I had been exposed to magical squares before but only recently have I come to understand their history or their significance. For those of you that don't know what magical squares are there is a decent explanation here.
I'm following author Renna Shesso and making a distinction between magic squares and magical squares here. A magic square is a recreational thing whereas a magical square is used for, well, magical purposes. An example would be using a magical square as a talisman or to produce an abstract sigil. Magical squares have deeper astrological and mythological significance which make them something special when compared to any old arrangement of numbers that do neat math tricks.
The book Math for Mystics by Renna Shesso is an excellent resource for starting out in the area of magical mathematics. I've found it to be helpful in showing me why certain things are the way they are in occult lore and I'm not even finished with the book yet. I will certainly keep reading because this book has shown me that math can be so much more than just equations and frustrations. If you are looking to incorporate numbers into your practice or are curious why certain numbers or geometric figures are so prevalent in occultism then I highly recommend checking out this book.
I'm certainly looking at the world in a new, more numerological way now. Math has a deeper, more esoteric side and I'm loving what I've learned so far. The prospect of using the planetary squares to make talismans or for other mystical purposes opens up new avenues of magical exploration and thought. I encourage anyone interested to explore this fascinating facet of metaphysics alongside me.
Showing posts with label astrology. Show all posts
Showing posts with label astrology. Show all posts
Sunday, November 13, 2011
Magical Squares
Saturday, March 12, 2011
The Supermoon and Earthquakes
I'm sure that by now you've heard of the devastating earthquake and resulting tsunamis that occurred in Japan. It just so happened that hours before I learned about the disaster I was reading this article about the "Supermoon" that's coming up on March 19th. Aside from being a potential incidence of synchronicity, the disaster in Japan did make me wonder if there might not be something to the moon setting off natural disasters.
The link above mentions the slight increase in earthquake and volcano activity during certain moon phases. These are just tidal forces at work. However, there is potentially more going on here than just the moon as can be seen in this article that describes a March earthquake warning mentioned for the United States. That article describes other factors at play besides the moon's position.
It might also be worth noting that the magnetic north pole is moving faster now than at any other time in human history. If this is the precursor to a pole reversal and the disaster theories surrounding the idea of a magnetic pole reversal are correct then this could all mean a very tumultuous time ahead of us from a geological standpoint.
If that's not enough then there's the fact that all of this is being drawn into doomsday theories concerning the year 2011.
Only time will tell about any of this but I'm not really worried about it. Earthquakes and other natural disasters can happen at any time and all we can do about it is be prepared. These events are ultimately out of our control and it does us no good to worry about things that we cannot change. Just in case though, this may be a good time to make sure you have the recommended emergency supplies. Being prepared can save your life whether it's an earthquake, a tornado, or a fire. No doomsday scenarios are necessary.
The link above mentions the slight increase in earthquake and volcano activity during certain moon phases. These are just tidal forces at work. However, there is potentially more going on here than just the moon as can be seen in this article that describes a March earthquake warning mentioned for the United States. That article describes other factors at play besides the moon's position.
It might also be worth noting that the magnetic north pole is moving faster now than at any other time in human history. If this is the precursor to a pole reversal and the disaster theories surrounding the idea of a magnetic pole reversal are correct then this could all mean a very tumultuous time ahead of us from a geological standpoint.
If that's not enough then there's the fact that all of this is being drawn into doomsday theories concerning the year 2011.
Only time will tell about any of this but I'm not really worried about it. Earthquakes and other natural disasters can happen at any time and all we can do about it is be prepared. These events are ultimately out of our control and it does us no good to worry about things that we cannot change. Just in case though, this may be a good time to make sure you have the recommended emergency supplies. Being prepared can save your life whether it's an earthquake, a tornado, or a fire. No doomsday scenarios are necessary.
Thursday, January 27, 2011
The Occult Origin of Modern Science
This may come as a surprise to some, but what we know as modern science began as studies into magic and the occult. One might not recognize this if one were to look at the current view of magic and the occult in the mainstream. To illustrate what I'm talking about I would like to call attention to the fact that natural magic (the study of astrology, alchemy, herbology, etc.) evolved to become the natural sciences. Allow me to explain.
Astronomy as a science owes everything to the practice of astrology. Astrology had us looking to the heavens to discover more about ourselves. We tracked the movements of the stars and planets, some cultures with more precision than others, and we were able to predict what celestial body was going to do what next and perhaps what that meant for us. When the telescope was invented astronomy really came into its own and the "superstitions" of astrology were divorced from the new science.
From the study of herbs and their magical and medicinal effects we arrived at pharmacology. Mankind has known since the dawn of time that certain plants are capable of doing certain things. Some are foods, some are medicines, and some are deadly poisons. Through the study of correspondences and the spirit of the plant we determined what it was capable of, both magically and medicinally. This knowledge of plant medicines led the way to modern pharmaceuticals. Many powerful medicines are still extracted from plants.
