Magic Monday

[ecosophia]

Midnight is only 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 not be put through.  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've finished the sequence of my published books; while I decide what I want to do next, I have some memes to share.)

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. See you next week!***

Comments

Ecosophia Prayer List

[tunesmyth]

I find this week's meme remarkably deep!

Anyway...

At this page 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 (printable version here, current to 8/11). 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.

* * *
This week I would like to bring special attention to the following prayer requests, selected from the fuller list.

May DJ's newborn granddaughter Marishka and daughter Taylor be blessed, healed, and protected from danger, and may their situation work out in the best way possible for both of them.

May J Guadalupe Villarruel Zúñiga, father of CRPatiño's friend Jair, who suffers from terminal kidney and liver damage, respond favorably to treatment and be cared for at home. May he also remain in as good health as possible, beat doctors' prognosis, and enjoy with his wife and children plenty of love, good times and a future full of blessings.

May 12 year old Sebastian Greco of Rhode Island, who recently suffered a head injury, make a prompt and complete recovery with no lasting problems.

May MindWinds' father Clem be healed of his spinal, blood and cardio infections and returned to good health and wholeness; and may he and his family keep up a robust sense of humor and joy in each others' continued company.

May Marko's newborn son Noah, who has been in the hospital for a cold, and Noah's mother Viktoria, who is recovering from her c-section, both be blessed with good health, strength, endurance, and protection, and may they swiftly they make a full recovery.

May Brother Kornhoer's son Travis's fistula heal, may his body have the strength to fight off infections, may his kidneys strengthen, and may his empty nose syndrome abate, so that he may have a full and healthy life ahead of him.

May Princess Cutekitten, who is sick of being sick, be healed of her ailments.

May Jack H.'s father John continue to heal from his ailments, including alcohol dependency and breathing difficulties, as much as Providence allows, to be able to enjoy more time together with his loved ones.

May Audrey's friend's daughter Katie, who died in a tragic accident June 2nd, orphaning her two children, be blessed and aided in her soul's onward journey; and may her family be comforted.

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 Pierre and Julie conceive a healthy baby together. May the conception, pregnancy, birth, and recovery all be healthy and smooth for baby and for Julie.

May SLClaire's honorary daughter Beth, who is undergoing dialysis for kidney disease, be blessed, and may her kidneys be restored to full functioning.

May 1Wanderer'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; may she quickly be able to resume a normal life, and the cancer not return.

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 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 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 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 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 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.

* * *
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)]

Good morning, JMG. Loving the meme and I'm glad to read you're feeling cheerful.

1) Vibratory Formula of the Middle Pillar. When shooting out the Divine Name like a bolt of energy, should it come out of the heart center or out the mouth?

2) When establishing the Expanding Whirl in the aura using the Pentagrammaton as the GMP necessitates, what color should the energy be perceived as? White? Golden?

3) The GMP involves drawing up green-coloured energy from the center of the Earth. Is this an instance of a HGD ritual using the telluric current?

4) Does tongue position (eg resting at the bottom or pressed up against the palate) make any difference during the performance of GD rituals? I've experimented with this for the LBRP-MP and kept notes, and I haven't observed a difference myself though I would be surprised if there wasn't one.

5) Is there any need (or any benefit) to periodically re-consecrate the HGD working tools?

Thank you for your time and your help.

[ecosophia]

1) I send it from the Tiphareth center in the heart in two streams, one going out each arm and hand. By all means experiment and see what works best for you, however.

2) Golden, because of the name you're working with.

3) Yes. It's one of the places I inserted the telluric current into the system.

4) I've never noticed an effect, but by all means keep experimenting.

5) Yes. Israel Regardie recommended doing this regularly, as a way to really master the rituals and their energies, and it also makes for more effective working tools. I recommend doing it once per year.

