On the Talismanic Gifts of the Sun: Astrological Magic of the 4th Sphere

For folks just starting down the starry path—for instance, anyone who only has only recently discovered that astrological talismans exist—the question often arises: which talisman should I get? For more experienced enthusiasts or even seasoned practitioners of astrological magic, keeping the variety of talismans and wealth of sources straight can be a challenge.

This series of posts on the talismanic gifts of the seven spheres aims to provide a comprehensive and comprehensible resource that lists and explains the types of talismans and their various possible effects. In this post, we explore the variety of Solar talismans attested in source texts on astrological magic.

As we noted in our writeup to a previous (sold out) release of Sun in Aries talismans, one question common among newcomers to astrological magic is: where to start? Talismans of various celestial spirits abound, but which would have the most bang for the buck? Mages will have various opinions, of course, and often we look to the nativity (i.e., one’s birth chart) to get a sense of which planets are best situated to grant gifts. Ficino states: “The specific rule for an individual would be to investigate which star promised what good to the individual at his nativity [and] to beg grace from that star rather than from another” (Three Books on Life, Book 3, Ch. III).

Ficino goes on, however, stating as if it is obvious: “Of course you can gain much that is common to all planets from the Sun as general leader of the celestials” (ibid). Later, he notes a consensus that all celestial goods are contained in the Sun: “That all the powers of the heavens are assuredly in the Sun, not only Iamblichus and Julian but all men affirm, and Proclus says that all the powers of all the celestial are gathered and collected into one in the presence of the visible Sun” (ibid, Book 3, Ch. VI).

As the life-giving planet and brightest light in the sky by a long shot, the Sun has a kind of pride of place among the seven traditional planets in astrological magic. The planetary petition to the Sun in Picatrix, for example, begins: “You [i.e., the Sun] who are the foundation of heaven and are exalted above all the stars and all the planets, holy and revered…” (Book III, Chapter 7). Around the same time as Picatrix was being written, the Ikhwān Al-Ṣafā (aka the Brethren of Purity) noted the the angels of the sphere of the Sun had a special status which was “the most majestic status for the supreme spiritual beings” (Epistle 49, Eds. W. Madelung, C. Uy, C. Baffioni, & N. Alshaar). An even earlier celestial prayer to the Sun from al-Tabarani (one of the many sources of Picatrix) has a wonderfully gender-bending take on the same theme, praising the Sun who, “like a mistress and queen, with [her] light surpass other spirits in all things” (tr. Idola Stellarum) where ‘spirits’ in the context of these prayers refers primarily to the planets.

Suffice it to say, Sun talismans in general tend to be an excellent place to start for newcomers to astrological magic. Indeed, Ficino’s general advice except in extreme cases was for people to use celestial magic to “increase the influence of the Sun, of Jupiter, or of Venus” (Book 3, Chapter XIII), the planets he referred to as the Three Graces. Before turning to examine specific Sun talismans, let us examine the range of possible benefits of Solar talismans.

The Purposes and Effects of Sun Talismans

Texts of astrological magic frequently contain what get referred to as ‘recipes’ for talismans. These recipes usually list a talismanic image (i.e., a picture, sigil, or design), the purpose or intention of the recipe, and often some prescribed materials such as a metal or gem, and sometimes herbs or incense to use. Much gets left to the reader, just as how cooking recipes often contain a list of ingredients and some general instructions but then rely on one’s general understanding of food and cooking (e.g., knowing what ‘medium-high heat’ means, how to dice onions, how to fry something in a pan, and even how to obtain ingredients in the first place). Similarly, talisman ‘recipes’ are often written with seasoned mages in mind, and contain bare minimum ‘ingredients’ that assume the reader will be able to fill in the blanks.

This post does not contain complete recipes, let alone instructions on how to cook, so to speak (i.e., how to make talismans), but rather a sort of cookbook table of contents: that is, what sorts of Solar talismans can be made.

