Magic Monday

[ecosophia]

It's almost midnight 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

Getting Things Done, Model Collapse, and Questions on Egregores

[jprussell]

Good Evening,

May the waxing moon bring more of what you want, and not more of what you don't!

To Share: 1. I've been keeping up with weekly posts to my new blog Rhetoric for the Renaissance Man, this week hitting on some thoughts on how to be more "productive," while keeping in mind that at such approaches tend to dehumanize us and lead to overly much emphasis on "efficiency" without tying it into what we actually want. I've tried to counteract that, but I'll let readers be the judge on well I've done: https://rhetoricfortherenaissanceman.com/2025/11/19/getting-things-done-part-1-getting-concrete/

2. This might be veering too close to the Sun of our host's "no AI" rule, but in an Icarian mood, I venture to try to share nonetheless, as I think it might be worthwhile anyhow (no worries if you disagree and don't put this through, JMG). The reason I put it in regardless is that the post I'm about to link compares "model collapse" in AI systems to dysfunctions in non-AI systems (like overly urbanized humans) in a way that I think helps illuminate the coming decline of our situation that will resonate with Ecosophians in general. To be fair, I think the author is mostly, rather than completely, right, and so misses some key insights: https://alwaysthehorizon.substack.com/p/demographic-decline-a-long-term-sociology

To Ask: I've just read Mark Stavish's Egregores, and while it was quite illuminating, it left me with some questions:

1. Do you, JMG (or commentariat), believe that "egregores" are fundamentally flawed/dangerous? Stavish seems to think they're at best neutral, and often harmful.
2. Do you, JMG (or again, the commentariat), believe that egregores can obtain a certain amount of autonomy or "consciousness" even when they are not "possessed" or "ensouled" by a non-corporeal being?
3. Lastly, do you, JMG (or commentariat), believe that egregores are a necessary intermediate step between mortal experience of non-corporeal consciousnesses? In other words, can we only talk to Gods and angels via egregores?

Looking back over those questions, I realize they come across as a bit confrontational, which is not the intent, just trying to be as direct as possible.

As always, thanks very much to JMG and those who read and comment.

My blessings to all who welcome them,
Jeff

Re: Getting Things Done, Model Collapse, and Questions on Egregores

[ecosophia]

I'm not going to delete this post, but please in the future don't put general Ecosophia content in Magic Monday posts. Those belong in the open post on the blog, and you know, that's only a couple of days away.

As for your questions:

1) That's like asking whether human relationships are fundamentally flawed/dangerous. There isn't actually much difference, in fact, because every relationship between people establishes an egregor; you've probably noticed the way that families develop collective personalities distinct from their members, for example.

2) They can have autonomy, but they never develop consciousness.

3) No, but getting past the egregor requires a freedom from cultural relationships that takes a long time and much work to develop. If you set out to interact with a god, let's say, your experience of the god will be shaped by the egregor built up around him by his worshippers. That remains the case until and unless you have reached a level of consciousness far enough above the mass mind that you're free of its influence, and can interact with the god more directly -- a condition generally called "mystical experience."

[ivn66]

Hello again and good morning, JMG et al,

Posting again to remind those of the commentariat who may be interested that I am still offering consultations in horary astrology - the art of divination by astrological means - free of charge over on my own Dreamwidth journal. My thanks to those of you who asked me questions this past week & best of luck to you all regarding your quesited issues.

This is open-door and not limited to Mondays. If you should chance on this comment later in the week and would like to ask a question, you're welcome to do so.

[hedgerow]

Hi JMG,

This year, I've read through Palamas' Lux Occulta and Mouni Sadhu's Theurgy, both of which came to my awareness through this forum.

I've completed the OBOD course and the DA, and I'm interested in exploring a Druid Revival approach to theurgy.

Sadhu's approach seems to be the closest fit, although I don't resonate with the somewhat groveling and self-deprecating nature of his prayers.

Would you advise mapping his entire approach onto a Revival framework, or learning and practicing his complete system as he lays it out first, before attempting a Revival rework?

Or might these systems be too far apart for it to be a viable exploration?

