Magic Monday

[ecosophia]

Midnight is here 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 seventieth published book, the culmination of a project many years in the works. Regular readers of this Magic Monday column will recall my comments about The Sacred Geometry Oracle, which appeared many years ago in a butt-ugly edition due to the bad taste of its first publisher, and has since been restored to decent appearance by Aeon Books. That was originally meant to be the anchor of an entire series of books, including three manuals of practice and three workbooks of practical information. That vision of mine is finally on its way to fulfillment; The Way of the Golden Section was the first of the manuals and this is the first of the workbooks, forming the curriculum of the Golden Section Fellowship, a tradition (not an organization) with no dues, no membership cards, and no requirements for joining other than doing the work.   

This volume is a year-long course in traditional occult philosophy. It covers all the basics, from the planes of being and the structure of the human soul to the process of reincarnation and the cycles of time, and much more. It also provides an additional commentary on the seven principles discussed in my book Mystery Teachings from the Living Earth. All in all, it comprises a study course in traditional occult ideas as good as anything you could have gotten from occult schools a century ago. If you're interested, it can be bought here if you're in the United States and here elsewhere. (I recommend the hardback; if you treat it as intended, you're going to put some serious work into this book.)

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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

Divination

[(Anonymous)]

Hi JMG, thanks as always for this.

What’s been your go-to divination method lately? Do you alternate between things like tarot, geomancy etc - or is there one that you prefer over the others and why?

Thank you

Re: Divination

[ecosophia]

It depends on the subject. For quick accurate divinations about practical issues, geomancy has been my go-to for a couple of decades now -- nothing equals it. If it has to do with spiritual or magical issues I typically use my Sacred Geometry Oracle, though I sometimes use Ogham or Coelbren for things relevant to Druidry. It's been years since I've used tarot -- I'll probably cycle back into that one of these days, though.

CGD Druid Grade Karmic Culmination

[(Anonymous)]

Hi JMG, I recently finished my 9 workings of the CGD Druid grade initiation after nearly 10 years of on again off again study in which I was maybe a C student at best, but I did do as much of the work as I felt I could get done, did my examinations, and finally did the initiations and a few more for good measure as divination prompted.

Aaaand that's landed me in a white hot furnace karmic culmination that has basically taken me to the edge of my sanity. I'm hauling myself back and getting plenty of sleep, and am being reminded every day with raps on the knuckles to check my runaway intuition with an outer planes check before I do anything silly.

However, I had no idea how incredibly serious this initiation was going to be. I didn't lose my job when taking the first grade. I feel like I may lose my life or at least my whole connection to everything I was doing beforehand before all this is over. A long time ago on MM, you described the black candle working to Saturn for clearing a lot of karma in a jiffy. Well this initiation's effects feel very much like that ritual you described. My oath was just to live in the knowledge we're all traveling the Old Straight Track up through the veil into the luminous life. I thought that was reasonably mundane and manageable. I was very wrong

I'm finding the Guardians of the Druidic temple were around me the whole time, tapping their foot and waiting impatiently for me to Get A Clue. And I am now getting a clue-by-four pallet of bricks dropped straight on my head.

Is the Druid grade culmination always this rough? Do you have any advice to navigate it?

Is the order associated with the book still in existence and would they be ones to look to for help or is this more something I need to work out on my own?

Re: CGD Druid Grade Karmic Culmination

[ecosophia]

1) It really varies. Some people have more of a culmination with the Ovate or Bardic grades, and the intensity also varies depending on what kind of karma you've got built up.

2) The Druidical Order of the Golden Dawn is still very much in existence; I stepped down as its titular head once it had a good core group established. You'll find them at http://druidical-gd.org/ . I'd definitely recommend contacting them for help with this.

[hippieviking]

Hi JMG,

I've been going through your Spirit and the Sword with an eye towards incorporating the practices into my self-rolled spiritual development/self care routine. I've been practicing the stretching outlined in the book and looking into getting a sword for the practices. So far, what I've come across that seems like it might work are the copies made of the 1840 and 1860 US cavalry sabers or something more along the lines of a mortuary sword (at least in terms of things I can afford that are still "functional"). I was curious though, what exactly was the sword you use(d)? And do you happen to have any updated advice after 15 years or so?

