Magic Monday

[ecosophia]

It's getting on for midnight, so here we go with a new Magic Monday. The picture is of Georgie Hyde-Lees.  She's mostly remembered these days as William Butler Yeats' wife, which is unfair; she was an active member and high-ranking initiate of the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn in its prime, and a gifted visionary whose clairvoyant capacities were responsible for bringing through the material Yeats assembled into his book of occult philosophy, A Vision. 

Ask me anything about occultism and I'll do my best to answer it. Any question received by midnight Monday Eastern time will get an answer, though it may be Tuesday sometime before I get to them all. If you're in a hurry, or suspect you may be the 712,254th person to ask a question, please check out the very rough version 1.0 of The Magic Monday FAQ here.

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 the button below to access my online tip jar.

With that said, have at it! 

***This Magic Monday is now closed to new questions. See you next week!***

Comments

[(Anonymous)]

Planetary Question:
1) Doing some research into Pluto, I found that both Judy Garland and Kurt Cobain were born with Pluto conjunct the ascendant. It's odd to think that not that long ago grunge and other noisy, dark rock music was very popular, and the band Nirvana literally had numerous number one best selling singles! Of course William S. Burroughs was also a major figure, and hugely popular and influential amongst the alternative community. Those days are pretty well over. Indeed, it's wild to think how much the culture has changed in tone since the mid-90's. Do you think that future generations will find grunge, the film _The Wizard of Oz_ to be totally incomprehensible? Do you expect other changes Pluto as wanes? -- I remember you mentioning the end of nuclear power, organized crime, and Freudian theory -- do you have any other juicy Plutonian predictions you wish to share?

2) In prior Magic Mondays you've noted that in occult philosophy there's the idea that every Individuality relates to one of the great Noetic Beings. I imagine that these refer to, in part, the planets. So there are Lunar, Solar, Mercurial, Venereal, Martial, Jovial and Saturnine Individualities.
a) Prior to the discovery of the 5 traditional planets were there likely only Solar and Lunar Individualities on Earth?
b) Are there likely human Individualities most closely linked to the Earth rather than the other planets?
c) Are there credible occult theories that include the concept of Uranian, Neptunian, or Plutonian Individualities?

[(Anonymous)]

Here's an out there thought on Pluto waning: I wonder if it's linked to the consumer economy. A consumer economy like one we'd vaguely recognize took form around the 1930s: prior to that, tools were meant as tools, not prosthetics.

Additionally, both Canada and the US, where the consumer economy metastasized so immensely, have the sun in their foundation chart conjunct Pluto's discovery location; it would make sense that the consumer economy would grow to such a ridiculous size in these two nations given such an aspect.

Pluto in mythology represents death; and in Greek mythology, the shades (souls of the dead) were thought to not have anything marking them apart from any other shade. This seems like a good description of a consumer.

Finally, the consumer economy started collapsing around the same time as Pluto was downgraded, so I think there's a very strong case to be made here. While standards of living slowly dropped until then, it wasn't until the Great Recession that people started getting kicked out of the consumer economy in any real way; which seems to suggest a link.

[(Anonymous)]

1) I've started doing my natal chart, based on the information contained in the Llewellyn George's A-Z Horoscope Maker and Delineator, and found it very accurate. It's also revealed to me just how much of a joke the websites that claim to have astrology information are, but there's a huge problem.

I have Pluto on my midheaven. This means it's playing a major role in my chart, and there are things in my chart that don't quite fit, and I suspect that's the result of Pluto's influence. The book, however, says very little about Pluto, so do you know of any good sources on Pluto in astrology?

2) I've found that if I use internet porn, it damages my concentration, memory, and willpower for a few days. Experimenting on myself suggests it's the porn: I don't seem to have a similar effect from magazines, nor from plain old masturbation. Do you know what could cause such an effect?

3) You've said souls tend to reincarnate as soon as a body is available, meaning many are reincarnated before being able to fully process previous lives. Is it possible that souls are making mistakes when reincarnating, since they're reincarnating before they've fully figured out what life they need next?

