Magic Monday

[ecosophia]

It's almost midnight, so here we go with a new Magic Monday. The picture, appropriately enough given tomorrow's date, is of Edward A. ("Aleister") Crowley, who proclaimed himself the Wickedest Man in the World and published a lot of books on magic, some of which he even wrote himself. (No, I'm not a fan -- how did you guess? -- but since I've been posting photos of famous occultists, well, he was certainly famous.) 

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 542,396th 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

Karmic culmination?

[(Anonymous)]

Dear JMG,
I noticed the tern karmik culmination in last week's Magic Monday. Despite having read quite a few Druid texts and some of Dion Fortune's works I had never heard about this before. Could you explain it briefly or if it is too complex for that, recommend a text?
Maxine

Re: Karmic culmination?

[ecosophia]

When somebody takes up serious spiritual practice, it fairly often happens that any issues they've been trying to avoid in their life come boiling up in a big way, so that they have to deal with those issues. That's karmic culmination. It's not inevitable, and how difficult it is depends on how much stuff you haven't dealt with yet -- some people have a hard time, some people much less so.

[(Anonymous)]

Do you read any thing on the blog called the digital ambler?
He writes a lot of innovative stuff concerning prayer beads and geomancy, he references your book on the subject a lot.
J.L.Mc12

[ecosophia]

Interesting. No, that's not one I've heard of.

[(Anonymous)]

I want to ask about a working I've seen in certain progressive circles in Canada. They're being good about secrecy, so I don't know much about it, but one of my friends was asked about joining and wanted my feedback on it. I told him it was a horrible idea, so I don't know the full details, as they only let the people who join know them.

It invokes the planetary spirit of Pluto in order to "destroy the injustice" of the People's Party of Canada, and then the planetary spirit of Uranus in order to create a progressive movement in the vacuum so created.

I have a few concerns, but I'll start with the biggest ones: the working calls on planetary spirits to meddle in day to day politics here in Canada. This seems breathtakingly dangerous to me, even if I agreed with the aims of the working.

The second issue is that both planets being invoked are malefic, and so if they respond the results are not likely to be pretty. I'd be hesitant about working with Uranus, and my response to someone suggesting a working invoking Pluto would likely involve language that would not get posted here.

The third one is that they are calling on Pluto to destroy injustice, while themselves acting in various unjust ways. Given how the planet behaves in astrology, and how He is as a god, that seems likely to blow up even more than a usual unjust justice working.

I have two questions: first, am I missing anything else that makes this a bad idea?

Second: What sort of blowback are we looking at? I don't know anyone I know is doing this working, but I suspect some people I know might get drawn into it, and if it does have impacts, what effects would it have on the country?

[(Anonymous)]

*likely always. In this case it absolutely did.

[(Anonymous)]

I have two astrology questions: first, since the major ingress is that of the spring equinox, are there differences between the hemispheres as a result of the sun being in opposite signs, and the range where Mercury/Venus can be being different; as well as the fact the outer planets are retrograde in opposite signs for the main ingresses?

Second, how much does a planet being retrograde matter in an ingress chart?

[ecosophia]

1) Good question. I haven't studied ingress charts for the southern hemisphere so I don't happen to know.

2) It's not a matter of "how much," it's a matter of what specifically the retrograde condition communicates. A lot of people these days are frankly superstitious about retrogrades; they don't have to be difficult -- I do my best editing and revising during Mercury retrogrades, for example. A planet that is retrograde at the moment of an ingress represents a force that is backing up, returning or reorienting or regrouping; you figure out what it represents by seeing what houses it rules.

Geomancy

[bendithfawr]

I'd love to hear some input from you, JMG, or others on my geomancy reading today: I've been procrastinating on a decision on participating in an event. It would involve some traveling, a completely new topic for me, and I would be missing some things in my home town during my absence. On the other hand, it could spark new connections and further interest in the new topic.

The question for my reading was: "would I say after the event that it was worth it?"

The four mothers were Tristitia, Carcer, Acquisitio, and Cauda Draconis which makes the right witness Fortuna Major, the left witness Carcer and the judge Amissio. From that reading I decided against the event.

My interpretation was: the quesitor (me) is in a position of strength, I won't need to go out of my way to find the connections I'm looking for. The quesited (the event) will be rather isolating and not conducive to getting in touch with others. The judge seems to say that after the event I would be regretting missing out on the events I in my home town.

