get the better of me when I'm highly anxious or energized. And I sometimes act very impulsively first thing in the morning, to my regret, based on anxieties and unrealistic desires. Do you have general recommendations for dealing with episodes of high anxiety and energy? FYI, I use red cloth amulets, take cold showers, do a daily Ritual of the Pentagram, and try to exercise and get sunlight daily. I'm thinking forcing a cold shower and hard bike ride as soon as I wake up would be especially beneficial if I have problems with my impulses first thing in the morning, but any other advice helps.

4. One more question: regarding conversing with the beings you meet in dreams and nightmares, could you repeat the process for how you go about that? I'm becoming better at interpreting my dreams, but I like the idea of attempting to converse with the beings I meet so I can better understand myself and what I should do in the future. Because I know my dreams have given me useful information that I didn't act on before.

[ecosophia]

1) Anything that seems like an imperative need during a Saturn return is an opportunity to find out what it feels like to walk face first into a brick wall. Assume that everything you try during this time is likely to fail, and that you'll have plenty of opportunities to be more successful once Saturn moves on, and you'll have better results.

2) A is better than B, but not by much. You might consider other options -- or simply wait until your Saturn return is over.

3) I find journaling useful for this, though of course your mileage may vary.

4) If you want to do this kind of work, I very strongly recommend The Jungian-Senoi Dreamwork Manual by Strephon Kaplan Williams. It gives a comprehensive toolkit of dream methods including that one, and covers it in much more detail than I can fit into a brief comment here. It's readily available on the used book market.

[(Anonymous)]

My Saturn Return is winding down at the moment. Had a few moments of joy recently and it was wonderful. Almost forgot what that felt like.

[ecosophia]

The first Saturn return is always the hardest; mine was a real bear. My second, which finished up a few years ago, was almost mild by comparison. With that in mind, as your Saturn return winds down, remind yourself that you've passed successfully through one of the great challenges of human existence and it's easier from here on in.

People Appearing

[(Anonymous)]

Hi JMG,
I have a Catholic friend, Basia, who was very ill with Covid when it first hit Canada. She was put into a medically-induced coma which is so good for people who are having trouble breathing. When she was waking up, she saw Lama Sidney, our local Buddhist monk, sitting beside her bed praying for her. She was in a nearby city and Lama Sidney was here on Denman.

She spoke to him when she got home and he said he had been praying for her.

Recently, a friend of hers, back in Poland, had a stroke and was unconscious in hospital. Her friend's sister called her to tell her the bad news. Basia began to pray for her friend in Poland. The next time his sister went to the hospital, he was awake and said Basia was just here. He saw her praying beside his bed. She told him, "No, Basia lives in Canada now." He said, "I know. But she was just here and only left a moment ago."

I have a friend abroad and his wife just hated me. We were out of touch for a couple of years and when we got in contact again, he told me his wife had woken up several times to see me standing by their bed watching them. Now, I was not praying for them or doing any magic on their behalf. I put her visions down to her having a guilty conscience about me. Now, I am not so sure. Can you explain any of this?
Maxine

Re: People Appearing

[ecosophia]

If you weren't praying for the friend's wife, it almost certainly wasn't the same as the two earlier cases. Bilocation is tolerably well documented during prayer.

Re: People Appearing

[(Anonymous)]

Hi JMG,
What, besides a guilty conscience, could have cause the woman to see me repeatedly?
Maxine

Re: People Appearing

[ecosophia]

Unfinished karma between the two of you is the explanation that comes first to my mind.

[(Anonymous)]

Hi! I’m, thanks for having this place to ask questions. I’m really new to all this and haven’t found a lot of other places very comfortable. I’m nervous here too but you seem ok.

I think I’m interested in solar magic. Is Apollo a good god to pray to for hep with that or should I go with Helios? Or some other pantheon? I get “Here Comes The Sun” by the Beatles stuck in my head a lot and it feels like a sign but I don’t know.

And do I need a moon goddess to balance it out? I don’t think I’m interested in any requirements like that like I’ve been told Wiccans have. The only goddess I’m really interested in right now I think is Freya and she’s not a moon goddess. I think I might be interested in other gods though. I like Odin’s stories. Do they have to be the same pantheon or can they be different? Sorry if I’m jumping around. Is this here every week? I might have a lot of questions and I don’t really know anyone else to ask. Thanks!

[ecosophia]

First, I do Magic Monday every week, and it runs for 24 hours, from the midnight when Sunday ends all the way around until the midnight when Tuesday begins. So you don't have to worry -- it'll be here next week.

Second, relax. The last thing you should do is rush into a relationship with any deity.

