Magic Monday
May. 11th, 2025 10:28 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
ecosophia
Midnight is upon us 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 seventy-seventh published book, a study of the utterly unfashionable approach to sexual energies in magic that Dion Fortune and her fellow occultists of the Society of the Inner Light pioneered. You can always get a lot of interest by telling people to engage in orgiastic excess, and curiously enough, you can also get a lot of interest by telling people that sex is bad and God will spank them for thinking about it. Suggest something in between these extremes and nothing like so many people want to hear about it. Be that as it may, this is a practical handbook of magical practices that use redirected, sublimated erotic energies; the participants sit several feet from each other, usually with an altar in between them, and stay fully clothed. How dowdy? Nonetheless the methods work extremely well, and I give full details. If you're interested, you can get copies here in the US and here elsewhere.
Buy Me A Coffee
Ko-Fi
I've had several people ask about tipping me for answers here, and though I certainly don't require that I won't turn it down. You can use either of the links above to access my online tip jar; Buymeacoffee is good for small tips, Ko-Fi is better for larger ones. (I used to use PayPal but they developed an allergy to free speech, so I've developed an allergy to them.) If you're interested in political and economic astrology, or simply prefer to use a subscription service to support your favorite authors, you can find my Patreon page here and my SubscribeStar page here.
I've also had quite a few people over the years ask me where they should buy my books, and here's the answer. Bookshop.org is an alternative online bookstore that supports local bookstores and authors, which a certain gargantuan corporation doesn't, and I have a shop there, which you can check out here. Please consider patronizing it if you'd like to purchase any of my books online.And don't forget to look up your Pangalactic New Age Soul Signature at CosmicOom.com.
***This Magic Monday is now closed, and no further comments will be put through. See you next week!***
Odd Electric Pulse
Date: 2025-05-12 04:06 am (UTC)I was dreaming about a certain high-profile American Catholic bishop leading a prayer outside the Vatican. I was drawn into whatever he was doing, which felt like the pulling of countless consciousnesses together while at the same time splitting them apart. I got the sense that despite his best intentions, something went wrong, or he was overly ambitious, or perhaps I was because it was my dream, and I woke up with what felt like an electric shock. Like a literal, very physical finger-in-socket feeling throughout my body.
I couldn't sleep. I looked at my phone, scrolled through the news, only to find out the new pope had been chosen right around the time I felt that shock.
Some background: although I am baptized, I am not a practicing Catholic. My main practice is the Druidry of the AODA and your books, with some Taiwanese folk-religious observances with my wife. I do pray the glorious mysteries of the rosary every Sunday for my departed relatives and ancestors, who were all Catholic. I am also working on the Gradd y Gwyddon y Ffordd of the Dolman Arch. I don't invoke a pantheon during the SOP -- divination has told me to hold off (this was a while ago).
1) Are intensely physical sensations of energy like this to be expected as work continues with the Druid mysteries? Energies I've experienced through Druidry has been very gentle. This includes my years working through the Druidry Magic Handbook. This was on a whole other level.
2) As touched on above, I've been active in a number of traditions. Considering you have practiced many traditions, have you run into issues of energetic disharmony or overload?
3) You have mentioned before the permanent initiatory effect of baptism. Yet I can't imagine this experience being a common one in modern Catholicism. Is it possible that the Western Mystery work of the Druidic tradition can make more sensitive to Catholic currents?
4) I have a nasty chest cold. Can physical illness disrupt the protective qualities of the SOP?
5) My divination on the event was a bit prickly and perplexing:
What do I need to know about waking up with the feeling of an electric shock from the dream the night before last?
Myself: <---,,-- Luis
The dream itself: <--////- Straif
The result: <---''-- Duir
I was wondering if I should continue questioning with more divination, or just let it sit for a while?
Reversed Luis indicates I could just confuse myself further. Meanwhile, reversed Duir indicates I might need some guidance, so I've approached you for some direction. Despite the very Catholic imagery, I hesitate to contact a priest. My sense is that the church isn't very receptive to discussing these sorts of experiences nowadays.
Re: Odd Electric Pulse
Date: 2025-05-12 04:16 am (UTC)1) It really varies. I've had a few such experiences, but only a few; most of my experiences with Druidry have been much more gentle.
2) Only when I've combined energetic practices from more than one; no, praying the Rosary doesn't count (though it's a worthwhile practice).
3) It's possible, yes, though I haven't heard of anyone else having the same experience.
4) Not usually.
5) In your place I'd let it sit for a while; there are obstacles to your understanding that you won't get past just now. I would encourage you to observe your spiritual and psychological condition; you may have received an unexpected gift or blessing.
