Category: Theories of Astrological Magic
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The Worldview of Astrological Magic: Part V – Tributaries to the River Part I: A Sketch of Astrological Cosmology and the Antique Origins of Astrological Talismans
As mentioned in the previous lesson, “the” tradition or worldview of astrological magic is perhaps more accurately characterized as a complex blend or syncretism of many different traditions and worldviews. In much the same way as a river is fed by many streams, the tradition of astrological magic borrows much from a variety of sources.…
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The Worldview of Astrological Magic: Part IV – The Practices of Astrological Magic
In this lesson we jump back from the modern worldview toward the astromagical worldview. Having firmly in mind from the previous lesson some general vision of “the” modern worldview, we can readily begin forming a contrasting image with “the” astromagical worldview—which is not really a single worldview after all, but rather a syncretic blend of…
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The Worldview of Astrological Magic: Part III – “The” Modern Worldview
In this post for Inner Sanctum members, we take a deep dive into how to evaluate aspects of the Moon, doing a close exegesis of passages from the Picatrix to guide our thinking. In Part III, we examine how to evaluate the Moon’s aspects to the Sun, Mercury, and the fixed stars before enumerating some…
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The Worldview of Astrological Magic: Part II – The Nature of Worldviews
In this post for Inner Sanctum members, we take a deep dive into how to evaluate aspects of the Moon, doing a close exegesis of passages from the Picatrix to guide our thinking. In Part III, we examine how to evaluate the Moon’s aspects to the Sun, Mercury, and the fixed stars before enumerating some…
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The Worldview of Astrological Magic: Part I – Why Worldview?
In this post for Inner Sanctum members, we take a deep dive into how to evaluate aspects of the Moon, doing a close exegesis of passages from the Picatrix to guide our thinking. In Part III, we examine how to evaluate the Moon’s aspects to the Sun, Mercury, and the fixed stars before enumerating some…
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Beings as Epithets: The Planetary Invocations of Giordano Bruno’s Cantus Circaeus – Part II
Having shared the context and content of Giordano Bruno’s planetary invocations from Cantus Circaeus in Part I of this post, we now proceed to explore some of the more magical implications of the invocations. First, we examine the condensed form of astrological magical ritual that Bruno shares and consider its implications, before then moving on…
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Beings as Epithets: The Planetary Invocations of Giordano Bruno’s Cantus Circaeus – Part I
Cantus Circaeus, or The Song of Circe, was a work on the art of memory published by Giordano Bruno in Paris in 1582, toward the beginning of his career as an author. Intended as a briefer introduction and application of the art of memory (a complex though practical mnemonic system involving the method of loci,…
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A Guide to Idola Stellarum’s Resources on Astrological Magic
An organized catalogue of Idola Stellarum resources on astrological magic and astrological talismans.
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On the Question of How Talismans Interact with Natal Charts
One question we frequently field, especially around collection release times, is whether a particular talisman will interact favorably or negatively with a particular person’s natal chart. In this post we draw upon the evidence and theory we have in available source texts of the tradition to speak to these questions and provide some context for…
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Omnibus Bestiarium: Animals, Birds, and Fish Attributed to the Planets According to a Variety of Traditional Texts
This page catalogs the animals, birds, and fish attributed to the seven traditional planets in a variety of source texts from within the astromagical tradition. Such correspondences form an important backbone for astrological magical practice, and this resource is intended to be quasi-encyclopedic. Creatures are presented as organized both by planet and by source facilitate…