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"Stupid" magick, religion and spirituality questions

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12:37 / 27.03.06

Destroying it would feel right to me - but while you do so you could visualise reabsorbing any "bound energy" for instance?

You could always incorporate fragemnts of it - ashes, or fragments of cloth in a future ritual/tailsman.

12:41 / 27.03.06

Perhaps you could alter it in some way? Wash it, purify it, then change the buttons, add a bit of embroidery, or a patch or embellishment of some kind? Even just on the tag, or on the inside where it's not visible. With magical intent, of course.

For some reason I'm thinking a Hagl rune should be involved.

Er. That's all I got.

12:42 / 27.03.06

Or, y'know, dye it. White takes dye well, and you say you don't wear a lot of white.

14:55 / 27.03.06

Nolan J. Werner - I do keep a dream diary, not all that uh...disciplined about it.

Then become disciplined about it. It can be a difficult routine to establish, esp. if you're useless until you get some coffee in you, but perservere and you'll get what you're after. Write in that journal every morning, even if it's just a word or two.

As a booster for that (not a substitute), I've found that a permanent sigil works pretty well. I've got one carved into a hunk of baked Sculpey that sits by my dream journal. I visualize that sigil before I go to sleep and it seems to help my retention in the morning.

16:04 / 27.03.06

Shrug asked about swans...

There are a lot of 'swans' in various Indian traditions, but they're actually geese. That is, there's a bird called the 'hamsa' which has pretty much the same literary/cultural/aesthetic connotations as a swan does in (say) English culture, and usually gets translated 'swan'. But in biological terms, a 'hamsa' is a goose rather than a swan. That may or may not be a problem, depending on what makes you interested in swans.

As I said, these swans turn up everywhere in a lot of Indian philosophies/practices. In particular, the mind or soul often gets compared to a swan migrating. They are both pure and white, and swans migrate to Lake Manasa in the same way that the soul migrates into the mind (manasa in sanskrit: a scary amount of early Indian mysticism comes down to puns).

There are other ways hamsa turn up in e.g. tantric situations; I could probably look some up if it would be useful. Googling turns up a 'hamsa yoga' group, who say:

HAMSA means “swan (of life)” and symbolizes the Soul. The incoming and outgoing breath in a human being are the two wings of the swan. When a Yogi unites his mind with the inflow and outflow of his casual breath he enters the natural state of stillness (Sahaj Samadhi). The mystic meaning of Hamsa is “I am merged with the Divine”

Afraid I don't know anything about pike or eels.

11:50 / 28.03.06

MC: who were you during this "rough period" that you're not now? Why would you not want to wear your past sometimes?

Less searchable M0rd4nt

12:01 / 28.03.06

Well, the rough period in question was this one, so my answer to your first question would be "A target". I guess that kind of answers the second question too.

All Acting Regiment

13:52 / 28.03.06

I'm wondering what people think about clay statues for altars. If I were to make one, should I keep it wet and malleable (perhaps more "alive" at the risk of squishing out of focus?) or fire it (perhaps cementing it's purpose at the risk of losing fluidity?)

14:00 / 28.03.06

Shrug asked about swans...

Thank you very much, pangloss. Very informative, I'll be able to research from there, I think.
Also thanks to Bard for
this thread which I found upon searching later. Good-Good.

15:00 / 28.03.06

Ill said: You could always incorporate fragemnts of it - ashes, or fragments of cloth in a future ritual/tailsman.

Yes yes. A large square of material cut from the back of a shirt (or front if it's not a button-up) can be made into a nice herbal bag or somesuch. Breathable fabrics even let out the smell of whatever you've put in the bag. Not as well as a cheesecloth would, of course, but y'know.

Fritz K Driftwood

17:19 / 28.03.06

Here is a stupid question: is it better (in a feng shui way) to sleep with your head to the south or the west, my only two options in my new bedroom (I could sleep north, but I would like my head to be near the window)?

17:30 / 28.03.06

You window faces south??? Gee, man, this is bad.

Actually, disregard that. My sifu says there's no way one can give an advice on feng shui without knowing the place personally, since general rules are, well, too general. Every case is unique. His advice to you would be: get a feel of the place and see what works better for you. It could be completely different from any textbook.

But, the current opinion would be that the ideal direction is to keep your head north-bound.

