For those who would like a handy reference pertaining to traditional Western astrology (i.e., tropical astrology), see my following article: * Jamie Michelle, ["Tropical Astrology"](https://web.archive.org/web/20220616062714/jamiemichelle.freevar.com/Jamie-Michelle-Tropical-Astrology.html), *Internet Archive*, June 16, 2022 (orig. pub. June 11, 2020), ark:/13960/t0wq8t60r; also available [here](https://ghostarchive.org/archive/aDceY), [here](https://megalodon.jp/2022-0616-1527-32/jamiemichelle.freevar.com/Jamie-Michelle-Tropical-Astrology.html) and [here](https://archive.is/2oKNF); download: [here](https://archive.org/download/Tropical-Astrology/Jamie-Michelle-Tropical-Astrology.html). A lot of research and attention to detail has been put into this. This began mostly as my own notes for myself. I find the intersection between different cultures' ancient beliefs and their connection to the modern science of astronomy to be quite interesting, including how that ancientness has carried forward to the present time. For example, in English the days of the week are named after deities—mostly Norse deities—and those deities in turn were each associated as representing one of the seven classical planets. So each day of the week also has a classical planet associated with it. And this same connection goes back to the ancient Mesopotamian deities, through the Greeks and Romans, and is even found in Hinduism. There's actually a lot of overlap between these cultures, which continues to this day in our modern culture. I provide tables of rows and columns which explicate these connections in a convenient way. A good deal of historical digging had to be done in order to nail-down some of this information. Presently there's a lot of confusion that exists regarding the referent identity of Sagittarius; and to a somewhat lesser extent, so also with Capricorn, and even some of the other Zodiacal signs. One might think that this historical cultural information would have been better preserved and known by those who make it their interest to write on such topics, but such is not the case. So my choices regarding the aforesaid referent identities haven't been made lightly. As far as what I have come across, this information has never been laid out in such a systematic and well-researched manner. One area where I might expand on this article is to give scholarly citations while explaining how I arrived at some of the possibly more surprising referent identities. As indicated, I additionally make the connection between astrology and the modern science of astronomy, and even modern medical science. I provide a number of astronomical and mathematical resources for those who might desire to learn about astronomy more. So if one comes at this information from the cultural perspective, one might be inspired to learn more about its scientific/astronomical aspects. Or if one comes at it from the scientific/astronomical perspective, one might be inspired to learn more about its cultural aspects. There ought to be something here for almost everybody! ⁂ For additional writings by me, see also my below *Linktree* profile to find other social-media websites that I'm on: * ["jamie_michelle"](https://linktr.ee/jamie_michelle), *Linktree*; also available [here](https://megalodon.jp/2022-0916-1110-14/linktr.ee/jamie_michelle) and [here](https://archive.is/FAzga).

Really, when it comes to forgiveness, there are only 2 things that are relevant. One is "decisional forgiveness." That's where you make a decision to not retaliate or otherwise "collect." The other is "emotional forgiveness," where you feel a release of negative emotions toward another. There are many things that aren't really forgiveness: 1. Repression. Repressed anger is not forgiveness. In fact, repression can drive anger deeper within the soul and possibly lead to extreme acts of violence later. 2. Apologies. Apologizing or forcing another to apologize is not forgiveness. You may apologize to seek forgiveness, but it is not the same as forgiveness. Within the Full Court of Attonement protocols, having any needs for completion or forgiveness means that you haven't forgiven. "If you say/do this, I will forgive you." No, even if you bully someone into groveling and saying they are sorry, you usually still don't have forgiveness. 3. Retaliation. That is not forgiveness. Sure, you might be able to get rid of some of the anger, but you don't have forgiveness. In fact, you have more guilt and a sick sense of "balance." Retaliation is one reason why it is so hard for some to forgive since there is an unhealthy balance of sorts. If they seek forgiveness, you may refuse to grant it to them because that means you then have things to confess. So you might not honor their request for forgiveness since you are not ready to be forgiven. So if you can't forgive someone, find out what it is that you are really holding onto and what you need to be forgiven for. 4. Restitution. While restitution is a natural part of forgiveness, it is not the same as forgiveness, and forcing restitution does nothing to heal the relationship. 5. Avoidance. That is not forgiveness either. That can be a manifestation of resentment. However, you can deliberately avoid someone after you forgive them. For instance, you suspect a relative has committed sex crimes against children. You can work to forgive them and still take other steps such as contacting the authorities if there is evidence or avoiding them for the safety of your immediate family. So you can avoid the "funny uncle" and still forgive them. You don't have to trust someone or take chances after forgiving them. 6. Putting on a "forgiving" front, a "truce," or "faking it until you make it." Choosing to take abuse and act like things are okay is not forgiveness. There may be a time to do this, such as for the sake of preserving a family or someone you must work with, but it is not forgiveness. 7. Punishment. Watching someone get put away for a crime doesn't change the fact of the crime, doesn't bring restoration, and doesn't necessarily bring forgiveness. Many say things like, "He can rot behind bars for all I care!" So some sort of "justice" doesn't always bring forgiveness.