Recipes for Sun talismans provide a variety of significations. Although these will be spelled out in significant detail below, here is a summary of the attested uses of Solar talismans:

Success
Victory
Power
Nobility
Good fortune
Wealth
Honor
Charisma
Courage & fearlessness
Follow-through and grit
Aid in divination
Fame & esteem
Amiability & pleasantness
Goodwill from influential persons
Protection (even purported invulnerability)
Overcoming and conquering one’s opponents
Being served by Solar peoples
Elevation in the Solar hierarchy
Curing diseases
Alleviation of conditions of the heart, circulation, brain, eyes, & kidneys
Protection from “lunar illnesses”
Resilience against fevers & plagues

Not every Sun talisman will have all or even most of these effects. Rather, specific talismanic recipes list one or a handful of these significations corresponding to a particular talismanic image. For source material and explanation of the various effects of Solar talismans, read on!

Solar Talismans in the Picatrix

The Picatrix contains several recipes for Sun talismans, most of which constellate around the themes of status and success. The first is the “ring of the Sun” described toward the front of Book II, Chapter 10 in a list of images of the planets. Six planetary rings are described in this section—one for each of the seven traditional planets except the Moon, whose omission remains a mystery. The ring of the Sun is reputed to have a number of effects:

“[if] whoever carries [this ring] does not eat white dove or lie with a white woman, while he had the aforesaid ring, he will be served by the sons of men and by nobles, and whatever you say will be received with reverence, and you will be helped in all the works of the Sun.“
—Picatrix, Book II, Chapter 10 (tr. Greer & Warnock)

Unlike most of the talismanic recipes in Picatrix, the talismanic rings described in this subsection frequently carry warnings or contingences (some of which are somewhat unusual, such as the exhortation not to eat the flesh of ducks when wearing the ring of Saturn). No explanation is given for the prohibitions on white doves and white women when it comes to the ring of the Sun.

Like the other planetary rings, the listed effects for the ring of the Sun carry the implication that one of the effects of these planetary rings is to elevate the bearer in the hierarchy of the relevant planetary sphere. Here, the idea of being served by “the sons of men and by nobles” is probably a gnomic shorthand for granting the bearer status in the Solar hierarchy and granting influence over people—and more than likely, creatures, spirits, and all manner of non-human people—with a Solar nature. “Sons of men” in biblical contexts generally refers to humanity as a whole, and although the Picatrix is not a Christian book it seems possible that the term could be interpreted in that way more generally; Marsilio Ficino, after all, referencing an agreement among “the Arab scholars,” claimed that the nature of the human species is fundamentally Solar (Three Books on Life, Book III, Chapter 2, tr. Kaske & Clark). Beyond this, however, Picatrix designates as Solar “the sons of warriors and kings” (Book III, Chapter 7, tr. Greer & Warnock), and nobles and nobility are associated with the Sun by Vettius Valens, Abu Ma’shar, Al-Biruni, and William Ramesay. To be served by such people is, in all likelihood, an indication that part of this talisman’s purpose is to establish its bearer as something like nobility within the Solar hierarchy.

The close of the passage claiming that the bearer “will be helped in all the works of the Sun” surely supports this thesis about general Solar elevation, and probably also suggests a kind of general success, particularly in the realms of the Sun which include, in Picatrix, “philosophy, augury, and the exposition of jurisprudence” (Book III, Chapter I, tr. Greer & Warnock).

Finally, the ring of the Sun notes that “whatever you say will be received with reverance.” This could be taken to suggest that this is a good talisman for public speaking. It probably is this, to some degree, and likely more broadly points to granting a kind of kingly glamor and dignity that draws other people to you: rizz (charisma), in other words.

“If you wish a king or kings to overcome and conquer everyone make an image of the Sun… [and the] king who carries this stone will conquer all other kings and his opponents.”
—Picatrix, Book II, Chapter 10 (tr. Greer & Warnock)

This is one of those talismans where we have to consider the cultural context in which texts like Picatrix existed and think beyond them, imaginatively bringing ancient ideas into our own modern context. For in a world mostly bereft of kings, what good is a talisman for the success of kings?

However, trying to refurbish the text of this talisman from a contemporary perspective does introduce some uncertainty. Clearly, this is a talisman for success and victory, and particularly success and victory in politics and presumably in warfare. Interpreted more narrowly, this could be seen as a kind of “rich get richer” talisman, helping those in power retain and accrue greater power, if we take “king” to denote people already at or near the height of their hierarchies of power and leadership. Interpreted more broadly, this recipe could potentially suggest that it might help anyone achieve success and victory within their own sphere of dignity and influence. Either way, one should not expect such a talisman to turn oneself into a king or queen—and certainly not overnight—but rather to help elevate your efforts within your current milieu.