[ecosophia]

1) Yeah, that's a problem. Modern astrology books have been heavily influenced by the psychological astrology made popular in the mid-20th century by Dane Rudhyar, and so tend to descend into vagueness and mush instead of giving the kind of cogent guidance you'd find in older books. One quite decent book on astrology that covers Pluto is Martin Freeman's How to Interpret a Birth Chart; you might see if you can find that.

2) Hmm! That's a good question to which I don't really have an answer.

3) Souls don't choose their own next lives until they reach a very high level of spiritual attainment. There are other beings, of a more advanced level of development, who take care of that.

The 7 Liberal Arts

[(Anonymous)]

The 7 spirals seem to be modeled after the 7 liberal arts. Are these correspondences correct - or were some of them dropped without a correspondence? This seems to be as close as I can get it. I'm not sure what healing matches with.

Grammar - Magic
Logic - Healing
Rhetoric - Poetry

Number - Divination
Geometry - Sacred Geometry
Music - Music
Astronomy - Earth Mysteries

Do you have any good resources or suggestions for learning the 7 classic arts?

Re: The 7 Liberal Arts

[ecosophia]

Hmm! Will it startle you if I mention I didn't think of that at all? That's not to say it's inappropriate, just that it didn't occur to me.

As far as the seven liberal arts, Wooden Books has published two volumes entitled Trivium and Quadrivium which are quite decent introductions to those.

[(Anonymous)]

JMG,

Last week, you replied to my question with the following: "Well, there's also the fact that living in the world is itself an important spiritual discipline, not just something to run away from into mystic bliss or some simulacrum thereof!" Whatever prompted you to write that, well, it is precisely what I needed to hear. Thank you.

Several sessions of discursive meditation were spent on your reply. Due to some things going on at my job, your answer has prompted me to look at things from a different perspective, with more sessions to follow on the direction it's leading.

It also got me thinking about my past in a, ummmm, different type of Christian church, in which mysticism was prevalent. Since my head was up a nether orifice at that time, and my wife assures me that currently my head is properly located, your reply was VERY helpful, as extracting my head from said orifice took a lot of work that I have no desire to repeat.

Thank you for Magic Mondays and the chance to ask questions!

DJSpo

[ecosophia]

You're most welcome!

[(Anonymous)]

You've mentioned Jung here a time or two; what do you think of Marie-Louise von Franz? Is "On Divination and Synchronicity" worth a read?

[ecosophia]

I find her work clearer than Jung's, and well worth study, so yes, I'd say that's worth a read.

Polytheisy LBRP

[jaroslaw]

I have a few questions regarding the Lesser Ritual of the Pentagram for Polytheists. I think it’s mostly concerning just a few clarifications.

1. Following the outline you first posted a while back, near the end when I say: “Before me the powers of Air; behind me the powers of Water; to my right hand the powers of Fire; to my left hand, the powers of Earth.” I feel silly for asking what seems like a dumb question but is East Air, South Fire, West Water, and North Earth?

2. Starting out in the eastern quarter, you state to trace a pentagram, and later “trace a circle around to the south” and then draw another pentagram vibrating another name. I’m not too sure what you mean by trace a circle. Am I tracing a circle in South and drawing the pentagram within the circle? Or is it that I walk to the South corner and trace the pentagram without a circle?

3. Now, assuming the answer to Question #1 is yes, In the LBRP I have had good results with Hera in the East (air), but in the Middle Pillar Exercise, I find Her best suited to the foot center. Is this some contradiction I should sort out, or am I overthinking it?

4. Likewise, in the LBRP I find that, perhaps contrary to popular wisdom, I have Hera as east, (typically earth, but here associated with air?) Zeus as east (typically air but here as fire?), Gaia in the west (typically earth but here as water), and Ares in north(not sure but He feels best here)

Now, assuming the directions and elements are correct as I assume per question 1, how should I experiment with placement here? If I had initial good results for the week I’ve been doing it, should I keep it as is?

5. Regarding visualization. I’ve been poor at keeping up my magical practices and it’s been showing. I’m having trouble not necessarily visualizing the light coming from above and the circle of light around me, but maintaining that visualization as I go through the ritual. I assume this will get better as I practice it daily and take my practice seriously going forward?

Thank you for your time, I appreciate you doing these Magic Mondays!

Jaro (formerly Daniel)

Re: Polytheist LBRP

[ecosophia]

1) Yes.