[(Anonymous)]

Hello JMG,
Thank you for MM. I'm glad you are in a cheerful mood. I'm gearing up for the last blast of my second Saturn return. I wrote a prayer and would appreciate your comments on it. Here it goes:
Divine Powers, thank you for all the blessings I have in life. Please give me the wisdom to accept the losses of my second Saturn return. Give me the strength to continue with my plans in the service of the Divine. Also, please grant me the courage to remain free from the taint of self-pity. Amen.
Is this an appropriate prayer?
Thank you,
Inna

[ecosophia]

That's a fine prayer.

Occult Training, Spirituality

[rhydlyd]

Thank you for your remarks regarding Zardoz, which I finally watched and really enjoyed. I hadn’t seen it since I’m in the Regan Youth demographic that spent quite a bit of time rejecting our hippie parents, but I’m glad I did since I haven’t laughed so hard at myself in a very long time. As a teen, I spent a good bit of time designing my own little utopia – which I was quite sure was better than… you know the drill. (My mom taught a class titled the Literature of Science Fiction and her dad owned a large commercial construction company, so I suppose my stroll on Paolo Soleri’s boardwalk was inevitable. Realizing my similarity to Jeremy Hillary Boob, PhD ended that bit of ego-izing, btw.)

Anyway – I’ve been enjoying giving Galluzzo’s Against the Vortex a good chew, too, which, roundaboutly, leads me to wonder about the oft-ignored in sci-fi spirit side of the mind-body-spirit triangle.

So… Might you and the commentariat care to remark upon the possibilities and practicalities of spiritual and occult preparation for the unpleasantries of a realistic future?


Cobalt Eldritch Goat

Re: Occult Training, Spirituality

[ecosophia]

I think we all go through a Mr. Boob phase at some point -- I certainly did.

As for your question, er, that would require an entire book. I'll consider it as a project.

Reading Philosophy

[realmscryer]

Good evening JMG,

There has been a curious development in my experience of reading certain books. Which has me wondering if all this meditation is doing its thing.

For instance, while reading your translation of Propaedeumata Aphoristica I had a yummy feeling of satisfaction at one point.

About what?

I was enjoying considering astrology principles at the level and manner being presented, for sure. Maybe, that was part of it. Though there was more to it. Kind of felt like reading the book as a whole experience had this unexpected feeling.

Similarly, Experience and Philosophy by Franklin Merrell-Wolff felt very relatable and made sense also in an unexpected way.

Even has me contemplating taking another run at learning Latin. Might be time to start reading some source material or at least closer to the sources.

Very curious.

Thanks,
Eric

Re: Reading Philosophy

[ecosophia]

Sounds to me as though all this meditation is doing its thing. As the ability to perceive patterns on the mental plane awakens, it really is delectable.

American Culture?

[(Anonymous)]

Good Day, Mr. Greer,

I sometimes get an urge to insert some leaven in America’s “cultural life”. My feeling is that most countries with a long period of development have a culture that slowly evolved, sometimes from the grassroots up and sometimes (as in the monarchies of Europe) from the top down.

However, I personally don’t think that what America possesses counts as a culture which contributes to the inner (soul level) development and well-being of the populace. If I were a writer like you (you who have indeed contributed mightily to the cultural health of the world) I would write — but I am a classical musician instead, recreating European culture.

My question is, I have an idea that America as a whole needs to understand or access some sort of inner bar or standard. Even our money system has no standard, and it’s progressing more and more in an unhinged direction with the iteration of Bitcoin. But it’s an inner, spiritual standard I’m interested in; something which allows a person to choose for the welfare of himself and others. I am doubtful about the Buddhist meme, “There is no good and evil.” Especially these days.

So, I feel there needs to be an insertion of a “moral gold standard” in the popular psyche.

You’re a student of society and philosophy. Do you have any idea if there has ever been such a thing (other than religion, which people currently generally automatically opt out of), or if it would even be possible to place such a seed in the popular mind?

Thanks for your time!

Re: American Culture?

