Magic Monday

[ecosophia]

I'm back from the party, 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 and no further comments will be put through. See you next week!***

Comments

Wounds

[(Anonymous)]

Hey JMG,

Several times now, I've come across the concept of wounds as doorways in pop culture. I wonder whether there's actually some truth to that and not just a fanciful fabrication.

Obviously, on a material level, wounds serve as gateways for germs and dirt into the bloodstream. Some initiatory rituals involve (intentional) wounding and we might say that the initiation is delivered through the wounds—though that might well be a stretch.

I'd also draw a connection to stigmata. According to Thomas of Celano's First and Second Lives of Saint Francis, When [Saint Francis received a vision of a crucified angel] he was filled with wonder, but he did not know what the vision meant. [...] He wondered anxiously what this vision could mean, and his soul was uneasy as it searched for understanding. And as his understanding sought in vain for an explanation and his heart was filled with perplexity at the great novelty of this vision, the marks of nails began to appear in his hands and feet, just as he had seen them slightly earlier in the crucified man above him. Reading this with my above musings in mind, the word filled stands out—did the wonder and perplexity enter through the wounds? Or, to be more precise, might his stigmata be the material representation of the entryway through which these emotions filled him?

This matter interests me not just as theoretical speculation but also because of the practical implications. Suppose one was to cut oneself in an act of self-harm¹. Might demons and other spiritual nasties consider this an invitation? Attracting these things certainly seems to fit with the intention of hurting oneself.

—David P.

1: Considering only those acts meant to cause needless harm. Drawing blood for medical or magical reasons, the mentioned initiatory rituals, etc. don't count.

Re: Wounds

[ecosophia]

No, that's not a concept I've encountered in occult teachings. Remember that the planes are discrete and not continuous -- thus under most conditions, doing something to the material body won't have any noticeable effect to the subtle bodies.

[the_arcane_archivist]

I remember reading in Swami Shivananda that people that designed chemical weapons in previous life might get psoriasis in next life/lives. Is ther such thinking in Western Esoteric tradition where karma might cluster into patters like this?


Thanks,

[ecosophia]

From a Western occult viewpoint, that's very simplistic. Those who help create evil technologies can expect, in some future life, to be harmed by some such technology, but it's unlikely to be that sort of tit-for-tat situation.

[(Anonymous)]

No real question this week, but two observations to share:

a) I had a very odd thought about the No Kings Protest. The most famous American King, to my mind, is Martin Luther King. I'm thus rather troubled by the thought that by pushing the "No Kings" symbolism, this creates what is basically a force pushing to "cancel" Martin Luther King. While there's unlikely to be much magical influence here given the lack of anything that focuses power, it is a startlingly good example of why it is so important to carefully pick symbolism.

b) A little while back, I asked about a reading for a potential romantic partner. The reading had as the witnesses amissio and carcer, and Fortuna Major for the judge. We discussed the reading, you said it seemed to be saying it was possible, but there would be delays and difficulties.

I ran into some difficulties which seemed like they would be pretty serious issues, and gave it some more thought: I had asked if a relationship was possible, not if it was a good idea. I followed up with asking if I would be happy: the result was laetetia for the right witness, tristia for the left, and carcer for the judge.

This seems to be saying I would be good while it lasted, but things would not work out well in the end. All in all, it looks like the oracle agrees with my sense that this would be a bad idea; and perhaps the amissio in the initial reading was saying I'd lose more than just my heart if I went down this road.

I'm sharing this because I've seen warnings to be very careful about exactly how you phrase questions of an oracle; and crucially, asking if something is possible is rarely the only question worth asking...

[(Anonymous)]

Why did they use "No Kings" instead of "No Dictators" or "No Tyrants"? I remember back in the first Trump administration they were calling Trump a dictator and a tyrant who will destroy the American constitution.