This talisman can also remind us of the role and aims of astrologers in the medieval world. Picatrix was, after all, not a text that just anyone would have read or had access to, but would have been meant for astrologers and astrological magicians—people, that is, who might aspire to or actually serve as advisors of powerful people and nobles. Being able to promise one’s liege success and victory through one’s talismans would itself be a way for an astrological magician to elevate themselves in the ancient world, and so quite possibly such a talismanic recipe was intended as a recipe for talismans to make for others and not for oneself.

“If you wish not to be conquered and to complete what you begin, and to be protected from false dreams…”
—Picatrix, Book II, Chapter 10 (tr. Greer & Warnock)

If the former talisman is, at least potentially, pitched at kings or those in high leadership, this talisman in some ways seems to be its more accessible counterpart. We see here same themes of success—here in terms of follow-through and the endurance to reach the finish line—and victory—here in terms of protection (not being conquered) rather than victory over one’s opponents—but without qualifications or restrictions.

The signification of “be[ing] protected from false dreams” is curious and requires some exposition. Interpreted from a modern perspective, we might think that this refers to help keeping our head on our shoulders, not getting lost in grandiose and impossible fantasies, and keeping a realistic perspective on what is attainable given our circumstances. In other words, not to let our ambitions outstrip our capacities.

Viewed from an historical perspective, however, it is worth remembering that the tradition of astrological magic borrowed heavily from Hellenistic sources, and so it seems plausible that authors within the textual traditions that contributed to Picatrix would have been aware of Greek mythology related to Solar figures. Here, we note that Aesop’s Fables describes how Apollo’s sense of his own importance became inflated when he was given the gift of foresight, which angered Zeus, who created prophetic dreams (Oneiroi) through which humans could subvert Apollo’s monopoly on divinatory truth. This conflict resolved with Zeus creating false dreams, introducing unreliability into the process of dreaming and thus preserving a reason for mortals to seek Apollo’s gifts.

The distinction between true dreams and false dreams appears not just in Aesop but in all manner of Hellenistic sources including Homer’s Odyssey, Plato’s Republic, and the Orphic Hymn to the Oneiroi, and so it is overwhelmingly likely that the highly literate and educated Harranian Sabians and other pre- and early Islamic scholars that influenced Maslama al-Qurtubi’s Picatrix would have been familiar with this language. Hence, it seems plausible to view this talisman as an aid to divination and insurance against being misled by false omens and prophecies.

“whoever carries this image will seem good to everyone and not be afraid.”
—Picatrix, Book II, Chapter 10 (tr. Greer & Warnock)

Somewhat akin to the ring of the Sun, which makes one’s words received with reverence, this talisman seems to impart a kind of Solar glamor, helping one to at least seem good to everyone. The emphasis on appearance is intriguing, since it seems to suggest that this talisman imparts not the deeper solar virtues of dignity, magnanimity, benevolence, etc., but rather makes it simply appear as if one has them. Something like the Solar virtue of courage is granted, at least in the form of fearlessness—which is not quite courage per se, since courage implies going forward despite fear, rather than without fear.

Contrast, however, the Atrell & Porreca translation, which has “whoever carries this image will be feared by everyone who sees or encounters them.” This gives a quite different slant to this talisman, which makes it seem rather more Martial than Solar. Either way, this talisman comes with a kind of leonine flair: depending on the translation, it either imparts the lion’s purr or the lion’s roar.

“whoever carries this stone will be protected against the lunar illnesses that come from the combustion of the Moon.”
—Picatrix, Book II, Chapter 10 (tr. Greer & Warnock)

In striking contrast to the previous recipes, which generally grant favors of the Sun that could be useful to almost anyone, the final recipe in Book II, Chapter 10 of Picatrix ends on a strikingly narrow note. Here we have a health talisman with a very specific if somewhat uncertain purpose. This is one of those places in Picatrix where its intended audience is clearly visible, for this passage seems to assume that its intended reader will either have or have access to very specific knowledge about medical astrology, for there is no explanation in lay or general medical terms of which illnesses this talisman is meant to treat. Of note, neither the Greer & Warnock nor the Attrell & Porreca English-language translations of Picatrix explain this passage either.

