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Dear Dao Bums, Question for you guys Do you have any interesting experiences with Jason Read and his Jasper Lake Maoshan Daoist Magic? I have seen a few posts here on Daobums about his books on daoist magic, but none about the actual daoist magic training with him. My own few observations A fellow qigong brother here on the forum that I'm corresponding with notified me about Jasper Lake Maoshan daoist magic training. I checked out his webpages and read all that I could, and am now reading through his book "Practical Daoist Magic". Webpages: I found the webpages extremely interesting, and I definitely felt what he's sharing to be real, authentic and substantial. I tried meditating on a talisman he's posted to connect with the energy of "the fire star" or Mars, and within 5 minutes I felt heat pouring into my body and getting heated up. I was extremely suprised how fast and powerfully it worked. I took this as a sign that what's he's sharing is truly legit! Book so far: The book is the same story in the sense that it feels very legit and authentic. All the history and mythology he's sharing is perfectly in line with what I've been taught by Master Zhongxian Wu (who I've learnt from for more than 6 years), as is his explanation for yin/yang, 5 elements, 8 trigrams (bagua) stems, branches etc. of course with some slight variations in their personal interpretations. His beginning practices "to cultivate magical power" is also similar to what I've learnt from Master Wu, namely building the lower dan tien, purifying & strengthening the 5 organ system, "retriving" or calling back the spirits of your organs as well as daily mantras for purification (mind, mouth, body, surroundings, pacifying spirits, calling upon the golden light etc). The idea of jing/qi/shen as well as mantra, mudra, visualisation and posture is also similar. All in all I feel it to be very real. What I especially enjoy is that as a westerner he explains things very clearly so that it's easy to understand from a western viewpoint. He also divulges the "secrets" of how things really work and explain the whole process as well as the end result. This is something my chinese teachers never do, they simply encourage you to practice, shoot down your questions, and never explain linearly and in a straight-forward way what things are, how they work, what the process is like, what the result will be or how to measure your progress along the way. The only thing that really made me stop and wonder, was that at some point in the book he says that 30 minutes before and after practice you shouldn't eat or drink (pretty standard advice), however then immediately after he says drinking "only cool water" is allowed. This is a huge shocker! Everyone knows that Chinese never suggest cold water, it should be either hot or lukewarm. This was a big suprise for me, and made me wonder and question how everything could be feel so real and authentic, yet this one basic thing was completely "off" for how Chinese qigong/TCM/cultivation usually rolls. Actually it was such a great shock that it made me question the authenticity of everything. Even though the fire star talisman worked (which I felt to build his credibility), and the explanations feel legit too (which also builds credibility) the advice to drink cool water was so off that it made me wonder and question everything about his whole story of training in China & Malaysia etc. This is what made me write a post here on the forum, I wanted to speak to my dao brothers and sisters and hear your experiences (if any) with Jason Read and his Jasper Lake Maoshan Daoist Magic training. I look forward to hear from you!

Dear Dao Bums, Question: Did any of you ever get a "naadi" astrology reading? Aka a palm leaf astrology reading? If yes, please share your story, experience, if everything came true, how did the remedies work etc. Story: In the past there were great saints and sages (aka maharishis) roaming India. In South India there was a group of rishis devoted to Shiva. Through their practices, they were granted the power (siddhi) of knowing the past, present and future of all people to ever live on Earth. In their great devotion to God and in a spirit of service to mankind, they wished to help all of mankind. Therefore they saw many millenia into the future, and saw exactly which people would eventually come to seek their help. The rishis then wrote in ancient tamil on dried palm leaves. They wrote the destinies of all people who would ever come to seek help. The leaf will start at the exact time of your life, when they foresaw you would come seeking guidance. It will give you the exact guidance you need (divided into 12 chapters, general, father, mother, siblings, work, marriage, spirituality, karma etc), and list out exactly what will happen to you for the rest of your life. In the karma portion, they will list your worst karmas from previous lives, and give the remedies needed to undo or counter these karmas. That's the story of Naadi Astrology. Personal experience: I've heard amazing stories of naadi astrology since I was a kid, but I never managed to get a reading for myself. I have searched several times while visiting India, but I couldn't get to any. Now, I've finally managed to get a reading! I booked it online (even though I am still extremely skeptic) and I'm going to get a reading in the middle of March. It has taken 4 months from when I submitted my thumb print and for the readers in India to actually locate my leaf (the libraries are spread all over with no centralized system). And now I will have to wait one more month for my actual reading, because the time zones need to match up. I am extremely excited! I will share my experience once I get the reading Until then, I hope to hear from you guys: Did you get a reading? Have you heard stories about people getting readings? If yes, please share God bless you

