The current astrological chart is an election dedicated to
Hermes Trismegistus,
the Thrice Greater Hermes, the Greek Hermes being analogous and combining with
the Roman Mercury and the Egyptian Thoth,
part of an
exploration of the Hermetic Arts of astrology, magic and alchemy and
Hermeticism as a Practical Path of
Gnosis.
The election comes from
the Discourse the Eighth
and the Ninth, a Hermetic text in the Nag Hammadi Library.
The Nag Hammadi Library consists of a collection of Gnostic and Hermetic
manuscripts and codices, collected and hidden in Egypt in the 4th century.
The texts themselves say that they were to be buried under the protection
of a terrible guardian, "the Dreadful One" and that they would not be revealed,
"until the end of time" Allogenes; Gospel of the Egyptians.
They were re-discovered in 1945!
The Discourse on the Eighth and Ninth is an account of
a Hermetic initiation. The initiate, having already attained to
the wisdom of the first seven spheres, that of the planets, is
instructed and then initiated by Hermes Trismegistus into the
mysteries of the 8th sphere, that of the fixed stars or empyrean
and finally into the 9th, the sphere of God.
The initiate first learns intellectually, "I have understood, my father,
each one of the books" Discourse on the Eighth and Ninth, Nag Hammadi
Library in English (Harper, 1988) at 323, and has purified himself,
"We have already advanced to the seventh [sphere] since we are pious
and walk in your law." Discourse at 324.
Next he receives a spiritual initiation
from Hermes Trismegistus,
an actual mystic experience that confirms the intellectual knowledge,
encompasses it and then transcends it. "When he had finished praising,
he shouted, 'Father Trismegistus! What shall I say? We have received this
light. And I see myself this same vision in you. And I see the eighth and
the souls that are in it and the angels singing a hymn to the ninth and its
powers. And I see him who has the power of them all, creating those [that are]
in the spirit." Discourse at 325.
Hermes then commands the initiate
to write this teaching in a book in
hieroglyphic characters in a temple in Egypt, writing it on turquoise,
"Eight guardians guard it with the [lacunae] of the Sun. The males on the
right are frog faced and the females on the left are cat faced. And put
a square milk stone at the base of the turquoise tablets and write the
name on the azure stone tablet in hieroglypic characters." Discourse at 326.
Hermes then gives the rules
for the astrological election for these tablets,
"My son, you will do this when I am in Virgo, and the sun is in the first
half of the day and fifteen degrees have past by me." Discourse at 326.
This is the election we shall
use in honor of Hermes Trismegistus!
The elected time and date is 12 pm, EDT on
September 25, 2004
for Cleveland Park, a neighborhood of Washington, D.C. 38 N 56 77 W 03.
At this time Mercury (i.e., Hermes Trismegistus)
is in Virgo and he is past 15 degrees of this sign. The Sun is in the 10th
house so it is the first half of the day.
Here is further information on
Astrological Talismans
and Astrological Magic.
You might also be interested in my
Renaissance Astrology CD Library,
with 27 rare astrology and magic books as well as my Facsimile Editions of unique
Astrology and Magic Books and
my discussion group Spiritus Mundi.
If you
wish to delve even deeper into this fascinating area I offer my
Planetary Magic Mini-Course
and
Mansions of the Moon Mini-Course,
which allow students to immediately start making talismans and elections and are
a great introduction to my longer
Electional Astrology Course, and
Astrological Magic Course.