Talisman for Kingly Favor from Book One, Chapter Five of
Picatrix
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Marsilio Ficino and was unpublished, in any language, until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.
This election makes an interesting use of the
Commanding and Obediant signs.
We turn to the third talisman on page 33 of the
Ouroboros translation of Book One, Chapter Five of Picatrix.
A talisman to have a ruler favor a certain person and improve his status
Make a picture in his name and bring good luck to the
ascendant by a strong Sa'ad. Let not the Sa'ad be retreating, declining or burning and
let the master of the ascendant be strong, sound and righteous in his fortunes. Let
the master of Al-Ashir be connected to the master of the ascendant in a triangular or
hexagonal form and the former will give good luck to the latter. The master of
Al-Ashir will be willingly connected to the master of the ascendant which is in
the commanding constellations, while the master of Al-Ashir is in the obediant
constellations. Never will the holder of this picture meet a ruler withour
getting his favor and having his status improved.
Here is the corresponding talisman from the Latin
Picatrix
An image that kings and nobles or whomever is desired shall love you.
Fashion an image in the form and name of the one for whom the image is made.
Make the Ascendant fortunate with a fortune that is not cadent, retrograde or
combust, and with the Lord of the Ascendant placed strongly, in good condition
and direct of motion, in his exaltation, and let the Lord of the Tenth aspect
the Lord of the Ascendant by a trine or sextile aspect with strong reception;
and let the Lord of the Ascendant be placed in a compelling sign and the Lord
of the Tenth be in an obeying sign. And as long as he shall have the aforesaid
image with him, he shall be loved and honored and whatever he requests of the king
shall be given to him.
Translation by Robert Thomas
Based on the Latin Picatrix we would alter the
Ouroboros translation as follows,
Make a picture in his name and bring good luck to the
ascendant by a strong [Fortune]. Let not the [Fortune be retrograde, cadent or combust] and
let the master of the ascendant be [dignified, direct and in his exaltation]. Let
the master of [the 10th apply to a trine or sextile of the lord of the ascendant]
and the former will give good luck to the latter. [Place the lord of the ascendant
in a commanding sign and the lord of the 10th in an obediant sign].
Never will the holder of this picture meet a ruler withour
getting his favor and having his status improved.
In this election for
April 1, 2001 at 11:37 am EDT (+4) for Washington, D.C.
38 N 56, 77 W 03.
The Sun is the ruler of the
Ascendant and is dignified by exaltation. The Sun is conjunct
the 10th house cusp and in a commanding sign, Aries.
Mars is the ruler of the 10th
and in an obedient sign, Sagittarius. The Sun applies to
a trine of Mars. This chart lacks the Fortune in the Ascendant,
but otherwise is an excellent example of the use of
commanding and obedient signs in an election.
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.