Magic Monday

[ecosophia]

Midnight has arrived, 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 that point will not get an answer, and in fact will just be deleted.  If you're in a hurry, or suspect you may be the 267,446th person to ask a question, please check out the very rough version 1.2 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.  This was my fifty-fourth published book, the conclusion of The Weird of Hali. It had its genesis, in a certain sense, decades earlier, when I read Susan Cooper's The Dark is Rising series of fantasies for older children. The first four books in the sequence -- The Dark is Rising; Over Sea, Under Stone; Greenwitch; and The Grey King -- were first-rate, vivid fantasies that drew on British folklore and legend to chronicle a tale of warring magical forces in modern Britain. I adored them and read them over and over again.

Then came the final book in the sequence, Silver On The Tree, which I read once to my bitter disappointment and never touched again. The grand final struggle between the Light and the Dark reached its grand anticlimax in a scene just a few pages long, and then all the wizards and magical beings packed their bags and went away forever, leaving the other characters sitting in the prosaic modern world. Cooper might as well have said in so many words, "All right, children, playtime is over, now forget all about magic and wonder and go back to your boring lives." I never forgave her for that, and many years passed before I read any of her books again.

So when I found myself writing a story that in some ways approximated The Dark is Rising series -- well, as seen through a tentacular funhouse mirror -- I promised myself from the beginning that I wouldn't do the same thing to my readers. You'll notice on the cover the image of Great Cthulhi rising from the sea. In Arkham, the stars are right at last, and nothing will ever be the same again. Interested? You can get a copy here if you live in the US and here 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 further comments will be put through. See you next week!***

Comments

Soul Crystals: The Republican Answer to Gulags?

[(Anonymous)]

Hi JMG, as a progressive I've been understandably dismayed by the election, but moreso by some social media posts I've seen which claim that Donald Trump has the ability to extract the souls of his critics and imprison them inside of crystals. In your experience, how likely is this? Is there some occult means by which Trump could capture my soul and confine it in a crystal, and if so how long could I be trapped in such a manner? For eternity? Are the means of doing this well known among magical practicioners, or is this a particular talent of Trump's? Please pardon my lack of familiarity with this topic, until recently I never considered the existence of magic in real life.

Also, is it possible to extract some form of power from the imprisoned souls? Could this be part of Trump's plan to make the US more energy-independent? I've had the persistent disturbing thought that he may use my soul as a power source for the US electrical grid and classify it as a "green technology" to avoid sanctions by the EU.

Thank you.

Re: Soul Crystals: The Republican Answer to Gulags?

[ecosophia]

Okay, first of all, the "souls trapped in crystals" thing is a joke based on the Elder Scrolls video game, not anything real. You might find this KnowYourMeme article useful.

Second, that's not the kind of thing that real magic can do. Magic was defined by Dion Fortune, one of the top practitioners in 20th century Britain, as "the art and science of causing changes in consciousness in accordance with will." The crap you see in Harry Potter movies, video games, etc.? That's not real magic. (The Harry Potter franchise has as much to do with real magic as Young Frankenstein has to do with real science.)

So I'd encourage you to relax. Trump isn't going to bind your soul into a crystal, or throw you into a gulag, or anything like that. Despite all the stuff that's been projected onto him by the fearful, he's just another politician, you know.

Sphere of Protection

[(Anonymous)]

I have recently restarted basic ritual work again, after a long break caused by a breakdown of sorts. I had been practicing the druid form of the LBRP for a number of years, but hadn't really progressed to the middle pillar and its variants,so I wonder if I just bluntly banished too much.

Anyway, I had a fairly severe attack of the watcher, or my own shadow, whatever it may have been, so I stopped.

Fast forward to the end of the covid insanity, and whatever that cosmic eclipse was, and I am pleasantly surprised with the different feeling of the SoP.

The LBRP is more powerful up front, but it certainly feels spookier, if that's the right way to put it. Different energies I guess.

The SoP is remarkably different, it resembles to me, not much more than a good walk in the outdoors.

I wonder if that's what others find?