Thank you,
Gavin

[ecosophia]

If you've already completed the OBOD course and the Dolmen Arch, you have enough experience that you can simply revise Mouni Sadhu's material to suit a Druid Revival framework; I get the distaste for the frankly bootlicking quality that MS and many other Christian mystics insist on in their prayers. You might be interested to know that a prayer I use to begin my meditations comes from that same book, revised: "Hu the Mighty, great Druid god, enlighten me through thy initiation." It works quite well, too.

[kyl_morrazen]

I was black pilled until 2020 and came into spritual concepts after an ego crash and working a 12 step program where I first saw pratical application of metaphysical ideas produce tangible results.

After that I began researching/searching in random directions without a clear path. I have become fixated on reading about more and more occult and metaphyisical topics without actively practicing any which In the back of my mind I know is useless.

I have studied Theosophy, Yoga, Anthroposophy, Some Crowley, many random things and It is all overwhelming since there are so so many schools of thought. I have begun haphazardly trying different forms of meditation and working on consciousness developement through hemi-sync from the Monroe Institure. All of this in a desparate attempt to learn.

I would like your opinion on where to direct my efforts for developement and if there is a path you would recommend in general for the aspirant in todays world.

I have no ambitions of

[kyl_morrazen]

sorry, I hit the wrong button. I have no ambitions other than self mastery and then the ability to help others do the same

[ecosophia]

I very strongly recommend taking up some system of meditation and practicing it daily. I personally recommend discursive meditation, which I've outlined here --

https://ecosophia.dreamwidth.org/tag/discursive+meditation

-- and also at greater length in many of my books. If you're interested in a tolerably complete system of practice that focuses on self-development and self-transformation rather than magical powers, you might try this system, which is adapted from one of the core systems I studied with my teacher John Gilbert:

https://octagonsociety.org/archives/fhr/

[(Anonymous)]

Hi John,

Don't know if you were aware of this, but Arkham: The Weird of Hali appears to be out of print.

I recently tried to order the entire series from my friendly neighborhood local indie bookstore. The others were available, but not the last in the series. Any idea what's going on and when it might be going back into print?

[ecosophia]

No, I wasn't aware of it. I've just emailed the publisher to find out what's going on. Usually these are just temporary glitches at the distributor and the book's actually still in print.

[(Anonymous)]

Having practiced meditation and other energetic disciplines for some time I've recently encountered some new things. While meditating I find I can feel a sense of greater independence from my body than before, I'm aware of my body but I have a stronger and stronger sense of the separation of my consciousness and physical form. Earlier on it helped me to distinguish my inner self from surface thoughts but I'm starting to understand the striation of spiritual and physical better than before. I also find that this awareness improves my physical well-being, the best way I can describe it is that it helps me find a "balance" that could be elusive before.

You and others here have mentioned that past-life awareness often comes with meditation practices. Is this because they help give a sense of the distinction between mind, body and spirit? I've read about this before but these experiences are making the distinction real for me. I take it also that this distinction is key to the practice of magic? If so it's starting to make a lot more sense now. Thanks for reading.

[ecosophia]

Excellent. Yes, that's exactly what's happening -- once you learn to differentiate between your material body and the rest of you, it becomes easier to pay attention to the other parts of yourself and pick up the perceptions that those other parts have been bringing to you all along. Yes, memories from previous lives are among the things that can surface that way -- and yes, getting past the stage of unthinking identification with the physical form is crucial for any of the operations of the higher magic.

[(Anonymous)]

Hey JMG,

I've recently listened to a podcast with you talking about the "spirit of the land", and I'm interested in digging a little further, if you could.

I live in North East United States (New England), where before the colonialists, lived First nation people (Algonquin, I believe).

Since I was a kid, I felt drawn to the woods and nature spirit here, but couldn't quite put my finger on what that was. I've taken up Druidry and nature spirituality, which has gotten me close to connecting with that, but it still feels a little off.

I've heard you mention the spirit of the US feels a bit wild and savage, and I can say this resonates with my feelings too. For all the Catholic and English veneer my forefathers have slathered onto the land here, there is something louder and more primitive that once heard, cannot be unheard.

How can we get in touch with our local spirits of the land?

[ecosophia]

I can't tell you that. Only the land spirits can do so -- and they do it in their own time, at their own initiative. All I can suggest to you is that you listen attentively. Clearly they've decided to reveal their presence to you; your task now is to wait, watch, and listen, and see what they do next.