Forgiveness, and the lack thereof, can tie in with occult-type activity. An example of this was a person whom the victim's family had a good idea that he had killed one of their family members. The cops didn't have the evidence to arrest him, but everyone knew in their gut that he killed her. There was one who refused to share their level of hatred for him, and they even cut him out of family gatherings. One day, this family member was in the store and he turned and saw the guy he suspected had killed his sister or whoever it was. That guy had a look of guilt on his face as he saw the family member of his alleged victim. The family member just said 3 words. "I forgive you." The alleged suspect didn't live long after that. He just died as if God had judged him, or maybe he judged himself in a sense. It was as if hearing the family member's forgiveness gave the guy "permission" to die. In some ways, maybe it was like the kind words were a death sentence. In that brief moment, maybe the guy admitted to himself what he did. The Bible mentions the above type of situation a bit. Jesus said to heap coals of kindness upon adversaries' heads. In a sense, that is what this one family member of the victim above did. He saw a guilty man who desperately needed forgiveness more than a person who needed to be hated. The metaphor of heaping coals on someone's head came from ancient heating and cooking practices. If your fire went out, you'd need to go borrow some fire from someone. So they would carry it in pottery that they'd carry on their heads. This was likely a war reference since enemies who were killing each other earlier that day might beg for hot coals from each other to make it through the night. The concept of mitzvahs has always been central to Jewish culture. That likely also ties in with the passage in Proverbs about there being a time for most things. In the Full Court of Atonement thing I practice which is more New Age, there is the belief that most problems tie in with unforgiveness. There may be ancestral sins to clear out, but would spiritual "resonances" from one's bloodlines have any relevance if there was nothing in the current life of the person for them to resonate with? Put another way, you can't blame family energies for what you choose to do in your life. So while clearing out this ancient energy is beneficial, it is often not enough. One has to come to terms with what they need forgiveness for and what they need to forgive in others. There are even ghost stories that tie in with this. A toddler seemingly turned "evil" all of a sudden out of nowhere. I mean things like lying, maybe fire-setting, rebelliousness, etc. Sure, there are the "terrible twos" (and threes), but this seemed like something else. The parents tried nearly everything and the mother sought a shaman or energy healer on his behalf. What the healer found was a human soul attachment. I know Christians won't agree with the concept of reincarnation, but here is what was revealed to the healer. Supposedly, in a past life, this guy violated one of the Ten Commandments in a very big way. He lied about someone and got them killed. And the victim was so full of hatred and unforgiveness that he vowed to keep ruining this guy's lives and getting him imprisoned in each. Just commandeer his body and soul to override the guy's free will (which is against most religions). Anyway, the healer convinced the extra soul to leave using conventional logic and common sense. "He ruined one of your lives and you keep ruining his. Don't you think you made your point by now? You are unable to spiritually evolve as long as you are here." Supposedly, the boy was with his father on a trip. As soon as the shaman/healer was done, the boy who was standing up in the seat, screaming, throwing things out the window, etc., sat back down and got quiet when his father asked him to. The spiritual interference and sabotage were gone. He had just been forgiven.

