Secrets of Planetary Magic Read online

  Contents

  Chapter 1: Secrets of Planetary Magic

  Chapter 2: The Planets

  Chapter 3: Planetary Spheres and Planetary Hours

  Chapter 4: Planetary Hour Elections

  Chapter 5: Advanced Planetary Elections

  Chapter 6: Planetary Talismans

  Chapter 7: Planetary Ritual Pages

  Chapter 8: Saturn

  Chapter 9: Jupiter

  Chapter 10: Mars

  Chapter 11: the Sun

  Chapter 12: Venus

  Chapter 13: Mercury

  Chapter 14: The Moon

  Chapter 15: Al-Biruni's Planetary Rulerships

  Chapter 16: Lilly's Planetary Rulerships

  Chapter 17: Planetary Hour Elections from the Greater Key of Solomon

  Chapter 18: Planetary Ritual Preparations from Picatrix

  The Secrets

  OF

  Planetary Magic

  Christopher Warnock

  Renaissance Astrology

  www.renaissanceastrology.com

  2012

  Secrets of Planetary Magic, copyright 2010-12 Christopher Warnock

  Renaissance Astrology

  www.renaissanceastrology.com

  Chapter 1: Secrets of Planetary Magic

  This book is the product of more than a decade of study and practice of traditional (pre-1700) astrology and magic, which involved reading traditional sources, translating Latin astrological magic texts, creating astrological talismans, performing rituals and observing the results. My quest has not been to create my own individual system or invent new methods, but rather to become another link in the Golden Chain of Western esoteric practice, to immerse myself in the ancient Hermetic and Neo-platonic philosophies which form the basis of traditional astrology and astrological magic, and to practice astrological magic and astrology using the techniques and methodologies of our illustrious, pre-"Enlightenment" predecessors.

  Of necessity we must fill in the blanks where the sources are silent and we cannot nor is it desirable that we attempt to turn ourselves into exact copies of the mages of the Middle Ages and Renaissance. However, by first following the rules laid down in the traditional sources and then assimilating their essence, we can follow in the quest for magical knowledge and true spiritual enlightenment.

  Much of this book is taken up with the nuts and bolts of planetary magic, but I would like to begin with what might, without much exaggeration, be termed the secrets of planetary magic. These secrets are not tips, hints or recipes, but insights gleaned from years of study and practice.

  The first and most important of the secrets of planetary magic is the existence and reality of the spiritual realm. Magic and astrology depend on the spiritual connection of all things. Without a firm grounding in the spiritual, planetary magic will be weak and ineffectual.

  Secondly, while the creation of talismans can be viewed as the process of charging them with some form of energy, it appears to be more effective to view the process as an interaction with spiritual beings, in this case, the spirits, intelligences or archangels of the planets. The creation of talismans, says the ancient grimoire of astrological magic, the Picatrix, involves the action of spirit on body. The process of creating a talisman is the process of ensoulment as we invite the spirit of the desired planet to dwell in and vivify the talisman.

  This leads us to the third secret of planetary magic and indeed the use of the planets in traditional astrology. It is helpful to conceive of the planets as individual persons with their own distinct personalities. We will discuss planetary rulership later in this book and we can grasp the nature of each planet more swiftly if we view them as individuals with likes and dislikes, moods, qualities, attributes, strengths and weaknesses. This is also the best way to approach the planets in ritual. When we invoke the planets we are raising ourselves up to their spheres, opening up a door to their realm. The wise mage interacts with the planetary spirits in a respectful way. These are not Goetic spirits to be commanded, bargained with, or that require a protective circle, but rather angelic beings who may have unpleasant work to perform at times, but who have no rancor towards us, so long as we approach them properly.

  Further revelations flow from this premise. Since the action of talismans is to open the realms and influences of the planets to us, then in many respects astrological magic is different from spell casting. The power of talismans is primarily external to the mage and the effect of a talisman will always be appropriate to the planet involved, but cannot necessarily be predicted or willed by the magician.