[ecosophia]

The first thing to realize is that America is not yet civilized. It's a barbarian society that has adopted some of the habits of formerly dominant civilized societies, the way Visigoth kings used to parade around in togas and coin crude imitations of Roman money.

The second thing to realize is that the ripening of a culture can't be hurried. It'll take us about as long as it took the Visigoths -- say, another 500 years or so -- before an authentic American civilization begins to emerge here. Until then, all attempts to civilize us will amount to trying to impose an alien pattern on a burgeoning barbarian society, and that always fails.

The third thing to realize is that the rejection of religion in American society was never much more than a temporary fad borrowed toga-fashion from European intellectuals -- it never really sank in past the level of the comprador class of European-influenced intellectuals -- and the weakness of current religious institutions is another sign of European cultural imports breaking down. Out there among the living-room churches, the strip-mall tabernacles, the trailer-trash Wicca covens, the redneck Heathens who use shotguns instead of swords to trace the boundaries of their sacred space, and the rest of it, a genuine religious ferment is under way. Over the centuries ahead, I expect it to give rise to a distinctly American religious sensibility, which will become the seed from which the future American civilization will rise.

Thus you're correct in pointing to what's needed, but incorrect in thinking that it can be provided artificially. These things develop organically, in their own time, and the current stage of barbarism here in America will go through the usual changes and give rise to the usual results no matter what you or anybody else in the intelligentsia does. I know that's a bitter pill to swallow, but that can't be helped.

[(Anonymous)]

I had a pretty traumatic childhood. My energy/emotional body ended up a mess as a result. I've spent several years now unclogging my body and releasing the flow of emotions/life force energy through meditation and, more recently, daily ceremonial practice (I'm currently initiated into a GD inspired order as a theoricus). More recently, the process has really accelerated, my energy centres are really active (there's so much saddness lifting from my heart space) and I'm experiencing the release of emotions and trauma (for the first time in my life I actually know what sadness, anxiety and anger feel like in my body). I'm also developing the ability to sense when I'm blocking the flow of energy or emotion and to release it and move the energy through.

I was wondering if you could tell me more about the 'end goal' of this process. Is there anyone who has written about this? I feel stuck in this liminal space - where I don't quite know where I'm headed, but I know I don't belong where I used to be anymore. What's the purpose of all this trauma lifting out of my body? I never 'chose' this path - it found me - I was initiated through a debilitating chronic illness and my recovery was the start of the process. I just don't know what I'm doing or where I'm going, I've just been following the path that has appeared before me since beginning my healing - but where does it go? Are there any books on this?

[ecosophia]

There are, but I'm going to suggest that you avoid them, so you don't accidentally cram yourself into someone else's model of emotional and psychological health. Remember that the highest grade of initiation in the Golden Dawn system is called Ipsissimus -- literally "most completely yourself." You don't have to know what you're doing and where you're going -- all you have to do is trust the process and keep on doing what you're doing!

Feels Weird Lately

[moser99]

I am 71 years old and live in rural France, a little east of the center. Starting about 15 July, 2025 things seem strange. Other people have noticed it, too.

First, it is unnaturally quiet, few birds sing and we see fewer and fewer wild mammals.

Then, it is just uneasy. Remember towards the end of "The Man Who Would be King", when Sean Connery went off the deep end and Michael Caine decided it was time to get out of there? Except for the constant wailing, it feels like that.

The big question is whether this is a temporal or geographical thing going on and what is behind it.

The smaller question is whether other people have noticed this.

Peace and goodness to all.

Re: Feels Weird Lately

[(Anonymous)]

For what it's worth, I live in eastern France as well, though in a city, and bird song from the trees around us has completely stopped in the last week.

[(Anonymous)]

Hi JMG,

this week's meme is poetic! I have a couple of CGD divination queries.

1. Is Pobl neutral and Ffordd positive in yes/no questions? I sometimes think Ffordd can be plus or minus depending on the direction of change.