Dear Dao Bums, I would like to ask you, if you can help me crack this nut (get ready for a mystery hunt!): 1) The year is 1991. The month is between the end of October and the beginning of December. The place is Sulaymaniyah, Iraqi Kurdistan. 2) The exact month, day and time is unknown 3) How can this be found? (the correct birth month, day and time). There are no available birth records, as there was war between the Kurds and Iraqi arabs at the time of birth. The mother cannot remember, as she is old, and her story changes each time we ask her. I have tried I Ching consultation with a world famous I Ching practitioner, and it didn't help. The I Ching simply implied the birth was during a time of "thunder", which made sense as there was a war at the time. I also asked another qigong master, who ascertained that through I Ching calculation, the birth day and time could be find, but it didn't work either. There remains (from my point of view) no more "normal" options for ascertaining the birth day. All living relatives have been tried, their info's have been cross-examined with each other and with the historical records, they don't match up, so they've been deemed "untrustworthy". There are no available "official records" from Kurdistan because of the war. The person in question is registered, but the official registry is notoriously untrustworthy. They deem only the amount of people born as the important information, not they day, time etc (this opinion is shared by medical staff). That's why everyone in Kurdistan is either born on the 1st of July or the 1st of November (back in the day). The registering office simply put 1st of July for everyone born in the first half of the year, and 1st of November for everyone for the second half of the year. This is something I've been battling with for about 1 year, trying to find the birth date through logical deduction and analysis, interviews etc. After so much research, I've reached the temporary conclusion, that it's time to try spiritual ways of finding out the birth date. That's why I've tried 2 qigong masters and 1 hindu swami. The hindu swami actually managed to make 2 years of prediction for her (the woman in question), which has actually been true so far (about 1 year has passed). But when I asked him about the birth day he found, he couldn't find his calculations (he is 78 years old). I think he found the day of birth using tantric methods of communicating with and controlling spirits (disembodied souls), because he asked for a picture of the girl, birth name and current name, as well as her mother's name. This thing with the mother's name is something I've learnt from sufis is a way to use spirits to find the information for you. I saw him recently, as he visited my country, but I could tell he was very tired from 1) his age, 2) how much work he was doing here during his short visit and 3) tired from traveling, jet lag, food changes etc. So we had about 1 hour session with him, where he mostly used palmistry and numerolgy to give us advice (free of charge.. he's a good man! He's been the most loving, helping, compassionate and useful "spiritual guru" of all the qigong masters, hindu masters etc. I've reached out to for help the past couple of years). So he didn't have the time nor energy to get up at night at 3 o'clock and do whatever black magic ritual was needed to re-contact the spirits and find the birth info. So he simply used palmistry and numerology to advice her, and then gave us some blessings (mantras, water, flowers and fruits). Now my question to you guys: 1) Do you know a spiritual way of finding out the correct birth month, day and time? 2) Do you know someone, who knows a way? Then I could reach out to them Thanks for your help! Be blessed by the Divine

I'm going through a process that has been extremely long and excruciatingly painful on all levels of my being, and hoping there is some uhhh magic solution to try that someone more knowledgable in this area would know. A key component of it is timing and making the wrong choice that then sets of a long sequence of events that somehow manage to get intertwined even if the original issue was unrelated. Now in this choice making errors, there's really nothing to go off of. It's just a by chance best estimate as to what could be the best option at the point in time, which inevitably turns out to create lots of other problems that I could no way have anticipated, thought of, or even known about. Another aspect of these thematic tribulations is that I'm kept in stasis waiting for things to happen. I get stuck in places where I can't make decisions because I have to wait so long for the next thing to happen, which when it does happen always draws out the process in some totally unexpected and extreme way. This has been going on for years, and its not like I haven't been making amazing efforts. It seems no matter what I do, the same underlying patterns continue to occur. Last year I bought a jupiter astrological talisman, as I thought the problem was perhaps just bad luck. There's certainly been only bad luck. However, the bad luck is the kind that keeps things going enough so I'm not totally destroyed, although now its basically at the crossroads where there are simply no options at my disposal except for starting every endeavour and facet of my life from scratch. So I thought perhaps the problem I'm dealing with is bad timing, some astrological fate of mine I think. If timing worked out better then things wouldnt be in these prolonged states, I would have more info at my disposal to make actual informed decisions, and so on. There's overall just been so much subtle stuff going on to throw things into chaos that its clear this is some spiritual/magic/astrological/other worldly problem. I have massively failed to fix it despite astounding efforts. Was wondering if anybody had ideas here on how to deal with this? If the issue is timing, is there any magic or talisman or something that will help me get better timing of events?