Raphael Archangel

[open_space]

Today I would like to express my gratitude to Raphael Archangel and the Malakim, the host of angels working with him, for helping me speedily in the process of healing something that has hurt for too long. May your light shine far and bright to bring much healing and wisdom to the ones seeking it.

I suffered from heavy bullying when I was a teenager, and I took refuge on my wits to help my ego not totally collapse under pressure. That stuck and soon enough what once helped me to survive got corrupted and turned into a weapon that I used to belittle the world, and bitterly mock what I would consider stupid, slowly blocking me from enjoying life and others. Raphael, among many others things, is the archangel that helps to turn the vice of pride into virtue, and after many failed attempts by my own hand I have started to see how my intellectual pride has cast a shadow in how I see the world. With their help I have started to learn to relate to the world in more helpful ways and to use that intelligence to build for myself and others, not to destroy. So thank you Raphael and your Malakim for guiding me, and also clearly letting me know that healing not only happens by divine intervention and asking for it, no matter how many tears, but rather by letting myself open up for the light to come through better and doing the work myself with that. And also thank you JMG for letting us use this space to thank our deities and learn more about ourselves.

Re: Raphael Archangel

[lukedodson]

I'm very glad that you have found healing from what must have been a very difficult set of experiences, open_space.

Hoodoo shop in Europe

[(Anonymous)]

Can you suggest where to get hoodoo items if I'm from Europe. I want to make sure that what I'm buying is genuine and from proper source.

Re: Hoodoo shop in Europe

[ecosophia]

I'll have to turn this over to my European readers. Does anyone know of such a thing?

A strong encounter in the grove of air

[(Anonymous)]

Hello

Working through the exercises in your book "Celtic Golden Dawn", amidst the pathworkings from water to air the guide told me that Belisama herself is waiting for me in the destination grove, the inner grove of air. Sure enough, when we got that far, the whole grove was alive with a vivid incorporeal presence that, for lack of better words, was there but not "visually" or in any kind of same manner as the guide, for instance, was there.

This presence was awesome, as in awe-inspiring, filling the whole grove with strong energies of a morning in a springtime. There was vigor, playfullness, good cheer, but also visions and high hopes, motivation and the general sense of being awake, to truly see and experience. At the end of it, she promised me to help me out with a difficulty I have been having, and within the same day, the circumstances ran such as forcing me into an uncomfortable situation where the difficulty had to be faced honestly and squarely - and it was resolved in an agreeable manner.

The experience transcended anything I have encountered in the pathworkings before. I was not expecting anything of the sorts. Though now looking back, in the previous pathworking the grove of air was unusually active and responsive, with the Hawk of May appearing in a manner that felt personal and "alive", also offering practical assistance in the mundane life that I gladly accepted.

Now what to make of it all? Is this something that can be expected to happen with this kind of work?

Of course I pursue the work as before. Though even now, thinking back to the experience, I feel a faint whisper of the energies that were there, with a subtle but strong connection to them still. Now I am curious about the next pathworking beginning with the grove of air, but I am not loading high expectations to it. Just curiosity.

I wonder though, being the governing force of the element of air, is it appropriate to offer prayers to Belisama? Or could I, for instance, use the pentagram ritual of air in the summoning form to rouse those energise before contacting her? Or am I better off just sticking with the program for now?

Interacting with such high powers is a new thing to me and I would prefer to be wise about it. Also I am not certain of the difference of an Elemental Lady and say a God or Goddess ruling a sphere. In the bardic grade work the grove of air is the grove of air, but in the tree of life it is also Byth, which is the realm of Mabion, with whom I have had some faint but very different kind of subtle interaction. Further, the element of air has, as far as I recall, always been the strongest in me, so I am wary of creating deeper imbalances.

Also, any insights you might have of this whole thing are very much welcome.

Re: A strong encounter in the grove of air

[ecosophia]

Excellent. Yes, this sometimes happens, and it's becoming more common as more people are invoking the old Celtic gods with the tools of high magic. I recommend sticking with the program for now; once you've finished the Bardic grade you'll have a clearer sense of the whole picture, and if you go on to the Druid grade and complete it, you'll have a set of more potent tools you can use to interact with the gods in and out of Pathworking. Then, as you start independent work within the system, you can explore what you want to do.