Re: Sphere of Protection

[ecosophia]

Most people I know of who've tried the SoP find it gentler and more balanced. That doesn't make it weak -- it's a fine protective ritual among other things -- but it's subtler, and most people find it takes them more repetitions to get it up to full power. For whatever this is worth, it's my daily protective ritual these days.

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 and/or in the comments at the current prayer list post.

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

May Scotlyn's friend Fiona, who has been in hospital since early October with what is a diagnosis of ovarian cancer, be blessed and healed, and encouraged in ways that help her to maintain a positive mental and spiritual outlook.

May Annette have a successful resolution for her kidney stones, and a safe and easy surgery to remove the big one blocking her left kidney.

May Peter Evans in California, who has been diagnosed with colon cancer, be completely healed with ease, and make a rapid and total recovery.

May baby Gigi, who may be suffering from side effects of medication prescribed during pregnancy, be healed, strengthened and blessed. May her big brother Francis also be blessed and remain in excellent health.

May May Jennifer and Josiah, their daughter Joanna, and their unborn daughter be protected from all harmful and malicious influences, and may any connection to malign entities or hostile thought forms or projections be broken and their influence banished.

May Ram, who is facing major challenges both legal and emotional with a divorce and child custody dispute, be blessed with the clarity of thought, positive energy, and the inner strength to continue to improve the situation.

May FJay peacefully birth a healthy baby at home with her loved ones. May her postpartum period be restful and full of love and support. May her older child feel surrounded by her love as he adapts to life as a big brother and may her marriage be strengthened during this time.

May Leonardo Johann from Bremen in Germany, who was
born prematurely two months early, come home safe and sound.

May all living things who have suffered as a consequence of Hurricanes Helene and Milton be blessed, comforted, and healed.

May Kevin, his sister Cynthia, and their elderly mother Dianne have a positive change in their fortunes which allows them to find affordable housing and a better life.

May Tyler's partner Monika and newborn baby Isabella both be blessed with good health.

May The Dilettante Polymath's eye heal and vision return quickly and permanantly, and may both his retinas stay attached.

May Giulia (Julia) in the Eastern suburbs of Cleveland Ohio be healed of recurring seizures and paralysis of her left side and other neurological problems associated with a cyst on the right side of her brain and with surgery to treat it.

May Corey Benton, whose throat tumor has grown around an artery and won't be treated surgically, be healed of throat cancer.

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.

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,

Princess Cutekitten

[(Anonymous)]

Here’s an oddball question. I have COVID and it causes weird dreams. The other night I dreamed about Robespierre (the character in the French Revolution who went around shortening his fellow citizens by a head). Also dreamed of Genghis Khan. Is this anything to be concerned about?

Re: Princess Cutekitten

[ecosophia]

I'd be much more concerned if you dreamed about Elmer Fudd. ;-) Fortunately, where dreams are concerned, "weird" does not equal "prophetic."

Domestic planetary correspondences

[vitranc]

Good morning JMG,

I have recently revisited Dion Fortune and her chapter on The way of the hearth fire in The training and work of an initiate. I have been thinking of regarding every activity that I do as an activity corresponding to one of the seven planets and treating it that way. For instance:
“I dedicate this morning discipline to Saturn”
Or better
“Thank you Venus for a nice family dinner with in-laws”
1. Would such… are those affirmations? Would they work?
2. Would you know any planetary correspondences to daily activities, chores and other domestic and work related activities?
3. Do you know any good books on planetary correspondences?

And regarding WoH: Arkham. Thank you for the background to your motivation for the ending. I seem to recall you mentioning before, that you had chapter 12 scotched out long in advance of writing the book.
Loved reading about Great Cthulhu rising.

Best regards,
V

Re: Domestic planetary correspondences

[ecosophia]

That approach to affirmations seems quite sensible. I don't think anybody's worked out the correspondences to household tasks, though; you might check Agrippa's First Book of Occult Philosophy and any convenient book on horary astrology (which makes much use of planetary correspondences) for ideas.

New Thought Books

[(Anonymous)]

Do you have any particular favorite New Thought books or ones that you think are especially useful?

I'm very interested in the way New Thought intersected with Occultism in the late 19th and early 20th Centuries.

Re: New Thought Books

[ecosophia]

I like the books of William Walker Atkinson and the correspondence course written by New Thought teacher Burks Hamner as sources.

