This week's talisman continues a series of comparisons
of the new English translation from Arabic of the Picatrix from
Ouroboros Press and the Latin Picatrix
edited by David Pingree which is
available from the
Warburg Institute.
The Picatrix
is an encyclopedic work of medieval Arabic
astrological magic. It had great influence on
Renaissance mages like Cornelius Agrippa and
Marsilio Ficino and was unpublished, in any language, until
modern times. We are therefore fortunate to have the Ouroboros translation of the
first two books of Picatrix. Comparison between the Latin and Ouroboros
Picatrix, however, makes the Ouroboros translation clearer.
We turn to the third talisman on page 34 of the
Ouroboros translation of Book One, Chapter Five of Picatrix.
A talisman for a person who wants to get married but is not able to
Make two statues: one in the hour of Jupiter when the
Ascendant is in Virgo and when the Moon is increasingly bright in one of the poles;
the the second in the hour of Venus when it is looking over Jupiter, Saturn and Mars.
Remove bad luck from the Ascendant and let Al-Sabi's Ascendant be a part of the first
statute and let its sign be connected to the sign of the first Ascendant from the
home of its triangle. Let them hug each other and bury them in the location of
the person who wants to get married.
Here is the corresponding talisman from the Latin
Picatrix
An image to acquire the love of another. Fashion two images, of which one
should be made in the hour of Jupiter with Virgo rising and the Moon waxing
in light, and place it in the First, Fourth, Seventh or Tenth houses.
Make the second image in the hour of Venus when Venus makes a good aspect to
Jupiter. And the infortunes should be placed in cadent houses to the Ascendant,
and let the Ascendant of the second image be the Seventh house cusp of the first
image, and the lord of the Ascendant [of the second image] should aspect the lord
of the Ascendant of the first image with a trine or sextile aspect.
And when these images have been made as we have said, join them to
one another face to face, and bury them in the place of the one from whom you
seek love and preferment.
Translation by Robert Thomas
Based on the Latin Picatrix we would alter the
Ouroboros translation as follows,
Make two [talismans]: one in the hour of Jupiter when the
[Virgo rises] and when the Moon is [waxing and angular];
the the second in the hour of Venus [when Venus makes a favorable aspect to Jupiter].
Remove [malefics] from the Ascendant and let [the 7th house of the first talisman
be the Ascendant of the second] and let [the lord of the Ascendant of the first
talisman make a favorable aspect to the Lord of the Ascendant of the
second talisman]. [Join the talismans face to face] and bury them in the location of
the person who wants to get married.
This set of talismans calls for two separate elections.
The first is for January 16, 2003 at 8:41 pm EST (+5) for Cleveland Park,
a neighborhood of Washington, D.C., 38 N 56, 77 W 03.
It is the
planetary hour of Jupiter. Virgo rises. The Moon waxes in the 10th, an
angular house.
The second election is for January 21, 2003 at
9:15 am. EST (+5) for Cleveland Park, a neighborhood of Washington,
D.C., 38 N 56, 77 W 03. It is the planetary hour of Venus.
The Ascendant of the second chart is 9 degrees of Pisces which is in the 7th
house cusp of the first chart. Venus trines Jupiter.
Now we didn't get the lords of the Ascendant to trine,
but not bad otherwise!
Here is further information on
Astrological Talismans
and Astrological Magic. If you
wish to delve even deeper into this fascinating area I offer an
Mansions of the Moon Mini-Course and
a Astrological Magic Full Course
as well as a traditional astrology and astrological magic discussion
group Spiritus Mundi.