  Another key revelation is that creating and maintaining a relationship with the spirits of the planets greatly increases the power of planetary magic and talismans. For example, I do a daily invocation of the planet that rules the day, as well as regular invocations of the spirits of particular talismans. Repeated ritual with a talisman creates a strong spiritual bond between you and the planetary spirit of that talisman. Along these same lines, you will have an easier time doing planetary magic using planets that are dignified in your birth chart because you already have a bond to these planets.

  Finally, the planetary spirits demand to be approached on their own terms and in particular at their preferred times. We cannot make an astrological talismans whenever we wish, but must wait until an astrologically auspicious moment arrives. The design and materials of a talisman are of minor importance, while the timing and ritual consecration are paramount. Astrological magic in general and planetary magic in particular depend on precise astrological timing. Without first mastering traditional (pre-1700) astrology, attempts to create planetary talismans will frequently be ineffectual and may even be counterproductive.

  Chapter 2: The Planets

  The seven traditional planets, Saturn, Jupiter, Mars, the Sun, Venus, Mercury and the Moon, are a key part of astrology and astrological magic. The word astrology itself comes from the Greek astro, star and logos, speech, ratio or pattern. Thus astrology literally means the speech or pattern of the stars. Since the dawn of civilization in Babylonia and Chaldea, astrologers and magicians observed the cycles of the Heavens, with a strong focus on the planets, and used them to predict and influence events on Earth. Astrology flourished during periods of high civilization: among the Greeks and Romans, the advanced Islamic civilization of the Middle East, and in Europe in the Middle Ages and Renaissance. The astrology practiced during this last period, approximately A.D. 1200-1700, is known as traditional astrology. Unlike the predominately psychologically oriented modern astrology, traditional astrology emphasizes prediction and providing definitive answers to specific questions, and traditional astrological magic focuses on the use of astrology for talismanic magic.

  Our first question must be, how do astrology and magic work? This raises the issue of world view. A person's world view generally is some blend of the prevailing cultural world view and the person's own conscious philosophy and unconscious views about the nature of reality. In essence it is your reality. World view is so ingrained and automatic in our psyche that it is difficult for many to accept that anyone could have a different one. After all reality is reality, isn't it? It can be difficult to comprehend that other societies could have a radically different view of reality and even more difficult not to immediately reject that view as erroneous.

  For our purposes, the key tenet of the modern world view is that nothing truly exists except matter and energy. For moderns, even when dealing with spiritual issues, their unconscious assumptions are always pushing towards atheistic materialism. When it comes to astrology, the automatic assumption is that the influence of the stars and planets must, of necessity, be exerted by matter or energy, i.e., some sort of electr
omagnetic field or rays, emanating from the stars and planets themselves. In fact, this is demonstrably false. There is simply no "scientific" evidence that explains how astrology or magic work, that is to say, there is no evidence that there is a material cause connecting cycles of the Heavens and events on Earth.

  However, ancient and traditional astrologers did not have the modern world view. While there was of course much individual variation and change over time, the traditional world view saw reality as containing both the material and the spiritual. A typical formulation saw reality as composed of three worlds, the Divine or Angelic World of the Platonic Ideas and Archetypes, the Material World, and the intermediate Celestial World, where the material things lose their physicality and the Divine Ideas or Angels assume form. The entire Cosmos was seen as one great unified Being, bound together with chains of spiritual sympathy and correspondence.

  Matter was less perfect than the spiritual and thus imperfectly reflected the forms of the Divine/Platonic Ideas, which were the ultimate reality. Material things were created, changed their form and then passed away, while the spiritual was eternal. The ancient astrologers used their astrology to look through matter to see the hidden true spiritual patterns of reality. The impressive accuracy of traditional astrological prediction and the efficacy of astrological magic supports their world view as valid.