The Way of the Points leads to Cauda Draconis, which I interpreted as referring to the fact that I'll be moving away from my home town of 20 years to the opposite side of the country in summer and should rather celebrate this ending than going to events somewhere else.

Is that a plausible interpretation?

Re: Geomancy

[ecosophia]

It's pretty close to the interpretation I would have given! To me, the Judge and Witnesses say that (Amissio) the event will be a waste of my time, because (Fortuna Major) I already have what I need where I am, and (Carcer) the event will be far more restricted in its possibilities than I realize.

More broadly, Amissio is a nice clear answer to a yes/no question, and the answer is no, you won't say after the event that it was worth it.

[(Anonymous)]

Dear JMG,

1. In the DMH, about the SOP, you write that one shouldn't start the middle section until the Elemental Cross and the Circulation of Light are effective, and act as a container for the forces raised in the middle section. How does one know when one is ready to proceed to the middle section? I have been doing the Elemental Cross and Circulation of Light daily for almost a month (except for a period of several days when I was ill), and I have those rituals memorized, and usually when I finish the Circulation of Light I end up with a sense of clarity and calmness, but I don't know if that's the reaction I'm supposed to get from it.

2. Reading the chapter about the invoking/banishing the first gate, it discusses vibrating words. I do the SOP very early before my wife wakes up, and at volume I imagine I'll wake her up. Is there a way to do vibration quietly? When reading about vibration, it seemed to me that's a similar thing to hitting a low note on a musical instrument and listening to the note 'thrum' and resonate through the air and cause other objects to vibrate slightly, is that accurate?

Thank you!

[ecosophia]

1) All that's required is that you know the beginning and ending sections by heart and are sensing something happening in the ritual. Since you've gotten to that stage, you're ready to go further.

2) Yes, indeed! Vibration can be done just as quietly as you need to do it. Your musical metaphor is precisely accurate; give it a try.

Major change

[(Anonymous)]

I believe you said in the discussion on the ingress chart that it´s usually BAU, but that sometimes planets indicate really major changes. Uranus, I think. Can you see this in your "political" charts? That is, can you predict and/or attempt to predict when the next truly major change will happen, and also see what area it will affect?

Tidlösa

Re: Major change

[ecosophia]

I take my ingress charts one at a time; I haven't yet cast a chart for the Libra 2019 ingress, much less anything further out. At least in theory, it should be possible to run a series of ingress charts and find the next one where planets predict sudden change, but it would be a lot of work and I have other things to do; if it interests you, you might consider picking up a good book or two on mundane astrology and giving it a shot yourself.

[booklover1973]

I have a question: Am I right to assume that, when Venus and Saturn are in opposition in a natal horoscope, it means limits and restrictions to the love life of the native? Or are the other influences or aspects in that chart overshadowing the Saturn-Venus aspect alone?

Curiously, I intended to ask about a comparison of karmic culmination and the unloading of all karma in a single lifetime, but another commenter asked first about karmic culmination.

[ecosophia]

It depends on the chart. How strong are Venus and Saturn? What houses are they in, and what houses do they rule? What planets rule the fifth house of romance and the seventh house of marriage, how strong are they, where are they located, and do they form aspects with Saturn and/or Venus, or with the planets that rule the houses where Saturn and Venus are located? If you have a strong Venus in a good aspect to the ruler of the seventh, and Saturn is weak and isolated, it could mean that your love life will interfere with the limits and restrictions you put on yourself!

Natal charts are whole systems. You can't just pull one pair of planets out of context and say "this means that."

[(Anonymous)]

I was offline the last couple Mondays, so have been bubbling up with questions! Here goes:

1) You have commented that qigong and Western ceremonial magic are often a bad mix. How about reiki? I practice traditional Usui reiki, and am curious about the interaction (not practicing ceremonial magic these days as I have a baby, but curious for the future).

2) What would be the best planetary and elemental correspondences for making a witches bottle for protecting a house? I'm thinking earth for the element and Jupiter for the planet, and wonder about incorporating Venus as well. Any tips, warnings or suggestions?

3) Do you or anyone else have suggestions for a source of all-natural florida water (or a good recipe for making your own)? The stuff at my local shop is filled with artificial fragrances, F,D &C and the like...

Thanks!

[ecosophia]

1) I honestly don't know enough about reiki to be sure, but what I know of other branches of Japanese esoteric spiritual practice suggests that you may be fine. Can you tell me whether there are breathing exercises in reiki, and if so, what they involve?