Thanks,
HV

[ecosophia]

I used a replica of the US Army model 1840 noncommissioned officer's sword, which is still available from Atlanta Cutlery. I recommend an infantry sword (for example, the US model 1850 foot officer's sword is also good) because the straighter blade is easier to handle. As for updated advice, none really -- I injured my shoulder a couple of decades ago and it acts up when I do the exercises (I've tried at intervals, as they're otherwise very good for me) so that project has had to go by the boards, at least for me.

Visualization and also protective Talismans

[numinosum]

Good evening!

Two questions I'd like to ask you:
1. As I practice visualization (across all senses) one thing I am uncertain about is just how far is it reasonable to expect the development of the faculty. Particularly with sight-visualization, I have a very good ability to picture things in my mind, in detail, rotate them, etc. but they never escape my mind's eye. In other words, I can't imagine something so well that I actually "see" it through my eyes as opposed to what's "really" there in front of me. Is it possible to develop visualization such that one can then passively see things from the imagination in real space or must such images always remain in the mind's eye?

My inclination is to believe that what is visualized in the imagination stays in the mind's eye but a passage in Initiation into Hermetics discusses seeing something you project from the imagination as a fata morgana that appears to the sight in the place of what the physical eyes see. Which is not an ability I have developed, and wonder if I can.

2. There is someone in my life who has been a very negative influence, a family member, not just for me but for the rest of the family, and sometime ago I fashioned a talisman to protect me from her ill will and machinations. It has worked - unfortunately I believe that malice that had been sent my way is now targeting someone else. I don't want to get into details but the change was sudden and it defies logic why she would target her instead of me. I did not anticipate this. Can you give me some advice with this situation re: protection for the others?

Re: Visualization and also protective Talismans

[ecosophia]

1) The imagery doesn't have to "escape the mind's eye." It works just as effectively as mental imagery. Some people have the capacity to project such images into the visual field, but most don't; I don't, for example. The lack of that ability has never slowed me down.

2) If you can get the other person's permission, you can create a talisman to protect her. You do need consent, though.

The Emotional Grounding Effect

[(Anonymous)]

Hi JMG, I'm autistic and I was just pondering reasons for some interactions I've had with certain neurotypicals. I don't know if you share this experience but if you do it may deepen your understanding.

Many neurotypicals find autistics to be off-putting, but I and some others I talked to have found that a certain variety of neurotypical is drawn to us. This tends to be an extremely sociable, gregarious person who is always the life of the party. The reason for the attraction, as far as I can determine is this: these people tend to pick up high amounts of emotional "static" from others and we act as a kind of grounding wire to drain it away. These are often the kinds of people who others will confide in and want to tell their troubles to, and this adds to the load of emotional energy they're carrying. Autistics do not add to this load but instead can dissipate it by our mere presence.

Do you have any thoughts on the energetic factors at play here? I think it may be related to the similar dynamic between autistics and animals, which are often more comfortable around us than normal people. Thanks as always for these posts.

Re: The Emotional Grounding Effect

[ecosophia]

That's really quite remarkable. No, I'm not familiar with the effect and don't know how it functions on an energetic level. Have you considered developing clairvoyant abilities to try to work it out for yourself?

[(Anonymous)]

Good morning JMG.

I have a few questions for you today.

1) Your inclusion of Uranus and Neptune in your astrological posts leads me to conclude that you use the modern rulership scheme instead of the traditional one. On to my question, when interpreting house rulers, do you use a 'mixed' approach (eg looking at both Saturn and Uranus for a house cusp in Aquarius) or do you only look at the modern ruler? Said another way, does Jupiter and Saturn maintain some sort of influence on Pisces and Aquarius respectively in your opinion?

2) So I've been chugging along with the SOP as presented in the GSF book (but personalized to accommodate by beliefs) for a while now and I feel rather satisfied with the whole thing. However, some of the comments here sometimes mention the womb center, rising dragons, some sort of tree visualization, and whatnot in relation to the SOP. Now I assume that these things come from your more Druid-oriented books (which I don't have) so I'm completely lost when this subject gets brought up, though I can infer that these SOP variants have a different focus than the one presented in GSF. What are the differences in the long-term effects of these SOP variants? Am I missing out by sticking to what I assume is a comparatively 'simpler' SOP ritual? Also, why not include the womb center in the newer variant (I'm not challenging your decision btw, this is just my honest curiosity)?