17:34 / 28.03.06

Well, the rough period in question was this one, so my answer to your first question would be "A target". I guess that kind of answers the second question too.

Hmm. I'd kind of think there's a virtue to being a target on some occasions.

Like angler fish or aircraft roundels -- luring or challenging (despite their denials, I still think there's something psychological about pilots putting targets on their wings).

Of course, if it makes you feel miserable every time you put it on, just get rid of it.

18:07 / 28.03.06

Ha! I just learned a roundel is part of a lance.

18:13 / 28.03.06

Hi, I have a question. On my copy of The Collected Works of Aliester Crowley Vo III there is a graphic which I was curious about. It's an eye in a traingle overlayed by three circles. Now, I tried symbol.com (neat site, by the way!), but couldn't find it, and in attempting to google some sort of answer I came across another book by the same publishing company, the Yogi Publication Society, which had the same graphic. So, maybe it's the publishers insignia?

The reason I ask, is, I was thinking of getting it tattooed. And I don't want to get anything, with like, unkown meanings. So, any help, if at all possible, would be greatly appreciated!

Fritz K Driftwood

18:19 / 28.03.06

Mordant, as for your shirt, I'm all for transforming it. Whether it is by changing the shirt (dye it and embroider an aegishjalmur on a pocket/breast or back of the neck, runes around the sleeve cuffs, etc) into a different shirt or turning it into something totally different (herb bags as mentioned by monk), taking all of the negative emotions/connotations associated with the shirt into a powerful, positive object in the same way that you were suggesting sn00p alter his work scar in his My teenage manifesto thread.

Of course, on the other hand, fire is good (Fire! Fire!), especially where negative emotions are involved. When I decided to get over an ex who was taking up tooooo much psychic time & space, I took a few things that he left behind, shredded them (that was cathartic!), built a small fire on the beach and after the fire had mostly burnt down, walked away from the ashes and all of the negative emotions, and back into my life.

Fritz K Driftwood

18:23 / 28.03.06

Thanks Megatron! The window actually faces west. The only reason that I rule out north, is that my feet are by the window then. I will probably go with west, but will wait until the bed is actually in the room before making up my mind.

Earlier than I thought

19:34 / 02.04.06

This month's dumb question from me: looking back over my journal for the last four years, an unusual pattern emerges. Every year on the 20th March, I experience some peculiar coincidence, odd event (a brief poltergeist style outbreak one year, albeit a tiny one)and, every time, an unusually vivid and extreme dream of some kind.

The date has no special significance for me; I now know it was the day that yer man AC did the whole Horus thing and lo! A few of the recorded dreams contain hawk imagery, but I'm generally very wary of assigning significance to things like this (I'm rather of the opinion that this is all by way of some cosmic complex pun than a revelatory experience).

Stupid nebulous question; even given that this is four years in and I still don't know my magic ass from my slightly less magic elbow, anyone got any perspectives on this? Or just fancy an easy target to flame?

23:14 / 06.04.06

the Lesser Banishing Ritual of the Pentagram...

When it says 'vibrate' the words (when you activate the pentagrams using the sign of Horus) the accounts I've read tend to suggest you very quickly blow out all air in your lungs, are you supposed to speak and quickly exhale at the same time?

Also I understand, from my reading, that to make the sign of Horus you draw the pentagram (with your right hand) starting and ending in the lower right corner. Then you bring your first two fingers to the centre of the pentagram, then bring both hands up to the side of your head with elbows at your side and with both hands having the first two fingers pointing forwards along the lines of vision. Then you fall forward, land on your left foot, do a sort of diving/superman stance, same four finers pointed forward, and vibrate the name. Step back up, bring you left hand down to your side, bring your right hand back to the centre of the prenatgram and turn 90 degrees and start again.

Without actually seeing it its a bit hard understand. Does this sound about right to everyone?

04:35 / 09.04.06

I keep getting strange 'fluttery' physical sensations when I do the archangel invocation part of the LRP, both banishing and invoking, as though Certain August Personages are hovering out there. (I suppose that's the point!) Feathers brushing back, or occasionally burning or freezing hands with a certain degree of pain; that sort of thing. I tend to be tactile with the (very) little energy work I've done so far, but could use more experience with it, and frankly am in over my head when it comes to angels.

Any suggestions for long-term practices aimed toward eventually sitting down and having a cuppa and a nice chat with said Personages? This feeling them but not being able to actually initiate contact bit is very annoying.

