Magic Monday

[ecosophia]

Midnight is breathing down our necks 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 341,928th person to ask a question, please check out the very rough version 1.3 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 is my sixth-sixth published book -- I've passed over The King in Orange, which was pulled out of order by the eldritch attraction of Inauguration Day and appeared in January -- and the beginning of my most ambitious publishing project to date: a complete system of occult training, original although based on the material I studied with John Gilbert, which fills roughly the same role as the correspondence courses offered by old-fashioned occult schools but is published for everyone to read.

I stress the word "occult" here. Occultism and magic are not the same thing, though they're related to each other and can be compatible. Magic uses ritual as its primary tool, and has power as its theme and goal; occultism uses meditation as its primary tool, and has wisdom as its theme and goal. (Both contrast with mysticism, which -- in its western forms, at least -- uses prayer as its primary tool, and has love as its theme and goal.) The Way of the Golden Section and its sequels teach very little in the way of ritual and even less in the way of magic. They focus on meditation, divination, sacred geometry, and certain other standard occult practices, and their goal is to achieve wisdom, revelation, and enlightenment. This book -- which requires The Sacred Geometry Oracle for some of its work -- is the first step on that path. Interested? You can get copies here if you're in the United States and here elsewhere. (I recommend the hardback edition, btw:  it's sturdy, and will stand up to the hard use you'll give it.)

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

[(Anonymous)]

Dear JMG,
I hope you’re doing well! Wishing you a great week!

In less than a month, my parents passed away, I lost my job and my girlfriend left. I’ve noticed that after offering their condolences, people close to me have distanced themselves. My money is running out.

I know this is a phase of painful changes, and that I have to go through it as a kind of purging.

Do you have any advice on how to endure this period and get through this avalanche in a good way? Or maybe something to help me break out of this inertia? I thought about motivational phrases or some candles for planetary entities.

Thank you in advance!

[ecosophia]

What you need now isn't magic, it's a willingness to focus on hard necessities and get to work. Inertia is a choice, and if you make that choice, nobody's going to save you from the consequences. Take action, keep busy, and make things happen and you can start rebuilding your life. Then it'll be time to talk about rituals and the like.

Stirrings from the SoP

[(Anonymous)]

Dear JMG, since I restarted the SoP the realisation of karma seems to have kicked in for me. I've had to face the near loss of a job, a neighbour becoming dangerous and violent requiring us to move before he turns on us, an unexpected sickness needing an operation for my daughter, and some old friendships going distant and sour.

However oddly, and unlike the last time I practiced the LBRP, this seems like an approaching storm that somehow gives myself warning, as well as energy to dodge the bullets.

Each of the things that's presented itself to me has had solutions, and whilst challenging, has been or is being resolved.

It does seem that invoking as well as banishing has massive benefits, but that this is a necessary part of my path.

So thank you for providing the SoP instructions, it does seem more congenial than the LBRP and MP.

Re: Stirrings from the SoP

[ecosophia]

That's a fairly common experience. Both SoP-based and LBRP-based practices bring karmic culmination, aka having to deal with whatever unfinished business you've been putting off, but the SoP is gentler in this as in most other ways.

[(Anonymous)]

Hi JMG:

Thank you very much for hosting these forums!

Way back in July of 2020, I noticed a very strange sensation / mood. As I described it at the time, "I feel really strange and off and grumpy; I don't remember ever feeling this way before." Like ever in my life. Then it occurred to me, "I wonder if something is going on with the planets?" And I dialed up Fourmilab:

https://www.fourmilab.ch/cgi-bin/Solar

Set the date in the Fourmilab chart to July 6, 2020, and you'll see what I saw. Four planets including Earth, plus the Sun are all virtually in a straight line, with Uranus dead square to all of them. Not only that, according to my notes, but the Moon also was a day past full so it was in this lineup too.

And, according to data I've pieced together, the core of the galaxy is about 10 or 15 degrees to the left of the line of planets, at the bottom of the Fourmilab diagram.

Has ANYONE, either in neopaganism or in occult circles, ever remarked on this massive planetary lineup?

Thanks in advance,

- Cicada Grove

[ecosophia]

Not to my knowledge. The square between a mess of planets and Uranus, on the other hand, got plenty of discussion at the time.

Comic Planetary Hour

[sirustalcelion]

Good Morning JMG!