Mediation is typically seen as something that everyone should practice, and it is almost touted as a cure-all. I agree that more should do it, but there are also those who should not do it, those who have been harmed by it, and situations or specific practices that should be avoided while doing it. There are hundreds of things that can be called “meditation,” and not all are for every person or every situation. For instance, take “progressive muscle relaxation.” Usually, that is rather harmless. You just close your eyes and focus on each part of the body until everything is relaxed. I’d say that has health benefits. Yet, you wouldn’t do that while driving or operating heavy machinery, and there are folks with certain mental health conditions where I would not advise it. For instance, if your mind perverts this practice into self-criticism if you have Body Dysmorphic Disorder. Consider this inner dialog, “Now I relax my scalp, damn, my hair is ugly and falling out, now I relax my forehead, yuck, I have dry skin there, now I relax my ugly nose…” So I’d think that could do them more harm than good at like that. Meditation that is forced on others might be among the riskiest type of meditation, such as someone being in a supermax prison or in solitary confinement. Those who are naturally introverted, intelligent, self-absorbed, etc. would likely have fewer problems down the road stemming from meditation imposed by a lengthy time of solitude. But the typical person to go into solitary confinement or a supermax prison likely doesn’t have the inner resources or personality to thrive alone. Another danger of meditation is getting in over one’s head when they create lasting changes that present them with challenges they wouldn’t already have. I’m thinking of things like contact with “spirits” or awakening Kundalini. That is problematic for Christians since they probably shouldn’t be seeking such encounters. However, such encounters happen. That is why there is the term “spiritual emergency.” If an unexpected Kundalini awakening occurs or you have a “dark night of the soul,” then that is a spiritual emergency. If Kundalini opens unexpectedly, you might be pretty much forced to find an expert in Eastern religion and undergo whatever rituals or recommendations they have to offer. That can be problematic for Christians, since if they know the way, then why would they need guides from other traditions? That would be like saying their faith isn’t enough. Needing to rid oneself of entity attachments is another issue. Since the Catholic Church rarely authorizes them (“Oh, they’re sick, get them to a psychiatrist”) and few Christians are involved in doing it, you may need to consult those who are outside of your faith or at least learn some practices that may fall outside of it. So what do you do when all of a sudden, your body starts writing and contorting on its own, much like an intense version of a female orgasm? (I don’t think too many guys would experience that even then, but they may have a purely mental experience.) Then suppose, after that, you vomit when you start to eat meat, and start feeling existential intense angst or not feeling at home in your body. This sort of thing can happen when you're not trying to cause it to happen. To regain balance, some swear off all meditation, try to reintegrate into the social life they had before, maybe watch their diet, and hope and pray that the symptoms will go away. Others may find a yoga instructor who has had experience with Kundalini awakening. In that case, you surrender to the new reality. Then, of course, some go to the ER, see a therapist, maybe try to get put on mood stabilizers, etc. Some manage to use meditation as an escape or a drug. In some contexts, that’s acceptable, like recovering addicts or those who can have bad reactions to painkillers or even anesthetics used during surgery. I’ve heard of someone using meditation instead of anesthesia during major surgery. They had to be highly skilled at meditation to pull that off, and the surgeon had an anesthesiologist there monitoring vital signs just in case they needed to intervene so the surgeon could complete the procedure safely. Still, there are cases where meditation could be an escape or used as a narcotic, which are among the objections raised. *** Of those who have had lasting problems from meditation, let's dispel some myths. Like with communism, there is almost always someone who says, "But you didn't do it the right way!" Explain that to someone who did it the same way for 30-40 years straight before they learned it was harming them. Closely related is, "You must have done this alone without a teacher." What about when the teachers develop severe problems related to their meditation practices? Then, of course, there are those who say, "But maybe you are the wrong person to meditate." But how would you know that in advance? And then the conversation usually turns to stereotypes about who would be bad participants with no real proof. Also along that line is, "Maybe you were already a screwup and this only intensified who you already were." However, seemingly troubled people are often helped, even those with severe mental illnesses, while seemingly healthy people and even meditation professionals experience severe problems like agoraphobia, extreme social anxiety, generalized anxiety disorder, etc.

