Magic Monday

[ecosophia]

It's getting on for midnight, so here we go with a new Magic Monday. The picture is of Robert Fludd (1574-1637), one of England's great occult figures: philosopher, geomancer, and alchemical physician, not to mention the author of the last great encyclopedic works of Renaissance occult philosophy. By his time it was becoming clear that his side would lose the reality wars of the late Renaissance, but he never backed down, and he died before the long night of "single vision and Newton's sleep" closed over the western world. 

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 175,317th 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)]

I've seen claims the internet is infested with demons, and it would explain a lot to assume large parts of it are. This would seem to suggest that anything linked to the internet is at risk, and so all of these "home assistant" devices, which need to be connected to the internet and are typically made by some of the worst actors, would seem to count.

My family have several of them (from Amazon, of all places), and I get a distinct feeling of unease whenever I'm near one. Since moving back home I've found my focus and concentration have dramatically declined, and my emotions have been very muddled and contradictory which I understand is a potential indication of demonic activity. I've also noticed my family members have descended from reasonably well adjusted human beings into increasingly deranged and unstable people.

What interests and concerns me is that these devices were introduced on a large scale just prior to the meltdown around Trump/Brexit, so I suspect these devices are involved, likely be offering demons a way into our homes.

1) How could I go about determining if these devices are actually offering demons access to my life?

2) I have stopped using the devices for any purpose, started taking hoodoo baths, will be spending as much time away from home as possible, and started making prayers for protection, but are there other steps I can take to protect myself while I organize things so I can move out if this is a real issue?

[ecosophia]

1) That's a task requiring a fair degree of magical ability -- above all, the ability to tell the difference between mental phenomena produced by yourself and mental phenomena from outside yourself. If you haven't gotten to that point yet, I don't recommend trying what amounts to a fairly tricky bit of differential diagnosis.

2) Just as it's easy to summon demons -- all you have to do is descend to their level, and there they are -- it's easy to banish them: just rise above their level and stay there. Daily banishing rituals are a good basic method here, and other protective rituals such as the Rose Cross ritual or its equivalents can be integrated by those who know how to use them.

Introduction to Astrology

[(Anonymous)]

JMG

I was wondering if you could recommend a good introductory text to astrology, ideally one which is readily available. Many thanks.

Re: Introduction to Astrology

[ecosophia]

The ones I know that are good are not readily available. Anyone else have suggestions?

[(Anonymous)]

1) Do you know of any sources which discuss astrology written during the 1800s, and if so do you know if they discuss the asteroids which were thought of as planets back then?

2) Do you know of any sources which discuss astrological influences on non-human lifeforms?

[ecosophia]

1) There's a fair amount of 19th century astrology available. Robert Cross Smith (who wrote under the pseudonym 'Raphael'), Richard J. Morrison (pseudonym 'Zadkiel'), and William J. Simmonite are among the big names. Those that I've read discuss Uranus and (if they're late enough) Neptune, but not the asteroids -- but I haven't made an exhaustive study of the literature.

2) Sure. There are all kinds of books about interpreting your dog's or cat's sun sign. Other than that, nothing comes to mind.

Surreal object retention

[(Anonymous)]

I'm looking for background on a particular issue I have. I would like to know if there is a technical term to describe the process of when an inanimate object spontaneously returns to you. I have this problem with a few items of my personal property. I throw them away, and they magically return to my possession.

Is this kind of phenomenon recognized?
I can't even think of a good fiction novel for comparison.

Re: Surreal object retention

[ecosophia]

I don't know of a term for it, but have you read Rudyard Kipling's short story "The Monkey's Paw"?

[(Anonymous)]

You mentioned not begin too worried about the 2020 Aries Ingress. I was under the impression that a conjunction involving any of Mars/Saturn/Pluto generally predicts unfortunate events, and being conjunct with all three would severely weaken Jupiter's capacity for positive influences. Am I right to think this would be a major predictor of issues on the global scale then, even if it's not too dangerous in any particular chart?