Magic Monday funny

[(Anonymous)]

A funny story for Magic Monday:

I was pouring out an offering to Saturn on Saturday, without noticing that I was aiming directly into the wind. I got spattered with olive oil, but I also got a lesson on paying attention to the limits of my environment. Today's lesson from Saturn: Don't p...our into the wind!

Re: Magic Monday funny

[ecosophia]

Ha! A useful adage.

[booklover1973]

I have a data point to add about comet Lemmon: the Wikipedia site about this comet avers that it has been seen with the naked exe firstly at October 15, 2025. The article further says that comet Lemmon was at a distance of one degree from Cor Caroli at October 16.

[booklover1973]

I couldn't find this information on the German and the English Wikipedia site. Maybe I read the whole thing somewhere else.

Florida Water for Corners of Home

[(Anonymous)]

Hi John,

You mentioned in a previous Magic Monday about using Florida Water around the four corners of a home for its protection and blessing. I have acquired some Florida Water from a local botanica, and I've been using it for a few things, as I add a bit of hoodoo into my magical repertoire. I would like to do this house blessing. Is there a particular order you do the corners? I was thinking of starting in the Eastern most, and moving deosil to the northernmost corner (approximates). Do you just splash the water on the ground, or what else is involved in this bit of protection magic.

Thanks!

Re: Florida Water for Corners of Home

[ecosophia]

I usually start in the east and go clockwise, but that wasn't something that was taught to me -- just a habit I picked up. No, there's nothing else -- you just splash the water.

Compassion/Love

[(Anonymous)]

Theres many modern traditions and teachers that emphasize love or compassion as a central theme with the divine. From the teachings of Jesus, to Chenrezig/Kwan Yin in the East. "God is love" seems to be a central theme.

I've noticed this is somewhat absent or not a big focus of occult traditions. Where does compassion/love fit into Occult traditions?

Thanks for your time,
Mauve Senescent Seahorse

Re: Compassion/Love

[ecosophia]

The theme of compassion or unconditional love is a central theme only in certain prophetic religions in the Piscean era -- roughly speaking, in the last 2000 years or so. Even there it's far from universal -- Avalokiteshvara (aka Chenrezig, Kuan Yin, etc.) is only one bodhisattva out of many, you know. It's become a fad recently to redefine all religious and spiritual paths as based on compassion, but like most such redefinitions, that one requires a lot of handwaving and some actual falsification.

Occultism is not a religion and it's not meant to replace religion. Historically, most Western occultists have been active in religious traditions outside of occultism -- Christianity, Judaism, some form of Paganism, or what have you. In its proper role occultism doesn't try to replace religion or fill religious needs, and so compassion isn't that relevant to the tradition -- however relevant it may be to individual occultists.

[(Anonymous)]

Dear JMG,

I hope you had a good time at the conference!

1. Is it essential to use incense in ritual? I’m unsure about health effects from breathing incense smoke and I’m curious if there are alternatives to using it.

2. There is a person at work in a leadership role who has a particularly boisterous, commanding personality. He comes across as an extroverted, very competitive, Mars mixed with Jupiter type of person, and I find it's hard to avoid getting intimidated and obedient when around him, and from what I can tell, it isn't just me. He seems to change the energy in the room. I don't always want to get caught up in that and have my actions be driven by that personality, I'd rather be able have the presence to consciously choose how I respond. Do you know of a way, in the moment, to handle this? I've worked through the DMH, and I have journaled enough to know why this happens, I just don't know how, in the thick of it, to absorb, deflect or redirect this energy he emits. Hope that makes sense.

Thanks in advance!

[ecosophia]

1) Not at all. I've had good results with a lightly scented potpourri of herbs.

2) This takes practice, and daily meditation helps a great deal, since that teaches you to pay attention to states of your own consciousness. You need to learn to be conscious of his influence while it's happening. Once you can do that -- and it may take quite a bit of practice! -- you can choose whether to be affected by it or not.

[thinking_turtle]

To share, for those who wonder what UGC, DIY, or DMH mean, a list of abbreviations used on Ecopsophia. There's also a list of the book capsules so far.