[(Anonymous)]

Dear JMG, Dear commentators,

A wonderful week to everyone!

JMG, I wrote here a short time ago. My mother passed away two weeks ago. You kindly gave me your condolences.

1. In a mediumistic communication, I was told that she will need time to “assimilate and understand everything she went through here and only then can direct communication through lucid dreams be made”. Does this make sense to you?

2. I have a small altar for my ancestors and close relatives. How soon can I pay tribute to my mother with candles, flowers and others, so that it doesn't hinder her adaptation to this new place where she finds herself.

Thanks again.

[ecosophia]

1) Yes, that's in keeping with everything I know about the process.

2) Once her body has been buried or cremated, you can begin making offerings. Those don't hinder the process at all -- in fact, they help.

[(Anonymous)]

Good Morning JMG

I hope this message finds you well. Sorry if this has been asked before but I have a question. I have a friend who has moved into a new house about 6 months ago and since then she has had terrible times sleeping. She constantly wakes up throughout the night and quite often sees a shadowy man standing in the corner of the room staring at her. I recently stayed over on her sofabed in a different room and although I didn't see a shadowy figure I did wake up continually all that night, which is VERY strange for me as I sleep like a champion no matter where I am or even if the bed is made from rocks. Is there anything my friend can do about this situation magically speaking? Thanks for your time JMG.

[ecosophia]

Well, what kind of magic do you know how to do?

The fourth turning

[(Anonymous)]

Hello JMG,

I had a look at the charts for April 12, 1861 in Charleston and April 26, 2026 for which i picked Washington DC.
There are several eerie similarities between the two charts. The "turnings", as astrologers know, happen when Uranus start his travel through Gemini as he does on Aptil 26 2026. This time though, Neptune travels through Aries as he also did in 1861. Mars is in Aries this time instead of Gemini, but that isnt really any comfort (the planet of war and conflict in his rulership).
So what do you expect for this period? Have you looked at the same charts? Hopefully I am reading it all wrong.

/Fredrik

Re: The fourth turning

[ecosophia]

I know this is unfashionable, but I consider outer planet ingresses to be an experimental technique that has yet to prove itself for predictive purposes. I focus on solar ingresses, eclipses, and outer planet conjunctions, the core working tools in traditional mundane astrology. As for what I expect during that (or any other) period, you'll want to consider my Patreon and SubscribeStar accounts, because that's where I post such things. (Like everyone else, I've got to pay the rent somehow!)

our swarm of souls; blessing offer

[milkyway1]

Hi JMG,

Thanks a lot for hosting MM again, and my blessings to you, if you'll have them.

In a recent reply about our swarm of souls, you explained when the first souls of our swarm first came into material incarnation - not that long in relationship to other things, but rather long in relationship to the length of e.g. a human incarnation.

Is there any occult lore about where the "first" souls of this swarm are at the current stage? (Or maybe the question should be what they are?)

And to everybody: I'm offering a formal blessing again this week, and I'm grateful to everybody who signs up as it helps me to practice:

https://thehiddenthings.com/weekly-blessings-47

Wishing you a good week,

Milkyway

Re: our swarm of souls; blessing offer

[ecosophia]

The first wave of our fourth swarm reached material incarnation something like 600 million years ago. Those souls will be very far above the human level by now, but they won't have completed the process of spiritual evolution because our swarm has to do that as a whole -- we move from world to world en masse, not individually. Theosophists like to call them Masters or Mahatmas, while other traditions have their own names for them: disembodied (or more precisely differently embodied) souls of immense power and wisdom, still working to accomplish their own and others' spiritual evolution.

Will and causality...

[(Anonymous)]

Thank you for your response for my question on the dementia&dying stuff. A lot of my own intuition opened up after expressing the question. One snippet I got from some talk by Iain McGilchrist is that what if our consciousness has different phases that are not compatible, and not even conscious of each other, like water/ice/steam? This helps me in letting go of the idea that dementia is a punishment. And concerning skills to die: a lot hinges on what gets deeply entrained during life. So any consistent practice&ritual may give its richest fruits at the final stage of life. Getting out of the door/entering what is beyond in decency.