2) When you do the LBRP, you're tracing a circle around the outside of the space -- from east to south, from south to west, from west to north, and from north back around to east. That's the circle I'm talking about here. It's a horizontal circle, with a pentagram at each of the four quarters -- is that any clearer?

3) You're overthinking it -- and also making a common mistake, in thinking that the positions of the gods in the LBRP have anything to do with the elements. Don't worry about elemental placement in the LBRP -- just get two gods facing each other, and two goddesses facing each other.

4) The same goes here. The fact that you invoke Hera in the east does not mean you're invoking her as a goddess of Air; in the Hermetic LBRP, the name used in the south is Adonai, which is the divine name for Earth! Don't worry about elemental placement in the LBRP. Save that for the Greater Pentagram Rituals.

5) Most people have trouble with visualization at first. Keep practicing and you'll get better.

Sweetening spells?

[(Anonymous)]

Dear JMG and everybody,

This is a question about the use of sweetening spells for people and organisations.

In short: there was a mistake at the specialist health clinic I am using and that caused some serious problems. When asking for help, I run into Nurse Ratched (or her bestie) who clearly enjoyed being mean to someone weaker (me). (sorry, this sounds very strange, but it happened at several occasions.) I got help from somewhere else, but in the future I really need to have a good working relationship with both the nurse and the doctor.

Is a sweetening spell appropriate, given the circumstances? IE a clinic and persons I don't really trust and feel a very strong resentment towards (but need). Furthermore, I need to be a bit vigilant so no more mistakes slips through so given Raspberry Jam Principle, sweet need to be balanced with a worldly saltiness.

Traditionally, people must have used magic for these situations. IE a powerful and somewhat unfair entity that you are still dependent on (administrative government, corporations, feudal lords...).

Doing the DH and DMH but still struggling with the Oghams and therefore don't trust my divination. (Which I guess would be a recommendation otherwise).

Also, can a sweetening spell be directed towards an organisation, or does it have to be a person? And finally, if you allow three questions, when are sweetening spells contra-indicated? (You have already earlier elaborated on the issue of the subject's will, but are there any other considerations?)

Sincerely,

Re: Sweetening spells?

[ecosophia]

1) Yes, that would be an appropriate use for a sweetening spell. The secret of sweetening spells is that you're actually changing your own behavior in subtle ways, to elicit a better response from others, so it's a good ethical choice.

2) Yes, you can aim such a spell at an organization.

3) When a divination suggests not to do them, or when the person or organization is seriously evil and "sweetening" would simply make you more likely to go along with unethical behavior.

[(Anonymous)]

There are a couple professors at my university who I suspect may be occultists. I would love to know if this is so, if only so that I have magic practitioners I can talk to in person (studying alone at present).

Might you have tips for tactfully discerning this in conversation? I've tried to ask some careful, indirect, questions, but so far gleaned nothing.

Thank you ever so much for magic mondays!

[ecosophia]

Get a copy of a book that's very clearly on magic, but that only practitioners would recognize -- for example, Eliphas Levi's Doctrine and Ritual of High Magic. Make sure they see that you have it with you. Then leave the rest up to them; they may have their own reasons for not being public about their magical work, if any, around students.

[booklover1973]

J. M. Greer, the discussion about Plutonic influences have led me to several questions:

1) Does the current smartphone epidemics, where most young, especially female, persons are glued to their smartphones in a stereotypical body position, something to do with Plutonian influences? If Pluto's influences are waning, I wouldn't think so, but there must be some other thing to achieve something which is so much stronger than the average fad.

2) Likewise, it has occurred to me that in the current Western world, the whole sphere of community and relations between people is quite weakly developed. I and a friend of me have observed that quite a few friendships have drifted apart and it has become difficult to retain connections with other people. Is there an occult dimension to it? (Surely, there are many sociological aspects to it, but they presumably aren't all magical or occult.)

3) A while ago, you wrote, that reincarnation for lower life forms is like a reflex, for higher life forms is like an instinct, and only at the highest end of Abred life forms have themselves a say in it. How does that tie to your discussion of voluntary vs. involuntary choice of body above?