It's always tempting to get caught up in the complexities of symbolism! Belisama is the goddess and ruler of elemental Air, which in a certain sense is entirely within the lowest sphere of Naf. The element of Air also resonates with the 8th sphere, Byth, but that doesn't make Mabon, the god of Byth, a rival god of elemental Air! Eventually you will encounter all the gods of the elements and the Tree, but that takes time and much growth. Keep going and let the path lead you.

SGF, Colin Murray and his broad sheets.

[(Anonymous)]

Hello
In your book SGF, you make mention of one Colin Murray who was an architect and drew very exquisitive broad sheets some of which you received in 1999.
Do you know if some of these broad sheets are available on the net. I am curious to know what is on them.
Regards

Re: SGF, Colin Murray and his broad sheets.

[ecosophia]

I've never seen them anywhere online. The set I got was sent out to students of the Druid Grade back in the early days of the Order of Bards Ovates and Druids -- I have no idea if that order's still providing those to students. I'll put some inquiries in circulation and see if there's any chance of getting them reproduced.

[lukedodson]

Hi JMG,

A rather grisly question this week. What do you think the spiritual effects of cannibalism would be? It strikes me, given the widespread taboo and stories like that of the wendigo, that eating human flesh would likely open up the cannibal to malign influences.

With my best,
Luke

[ecosophia]

Very much so. Have you ever noticed that nobody treats predators as meat animals?* The higher up the food chain you go, the more structured the etheric body becomes, and the more disruptive to the etheric body of the eater the etheric content of the meat becomes. That's why most human cultures make plant foods (which have very loosely structured etheric bodies) the mainstay of their diets, and supplement it with meat that comes from herbivores.

*Yes, I know some cultures eat dogs. Dogs are omnivores who feed well down the food chain, and dogs raised for meat are usually special breeds that eat a diet very high in vegetables.

Humans are apex pack predators. In fact, because of the unusually good eye-hand coordination and depth perception we inherit from our primate ancestors, and our clever trick of making hunting weapons, we're among the most ferocious and successful predators in the history of the planet. Our ancestors exterminated the cave bear, the sabertooth cat, and dozens of other fierce predator species, and we did it with stone-tipped wooden spears!

Eating human flesh is therefore extremely risky, because our etheric bodies are so highly structured. Anyone who eats "long pig" risks disrupting their own etheric body, as chunks of unprocessed etheric structure get wedged in the etheric body. That opens the way to any number of nasty intrusions from the Unseen, starting with larvae -- mindless parasitic creatures that survive by feeding on the cast-off etheric bodies of the dead -- and going down from there into the demonic realm.

[(Anonymous)]

Can sensitive people do ceremonial magic? You said once that Golden Dawn magic kicks up a lot of force...what usually happens to a person who starts GD work that has good receptivity? It got me wondering about people that do well with magic systems that are almost exclusively meditative vs those who do better with ritual + meditation.

In your estimation, are astral “background conditions” toxic right now? I like watching movies from the 80’s and 90’s because they bring me back to the feeling of those times. My individual life during that period felt much worse than now, but the general vibe seemed much better. I’m not sure how much a person can parse the two with any accuracy. Do you have a favorite time in your life and a time where you felt the astral weather was really great? (or both together?). How long does the astrology say our current destructive phase lasts? Thank you JMG.

[ecosophia]

1) It's generally not a good idea for sensitive people to practice ceremonial magic for this very reason. A little bit of ritual often helps them, because it clears away astral static from their surrounding, but anything more intense than a daily protective ritual and the like can make them emotionally unstable. The same thing is true of vegans, btw -- a vegan diet increases sensitivity, and for that reason Dion Fortune used to teach that people who don't eat meat should stay strictly away from serious ceremonial magic.

2) Yes, the astral weather is pretty nasty these days compared to earlier times. Partly that's because of the emotional and energetic effects of economic and political decline -- as more people have been plunged into poverty and misery by the collapsing US economy and culture, that's poisoned the astral environment, but there are doubtless other factors as well. For myself, well, my life has by and large improved over time; my childhood was an utterly miserable time for me and my teen years weren't a lot better. I remember a period in the 1970s and very early 1980s, though, when the world felt much more hopeful and there seemed to be possibilities that narrowed and then closed thereafter. It's ironic to me that now, when my life (other than certain grief issues) is actually very good, the world as a whole feels jagged, dark, and deeply troubled.