Should active magic workings be posted here? Or should they have their own community? I believe there should be a place that goes beyond regular prayers, where more detailed "spells," magic workings, imprecatory prayers (ie., curses), rituals, etc., can be posted. In a way, a digital grimoire-type community might be good. From my understanding, grimoires are a bit like personal versions of scientific journals. So you record what you tried and what happened. I just started a thread for this type of purpose for 1 working.

I think the ADL director needs to go. We could attempt aggressive prayers, like some of the Psalms. I think the key is not having actual hatred, but focusing on the positive outcome of who all can be saved. When the police put down a diseased animal, it isn't out of hatred, but out of protecting the public. Now, before going to imprecatory prayers, maybe Amy Joe Ellis’s approach would be a good start. If folks can target such folks with FCOA in mass, things might change. If you can “talk” to him remotely, soul to soul, that could influence things. If not, then back to brute force “prayers.” An example of what I mean could be: “I, [state your full name] bring myself, [your name] into a Full Court of Atonement for the purpose of searching through the entire family lineage of Jonathan Greenblatt and correcting any hatred towards Caucasians, conservatives, or Christians and correcting these energies at the points of origin.” However, I will attempt this after clearing other things which might be more important to clear first. I’ve attempted some energy work on him, starting with dowsing (AKA “muscle testing”), and I’ve already found some trouble points. And while questions about demonic activity and influences are turning up negative, I am experiencing interference in my workings and ambiguous readings. For instance, I asked about ancestral sins that needed clearing and got a no, but after doing FCOA work on myself to remove interference and changing the wording, I got a yes. I first asked the following questions via dowsing: * Does all the energy inside him belong to him or God? * Does he have optimal energy encasements? * Does he have optimal boundaries? * Does he have optimal vibrations. I first got No for all of the above. Then I tried the following: "I, [my name], call upon a Full Court of Atonement as a liaison on behalf of Jonathan Greenblatt of the ADL with the purpose of soul recognition for Jonathan Greenblatt, as well as optimal boundaries, optimal energy encasements, and optimal vibrations." Asking the above questions again, I received yes for everything but the first one. So, that work isn't finished. I have an idea what I need to try next. It will be a grueling process of 21 FCOA rituals. The "soul recognition" request was supposed to fix the first thing on the list. But it didn't. That could be due to demonic activity, other offensive energies, or ancestral sins. I keep getting no when asking about demonic activity and other offensive energies. So, I will attempt the long-form clearing and report here later.

In Ask Balls, someone asked about possessions. I thoroughly enjoyed the conversation and I tend to enjoy discussing paranormal things. So I figured it was time to start a place for discussing demonic possession, ghosts, space aliens, unexplainable events, magic workings, prayer, angels, miracles, dreams, certain types of drug use, etc. I put in the sidebar that it should be non-denominational since folks tend to have a narrow view of witchcraft and magic. Wiccans are not the only magic practitioners, but many think that is the case, and I don't think we should be weighed down by sectarianism and arguments over magic classifications. Speaking of magic classifications, not everyone buys the whole "white magic" vs. "black magic" thing. Plus, you cannot always draw such a line. I tend to go by simpler definitions, and using those, black magic is magic that violates free will while white magic doesn't. It isn't necessarily about motives. For instance, a love spell may actually be considered black magic since it may attempt to override free will. On the surface, you might consider that to be "white magic" since it isn't about revenge or death. However, this type of magic working can border upon rape. If you use natural means to try to force someone to have sex with you, that is rape. So if you use magic to force a sexual relationship, how is that any better than rape? Sure, you won't have the criminal liability aspect, but the rest of the universe may consider that to be another type of rape. Or, we can go the other way with death spells. While most of those could be considered as violating free will, there may be cases where they are according to free will. For instance, someone with intractable suffering may seek this. I don't know if this should be a place to discuss imprecatory prayers (eg., curses). From the Christian view, those are sometimes allowed, but within a narrow scope. That is more of what you would reserve for groups, not individuals, and only for extreme offenses. For instance, if your nation is under siege by godless people whose goal is rape and genocide, then prayers like the imprecatory Psalms might just be appropriate. That doesn't contradict what Jesus said later ("Love one another.") since this was in the context of interpersonal relations in day-to-day living. There is a huge difference between a fight with a friend or being cut off in traffic, and having godless, cruel people try to hijack or take over your nation. I believe it is possible to be a Christian occultist. It is just a matter of avoiding certain activities in one's practices. You don't worship/serve other gods, create images of other gods, harm yourself on behalf of other gods, poison anyone, inhumanely kill animals, try to use magic to enslave/control others, or try to communicate with or raise the dead (at least if you don't personally know them). If they contact you, that is a bit different as you cannot help that. But I don't think you should interfere with the dead or do things that limit their free will (like forcibly raising them from the dead) or prevent them from spiritually progressing. I don't see anything wrong with maybe assisting them in following God's plan for them. But asking them for information could be problematic if you are not speaking to who you think you are or give any information obtained that way any undue consideration. Healing and inner growth tend to be fair game, IMHO.