[ecosophia]

Conjunctions are overrated in contemporary astrology. They're no more important than any other aspect, and less important in mundane astrology than such factors as cusp rulership. There will probably be some significant economic troubles in Canada (and the US) during the year following the 2020 Aries ingress, but the Mars-Jupiter conjunction is trine Venus, and she's in her rulership and governs the 7th and 11th cusps, thus the economic troubles will be partly offset by changes in foreign affairs (7th) and timely action by the national legislature (11th). Mars is also in his exaltation, so expresses his best side.

I'm going to encourage you to cast ingress charts for three or four years in the last couple of decades, and then see if you can figure out how each of the planetary positions predicts events in the news during the period during which the ingress applies. That's a good way to get past the tendency to see doom in planetary relationships!

[(Anonymous)]

Hello JMG,

a few weeks ago I started working with The Druid Magic Handbook and am now at a stage where I begin to integrate the Calling of the Elements in my SoP.

Last Wednesday I invoked and banished air (via Saint Raphael the Archangel) for the second time. The immediate effects were tingling in my hands and a lot of yawning afterwards. I took a note in my Druid journal and thought no more of it.

However, this was not the end of it: In the evening I went into my garden to water the plants. The sky was cloudy but not especially dark. Within minutes a strong wind came out of nowhere, the clouds turned a dark blue but there wasn't any thunder or rain. The trees and bushes where shaking wildly, in the distance I saw clouds of dirt blown in the air and for a minute or so the spent petals from my cherry trees were whirling around me, which looked like being inside a snowstorm. This storm kept on going for the most part of the night. The next day I learned that it caused some damage in the area but no people were hurt.

While I was out there it felt awesome and I didn't feel theatened one bit (in fact I had a broad smile on my face), but thinking about it now I am a bit spooked... first of all, was this just a coincidence or a response to my Calling of the Elements? And if something like this happens after invoking air, what is to be expected when I invoke fire? Am I on the right track?

The morning after this happened, I cast a geomancy reading, asking "Should I -at this point in time- go on with the practices in the DMH?" the result was: both Witnesses "Acquisitio", the Judge "Populus". I take this as a yes?

Also, thank you for writing your books and the oportunity to ask questions here.
I wish you a good night and great week!

[ecosophia]

The powers of air were enthusiastic about your work, and answered it in their usual ebullient way. Fire spirits tend to be less boisterous, so the response will be more sedate. As for the geomancy reading, why, yes -- two favorable figures plus Populus is a favorable reading.

[(Anonymous)]

A while back I asked about how to break a habit that drains willpower, and you said to ignore it and focus on building willpower. At what point do I then use the willpower I've built to fight my bad habits?

[ecosophia]

As long as you're thinking about fighting your bad habits, all you'll do is strengthen them by opposition. What will happen as you build willpower is that the energy will trickle away from the habits you don't like, and one day you'll suddenly notice that you haven't done whatever it is in a week and never quite noticed.

What is magic? What is according to will?

[(Anonymous)]

Hi John! Gnat here. I've asked you this before, practiced patience, checked the FAQ, and I still don't understand "What is magic?"

A change of consciousness can be willfully accomplished with a word from a good psychologist - or hypnotist. It can be caused, willfully, via music. It can be done with a science teacher willfully guiding a student through an experiment. It is done by great orators all the time. I've changed people's consciousness quite dramatically, and according to my will, by simply telling them a parable. I've also done it with a willful gesture. I've changed my own consciousness, similarly, by just asking myself a few questions. And sometimes by praying. I did both of those today and the result was quite profound. Something I had been struggling with for days became, almost immediately, easy. A cruel person can change someone's consciousness quite willfully by torturing them - or betraying them. As I said a long time ago, Steve Jobs changed more people's consciousness more willfully and more effectively than you or I likely ever will. About a year ago, on a planeflight I noticed the lady next to me was shaking, sweating, and white as a sheet. It turned out she had a phobia of flying which had been with her since she was a little girl. I took it away, permanently, in about 3 minutes, by guiding her -- willfully -- through a short visualization.