  Each of the three worlds interpenetrates the others. For example, the Divine Idea of Justice appears in the Celestial World as Jupiter and in the Material World as just judges, lawyers and lawmakers. The Florentine philosopher and astrologer, Marsilio Ficino explains how things in each of the Worlds are connected through the Great Chain, or more precisely, the various chains of Being:

  "I have said elsewhere that down from every single star (so to speak Platonically) there hangs its own series of things down to the lowest...Under the celestial Serpent or the entire constellation of the Serpent-bearer, they place Saturn and sometimes Jupiter, afterwards daemons who often take on serpent's form, in addition men of this kind, serpents (the animals), the snake-weed, the stone draconite which originates in the head of a dragon, and the stone commonly called serpentine... By a similar system they think a chain of beings descends by levels from any star of the firmament through any planet under its dominion. If, therefore, as I said, you combine at the right time all the Solar things through any level of that order, i.e., men of Solar nature or something belonging to such a man, likewise animals, plants, metals, gems and whatever pertains to these, you will drink in unconditionally the power of the Sun and to some extent the natural powers of the Solar daemons." Three Books On Life, Book III, chapter 14.

  Everything is thus part of multiple chains of spiritual sympathy and correspondence connecting and interpenetrating all levels of reality. The seven traditional planets, Saturn, Jupiter, Mars, the Sun, Venus, Mercury and the Moon are key links in the Great Chain of Being. We can classify anything material under the rulership of one or more planets because the material thing contains the Divine idea or archetype transmitted by the planet. The Lion, for example, is the king of beasts and therefore ruled by the Sun, the King of the Planets. Gold is ruled also by the Sun because of its color, value and associations with kingship. Note however, that many things share multiple rulerships. While the Sun is the primary ruler of gold, Jupiter and Saturn also share rulership because gold, like Jupiter, is temperate and like Saturn, is heavy.

  The Renaissance philosopher and mage Cornelius Agrippa explains:

  "Moreover whatsoever is found in the whole world is made according to the governments of the Planets, and accordingly receives its vertue. So in Fire the enlivening light thereof is under the government of the Sun, the heat of it under Mars, in the Earth, the various superficies thereof under the Moon, and Mercury; and the starry Heaven, the whole mass of it under Saturne, but in the middle Elements, Aire is under Jupiter, and Water the Moon, but being mixed are under Mercury, and Venus. ...Also amongst Vegetables, every thing that bears fruit is from Jupiter, and every thing that bears Flowers is from Venus, all Seed, and Bark is from Mercury, and all roots from Saturne, and all Wood from Mars, and leaves from the Moon. Wherefore, all that bring forth fruit, and not Flowers, are of Saturne and Jupiter, but they that bring forth Flowers, and Seed, and not fruit, are of Venus, and Mercury; These which are brought forth of their own accord without Seed, are of the Moon, and Saturn..." Three Books of Occult Philosophy, Book I, chapter 30.

  In fact, all material things are connected to all of the planets. Planetary rulership is basically a way of stating which planet or planets predominate in the thing and very much depends on what part or quality we are focusing on. A helpful way to understand the nature of the planets is to read through the various rulership lists provided in Chapters 15 and 16.

  An astrologer's clear understanding of the natures of the planets is of considerable practical use. This knowledge is key for the interpretation of all types of horoscopes, particularly in the choice of significators. In horary astrology, which looks at the chart of the asking of a question rather than a birth chart, we can use the natures of the planets to obtain physical descriptions of suspected thieves or even casters of malefic spells. In electional astrology we can use planetary rulerships to determine whether a particular time is auspicious for a marriage that will result in children or a harmonious relationship. These examples are all passive uses of the planetary rulerships, where the astrologer observes the effects of the chains of correspondence and harmony. By contrast, in the practice of astrological magic, the mage or astrological magician makes active use of the planetary rulerships to create material effects.

  Chapter 3: Planetary Spheres and Planetary Hours

  Traditional astrology saw the Cosmos arranged in a series of eight spheres which carefully fit inside each other. The highest sphere was that of the fixed stars and constellations. This sphere was moved by the Primum Mobile, the First Mover, which is an aspect of God. Surrounding everything was the Empyrean, the Divine heavens. The highest planetary sphere was that of Saturn, then Jupiter, Mars, the Sun, Venus, Mercury and the lowest sphere that of the Moon.