Current practices: LRP morning and nightly, sporadic I-Ching questioning which ranges in answer from very appropriate to "Huh"? I've got a decent repertoire of essential oils laying about, and actually I think I've got a recipe around here somewhere for St. Michael oil, which would probably be a Good Idea. Also, I've a bit of experience with the Tarot, with which I am certainly more comfortable than the I-Ching, but also have been very touchy about since my dad died. I was a Job's Daughter, back in the day, for all of a few months until our Bethel self-destructed in Waves of Drama, and have been considering joining the OES and Amaranth since this all started, especially since a dear old family friend is Grand Patron for our area at the moment, but am concerned as to how much said Orders would be little old lady clubs and how much actual useful ritual work they do. Ehrm. That all might be a bit much information as far as a basis for soliciting suggestions goes, but then, it might be helpful, so I'll leave it and hope you can make something of it.

I've been an armchair magician for many years now, and have had dream-friend visitations sporadically since extremely early childhood (2 years old +), but this is a whole new ball of wax.

Help!

04:38 / 09.04.06

Drat, forgot to add current reading I'm already doing: Carlos Castaneda's Journey to Ixlan and the New Falcon edition Complete Golden Dawn System of Magic. After reading the latter through all the way once, I'm trying to slog through the Enochian parts again in particular, but damn, it's an incomprehensible brick sometimes. Most of the time.

Daemon est Deus Inversus

18:39 / 09.04.06

aku aku,

It's a banishing Earth pentagram so, yes, you'd start and end at the left hip. Vibrate IHVH, AHIH, etc. as you draw the blue pentagrams; then project blue light through the center while you make the Projecting/Horus sign. Make the Sign of Silence/Harparcrates ( this is used for banishings only); and trace a line of white Light to the next quarter. Don't worry too much about breathing now (just breath normally), but you can do a few four-fold breaths after the QC you did prior to staring the LBRP. After you've completed the LBRP, repeat the QC. As soon as you get this down tolerably, always follow it with a BRH with Analysis of the Key Word. The rest is fine.

Daemon est Deus Inversus

18:55 / 09.04.06

Mycroft,

I'm looking at another book by the Yogi Publications Society now ("A Suggestive Inquiry" by Mrs. Atwood). It's three concentric circles, with a Fire triangle superimposed; three smaller Fire triangles at each corner; and a Sun at the center. I'm looking at still another book by them with the same logo. It's just their logo. It's probably suggestive of the three veils of negative existence, the supernals summarized in the triangle, and the central Sol of TPART. It's certainly not an eye in a triangle, i.e., the Eye of Horus.

Daemon est Deus Inversus

19:26 / 09.04.06

Celine,

Enochian is really simple. Crowley's "Liber Chanokh," and to a much lesser extent, Mather's "Book H," provide simple explanations. (Both are in several places on the web). For the most part, all that you are doing is combining one or more Enochian calls simply to act as an amplifier to an elemental, zodiacal or planetary invoking ritual; or doing the ritual with the specified call or calls to invoke a specified being off the Enochian tablets. As an example, to invoke the Air senior from the Air elemental tablet, open the Temple in 2=9; perform a GIRH Luna amplified by the Seventh Call, etc.

14:47 / 10.04.06

Monk:

Do you ahve any other suggestions for incorporation magick and the occult in to writing?

The orthodox writing techniques have shown their limits so its time to go a little outside the box.

15:13 / 10.04.06

Nolan:

No, not really. If anything, start with some meditation to help clear your head. And when a thought demands to be written down, DO IT, no matter where you are or what you're doing.

Sorry I can't be more help.

aku aku:

This is the way I vibrate my god names and such. It's kind of a cross between singing and speaking. I get a comfortably full breath of air and sing-speak the word while exhaling. As I do this, I can feel a physical vibration in my throat and stomach and I exhale with a gentle force. Also, the pronunciation of the word lasts for the full breath.

Kinda simple. Maybe wrong. Salt to taste.

Less searchable M0rd4nt

13:36 / 11.04.06

Celane: I keep getting strange 'fluttery' physical sensations when I do the archangel invocation part of the LRP, both banishing and invoking... Feathers brushing back, or occasionally burning or freezing hands with a certain degree of pain; that sort of thing... Any suggestions for long-term practices aimed toward eventually sitting down and having a cuppa and a nice chat with said Personages? This feeling them but not being able to actually initiate contact bit is very annoying.