[(Anonymous)]

Hey JMG,

I've picked up a few things reading your blog and this forum that I'm not sure how they fit together. I'd appreciate if you could help me sort out my confusion with a few clarifications.

1) You've said that humans, while at a point in their soul's evolution that is appropriate for human incarnation, tend to stay humans and won't become cetaceans and vice-versa. Does this generalise or is this a result of having a mental sheath? Will squirrels stay squirrels?

2) On that note, what happens when humans sink beneath human incarnation? Is the mental sheath destroyed?

3) And what about demons? If I understand you correctly, they've messed up incarnation so badly that they've sunk as far as souls can. So what's left of them? Not a material body, presumably. Are they just "raw" divine spark?

4) Humans die because their material bodies die. When we've developed a mental body, we lose our material body and thus won't die anymore. Correct?

5) The beings that we call the fae/faeries/elves belong to a different soul swarm. They seem to be more etheric than material. Correct?

6) Occasionally, beings from other soul swarms, notably faeries or demons, "misincarnate"¹ as humans. But doesn't that imply that they die? If they don't have material bodies, how does that happen?

And as a last, more practical question:

7) Is there such a thing as banishing to often and how often is that? I understand that one would want to banish before meditation, which is (presumably) best done in the morning. But after an alarming experience the night before last (literally: something woke me up by screaming at me), I decided that I'd like to start banishing in the evening again, too. Is that alright? Could I fit in a third banishing if I want to do a working during the day?

—David P.

1: A term by which I mean that it's not what we'd expect to happen, not that it shouldn't happen. Obviously, this is by definition a correct way to reincarnate.

[ecosophia]

1) It's purely a matter of having a mental sheath and thus being in the transitional state between material and transmaterial incarnation. Souls incarnate as squirrels as part of working out their destiny in animal incarnation, and will go on to become many other kinds of animal; humans, whales, and the few other animal forms that have mental sheaths are transitioning out of material incarnation and going through a lot of change very fast, after which they don't have material bodies again.

2) It's the other way around. A human soul that disperses its mental sheath by relentlessly turning away from the realm of meaning and value is then born in an animal form, since it doesn't have a mental sheath to bring it back into human incarnation.

3) A raw divine spark surrounded by a body of sorts, composed of the waste products of earlier universes. The phrase "Eaters of Dung" sometimes used for them is by no means wholly inaccurate.

4) That's correct. We shed our etheric and astral bodies at intervals thereafter but the mental body is the first of our permanent bodies, so there's no further loss of memories and continuity of consciousness.

5) Not quite. The fae have material bodies but those are composed mostly of air and energy, rather than mostly of solids and liquids as ours are.

6) They have to shed their existing bodies. For them, that's either a voluntary act or something that's forced on them by a sorcerer; either way, it's unnatural and traumatic for them.

7) If you banish a lot, be sure to invoke a lot. The Sphere of Protection contains both invoking and banishing components, so can be done several times a day. Have you considered protective natural magic, though? That would be my first suggestion.

Western Occult and Thinking

[(Anonymous)]

Hello John Michael,

Does the Western Occult tradition have tools to help improve everyday mental skills?

I mean everyone has their strengths and weaknesses. Some people can play a half-hour piano sonata from memory. Other good musicians can't get through "Happy Birthday" without a mistake.

Some people can multiply any pair of two-digit numbers in their head, others struggle with, say, figuring out if it is 2 am in NY, what time is it in CA?

What if someone wanted to sit and think some great thoughts not thunk before and never been able to do it?

Does the Western Occult tradition have tools for improving mental skills in a desired direction?

I welcome comments from the commentariat, too.

Re: Western Occult and Thinking

[ecosophia]

We had them. Keep in mind that the Western occult traditions have passed through two harrowing periods when persecution and general neglect caused much of the old teachings to be lost. The first was after the fall of Rome, when established Christian churches tried to stamp out most of what survived of the old magic; the second was after the end of the Renaissance, when established churches made a devil's bargain with the rising movement of scientific materialism to do the same thing. What we have now are fragments of what was once a far more complete whole.

These days? There are people, a fair number of them, reviving the old Art of Memory -- Frances Yates' volume The Art of Memory, though it's a history of the art rather than a textbook, is a good introduction. A few people are beginning to work in other directions. If you want to join them, get a good solid foundation in occult philosophy and practice first.

