Magic Monday

[ecosophia]

It's getting on for midnight as I write this, so we can proceed with a new Magic Monday. Let's start things out with a quote again: 

 

"Meditation is by no means an easy thing of achievement. It is the calisthenics of the soul, and leads on to its acrobatics and athletics.  When we first embark upon its practices we shall find that when the first enthusiasm wanes, the mind itself will resist the practices as with a deliberately willed antagonism.  This corresponds to the stiffness of the muscles of an athlete who is out of condition." 

 

That's from Dion Fortune's Aspects of Occultism, one of the books of hers that did an enormous amount to shape my understanding of magic and the occult.   

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. (Any question received after then will not get an answer, and will probably be deleted.) If you're in a hurry, or suspect you may be the 143,916th person to ask a question, please check out the very rough version 1.0 of The Magic Monday FAQ here.

 

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

And don't forget to look up your Pangalactic New Age Soul Signature at CosmicOom.com!  

Comments

[(Anonymous)]

1) I’ve decided to take action to address the fact my life truly sucks right now. I’ve identified two addictions I have which are getting in the way of this project though: porn and the internet in general. I’m mulling over what an addiction is, and have come to the conclusion it is a divided will. This seems to suggest that if I can unify my will I can eliminate my addictions. Is this a reasonable chain of logic? How do you go about unifying the will?

2) I’m planning to address my addictions directly through journaling and slowly whittling away at my internet addiction by identifying things I do online but could do without the internet and moving them one by one away from it; as well as the less direct way of pursuing a systematic transformation of my life. I think the internet and porn addictions are both a cause and symptom of the fact my life sucks, and so if I can give myself a life worth living, I’ll be able to address my addictions easier. Are there other steps you can think of I can take?

3) As part of this process I plan to start working through some ritual magic, starting with LRM and then moving on to Circles of Power/Paths of Wisdom, The Tree of Life, and Dion Fortune’s writings. (I plan to spend the rest of this incarnation on the task; and I’m young and long lives run in my family, so I expect to have plenty of time for it!) I’m thus planning to take the time while I work through LRM to look at the three other books, so that I can see what is worth learning there as well. Is this a reasonable thing to do, or would I be better off using the three books I know I’ll want to work through later?

[ecosophia]

All this is very good to hear.

1) Yes, it's a reasonable chain of logic, but the unification of the will is not something you can do easily or all at once. You will spend the rest of this incarnation working on it. Mind you, even your first baby steps will transform your life! I'll be doing a series of posts on training the will here on Dreamwidth shortly, which should give you some help -- but the simple routine of taking up an occult practice and maintaining it will do a great deal to help you get started.

2) That is to say, you've recognized the vicious circle: addiction --> misery --> more addiction --> more misery, and so on. That's crucial. Taking it apart a step at a time is the best way to go about it.

3) By all means read the three further books while you're working on LRM. The path of self-initiation requires a lot of self-correction, and having a good sense of the options is useful in that.

[(Anonymous)]

Hello JMG,

Returning to the ever-popular topic of pornography, my thinking on the topic has led me to the conclusion that it's an inherently frustrating genre, because it can never deliver a genuine sexual experience, which is what its audience craves the most. It's like watching a fast food ad that triggers your salivary glands, and pretending that you had a decent meal while drooling all over yourself. Porn triggers a physiological response that roughly approximates what happens during the real thing, but is otherwise completely artificial, stripped of its context, the sizzle without the steak.

I've also realized that it has negative psychological effects on men, particularly in how they see and interact with women, one of them being a sense of entitlement to women's bodies, and the delusion that every woman is sexually willing and available at any time. I see many of the male pathologies of our time, from PUAs to the incels, as being subliminally influenced by the pornographic mentality. While I don't think there's anything wrong with sexualizing the other gender in some contexts (perpetuation of the species and all that), the oversexualization of women prevents men from interacting with them as human beings.

So my question is: do you think the above conclusions have any merit? And secondly, could masturbation, even without porn, have similar effects if carried out in a "porn-like" state of mind?