Its become apparent that there is planetary phenomena that is energetically and spiritually impacting me in a big way. The thing is I dont know a thing about astrology. I need help interpreting whats going on, as well as understanding the current conjunction of planetary alignments. Theres so much BS in astrology info so I have no idea where to start. Any recommendations on where to start, schools of thought, etc...?

I found this site several months back and the cool thing is once you've generated your chart you can save the page address to you favourites/bookmarks and each time you visit the page it re-generates your chart! Cool eh? It's also a good way to pass people, via email, your chart. How does it work? Well it's very simple it just keeps your location and time details in the web address, page URL, for the interpretation page created. I have nothing to do with this site it's just a really good free tool for those that want a simple birth chart. Here's the link: https://horoscopes.astro-seek.com/birth-chart-horoscope-online

My name is Attila Blága, I am from Transylvania, and I am a Tarotrolog, Tarot reader and artist. The Unified Esoteric Tarot deck is a standard but revolutionary 78 cards Tarot deck, resulted from 25 years of research, study and practice. I provide a modern instrument of prediction, self-exploration and self-development based on both the ancient teachings and modern psychology. Moreover, also an instrument of self-observation and self-remembering, based on to the teachings of I.G. Gurdjieff. The main idea at the foundation of this deck was to reveal the hidden connection between all the branches of the esoteric sciences and provide a very intuitive instrument both for beginner and advanced Tarot practitioners. The design and layout of the Unified Esoteric Tarot deck, it is simple, catchy, easy to memorise and different from any other deck available on the market at the moment. The system resulted from the interconnected study of Tarot, Astrology, Numerology, The Fourth Way, Kabbalah and Alchemy, and it’s based on the triune nature of everything in the universe. And, if you wanted to learn and understand how these things are connected, but find all them complicated, with my method and system you have the chance to learn them all together, within the Tarot system as one, integrated body of work. In other words, my system and method enable you to learn Tarot, Astrology and Numerology simultaneously and introduce you the basic notions of Kabbalah and Alchemy. Instead of buying 3 or 5 books, you got everything well organised and systematised in only one book. I created 6 easily distinguishable layouts for 6 groups of cards I have identified as different. These graphical representations reveal the connection between the Tarot and other branches of the esoteric sciences such as Astrology, Numerology, The Fourth Way, Kabbalah and Alchemy. Featuring on the cards all these names and symbols provides extra power and considerably boots the operational function of this deck. You thought that Astrology, Numerology, Kabbalah and Alchemy are all very complicated and hard to understand? My deck and my system offer you a logical and straightforward manner to learn, understand and use them in an integrated way and all you have to know is printed on the cards. Moreover, I provide a simple formula based on the relationship between energy and matter which explains not only the structure and architecture of the Tarot deck, but it is the key to the entire esoteric system. The cards are also double colour coded, and for the very first time in the history of the Tarot, each card bears two titles, one for the straight and one for the reversed meaning of the card which facilitates the reading and interpretation of the cards substantially. Still, each card features the traditional name of the card for those who are familiar with those names, meanings and interpretations. Although this system is based on a well-defined philosophical and practical structure, it enables a very flexible and intuitive reading even at first glance. Instead of encouraging the mechanical learning process of memorising the meaning of planets, aspects, numbers, Tarot cards, I provide a simple system and method which enable you to understand the very foundation of all the esoteric teachings and use all that knowledge in your benefit. The Tarot did not change since the first known Tarot deck surfaced 500 years ago in Northern Italy. However, our perception and understanding of this mysterious deck of cards have constantly changed and continue to change. In the beginning, the cards were unnamed and unnumbered. Somebody gave names and attributed numbers to the cards; we still don’t know who, why and for what reason, respectively based on what considerations. Then we have spoken about Knights and Queens, Popes and Empresses. Nowadays we speak about consciousness, subconsciousness and collective consciousness. We did not know and understood back in those days more about the Devil than we do know about consciousness. The interpretation of the cards was adjusted to the monotheist and patriarchal model of our society ever since the Tarot surfaced for the first time. However, studying the structure of the Tarot deck, I have got to the conclusion that the Tarot has more older roots then we ever suspected. Tarot is Astrology and Numerology based. Modern Astrology is still relying entirely on the work of Claudius Ptolemy from the 1st century and the perception of the universe of those times. They believed that the Earth is in the centre of the universe and the seven “wanderers” are revolving around it. Today we know that the Sun is in the centre of our solar system and there are more than sen planets in our solar system. They also believed that men and women are not equal, but men are superior, active and positive, while women are inferior, passive and negative. It is all based on the myth of Adam and Eve, and have its roots in the Babylonian mythology and the battle of Marduk with Tiamat. However, while monotheist religions are built upon the notion of dualism and the constant struggle of good and evil; esoterism, and Tarot included, is based on the principle of Trinity and the trin nature of everything in the universe. Everything is a matter of perception, and I think the time has come to readjust our perception of reality. Now, it is entirely up to you if you're choosing to stick with the past or you're going to step into the future. The U.E.T. deck is the Tarot deck of the Age of Aquarius, the Age of Reason and the times of major changes and transformations for the humankind.