Alchemy is many things to many people, but the quest for the power of transformation ultimately led to the birth of chemistry. Over time, alchemy became less about transforming the self and more about transforming metals. From this we began to experiment and observe more closely how substances interacted with one another. New theories emerged and the symbolism of the reactions was forgotten. Thus chemistry was born.
Something else that may come as a surprise to the modern reader is that Isaac Newton was a bit of an occultist. That's right, the man behind universal gravity, calculus, and so much more was an occultist. More specifically, Newton was an alchemist. On top of his more accepted scientific pursuits, Newton had great interest in the Philosopher's Stone. Newton also worked with antimony and it has been said that the star pattern formed by antimony alloys inspired his ideas of light and gravitation.
There is a lesson in all of this. "Occult" simply means "hidden" and we should not run from what is hidden. Some of the greatest things that mankind has discovered have come from the study of the hidden aspects of reality. As such, some might do well not to hastily badmouth occult and magical pursuits. If the natural sciences emerged from natural magic then what mysteries might await us in the study of ceremonial magics like theurgy and goety? How about survival studies? Extra-sensory perception and psychokinesis? Astral projection and out-of-body experience? Instead of shunning modern occult or paranormal pursuits, shouldn't we perhaps be looking to them as a means to gain even more knowledge of our reality?
Wikipedia on natural magic.
More on Isaac Newton's occult studies.
Astronomy as a science owes everything to the practice of astrology. Astrology had us looking to the heavens to discover more about ourselves. We tracked the movements of the stars and planets, some cultures with more precision than others, and we were able to predict what celestial body was going to do what next and perhaps what that meant for us. When the telescope was invented astronomy really came into its own and the "superstitions" of astrology were divorced from the new science.
From the study of herbs and their magical and medicinal effects we arrived at pharmacology. Mankind has known since the dawn of time that certain plants are capable of doing certain things. Some are foods, some are medicines, and some are deadly poisons. Through the study of correspondences and the spirit of the plant we determined what it was capable of, both magically and medicinally. This knowledge of plant medicines led the way to modern pharmaceuticals. Many powerful medicines are still extracted from plants.
Alchemy is many things to many people, but the quest for the power of transformation ultimately led to the birth of chemistry. Over time, alchemy became less about transforming the self and more about transforming metals. From this we began to experiment and observe more closely how substances interacted with one another. New theories emerged and the symbolism of the reactions was forgotten. Thus chemistry was born.
Something else that may come as a surprise to the modern reader is that Isaac Newton was a bit of an occultist. That's right, the man behind universal gravity, calculus, and so much more was an occultist. More specifically, Newton was an alchemist. On top of his more accepted scientific pursuits, Newton had great interest in the Philosopher's Stone. Newton also worked with antimony and it has been said that the star pattern formed by antimony alloys inspired his ideas of light and gravitation.
There is a lesson in all of this. "Occult" simply means "hidden" and we should not run from what is hidden. Some of the greatest things that mankind has discovered have come from the study of the hidden aspects of reality. As such, some might do well not to hastily badmouth occult and magical pursuits. If the natural sciences emerged from natural magic then what mysteries might await us in the study of ceremonial magics like theurgy and goety? How about survival studies? Extra-sensory perception and psychokinesis? Astral projection and out-of-body experience? Instead of shunning modern occult or paranormal pursuits, shouldn't we perhaps be looking to them as a means to gain even more knowledge of our reality?
Wikipedia on natural magic.
More on Isaac Newton's occult studies.
Labels:
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astrology,
correspondences,
ESP,
herbology,
Isaac Newton,
magic,
occult,
psychokinesis,
science,
survival
Sunday, January 16, 2011
Clearing up the chaos around the "new zodiac."
There is no "new" zodiac. The Western Zodiac is based on tropical astrology, not sidereal astrology. The precession of the equinoxes over the millennia has not changed tropical astrology, which is based on the Earth's seasons. Sidereal astrology is based on the stars and that has changed, although not all at once. If you follow sidereal astrology then you most likely already knew about precession and accounted for it. If you follow Western Astrology (and odds are that you do) then nothing has changed for you. See the link below for more information.
Ophiuchus and the "New Zodiac" -- Busted!
Ophiuchus and the "New Zodiac" -- Busted!
Friday, January 7, 2011
Thailand shows that it is not impossible for the supernatural and the modern world to coexist.
Thais Look to the Supernatural
The Western world typically treats things like astrology and horoscopes as entertainment only. In Thailand, coups have been initiated because of the advice of a fortune teller. Some might argue that this is superstition overriding common sense and reason. The Thais might say that it works for them.
The Western world typically treats things like astrology and horoscopes as entertainment only. In Thailand, coups have been initiated because of the advice of a fortune teller. Some might argue that this is superstition overriding common sense and reason. The Thais might say that it works for them.