By your definition, ALL of the above are examples of magic, are they not? If not, why not?

Perhaps the topic deserves a solid essay instead of a one liner which seems to make Steve Jobs and his "reality distortion field" perhaps the greatest magician of our age?

Thank you.

So I am asking for a

Re: What is magic? What is according to will?

[ecosophia]

Excellent. I suggest that you meditate on these themes until you can tell the difference between what I'm talking about and what you're talking about.

Acupressure and Druidry?

[(Anonymous)]

Greetings, and many thanks for sharing your knowledge

If I remember correctly, you've mentioned in the past that qigong doesn't mix with the DMH system of Druidry. I am wondering if you know how the rest of Traditional Chinese Medicine, specifically working with the meridians from a physical standpoint rather than an energy/magical one, fits in with that. (Though, I realise the physical and energetic are usually connected to some degree...) I recently discovered acupressure and its benefits, and I would like to know if there would be any problem in exploring, learning, and/or pursuing it if I've already chosen and started working with the DMH's system of Druidry. Any insight is much appreciated.

Re: Acupressure and Druidry?

[ecosophia]

Good question. My experience with Do-In, a Japanese version of acupressure, suggests that it combines fairly well with the material taught in The Druid Magic Handbook, but I don't happen to know how the Druid work intersects with all systems of acupressure! It's probably worth trying, though.

[(Anonymous)]

Several questions at the moment: first, would it be possible for you (or your web guy) to add the floor wash instructions to the FAQ? (I'll go hunt them up from other weeks comments, as I think they may help with my second question and can't possibly hurt.)

Second, in conversation with my husband, he brought up an event that happened several years ago that he thought was intended to work (or possibly counteract, he was understandably upset and unclear) magic. Three or maybe four years ago someone dumped a trio of kittens that had been clubbed or possibly just dumped at speed at our place. Animals get dumped far too frequently, being near a town, and most of them get eaten by wildlife. Now he's coming from an African background, not an American. I and my folks took it as the usual nasty possible proto serial killer, debated installing trail cams but did not, and never thought again about it, as there was no repeat incident. My husband apparently took it as a threat. Would you know anything about maiming and abandoning animals as a magic act, and if so, any particular protection I should engage in? (My practice is the Gareth Knight book. Our youngest child is four, but is out of the house at least a couple times a week with Grandma, the others are all over seven.) I remember Bill's Vikings, who were rather potent protectors, and doubt that's within my abilities.

Third, my husband also made a comment that he finds the local geni (small spirits of place, in his dialect, such as might claim a boulder or a bush as theirs) to be troublemakers. I find the local spirits to be generally phlegmatic, but this has been my home since childhood, and so I could see them feeling differently about me than him. As far as I know, he doesn't initiate any interactions with them. He's not much on outdoors activities in general, while if I can get away from my other duties I'm content to sit a spell by the creek or on the mountain, which is hardly engagement, but perhaps they just like sitting a spell themselves. Do spirits of place have strong feelings about individual members of a family like that as a usual rule? Is there a good way for me to say to them "hey, I'd appreciate y'all being a little more gentle with my husband, he's having a rough time"? Just sit down and have a chat?

He and I have not been on great terms for a while, particularly in communication terms, so I haven't talked to him about my own magic practice.

BoysMom

[violetcabra]

Dear BoysMom,

If I may; floor washes can be made of extremely diverse things and work very well. The standard floorwash I've seen JMG discuss is a mix of something like 1 cup of vinegar 1 cup of kosher salt and one teaspoon of cayenne pepper in the mop water.

I've never done this particular floorwash, but I have added a cup of Florida water to a bucket of hot water to excellent effect. Also I've had great success with a tea of camomile, hyssop, angelica and wormwood put in the mop water. I've found that lemongrass essential oil diluted in vinegar to be excellent for really impressively dirty energy as well. Lemons, bay leaves, sage, pine needles, nettles, and dandelion also can be added in all sorts of combinations.

