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 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-eighty published book, and -- like some of the other things I've written -- it landed me in a certain amount of hot water. I noticed, not long after I started doing the kind of intermediate astrology that involves tracking transits of planets across natal chart positions, that most of the resulting predictions worked very well, but that those involving Pluto didn't. I then noticed that political and economic predictions involving Pluto -- not mine, in this case -- also flopped spectacularly. That launched me into a research project that convinced me that Pluto is in fact not a planet, but that it functioned like one in birth charts and mundane charts during the short period while astronomers mistook it for one. That led me to write The Twilight of Pluto, which talks about the complex way that planetary discoveries and downgradings relate to astrological prediction. 

The reason this got me into hot water is that Pluto has a huge astrological fan club. It's weird; no other planet has that kind of frankly addictive emotional hold on people. No other planet sees people make one false prediction after based on its movements, and just keep on doing it, without ever noticing that they're making fools of themselves. I didn't get into that in this book, but Pluto fans took offense anyway because I dissed their favorite planet. The book's sales have been slow, though a remarkable number of people seem to know about it. I still think it makes a valid case, I don't use Pluto in my political astrology...and, ahem, my predictions are more accurate than those who do. If you're interested, you can get copies here in the US and at your favorite book outlet 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 all next week!***

Comments

Questions for a beginner with New Agey past experience

[(Anonymous)]

Hello, I've just gotten started with "Celtic Golden Dawn" as my first magical practice. My prior experience with spiritual practices (to try and pick an appropriate umbrella term) has been with a New Age Earth-based spiritual practice that combines together different traditions, and while that's admittedly quite vague, the teachers I've worked with were certain both potent and on-point people, and it's been very helpful to me. And in doing that work -- and I'll add in some conversations with friends who are already fans of yours! -- I've been guided towards a magical practice.

So in moving into magic, I have some questions:

1. In my previous practices, a big part of it was to find symbols and guides that were meaningful to me, both personally and in the context of my culture. With the Summoning / Banishing Ritual of the Pentagram, including The Rite of the Rays, I find myself wondering if I should feel more connection with the names and words I'm speaking, since these divine names are new to me and part of me feels like I'm just going through the motion of speaking the words. (Granted I do have patrilineal Celtic ancestry, very likely including Welsh, so I could try exploring that aspect of it more deeply.)

2. Somewhat related to 1, how important is it that I follow the rituals precisely, in terms of pronouncing the names or speaking in Welsh? If for example I wanted to say parts of it (e.g. light, harmony, virtue) in English, would that be counterproductive?

More broadly, is it more potent to alter the ritual in order to feel a deeper connection, or should I stick with it precisely and perhaps work through any lack of connection I'm experiencing here at the beginning?

-Bri

[slithytoves123]

My guess (that's all it is) is that you can get a very early impression of what this will be like from working extensively with art, literature, mathematics, or philosophy — anything that requires you to develop an ability to think at a high level of abstraction.

Ideally you want to work with one of these fields directly, because:

• Physics seems to be the only science that involves enough mathematics to make significant progress on the mental body, and even then many physicists seem to manage to avoid it.
• Computer science (actually a branch of engineering) has the potential for this sort of development but it's almost always smothered in the cradle by how tedious and soul-crushing jobs in computer programming are.
• Similar considerations apply to the highly commercialized applications of art and literature.
• Same with the only major branch of "applied philosophy" these days that I can think of: ethics. The job of professional ethicists is almost invariably to justify whatever evil things their employers want to do.

In the case of mathematics, I think there's analogy for the situation we're in with respect to the mental body: currently, we can visualize one-, two-, and three-dimensional spaces easily and we can almost visualize four-dimensional spaces with some work; the latter always recedes just out of our grasp. However, this doesn't prevent us from developing a working intuition about higher dimensions and doing good solid math in them. One thing I expect when our mental bodies mature is to be able to actually grasp those higher dimensional spaces directly instead of through awkward analogies, partial intuitions, and dry formalisms.

Re: Request for Advice: Escape from Q

[revert2mean]

FWIW I was going to say a much less sophisticated version of what JMG said. I was going to say, "Give it a good shove. It'll go."

Re: Glamour or something like that?