I hope Jeff doesn't mind but I'll steal a bit of his format today -

To share:


Thanks for the title recommendation! It might be hard to read legibly due to coloring and shadows, so I've also linked the Aeon store page in my DeviantArt post of it here: https://www.deviantart.com/sirustalcelion/art/1160589610. In due time, it will also make an appearance in my comic, which can be found here: https://tapas.io/series/Etherwood/info



To Ask:
I've decided to try posting my comic pages to correspond to helpful planetary hours, as I've noticed a huge disconnect between performance and page quality, and a much stronger, but apparently random correlation with posting times. What would be a good planetary day/hour combination for posting webcomics online? Jupiter/Mercury? Sun/Jupiter? Would Mercury be better for communication?

And the planetary hours I would choose are based on my personal local time, correct? Even if certain hosting websites insist on, say, Pacific time.

Re: Comic Planetary Hour

[ecosophia]

1) Mercury day and hour's the best combination for anything technical, such as putting things up on a website.

2) Yes, since you're the one performing the action, the planetary hour that matters is the one where you are.

Very nice painting, btw!

[(Anonymous)]

P.S. Apple insisted on capitalizing “cumin.” I thought it was a sneaky attempt at DEI, but evidently it was just an electronic hiccup.

—Princess Cutekitten

[ecosophia]

Duly noted and chuckled over. Carramba indeed!

Obelisks - their role and function

[(Anonymous)]

I recently visited Washington DC, and it seemed as though the Mall was a very intentionally constructed place for walking meditation. The symbol I could not get out of my mind, even after leaving, and one in which is coming to me in discursive meditation, is the obelisk. In DC, this was the Washington Monument, but in other parks near capitol buildings in other cities, I have seen obelisks present as well - the one in my state has 3 sides, not 4 like the Washington Monument.

Can you elaborate on the symbol of the obelisk in terms of occultism and sacred geometry? I have a sense it is to increase the resonance of some kind of magical intent, but I would love your input on that. I felt the intent was to generate a deeper sense of peace and unity.

In addition, can you elaborate on this occult construction that is seemingly present with the Washington Monument, the mall in DC, and at other capitals in the country? I assume it ties into freemasonry and the Western Occult, but again I am unsure. I would love any referrals to good resources on this topic as well. Thank you! /|\

Re: Obelisks - their role and function

[ecosophia]

1) An obelisk is a standing stone made by a culture that has good stoneworking technology. Like all standing stones, it channels the solar current down into the earth, and thus brings various positive energies to bear. Capping an obelisk with metal is a useful trick, and one that amplifies the effect; the Egyptian ones in ancient times, as I recall, used thin sheets of hammered gold on the top, while the Washington Monument has a piece of cast aluminum on top -- when it was built, aluminum was one of the world's rarest metals, since nobody had figured out how to use electricity to refine it yet.

2) Yes, Masons like to do such things. There's a useful book, The Sacred Geometry of Washington DC, which covers a lot of the territory.

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 Debra Roberts, who has just been diagnosed with Stage 4 lung cancer, be blessed and healed to the extent that providence allows. Healing work is also welcome.

May Jennifer, who is now 38+ weeks into pregnancy with the baby still in breech position, have a safe and healthy pregnancy, may the delivery go smoothly, and may her baby be born healthy and blessed.

May Jack H's father John, whose aortic dissection is considered inoperable and likely fatal by his current doctors, be healed, and make a physical recovery to the full extent that providence allows, and be able to enjoy more time together with his loved ones.

May Goats and Roses' son A, who had a serious concussion weeks ago and is still suffering from the effects, regain normal healthy brain function, and rebuild his physical strength back to normal, and regain his zest for life. And may Goats and Roses be granted strength and effectiveness in finding solutions to the medical and caregiving matters that need to be addressed, and the grief and strain of the situation.

May Other Dave's father Michael Orwig, who has been in the hospital since 1/20 with almost complete liver failure and 20% kidney function, have found the strength to survive and thrive when he recently came off of his respirator, and may he be blessed with robust healing that allows him to regenerate his failing organs to the fullest extent that the universe allows; may his wife Allyn and the rest of his family be blessed and supported in this difficult time.

May Kevin’s sister Cynthia be cured of the hallucinations and delusions that have afflicted her, and freed from emotional distress. May she be safely healed of the physical condition that has provoked her emotions; and may she be healed of the spiritual condition that brings her to be so unsettled by it. May she come to feel calm and secure in her physical body, regardless of its level of health.