My preference is to make a up a mixture that includes 9 herbs since 9 is a number highly emphasized in traditional Hoodoo practice and seems to work very well. If I may, I highly recommend catherine yronwode's _Hoodoo Herb and Root Magic_ and of course JMG's _Encyclopedia of Natural Magic_ .

hereditary vulnerability

[(Anonymous)]

Dear Archdruid,
For the last 3 to 4 years I have been founding harder and harder to be near my mother. As her health deteriorate, she makes me feel anxious and irritable, and lately physically sick. I wonder if hereditarity makes me vulnerable to whatever may be attached to her – at 72 she takes more than 10 pills every day - making me fill threatened? We were never very close but were always in good terms and she is not an unpleasant person in any way. Thank you so much for your opinion, and the MM.

Re: hereditary vulnerability

[ecosophia]

Yes, the blood tie that runs through the maternal line can pass on various influences, some of them baleful. You might find the protective amulet and the protective bath discussed in the Magic Monday FAQ useful; wear the amulet when you visit her and take a protective bath as soon as possible afterwards.

[(Anonymous)]

Hi JMG,

I have just finished working through the final chapter of Learning Ritual Magic. Just wanted to say thanks to you and your co-authors for a wonderful book. I have noticed several real and tangible changes to my life. These are not big, earth-shattering philosophical revelations but everyday matters.

I am now more calm and focused than I was previously. I notice this in little things. For example, I speak clearer and with more purpose. I don't say "umm". I don't struggle to explain myself. When typing on the computer I make fewer mistakes than I used to. When moving I seem to move with more fluidity somehow. Another benefit is that I pay more attention to the world. I seem to be able to take more in. I am more likely to look closer at what I see, spend more time to absorb it and think about it.

These are not things I was trying to improve on and I had no expectation that they would improve from doing the course but it seems they have. Perhaps the fact that I even notice these things about myself is also part of the improvements (the background awareness work).

As I reflect on the course, I'm reminded that my primary motivation for starting the work was curiosity. It seemed like the concept of magic was popping up in several unrelated places and I wanted to find out what it was about. As I think of my next steps, I'm also wondering about motivations.

I recall that at the start of the book you mention that the correct answer is "I want to learn in order to serve". I am still not sure what is meant by that. Perhaps this due to the solitary nature of the work involved in Learning Ritual Magic and also the fact that work is personal in nature. The best interpretation I can think of is "as above, so below": by working on oneself, one also improves the whole. Or is it that this phase of working on myself is a preparation for the work which comes later that serves higher purposes?

I'd be grateful for any guidance you can give on this.

Simon

[ecosophia]

The sentence "I desire to know in order to serve" serves more or less the same functions as the koans used by Zen masters; it's there for you to reflect on, wrestle with, and eventually understand in your own way. If the work is meaningful and beneficial to you, don't worry about it -- just keep on going to the next step.

[(Anonymous)]

Dear JMG,

today I have a few questions. I'll try going in the order of increasing complexity.

1) Will the Dolmen Arch system in your coming book be compatible with daily SOP practice or do they need to be practiced separately?

2) Druidic elements of Nwyfre, Gwyar and Calas seem to correspond to alchemical Sulfur, Spirit and Salt. Now these elements in Alchemy were introduced by Paracelsus. What about the druidic elements? Were they introduced by a revival druid or are they based on ancient texts?

3) What is karma really and how do you deal with it? The naive understanding is you get good things for acting good and similarly you get bad things for acting bad . But it seems to me, humans are poorly equipped to decide which actions are actually good as there are consequences we often can't foresee. The road to hell is paved with good intentions as the saying goes. So how do we choose the right actions to take? (I have a feeling your answer will be along the lines 'use meditation and divination').

4) Is there a counterpart to karma in westen thought? I don't remember any really, but then again western thought doesn't generally deal with reincarnation. Maybe the ancient Celts did?

5) Planes (of existence) are not continuous you keep telling us. But it seems like there are places where planes intersect or at least interact. Like in human bodies, for example. What makes these places so special and can they be created artificially?