3) I've been meditating recently on karma, the appearance of injustice, and on inflicting harm. I began asking myself if there was a karmic difference between launching a magical attack against someone versus simply walking up to them and punching them (or a more extreme example of casting a death curse vs murdering someone using mundane means). What brought this on was all the talk of the inescapable blowback of hostile magic contrasted with the grisly reality that many people in the world 'seemingly' do get away with aggrevated assault and even murder (at least in their current life). The only satisfactory way of reconciling these ideas that I've come up with is that harming someone from any level of reality will equally tip the scales of a person's character and will require an equal amount of rebalancing/compensation in the long run, however, harm inflicted from the lower levels of reality will result in a more diffuse, prolonged, and indirect karmic response whereas using magic to do the same will result in a response that is precise, swift, and to the point. What are your thoughts on this, John?

As always, thank you for hosting Magic Monday.

JR

[ecosophia]

1) I use Uranus as the ruler of Aquarius and Pisces as the ruler of Neptune, full stop. I don't claim this as a universal rule, mind you -- it's just always worked for me.

2) The additional material is found in The Druid Magic Handbook and The Dolmen Arch. The Golden Section work has its own set of advanced practices that unfold from the Sphere of Protection, one of which is included toward the end of The Way of the Golden Section and the rest of which are in the subsequent books. Thus, no, you're not missing out on anything -- the GSF material is different in structure but it leads to similar effects.

3) The blowback from evil magic isn't a function of karma, though of course magical evil does generate karma that has to be worked off. The real difficulty with evil magic is that whatever energy you invoke for any purpose "sticks" to you and influences your own life. This isn't a moral issue -- it's automatic, impersonal, and inescapable, and it happens with every kind of magic (which is why doing workings for healing and blessing is such a good idea).

[(Anonymous)]

Hello JMG and commenters,
Have a great start to the week, everyone!
A few random questions:
1) A friend of mine practices Magnified Healing, a type of spiritual healing treatment inspired by Master Kuan Yin. She invited me to an Initiation and I confess I don't have any information beyond what I found on websites. Are you familiar with this practice?
2) Taking advantage of the topic of healing: why do so many people speak ill of Reiki, as a malignant egregore? Is there any basis regarding the origin of the energy used in this treatment?
3) Is Genius Loci a concept only from ancient Rome or do we actually have a protective spirit for our home and neighborhood?
4) William Blake had knowledge of occultism (Hermeticism) and Christian Mysticism of Böhme, but did he develop any magical path?

Thank you!

[ecosophia]

1) No, I'm not. I don't tend to accept offers to receive any sort of newly invented initiation, simply because there generally hasn't been enough time to identify the downsides -- and those can be pretty considerable.

2) I think it became corrupt due to being turned into a multilevel marketing scheme -- "pay me lots of money to become a teacher, and then you can charge the same steep prices to others!" That said, I've received benefit from reiki healings, so the egregor may still be salvageable.

3) You've got spirits in your home and neighborhood. They don't become protective spirits until you establish good relations with them, ask for their protection, and work with them.

4) Not that I've ever heard.

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 Ron M’s friend Paul fully recover from the debilitating illness that has rendered him bedridden as well as recover from the spiritual malaise/attack that he believes is manifesting the illness.

May Jennifer’s newborn daughter Eleanor be blessed with optimal growth and development; may her tongue tie revision surgery on Wednesday March 12th have been smooth and successful, and be followed by a full recovery.

May Mike Greco, who had a court date on the 14th of March, enjoy a prompt, just, and equitable settlement of the case.

May Cliff's friend Jessica be blessed and soothed; may she discover the path out of her postpartum depression, and be supported in any of her efforts to progress along it; may the love between her and her child grow ever more profound, and may each day take her closer to an outlook of glad participation in the world, that she may deeply enjoy parenthood.

May Other Dave's father Michael Orwig, who passed away on 2/24, make his transition to his soul's next destination with comfort and grace; may his wife Allyn and the rest of his family be blessed and supported in this difficult time.

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, update)

May Peter Evans in California, whose colon cancer has been responding well to treatment, be completely healed with ease, and make a rapid and total recovery.

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 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 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 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. Healing work is also welcome. [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]

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 Jennifer and Josiah and their daughters Joanna and Eleanor 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.

[thinking_turtle]

To share, for those who wonder what CosDoc, DF or TSW mean, a list of abbreviations used on Ecosophia. There's also an overview of the books discussed so far. This week is book 70 and we're in September 2022 with 3 years of books to go.