May Viktoria have a safe and healthy pregnancy, and may the baby be born safe, healthy and blessed. May Marko have the strength, wisdom and balance to face the challenges set before him. (picture)

May Linda from the Quest Bookshop of the Theosophical Society, who has developed a turbo cancer, be blessed and have a speedy and full recovery from cancer.

May Frank R. Hartman, who lost his house in the Altadena fire, and all who have been affected by the larger conflagration be blessed and healed.

May Corey Benton, who is currently in hospital and whose throat tumor has grown around an artery and won't be treated surgically, be healed of throat cancer. He is not doing well, and consents to any kind of distance healing offered. [Note: Healing Hands should be fine, but if offering energy work which could potentially conflict with another, please first leave a note in comments or write to randomactsofkarmasc to double check that it's safe] (1/7)

May Open Space's friend's mother
Judith be blessed and healed for a complete recovery from cancer.

May Peter Van Erp's friend Kate Bowden's husband Russ Hobson and his family be enveloped with love as he follows his path forward with the glioblastoma (brain cancer) which has afflicted him.

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

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.

* * *
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)]

Hi JMG,

I'm the commentator from last week who has been experiencing the synchronicities around the Fourth Branch. I've gone ahead and obtained an image of Arianrhod as you suggested.

I was wondering what you thought about also putting up a shrine to Gwydion, as he is the one who nurses Lleu back to health? I guess it might cause some tension, as he doesn't exactly have a harmonious relationship with Arianrhod...

[ecosophia]

I'd consider that a very good idea. The relationship between the two of them is contentious, but they're brother and sister -- they have a lot in common with the figures of Apollo and Artemis in Greek mythology.

[thinking_turtle]

To share, for those who wonder what LIRP, DOGD or DRHM mean, a list of abbreviations used on Ecosophia. I also made a list of Magic Monday book entries so far.

[ecosophia]

Thanks for this as always.

[petovaribence]

Dear JMG!

I am a big fan of your books, have most of them in either paper or electronic form.
I have two questions:

- It seems that in your late books you prefer to design paths that use the Sphere of Protection over other basic methods, even the LBRP for that matter. On the other hand, in your earlier books (f.e. Circles of Power) you mentioned many advanced practices that build on the latter. Can you suggest advanced forms of high magic for those that use the SoP as a base? I found some in the druid's magic handbook but that did not seems to be on par. Do you have perhaps any pro and contra suggestions, which path has advantages over the other in some aspects? (actually I love your Celtic GD book, finished 2 levels in it, and I found it quite compatible with other GD practice)

- In the Way of the Golden Section, page 113, you write that this path utilizes the vagus nerve to channel Kundalini upwards, instead of the spinal cord. Although earlier in my life I have spent quite a time reading about Kundalini processes and pathways, and saw in authentic eastern sources, such as Kundalini Vidia, there are many channels the Kundalini can go upwards, not just the spinal cord. Yet I never read or heard about the vagus nerve as a pathway. Can you suggest any books or sources where I can read more about this topic? I'm very interested.

Thank you very much for your answer
Bence Petovari

[ecosophia]

1) If you're interested in practicing ceremonial magic I highly recommend the Golden Dawn approach, which is of course LBRP-based. The SoP-based systems are much less focused on high magic, and are suited to people who have other interests in the occult field.

2) Unfortunately most of my sources for this are private lessons of occult schools with which I've studied. One that isn't is The Mysterious Kundalini by Vasant G. Rele, which you might find worth reading. (It's long out of copyright and readily available on online archives:

https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.203875

[aldabra]

Hi JMG. A long time ago you said you had plans to transition to a paper newsletter when the internet went down. How do we find you if that happens? I see speculation that the techbrocracy isn't going to want the plebs to have access to information and organising power.

[ecosophia]

That's on a back burner for the time being, though I'm still looking into ways to set it up. As for the techbrocracy -- I like that term, btw -- my read on that is quite different; for the next decade or two, they've got everything to gain by encouraging the masses to participate, since that's a convenient way to make end runs around legacy media and the corporate-bureaucratic establishment. It serves much the same purpose as FDR's broadcast "fireside chats" did in the 1930s -- and will be hated just as passionately by the defenders of entrenched privilege.