- Aspirant

[ecosophia]

1) Daily practice of the SoP is a central part of the Dolmen Arch course.

2) We don't have any ancient texts relating to Druidry -- just a handful of accounts by Greek and Roman tourists and a somewhat larger handful of stories written down by Christian monks centuries after the last Druid died. The three Druidical elements are from the writings of Iolo Morganwg.

3) The word karma in Sanskrit means "action," and the rule of karma is simply that actions have consequences that affect the actor. The kind of naive understanding you've described misses the whole point. Your actions have consequences, in this and future lives -- and yes, meditation and divination are good ways to help you set in motion the consequences you prefer.

4) We don't know what the ancient Celts did or didn't teach on the subject. In modern Druid lore, we differentiate between fate, which is the sum of the consequences of previous actions (basically, karma); destiny, which is the direction your higher self is trying to lead you; and will, which is what you choose to do right here and now. Each of these is as strong as the others, and so any two of them can outweigh the third; a lot of the point of magical training is learning to sense your destiny so that you can align your will with it and overcome your fate.

5) Of course there are points of contact; that's why an act of will can move your hand. Yes, they can be created artificially; that's what a talisman is, for example.

[booklover1973]

Thanks for the advice on Tarot books! The books seem to be quite good.

I had today a reading with all the three cards reversed. I presume that happens from time to time.

My question is: There are many more unicellular organisms, insects and the like than big, multicellular organisms. Are there enough big, multicellular organisms for souls who leave their state as insects or the like to reincarnate in? Apologies, if I asked that already.

Another question: Is there any problem with learning the Sphere of Protection one piece at a time, since one can not remember everything
at the first time?

Sphere of Protection

[(Anonymous)]

It so happens "The Druid Magic Handbook" teaches the SoP in sections. One practices the Elemental Cross and Sphere first, then adds the Gates of the Elements separately, as one memorizes and becomes comfortable with each part of the ritual. Note that the book has you learn Water (West) immediately after Air (East), in order to maintain balance, but in practice one follows the Gates clockwise: Air, Fire, Water, Earth, Spirit Below/Above/Within.

[(Anonymous)]

Hi JMG :) is lucid dreaming a kind of astral journey? And if not, what's the difference? Sorry if this is a dumb question, I'm bad at both (so far!) and they sound like the same thing but from what I've read/heard you say about the two I'm inclined to think you consider them totally different things. Thank you!

[ecosophia]

When you dream, you experience the astral world; when you dream lucidly, you experience it while retaining consciousness of yourself. If you get the trick of lucid dreaming, you can then go on to learn how to do astral projection in your dreams, but in most dreams you remain inside your material body and simply watch the play of astral forms across the surface of your aura.

Troublesome T square

[(Anonymous)]

Hi JMG
I have started doing the SOP from here - http://aoda.org/publications/articles-on-druidry/introduction-to-the-sphere-of-protection/

Is this the correct version as it says that the page needs review? Also I say the words out loud – but would it matter if I had to say them to myself?

Also I have a question about the t square in my horoscope. I have already looked up the meanings of the aspects but how do you put it all together? I have a Mars Mercury conjunction in Taurus in the 9th opposed to Neptune in Scorpio in the 3rd which is squaring Jupiter in Leo in the 12th. Neptune is the rogue element here (the only planet I have in water) and this has led to addictive and evasive behaviour though I am trying to use it better through spirituality and artistic pursuits. Also I feel out of touch with Jupiter ‘submerged’ in the 12th. How can I make the best of this t square?

Thanks.

Re: Troublesome T square

[ecosophia]

1) There is no one correct version. If you'd like to check out a more detailed version, you can find it in my book The Druid Magic Handbook.

2) It's better to say them out loud, but if you have to be silent you can say them to yourself.

3) Er, it would take me a couple of hours of study and a knowledge of the rest of your birth chart to answer that. My suggestion is that you study it, set it aside, and come back to it at intervals; bit by bit, it'll unpack itself for you.

