Synthase, that’s very much up to the peoples in question. If they want to choose a different path from the one they’re currently following, they can do so — history is full of comparable examples — but they’re going to have to make that choice themselves, and nothing you or I can do will influence it much. Keep in mind that societies have life cycles, and if the ones you’ve named have reached the end of their lifespans, putting them on life support isn’t going to do much good.
Nando, yes, and they’re fairly common. William Butler Yeats, who was a Golden Dawn adept as well as a Nobel Prize-winning poet, wrote at length about the nonphysical scents that he encountered in the course of his magical work: roses, burnt feathers, cat droppings, etc.
aNeopuritan, thanks for this.
Jen, color as color doesn’t do much for me. When I was a child, the family would go for drives in the spring to a region south of Seattle where (at the time) a lot of flowers were grown — nowadays it’s mostly warehouses — and everyone else would ooh and ah; me, I could never see what the fuss was about. My tastes in visual art tend toward works that show a mastery of line and form, with color running a distant third.
January, that sounds like something from the spiritual plane, the highest of the planes, and thus also the hardest to make sense of. I’d say go with it, and see what you can learn by following it out.
J.L.Mc12, hmm! I was familiar with Napier’s Bones — an early mechanical computer — but not positional arithmetic. Thank you.
SMJ, I’m very fond of the work of Morris Graves.
Jaznights, yes, and I should have announced that here. Huzzah! Get those stories written.
Phil, thanks for this.
Booklover, by the spiritual path I mean something more than ordinary formal religion — I mean the practices and insights that lead to Gwynfydd, which you may interpret as “enlightenment” if you wish. 
As for reincarnation, have you ever noticed how even very small children have their own distinctive characters and personalities? In occult teaching, that’s all determined by previous lives, and character plus circumstances result in actions that shape the current life.
As for reincarnation, have you ever noticed how even very small children have their own distinctive characters and personalities? In occult teaching, that’s all determined by previous lives, and character plus circumstances result in actions that shape the current life.
Karim, I don’t know, I wasn’t there at the time.
Patricia, I read several of the Darkover fanfic anthologies Daw put out — remind me of the titles of your stories, please!
Aged Spirit, no, it’s just a convenient way to teach people to use their entire torso to breathe with, rather than just breathing from the shoulders, or the chest, or the belly. You can do it the way that’s more familiar to you if you wish.
Questioning, it’s entirely possible that Landmark put something into its work to make life miserable for people who quit — or that they’re doing something to mess you over right now. I’ve tangled with someone who learned a lot of “positive thinking” exercises in an est clone, and he was a first-rate malefic magician — it took me quite a bit of work to get the upper air on him. Since you’re already getting medical care, let’s go on to the magical side of things.
I’m going to suggest several things to do. The first is to take a daily protective bath — this is distinct from whatever your personal bathing habits might be. Fill a basin with cool or cold water, and put into it a teaspoon of ordinary salt, a tablespoon of vinegar (any kind), and a pinch of any kind of pepper — black, cayenne, you name it. Stand in the tub or shower stall, dip a washcloth in the water, and wash yourself from head to foot, moving the washcloth always down from above, and rinsing and wringing out the washcloth at intervals in the water. When you’re done, put your clothing back on without toweling yourself dry, and then take the remaining water and if you can, throw it onto the roots of a big healthy tree — if not, pouring it onto the ground will do. Do this every day. It’s a traditional Southern conjure practice, and it’s very effective.
Second, get a small bowl or saucer, put it in the room where you sleep, and pour some vinegar into it. Leave it to evaporate. Refill it whenever it’s close to empty. This will keep certain subtle energies from being able to concentrate there, and give you the chance to get a good night’s sleep.
Third, learn a banishing ritual and practice it daily. If you can handle Judeo-Christian symbolism, the standard Lesser Ritual of the Pentagram will do very well; if not, you might consider this alternate version, or the one in my book The Celtic Golden Dawn, or the Sphere of Protection ceremony as given in my book The Druid Magic Handbook. Any of these, practiced daily, will clear away hostile energies from your aura and change your “vibes” to the point that nasty magic can’t affect you at all. None of these things will bring an instant cure, but keep at them and you’ll begin feeling better much sooner than you expect.
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