The concept of "love" in occult instruction

[filthywaffle]

I haven't viewed the MMs in quite a while, but by an interesting turn of synchronicity your intro touches on a question I came by to ask today, of all days.

I've read a good portion of your occult books, and it struck me a few a years ago that the concept of "love" generally seems to be absent from your occult instruction.

I suppose I wouldn't even had noticed, but its omission seemed rather pointed as I looked through other texts. One example might the word's prominence in Iolo Morganwg's Druid's Prayer. Or John Gilbert's work, where the word "love" tends to appear. I think it pops up in the Book of Druidry as well ("Truth, Beauty and Love").

My question is: what accounts for this lack of emphasis on the concept of "love" in your writings?

This isn't a complaint by the way. I find it a kind of mercy to not have to run into the word for a variety of reasons. My reaction prompted a lot of meditations on trying to figure out why I was so happy with your works not touching on it. Some were 1) its New Agey schmaltzyness, 2) its association with Christianity, which despite being one of Christianity's better features sometimes gets misused, or overused. 3) the tendency for people to weaponize love as kind of manipulative tool and 4) its general numbing and soothing effect, which could be ill-suited to a spiritual path that works to increase one's sensitivity and awareness.

I suppose a more specific question is whether the lack of invoking "love" is more of a personal quirk, or if it derives from your own past occult instruction and traditions?

Re: The concept of "love" in occult instruction

[ecosophia]

Well, it's partly my well-entrenched distrust of all four of the factors you cite, but there's a deeper factor. I've written in the past about the concept of separate spheres -- the idea that human life involves various largely separate realms, and authority in one does not transfer to any of the others (i.e., politicians have no business exercising authority over religion, religious leaders have no business exercising authority over politics, both of them have no special authority when it comes to art or science, etc.). This is another place in which that applies.

The emotional states of the individual are one of these separate spheres. Love, especially, is its own sphere. Politicians, religious leaders, and other authority figures have some rights when it comes how love is expressed: politicians are within their rights to restrict sexual love, for example, to consenting adults, and religious leaders are within their rights to decide whether a given class of loving relationships can or cannot receive ritual sanction in their own denomination -- but that only goes so far. Occult teachers like me? We can write books about sexual polarity, sure, but that's about it. It would be just as silly for me to prattle about love as it would be for me to insist that the occult wisdom of the ages requires you to vote for this candidate, or what have you.

[(Anonymous)]

Good morning and thank you as always.

I’d like to make a long project out of studying the tree of life in depth. I’ve spent a lot of time on Paths of Wisdom (one of my favorite non fiction books, thank you for writing it!) and I’ve also started reading Fortune’s Mystical Qabalah. I just ordered a copy of Sefer Yetzirah as well. Beyond those three, do you have any recommendations?

[ecosophia]

Aryeh Kaplan and Z'ev ben Shimon Halevi are good sources for the specifically Jewish traditions of the Cabala, and should not be neglected. I also recommend scholarly books -- Gershom Scholem and Moshe Idel are good authors to start with here. Since so much of Cabala originally descends from Greek philosophical sources, John Dillon's The Middle Platonists is valuable.

[(Anonymous)]

JMG, I've always been interested in the approach and subject matter of your Sacred Geometry books, but have never got around to buying any of them. I currently try to do a standard LBRP/MP Exercise routine with divination (Tarot), meditation and a daily planetary invocation every day. I have been through your Occult Philosophy Workbook. For practical reasons, that's about as far as I am going to be able to get in Magic.
So is there any advantage in your Sacred Geometry books for me? (I see from the description that the SOP is involved, which I obviously don't do.) Or are there other books, by you or others, that you would recommend?
Grateful as always for your advice.

[ecosophia]

No, you should probably read some of the other books on the subject. Miranda Lundy's Sacred Geometry is a nice little introductory book; Robert Lawlor's Sacred Geometry: Philosophy and Practice is a fine next step. The stuff by "Drunvalo Melchizedek" and other New Age authors can be neglected with advantage; they're abject dreck.

MOE online course, blessing, books about energy body

[milkyway1]

Good morning,

I hope you, and everybody else, had a great weekend!

1. JMG, a little while ago, somebody asked for books about the energy body, how it's built up and works, its structure, "organs", etc, and you recommended one (or more?) books.

I thought I had saved the references somewhere, but can't find them anymore, and the search function hasn't helped me so far. Could you please give me the names and authors of the books again? Thanks!