Two Natural Magic Questions

[(Anonymous)]

1. Do you have any recommendations for someone who is wanting to build or rebuild confidence using natural magic? The natural magic aspect would be used as an assist while also using affirmations & doing practical things that build confidence?

2. Where do you think Natural Magic ends and Ritual Magic begins? Is it ritual magic if you are combining Natural Magic techniques with incantations from the Carmina Gadelica, say. --basically what do you think the difference is between a folk spell and the practice of ritual? And is a folk spell safe for those who are otherwise contraindicated from practicing ritual magic due to mental health issues such as anxiety & depression? (The anxiety & depression being the reason for pursuing confidence building?)

Re: Two Natural Magic Questions

[ecosophia]

1) Have you looked up the possibilities in my Encyclopedia of Natural Magic, or some other book on the subject? I don't do a lot of natural magic these days, so don't have a specific recommendation to make.

2) There's a large overlap, of course, and a lot of things don't fall squarely into one category or the other. I'd encourage you to leave the invocations alone, though, until you've gotten a handle on the anxiety and depression.

Golden Dawn book

[(Anonymous)]

Hello JMG

A while back, at a garage sale, I found what I thought was a treasure: an obviously very old book - we’re talking probably late 1800s but the title page with any dates is missing - with the title The Golden Dawn or Light on the Great Future. I quickly handed over my 25 cents, without looking through it. When I got home and started actually looking through it, I found that it had nothing to do with any magical organization, but rather seems to be a guide to death. A heavily Christian guide especially toward the end. It is approximately 600 pages of selected essays poems and lectures by a variety of authors. Do you know anything about this book? Is it anything other than what it appears to be?

Re: Golden Dawn book

[ecosophia]

Hmm! No, I've never heard of it, but books on how to get ready to die were fairly popular back in the days when death wasn't such a taboo subject. It sounds as though that's what you found.

[(Anonymous)]

Question for JMG and the forum in general:

A little bit ago JMG mentioned that one of the gifts of Catholic Mysticism is bilocation. This has got me thinking, what are the gifts of other forms of intensive religious devotion? What are the specific spiritual gifts of Druidry? Of Hellenismos? Of Voudon? Of Ásatrú? What does the literature of comparative religion say on the matter? What does personal experience say on the matter?

On my end I've met Christians who are extremely helpful, kind and luminous; Druids who seem deeply reconciled with who they, with wonderful senses of humor, impeccable common sense and a balanced glow; and Hellenes with a very bright, wordy charisma and intense sexual energies. To be very fair, my sample sizes though are very small, and I'm extremely curious other people's thoughts!

[ecosophia]

Hmm! A fascinating question. Back in the day, for what it's worth, the special gift of Rosicrucians was invisibility -- when rumor got around that Rene Descartes was a Rosicrucian, he made sure to be seen in public a lot, in order to convince people that he wasn't one of the mysterious "Invisibles"!

[(Anonymous)]

Hi JMG!

1) There was a question about energy centers and aikido last week, which got me thinking:
Is the energy center thats called tanden/hara in aikido identical with the energy center that is called The Cauldron of Warming in the Druid Magic Handbook? If not, what happens when a druid practices aikido and develops the two accompanying energy centers? Do they interfere with druid magic or can you for example integrate them in the Grail Working exercises and fill them up with nwyfre at the same time (getting better at aikido in the process)? Or can you only use one set of centers at a time and switch accordingly?

2) Do you happen to know where I can find a picture of an old-school revival druidry Crane Bag? Most Crane Bag images you find online look not at all like something that could reasonably be imagined to be made out of a crane but more like a handbag with plenty of vaguely celtic knick-knacks tacked on...

Thank you, have a good week!

[ecosophia]

1) It's the same center. I've practiced both arts and can confirm this. The womb center or lower cauldron is the same as the hara.

2) None of the old-school revival Druidry crane bags I've seen look like they were made out of a crane. They're simple bags of leather or cloth, with or without Celtic knick-knacks.