2) Nah, you want Saturn for a witch bottle, because Saturn is the lord of limits and you want to slap down a hard limit on the capacity of other people to mess with you magically. Saturn also rules houses and other permanent structures, and the soil where you'll bury the bottle, so it's all Saturn all the time. Make it on a Saturday during a nocturnal hour of Saturn, and it'll be like a wall of hard cold unforgiving stone protecting you.

3) I wish I did. Anyone else have suggestions?

planetary vs geomantic hours

[(Anonymous)]

What's the association between the planetary and the geomantic hours of the day? How do their overlapping effects interact (or do they)? Is it wise to try to keep both their influences in mind when timing important actions, or is that overthinking it?

Re: planetary vs geomantic hours

[ecosophia]

That's overthinking it. Choose one system and work with it.

Limits to alchemy

[(Anonymous)]

Greetings Archdruid,

thank you for these magic mondays.

This may not be your area of expertise, but I've been reading a lot about alchemy recently and I'd like to ask if the philosopher's stone of the alchemists is a metaphor for the union of the mortal and immortal selves, through which alchemists achieve immortality (but not of the body)?

I certainly don't know of any alchemists that lived for hundreds of years. In fact, all well known alchemists lived a fairly normal (if respectable) human life of about 70-80 years.

I was wondering what are the actual limits to alchemy? For the context, I'm looking into alchemy for it's healing potential, as an alternative (or supplement) to modern medicine. The promise to treat incurable diseases is alluring, but I keep asking myself if I'm being a fool for looking into it.

Re: Limits to alchemy

[ecosophia]

Nobody knows what the actual limits to alchemy are, as most of the higher end practices of the art have been lost. Spagyric (herbal) alchemy is a very effective healing modality, and I'd encourage you to simply start with that and pursue more advanced alchemical work once you've got the whole range of spagyric processes down pat. (Full disclosure: I've done a fair amount of spagyric work, but decided not to get into mineral or metallic alchemy.)

Strange things in home

[(Anonymous)]

I have noticed strange things in my house over the 10 years I have lived in it. In one incident, I and another person actually heard laughter for about a minute that sounded as if it were coming from all around the house. I have seen something just go off the table on its own, like some invisible force pushed it. Someone else told me that things on a shelf were inexplicably moved over night. And recently, a tapping sound has come up. At first only others heard it when it actually occurred, but finally I did too. Not only that, when I whispered that it was some kind of trick, it responded as if on cue. It seems to switch places depending on where you are, so it can't be determined where it is coming from. Doesn't seem to be any pattern about when it happens either.

I am that heathen that asked about dream interpretation previously, by the way. I know you get a lot of questions, but that was the first time I ever asked one. I was concerned about the dreams my sister was having. Part of my concern ties into this broader issue. She is the one that reported the recent sounds first. She is often the first to notice these things.

What I know about the place is that it was built in the late 19th century and that part of it was added in the 1950's. I started living here when I was in college, and my sister was in grade school. The house has been in my family for 30 years or so. Some of my grandmother's old stuff is still here. I don't know of any other reports of things like this here, but then I never asked my grandmother when she was alive. It would have never occurred to me to, and no one else mentioned anything like this. My uncle or father would not be useful sources anyway, they would just scoff at it or brush off anything that they saw.

Do you have any idea of what is going on here? I have gone through all sorts of possibilities already.

Re: Strange things in home

[ecosophia]

It's quite possible that you've got a ghost or some other kind of spirit present. That's quite common, and not something you have to worry about; people in parts of the world where houses tend to be very old deal with ghosts as a matter of course.

tarot divination

[(Anonymous)]

Hi JMG,

Just in relation to the tarot divination exercise (in Learning Ritual Magic) where you draw three cards and use them to construct a story that can explain the most important thing to understand about the next 24 hours. If there are two (or three) cards in a row which seem to signify only good things but the suits clash, what is the way to interpret these? For example, the Four of Wands followed by the Ten of Cups. Both cards are pictures of happiness but the suits are in conflict.

Thanks again for sharing your knowledge.
Simon

Re: tarot divination

[ecosophia]

Take that as a theme for meditation, and see where it leads you -- that'll benefit you (and your Tarot readings) considerably more than any canned answer from me.

Planets

[(Anonymous)]

Dear JMG,

As a long-time reader, and also something of a beginner in my own magical practice I wonder if you can recommend any books (your own included) which will school newcomers to astrology on the planetary spitis, intelligences and magical correspondences. Good introductions to astrology in general would also be welcomed.

