Cornelius Agrippa's Venus Talisman
for Love, Growth and Peace
The desire of love, Joy:
The desire of life, Peace:
The desire of the soul, Heaven:
The desire of God: a flame-white secret forever.
William (Fiona McLeod) Sharp
This week's election
celebrates Venus, the Lesser Benefic, and
her rule over love, peace and growth. It is important for traditional astrologers
and practitioners of traditional astrological magic
to have a sophisticated understanding of Venus, one that extends beyond a few keywords.
To do this we must absorb the varied Divine Ideas embodied by Venus and know her in
both a state of weakness and strength, dignity and debility.
The English astrologer William Lilly says that Venus,
when well dignified signifies,
"...a quiet man, not given to Law, Quarrel or Wrangling, not
Vitious, Pleasant, Neat and Spruce, Loving Mirth in his words
and actions, cleanly in Apparel, rather Drinking much then
Gluttonous, prone to Venery, oft entangles in Love-matters,
Zealous in their affections, Musical, delighting in Baths, and
all honest merry meetings, or Maskes and Stage-playes,
easie of Belief, and not given to Labour, or take any Pains,
a Company-keeper, Cheerful, nothing Mistrustful, a right
vertuous man or Woman, oft had in some Jealousie, yet no
cause for it.
Christian Astrology, page 73-4.
Lilly also says that as far as professions Venus rules,
"Musitions,
Gamesters, Silk-men, Mercers,
Linnen-Drapers, Painters, Jewellers, Players,
Lapidaries, Embroiderers, Women-tailors,
Wives, Mothers, Virgins, Choristers, Fidlers,
Pipers, when joyned with Moon, Singers,
Perfumers, Semilers, Picture-drawers,
Gravers, Upholdsters, Limners, Glovers, all
such as fell those Commodities which adorn Women either, in
Body (as Cloaths) or in Face, (as
complexion-waters.)
Christian Astrology, page 74-5.
Yet the virtues of Venus can be taken to extremes, love
becomes lust, the gourmet becomes the glutton. A further discussion of the energy
of a debilitated or afflicted Venus can be found at the example of an
Election for Lust.
This week's talisman uses the table of Venus which
Cornelius Agrippa says,
"[P]rocureth concord, endeth strife, procureth the love of women [and men],
conduceth to conception, is good against barreness, causeth ability for
generation, dissolves enchantments, and causeth peace between men and women..."
Three Books of Occult Philosophy Bk. II, Chapter 22 (Tyson ed.)
page 319.
The time chosen for
the election is February 23, 2002 at 7:17 am EST in Washington,
D.C. 38 N 55, 77 W 03. At this Venus rises and is dignified by
exaltation as well as being the day ruler of the watery signs.
She is also conjunct the benefic fixed star Achernar, of the
nature of Jupiter giving success and beneficence..
Vivian Robson, Fixed Stars & Constellations
in Astrology [1923] (Sun Books, 1993) page 116.
The Moon is strong in her sign Cancer and
makes an applying trine with reception by triplicity to Venus. The
only difficulty is the fact that Venus is under the Sun's Beams, but
she is moving away from the Sun and is otherwise quite strong and well
aspected.
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.