2. And to everybody:

I'm teaching the Modern Order of Essenes in an online course. We started yesterday, and there is still plenty of room for people to join in (being a few days or even a few weeks "late" doesn't matter, you can just work in your own speed and still have the group to support you).

If you're interested, here is the link to the first "lesson" and some info on how it works:

https://thehiddenthings.com/moe-course-intro-and-unit-1

I'm also going to perfom a formal blessing on Wednesday, as usual, and bless everybody who signs up - and as it helps me to practice my blessing skills, I'm grateful to everybody who takes me up on the offer:

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

Hope to "see" some of you in the MOE course, :-)

Milkyway

Re: MOE online course, blessing, books about energy body

[ecosophia]

Hmm. The only one that comes to mind right off hand is Arthur Powell's The Etheric Double, which is very Theosophical but solid. Anyone else?

[(Anonymous)]

That's the problem, Grand Master: nothing is moving. I've looked for jobs everywhere and in every way, and nothing turns up. I'm losing my spirit!

[robertmathiesen]

"Losing your spirit" may just happen to be your next lesson in the school of hard knocks that life puts everyone through. If so, the way through may well be just to keep on putting one foot in front of the other, even though -- or, especially when -- things may seem hopeless. None of us are ever promised easy or comfortable lives at birth, or even hopeful, rewarding ones. Most of us are actually stronger and more durable that we can imagine.

When I've been in that situation, I have tried to focus on the lives of those around me and what I can do to ease their paths, while trying my best to ignore the seeming hopelessness of my own situation. I know that's very hard, but it can be done. I'm still here at 82, despite everything.

[(Anonymous)]

Dear JMG,

Some time back you reported that something was sent forth from a much higher plane (or something like that) and would work it's way down the towards the astral and eventually the physical, and you advised us to brace ourselves.

I'm wondering if this has now reached the astral plane, given the freak-outs currently happening in response to the truth emerging from the States. Something tremendous HAS shifted the Overton window though not much is happening yet on the physical plane.

I just listened to Del Bigtree's speech given at the MAHA event (highly recommend it - you can just listen to it).
https://worldcouncilforhealth.substack.com/p/look-whos-mainstream-media-now?utm_source=post-email-title&publication_id=1135210&post_id=157202831&utm_campaign=email-post-title&isFreemail=true&token=eyJ1c2VyX2lkIjo3Mjc1OTQ2NywicG9zdF9pZCI6MTU3MjAyODMxLCJpYXQiOjE3Mzk4MDA1NDcsImV4cCI6MTc0MjM5MjU0NywiaXNzIjoicHViLTExMzUyMTAiLCJzdWIiOiJwb3N0LXJlYWN0aW9uIn0.pSGDOS0EVj4Z7CvfMh3inyI30_wsaoT21uItcjf4BS0&r=17bhkb&triedRedirect=true&utm_medium=email

I cannot help but think that whatever was released from the higher plane is about to hit the etheric and physical plane with a vengeance, not least because of the improvement in people's etheric and physical energy and well-being, but also in terms of the rage energy that might need to go somewhere.

I'm wondering if you have been tracking this as it is coming down the planes and if you have a sense of where it is at the moment.

Thank you!
-Myriam

[ecosophia]

I have seen changes in the last month that I never expected to see in my life. Yes, I think the bulk of the shift is just beginning to hit the astral plane, and the first shockwaves in front of the shift are roiling up things on the material plane. When you start seeing massive shifts in the unthinking collective consciousness of the masses, that's the sign that the descending influx is halfway down the astral -- and it'll be shortly after that happens that the lower astral will start being purged and things will very likely get hairy on the material plane.

Zodiac sign ophiuchus

[(Anonymous)]

Hello JMG,

I just learned that there is a 13th zodiac called ophiuchus, but this is not official and opinions differ if it should be zodiac sign at all. I wonder what your stance on this subject is? Does this have any impact on astrology as far as you are concerned or not?

Kind regards from the Netherlands

Re: Zodiac sign ophiuchus

[ecosophia]

That's a theory that's been floated in some circles since sometime in the early 20th century. I've never found in useful in my own astrological work and so I ignore it.

Distinguishing invocation from goetia

[(Anonymous)]

Good morning and blessings, JMG!