Sunday, November 28, 2010
The Mars Effect - More evidence in favor of astrology?
The Mars Effect is the purported statistical correlation between certain positions of Mars at the time of birth and athletic prowess or aptitude. It was first reported by Michel Gauquelin, a French psychologist and statistician, in 1955. As you can imagine, this was highly controversial and people immediately set out to examine the claims.
As seems to typically occur, attempts to debunk the Mars Effect were made and when the initial replication (begun in 1956) was a success it was suggested that it was an artifact of unspecified demographic errors. In a second attempt at replication (done in 1975 at the behest of the Committee for the Scientific Investigation of Claims of the Paranormal, or CSICOP) the original data was called into question when the results came out in Gauquelin's favor. This "questioning" consisted of splitting up sample groups to the point of making a comparison pointless. There was even internal protest against this fudging of the numbers within CSICOP, seen as nothing more than shifting the subject of the experiment in order to appear in favor of CSICOP's investigation. Naturally, the detractor was booted from the committee in a less-than-transparent vote. A concurrent study of US athletes came up negative for the Mars Effect, but the study was carried out with seemingly no regard for the specifics of the effect as found in Gauquelin's initial study.
The above examples are just the first of the attempts to strike down Gauquelin's results. There seems to be something inborn that is opposed to the notion of the stars having any sway on human events at all. This probably hearkens to the idea of free will and one having control of their destiny (and free will, or the lack thereof, is a completely different discussion in itself). The idea of astrology is very threatening to so-called free thinkers because it might mean that they aren't as free as they think. In my experience, most people that are so ferociously opposed to the idea of astrology usually have the least understanding of the practice.
Enough of my ranting though; take a look at the Wikipedia page for the Mars Effect if you want all the gory details.
As seems to typically occur, attempts to debunk the Mars Effect were made and when the initial replication (begun in 1956) was a success it was suggested that it was an artifact of unspecified demographic errors. In a second attempt at replication (done in 1975 at the behest of the Committee for the Scientific Investigation of Claims of the Paranormal, or CSICOP) the original data was called into question when the results came out in Gauquelin's favor. This "questioning" consisted of splitting up sample groups to the point of making a comparison pointless. There was even internal protest against this fudging of the numbers within CSICOP, seen as nothing more than shifting the subject of the experiment in order to appear in favor of CSICOP's investigation. Naturally, the detractor was booted from the committee in a less-than-transparent vote. A concurrent study of US athletes came up negative for the Mars Effect, but the study was carried out with seemingly no regard for the specifics of the effect as found in Gauquelin's initial study.
The above examples are just the first of the attempts to strike down Gauquelin's results. There seems to be something inborn that is opposed to the notion of the stars having any sway on human events at all. This probably hearkens to the idea of free will and one having control of their destiny (and free will, or the lack thereof, is a completely different discussion in itself). The idea of astrology is very threatening to so-called free thinkers because it might mean that they aren't as free as they think. In my experience, most people that are so ferociously opposed to the idea of astrology usually have the least understanding of the practice.
Enough of my ranting though; take a look at the Wikipedia page for the Mars Effect if you want all the gory details.
Monday, November 15, 2010
Some surprising evidence in favor of astrology.
Astrology is commonly seen as a fun-and-games sort of practice. Most people only know about astrology of the Sun-sign, newspaper horoscopes variety. Astrology is a much, much deeper subject than that. Several in-depth books have been written on the intricacies and subtle nuances of astrology so I'm not going to attempt to explain that here. Instead, I'm going to remind you of the primary principle of astrology: The heavenly bodies are capable of having effects on earthly substances. This would include everything from the animals to the plants to the minerals of this planet.
I'm talking about something that goes far beyond the known (but little understood) force of gravity. I'm talking about something on the archetypal level. According to the Doctrine of Correspondences, everything on Earth has a metaphysical connection to it's ruling planet(s) above. Everyone knows of astrology's alleged sway on human events, but what about the effects on mineral substances?
Enter Lily Kolisko and her work with chemical substances containing archetypal metals. The metal solutions she used are tied via correspondence to specific astrological planets. She discovered that these substances behaved differently depending on what their ruling bodies were doing in the heavens. You can find a link to some of her work below.
Working With The Stars In Earthly Substances
I'm talking about something that goes far beyond the known (but little understood) force of gravity. I'm talking about something on the archetypal level. According to the Doctrine of Correspondences, everything on Earth has a metaphysical connection to it's ruling planet(s) above. Everyone knows of astrology's alleged sway on human events, but what about the effects on mineral substances?
Enter Lily Kolisko and her work with chemical substances containing archetypal metals. The metal solutions she used are tied via correspondence to specific astrological planets. She discovered that these substances behaved differently depending on what their ruling bodies were doing in the heavens. You can find a link to some of her work below.
Working With The Stars In Earthly Substances
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