[(Anonymous)]

I think the issue might be that I often don’t like myself. That’s a behavior I inherited from my father, and mobbing has been an issue from time to time through school and work. I’m fifty years old now and have had a lot of counseling. I’m much better with people than I used to be, but sometimes I wonder if there’s anything else I can do against that feeling of separation. Hence the question above…

[adara9]

Hello,

I suspect this will be another of those not-yet-documented questions, but: are there any resources about the effect of female mages' menstrual cycles on their magic, rituals, and/or energetic experiences?

Thanks,
Heather / adara9

ETA

[michele7]

Have you applied for your Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA)? I watched a US citizen on YouTube who had planned on attending a convention in London. He was denied the ETA and denied a visa. You may be flagged as a radical author. ;-)


https://www.gov.uk/guidance/apply-for-an-electronic-travel-authorisation-eta

The Art of causing.

[guillem66]

Jmg,

I've been wanting to ask this for a time now, and it might well be today: What would you say if i were to shorten Dion Fortune's famous description of Magic, and leave it at simply "Magic is the Art of causing"? I suspect you will disagree, but i will apreciate your reasons in any case.

Guillem

PD. Some weeks ago, someone answered me at a Magic monday regarding some ancient Healing orders in italy and UK.I tried the email adress provided, but i couldn't get a message sent no matter what. This is just to let that person know that he/she can write me at my dreamwidht account, because indeed i'm interested in talking about the matter.

Re: Aphantasia

[not_gandalf]

Interestingly, Anthony Metivier of the Magnetic Memory Podcast has talked relatively frequently about not being able to form visual images in his mind. Like, trying to call up a visual representation of his parents is a faculty he doesn't have and that he says some percentage of the general population doesn't have.I believe the same is true of Lynne Kelly, a memory champion from Australia, although I may be mistaken.
My little opinion for what it might be worth is that the visual image in the objective mind is a way to set in motion am interior function, but it's not necessarily the case that, not having that skill to work with, the interior function can't be used. It just needs to be activated differently. In this I think intent is key.

[(Anonymous)]

Hi John,

I recently began to study under a Reiki Master to begin the process to become attuned. Our first session was just a basic clearing session. During the clearing, I had some very interesting visions and a word dropped into my mind that I didn't recognize and thought was my mind just creating some kind of nonsense gibberish word. After the clearing was over, I spoke with her about the visions I had during the clearing, but didn't think this word was worth even bringing up. Once our session was over, the word kept returning to my mind so I figured I would google it. Turns out it is a name; the name is Asmodeus. I have since been doing a lot of research on it to learn as much as I can.

As you may know, mythologically Asmodeus is the demon Solomon bound and forced to build the Temple. Most sources I've seen refer to him as a demon, except for one: the Sefer HaRazim, a second century grimoire that refers to Asmodeus as an angel. (My own strange connection to this story is I grew up in Jerusalem, raised by radical Zionists who are actively working in support of building a Third Temple: an event that would undoubtedly escalate into a full blown World War, if we are not fully in one already, and initiate both the Jewish and Christian "Messianic Age" and "End Times").

All that to say, I sense that Asmodeus is seeking to make contact with me. I am however extremely wary of making contact with the demonic realm, much less working with them. I have only ever heard of cautionary tales, saying that the blowback and cost of working with demons is extreme. I try to be very judicious about my magical workings, maintaining strong ethical guard rails to avoid any unwanted blowback back onto me.

I am currently initiating through the Golden Dawn system, and I am only at the Zealator Grade. I worry that I don't yet have the proper tools to be able to make contact in a safe manner. So I am not sure how to proceed. Should I just dismiss it out of hand, given that it is a demonic entity trying to make contact? Or are there ways to at least make contact in a safe manner, without risking anything further? Or should I just wait until I have initiated into higher grades before making any attempt?

What are your initial impressions and recommendations?

Thanks so much.

Re: The Body’s Four Elements

[(Anonymous)]

Hello,

It’s the original questioner again. I just finished reading chapter 4 of your polarity magic book, here in the library…
I feel convinced that a man can receive a “charge” of etheric energy from a woman. But are there other ways, ways that don’t require such a personal interaction, that a person can receive ether or recharge their ether? Perhaps in nature? Are there breathing exercises one can use? (maybe I will encounter some later in your polarity book.)
I do have your 5 Rites book, but I don’t recall what it said about recharging one’s ether. I will go back and check…

Thanks!