[ecosophia]

Thanks for this as always.

Possible synchronicity

[(Anonymous)]

Not sure if this is appropriate for MM,but I noticed an odd synchronicity this weekend.

In a podcast earlier this year you said the color you associate with Trump's second term is gold, as opposed to the orange his first term as trickster represented. I happened to be near the 'No Kings' rally on Saturday and observed two strange things:

1. The color most often worn by the protestors was gold, as were many signs; and

2. Some people were wearing frog masks or costumes.

I could see people being unaware that Trump's aura has subtly changed, but how did everyone forget about Pepe the Frog? Is whatever inhabited the egregore of Kek having one last laugh?

Re: Possible synchronicity

[neptunesdolphins]

They were told by the organizers to wear "yellow" as a sign of solidarity. And the frog came from the Portland ICE protests, where people are dressing up as frogs.

But you are right, do they know what they are doing? Or are they being subconsciously led by the Orange Trickster?

Sphere of Protection

[(Anonymous)]

Hi JMG,

First time post here. I'm very much a novice.

I've been practising the Sphere of Protection for a few months now, following the method in the AODA website: https://aoda.org/publications/articles-on-druidry/introduction-to-the-sphere-of-protection/

I've found their alternative method of memorising the ritual extremely useful - starting with movement only, then adding the words, and finally visualisations (which I find quite hard generally, but I think I'm slowly improving).

My question is about the final section. The "circulation of light" (which I remember from your Druidry Handbook a few years ago) has been replaced with a slightly different image.

I was wondering if you know the reason for this change? And if you have any thoughts on the pros or cons of either version?

Many thanks,
Sydaway

Re: Sphere of Protection

[ecosophia]

There are several versions of that part of the SoP, and all of them are effective. Choose whichever one appeals to you, and use that.

Ecosophia Prayer List

[ecoprayer]

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 10/20). 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 Marko have the awareness and strength to constructively deal with the situation.

May 5 year old Max be blessed and protected during his parents' contentious divorce; may events work out in a manner most conducive to Max's healthy development over the long term.

May the abcess in JRuss's left armpit heal quickly.

May Brother Kornhoer's son Travis's left ureter be restored to full function, 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 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 HippieVikings's baby HV, who was born safely but has had some breathing concerns, be filled with good health and strength.

May Trubujah's best friend Pat's teenage daughter Devin, who has a mysterious condition which doctors are so far baffled by necessitating that she remain in a wheelchair, be healed of her condition; may the underlying cause come to light so that treatment may begin.

May Mary's sister have her auto-immune conditions sent into remission, may her eyes remain healthy, and may she heal in body, mind, and spirit.

May J Guadalupe Villarruel Zúñiga, father of CRPatiño's friend Jair, who suffers from terminal kidney and liver damage, continue to respond favorably to treatment; 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 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 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 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.

* * *
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!

Tingly Arms

[(Anonymous)]

Thanks for hosting the MMs, JMG, and I hope you had a good time with kindred souls in "New Yak" over the weekend.

I need to ask you about a recent and rather unusual phenomenon. Over the past couple of weeks I have developed a tingling sensation (like a mild electrical current) in either arm (from palm to shoulder) and sometimes both arms at the same time. It is not continuous; it comes and goes at varying intensities and with no identifiable pattern.

I am curious if this has a subtle source. You see, I took up the Modern Order of Essenes coursework when you posted it a few years back and participated in the first and second attunements that you gave way back when. At that point I continued my daily MOE practices but did not go for the final attunement as I had not covered the Gnostic Lessons. A few months later, I read through the Gnostic Lessons a couple of times but did not conduct the rituals described in the material. Nor have I done the rituals to date, as magic rituals are not my thing: I do the SOP (and other MOE stuff like blessing walks, healing hands, etc.) daily but that's about as far as I am willing to go in terms of rituals.