[(Anonymous)]

1) My current guess is smartphones, like the internet, falls into the category of "dubious last gifts from Hades (Pluto)", which plays such a large role in Greek myths I feel like it has to play one with regards to the planet Pluto.

[(Anonymous)]

How much does the planetary hours system lose from not havinf the full complement of planets? What sort of things would hours of Uranus, Neptune and Pluto be good for?

[ecosophia]

Nobody knows, because nobody's worked out an effective system of planetary house with nine rather than seven planets. (Pluto isn't a planet, it's a minor body like Ceres or Chiron -- see the discussion above.)

[(Anonymous)]

What sort of karmic backlog do souls typically already have when they begin their first human incarnation?

[ecosophia]

Usually not much. The issue when you start your first human incarnation is that you have to figure out how to deal with not being guided by strong instincts any more -- and the result usually involves picking up a lot of karma in a hurry.

[(Anonymous)]

You said the death of your previous incarnation was caused by avoiding the occult. Who or what decided you needed to pursue the occult? Was it your higher self, a god who has taken an interest in you, a combination of more impersonal cosmic forces, or something else?

[ecosophia]

Yes. ;-)

Every soul has three factors guiding it, which Druid philosophy calls fate, will, and destiny. Your fate is the sum of all the consequences of your previous lives -- basically, the same as karma. Will is the wiggle room you have to make choices in the present. Destiny is the direction that your higher self is trying to go. In my case, there were issues having to do with fate -- past lives dating back quite a while -- which needed occult initiation to resolve, and issues having to do with destiny -- where my higher self is headed -- that needed the same thing. There were also influences from fate that pulled the other way, and those were what my will in that life chose to follow, with all around bad results. Things are going quite a bit better this time around!

[(Anonymous)]

Can the kind of spiritual catastrophe that Alexander the Great causes in The Weird of Hali happen for real?

[ecosophia]

Yes, and we're living in a world in the wake of such a catastrophe. It didn't happen in ancient times, though -- it happened at the end of the Renaissance, when the burgeoning revival of ancient magic and spirituality in those years got the crap stomped out of it by the jackboots of a triumphant materialism, backed by the rise of a new moneyed class to the peak of the social pyramid. Everything that's happened in the occult scene since 1650 or so has been either a desperate attempt to save as much as possible, or the beginnings of the slow process of piecing together the fragments that remain.

[booklover1973]

There occurred to me another question about Plutonic influences: Has it something to do with the role of advertisement since the 20s and 30s? If so, does it mean that advertisement will lose its prominent role and what would that look like?

[ecosophia]

1) That's quite possible.

2) Heck of a good question, to which I don't claim to know the answer.

Coelbren

[(Anonymous)]

Hi JMG,

I'm revisiting the Coelbren after a short while, and contemplating meanings.

One further heads-up for the next edition of Coelbren (and possibly for the as-yet-unpublished Dolmen Arch): the title of ab Ithel's "Dosparth Edeyrn Dafod Aur" is spelled correctly in the bibliography, but it is consistently misspelt in Chapter One, with "Ederyn" instead of "Edeyrn". Not exactly momentous, but thought I'd mention it.

My question this week: in your FAQ, and in previous posts here, you've grouped the Coelbren with the "Celtic Golden Dawn" group of your books, rather than the "Druidry" group, and indicated that it shouldn't be used with the latter. Is there any particular reason? Just wondering!

Thanks again for all this material!

Bogatyr

Re: Coelbren

[ecosophia]

Thanks for the correction! As for the placement, the reason it's in the "Celtic Golden Dawn" group is that my Druidry books use Ogham instead, and a book now in preparation -- The Celtic Cabala -- which is part of the "Celtic Golden Dawn" group, will include a great deal on the magical use and symbolism of the Coelbren.

[(Anonymous)]

When someone becomes famous for spiritual reasons, you said that in the past people would start praying to them after their death, and they would likely become a protector spirit or minor deity. What would that do to their reincarnation cycle and progress to the next level of existance? Would it mean they'd made it to Gwynfydd, or is that something different?

[ecosophia]

It really does depend on a case by case basis. In general, though, if people start praying to someone who's died, and they get definite results in response to the prayers even when the person's been dead for a good long while -- say, 30 years or so -- then it's probably a safe bet that yes, the person has left the cycle of reincarnation in one way or another, at least for a while. Reaching Gwynfydd is one way to do that, though not the only way.

