For this is the Harmony of the World,
that things Supercelestial
be drawn down by the Celestial
and the Celestial by the Supernatural,
because there is One Operative Virtue
that is diffused through all Things...
Astrology, magick and alchemy are the three occult
(in the original sense of hidden) Hermetic sciences. All three are interconnected in
practice and share the Neoplatonic/Hermetic worldview.
Magic, says Cornelius Agrippa, "is
the most perfect, and chief science, that sacred, and sublimer kind of philosophy
and lastly the most absolute perfection of all most excellent philosophy."
Three Books of Occult Philosophy Bk.I, Chap. 2 (Tyson ed.) page 5. This
comes as something of a surprise to moderns who generally think of magick as
superstitious nonsense or an entertainer in a tuxedo pulling a rabbit out
of a hat.
For the Renaissance philosopher magick was a spiritual science
which, like the Cosmos itself, was arranged in a triple hierarchy: material, celestial
and divine.
Natural magick is reliant on the elements and occult properties of
material things and required a knowledge of natural philosophy.
Celestial magick relies
on the spiritual connections and causality imposed by the Zodiacal powers and
required a knowledge of mathematics (for calculation) and astrology.
Divine magick, says
Agrippa, requires a knowledge of theology, for without this knowledge one, "...cannot
understand the rationality of magic." Three Books of Occult Philosophy
Bk.I, Chap. 2 (Tyson ed.) page 6. As the divine and ideal world was the basis of the
existence and form of the Universe, so knowledge of the spiritual is the basis
of magick.
Celestial magic or magical astrology thus concerns itself with
the middle world, that of the Zodiacal powers, which are a universal archetype of
Reality and control the generation and corruption of all things in the material realm.
Astrological magick consists of two divisions. The
first uses astrology to elect times for magical ceremonies, ritual and actions and is
therefore a branch of electional astrology. An example
of rules for the use of this type of astrological magick is found in
Planetary Hours Elections in the
Key of Solomon. Here is an example of an actual election with chart and
results for the
Invocation of the Goetic Spirit Paimon.
The other division
of astrological magick is the production of Astrological
Talismans & Amulets. This is a branch of natural magic and combines together the occult
(in the original sense of hidden) virtues of things at an astrologically appropriate time,
through the use of talismans and amulets. There are a number of astrological factors
that can be used for talismans, including Planetary Talismans,
Lunar Mansions Talismans, Fixed Star Talismans and
House Based Talismans. The key to astrological talismans is
finding a time when the astrological factor, being it planet, mansion
or fixed star, is strong. An astrological talisman made at this auspicious moment,
with the proper materials, designs and ritual consecration, will capture and
store the energy of the planet, mansion or fixed star.
I also provide information and selections from the most
influential work of traditional astrological magick, the
Picatrix. This book of medieval Arabic (clearly derived from the
Neo-Platonic/Hermetic astral worship of Harranian Sabians) was a key influence on
such noted Renaissance mages as Cornelius Agrippa and
Marsilio Ficino.
Finally, another connection between astrology and magick is the
use of Horary astrology to detect curses and bewitchment.
Because these attacks are spiritual in nature they can be detected astrologically or
clients can be assured that they are not cursed. For further information see
Curse Detection. The famous 17th century English astrologer
William Lilly gives
rules for detecting curses. I have also
provided a Curse Detection Example Horary.
If you are interested in discussing and learning about
Renaissance Astrology, particulary Astrological Magic, you may wish to
subscribe to Spiritus Mundi my e-group
devoted to traditional (pre-1700) astrology.
For those that desire to delve deeper into Astrology and Magic
I offer an
Astrological Magic Full Course which
teaches students the complete theory and practice of the Renaissance astrological magic of
Cornelius Agrippa, Marsilio Ficino
and Picatrix.
I also offer the smaller, self-contained
Mansions of the Moon Mini-Course and
Planetary Magic Mini-Course.
Please Contact me if you
have further questions regarding astrological magic or my web courses.