Now I have a new question. The brain functions in somewhat different way than the world outside. The cause and effect of the billiard ball-style world makes things appear predictable and we have reached a great level of control of the natural world through this mechanistic way of thinking. But the inner workings of the brain happen quite differently. There, a network of different points of activation creates images in consciousness. And these images are fairly individual. Some may get warm fuzzy feelings from Trump, some from Biden, for example. The states of consciousness are like layered sandwiches, that can contain stuff from emotions, body states etc. Psychology&marketing/propaganda kind of stuff - not that mechanistic. Right now, giant efforts are made to manhandle our consciousnesses into certain directions, that are not matching the cause-and-effect-word very well. Ukraine is winning - but it is shrinking, too. The green energy is gonna save us - don't hold your breath. So we are living in a time where consciousnesses are being changed in accordance with will. It is working, as we all know some who are firm believers of some strange theory of what will save us. Our venerable host mentioned somewhare, that the famous definition of magic does not specify whose will. This has been my stumbling stone for years, as I learned in my younger years, that getting what I strogly willed was possible, but also quite devastating. So I've been watching the world, and thinking: Whose will is it? And ultimately it is also a question of what affects what? We are, right now, well-positioned to destroy a lot of our civilization because of holding on to an idea of the opponent being the evillest evilness there ever was. Wrecking the "external" world for pictures in our minds. So, changes in consciousness in accordance with will are happening. Now we see, what horrible weapons unhinged wills are. And why it was a good idea to have some things esoteric and occult. But here we are, and I keep asking whose will is it? Is there something beyond the clash of wills? The buddhist oxherding pictures come to mind.
Kristiina, today, appropriately for the ponderous&heavy post, Dreary Vexatious Skull (the name in itself is an answer, so thank you, cosmic oom! I'll go look for some juicy liveliness now.)

Re: Will and causality...

[ecosophia]

These are excellent questions which, ultimately, each of us has to answer for ourselves. One hint which I hope you'll find useful, though, is that there are many wills at work and many consciousnesses being affected by them. William of Ockham was quite simply wrong -- the simplest answer is not the most accurate one!

[thinking_turtle]

To share, for those who wonder what BOL, PoW or TLG mean, a list of abbreviations used on Ecosophia.

The seventh Weird of Hali installment is also the seventh of your books published in 2019. A very productive year!

[ecosophia]

I had written all but the last before that year began, but yeah, it was a very good year for publishing.

[(Anonymous)]

Just checking in because I wanted to know if you ever saw this article. It seems to line up with what you have been saying all along:

Witches Report Their Spells Against Trump Aren't Working: 'He Has a Shield'
https://cbn.com/news/us/witches-report-their-spells-against-trump-arent-working-he-has-shield

[ecosophia]

Yes, I saw that, and chuckled. It still doubtless hasn't occurred to them that part of the problem is that the spells they were using were badly designed and motivated by hatred, rage, and fear, which are all forms of weakness.

[(Anonymous)]

Good morning and thank you for hosting.

You’ve talked before about how the most effective use of magical practice is to create change within the self, rather than trying to force the world to change around you. I’ve taken on this philosophy in my approach to the art, but I find it challenging to determine the limits—often it seems as though magical practice seeks some kind of “true self” or higher genius, which seems to suggest that there is something like a predefined end state.

Are there certain aspects of the self that are pretty much set in stone and unlikely to change even if they’re in deep tension with the kind of life one wants to lead? On one hand limits of various kinds are foundational to reality (and sometimes accepting that certain things just aren’t going to happen is part of growing up) but on the other hand it’s easy to fall into the trap of false limitations created by one’s beliefs and state of consciousness, and I don’t really know how to distinguish them clearly.

[ecosophia]

That's one of the great questions every mage has to wrestle with. What can you change, and what can't you? Only experience can teach you that, though divination helps.

[jprussell]

Good Morning,

Thanks for hosting this MM this week despite what's going on in your life - I hope it's a welcome distraction more than a burden.

I hope that all dealing with something tough find the strength needed to deal with it the best you can.