[ecosophia]

Yes and yes. If you've saturated your imagination with pornographic imagery, what you imagine while masturbating will be little more than a rehash of the last hundred or so pieces of pornography you've seen. That's true of all visual media, btw -- your thoughts about products, for example, will be shaped by the last thousand or so TV ads you've seen. (This is one of the many reasons why getting rid of your television is so useful a step in personal liberation.)

Keep in mind, btw, that cheap romance fills the same role in women's mentalities that cheap pornography fills in men's mentalities. It encourages emotional rather than sexual self-stimulation, but it has negative psychological effects on women, shaping how they see and interact with men in equally dysfunctional ways.

[(Anonymous)]

In your Christian-compatible LBRC, you explicitly mention the name of Satan. As I understand it, explicitly mentioning the names of deities is supposed to have some sort of power or effect. Is the same true of figures like Satan? I realize you don't say to vibrate the name of Satan or anything, but was wondering anyway, especially given the idiom "speak of the devil, and he appears".

[ecosophia]

Satan is a title, not a name. It means "adversary" in Hebrew. That's why it can be used, and is used, in Christian magic as a convenient label for the evil power whose works and wiles are to be bound.

[(Anonymous)]

Thank you very much for spending your time answering these questions!

During your last interview on Hermitix you mention that people generally shouldn't use drugs on their spiritual journey. What about all the ancient rituals that used mind altering chemicals?

Tangent from the previous question, you've mentioned your dislike of Crowley's personality and methods in the past while respecting his work; is his books Book of Thoth and Liber 777 still worth investing time into, or are their better resources for tarot/qabala? Would you recommend using his tarot deck or would it be tainted?

Also, are orgone and anthroposophy worth researching or do you not give them much stock?

[ecosophia]

1) There are spiritual paths that use psychedelics. My point was that occultism is not one of them.

2) Liber 777 was plagiarized by Crowley -- it was mostly written by Samuel Mathers, which is why it's pretty useful. The Book of Thoth, like most of Crowley's original work, is very uneven -- some people find it useful, I don't. The Thoth tarot deck was almost entirely the work of Lady Frieda Harris, and if you find it attractive, by all means.

3) Both of these are worth looking into. Both Reich and Steiner got pretty odd toward the ends of their respective careers, but they did a lot of good work before then.

The Ether

[(Anonymous)]

Hello!

How would you demonstrate the reality of the etheric and / or astral levels to someone who is open to new things?

Thanks!

Re: The Ether

[ecosophia]

I wouldn't. I would simply encourage such a person to keep an open mind, begin doing some set of basic practices, and draw his own conclusions on the basis of his experiences.

Etheric Vacuum?

[(Anonymous)]

Hi JMG,

I bought and read last week’s featured book, Practical Occultism, and it is worthy of many re-readings. A question, though, if you please:

If I understand correctly, women tend to consume male energy. My husband of 35 years is a classic introvert; totally happy to keep his own company, but will socialize just fine when needs must. Guess you could say I’m introvert light. We enjoy each other’s company, even if it’s just sharing space while we read or whatnot.

So if he doesn’t hang with the guys, is my presence wearing him down? He’s retired, and I’m not, so he has time to chill on his own. Good thing, maybe? Those stats about women living longer than men have me wondering. And a bit worried.

Scarlet Orthogonal Opossum

Re: Etheric Vacuum?

[ecosophia]

This is one of the places where I think Fortune was overgeneralizing from the sexual neuroses of her own time and place. A physically and mentally healthy woman radiates etheric energy, and being around her is good for a man, since most men need to absorb etheric energy. It's when women are so tied up in neuroses, and so physically crippled by wearing tight corsets all their lives, that they have no energy to spare and men find them exhausting to be around.

-- Magenta Translucent Pangolin

[(Anonymous)]

Hi JMG,

I‘ll stay vague to not give people ideas but is there a known practice to form figues of a person out of clay and then muck around with hair and a cord and do some other things with it?

I found myself starting to do this before catching myself and wondering what the frack I was thinking there. Stopped and destroyed everything constructed so far, of course.

Past life memory or a kind of obsession? Banishing helped, as did prayer...

[ecosophia]

Yes, that's a known practice, and a distinctly nasty one. My guess is a past life memory was involved.

Magic for Gardeners?