I'm reading A Magical Education at present, by the way, and enjoying it a lot. I now know more than I ever needed to about Victorian sex magicians :-)

Many thanks

Re: Planets

[ecosophia]

I don't know of a book on that subject that's suitable to beginners. Anyone else?

Buddhism as a spiritual path

[erceldoune]

John,
As I understand it, Buddhism in general deemphasizes magic, spirits, planes of existence, etc. It does not deny their existence but says they are not important for its goals of spiritual growth and ending suffering, and that over-concern with them is counterproductive. Buddhism says the 'siddhis' (miraculous powers) come naturally with advancement on the path but are not something to be actively sought. Many American Buddhists go a step further, interpreting Buddhism as a materialist practice and that spirits, etc. not only do not matter, they do not even exist.

Also the practice of Buddhist meditation, at least in America, is usually mindfulness, aimed at quieting the mind to free it from attachments and suffering, rather than gaining insights like discursive meditation. Sometimes it is focused on compassion, rather than mindfulness.

John, what do you think of Buddhist practice, as described above, as a spiritual path? Is it complete enough? Is its model of reality too simplified? Does ignoring magic, etc. limit it too much? Does having little or nothing to do with spirits, even in thought, grant protection in any way from spells, malign entities, etc.?

I would appreciate answers to these questions, or if these are not the right questions, please answer those instead.

Thanks,
Thomas

Re: Buddhism as a spiritual path

[ecosophia]

American Buddhism is a very mixed bag. There are good traditional schools that offer something fairly close to a complete system of training and practice, but there's also a lot of Buddhism that's been watered down very badly to make it fit within the narrow limits of modern American materialist rationalism, with fairly bad results. Spirits don't go away just because you pretend that they don't exist, after all, and "mindfulness meditation" stripped of its spiritual context becomes nothing more than a chemical-free sedative.

That is to say, no, I don't think American Buddhism as practiced in its watered-down, de-spiritualized, over-rationalized form is a complete spiritual path; in some cases I'm not sure it's still a spiritual path at all. If Buddhism interests you, I'd encourage you to seek out a teacher who will give you the whole system, not those scraps of it that have been prechewed for the benefit of modern materialist Americans.

[(Anonymous)]

I'm extremely curious the origin of the working in which you put a personal concern, and a mixture of cayenne and salt into a bottle and throw it in a river to release someone into the hands of the infinite. it seems to have similarity to some Hoodoo spells, but I've never been able to find that precise working -- as you shared it at least -- in Yronwode's herbal or website; is it something you created? Awhile ago you mentioned a variant of this working in which only a pinch of cayenne and salt are added to the bottle along with a single bay leaf, and the wording is changed, to "(NAME), I release you from my life. Go with my blessing." repeated nine times. Likewise may I ask the origin of this variant?

Many, many thanks!

[ecosophia]

I have no idea. Back in the 1980s and 1990s I read hundreds of different books on magic, taking notes on anything that interested me; I was interested in what worked, not in what had this or that provenance, and those techniques I found that worked well became part of my repertoire. That may be where those workings came from.

[neonvincent]

Haha, that's an appropriate image and "honored" occultist for today!

Before I get to my question, I'm giving an answer of sorts. For the past two weeks, at least one reader has asked about the egregores of diseases. What immediately occurred to me both times was Anthraxus, Bubonix, and Typhus from Dungeons and Dragons, three disease daemons from Hades created by E. Gary Gygax. However, I doubt there is enough thought and emotional energy invested in any of them to make them "come alive," despite Anthraxus having its own Wikipedia entry.

Now the question. I recall you responding to one of your readers that invoking King Arthur and Camelot is bound to fail, as failure is baked into the cake. Would the same eventually apply to the Society for Creative Anachronism, as they invoke the ideals of King Arthur's Court?

[ecosophia]

I never encountered any particular Arthurian vibe with the SCA groups and people I ran with back in the day, so I'd be surprised if that turned out to be the case. My guess is that the SCA will wind down in the usual way as the cultural movement that spawned it finishes its life cycle.

[(Anonymous)]

John--

Two questions.