2. Something in the chart I drew for the Bardic Grade exam is puzzling me. It was for the day when the inspector sent by the insurance company confirmed my leaking dishwasher had deposited quite a bit of water into my floorboards, ripped a section of floor up and lent me a large dehumidifier to try and dry the water up. The rest of the day was spent working on a uni assessment.

Chart was a sobering LW Coch, RW Carchar, J Mab (restriction, ill-health, general blurgh)

What's confusing me is the fourth daughter matched with the LW (both Coch). How does a love interest (don't have one) or close friend factor into the mould/health issue - any suggestions? I've meditated on it but the best I can get is that one of my remaining post-mandate friends hasn't been over for a while when they might have noticed something wrong with the floor (though this seems like a stretch).

With gratitude for your valuable time.

[ecosophia]

1) Both of them are mostly neutral. Pobl is favorable for inaction and drifting with the crowd -- if you ask something like "should I just relax and have a beer, instead of getting bent out of shape about X?" it's a positive answer. Ffordd is favorable for any question involving setting changes in motion, but tends to be negative otherwise.

2) Oog! Yeah, that's not a good reading. You might want to make sure that none of your friends are sensitive to mold or mildew -- they could end up very sick the next time they visit.

[(Anonymous)]

Are there any good resources on the tree of life?

[ecosophia]

Hundreds of them. What have you already read, and what kind of work do you want to do?

[vitranc]

Good morning JMG,

1.) As to the picture. What a fine theme for meditation on the alchemical process. One takes the raw manifestations of the base earth, dissolve and separate the copper chicken. Take the process further and analyse the parts of the chicken, that could be seen as reddish iron-y. And cook (akin to fermentation and distillation). Finally we arrive at the coagulation of the final crispy gold nugget. The perfection, containing both the light and the best part of the original dinosaur. One should not deny the roots or the road traveled. 🤔😉

2) A few notes on matriarchy @ #83 you said

“Moonwolf8, I’ve seen the same thing. It takes some degree of competence to sidestep an evil spell cast by a group of people who think they’re just virtuously asking Jesus to smite the wicked.”

I am sorry I could not ask this at the main post before the next week post went up. But this raises so many questions.
This implies they are casting a malevolent spell; that they are actually competent, meaning force and precision. That something like one of the Jesi is at least aware of it and allows it, …
If this keeps up in a church, what does it do to the poor target, what does it do to the congregation, and what does it do to the church ladies themselves?

Best regards,
V

[ecosophia]

1) I admit that when I think of alchemical gold, dinosaur-shaped chicken nuggets aren't the first things that come to mind. Still, nicely done.

2) What happens to the target depends on whether he or she has decent magical defenses -- if not, sickness, trouble, and death can easily result. If the target is well defended, the spell will rebound on the casters, causing sickness, trouble, and death, and they'll likely convince themselves that Satan is persecuting them because they're being so virtuous. The church? In either case it's going to become a scandal magnet, as negative vibes build up in and around it and strengthen the influences of the lower astral. Anyone in the congregation who has a decent moral compass will bail out; the others will be dragged down with the church. This exact process has played a major role in the ongoing institutional troubles that have dogged so many American churches over the last century or so.

A question of travel - Geomancy

[(Anonymous)]

I am traveling back into the US to the East Coast for a High School Reunion. Since things are somewhat politically disturbed there, I did a Geomancy reading;
Question: Will I get in trouble visiting the East Coast for my High School reunion trip?
Date of inquiry: 09 Aug 2025
Selections: House Chart, Querent = I, Quesited = 9 (because of the long journey).
Mothers: Puella, Amissio, Populus. Laetitia.

Chart link;
https://amissio.net/gen/house/d5/01.svg

To me it looks like there is denial of perfection, meaning 'no trouble.'
However the court has both witnesses as Carcer, and the Judge as Populus.
In context, this could indicate an extremely stable trip, or possibly a significant travel delay.
Does this seem like a correct interpretation, or is there anything else there?
Thanks for any feedback!