Beginner Question

[(Anonymous)]

Good morning Mr. Greer. I've recently picked up Learning Ritual Magic as you recommended on the open post and in doing the exercises I've found a couple of things I wanted to ask about.

1. I've been reviewing the tarot for a couple of days now when yesterday something caught my attention. It was towards the end of the day, I had both been reflecting on my own lack of progress is life, and had talked with both my parents of feeling disheartened about the future as well as feeling like I hadn't been living up to my potential. As I went through each taking the a moment to take them in I found that one of them was sitting in the deck reversed. It was the Three of Pentacles, and when I checked my LWB the reverse read mediocrity in work, puerility, weakness etc. I wrote it in my journal, but I wanted to ask if I was just reading to much into it?

2. Taking time to read through some of the other posts here, I also noticed that you bring up something that happens when you start practice that brings unresolved issues to the surface. I was wondering if I should do something about that now, as when I do my daily recollection I find myself going through until I hit a point in the day that's situation pulls me to start thinking back on things in my life that make me miserable. I'm not in any rush to learn, so I just wanted to know if I should pump the breaks before the real deal begins.

I guess right now I'm concerned about over thinking things as well as suffering a bit of cognative dissonance as the small bit of catholic upbringing clashes with what I experienced as well as trying to put in good faith work. As always, thank you for your time.

Re: Beginner Question

[ecosophia]

1) Take it as a message, but don't worry about it too much. That tells you what you can change first.

2) Karmic culmination happens when it happens, and its intensity depends on how many awkward things in your life you're not dealing with. From what you've said, it sounds as though you're well aware of the things you need to work on, and so you may get little or no trouble from it.

[(Anonymous)]

Any magical advice for supporting willpower
In stopping an addictive/compulsive behaviour (in my case, obsessively checking sports stats online, when it's been years since I took any real interest in following sports leagues themselves). I'm taking action on the physical plane as well (disconnecting from "smart" devices, as well as journalling...etc), but it's been a longstanding struggle and want to support it any way I can. I was thinking a potion or bath for strengthening the will, maybe based on a carnelian stone I recently acquired. Any tips or advice?

Also, I just took off my salt and nail amulet after wearing it for about 2 months, and wow! The salt is totally discoloured - reddish brown instead of bright white. TSW!

[ecosophia]

I'm going to suggest that you do some journaling about the habit of checking sports stats. You're doing that for a reason, and from what I gather, you may not be aware of the reason. The method of journaling I recommend is covered in the Magic Monday FAQ, linked in the post; spend some time talking with your habit, and find out what it means to you, what emotions and experiences it connects to, and what you might be hiding from or chasing after by doing it. Knowledge, rather than will, is generally the more effective solvent for such things.

Slate people

[emmanuelg]

In my interactions with the public, emails, prayers--any sort of communication--I get a sort of 'empathic return' from the other person. I can feel something of their emotions, sometimes emotions that they might want to hide. This does not seem unusual to me, and I am sure that most of us have this going on.
Within the past month, I have interacted with a few people in the stores in which I work who don't seem to produce any empathic return; Their emotions feel like a flat, grey slate to me. I also pray for a number of people that they would receive God's help, guidance and forbearance. In the same time period, a couple of them have gone to slate as well.
The slate people are not always people who dislike me. I get empathic return of sorrow, rage, violent urges and hatred from some of the people I meet in public (mostly directed elsewhere!).

I am at a loss to interpret what it means to have no empathic feedback. Any thoughts on this?

Re: Slate people

[violetcabra]

Fascinating! I've noticed that people who are constantly using screens have auras that are two dimensional and screen-like. I found this highly salient on a subway. Everyone was on their phone and their auras felt flat and hard whereas a woman sat next to me and read a book and she seemed like their were deep tinkling waters flowing through her soul.

I'm not sure we're seeing the same thing, but my though is that perhaps certain practices like cellphone addiction and radical materialism cultivate what you're observing.

people going missing in the wilderness

[(Anonymous)]

JMG,

I have been reading some about the so-called "Missing 411" phenomenon.

https://www.nabigfootsearch.com/missing_411.html

Some claim that large numbers of people have gone missing on public wilderness lands in the United States under suspicious circumstances.