To ask, you mentioned earlier that the publisher decides on book titles and cover art. Now I wonder about the title "King in Orange". It really resonates but it doesn't have anything in the name Trump fans might find. What can you share about how this title was settled on?

[ecosophia]

The publisher has the final say on the title, but about half the time, in my experience, they accept the author's suggestion. That title was my idea, for reasons explained in the introduction.

making towers where temples are impractical

[kallianeira]

Greetings JMG and readers.

re _Garden Towers for Fertility_ Dec 2022
https://ecosophia.dreamwidth.org/210855.html?thread=37412519&style=mine#cmt37412519
I wonder did the person in the southern hemisphere, if they are reading, find out anything about the placement of the stone in regards to improving fertility? (It was recommended to place a stone in the centre of a space and observe whether plants on one side of it grew better than those on the other.)

Not having read guidebooks on this subject, I tried the internet and have found little of practical use, basically only that people use ground paramagnetic rock on their soil as a form of soil improver. There is one fellow who made tiny experimental towers from sandpaper to good effect, only at the scale of a pot. He also reported that a tower of stacked terracotta pots did wonders for the plants in the adjacent bed.

I have plenty of stone on site, most of it under the ground. Some is basalt, some is sandstone, some chert as well. Under the surface or emerging it does not seem to help fertility. Taking it out and piling it in structures appeals to me and sounds somewhat like the towers mentioned in the 2022 question. I looked at the OAEC site but could not identify the structures in their pictures. Does anyone know what dimensions have been found to be of use? What the area of effect is, which is presumably proportional to height or mass? I can make cairns, stone walls,... there is so much material!

Thank you for Magic Mondays.

Re: making towers where temples are impractical

[ecosophia]

I've never seen much of value, but if you have a garden and plenty of spare stone you have the basis for experimentation. The crucial point seems to be that the stone object needs to be at least twice as tall as it is wide or thick, and preferably taller -- your basic megalithic standing stone is a good guide:

Translations of Agrippa

[casmith]

While pre-ordering your Dee translation, I saw Miskatonic Books has a new translation of Agrippa by Paul Summers Young. I also saw that Eric Purdue also has a new translation. (I am unfamiliar with both translators). Do you have a recommendation for one translation over the other?

Re: Translations of Agrippa

[ecosophia]

I haven't read either one yet!

Q

[(Anonymous)]

Post my kundalini awakening, my desire to have kids has dramatically reduced (used to think I was going to have a large family).

Is that a common thing?

Re: Q

[ecosophia]

Yes. You've redirected a lot of your sexual energy up your spinal column.

[(Anonymous)]

JMG,

Your book choice is appropriate to my question. Once again, I very slowly restarted the Five Rites. I've kept my progess very slow and over the last 5 (or so) months increased to 11 repetitions. Just as I'm beginning to have some results (meaningful dreams, better intuitive decision making, more ease with life circumstances, etc.)- wham- I fall ill.

Is it possible I have some sort of "block" preventng me from moving forward? If so, I'd like to figure out what (and where) it is and work on removing it. I credit the Five Rites with giving me a dream that allowed me to drop a (minor) addiction. I think I could get a great deal of value from further developing my etheric body. I'm just not sure how to proceed.

AV

[ecosophia]

I'd suggest a different approach. Your body may be telling you that the Five Rites aren't well suited to you as a long-term practice. There are many other forms of exercise that also build the etheric body; you might consider trying one of them instead.

"Hex the fascists" types at it again.

[(Anonymous)]

I stumbled the other day on another "hex away the orange man" group - this time, they identify as druids.

(A link to their reddit post for sourcing: https://www.reddit.com/r/Utah/comments/1jbl4vi/slc_utah_31525_hex_the_fascists/ )

Aside from being amused that they chose the Ides of March for their day, I'm struck by the fact that they say at the top "Hex the Fascists" and then underneath it say they will merely be performing a ritual for empowerment and protection. I can't imagine any protection ritual you perform with the intention of hexing someone else would go well.

Re: "Hex the fascists" types at it again.

[ecosophia]

Sigh.

I wonder if they'll ever realize that channeling all their rage and hatred at the people the corporate media tells them to hate is simply an unusually over-the-top version of what Jung described as "projecting the Shadow," and that every time they do it, they're strengthening and empowering what they think they're fighting...

[(Anonymous)]

I'm interested in learning the Celtic Tree Ogham for divination. What are the best books / websites for learning the Celtic Tree Ogham?