Okay, first up I have to confess that I've never taken HCM very far myself, and I certainly haven't delved into the enormous complexities of Enochian magick. I do quite a lot of direct-contact work with spirits and deities in the Northern trad though, and I can tell you a little bit about my experiences with that.

With all that in mind, I'd suggest carrying on with your daily practice as you are and seeing how things develop. You're obviously getting results; in my (limited) experience, this kind of work is cumulative. The connections don't seem to be built all at once, but over time. You might investigate ways in which you can increase your tactile perception and generally open yourself up to sensory impressions during the ritual. I found Phil Hine's Sensory Enhancement Exercises very helpful; perhaps these excercises would be compatible with your work?

18:28 / 11.04.06

Thanks, Mordant! Something like that was just what I was looking for, in my strange and oververbose fashion. I'll print those out straightaway and start practicing.

19:08 / 12.04.06

Right, I've got another stupid question.

I really need to quit thinking about this stuff soon, but, ehrm, I've been throwing together a little book of rituals to practice. Sort of like a lab book (very much like the records I kept back when I worked in a EE lab, actually), and right now I'm writing up the procedures section. Anyway. The Lesser Ritual of the Pentagram is elemental in flavor, and the Lesser Ritual of the Hexagram is planetary. (I found some neat threads already. [1 2 3])

Here's the thing, the Lesser Ritual of the Hexagram, like the rest of the Golden Dawn stuff, was written Back In The Day when we foolish mortals only knew about six planets. There are nine now, maybe more.

Has anybody modified the LRH to be up-to-date? Does it do anything for those of you who practice it?

I can't see using it as it is, frankly. I dig HCM (in a very solitary and personal way! no organizations, thanks!), but I come from quite a CM standpoint too; if it doesn't work, toss it and go on to something that does. This, this is so outdated it's silly.

20:04 / 12.04.06

Has anybody modified the LRH to be up-to-date? Does it do anything for those of you who practice it?

I'm not aware of any hexagram rituals that incorporate all the planets - surely that be an LBO (Lesser Banishing of the Octogram?) but several systems of astrology have taken these into account (including Crowley's if I'm not mistaken).

21:11 / 12.04.06

'twould be a nonagon, or enneagon if you prefer the Greek. I tend to side with the Romans in msot things due to total personal bias, but in this case I kinda like the Greek; it's cuter.

When I learned astrology, years and years ago, it was with all nine. Which reminds me, recently (last year) a tenth planet has been discovered; but they still haven't named it. There's likely more big rocks out in the Kuiper Belt, too; when does one stop adding planets? Oh well, that's why magical systems are always growing and changing.

I think I may add "formulate dodecahedral and enneagal versions of the LHR, and/or rework the LHR" to my long-term to-do goal list. I certainly would be over my head to try it now.

10:54 / 13.04.06

I've been throwing together a little book of rituals to practice. Sort of like a lab book (very much like the records I kept back when I worked in a EE lab, actually),

Like a book of shadows?

Less searchable M0rd4nt

11:18 / 13.04.06

I keep my magic notes in a lab book too. Same background, I guess.

12:10 / 13.04.06

You're missing that the hexagram ritual is dealing with planetary "forces" or powers that have been attributed the names of the seven classical planets, not necessarily the actual physical planetary bodies themselves. I think the Hexagram ritual holds, and I think of it along similar lines to the notion of the Seven African Powers. According to your current logic, you would also need to rewrite the Pentagram rituals to take into account the period table of elements. If you start adding extra planets onto the Hexagram ritual, you will also need to start rewriting the entire Qabalistic system that it is derived from, perhaps adding extra Sephiroth to the Tree of Life in order to account for new discoveries in science about the physical planets. The question is: do you have sufficient grasp of what all of these things mean and how they fit together, in order to attempt something like that?

12:14 / 13.04.06

Here's a question: Do you reckon that western civilisation is going to collapse when we run out of oil, heralding the new dark ages? Do you think this is likely to happen in our life times and, if so, is the role of the Magician in the 21st century about finding a way off the downward spiral or preparing the species for surviving a return to medievalism? Or both? And what are you doing about it in the short, medium and long term?

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