Do your warnings against spirit summoning in "A Path That Abides" apply only to practices meant to evoke and bind dangerous or unwholesome beings like sub-lunar spirits, ghosts, etc? Or is there also a risk of contacting something that wants "a hefty serving of your life force" when employing methods meant to contact angels, gods, or other "higher" beings for assistance (e.g. Abbot Trithemius's system of "drawingbspirits into crystals" or the procedures described in the Arbatel)?

I guess what I'm really asking is: how do you distinguish between the invocatory practices of high magic and debased methods like goetia? My first thought is that it's a question of the desired result: goetia involves asking spirits to do stuff or get stuff for you, while invocation is about making you into the kind of person who gets what you want. And yet some forms of invocation do seem to aim to bring blessings into one's life, such as health, prosperity, positive social interactions, or new opportunities, making the distinction seem a bit fuzzier.

Is the core difference in:
A) The type of spirits contacted
B) The intended outcomes - manipulating the external world vs personal transformation
C) The attitude taken toward the spirits (high-handed binding/commanding vs respectful collaboration/learning/participation
D) Some combination of the above
E) Some other factor I've overlooked entirely?

Thanks for taking the time to answer our questions!

- Fred N.

Re: Distinguishing invocation from goetia

[ecosophia]

First, if you're trying to command and bind any spirit, from my perspective, you're going about things the wrong way. Even if you're doing an exorcism, the goal isn't to bind the spirit but to unbind the person who's obsessed or possessed, and send the spirit on its way.

Second, if you're trying to change the world so you don't have to change yourself, you're going about things the wrong way. Since we constantly co-create the world we inhabit, the most powerful and effective way to get the life you want is to change what you put out into the world so the world will respond to you in differently. Trying to get entities to do the work for you is wasting their time and your own.

Magic in the long descent

[(Anonymous)]

I'm very new to the occult and magic and recently listened to Ecotechnic Future, Dark Age America and Twilight of Pluto.

I was already trying to get physical books and learning new ways of doing things to pass along to my kids, as I may not live in a civilization without some sort of easily extracted fuel my kids or grandkids will.

Do you know of any resources for calculating positions for astrological objects manually?

Re: Magic in the long descent

[ecosophia]

Literally any decent book on astrology published before 1980 has this information in it. I'm looking at a book on my shelf right now titled Chart Your Own Horoscope by Ursula Lewis, an easy-to-use volume from the 1970s. There are hundreds of others. The American Federation of Astrologers (astrologers.com) also offers a correspondence course on natal astrology; ask for the option with the math, and you'll get mentored straight through the process of doing horoscopes the old-fashioned way.

[(Anonymous)]

Good morning JMG and to all others reading,

The choice of today's book image is fortuitous because my questions today are largely inspired (iirc) from lesson 14 of that same book.

1 (Neptune in Gemini). The notion that a planet is exalted in the sign of the Star Logos involved in creating it was quite interesting and provided (and continues to provide) food for contemplation, so thank you for introducing me to this notion. The image associated with the lesson appears to show which signs exalt the planets, and this leads me to Neptune. Neptune here is implied to be exalted in Gemini, and I struggle to see the link. Now, I am biased by my previous studies with the Builders of the Adytum and meditation on their material which has Neptune exalted in Leo. This attribution has always clicked easily for me for a few reasons such as the creative inspirations of Neptune finding a home in the outward-expressing Leo, (on the negative side) the glamour and illusions of Neptune strengthening the ego of Leo (Hollywood, anyone?), and (on a more spiritual, symbolic sense), the self-centeredness of Leo perhaps reminding Neptune that the 'I AM' is the only ocean worth dissolving one's self in. These ideas are just products of my meditations; I don't present them here as dogma.

However, meditating on Neptune in Gemini provides links that I feel are somewhat tenuous and don't click as strongly as those of Neptune in Leo (again, possible bias from previous familiarity). The collectivist emphasis of Neptune seems to mesh with the sociability and interactivity of the Twins, and Neptune's association with Key 12 of the Major Arcana (the Hanged Man) suggests ideas of inversion and paradox that also seem to mesh with the Twins (both as they present in mythology and human personalities). Aside from that, I'm not seeing much. To be clear, I'm not seeking validation for my views nor am I seeking to argue. I just would like to hear your thoughts on Neptune in Gemini. :)

2 (The Domicile of the Gods). The paradigm present in OPW presents some interesting challenges to my previous views of the universe and my favourite meditation themes involve either reconciling or coming to peace with conflicting information/beliefs, so again, thank you for your excellent book. If the Solar Logos dwells alone on the Divine Plane and the Star Logoi reside in the Causal Plane, then where do the gods of polytheism reside? My first thought was the Spiritual Plane, and yet while some Gods are presented as being bound by prophecies and fate, it feels like most mythologies present the Gods as being masters of fate rather than subjects of it (I could be wrong here). With this in mind, it feels wrong to put the Gods in a plane that is below that of the causal plane of the stars. So where do the Gods and Goddesses reside? Do they even exist in the paradigm put forth by OPW?