Your books sighted

[(Anonymous)]

Not a question, but a note of encouragement:
My local library recently put on the shelf a copy of The Doors of Tarot, by John Gilbert, which you edited.
A local big-box bookstore has four of your books in stock, including The Druid Path.

Slowly but surely, your teaching and work spread!

SamChevre

Re: Your books sighted

[ecosophia]

Hmm! Thank you for this -- very good to hear.

Gratitude & Thanksgiving

[(Anonymous)]

For those of my fellow American's celebrating the best holiday of the year this week, I have a poem / prayer written by Gary Snyder, after the Mohawk, to share.

https://sage-ing.org/wp-content/uploads/SnyderMohawkPrayer-Gratitude.pdf

I also wish everyone a happy Buy Nothing Day on Friday.

JPM

Re: Gratitude & Thanksgiving

[ecosophia]

Thanks for this.

I should post something for Buy Nothing Day. I keep it strictly every year, and encourage others to do the same.

Geomancy question

[(Anonymous)]

I ran across something in The Art and Practice of Geomancy that's baffling me. Under Company of Houses, fig. 6-2, Figures in Company (p. 122), it lists Cauda Draconis as a figure of both Mars and Saturn. But the description of Cauda D. on p. 59 gives the planet as South Node of the Moon and the sign as Sagittarius. Why wouldn't it be a figure of the Moon and Jupiter?
Similarly, Caput D. is listed in Fig. 6-2 as a figure of Jupiter and Venus when its sign and planet are the Moon and Virgo.

Maybe there's something I'm missing here?
Thanks for your help. It's just invaluable to be able to ask the author about these things!

Re: Geomancy question

[ecosophia]

In dealing with geomancy, we have the fragments of an ancient and complex tradition, and many of those fragments don't make any obvious sense. This is one of them. I didn't invent those correspondences -- I got them from medieval and Renaissance sources, and the apparent contradiction is present in those. I still felt it was wiser to include all the fragments, in the hope that someone would put the pieces together someday.

[thinking_turtle]

To share, for those who wonder what LMP, LLM, or PoW mean, a list of abbreviations used on Ecopsophia.

I've also compiled a list of books our host published so far.

[ecosophia]

Thanks for this as always.

Dolmen Arch

[trubrujah]

Thanks as always for this space. This past week the Dolmen Arch group meditated on the meeting of Rhiannon and Pwyll. https://thelongdescent.substack.com/p/pwyll-meets-rhiannon

This week we will be tackling their wedding and dealing with her unwanted suitor, Gwawl.

Re: Dolmen Arch

[ecosophia]

Delighted to hear it.

Virtues and Vices on the Tree?

[randomactsofkarmasc]

A few weeks back, you had linked to an essay (or maybe you posted it?) by Mark Stavish. I explored his website and found that he offers a free course (Unfolding the Rose), which I have started working through. Included is his book "Words of My Teachers", in which he states "When we look at the Tree of Life we see that most of the spheres on the Tree have a Virtue and a Vice associated with them." Alas, he does not (or has not yet) stated what Virtue/Vice corresponds with which Sphere. Is there a standard correspondence, or is that one of those things that different people come up with different correspondences? If there is a standard correspondence, can you recommend a text with that info? Thank you.

Re: Virtues and Vices on the Tree?

[ecosophia]

Dion Fortune gives one set in The Mystical Qabalah, and I give a slightly different set in Paths of Wisdom. My latest book on the Cabala, Revisioning the Tree of Life, doesn't give any vices or virtues -- my thought these days is that you should meditate on the spheres and devise your own set. But your mileage may vary!

[kyl_morrazen]

I have one more question after getting some sleep. Earlier I asked you about a path for self-development, and you gave me a solid framework with meditation practices and steps to follow. Those really are my goals. But I wasn’t as open as I should have been about what’s blocking me from getting started.

The real issue is fear and a sense of powerlessness. About ten years ago I began having panic attacks while driving, and it eventually grew into agoraphobia. Now fear sits in the background of everything I try to do, and it keeps me from living the way I used to.

I know psychology has its place, but since I have this chance to ask you directly, I want to know if there are magical or occult approaches to overcoming fear of this magnitude. I would do almost anything to be free of it. Without this fear, I could make decisions from a clearer place instead of constantly running into that wall inside my mind and body.