[(Anonymous)]

Hi John
Green Wizard’s Field Report – Yesterday, I rented a skid-steer loader with a rototiller attachment to deal with a Brobdingnag compost heap. The tiller did a good job of turning very rough material into a 20X60 garden bed. Unfortunately, a wet summer and a rainstorm cut the festivities short. Oh, well. I have a rake to deal with what’s left to do.
Anyway – Aside from picking the first Saturday that was favorable from The Old Farmer’s Almanac, I performed no religious or magical rites. Do you know of anything I could do while gardening to properly align my efforts with divine will and show my appreciation for the gods’ favor?
(I’m reading The Druidry Handbook with favorable early returns, and The Celtic Golden Dawn is – naturally – the official magical system of the GWB&PA… so, I guess I’m heading that way. Quite a step from agnostic green mechanic…)
And my other report from the field – I thought rattling off a poem every Friday for a few weeks would be easy, but… nope. As I said, reading “In Praise of Johnny Appleseed” is like being in a rugby scrum just before it starts moving. It doesn’t feel impossible, though. Magical traction, right? So, how do I get more force on my push?
Rusty… err… Cobalt Eldritch Puppy, rather.
PS – Any chance you might expand your remark on progress and Kabbalistic Tree of Life in your “Perpetual Progress” post on the 28th of last month?

Re: Magic for Gardeners?

[ecosophia]

1) There are rituals for gardening, but you need to have the basics down before you try them. If you're enjoying The Druidry Handbook, by the way, you might find The Druid Magic Handbook to your taste rather than The Celtic Golden Dawn.

2) Just keep pushing!

3) Well, what else did you want to know about it?

[(Anonymous)]

Thank you! I am much relieved, and husband had a hearty laugh. 😊

[ecosophia]

Glad to hear it.

[(Anonymous)]

I've doing well overcoming habits that I consider destructive. But I find myself falling into alternate paths that still keep me addicted to stimulation, one possibly being music. I tend to feel at home, calmer when listening to it and also enjoy playing an instrument. But I'm starting to suspect I might have an addiction for it (if music addiction is a thing?) since it's a permanent feature of (almost) my whole day. I would appreciate any insight on this.

[ecosophia]

It's very often a good idea to use a harmless addiction to fill the void left by a harmful one. Music is about as harmless as you can get, and playing an instrument is good for you. I'd say don't worry about it.

Sleep well!

[kimberlysteele]

Hi JMG,

I hope you and many commenters are getting a good night's sleep right now. I rounded out my Demonic Infestation of the Left series with some talk about how it is better (but not necessarily easier) to bless instead of curse. With the Left's horrific antics in Portland and other cities and the continued terror of lockdowns, every little bit of morale-boosting is sorely needed from anyone willing to do the work.

https://kimberlysteele.dreamwidth.org/7874.html

Re: Sleep well!

[ecosophia]

Many thanks for this.

[(Anonymous)]

Are there advanced versions of the SOP like there are advanced versions of the LBRP?

[ecosophia]

Not that I know of. The SoP is a good deal more recent than the LBRP -- it was created by John Gilbert in the 1970s -- and so there's still a lot of developmental work possible with it.

moon and earth

[kallianeira]

Greetings JMG and everyone.

Another "does-this-make-a difference" novice astrological inverted Antipodean plea for reassurance.

For finding which sign the Moon is in there are online ephemeridae and also momentary positions, eg the panel on the Astrodienst front page showing current alignments gives

Moon 6 (Aquarius) 39' 7" 21s41 for the current time.

The question is, does this hold everywhere on Earth or must adjustments be made for location as for the position of the Sun?

Thank you!

Re: moon and earth

[ecosophia]

Relax. That's true everywhere on Earth. The Sun's position in the zodiac is also the same for every location on Earth; it's purely when you bring houses into play that you need to know your location.

[(Anonymous)]

What is a good practice to unblock long and deeply repressed anger?

[ecosophian]

Not JMG,

but probably doing something like this will help (don't try it at home):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=93ftbw3blWY

[(Anonymous)]

Is "may life be as sweet to you as you are to other people" a curse?

[ecosophia]

Depends on your definition of the word "curse." You'd better be prepared to have exactly the same thing happen to you, though.

[(Anonymous)]

What are migraines?