Perhaps the energy in my arms are telling me something. Could it be "do more bridge of love" (I do not do it daily) or "complete the attunements and get on with it"? Or perhaps the tingling in my arms has nothing to do with my MOE practices/status.

I therefore seek your view on this matter. Thanks!

Ron M

Re: Tingly Arms

[ecosophia]

I've never had anyone report this symptom, so it's probably not the practices. You might talk to an Ayurvedic physician or some other alternative practitioner.

A Vision: To Train or to Inform?

[(Anonymous)]

Good morning,

I hope this is a simple question with a simple answer, but we'll see :)

Is the sequence of incarnations described in the latest chapter of A Vision meant to be taken literally, as a sort of 'soul road map' from lifetime to lifetime, or are things in the real world not quite as predestined as that, or not predestined at all? In the second case, the image of the whirling gyres would be of more use as an abstract model for understanding cycles of all kinds.

In your essay you seem to take the descriptions of the incarnational stages at face value, and I recall you once saying here that you have a pretty good idea of what your next two incarnations will look like. So I thought I'd clarify here.

Dylan

Re: A Vision: To Train or to Inform?

[ecosophia]

I treat it as an abstract model useful for training the mind, not as something to be taken too literally.

Dolmen Arch

[trubrujah]

Week four of the group Dolmen Arch is completed. You can check out the latest post on our meditations on Daear here: https://thelongdescent.substack.com/p/daear

As always, we welcome any discussion or comments from anyone on these posts. It is my hope that in several years, when we are done, this can be left as a resource for anyone who wishes to go through the Dolmen Arch later (so long as the internet remains up anyway).

JMG, as always, thank you for this wonderful place to post.

Re: Dolmen Arch

[ecosophia]

You're welcome, and I'm delighted to hear this.

Enneagram and Jhana references

[(Anonymous)]

I was the anon who asked about the Enneagram a couple weeks ago. I want to thank the anon who pointed me towards the Gurdjieff biography, the harmonious circle. It appears a good as place to start as any in my inquiry into its roots! I also plan to try correlating the 9 types of the psychological Enneagram with numerology. Perhaps starting with assuming people (including myself) are acting according to a particular Enneagram type, on the day their personal time number corresponds to that number, and seeing how well that appears to explain the situation and dynamics. Paying it forward, another asked about Jhana. I'd recommend the work of Daniel Ingram, particularly his book, Mastering the Core Teachings of the Buddha, (2nd edition), freely available online. Particularly sections relating Jhana to powers. His observation is that the powerful concentration resulting from Jhanic states makes magical phenomenon almost inevitable / unavoidable. As to whether they are revealed or constructed... I won't dispute the assertion they are constructed, but they do appear constructed in a way that is closely aligned with natural properties of attention and development. For example, the progress of insight can be mapped onto the progression of jhanas. So can predictable sequences in spiritual dreams journeys. Vince Horn, also in the pragmatic dharma lineage, has talked about how the progression of jhanas follows the principle of pressure = force / area. Initially, high concentration wants to be focused on a single point (1st and 2nd Jhana). As the force of concentration increases, it has a natural tendency to be dispersed into ever wider perceptual areas (3rd to 8th Jhana, increasing in subtlety). The connections between Jhana and magic are something I hope to explore more as I progress in both practices.

Re: Enneagram and Jhana references

[ecosophia]

Thank you for this.

One pentagram to banish one element?

[3bmend_135]

I do the CGD version of the LBRP and am wondering what the effects are for tracing one pentagram on me in the direction associated with the element, and vibrating the correct Divine
Name.

Would it have any effect, and would it be unbalancing to do this on myself in situations when a full ritual is inpractiable? I've tried banishing the element of water a few times in the past to calm down.

Patrick

Re: One pentagram to banish one element?

[ecosophia]

Experiment with it and find out! You'd have to work very hard for a long time to unbalance yourself significantly.