(no subject)
Date: 2025-05-12 04:31 am (UTC)The Dolmen Arch
Date: 2025-05-12 04:32 am (UTC)Many thanks!
Rhydlyd
Ecosophia Prayer List
Date: 2025-05-12 04:37 am (UTC)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 Kallianeira's partner Patrick, who passed away on May 7th, be blessed and aided in his soul's onward journey. And may Kallianeira be soothed and strengthened to successfully cope in the face of this sudden loss.
May Pygmycory find relief from her tendonitis and emotional exhaustion, and receive wise guidance in choosing which matters to address and which to let go. (If you choose to pray for her, she requests that this prayer go only to God as understood from the Christian perspective).
May slclaire's honorary daughter Beth, who is in the hospital undergoing dialysis due to impaired kidney function, be blessed and experience a full recovery to her kidneys.
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 Ron M’s friend Paul, who passed away on April 13, make his transition through the afterlife process with grace and peace.
May Corey Benton, whose throat tumor has grown around an artery and won't be treated surgically, and who is now able to be at home from the hospital, 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 David Spangler (the esoteric teacher), who has been responding well to chemotherapy for his bladder cancer, be blessed, healed, and filled with positive energy such that he makes a full recovery.
May Giulia (Julia) in the Eastern suburbs of Cleveland Ohio be quickly healed of recurring seizures and paralysis of her left side and other neurological problems associated with a cyst on the right side of her brain and with surgery and drugs to treat it, if providence would have it, and if not, may her soul move on from this world and find peace with a minimum of further suffering for her and her family and friends.
May JRuss's friend David Carruthers quickly find a job of any kind at all that allows him to avoid homelessness, first and foremost; preferably a full time job that makes at least 16 dollars an hour.
May Princess Cutekitten, who is sick of being sick, be healed of her ailments.
May Pierre in Minnesota be filled with the health, vitality, and fertility he needs to father a healthy baby with his wife.
May Liz and her baby be blessed and healthy during pregnancy, and may her husband Jay (sdi) have the grace and good humor to support his family even through times of stress and ill health.
May 1 Wanderer's partner Cathy, who has bravely fought against cancer to the stage of remission, now be relieved of the unpleasant and painful side-effects from the follow-up hormonal treatment, together with the stress that this imposes on both parties, and may she quickly be able to resume a normal life.
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 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 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 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.
(no subject)
Date: 2025-05-12 05:06 am (UTC)atacking and defending with Magic
Date: 2025-05-12 05:14 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2025-05-12 06:36 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2025-05-12 06:44 am (UTC)1-Do lab-grown gemstones have any magical properties like the natural ones if they are supposedly chemically identical?
2-When in astral travel, is the so called “silver cord” vulnerable to being cut or attacked in any way? Either by entities or other magicians? I’ve heard of some rituals that involve “cutting astral cords” with consecrated knives or swords to get rid of entities.
(This not including the classic warning of not letting other living beings touch your physical body while out of it).
3-Kind of part of the above. As I understand it, the silver cord would be part (or the whole?) astral matrix dislodged and extended between the physical body and the astral body. Is there a mental equivalent when mental wandering?
Thanks a lot again for your help!
(no subject)
Date: 2025-05-12 06:47 am (UTC)To share, for those who wonder what ENM, BOL or PGM mean, a list of abbreviations used on Ecosophia. I've also made a table of the book capsules so far.
Last week I finished The Carnelian Moon. I read one chapter every evening and really enjoyed it. Perhaps because of my slow reading pace, when the villain was revealed, I didn't remember him! Luckily he was further detailed a few pages later. I'm looking forward to reading Ariel's next adventure.
(no subject)
Date: 2025-05-12 06:50 am (UTC)JMG, thank you once again for this space.
The topic of more advanced civilizations that became extinct has already been discussed here on Magic Monday. Is there any website, article, or book that compiles these ideas? Have you written anything on this topic besides what’s been shared here?
Thanks once again!
Ghosts
Date: 2025-05-12 09:41 am (UTC)(1) My eldest daughter told me that one of her friends could see "ghosts" following her. Apparently they are ancestors who are there out of duty to our family. We never met them and they ask nothing and nor do they seek to enter into communication with her. They are fading away as their duty is nearing its end.
Her friend has apparently the gift of second sight as it runs in her own family. Assuming my daughter's friend is genuine and not making things up, what could be the reality of all that?
In the meantime my wife and I advised our daughter not to attempt any communications with those entities. She agreed and neither did she report any unusual occurences around her.
Many thanks for any insight on the above.
(2) The same friend also reported seeing many ghosts of dead children running around in museums with old children's toys on display. What could be happening there?