3 (Evolution of Planetary Spirits). There's this idea that's been slowly gaining momentum in my head. Planets have 'evolved' material, etheric, and astral bodies as our solar system has aged. The idea popped into my head that the number of these bodies corresponds to the number of soul swarms that have come before ours (ie Lords of Flame, Forms, and Mind). On to my question, as souls on a planet work to evolve mental bodies, does the host planetary spirit also start evolving a mental body? I am aware that the planets have their attributed angels and archangels that are said to function on the mental plane and beyond, yet by virtue of being named angels, this nominally implies that these are forces sent from above to mediate powers rather than bodies intrinsically evolved or built up by the planet itself, hence leading to my question.

4 (Divine Sparks and the I-consciousness). I try to avoid engaging in syncretism as I believe it can do violence to the systems involved, but I can't help but see similarities between the Spiritual Plane and Binah (as the root of perception) and between the Causal Plane and Chokmah (as the root of action/will). This tentatively leads me not to equate but at least to compare the Divine Plane with Kether and more specifically the Divine sparks with the Yechidah. If I posit that the Divine spark, like the Yechidah, is the source of I-consciousness (ie the feeling of being or of I AM), then this leads me to wonder about the experience of entities that are said to lack Divine Sparks such as elementals. My question; might they be compared to chatbots or LLMs in that they can reason, solve problems, communicate, and display a conceptual understanding of their own existence while utterly lacking an experiential feeling of Being or Selfhood?

I really got carried away with the length of this post so thank you for your patience. I have one more question, but I shall contain my enthusiasm and withhold it until next Monday.

Thank you for your time and all the best to you and the commentariat,

JR

[ecosophia]

1) If you find the Leo exaltation more useful to you, by all means use it. It'll be a millennium or so before the dignities of the new planets are known for certain.

2) The term "gods" covers a lot of ground in polytheist faiths; it basically means "any entity wiser and more powerful than human beings." Thus the answer to your question is "all the planes."

3) That's the teaching as I understand it. By the time our swarm has finished evolving mental bodies, the Earth will also have one -- but not until. The planetary intelligence is always a step behind the beings that dwell on the planet; it represents the heritage and wisdom of the past.

4) A fine theme for meditation!

[(Anonymous)]

Hi JMG,

Q1. I mentioned Philéas Lebesgue to you a few weeks ago. Did you have time to research him a little bit?

Q2. Have you managed to find out any more information about the methods involved in your research on this topic:

https://ecosophia.dreamwidth.org/51960.html


Many thanks as always.

[ecosophia]

No, I've been swamped with other things. All in good time!

Occult Study: a minefield

[(Anonymous)]

I suppose all this could be placed under the heading, "what a minefield occult study can be." I recently read Goodrick-Clarke's "The Occult Roots of Nazism," and am about halfway through his follow up book, "Black Sun." This seems like such familiar territory: Blavatsky, Steiner, Spengler are all present, along with others that I'd never heard of. One such is James Parker Yockey. I'm somewhat intrigued by the mention of Yockey's book "Imperium"; it's Yockey's take on Spengler(?) I also keep thinking back to Max Heindel's "The Rosicrucian Cosmo Connection." On my second or third pass through it I made a little index of where he mentions the "lower races" on one hand, and "sixteen possibilities for destruction" on the other. It was common enough to speak of "lower races" back when Heindel was writing, so that's not too shocking. I take "sixteen possibilities for destruction" to refer to racism -- as a caution against it. If anyone is interested, my mini-index has the following entries: p. 65,66,76,230,235,289-91,304,340,447, and 231, 306,312-316, 401, and 360 and 495.

Is there a question in this? I'm sure that this all raises plenty of questions, at least for me, but my question here is simply, "do you care to comment"? It's a minefield, for sure.