[ecosophia]

Did you try looking the word up in an online dictionary?

Incence

[(Anonymous)]

John,
When I’m carrying out my various OBOD rituals I tend to use incense, in particular when blessing the circle. I’ve tried various ‘flavours’ but they are very harsh and the smell can become over powering and I am becoming tired of them. Have you got any suggestions for alternatives that are more subtle and give an appropriate wood or forest like ambience? Whist still fulfilling the same functional role.
Regards Averagejoe

Re: Incence

[ecosophia]

There's a lot of very crappy incense out there. I like to use Japanese incense, especially the varieties made by Shoyeido, because its scents are subtle and it doesn't produce billowing clouds of smoke. If you're tired of incense altogether, though, simply "consecrate the grove with fire" using a small candle in a metal cauldron or something of the sort -- the symbolism will be equally suitable, and you can use unscented votive candles if you want to avoid scent altogether.

Effects of being the target of sexual fantasies?

[(Anonymous)]

I'm male, but have never been addicted to pornography myself.

I found myself being more susceptible to sexual fantasies and memories when masturbating, I tried giving up masturbation a few times before, my longest stretch lasted more than 3 months before I met a partner, after that I masturbated to sexual memories and thoughts of her. That's what I've mostly masturbated to since then.

I recently started avoiding masturbation again, this time, catching myself in the act of indulging in fantasies and just observing the fantastical thoughts without getting sucked into them. So far, so good, it seems that it takes less effort that my previous attempts.

Anyway, I am curious on one point: you mentioned before that it's not good to masturbate to sexual thoughts of a real person. You said it often works like a badly cast love spell, where the target experiences warm feelings that turn into repulsion. Could you elaborate on the effects on the target herself though? Would there be a difference with masturbating to a partner you're in a relationship with vs someone you're lusting after?

Thanks

Re: Effects of being the target of sexual fantasies?

[ecosophia]

The target -- the person you're imagining -- is likely to feel a brief period of sexual arousal directed at you. If the two of you are in a relationship, that's not a problem; if the two of you broke up, she's going to think of you, and then all the reasons behind the breakup are going to come to mind, and she'll react against the arousal by feeling even less attraction to you than before.

[(Anonymous)]

Hello Mr Greer,

I'm reading now a Robert Henderson book "Emotion and Healing in the Energy Body". It's a handbook of subtle energies in massage and yoga. He's good at explaining nature of subtle energies and how energies in our bodies may be disrupted, blocked or hurt.

He's mentioning many times that a skilled person can see the colour of the energy body surrounding the person and can attune to those energies. But what the book is lacking are tips and techniques on how to develop the skills to see subtle energies.

Do You recommend some book where I can find more about developing the skills of working and seeing subtle energies?

Michał

[ecosophia]

The best one I know is How to Read the Aura and Practice Psychometry, Telepathy, and Clairvoyance by W.E. Butler.

Dolmen Arch Student Third Grade

[(Anonymous)]

Hello JMG!

A few questions :)

- My practice of the SoP is taking what I think is way too long to complete, around half an hour, sometimes 45 minutes or more (specially now with the addition of the 3 cauldrons). I'm not sure why, if it's my attempt to make the images complete and intense, if it's a tendency to go deep into every part of it... my questions are: is it taking too long, what is a good amount of time dedicated to it and is there any suggestions to improve this?

- The Law of Sequence is mentioned again in the philosophy lecture of Grade 3, and the more I reflect about it, the more the Law of Circularity seems to fit in it's place, because there is always the theme of constant change and evolution surrounding that point of the lecture when it's mentioned. Circularity, the return to, or creation of, a new unity (chalenge, response and reintegration), seems to fit well. Besides meditating on Sequence itself, and meditating on which of the Seven laws could fit on it's place, is there any other layer to investigate?

- My wife is starting the study and practice of Anthroposophy, and one thing she is missing is a practice of cleansing/balancing like the SoP. Do you know if the SoP (or maybe the one from the CGD) are compatible with Steiner's methods, or if there is a practice in the system she doesn't know about yet?

- Could you please describe the recipe for the hoodoo house cleaning (the one with the mop), and how often should I do it if moving to a new house with a heavy energy lingering there?