No Kings: The Resistance

[(Anonymous)]

This is not a question but a further comment on the No Kings protests' atrocious symbolism. Apparently, they have adopted Star Wars imagery: https://media1-production-mightynetworks.imgix.net/asset/f95dd498-2409-451e-87a0-7155fe2e44b8/image000000_2_.png

See the orange logos? That's the symbol of the Resistance. For those fortunate enough to not have seen the Disney trilogy, the Resistance is basically the Rebel Alliance twenty years or so after the Rebels won.

Why is this bad symbolism? Well, for a start, the Rebels won and created the New Republic. For some reasons that the movies never bothered to properly explain, they somehow missed a new empire raising a giant army and building a third Death Star. Thus, they became the underdog once again. While this may serve the interests of the movies (assuming one believes just repeating the original trilogy with different characters is what makes good movies), it's not really a position you want to be placed into, is it?

Worse, the Resistance is utterly incapable, existing only to be saved by Rey and a select few other characters. Most of them are wiped out at various points in the movies. Whereas the Rebel Alliance of old was a proper small army, at some point the entire Resistance fits into the Millenium Falcon. Again, not really something I personally would want to manifest.

I'm also wondering whether the Resistance might not have put itself into this position by choice. As I said, the movies don't explain their backstory particularly well, but in Episode VII, the third Death Star is used to destroy the New Republic's core worlds, implying that the New Republic is still around. And yet, the Resistance is already its own organisation. Just what are they resisting? The empire (I mean First Order) or Law and Order in general?

—David P.

Re: No Kings: The Resistance

[ecosophia]

This is good. I'd also point out that the entire concept of "the Resistance" means that they've abandoned any positive goals; all they do is resist Trump, or more precisely, the vast projection they've placed on a cheesy reality TV star turned politician. That guarantees their defeat, since -- as I noted in a blog post -- most Americans were deeply and reasonably dissatisfied with the pre-Trump status quo, and if your slogan amounts to "Vote for us so things will continue to suck!" you won't get far.

But the Star Wars franchise displays this in an even more overblown form, as you've shown. The core gimmick of the franchise is that the Empire cannot be defeated, just dealt a sequence of temporary setbacks, and the Rebels cannot win, they can just delay the inevitable by some combination of virtue signaling and improbable heroics.

Among other things, this means that the franchise can never move beyond the basic framing of the first film, which it endlessly rehashes in different forms -- and that, in turn, suggests that the people manufacturing the franchise can't let themselves think about what would happen if the supposed good guys won once and for all. That might be worth a parody one of these days.

[(Anonymous)]

Hello!

Do you recommend the novels of Charles Williams? If so, do you have a suggestion of which among them to read first?

Thank you!

[ecosophia]

I find them a very mixed experience. Williams was a very good writer of prose, but he always makes me think of one of those strange guys you meet at bus stations who stare intently at your left elbow while muttering something about space aliens and ancient Egypt. War in Heaven and Many Dimensions are probably the most approachable of his novels.

Halloween-Cleansing?

[(Anonymous)]

First off, thank you very much for hosting a Magic Monday at all, after a late-hours party in NYC and a train ride back!!!

Second, I am concerned that some (maybe a lot of) people may be planning to do hexes on Halloween.
I'd like to do something to counteract that destructive energy on that night, any suggestions?

Thanks again.

- Cicada Grove

Re: Halloween-Cleansing?

[ecosophia]

1) You're most welcome. It gives me something to do on the train. (I'm a little west of Old Saybrook, CT as I type this.)

2) I don't recommend doing anything of the kind. Use the usual methods to keep yourself from being affected by the negative energy, and let the rest of it circle back around to those who generate it, as will inevitably happen.

Modern Order of Essenes Healing Hands

[kylec]

1. If you would like healing hands this week, please reply here or PM me with your name and request. If you don't know the drill and have questions, feel free to ask!

2. If you've completed any of the grades of the MOE curriculum an require attunement, please PM me to schedule it. Those who are interested in starting the curriculum can find it here: https://octagonsociety.org/archives/modern-order-of-essenes/

Re: Modern Order of Essenes Healing Hands

[jenniferkobernik]

Hello Kyle, could you please do healing hands for me and my daughter Eleanor this week. Thank you!

