Election of the Seventeenth
Mansion of the Moon for Love and Stability from Picatrix
But true love is a durable fire,
In the mind ever burning,
Never sick, never dead, never cold,
From itself never turning.
Anonymous, 16th Century
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.
I am also offering a
Mansions of the Moon Mini-Course. The
course is completely self contained and provides talismanic images for each of
the 28 Mansions of the Moon. The Course will be available June 15, 2002 (if not sooner!)
and all orders placed before the Course is available will receive an additional extra
Monthly Mansion matrix giving a month's worth of complete information for timing
the constructions of Lunar Mansion talismans. Check out the
Mansions of the Moon Mini-Course or
Contact me for more information.
The election for this week's talismans uses the
seventeenth mansion of the Mansions of the Moon,
a 28 fold division of the monthly orbit of
the Moon. The tenth century Arabic astrologer Al-Biruni
gives the name of the sixth mansion as Al-Iklil "the Crown".
Book of Instructions Section 164 (Wright trans.) page 83.
Here are the instructions for the
Seventeenth Lunar Mansion from Picatrix,
"The seventeenth Mansion is called Alichil. It begins in the 25th degree, 42nd minute
and 52nd second of
Libra, and is ended in the 8th degree, 36th minute and 2nd second of Scorpio.
In this mansion you may
fashion images for the placement of armies, and for making buildings strong and
stable, and for the safety
of sailors. And in this Mansion make [images] for loves which are
of ordinary durability."
Picatrix (translation by Robert Thomas).
Because Picatrix is a compilation of many
earlier works it contains several listings of the Mansions and their talismans.
An earlier chart of the week contained a different
17th Mansion Talisman.
The time chosen for
the election is May 23, 2002 at 5:17 pm EDT in Cleveland Park
a neighborhood of Washington,
D.C. 38 N 55, 77 W 03. At this time the Moon is at 27 degrees
of Libra and conjunct the Ascendant.
Thus at our elected date and time the Moon
is in her seventhteenth Mansion.
While this particular listing of the Mansions does not
give instructions for the images appropriate to each Mansion, we can get further
guidance from Cornelius Agrippa. Agrippa says,
"There remains as yet an other manner of images not according to the similitude of
Celestiall figures, but according to the similitude of that which the mind of the worker
desires, of whose they are the effigies, and representation:"
"So to procure love we make images embracing one the other: to discord,
striking one the other; to bring misery, or destruction as dammage
to a man, or house, or City or any thing else, we make images distorted,
broken in members, and parts after the
likeness and figure of that thing which we would destroy or damnifie;"
Three Books of Occult Philosophy, Bk. II, Chapter 49.
Thus, for love, the picture of the troubadour and his
lady, above right, would be appropriate, as would the picture of the medieval city,
above right, for stability.
Agrippa goes on to suggest,
"And Magicians advise us that in casting or engraving
images we would write upon it the name of the effect; and this
on the back when evill, as destruction; on the belly when good,
as love. Moreover in the forehead of the image let be written the
name of the species or Individuum which the image represents,
or for whom or against whom it is made. Also on the breast let
the name of the signe or face ascending, and Lord thereof be
written; also the names and Characters of its Angels. Moreover
in making the image they advise that prayer for the effect for
which it is made, be used."
Three Books of Occult Philosophy, Bk. II, Chapter 49.
Thus in this case the effect would be either love or
durability and written on the belly or middle of the image chosen. The sign ascending
is Libra and the name of the Angel of the 17th Mansion is Adrieb.
Here is further information on
Astrological Talismans
and Astrological Magic. If you
wish to delve even deeper into this fascinating area I offer
Astrological Magic Web Courses
as well as a traditional astrology and astrological magic discussion
group Spiritus Mundi.