I’m open to anything. If the answer involves something occult, magical, or even asking a spirit for help, I would do it. If it requires something more grounded and difficult, I would do that too. I just need the truth of what actually works. I don’t want to spend any more years chasing dead ends. I need a real way out of this fear, whatever it costs.

[ecosophia]

Since I'm not you, I can't guarantee that anything I suggest will certainly work. Most people I know who've faced such things, though, have found the exercises of the Order of Spiritual Alchemy very helpful. You can find the lessons here:

https://octagonsociety.org/preliminary-lessons/

SOP questions

[(Anonymous)]

Good morning, JMG,

I'm resuming daily SOP practice after pausing during my wife's pregnancy out of what I now think was an overabundance of caution - having recently reread the FAQ, I see that your warning against daily banishing during pregnancy and breastfeeding is directed at the pregnant/nursing partner only. Anyway, I'm taking the opportunity to reevaluate the version of the rite I'm planning to use - a Christian version using the name of Jesus with various titles at the directional points. I have a few "technical" questions for you:

1) I was thinking of closing with the Sanctus hymn ("Holy, Holy, Holy Lord God of Hosts..."). To my eyes, it includes several magically appropriate elements including:
- an affirmation of God's divine radiance pervading all things ("Heaven and Earth are full of Your glory")
- an exclamation of praise and thanksgiving ("Hosanna in the highest ")
- an invocation of divine blessing on the speaker ("Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord")
Any reason you can see why this wouldn't work well as the closing?

2) Since I'm using Latin for the names and titles of Jesus ("IESU Verbum", etc), would it be better to use the Latin wording for the Sanctus as well?

3) While experimenting with vibrating the divine names, I found that I can change the location of the buzzing sensations up and down the midline of my body by simply varying the pitch of my voice. It occurred to me that this could be helpful in reinforcing the movement of energy through my body. In particular, during the opening Sign of the Cross, I thought of vibrating "In nomine Patris" at the top of my head, "et Fili" at the navel/base of spine area, and "et Spiritus Sancti, Amen" at the heart. I also considered doing something similar for Spirit Above (crown) and Below (navel), with the other elements and Spirit within at the heart. Have you ever experimented with something like this, and you have any idea what effects it might have?

4) The original SOP instructions recommend tracing the Elemental Cross from right to left across the chest, which is the reverse of the pattern usually used by Christians in the West when crossing ourselves. Is there any symbolic significance to this difference? Would you expect it to impact the effectiveness of the SOP if I were to go left to right instead, as I usually do in everyday life? (Insights from any Christian commenters who have grappled with this issue in their own practice would also be most welcome.)

5) Do you typically form a visualization of the various deities at each direction, in addition to the visualizations of the elemental realms?

Thank you for hosting this forum and taking the time to answer our many questions!

Re: SOP questions

[ecosophia]

1) That seems entirely workable to me.

2) Experiment and see what works best for you.

3) Moving the feeling of vibration from point to point in the body is a common practice, though I don't know a lot of people who do it by changing the tone. If that works for you, though, by all means do it.

4) It can be done in whichever way you usually do it -- Western or Eastern.

5) No, I don't. Sometimes an image of the deity appears spontaneously, but of course that's a very different matter.

Lodestone and Writing

[(Anonymous)]

Hi there. I picked up a lodestone from my local botanica. I was thinking of using to find publishing opportunities / opportunities to get in print. To do so I would make a little spot for the stone next to where I do my writing and put some symbols of writing around it and what not. Then feed the lodestone periodically as I have read in various hoodoo sources. Do you think this would be okay from an ethical standpoint? Previously you have advised me to do hoodoo workings based on holding on to money, not getting money. I don't want to get any thing I don't earn, I just want to increase the opportunities for getting the things I am already writing into print, or to work on spec for someone who seeks me out to write something for them. I have some connections already...

...to be honest I didn't buy the lodestone with anything in particular in mind... just wanted to add to my natural magic kit. But then I got to thinking.... I am open to other suggestions for its use, for luck for instance.

Mauve Oscillating Lobster Flaneur

Re: Lodestone and Writing

[ecosophia]

That's a perfectly ethical piece of magic. You're working on yourself, not trying to affect anyone else, and trying to find opportunities, which means that others will benefit (editors who are looking for manuscripts, readers who are looking for things to read) as well as yourself. With that approach you can't go wrong.