Natal chart

[(Anonymous)]

Happy Monday JMG!
Maybe it’s the location, but the meme feels very NYC. My one question this week, and this may be for everyone else, is where can I go to get a natal chart done? I picked up the astronomy book you suggested but progress has been a snail’s pace. Very curious to know where Saturn sits in my chart. Hymns to his honor have been good. Beyond that, it’s splashing around the kiddie pool of planetary devotion.

Re: Natal chart

[ecosophia]

1) Yes, that's why I posted it! It does have a New Orc City kind of vibe.

2) If you do a web search for "free horoscope" you'll find something like a couple of dozen sites that'll do that for you.

[(Anonymous)]

I asked a question last time (https://ecosophia.dreamwidth.org/345116.html?thread=57676316#cmt57676316) about determining the identity of a spirit that may have been unhappy with me via geomancy.

I conducted a series of readings to narrow down the identity from some possibilities, and the answer seems to be a being related to a prior religious commitment, as I had suggested.

The story here is that I was a fairly devout soft polytheist at one point. Due to my theology at the time, I strung together lists of names of deities with vaguely similar aspects. When my theology changed to being a hard polytheist, I figured I should probably approach individuals as individuals and stop doing the list thing, but that left me with the problem of figuring out who exactly I should focus on from each list. I didn't do divination, but instead followed the advice that it's best to start by focusing on a single pantheon, and so did an interpretatio graeca kind of thing (I had joined ADF at that time, and that was the culture they included that seemed to be the best fit for the largest number of beings I have previously attempted to interact with.). My hypothesis now is that someone was left out of that equation.

The reason I decided to ask about a spirit influencing the situation was because an area of my life (which is in fact the area of life the being in question is associated with) was unusually fortunate while I was a soft polytheist, but became gradually more unfortunate after I made the change described above, and has been resistant to other mundane and magical attempts at amelioration, while divination frustratingly insisted that the mundane and magical things I was trying were in fact all working just fine despite the lack of results.

1) Broadly, do you have any advice for navigating this situation?

2) I'm thinking of various possible geomancy questions to ask about possible options for improving this situation, but finding it hard to narrow down exactly what to ask. Do you have any suggestions?

[ecosophia]

Geomancy's a very challenging resource to use for this sort of question; it's not the resource I would use, for example. Have you considered returning to your former theology and seeing if that ameliorates matters? Alternatively, have you considered going to someone who specializes in that pantheon and asking for help?

Astrology as Divination

[isaac_hill]

I've been thinking about the discussion in the comments the other week about how astrology is an empirical science. I decided to finally stick my nose in Geoffrey Cornelius's 'The Moment of Astrology' and he seems to be making a strong argument that trying to prove astrology by "scientific" means is a losing game for astrologers, and that it's better to see astrology as originating in divination. He says that many of the studies done for astrologers have turned out very bad, such as the Suicide Study. Have you read this book/what do you think?

Re: Astrology as Divination

[ecosophia]

I haven't read it, no. I agree that trying to prove astrology to the satisfaction of scientific materialists is a chump's game, but that's for reasons John McClenon explains in his book Deviant Science: The Case of Parapsychology. Since it doesn't matter to me two weak farts in a Cat 5 hurricane whether scientific materialists believe in astrology or not, I consider the proof that matters to be my own success in making predictions and electing times for actions.

Tintin in Tibet

[(Anonymous)]

HI JMG-
I remember in the comic book "Tintin in Tibet" there was a scene where a Buddhist monk was levitating while he was meditating. Does that happen in real life?
Thanks!

Re: Tintin in Tibet

[ecosophia]

I recall the scene! There have been some eyewitness accounts of such things over the years, but I've never witnessed even the smallest example of levitation. Thus I'm wholly agnostic on the subject.