Thank you so much for your answers and hosting this Q&A!

Re: Dolmen Arch Student Third Grade

[ecosophia]

1) There is no right or wrong amount of time for that working. You can always try speeding it up or slowing it down a bit and seeing if it changes the results.

2) Just keep on meditating. ;-)

3) I know of no reason why the SoP would be incompatible with Anthroposophy, but the Anthroposophists might disagree. If she's studying on her own, she can certainly take up the SoP; if she's studying with a school or teacher, she should follow the guidance she's receiving from that source.

4) To a bucket of hot water, add a half cup of lemon ammonia, a quarter cupf of salt, and a good pinch of the hottest red pepper you can find. Mop your whole house, starting with the kitchen and ending at the front door. YOu can do this once a week with good results.

[(Anonymous)]

Hello JMG,

Would you happen to know what is the best day and time to contact Odin? Would I be right to guess that the best day is Wednesday (Woden's day), as he is associated with Mercuty?

Also, do the Norse gods appreciate an altar and some incense (e.g. Frankincense) when they are being prayed to?

[ecosophia]

You'd want to ask some experienced Heathens about those. I've never worked with the Norse gods.

DMH cauldron questions

[(Anonymous)]

Dear JMG,

1. I am going to do the ritual to enchant the cauldron as described in the DMH on Aug 6 (what my astrological calendar tells me is Lughnasadh). I just want to make sure I understand the instructions correctly:

The first direction I will face will be Imbolc, and I will draw a heather pentagram with the wand, starting with the point facing down. Then, I am to change places and go to the next station, which means I will be facing Alban Eiler. There, I draw another heather pentagram, but starting from the lower left point. Is that correct?

2. I have been meditating on the symbolism of the cauldron, and on the Wheel of the Year. In the DMH, the double cycle of the wheel is hinted at, where in the spirit world, their current station is opposite to the current station in our world, and that the spirit world is connected with the telluric current.

In the Mabinogion, Arawn is described as being the king of the underworld, or Annwn. But Annwn is also, as described in the Dolmen Arch, is the unmanifest, the realm of pure possibility. So Annwn is the underworld, where nwwfre returns to, the pool of potential, so this correspondence makes sense to me. But the connection to the telluric current doesn't, because the telluric current is a source of nwyfre at the heart of the planet, and is already therefore in manifestation.

Is this a case where different facets of the symbols simply mean different things in different contexts, or am I misunderstanding something?

Thank you!

Re: DMH cauldron questions

[ecosophia]

Delighted to hear it!

1) Yes, that's correct.

2) It's one of those places where different symbols mean different things in different contexts.

[(Anonymous)]

Hi John Michael
OT for almost everything - but- does TSW work or what !
Spent the last 4 days devouring the first 3 Haliverse books, enjoyed them and ..(to the point) I decided to change pace and start again on the formidable Process & Reality of A N Whitehead.
He uses the term “prehension” a lot; (I mean a LOT) so I thought I’d make sure I grokked it (Hey couldn’t Grok mean prehension ?) and found this in the Free Dictionary
"prehension the act of gripping something with the hands (or the tentacles)"

:) :) :)

BTW I think I’ve found the origin of the Shambler in The Horror of the Heights by Arthur Conan Doyle !

[ecosophia]

Funny. Yes, "prehend" is one good translation of "grok," and if you like to grok with tentacles, you'll get along well with the characters in the Haliverse.

As for the Shambler, indirectly, yes. The direct source is a very early Robert Bloch story, "The Shambler from the Stars," which was influenced by Doyle's tale. Bloch was a teenage kid when he wrote "Shambler;" he was a fan and correspondent of H.P. Lovecraft's, and asked his permission to write a story in which Lovecraft was devoured by an invisible monster. Lovecraft was delighted by the prospect -- and then returned the favor in "The Haunter of the Dark," in which a character very obviously based on Bloch suffered an equally hideous fate.

[(Anonymous)]

Dear JMG,

When I started magical practice a couple of years ago, my desire to make music and play music dropped off. With a full-time job, I can't do both. After journalling and self-reflection, I realized that a major motivation behind making and playing music was for the approval of others, mixed in with a genuine joy of the music itself. I'd often imagine playing music at an instrument in front of other people, and receiving their awe and appreciation at my skill. I understand that with any art, the desire to share it with others is a healthy motivation, but in me it is particularly ego-driven as it seems I desired self-validation from others.

