A mighty pain to love it is,
And ’t is a pain that pain to miss;
But of all pains, the greatest pain
It is to love, but love in vain.
Abraham Cowley
This week's talismans come from David Pingree's Latin
version of Picatrix, an encyclopedic work
of medieval Arabic astrological magic.
For more information on Picatrix, see
Picatrix at Twilight Grotto.
Two more selections from Picatrix, untranslated
elsewhere and dealing with the magical uses of the lunar mansions can be found at
Astrology, Magical Talismans & Mansions of the Moon in Picatrix and
Listing of the Mansions of the Moon in Picatrix.
This week's talismans are interesting because they are
an example of the use of natal factors in a talisman election and because they
utitilize double talismans. The Picatrix begins by explaining how to
use the natal Ascendant of the elector (person using the election),
"An image to generate peace and love
between two [people]. Fashion two images under
the Ascendant of the questioner, and make fortunate the Ascendant and 10th house,
and remove infortunes from the first house, and place the lord of the 10th house
fortunately and aspecting itself to the lord of the Ascendant by a trine or sextile
aspect."
Picatrix Book I, Chapter 5 (translation by Robert Thomas).
The use of the natal Ascendant helps tie the talisman
to the elector. I am not sure why the Picatrix says to use the 10th house,
except that perhaps because it is the house of reputation. Improving it may improve
how one is seen and thus one's other relationships.
Next Picatrix explains how to increase the
specificity of the talisman for attracting a particular type, if not a particular
person,
"And there is a second image that may
be fashioned: if it is done for two friends,
place the eleventh house in the Ascendant of it as aforesaid in the first image;
and if you wish to generate love between a man and woman, place the Ascendant of
the second image as the seventh house from the first.
And form it so that the Lord
of the Ascendant of he who seeks
love shall aspect the lord of the Ascendant of the other [person]
with a good aspect and that they are well received of one another.
After this join the images and bury them in the place of the one who
is sought; and they will be friends that were apart before."
Picatrix Book IV, Chapter 9 (translation by Robert Thomas).
Thus we first determine the natal Ascendant of the elector.
We then fashion the first talisman under that Ascendant. Finally, we use that
appropriate house in the election chart, which will be the same as the corresponding
house in the nativity, as the Ascendant of the second talisman.
Our example charts are hypothetical based on a natal
Ascendant of 23 Leo.
The time elected for construction of
the first talisman is August 16, 2002 at 6:28 am EDT
in Washington, D.C. 38 N 56 77 W 03. At this time Leo rises
and the Sun is conjunct the Ascendant. The Sun, ruler of the
ascendant applies to a sextile of Saturn, ruler of the sign
on the seventh house cusp, Aquarius. It is also the day
of Venus (Friday) and the
planetary hour of Venus
which is quite appropriate for love talismans.
The election for construction of the
second talisman is 7:56 pm EDT on the same day, August 16, 2002.
At this time Aquarius (the sign on the cusp of the seventh house
in the original election) rises and the ruler of the seventh house,
the Sun, applies to Saturn, ruler of the Ascendant.
While this type of talisman is made for the
purpose of attracting a particular person and it is more powerful for
this purpose than a basic Venus talisman, users should be aware that
they have the potential to cause their user to become obsessed with the
person who is the object of the magic.
Here is further information on
Astrological Talismans
and Astrological Magic. If you
wish to delve even deeper into this fascinating area I offer an
Astrological Magic Web Course
as well as a traditional astrology and astrological magic discussion
group Spiritus Mundi.