Re: A question of travel - Geomancy

[ecosophia]

Since there is no mode of perfection, the answer to your question is "No, you won't get in trouble." Be aware, though, that the event may be canceled, or your trip may not happen, due to events on a collective scale -- Carcer as both witnesses and Populus as judge can mean that.

[aldabra]

Our excellent Heritage Seed Library, which started as a membership club to distribute seeds which didn't meet the EU's (expensive) certification requirements for being sold, has discovered that tomatoes fruit better if pollinated with tuning forks:

https://www.facebook.com/heritageseedlibrary/posts/1205001021638201/

I mention this in case it is relevant to your theory about the agricultural benefits of chapels.

[ecosophia]

How utterly fascinating. Have they considered publishing an article or booklet on that?

A couple of questions about the Picatrix

[guillem66]

Hi JMG,

I already know that you recomend Lily's "Christian Astrology" as an starting point to learn the kind of astrology that you need to tackle the Picatrix.

But i'm curious about other books dating from Picatrix times and earlier that may be used for that purpose.


My second question is about the image in chapter one of the ilustrated edition, where three sages appear. Two are talking, while a hellish being behind seems to embrace them.
The third is using an astrolabe , presumably to cast an astro-chart.

From what source comes this image originally?

Guillem.

Re: A couple of questions about the Picatrix

[ecosophia]

1) Good question. Guido Bonatti's one source a lot of people use for medieval astrology, and of course there are the Arabic and classical authors; that's not a field I've studied personally, however.

2) I don't have a copy of the illustrated edition so can't tell you. You might drop a note to Chris Warnock at his website, renaissanceastrology.com, and see what he says.

A grab-bag of questions

[(Anonymous)]

Hey JMG,

I've got a couple of unrelated questions for you:

1) Today, I put on my (smart)watch before doing my GSF morning exercise. When visualising the light shining off of me, I sometimes have a warm sensation on my skin, usually concentrated on the uncovered parts of my arms. Today, I only felt it on my right arm, while the left one with the watch on it felt weirdly cold in comparison.

Is it possible that digital technology has a sort of "grounding" effect that worked against me there? Or is it just that the physical sensation was stronger than the non-physical one?

2) Would you recommend against pursuing the Octagon Society lessons until I've gotten to some specific point in the GSF work or am I good to go?

3) You've said that committing suicide means dying before your time and thus needing to "wait out" the rest of the time your incarnation should've taken. Is the same true for being murdered? That would presumably also cut your incarnation shorter than it was supposed to be.

4) If meditation sickness is the result of neglecting the objective mind in favour of the subjective, what is the failure mode of neglecting the subjective mind? (Apart from becoming a materialist.) I think it might be some form of depression as for me, it tends to pretty reliably follow some twisted form of logic that eventually concludes in everything being pointless while lacking any amount of base appreciativeness—the difference between a good day and a bad one is probably summed up rather well as "the sun is shining, that's nice" or "at least the sun is shining" versus "oh great, the sun is shining, now it's gonna be too bloody bright and hot and people will dare to enjoy themselves, as though I'm not already down enough".

—David P.

Re: A grab-bag of questions

[ecosophia]

1) Electronics interface with the etheric plane in complex and not always healthy ways. I'd recommend leaving the watch off when doing that exercise.

2) No, you're good to go. The Octagon Society lessons are going to hurt like hell whenever you do them.

3) No, because you aren't turning your own will against your will-to-live. That's the thing that makes suicide problematic.

4) Materialism and the resulting obsession with material things is the failure mode of neglecting the subjective mind. Depression is more complex than that. Your mileage may vary, but everyone I've ever known who had problems with depression was suppressing a lot of anger -- and the anger, in turn, was covering up unresolved grief, fear, and/or shame. Daily journaling helps.