[ecosophia]

I can't help you with websites as I don't use those for learning. The resource that worked best for me was the book that comes with The Celtic Tree Oracle by Colin and Liz Murray, a very nice Ogham deck.

About demons and karma

[the_arcane_archivist]

Aren't demons subjects to karma the same as everything else? How are they capable to accumulate those masses of misdeeds without some sort of breaking circuits to be triggered on them?!

Re: About demons and karma

[ecosophia]

Of course they are. That's why they're as tormented, miserable, and self-defeating as they are.

Mental plane exercises

[(Anonymous)]

Hi Mr. Greer,

A few weeks ago someone asked about how to develop one's mental body, and it got me thinking: would things like working math problems, logic problems, puzzles, crosswords, and similar all contribute to this? Would writing, especially analytical or critical writing? Would studying epistemology?

If so, is it true then that "smart" people are in some sense superior to others? (But maybe not "smart" by the conventional, college-educated definition.) Of course, this is a tricky path to follow, given the potential for falling into the barbarism of reflection...

Re: Mental plane exercises

[ecosophia]

Nope. You can do all these things on a purely astral level, so long as you're just manipulating symbols. You can get exceedingly clever at manipulating symbols and still just be playing games in the middle to upper astral plane.

To break through to the mental plane you have to go beyond the symbols into their meanings and values. That's something at which most "smart" people are no better than anyone else.

[anonymoose_canadian]

a) It turns out my Dreamwidth issues I mentioned over at the main blog may have been unrelated to the site. I've received an apology from my ISP over some problems they had over the last couple of days. I'm not sure why these issues affected dreamwidth and not other services, but it does look like it might be unrelated to the website if no one else has had a problem.

b) I have also been mulling over the implications of the idea of the digital age causing problems by preventing people from reaching the Great Arcanum merely by living, because it has some very interesting implications. One of them which has occurred to me is that if this is the case, then the standard method a lot of people try to use to address problem internet usage is flawed. The standard suggestion is to start with the simple stuff: minimizing social media, checking email less often, etc. This has a place, and certainly can work to reshape things in a positive fashion, but this line of reasoning suggests that another key step is to learn to do something complicated without the internet, and ideally without any electronic device. This is usually neglectated for quite some time, because it seems like it would make sense to start with the easy stuff, especially because a lot of things are genuinely a lot easier with a computer; the editing process for writing, for example, is vastly easier with a computer.

This has a hidden advantage of bringing about the extra energy and force that emerges from the Great Arcanum, and so learning to do something complicated without the internet is thus a major magical action, whether or not it is intended that way. Intriguingly, I actually have some evidence for this: I track my internet usage and have noticed that without any kind of effort on my part, it has shifted over the past few months, starting out around the same time I started to real get a sense that mathematics done by hand is different from mathematics done with a calculator.

[ecosophia]

Er, I think your basic premise is flawed. People were having just as much trouble making sense of the Great Arcanum in 1855, when typewriters were hot new technology, than they do today. For that matter, there's good reason to think that they had just as much trouble with it back when the standard writing technology involved a reed stylus and clay tablets. Mind you, I think it's a very good idea to learn to do without the internet -- not least because its longevity is by no means guaranteed -- but that has nothing to do with the Great Arcanum.

MOE Healer attunement: blesing offer

[milkyway1]

Hi,

I hope you and everybody else had a good and enjoyable weekend! :-)

Just a quick reminder: I'm going to perform an MOE Healer attunement on Sunday, March 30th, if at least one person confirms their attendance:

https://thehiddenthings.com/moe-healer-attunement-2025-03-30

As usual, I'm also going to perform a formal blessing this Wednesday, and would very much appreciate signups, as they help me to improve my blessing skills:

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

Thanks,

Milkyway

Middle Pillar Circulation of Light

[hwistle]

Dear John,

In your polytheist Middle Pillar exercise you include 3 steps in the circulation of light: left to right, front to back and Shower of Light. I know this corresponds to some versions of the Middle Pillar, but I wonder what your thoughts are about that other step sometimes included, the banding or ascending vortex.

The way I learnt it in my own practice includes all four, with the ascending vortex coming at the end. I tend to understand the process as defining the sphere across 2 planes (L-R and F-B), then completing it by "coating" it in light (shower) and finally to "seal" the aura to concentrate all that healing power and energy (or alternatively energising it all by fast spinning).