Re: Occult Study: a minefield

[ecosophia]

Heindel was a fascinating cat. Like most thinkers in the western world at the beginning of the twentieth century -- including many nonwhite intellectuals, btw! -- he accepted the idea that there were higher and lower races, but he cautioned that no matter what your race was, identifying with it rather than with humanity as a whole carried the risk of getting your soul stuck in the rigid mold of that race, instead of evolving beyond it as souls are intended to do. In his view, a soul literally degenerates by becoming too attached to its race. That's why the races in his system are called "the sixteen pathways to destruction." Oh, and the current top race in his scheme, the "Teutonic-Anglo-Saxon" race, would be surpassed in due time by the Slavic race, which will be surpassed in turn by another race not yet born. All this is in the fifth age of world history; in the sixth, there will be only one race, and in the seventh, no races at all.

That is to say, the world of early 20th century occult race theory was far more complex than the drooling idiocy of Nazi Rassenlehre makes it look. I'm far from sure Heindel was right, though he had a point about getting stuck in attachment to one's race -- I've never seen any evidence that this is a good thing, and plenty of historical evidence that it leads over time to the same fragility and sterility you seen in any breed that doesn't bring in fresh genetics from outside often enough.

Touches of Sweet Harmony

[(Anonymous)]

Got my copy of Heninger's Touches of Sweet Harmony in the mail over the weekend. Looks like it is going to ve a great adjunct to the GSF course. Thanks for the tip!

JPM

Re: Touches of Sweet Harmony

[ecosophia]

Delighted to hear it! It's been a fave of mine since the 1990s.

[(Anonymous)]

I have a book recommendation for everyone:

The Occult Sylvia Plath by Julia Gordon-Bramer, published by Inner Traditions:

https://a.co/d/ftQ2FtP

It is a scholarly biography focused on Plath’s occult and esoteric pursuits, which were significant during her short life. Gordon-Bramer exhaustively notes sources for every single claim, and clearly spent years in the various Plath and Ted Hughes archives. She highlights many, many occult references (with solid sources from the archive) that were deliberately left out of the record by other biographers and scholars and the editors of Plath’s letters.

For all of this, it is well worth purchasing and reading, even if your interest in Plath is minimal.

Overall, the information paints a tragic picture of a depressive personality
(Plath) with perhaps natural psychic inclinations, raised in a home where there was interest in European esotericism (Plath’s mother wrote a dissertation on alchemy), and who met a reckless occultist and womanizer (Ted Hughes) who involved her in grubby pursuits like conjuring spirits with ouija boards for financial information, and less grubby but ultimately destructive pathways involving astrology, Tarot, and more serious ceremonial magic. It seems Ted Hughes was training in Franz Bardon’s system.

The book really takes off in the second half, after Plath met and married Ted Hughes. He was clearly the real, serious occultist, and the more interesting figure overall (though he was also odious). The book more correctly should have been titled “The Occult Sylvia Plath and Ted Hughes,” as it focuses extensively on him in the final chapters. Hughes was a very serious natal astrologer, and also studied ceremonial magic, most likely Bardon’s system (as mentioned) but possibly Golden Dawn to some extent. He clearly attracted tragedy—his first wife (Plath) committed suicide, and a mistress (who instigated the end of his marriage with Plath) later murdered their child and killed herself. Another later girlfriend, who was a practicing witch, cursed him and burned down his house. Dark.

Interestingly, Hughes later had close links to the British royal family, mainly Charles, who shared his interests in occultism and astrology. Hughes was close enough to them that they commissioned astrological-themed poetry from him, and he socialized with the family, reading Prince William and Prince Harry bedtime stories. Charles arranged special permission for a memorial marker where Hughes’ ashes were scattered in a remote area of Dartmoor National Park, an 8 mile hike in from any roads.

I found this long article detailing Hughes’ astrological interests expressed in a poem about one of the royals: https://ann.skea.com/Zodiacpoem.htm

And this, noting his closeness to the royal family and that Charles considered Hughes his “spiritual advisor”: https://www.thetimes.com/article/charles-has-poet-s-corner-at-highgrove-n9sqjz8bk

Charles also built a “shrine” to Hughes in one of his homes after the poet’s death.

I know there’s been speculation over the years on how much the royal family uses astrologers…this is an important clue. I would wager Charles, at least, most certainly pursued astrology.

[ecosophia]

Thank you for this. I find Plath's poetry unappealing, to put it mildly, but I'll consider reading the book.