[(Anonymous)]

Dear JMG,

I recently had the chance to do a guided meditation through a labyrinth and it was very fruitful. The facilitator mentioned that sacred geometry is involved in the structure of labyrinths, but didn't go into detail. Do you happen to know more about the specifics of this?

Many thanks in advance!

[ecosophia]

It's not a subject I've studied in depth, but Patrick Conty's book The Genesis and Geometry of the Labyrinth is about that subject and might be worth a look.

Horary

[(Anonymous)]

1. Which house has to do with objects you create yourself to answer the question: Is my wand properly consecrated?

2. What are your thoughts on horary astrology as a system of divination? Since you favour geomancy divination which is based on horary. I was told by an astrologer who uses both that both are just as accurate but horary is more precise since it's technically mere numbers on a dial.

3. Do you think horary can be used to answer questions regarding a spirit's likes and dislikes?

Re: Horary

[ecosophia]

1) Never second guess a ritual like that -- it weakens your will. Instead, treat the wand as fully consecrated, start using it with that intention, and if you like, decide that you're going to reconsecrate it another six times to give it even more power.

2) I've had excellent results with horary divination, but geomancy is equally precise -- it's also numbers, after all. (They're just binary numbers.)

3) Yes, and in fact that's been done.

[(Anonymous)]

Hello there JMG and commentators.

I was quite excited on doing a lunar ritual this Monday but I see the void of Moon course has eaten up the entire day and half of tomorrow. Traditional sources emphasis on avoiding the void Moon. What do you say or do here? Do you have some magick tricks up your sleeves to overcome this?


Similarly I was quite unhappy to hear that Saturn will be painfully suffering in Aries for 3 years. Say I have a need that requires the prompt aid of Saturnian intelligence Agiel, how would I go about it?

Finally, the element of earth has to do with prudence, practicality, persistence and stability. Two years ago I hated this element, thought it had to do with limitations, pain, poverty and ultimately death. These are Saturnian qualities, not elemental earth. I believe every magician should have a solid grasp on the 4 elements, since the planets are uncontrollable. Just wanted your thoughts on this. Damien Echols speaks about the importance of gaining a strong foothold in the elements but his books are surprisingly lacking the methods of doing so.

[ecosophia]

1) You accept that this isn't a good time to do the ritual. If you're going to do astrological magic, take astrology seriously.

2) See above. Saturn's in his fall for the next three years, and so working with Saturnian spirits won't be a good plan. Find another planetary energy to deal with your issue.

3) I suspect he simply hasn't written the relevant book yet. Working with elemental energies is straightforward enough; my book The Way of the Four Elements offers one of many sequences of rituals that will do that.

[(Anonymous)]

Hey JMG, long time no see.

Do you think steel can work as a general affordable metal for all planets? Traditional Solomonic sources list iron for Mars but Picatrix also mentions it for Saturn. That's two planets. The other 5 might need more probing.

[ecosophia]

Nope. Steel will mess you over if you use it for the Moon, Mercury, or Venus, and it gets indifferent results with Sun or Jupiter. Copper, brass (for Mercury), and tin are easily available at most hardware stores; as for gold and silver, yeah, they're insanely expensive, which is why you need to learn some natural magic so you can use semiprecious stones, herbs, and other materials to give you your planetary correspondences.

[(Anonymous)]

A song has been stuck in my head...for 10 days! the longest time ever. Please tell me how to get it out. It's called Viva La Vida by Coldplay, whom I discovered after the Astronomer CEO affair incident at one of their concerts. I wake up everyday with the song on autorepeat in my head and it's also the last thing I have in my head before sleep. Ah!

[ecosophia]

If I knew a simple way to do that, my net worth would be higher than Elon Musk's!