I was reading some interesting posts about Chinese astrology here. I can’t remember who said it, but someone said that most people are only partly conscious, and that planetary influences can influence the behaviour of the average person. I also noticed that Daoist festivals occur according to the phases of the moon. Daoists say that the moon is very Yin, so what effect does a full moon and a new moon have on us? I would like to know more about this. Thank you

Hello, I was wondering if anyone here has studied this system in depth and wanted to share. I would love to hear about any type of resources you have found useful such as teachers, other practitioners, or books. So far the most in depth author i have read on the subject is y.m. Lim. He has a few books on it and a blog that is pretty interesting.

Interested in Tarot, Astrology and related subjects

Hi Tarot Bums, It is a feature of many Tarot decks that the 36 numbered Minor Arcana reflect the images and meanings traditionally attributed to the 36 decans of Astrology, even though this is not always obvious. The most prominent system for making the link is no doubt the one devised by the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn. It was integrated by both Aleister Crowley and (more disguisedly) Arthur Edward Waite in the design of their respective decks. But it is nowhere as prevalent as in the beautiful Liber T - Tarot of the Stars Eternal. That deck's Major Arcana and Court Cards are somewhat simplified versions of Crowley's Thoth cards, but what sets the Liber T apart is its reception of the decans' images as found in the Sublime Books, Liber Hermetis, Indian astrological tradition, Latin Picatrix, Agrippa's Three Books of Occult Philosophy, Giordano Bruno's De Umbris Idearum, as well as in the "Hall of the Months" in the beautiful Palazzo Schifanoia in Ferrara, Italy. It is noteworthy that there are many parallels between the images in all these systems, spread out through different times and cultures - notwithstanding the transmission that without a doubt occurred. But let's look at an example. The Two of Wands is attributed according to the Golden Dawn with the first decan of the Zodiac (the first ten degrees of Aries). What do the classical sources have to say on this decan? (We find them conveniently compiled in Austin Coppock great book 36 Faces - The History, Astrology and Magic of the Decans.) Liber Hermetis: "It is an armed sign, standing upright, walking, having the likeness of a man, standing on feet like claws and holding above his head a double-sided battle-axe with both hands." Birhat Jakata: "A man with white cloth around his waist, dark complexion, pretending to protect, fearful red eyes and a lifted axe." Latin Picatrix (the direct inspiration for the Golden Dawn's decan interpretations): "The image of a black man with a large and restless body, having red eyes and with an axe in his hand, girded in white cloth, and there is great value in this image. This is a face of strength, high rank and wealth without shame." Three Books of Occult Philosophy: "A black man, standing and dressed in white and girded, a large body, red eyes, and great strength, as if angry ... This image signifies and is made for boldness, strength, loftiness, and immodesty." Further, we want to consider what some of the pioneering Tarot books in more modern times tell us about the Two of Wands: Book T (this is the GD's outline for Tarot and foundation for the Liber T deck): "The Lord of Dominion ... Strength, domination, harmony of rule and of justice. Boldness, courage, fierceness, shamelessness, revenge, resolution, generous, proud, sensitive, ambitious, refined, restless, turbulent, sagacious withal, yet unforgiving and obstinate." The Book of Thoth (Aleister Crowley's treatise on his deck which the Liber T reproduces): "The background of this card shows the power of the planet Mars in his own sign Aries, the first of the Signs. It there represents Energy initiating a Current of Force. The pictorial representation is two