Re: The Body’s Four Elements

[ecosophia]

1) That's quite possibly the case. I simply use the term because it denotes a distinction that's useful in practical terms.

2) Good. Yes.

3) That's typical Theosophical symbolism, and yes, it's something distinct from the "shell." It's the range of effective action mapped onto material space.

Re: The Body’s Four Elements

[ecosophia]

Good heavens, yes. Sunlight, fresh air, and cold water are good sources of ether. If you want breathing exercises -- and that's a good option -- William Walker Atkinson's Science of Breath is a good place to start:

https://archive.org/details/hinduyogiscienc00atkigoog

Re: Q

[ecosophia]

It's an interesting question. I've never encountered anything that suggests this but I suppose it's possible.

Re: Q

[ecosophia]

Of course the Buddha's epistemic powers were limited. Until his parinirvana, at least, he was an incarnate being, and thus finite by definition. This giddy way of assuming that the founder of a tradition had perfect knowledge is one of the worst of the bad habits of Piscean spirituality. The important thing in a teacher is not whether he or she knows everything, but simply whether he or she knows more than you do and can teach it.

Re: Request for Advice: Escape from Q

[ecosophia]

Thank you for translating my little sermon into plain English!

Re: Aphantasia

[ecosophia]

That seems quite reasonable to me. I've also known a lot of people who think that something doesn't count as a mental image unless it appears just as clearly as an image on a movie screen or something.

Re: Cultivation of Virtues in Western Occultism

[ecosophia]

Western civilization, as it had existed up to that time, clutched its chest, fell over and died. It's astonishing how many of the established traditions, habits, customs, and beliefs of the Western world got dropped like a hot rock between 1914 and 1918.

Re: Ceres and Romanticism

[ecosophia]

Glad you like it. Ceres is underrated, almost to the same extent that Pluto is overrated.

Deity Devotions vs Planetary Unbalance

[cs2]

I am one month into weekly devotions to Apollo during the day and hour of the sun. Even though I am layering planetary symbolism into it, since I'm doing a prayer of regard to connect with a deity, am I correct in that I don't need to worry about getting unbalanced?

I do the daily Dolmen Arch SOP from Grade 7, so I have practices that should balance me.

I'll keep an eye out if I start getting egotistical (that's how unbalanced solar manifests?). Thank you.

Re: Glamour or something like that?

[ecosophia]

Thanks for this. Yes, that'll do it -- if you dislike yourself, it's a safe bet that people will pick up on that and act accordingly. Equally, though, until and unless you change that, nothing you do outwardly will solve the problem. In your place I'd use intensive journaling to find the roots of the self-hatred, release those, and see what happens, but that's hard work and may not be suitable for you just now.

Re: ETA

[ecosophia]

Thanks for this! I wasn't aware that it was an issue.

[ecosophia]

Nope. It might have delayed the ripening of your mental sheath, but only if it led you to ignore questions of meaning, value, and purpose, and submerge your consciousness in the animal level.

Re: Easy peasy meditation

[ecosophia]

Of course you're free to do as you choose. If you ask for my advice, though, you're going to get my advice!

Re: Need insight on a recent experience

[ecosophia]

It was the weed; there was very likely a malign spirit involved; and very likely it ended up functioning as a brush against the difficult outer edges of the Tiphareth experience. These aren't mutually exclusive! I hope, though, that you'll draw the logical conclusion and leave the cannabis for those who aren't on the Path.

Re: Questions for a beginner with New Agey past experience

[ecosophia]

1) This is a different kind of spirituality and it requires a different approach. of course it feels like just going through the motions; at first, that's all it can be. Over time, with regular practice, you establish connections that go deeper.

2) It's important to do the rituals exactly as written. That way you tap into the egregor (consciousness-form) that's been established by past practitioners; this accelerates your progress and keeps you on track.

Have you ever heard the Zen parable about the teacup? The Zen master Nan-in received a university professor who came to inquire about Zen, but mostly wanted to talk about his own ideas of what it was. Nan-in served tea. He poured his visitor’s cup full, and then kept on pouring. The professor watched the overflow until he no longer could restrain himself. 'It is overfull. No more will go in!'

'Like this cup,' Nan-in said, 'you are so full of your own opinions and speculations that you cannot taste my tea. How can I show you Zen unless you first empty your cup?'

Empty your cup a little and you can get a taste of the tea that I'm serving...