To Share: I've written up my thoughts on Pierre Pradervand's The Gentle Art of Blessing, which has quite a lot in common with the MOE Blessing material, but is unfortunately a bit more New Age in its presentation. That said, still a helpful book for those looking to broaden or deepen their blessing practice: https://jpowellrussell.com/#book_thoughts_on_the_gentle_art_of_blessing

To Ask: What's your opinion on the idea of "hypostases" when it comes to the Gods (the idea that sometimes better-known Gods are multiplied into brothers, helpers, handmaidens, or what have you for myths, but that these others are better understood as "just part of the story" than as objects of worship - for example, Odin, Vili, and Ve giving the gifts of life to the first man and woman).

Thank you again, JMG and everyone here!

My blessings to all who welcome them,
Jeff

[ecosophia]

Since human beings aren't capable of comprehending the gods, I treat all such theological notions as the folktales of intellectual culture, worth hearing and reflecting on, but not something to treat as fact.

[jenniferkobernik]

JMG,

Thought this might be more appropriate for MM than the Levi chapter where I posted it a couple days ago.

I am curious about the difference between your list of the sins associated with the planets versus Levi’s list. Starting on pg. 84 he lists the virtues and sins as:

Sun: faith/pride
Moon: hope/avarice
Venus: charity/lust
Mars: strength/wrath
Mercury: prudence/sloth
Saturn: temperance/gluttony
Jupiter: justice/envy

Whereas you list envy rather than avarice for the Moon, avarice rather than sloth for Mercury, sloth rather than gluttony for Saturn, and gluttony rather than envy for Jupiter. Frankly your list makes more sense to me, but I’m curious about its derivation and how it came to differ from Levi’s, if you’re willing to elaborate.

Thank you!

[ecosophia]

I got my list in a class on medieval science at the University of Washington more than thirty years ago, and I've long since lost the notes that explained the source. I think Lévi is quite wrong, but your mileage may vary, of course.

American Paganism video

[(Anonymous)]

I don't know if anyone has come across this video but commenters interested in Columbia may want to view it, (most of the images in the video are stills and might be watchable by you). It's a video by Ceisiwr Serith talking about pagan images in the US.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dIvEVC-AyZA

I was surprised and delighted by the image of two hills in southern New Hampshire shown towards the end of the video, an American version of the Paps of Anu. I hadn't known about these.

JLfromNH/Cobalt Befuddled Platypus

Re: American Paganism video

[ecosophia]

Thank you for this.

Lower Astral

[yogaandthetarot]

GM JMG
Hope you are doing well, all things considered. Once again, thank you for all you do. You are greatly valued.
My question is this: in Dion Fortune’s naming of the planes of existence, is “Lower Astral” equivalent to the etheric plane?
Jill C

Re: Lower Astral

[ecosophia]

No, she (and some other Theosophically derived teachers) considers the etheric level to be the upper half of the physical plane. The material and etheric planes in my system belong to the physical plane of her system; my astral plane includes her lower and upper astral planes, as well as her lower mental plane; my mental plane is her upper mental and lower spiritual planes; and my spiritual, causal, and divine planes are all included in her upper spiritual planes. Labels differ, though the underlying reality is the same.

Freemasons and the Albert Pike letter

[(Anonymous)]

I know you don't believe the Masons are a part of a conspiracy for world domination and evil, but what do you make of the Albert Pike letter which supposedly was to incite world war of total destruction, apostasy of Catholics which then enables the ascension of the Antichrist and worship of Lucifer?

Re: Freemasons and the Albert Pike letter

[ecosophia]

That letter was originally forged by the practical joker and pornographer Gabriel Jogand-Pages under his pen name Leo Taxil, and published in his book Le Diable au XIXème Siècle (The Devil in the 19th Century) in 1896. It was then thoroughly rewritten by William Guy Carr (who inserted the stuff about the three world wars) and published in his book Pawns in the Game in 1958. That is to say, it's a complete fake. You might find this essay useful in that regard.

As far as Freemasonry goes, I'd like to remind you that George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, and Paul Revere were all Freemasons, while Adolf Hitler, Vladimir Lenin, and the Ayatollah Khomeini all banned Freemasonry as soon as they took power. Whose side would you rather be on?