[(Anonymous)]

Suppose someone is on their first incarnation, so occultism would normally be quite a long time in their future. But they are born into a family of Druids. Will growing up practising magic and spirituality cause them any problems?

[ecosophia]

If they're born into such a family, then there will be good reasons for them to be born there, and any problems they may have will be planned for in advance.

[(Anonymous)]

What determines whether a building can be cleansed of a bad spiritual imprint, or if it will never be safe to live in again?

[ecosophia]

A vast number of complex and subtle variables. If a building has a fire in it, what determines whether it can be repaired, or has to be torn down? It's the same sort of thing.

[(Anonymous)]

What are the names of god associated with the planets beyond Jupiter? (Neptune, Uranus, Pluto)

[ecosophia]

Pluto's not a planet, so don't worry about it. (See the discussion of post-Plutonian astrology above for details.)

I assign Uranus to Chokmah and Neptune, the planet of unity, to Kether, so you can use the corresponding names and symbols of these sephiroth for the two planets in question.

[(Anonymous)]

Thank you for this JMG
I have recommended the Hoodoo Bath to a friend with hyper allergenic reactivity (mast cell activation) to see if it might help but am informed that any kind of vinegar would cause problems. Is there any non-fermented substitute?
Possibly lemon juice or ascorbic acid?
thanks again
Mark

[ecosophia]

Lemon juice would be a very effective substitute, as lemons and lemon-scented herbs are much used in hoodoo practice.

[(Anonymous)]

Hey jmg

Out of curiosity, what are the symptoms of exposure to ceremonial magic at a dangerously young age? You say that it’s bad to do ceremonial magic near very young children but what are the exact symptoms? Also are there any written accounts of it happening?

[ecosophia]

You run the risk of the child becoming obsessed or possessed by a nonhuman spiritual entity. Yes, there are accounts; you can find them in the literature on possession.

Levi's Baphomet

[(Anonymous)]

Having read Waite's and your translation of Levi's _Dogma and Ritual of High Magic_ I was drawn to the symbolism portrayed by his description and drawing of Baphomet as a divine androgyne intentionally masked as a bogeyman for those easily frightened off (a form of the flake filter, perhaps). However, as my abilities to sense subtle energies have increased as I've worked through CGD, I've started to feel that there is something wrong with the Baphomet egregore. After 150+ years of people twisting it into a symbol of evil ("the devil") and/or inverting its pentagram in French novels and periodicals, Crowley's Thoth deck, Anton LaVey, Black Metal bands, and so forth, I don't feel there is much left there to depict what Levi seems to have intended. It feels like all of their crud has stuck and it has become the negative thing others since Levi have used it for.

I was hoping you might have some thoughts on this matter. More to the point, in your experience, is this still a useful symbol to work with for someone trying to avoid the slimy "vibe" one gets from subtle contact with malign entities or thoughtforms?

As always, thank you for taking the time to host Magic Mondays. I don't ask questions here often, but I always read it and learn a lot.

Wayne /|\

Re: Levi's Baphomet

[ecosophia]

It would take serious magical work to get through the contaminated pop-culture egregor to the essence Levi meant to express. It can be done, though; the way I work with that image is to recall that Baphomet in Hebrew converts via the Atbash cipher (a standard Cabalistic method of converting words) into Sophia, and build a symbolism around the identity of the two.

There's a body of Templar symbolism and ritual that relates to that, and turning that into something others can work with is on my get-to list -- that was one of the reasons I've arranged to receive every Masonic initiation that has some kind of connection to the Templar egregor, and to confer most of them. (If you want to really tap into the subtle forces of a ritual, become the chief officer in a group that performs the ritual...)

Various

[(Anonymous)]

I have bought Neil Gaiman’s Norse Mythology. Is that a suitable book for discursive meditation? What about a Viking oracle deck?

Also, re Pluto, as the horoscope is a fixed moment in time, for those of us born before 2006, isn’t Pluto still relevant, ie, the demotion won’t affect the aspects, etc, to Pluto we have in our charts? But if you were born after August 2006 then Pluto in your natal chart will have a diminished influence?