I'd love to hear your understanding of these steps (and anybody else's who care to comment :-) )

Many thanks!

Manuel

Re: Middle Pillar Circulation of Light

[ecosophia]

There are many different ways to do the circulation of light, and different people seem to benefit from different versions. If that four-step practice works for you, go ye and do that thing.

Modern Order of Essenes Healings

[kylec]

Hi folks, if you'd like to sign up to receive healing hands this week, just reply to this message or send me a PM with your name and request. This is a free spiritual healing modality from the Modern Order of Essenes, appropriate for most physical and mental ailments. It is conducted at a distance, with no requirement on your part other than signing up. Thanks!

Re: Modern Order of Essenes Healings

[(Anonymous)]

I could use some healing. I have a persistent cough (due to allergies) and I recently had a bad respiratory infection that left my voice weaker than it should be. My name is Kimberly.

[(Anonymous)]

I didn't know these were available in hardcover. I'll certainly pick up future volumes that way.

There is a lot to digest in each 1-7 point of the OPW workbook. At times I've gotten frustrated with what seems to be the slower pace since I decided to meditate on each one twice, in between scryings of the SGO.
At the same time there is so much to unpack. Forcing myself to move through it slowly also has its own reward. I should be done with both by the fall though, and am looking forward to getting started on The Way of the Four Elements.

Thanks for putting this system together.

Vapor Drawings is a fantastic album!

JPM

[ecosophia]

I'm delighted to hear that you're a Mark Isham fan! I encountered his music for the first time via a Windham Hill sampler album and started collecting his albums as often as I could find them. "On the Threshold of Liberty" in particular is a great piece.

GSF initiation...

[kayr]

I have been think that the spring equinox would be the right time to initiate myself into the GSF. I have been working through the workbook for a couple of years now (I know, slow) but I am often inconsistent with meditations and other of the suggested practices. I have practiced opening my lodge a few times and done a few scryings. In many ways I don't feel really solidly prepared, but I have also thought that that feeling may be a form of provisional living that I need to exercise my will by doing the initiation as planned. Perfection isn't the goal, progress is.

So this morning I decided I would ask the GSF oracle if this upcoming equinox would be the right time to do the initiation. I decided I would do a one card draw, upright was a yes and reversed would be no. I drew number 33, the Human Canon, reversed. A simple interpretation would say no this isn't the right time for my initiation, but a deeper interpretation seems to suggest a somewhat sideways answer and that there would be positives and negatives if I choose to go ahead with the initiation just are there are with any decision in life.

Am I over thinking things?

Re: GSF initiation...

[ecosophia]

You're overthinking it. Don't do backsies on divinations!

Private theft folklore?

[sirustalcelion]

Good Morning JMG,

What do you make of the many accounts in folklore of human or spiritual entities that are said to steal the male generative organ?

I've encountered this ability in medieval European, African, and Asian folklore, which would tend to imply that there is something going on, but it seems like a simple affair to drop the waistband and prove whether the organs in question are still present, and to my knowledge that kind of proof has not ben associated with any of the relevant accusations. A recent anime ("Dandandan") gets a lot of humor and plot milage by taking this bit of folklore literally - but what, in your opinion, is really going on? Is this a psychological response to ED? Something else?

Apologies if you've already answered the question somewhere.

Re: Private theft folklore?

[ecosophia]

Not only have I not answered that question elsewhere, I hadn't really considered it before you brought it up! You're right that the motif shows up in quite a range of cultural sources, but I have no idea why.

[(Anonymous)]

Hi John Michael, I hope all is well.
I have a question about the recent lunar eclipse.
I had a difficult night on the 14th; more so than usual. This surprised me as I had been no more foolish or stupid than usual :)
Then I looked at the London chart for the eclipse.
Wow!
Sun, Moon and Saturn square to my Ascendant, Descendant and the lord of the 6th house.
Venus and Mercury turning my 5 planet T Square into a 7 planet Grand Cross (temporarily of course.)
So
1/ Does the 6 month effect you predict in you discussion apply to individuals?
2/ Any suggestions as to mitigation ?
I don't do magic but have a good working relationship with the planetary gods, and others.

I'm honestly not that bothered but it would be silly not to take precautions if possible.
Cheers
Lurksalong

[ecosophia]

1) You'd have to ask a natal astrologer about that. I don't happen to know.

2) Planetary charity to the Moon would seem like a very sensible move.