  We note that the order of the planetary spheres follows the speed of the orbits of the planets. Saturn is the slowest, taking almost thirty years to orbit the Earth, while the Moon is the fastest, orbiting in less than thirty days. This sequence, Saturn, Jupiter, Mars, Sun, Venus, Mercury, Moon, is called the Chaldean Order of the planets.

  The planetary hours use the Chaldean order to divide time. Each of the planets rules a day. Sunday is ruled by the Sun, Monday by the Moon, Tuesday by Mars, Wednesday by Mercury, Thursday by Jupiter, Friday by Venus and Saturday by Saturn. The origin of the names of the days are explicitly planetary in medieval Latin: dies dominici (Sunday, the Lord's day), dies Lune (Monday, Moon day), dies Martis (Tuesday, Mars day), dies Mercuri (Wednesday, Mercury day), dies Jovis (Thursday, Jupiter day), dies Veneris (Friday, Venus day), dies Saturni (Saturday, Saturn day). In English the Teutonic equivalents of the Greek and Latin gods have been used for some of the names of the days, i.e. Tuesday is Tiw's day, the Teutonic god of war; Wednesday is Wotan's day; Thursday is Thor's day; Friday is Frigg's day.

  Each planetary hour of the planetary day is ruled by a different planet. The planet that rules the first hour of the day is also the ruler of the whole day and gives the day its name. Thus the first hour of Sunday is ruled by the Sun, the first hour of Monday is ruled by the Moon, first hour of Tuesday ruled by Mars and so on. Let's use Sunday as an example. The first hour of Sunday is ruled by the Sun, 2nd hour of Sunday by Venus, 3rd hour of Sunday by Mercury, 4th hour of Sunday by the Moon, 5th hour of Sunday by Saturn, 6th hour of Sunday by Jupiter, 7th hour of Sunday by Mars, 8th hour of Sunday by the Sun and the cycle repeats. The 24th hour of Sunday is ruled by Saturn, and the next hour is ruled by the Moon and begins Monday.

  Planetary Hours of the Day

  Hour Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday

  1 Sun Moon Mars Mercur
y Jupiter Venus Saturn

  2 Venus Saturn Sun Moon Mars Mercury Jupiter

  3 Mercury Jupiter Venus Saturn Sun Moon Mars

  4 Moon Mars Mercury Jupiter Venus Saturn Sun

  5 Saturn Sun Moon Mars Mercury Jupiter Venus

  6 Jupiter Venus Saturn Sun Moon Mars Mercury

  7 Mars Mercury Jupiter Venus Saturn Sun Moon

  8 Sun Moon Mars Mercury Jupiter Venus Saturn

  9 Venus Saturn Sun Moon Mars Mercury Jupiter

  10 Mercury Jupiter Venus Saturn Sun Moon Mars

  11 Moon Mars Mercury Jupiter Venus Saturn Sun

  12 Saturn Sun Moon Mars Mercury Jupiter Venus

  Planetary Hours of the Night

  Hours Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday

  1 Jupiter Venus Saturn Sun Moon Mars Mercury

  2 Mars Mercury Jupiter Venus Saturn Sun Moon

  3 Sun Moon Mars Mercury Jupiter Venus Saturn

  4 Venus Saturn Sun Moon Mars Mercury Jupiter

  5 Mercury Jupiter Venus Saturn Sun Moon Mars

  6 Moon Mars Mercury Jupiter Venus Saturn Sun

  7 Saturn Sun Moon Mars Mercury Jupiter Venus

  8 Jupiter Venus Saturn Sun Moon Mars Mercury

  9 Mars Mercury Jupiter Venus Saturn Sun Moon

  10 Sun Moon Mars Mercury Jupiter Venus Saturn

  11 Venus Saturn Sun Moon Mars Mercury Jupiter

  12 Mercury Jupiter Venus Saturn Sun Moon Mars

  Accordingly, as the duration of a day's daylight and darkness differ except at the time of the Vernal and Autumnal Equinoxes, on a particular planetary day the length of the hours of the day will differ from the length of the hours of the night. Thus another name for the planetary hours, says the English astrologer William Lilly, is the unequal hours.