[(Anonymous)]

1. Can we do discursive meditation (which is not magic) on each tool to know which will be best for us? Like how people do divination before buying a product.

2. Regarding the use of spirit vision scrying in your Way of the Golden Section, I do not see a recommendation on the paths of exploration like in the Paths of Wisdom. Instead the idea of the portal images is put forward. Can we use any of our paths like say the 7 planets, the 4 elements, the 12 signs of the zodiac or we to follow a specific sequence like the number series of occult powers in Agrippa?

3. How is an element made to do something after the step of the GIRP of the element? This step is confusing to me. What is one supposed to do after establishing the greater pentagram field?

[ecosophia]

1) You can do discursive imagination on any subject whatsoever. Give it a try!

2) You can do any or all of those.

3) The pentagram rituals don't stand alone. They only function as part of a complete ritual, in which you open a temple, state your intention, invoke the energy you intend to invoke, direct that energy toward your intention, banish any leftover energies, and close the temple. The pentagram ritual is therefore like a power cord -- you have to plug one end into the wall socket and the other end into some suitable piece of equipment in order to get it to do anything.

Jesus/Christ in the Hermetic QBL

[(Anonymous)]

JMG,

Hi.

I really appreciated your brief elucidation of Yeheshua/Yeheshwasha in Paths of Wisdom. Do you know of other sources that might speak about the place/role/meaning of Jesus/Chris in the Hermetic QBL?

Thank you,

Lavender Exuberant Ocelot

Re: Jesus/Christ in the Hermetic QBL

[ecosophia]

I don't -- it's not a subject I've pursued in any detail. Anyone else?

[(Anonymous)]

i saved this article for magic monday:

Newly discovered ancient amulet references banned tale of King Solomon fighting demons

https://nypost.com/2024/11/20/world-news/ancient-amulet-references-banned-tale-of-king-solomon-fighting-demons/

[ecosophia]

Thank you for this. Solomon had quite a reputation as a wizard back in the day!

Baking soda and salt

[brenainn]

I've been putting salt under the insoles of shoes. I also put a small amount of baking soda in my shoes (on top of the insoles). Do you know if this will interfere with the protective aspects of the salt?

Re: Baking soda and salt

[ecosophia]

I don't happen to know. You'd probably have to experiment and find out.

[(Anonymous)]

I always loved those Susan Cooper book's, but I don't know that I actually read the last one. I think my favorites remain the first two, and the Dark is Rising in particular is a good read around the Winter Solstice.

Carnalian Flaneur Lazarus Lizard

[ecosophia]

Oh, granted, the first two are really the best, and I still enjoy The Dark is Rising despite its more than Manichean dualism. Still, you can probably guess at this point why the villains in The Weird of Hali are named "the Radiance," and are obsessed with the notion that they're the good guys and their cause is so important that anything they do to the bad guys is justified...

New to Tarot and ... Yikes?

[(Anonymous)]

Could anyone share some insight into a tarot spread I did yesterday? My question was, "What can you tell me about this coming week?" (I think now that I should have phrased a more specific question; this was perhaps too general and vague.) Mostly I was thinking about Thanksgiving and the Holiday season (which I am always excited about); but also about the Big Family Thanksgiving that we have every year at my parents' house. None of you know anything about my family, but I got the sense that this reading also had to do with the nation (I live in the U.S.) at large. I did a Celtic Cross spread. Here's what I got:

1: 8 of Pentacles
2: 9 of Pentacles
3: The Devil
4: 10 of Wands
5: The Sun
6: 9 of Wands
7: The Tower
8: 6 of Pentacles
9: Knight of Wands
10: Wheel of Fortune

I'm in communication with my sister now about whether this means anything about our family, but has anyone seen anything that might correspond to events happening in the United States (especially about the Holidays)? Also, I am very new to tarot. I've read 1 book, I'm 72 pages into a second book, and I've been doing spreads for three weeks.

Re: New to Tarot and ... Yikes?

[ecosophia]

The question's too vague for a meaningful answer. It might be talking about the next week in the stock market, or in the Kremlin, or in the poorer suburbs of Rio de Janeiro. Lesson #1: be precise in your questions!

Anyone else?