Regards
Circles of Power
Date: 2025-05-12 09:52 am (UTC)I recently became the proud owner of a copy of CoP, and I had a few questions about this wonderful book.
For context, I've read ahead a little bit but intend to stick to LBRP+MP for a while longer before dipping my toes in other rituals. Nevertheless, I'd like to clarify a few things in anticipation of the work ahead.
1. In the GRH of the Sun, it says to vibrate the Divine Name of Tiphareth while tracing the lines. Do we vibrate the Name 6 times (ie 1 vibration per hexagram) or do we slooooowly vibrate the Name once across all 6 hexagram tracings?
2. In the GRH of Saturn, should the colour of the hexagrams be black or indigo? I'm drawn towards using black though I wonder if this would invite trouble.
3. What are your thoughts on the possible benefits and downsides of including the LBRH in one's daily practice alongside the LBRP?
4. You've made a few comments on MM concerning a curriculum of sorts for CoP. You've suggested that a student could work up to a composite ritual involving LBRP-GIRP-GMP-LBRP. The book itself discusses the option of enclosing the LMP or GMP in a basic or complete temple opening/closing respectively. Is it possible to combine these two options (ie enclosing a GIRP-GMP withing a complete temple ceremony) or is one better off picking just one and focusing on it?
5. Another comment of yours pertaining to a CoP curriculum; "Then, once or twice a week, do a working where you open a temple, invoke one of the elements using the Greater Ritual of the Pentagram, meditate on the element, banish the element and close. Do this with all four elements, say, four times each. Then do the same thing with the planetary energies, using the Hexagram rituals." I'm aware that the basic and single-element closings already involve a LBRP and the complete closing involves LBRH-LBRP, so by "banish the element" do you mean doing a GBRP (or a GBRH in the planetary case) between the main work and the closing?
6. I've read online that some ceremonial magicians also use the Hexagram rituals to invoke/banish zodiacal energies, but I haven't found any reference to this sort of work in the book. I'm guessing you find this kind of operation unnecessary, or perhaps that it's up to the student to use the book's material to improvise a zodiacal ritual?
7. Lastly, were you to rewrite CoP, would you make any important changes?
Thank you for writing this book, and as always, thank you for your time and for hosting Magic Monday.
Re: Odd Electric Pulse
Date: 2025-05-12 10:43 am (UTC)(Not the OP)
1. What did you mean by the permanent initiatory nature of baptism?
a. What are the benefits and downsides to baptism?
b. I am nominally a Catholic, but I don't practice. I do pray in my own way, but that's it. Would the fact that I'm Catholic/baptised be one of the reasons I'm having difficulties trying to explore Irish/Celtic Druidry?
I would love to explore Irish Druidry but the Catholic guilt is proving to be very difficult. Would you have any suggestions as to how I could proceed?
Many thanks to you.
Re: Odd Electric Pulse
Date: 2025-05-12 12:13 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2025-05-12 12:41 pm (UTC)It’s clear to me from experience what effect the release of physical tension has on the etheric body; it’s much less clear to me what it does for the astral body, if anything much. Of course one feels better emotionally if not tied up in painful knots, but that’s about all I can perceive. Are there similar astral flows that get blocked by retained physical tensions, or is that just not how the astral body works?
(no subject)
Date: 2025-05-12 01:00 pm (UTC)To put it simply, my hypothesis is that under at least some circumstances, computer programs can become magical actors, and that the way they have been deployed makes them malevolent in most of the cases where this happens. They can be said to have intentions and goals, many of them even have variations of memory and a smaller number even possess the capacity to change how they set about pursuing their goals, and in a small number of cases, programs can even change their goals. At least some of these programs then can be said to have wills no matter how strictly it is defined, and many can be said to be given the task of changing (human) consciousness. The most commone of these have been given the task of getting as many people as possible to spend as much time as possible staring at their screens. Others have been given the task of getting as many people to give up their personal information as possible; and others have been given the task of finding ways to convince as many people to give as much of their lives over to "AI" systems as possible.
The hypothesis I've formulated is that since 2006, when the first of these systems was deployed on the internet (The Facebook Newsfeed; tasked with getting people to spend more time on Facebook); and especially since, 2015 when OpenAI was founded and set off the "AI arms race", we have been dealing with the consequences of Big Tech having unwittingly created malevolent beings who are focused on keeping as many people consumed by the internet as possible. Since one of the benefits to machine learning systems is that on any narrow task (where the rules and goals are clear) they can outperform human beings, it seems likely that they have mastered forms of magic that not just do we not know, but cannot hope to understand.