First, in my slow-but-steady progress through The Divine Plan, I got to a discussion of the planes and sub-planes with some nice diagrams. In the discussion of the (major) planes, I was thrown for a bit, as rather than being associated with the seven "layers" of the Tree, the uppermost three were simply labelled the Spiritual Planes, while the lower four were associated with the four kabbalistic worlds (Atzilut, Beriah, Yetzierah, Assiyah), but then within the lowest plane (ours), the expected seven layers showed up with respect to the seven sub-planes. I was a bit puzzled at first, but then I realized that the upper three Spiritual Planes might correlate with Ain, Ain Sof, and Ain Sof Aur, and i also recalled Fortune mentioning in The Mystical Kabbala that the Tree existed in its entirety each of the four worlds, so the seven sub-planes of Assiyah corresponding to the seven layers of the Tree would make sense in that context. Does this make sense?

Second, consider a hypothetical working calling for the emergence of the needed leader to see this nation through the coming challenges (leaving open whomever he or she may be) with the intention appropriately inscribed and done during the hour of the Sun on Sunday each week until the candle is gone, supplemented by six (Sun's number) pieces of orange peel (solar) and a piece of citrine (also solar) and then burying said inscription in the back yard (to summon, rather than dispel). Would such a working be appropriate for such an intention? Is there an element missing that would be wise to include? Hypothetically speaking, of course.

David BTL

[ecosophia]

1) Different systems of occult philosophy sort out the cosmos in different ways, and it's not always possible to work out exact equations between them. This is a classic example.

2) Ooog. That's not a working I would want to encourage, and so I will simply refrain from offering any advice at all.

[isabelcooper]

Good date for that guy and his highly ridiculous hat. :P

[ecosophia]

Somehow it came to mind very quickly.

LBRP alternatives?

[(Anonymous)]

Curious if there are banishing rituals besides the LBRP that I can research? That is, non-Golden Dawn, less ceremonial banishing rituals? I think attending conservative, highly legalistic Christian schools has left me with a distaste for what I perceive to be rigid ritual--brings up unpleasant memories.

-thank you

Re: LBRP alternatives?

[ecosophia]

Nope. The alternatives are just as formal, because that's what works. You'll have to decide whether your distaste for ritual is more important than your desire to do something effective.

Dealing with ghosts bare-minded

[(Anonymous)]

I just saw a ghost. I am staying at a place, though not in a building, that is known to be heavily haunted. I did a lesser banishing ritual of the pentagram before getting into bed, then prayed for protection to gods I Have a relationship with. I've been having anxiety with a thumping heart since then. I managed to get rid of the creepy feeling but have been unable to sleep. I was more annoyed than anything, but I just opened my eyes again and saw a shadowy figure glide from left to right along the back wall of my darkened room. Given that I've been a damn fool and turned up with nothing in the way of protective substances, and can't even find a sachet of salt, what are my options? Banishing pentagrams don't seem to have done the trick.

-Sleepless in Sydney

Re: Dealing with ghosts bare-minded

[ecosophia]

Why are you worried? This isn't a Hollywood movie; the ghosts are just going about doing their ghostly things, and if they notice you at all it's a matter of "Oh, there's another one of them." Your banishing ritual will keep you from being harmed, so relax, have a beer, and work at getting used to them.

[(Anonymous)]

I now have one of Christopher Warnock's Jupiter Picatrix talismans around my neck. Besides following the provided consecration instructions, is there anything I should know to make the best of it? Or is it just a case of relaxing into it and enjoying the ride?

[ecosophia]

Relax into it and enjoy the ride. That's about the most Jovian thing you can do!

[(Anonymous)]

What are the origins of the Hoodoo bath formulation and red-bag salt and bent nail amulet that you have posted in the Magic Monday FAQ? I've found both to be extremely helpful and so am curious whence they came to you.

Many thanks!

[ecosophia]

I have no idea. I picked them up many years ago during a period of voracious and eclectic reading, and kept them because they work.

Reincarnation with future human population decline.

[(Anonymous)]

1. If, in the pending collapse, the population of humans drops to 10 or 20 percent of its current population, where do all the human souls reincarnate into?

Re: Reincarnation with future human population decline.

[ecosophia]

More likely than not, we'll just get back to an appropriate length of time between incarnations. I've come to think that one of the reasons there's so much gender dysphoria these days is that too many people are coming back into incarnation before they've finished processing their last life, when they still dimly remember being in a different body. Fewer bodies means more time between lives, and less trouble with unprocessed memories spilling over.

Lake Superior as a god.

[(Anonymous)]

If one believes Lake Superior to be a god, how best to interact with it? Currently, I pray to it only.

Re: Lake Superior as a god.

[ecosophia]

Then pray to it and ask for its advice. That's how we know as much as we do about deities, you know!