In other communities and some earlier comments here, there was the topic of possession/entities. That is when you have souls/spirits or spirit parts/fragments that aren't yours. Not only can demons, ghosts, and energy forms such as ideas become attached to you, but sometimes even spirit fragments of living individuals. For instance, a woman had a stalker problem. It didn't matter where she moved or how careful she was, he'd always find her within 3 days. She tried everything and eventually found a shamanic healer who removed a fragment of the stalker from her son. The stalker was using the fragment as a homing beacon. After that was returned to him, he gave up all interest in the woman or her son. "Oh, I've moved on." That of course begs the existence of the exact opposite situation. If you can have pieces of another person, you could also lose pieces of yourself. That is often called "soul loss." And you might not even lose it to a person, but to circumstances or objects. Like if you say things like, "A piece of me died when..." then you could have this issue. Trauma would be a major way to encounter this. It is possible to have the above 2 issues together, making for a complicated case to resolve. For instance, if you have soul loss, you could be more susceptible to attracting fragments or entities. In that case, I'd say to attempt to remove the possession issue first. But you'd want to address the other issue soon after. A complication could be if you attempt to address soul loss that came from a very traumatic experience while you have an active possession. If the entities involved are particularly dark, it may cause the soul retrieval to be particularly painful or have interference. So if you have a spirit that is causing depression or suicidality, then reattaching a traumatized fragment may be what pushes the person over the edge. When a soul fragment leaves, it stops growing/maturing. So when it returns, you may be pulled back to when it left, and some inner growth may be needed. So if you return a fragment that left during severe trauma, you would be particularly vulnerable until you fully process the underlying issues. That would be the wrong time to also be hosting entities or spirit fragments. However, another complication is that it is possible that while you have pieces missing, you might be particularly vulnerable to entities. So if you remove entities before reclaiming lost fragments, it is possible to get another possession. A third issue some may encounter is unwanted energetic cords with another person. Maybe you feel a specific person is controlling you or constantly getting the best of you in disputes. Maybe you and they are locked into specific patterns of interaction that neither of you can break. These cords or bonds can have useful purposes. Many mothers may unknowingly form cords with their children. So that could facilitate locating them or knowing how they feel. But, what about when they are grown? That could keep you from letting them go or letting them live their life independently. So that may be a time to dissolve such connections. Communication is another use for these cords like if a person is vulnerable, cannot get to the mail or the phone, or will be away for a long time. Also, the sizes of the cords matter since the larger the connection, the more energy loss you may experience or the more the target can influence you. Teachers sometimes unwittingly form these with pupils. So if you have cords and they are not serving any desired purpose, you can remove those.

I don't particularly advocate this faith. However, there are some interesting things to note about it. There are at least 2 things called Satanism. The difference between the 2 is that one is deistic and the other is atheistic. Deistic Satanism would be things like "Joy of Satan Ministries" who believe in a literal Satan as well as magick. Atheistic Satanism would be more things such as Lavey's brand of Satanism which may be more likely to draw rebellious/edgy teens who want to shock their parents. They use the name Satanism since "Satan" just means adversary or opponent, and they reject the religion of their parents. It is more of a social club and a philosophy of hedonism.