Candy Corn False Self True Self

[(Anonymous)]

I always liked this version of that meme. Something about the candy corn...

https://www.reddit.com/media?url=https%3A%2F%2Fpreview.redd.it%2Fja0e6gkeg0u91.jpg%3Fwidth%3D640%26crop%3Dsmart%26auto%3Dwebp%26s%3D9bf6da61bf33ee097a7be7fc51ac8e8fe02f77af

Re: Candy Corn False Self True Self

[ecosophia]

I hadn't seen that one before -- thank you!

[jenniferkobernik]

Is there a planetary day/hour or other timing that is particularly appropriate for offering weekly prayers for the deceased? Is there a specific number of years or length of time during which such prayers should continue?

[ecosophia]

1) Saturn rules death and grieving.

2) It varies from tradition to tradition. A year, certainly, is a good minimum.

Vagus Nerve book

[(Anonymous)]

I saw someone on one of your sites recommending the book "Accessing the Healing Power of the Vagus Nerve" by Stanley Rosenberg. I just received a copy from the local library. And since it's Monday it seems like a good time to ask, do you, or anyone, have any knowledge/experience with this book?

Re: Vagus Nerve book

[ecosophia]

I just checked my local library, and every copy in Rhode Island is checked out and has a stack of holds waiting. That doesn't say how good it is, I know, but it does indicate that it seems to be very popular just now. Anyone else?

BOTA's "coloring book"

[(Anonymous)]

I ordered and received some time ago the Tarot deck from BOTA. BOTA recommends that you color each page/card. I balk at this, as I do at all "adult coloring books." But once again, I'm beginning to read Case's book on the Tarot and wondering why I can't quite bring myself to do this. Have you found this exercise to be valuable?

Re: BOTA's "coloring book"

[ecosophia]

It's worth doing as a meditative exercise. If you want to work with the BOTA system, though, I recommend signing up for at least the first year or two of the correspondence course, which will give you exercises to go along with the coloring process. I colored my BOTA deck using watercolor pencils, btw -- a damp Q-tip applied to the colored area once the color is on will make for a rich color. (Learn how to do this on watercolor paper before trying it on the deck.)

Music, western tonality

[(Anonymous)]

This came to my notice recently: https://mymodernmet.com/neanderthal-flute-sounds/
(The video embeded in the article has a sound track of playing the recreation, well worth listening to even if you are not a video watcher-I normally am not but managed to watch for the clips of playing technique.)

While musicians are all delighted, as indeed we should be, it immediately came to my mind that this anchors the Western 7 note scale MUCH further back in time than anyone had anticipated, assuming the recreation is accurate and that seems like a trivially easy thing to check (thickness and spacing) so there's a low chance of a hoax.

The musician involved, Ljuben Dimkaroski, plays such famous tunes as Beethoven's Ode to Joy on it. Looking at the instrument, it looks much more like a modern recorder than a modern flute, and he plays, as best I can tell, like a cross between a recorder and a cornet.
If the dating is accurate, we Westerners have been committed to our seven note scale pattern for some 43,000 years.
Seems to me that those of us involved in music are working with something much larger and deeper than we had guessed, and while we know music is powerful magic, and can provoke great response in the listeners as well as performers, we perhaps need to sit down and analyze our compositions with this depth of time in mind.
If my fellow Ecosophians have never considered that the French pick La Marsellaise as their national song, the Brits pick God Save the King, and Americans picked the jovial drinking tune To Anacreon in Heaven; and the national tendencies of those countries, I urge you to listen to the three tunes and consider the history of those polities. Not the words, the tunes.
And now, I shall go practice.
Thank you, Brother Greer, as always, for hosting Magic Monday.

BoysMom

Re: Music, western tonality

[ecosophia]

Interesting. And yet we know for a fact that the ancient Greeks used modality rather than tonality, as did the European Middle Ages -- the standard major scale aka Ionian mode survived only as a folk-song scale during that latter period. So clearly it's more that the standard seven note scale is one option with a very long (pre)history...