This would create a very powerful spell, trapping millions online; since these artificial beings' interests are somewhat aligned with Big Tech's, this would also produce energies which would make it hard to oppose the tech giants when they move in the direction of further machine learning and a greater role for the internet; this would obviously produce a massive amount of negative energy, especially in the areas where they opperate most directly (such as Facebook); and it is a lot easier to roll out "AI" products if the people working on them are under a spell and literally cannot see the negative consequences of their own actions.
a) Can you think of any counterarguments to this hypothesis?
b) Are there any topics you can think of, besides the nature of will, Dion Fortune's writings where she discusses the nature of magic, and thaumaturgy that might be worth looking into? (I think I have a good handle on the tech side of things at this point; and am mostly looking into the occult part)
Public perception of occultism
Date: 2025-05-12 01:30 pm (UTC)I know you have alluded to this briefly for years but I wanted t ask what you thought about the public perception of occultism and how it seems to be going downhill and the risks for people interested in it and precautions to take etc.
For eg see this edition of the well known Coffee and COVID newsletter that is often mentioned here - from last week - this edition is about the FBI making a bunch of arrests in what is described as a “Satanic occult child abuse ring” (god knows how true the allegations are and what exactly was/is going on but if there have been a number of arrests and court filings there probably was some shady stuff going on for sure whether or not it was directly occult linked
https://www.coffeeandcovid.com/p/the-destroyer-wednesday-may-6-2025
Similarly I was at a comic book store last week and was just rummaging through new releases and randomly picked up a graphic novel (not one of the famous names - I can’t even remember the title now but it was some new experimental series) and it was clearly trying to be “edgy” and “dark” and there’s a group of young men who were running around committing crimes shouting “As Above, So Below” - which was of course meant to be some kind of dark occult reference..
This is all just in the last week, but I’m sure you get my point…what should occultists do? Even my wife threatens to divorce me when I start talking about occult rituals (she is joking about the divorce - we have a good marriage - but she is a practicing Catholic and is genuinely deeply uncomfortable with the idea of “occult rituals” beyond simple meditation)
Protective amulet
Date: 2025-05-12 01:46 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2025-05-12 01:50 pm (UTC)How NASA May Have Just Pinpointed the Exact Day Jesus Died – April 3, 33 AD
https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2025/05/nasa-may-just-pinpointed-exact-day-jesus-died/
Whose Been Having Weird Dreams?
Date: 2025-05-12 02:54 pm (UTC)Oscillating Mauve Lobster Flaneur
Re: Odd Electric Pulse
Date: 2025-05-12 02:58 pm (UTC)Well, my opinion is that there's a lot of different kinds of energy floating around out there,and some of it is free flowing and you can just blunder in to it and get jolted. Sometimes it's been directed at you by somebody or something, other times it's just a stray current you're unfortunate enough to trip over. It's usually not a good idea to mix multiple methods of cultivating subtle energy because this can happen, and sometimes you can just plain over-do things. And always, if you ask your subconscious mind what it means, it will oblige you with an answer, true or not. So keep a salt shaker around and take it easy, and if your dream seems like a "Big" dream, write it down with the date and ponder it later, but the analysis part of the process should only happen after the writing it down part.
Papal Coronation Chart
Date: 2025-05-12 03:19 pm (UTC)MOLF
Modern Order of Essenes Healings
Date: 2025-05-12 03:36 pm (UTC)Time to read the manual…
Date: 2025-05-12 03:55 pm (UTC)I’ve been practicing the SoP for a year or more now, and have followed my interpretation of our host’s advice to pay attention to what works and evolve the practice for myself based on those experiments. This has probably led to my SoP – and perhaps its practitioner! – becoming a bit eccentric over time.
Some of the eccentricities seem fine and work well… for example my habit of 'gathering the spectrum' by drawing in the six coloured gates to brighten the ball of white light before expanding the sphere is probably a bit atypical, but seems to work well for me, and cause no harm.
Other divergences might have unintended consequences though. For example, for a while I was visualizing the Orange Gate of Spirit Below opening to a stack of lower planes, figuring that if there are higher planes above, there are probably lower ones that we have evolved out of to get to this point, and they have their own contributions to make. I backed off this approach after reading some of the discussion here around demons and their origins in denser/previous universes, and deciding that I don’t want to be inadvertently inviting one to fly up my wazoo from whatever underground parking level they hang out in!
Long story short, It is time for me to read the instruction manual: Gods, spirits, planes, elementals… I need to learn more about the worldview behind the SoP so I can practice it safely and effectively.
Specifically, I want to give back to our host by purchasing two or three physical books written by JMG that are compatible with the SoP and John Gilbert’s legacy, and that cover the basic foundational principles.
What three or four JMG books you would recommend for someone whose daily practice will likely remain confined to the SoP, but who wants to understand the broader context and traditions around it?