Third, if you're not a Wiccan, then Wiccan rules don't apply to you. It's as simple as that.

Okay, now that we've covered that, let's go on. If you don't have a lot of background with the old gods and goddesses, I recommend that you go to the library, get some introductory books of myths -- books written for older kids and young adults are often very good -- and read them, to get a sense of what myths and what deities attract you. You can and should read myths from many different cultures. Greek and Norse myths are the easiest to come by, but with a little looking you can find all kinds of myths from around the world, and that'll give you a sense of the deeper realities underlying the old stories.

Once you've spent some time doing that, you'll be in a much better position to start thinking about who you might want to invoke. So there's your homework for this week!

[(Anonymous)]

A Saint if learning is St Isidore of Seville. How would one use your methods to approach him regarding the powers of learning?

For context, this is not a question of evocation of spirits.

[ecosophia]

One wouldn't use my methods for that. A Catholic saint should be approached using Catholic methods, which you can find in any book or website of Catholic devotions.

Solresol

[(Anonymous)]

Hey JMG

It has been a while since I have given it any thought, but I suddenly remembered that a long time ago I mentioned solresol to you, and since I can't think of any other question I may as well ask if you have had the time to look into that odd idea I had, that Solresol could have occult applications?

J.L.Mc12

Re: Solresol

[ecosophia]

Yes, I've done a little reading in spare bits of time. It could certainly be used for magical purposes, but it would take a skilled occultist who was also fluent in Solresol to work out the details of the system. I could see a point to it for someone who was heavily into harmonics and the other Pythagorean occult teachings. It could also be adapted fairly easily to the seven Cantrefs in The Dolmen Arch and some of my other books. That's as far as I've gotten, though.

Re: Solresol

[(Anonymous)]

That is good to hear, maybe if we are fortunate some obscure French occultist has already done it. Otherwise it may be a project for me in the Future, along with Borgesian occultism.

Re: Solresol

[ecosophia]

If a French occultist has done it I haven't been able to find any trace of it, and I looked! So it looks as though the field is wide open for you.

Legends of the fire spirits

[(Anonymous)]

Hey JMG

A while ago I think I mentioned a book about Jinn to you called "Legends of the Fire-spirits" by Robert Lebling, which I have just finished reading yesterday. Firstly, it is a brilliant book well worth your time, with lots of references to look into, such as Al-mas'udi and various other scholars.

I wanted to share something odd mentioned in the book, which is that in the Arabic corners of the web there are apparently interviews of people who claim that they are actually Jinn who have re-incarnated/possessed or transformed into humans. I remember you and Dion Fortune talking about elementals who reincarnate as human beings, and so I thought you would be interested in a resource for this occult phenomena.

J.L.Mc12

Re: Legends of the fire spirits

[ecosophia]

Interesting. I don't have the fluency in Arabic or the cultural literacy to judge whether they're legit or just the Muslim equivalent of otherkin, though.

Re: Legends of the fire spirits

[(Anonymous)]

Muslim otherkin was my first impression also, but you never know.

[(Anonymous)]

cabalistic pathworking - eight or ninth house question in geomancy?

[ecosophia]

Ninth. Eighth is specifically ritual magic.

Will it matter?

[candace_k]

Years ago I had a dream, that at least felt like a premonition, that in 2024 there would be a female President. Not elected, but through succession. I admit I’ve been wondering if Joe B. was either going to be forced out or pass away. Time will only tell, but I was wondering (even before I started reading the post) if it would make a great difference if Trump was inaugurated as number 48 rather than 47? I guess that would be 12 rather than 11? Thank you for the opportunity to learn about different aspects of the occult.

Re: Will it matter?

[ecosophia]

It would work out to 3, since the only two digit numbers that are traditionally used as is in Western numerology are 11 and 22. It would be less auspicious, but still favorable. I think, though, that after being shoved aside the way he was, Biden (and more importantly, his handlers) will cling to the presidency no matter what until January 20. At this point it's personal...

Hope I’m not too late!

[(Anonymous)]

I have two quick questions

One: What is the significance of the major asteroids In mundane astrology? Specifically, the asteroid Heracles?

Two: why do Fae dislike being thanked? I remember this conversation from an earlier magic Monday but would greatly appreciate an elaboration.

Thank you as always!

Re: Hope I’m not too late!

[ecosophia]

1) None at all. The traditional mundane lore doesn't give any role to asteroids, and I have found that with the exception of comets visible from earth, anything smaller than a major planet doesn't have enough effect to bother with.

2) Nobody knows. It's simply a matter of tradition that they respond badly to being thanked. On the other hand, they like gifts to be left for them.