While much of the material I've read has seemed sensationalistic and rather short on facts, a few of the documented cases (if accurately rendered) seem very strange and frightening indeed and remind me of supposed faery/ufo abductions.

Starting from the premise that most people who go missing in wilderness simply got lost and died from exposure, and figuring that at least some were killed by humans or animals, I'm wondering to what extent you think it's also possible that at least some people have been taken/abducted by some kind of interdimensional portal or sinister otherworldly entity.

And since I go to the woods by myself a a lot, I am wondering what kind of good magical protection I might employ against such a threat if it does indeed exist. Perhaps an iron nail?

Thanks,

Franklin

Re: people going missing in the wilderness

[robertmathiesen]

Far more often that not, a missing person has simply gotten lost in the woods and died there from starvation and exhaustion. Human skeletons turn up there from time to time, according to people who spend a lot of time in the woods. It is extremely easy to get lost in any unfamiliar landscape that is generally empty of people.

However, there may be at least two other things at work in a few of these cases. One is the occasional appearance of a "doorway" that leads into one or another of the "Other Places. -- See my comment at 2:30 am on Juy 29, 2016, to this post on our host's other blog:

www.ecosophia.net/blogs-and-essays/the-well-of-galabes/how-not-to-learn-magic-an-introductory-note/ )

The other is that some place on the land feel hungry for human lives; some of them, I have heard, were recognized by the Native Americans as "eating places" or "killing places." -- See my comment at 12:56 am on July 30, 2016, to the very same post on our host's other blog.

These seem to me to be two different phenomena. The "eating places" kill you in This World, and your remains may be found and recovered. The "doorways" take you into one of the Other Worlds, from which you may never return.

Geomantic ritual magic

[baltargaiussmith]

Good morning ADJMG,

Thank you for hosting these Q&A times, I've been a reader since the ADR days and have derived tremendous benefit from your work and writing. My questions relate to geomantic ritual magic: first, is there an geomantic ritual equivalent to the sweetening jar/candle spell commonly recommended here? It seems Amissio would be first choice for a gamahe, but I note that Amissio in the 8th house in pre-working divination is not favorable for lasting love. Or, rather than a general love gamahe, would the better idea be to combine journalling/discursive meditation/diviniation to figure out the specific issues to address via magic or otherwise?

I am also unclear on an underlying principle: if Amissio is good for losing one's heart, should an Amissio working specifically focused on love be done during the waning moon or the waxing moon? Which principle takes precedence?

Also re: geomantic ritual, what about a gamahe designed to make one more disciplined regarding daily tasks (athletics, getting up early, etc). Would this be a Carcer gamahe because of the limitation inherent in living under discipline, or perhaps Puer to increase personal energy?

Lastly, have you ever heard of using geomantic gamahes/talismans to increase one's skill at magic? Is such a thing possible, or is this the equivalent of wishing for more wishes, and should be avoided?;)

Thank you again for all of this -- I sincerely hope you produce some additional materials on geomancy at some point in the future, its quite the elegant system.

Gaius

Re: Geomantic ritual magic

[ecosophia]

Most of these questions will have to be settled by experimental work, as the fine details of Renaissance geomantic magic are mostly lost. I would always recommend journaling, meditation, and divination prior to any working as a way to help keep things from going pear-shaped.

Amissio will encourage you or another person to lose their heart, which may or may not be what you want in a given situation; Conjunctio, to bring about union, or Laetitia, to bring happiness, might be better choices. Similarly, "more discipline" is vague -- if you want to get up early, Caput Draconis would be a good choice, while athletics are ruled by Puer.

Half of magical practice focuses on getting better at magic. Here again, though, you have to choose your figure based on what you need. Mental clarity is best sought through Albus, for example.

You're most welcome. Have you considered studying geomancy systematically, and then, based on your own experience, writing books on it yourself?