Dorjes crossed. The Dorje is the Tibetan symbol of the thunderbolt, the emblem of celestial Power, but more in its destructive than its creative form. More, that is, in its earlier rather than its later form. For destruction may be regarded as the first step in the creative process. The virgin ovum must be broken in order to fertilize it. Fear and repulsion are therefore the primary reaction to the assault. Then, with understanding of the complete plan, willing surrender rejoices to co-operate.Six flames issue from the centre. This indicates the influence of the Sun, who is exalted in Aries. This is the creative Will." Crowley's design for the card mirrors its decan's meaning. Of course, this short introductory survey would be incomplete if we would neglect A. E. Waite's version of the card: Wikipedia tells us how this card is generally understood by contemporary Tarot readers: ""The image on the Rider-Waite deck shows us a wealthy merchant or noble, looking out at his territory, or perhaps for his ships that have set sail. He holds the world in his hands, symbolizing power." This reiterates at least some of the decan's attributions. Whereas Waite's own words - strongly based on popular interpretations and ever so cautious to avoid any violation of the author's oath of secrecy to the GD - are not very reminiscent of the card's decan: "Divinatory Meanings: Between the alternative readings there is no marriage possible; on the one hand, riches, fortune, magnificence; on the other, physical suffering, disease, chagrin, sadness, mortification. The design gives one suggestion; here is a lord overlooking his dominion and alternately contemplating a globe; it looks like the malady, the mortification, the sadness of Alexander amidst the grandeur of this world's wealth." By the way: This thread spins off a current discussion on the thread "Tarot Set for Advanced" and was suggested to me long ago by Nungali - thanks.

"After fifteen more days, [the handle of the Dipper at midnight] points to the binding cord of Returning Accretion, and there is a surplus of yin in the land. Thus it is said that the forty-sixth day form the winter solstice marks the Beginning of Spring [node], when the yang qi dispels the cold. It's sound is like [the pitch pipe] Southern Regulator." Huainanzi 3.18 Twenty Nine years prior my mother had given birth to a son on the spring equinox, a day when "there is a surplus of yin in the land." Had the surplus pervaded this infant? Has all the passive energy fused into his being? Your thoughts?

Just curious. On the board I see tarot, astrology and Iching being used to answer questions here. I rarely use divination, tending to see its value more as a Rorschach test then future sight. As such I prefer the symbolic nature of most systems which give me food for thought. What system do you use? How do you recommend its use? Lastly how has it helped you?

C. C. Zain and the Sacred Tarot The most authentic version of the Tarot, and the closest to the original used by Thoth, that is in existence in modern times has got to be the Sacred Tarot brought to us by C.C. Zain. http://en.wikipedia....wiki/C._C._Zain More about Elbert Benjamine- http://www.light.org...ght-lessons.cfm And- http://www.lightofeg...es/Default.aspx

An 1800 year old text possessed by early Christians has recently been translated for the first time ever in English. It describes the journey of the 3 wise men. In it the 3 wise men came from Asia, along the silk road, from what we today call China. ABC news, Rediscovered Ancient Text Tells a Different Three Wise Men Tale- http://abcnews.go.com/Travel/wise-men-ancient-text-differs-bible-tale-magi/story?id=12460820 USA Today- Were the Three Wise Men from China? http://www.usatoday.com/yourlife/mind-soul/spirituality/2010-12-03-three-wise-men_N.htm?csp=hf Washington, Dec 24 : An ancient rediscovered text called 'Revelation of the Magi' tells a very different version of the Three Wise Men's journey to Bethlehem http://www.newkerala.com/news/world/fullnews-111758.html