Lastly, I am going to do the SOP based on the AODA website – are the symbols for Spirit above and below simply a circle? And for the 4 elements the usual triangle shapes? Many thanks!

Re: Various

[ecosophia]

1) I've never read the Gaiman book so can't advise you there. I also don't know which deck you have in mind.

2) The horoscope is a fixed moment in time, but how it expresses itself in your life changes over time -- that's why progressed charts, solar returns, and the like can be used to predict when things happen. Pluto is still a factor in your chart, but unless it's very powerful, its effects will tend to weaken from 2006 on.

3), yes, the symbols for Spirit Above and Spirit Below are a purple circle and an orange circle respectively, but no, the symbols of the four elements aren't the usual triangles. Fire is a red triangle pointing up, and Water is a blue triangle pointing down. The symbol of Air, though, is a yellow circle with a line extending straight up from the top, like this:

The symbol of Earth is a green circle with a line extending straight down from the bottom, like this:

[(Anonymous)]

Hi JMG,

As always, thank you for this forum. I have a smattering of questions this week.

1. Do you use the specific cell salts depending on symptoms, or do you use a combination of all 12? At the friendly neighborhood Amazon shop you can get all 12 combined and can also get some of each.
2. Do you have any suggestions on getting a solid reading of a natal astrology chart? Should I just pick up Llewellyn George's A-Z Horoscope Maker and Delineator and work it out for myself?
3. I know that you are helping us through Cosmic Doctrine and have suggested in other places Fortune’s Psychic Self-Defense for...well, situations needing self defense. Are there other books by Dion Fortune that are worth reading for beginners? How about other authors? For what it is worth, I am working through the Druidry Handbook for meditation, DMH for ceremonial magic, and plan to read the Dolmen Arch when released. Once through DMH I will also work though the Dolmen Arch. I am keeping up with your posts on the Cos.Doc but don’t plan on fully digesting the book until I have made it through the Druidry Handbook.
4. I feel like I have been sick more regularly since I started the ceremonial magic in the DMH. Should this clear up after I am able to complete the full SOP (I just added in the third gate)? Does this connect with working out karma that is at the top of the stack – meaning things get a little worse before they get better?

Many thanks again,
Matt

[ecosophia]

1) I use different cell salts depending on symptoms. Boericke and Dewey's The Twelve Tissue Remedies of Schussler, which is readily available new and used, is a solid introduction to their use.

2) I recommend that anyone seriously interested in astrology should learn to interpret their own chart, and Llewellyn George's book is a great place to start.

3) Almost anything by Fortune is worth reading. I also highly recommend W.E. Butler's The Magician: His Training and Work and Apprenticed to Magic.

4) It really does vary from person to person. Once you finish working your way through the gates, try invoking health and banishing illness when you do the SoP.

Talisman symbolism during waning moon

[(Anonymous)]

Hello,

I'm planning an elemental talisman to remove excessive self consciousness/social anxiety. Currently, it seems Water is the element that expresses this the best. I'm planning to use the basic ritual of consecration from Circles of Power.

However, I'm unsure if I'm planning this properly for a talisman that removes something. Initally I thought I should make a talisman of Water (with symbols of Water) with the intent to remove social anxiety, and charge it during the waning moon.

Is that the right way to go about it? Years ago when I made an "amulet" (his term for a talisman that removes something) of Mars to remove aggressive energies and fighting in my home (based on instructions from Modern Magic) it seemed to have the opposite effect instead, so I want to make sure I'm not making a mistake with my choice of symbolism for this current talisman.

Thanks!

Re: Talisman symbolism during waning moon

[ecosophia]

Um, I'm not surprised you had trouble with the Mars working, and you're setting yourself up for more trouble with a Water talisman. In both cases, you're invoking the thing you want to get rid of, and so getting even more of it. Water is receptive, absorbent, and emotional, so a water talisman will make you more self-conscious and socially anxious, not less! Doing it during the waning moon doesn't change the basic elemental energy; that's one of the things in Kraig's Modern Magic that tends to trip people up.

What you need to do is go to the opposite energy. To remove aggressive energies and fighting, do a Venus talisman -- that's the opposite energy from Mars. To make yourself confident and untroubled in social settings, invoke fire, not water.