In reality though, although I was fast learner, I can't play with any great skill, I started learning an instrument way too late in life, my fingers just aren't that dextrous as I age, and during the few times I played in public, I was far too awkward to get anywhere close to the fantasies I described above.

With magic, it's so much different. I seemed to take to it like a duck to water. The practice of playing a music instrument daily has given me the self-discipline to do divination, the SOP, and meditate daily. My past background in art school, and an overactive imagination when I was a kid, has helped give me some useful skills clearly helpful for magical practice. And no one except my wife knows I do magic at all, so it's not about feeding my ego. It appears that I am drawn to magic in itself, and especially, for a lack of a better term, the 'quest for wisdom'. It looks like it has always been a theme I was not cognisant of until the last few years.

However music has been a goal for so long that I still struggle with letting it go. I can't tell if I am encountering the Watcher at the Threshold when it comes to music, and whether the relative ease I took to magic is something to be suspicious of, or embraced because perhaps I've found what I'm supposed to be doing.

I know this is a very personal thing I'm dealing with, just wondering if you might have any advice on the matter.

Thanks very much!

[kimberlysteele]

Not JMG, but I feel you on this one as I am a musician (who has a lifelong career as a music teacher) who has been tempted to give it all up several times over my lifespan of nearly 50 years. Music is just so frustrating and yes, our success is often equated with how popular our music is or whether or not we are able to support ourselves. I ran into a music professor once who arrogantly crowed about not being a "real" musician unless you were able to support yourself making music like he did. So I guess by his rules P. Diddy was a more authentic musician than W.A. Mozart because $$$.

Like you, practice of my instruments prepared me for magic in a way I did not expect. I started the Druidry routine 2.5 years ago and though I'm loathe to say it out loud, I think I may be a bit of a gifted student. Well, at least I get a lot out of it, at any rate. And if you ever want to go tit for tat with overactive imagination syndrome, seriously, I think you may have met your match.

I don't know how long you've been doing your practices, but I noticed especially at the 1.5 year mark that my past lives started making themselves heard. I was a musician in a couple of past lives, one time as my career when I was also a Don Juan and ended up hanging from a scaffold for it, and other times just as a hobby. From what I can tell and thanks to what some of the gods have been willing to share with me, any musical skill you gain will be with you throughout your lifetimes, so you might as well learn and practice all you can in whatever time you can cram into your schedule. Musical skill is cumulative. This has kept me sane as a music teacher because no matter how badly my students denigrate themselves (piano is an especially demoralizing instrument BTW) I always have the serene knowledge that the more I lift them up, the more they will learn and what they do pick up will NEVER go away. Talk about a value for the money one spends on music lessons!

I sing the and play the accompaniments and melodies I have made for the Orphic hymns every night to approximately 3 people as a YouTube livestream, one of whom is my husband watching from the upper floor of our house. Almost nobody cares about the music I compose. I will die in obscurity. I'm absolutely fine with that.

[(Anonymous)]

1. WRT the planetary SoP, the gate of spirit within corresponds to the moon, but this seems at odds with the traditional practice of assigning spirit within a word of power, rather than a deity. Is there a tension here? For the record, this is the version I practice, with seemingly good results.

2. I have recently had a break-up. Painful yes, but deep down we both know it was the right move. A testament to me reading your blog led me to question...what are the etheric/astral processes of a break up? Does that explain why it can hurt so bad, even when its the right move? Maybe this is a *cough cough fine theme cough cough*

[ecosophia]

1) The Moon is a symbol of the soul. Yes, there's a tension -- work with it, meditate on it, and see where it leads you.

2) When two people are in love they create an egregor -- that is, a group mind -- out of their shared thoughts and feelings. If it's a sexual relationship, the egregor is charged with etheric energy. When the relationship breaks up, it's like an amputation -- your astral and etheric bodies are used to the support and presence of the egregor, and now that's not there any more. So, yes, it hurts. (And yes, it's a fine theme for meditation!)