Thankfull, Brandon Michael of Cosmic Artifacts researched this issue and came to the conclusion that “lunar illnesses that come from the combustion of the Moon” likely refers to epilepsy. Although this is probably true, the use of the plural in “lunar illnesses” must therefore indicate either that epilepsy was seen as not a single but as many different diseases or that this talisman potentially addresses other health issues as well (perhaps forms of ‘lunacy,’ i.e., what we might consider psychological or psychiatric disorders in modern times?).

Solar Talismans in Agrippa’s Three Books of Occult Philosophy

Agrippa also describes a talisman based on the planetary table or kamea of the Sun. Of this talisman, he writes:

“it makes the wearer famous, amiable, pleasing, powerful in all works, makes men equal with kings and princes, elevates them to the highest peaks of fortune, and makes one acquire whatever they desire.”
—Three Books of Occult Philosophy, Book II, Chapter 22 (tr. Eric Purdue)

As with other of the Agrippa kamea talismans, this Solar talisman grants a panoply of Solar virtues in addition to elevating them within the Solar hierarchy, much like the Picatrix ring of the Sun described above. With this talisman we get a handful of new significations, including not just success but fame. In contrast to one of the Picatrix talismans above, this talisman purports to actually grant Solar virtues rather than simply the appearances of them.

Interestingly, although Picatrix does not seem to favor the Sun as a planet whose magic leads to wealth (although it does associate the Sun with the desire for amassing wealth) and does not share any recipes for Solar wealth talismans, this Agrippa talisman not only promises “the highest peaks of fortune” (which probably refers to fortuna, i.e., fate, rather than riches per se) but also the ability to “acquire whatever they desire.”

“They carried this image to make [its bearer] invincible and honorable, to bring to an end to what has begun, and to drive away empty dreams. It is also strong against fevers and plagues.”
—Three Books of Occult Philosophy, Book II, Chapter 41 (tr. Eric Purdue)

Much like one of the Picatrix talismans above, this talisman provides protection, both generally and from false/empty dreams. This version adds on several other significations, including honor, and elevates protection (“not being conquered” in Picatrix) to outright invincibility. Somewhat inexplicably, Agrippa tacks on some health benfits as well, in particular protection from fevers and plagues, bringing out the association of the Sun with physicians, which are attested by al-Qurtubi and al-Biruni, in addition to the Hellenstic association of the Sun with Apollo. The association to Apollo is particularly apposite, given that Apollo was supposed to have both caused and appeased plagues in The Iliad.

“they bore this image to bring [its bearer] fortune and wealth and esteem from all.”
—Three Books of Occult Philosophy, Book II, Chapter 41 (tr. Eric Purdue)

Here we have a collection of Solar goods that we have all seen before in various other talismans. In some ways, this seems like a more lightweight version of Agrippa’s Solar kamea talisman, bringing several but not all of the same benefits listed under that recipe.

“[they made this image] against lunatic passions which come from the combustion of the Moon.”
—Three Books of Occult Philosophy, Book II, Chapter 41 (tr. Eric Purdue)

Finally, we have a rehashing and rephrasing of the talisman for curing epilepsy from Picatrix which we explored above.

The Book of the Treasure of Alexander’s Degree of Exaltation Sun Talisman

The Book of the Treasure of Alexander provides a recipe for the Solar degree of exaltation talisman purported to have the following effects:

“Whoever carries this ring will be exalted and honored by kings and all who behold him will be in awe and no one will [wish] to harm him.”
—Book of the Treasure of Alexander, quoted from Christopher Warnock’s Renaissance Astrology website

This is one of the few degree of exaltation rings that isn’t fairly unique in the repertoire of talismans of that sphere. In many ways, this talisman is similar to the ring of the Sun from Picatrix in terms of elevating the bearer in the Solar hierarchy and granting reverence—here more generally and not just for speech. With the last element, this becomes like a cross between the ring of the Sun and the Picatrix talisman above that makes one “seem good to everyone,” from which it naturally follows that they would not wish to do harm.

Solar Talismans from Marsilio Ficino’s Three Books on Life

Marsilio Ficino’s Three Books on Life is a gold mine for understanding the nature and philosophical background of astrological talismans, but it does not carry a reputation as much of a practical manual. In part, this is because Ficino valued consumable astrological medicines (“confections,” which would today be known as talismanic materia) over more permanent talismans. Nevertheless, he does list a handful of talismanic images, including two Solar talismans that are so similar that we can consider them together:

“For curing diseases they fashioned an image of the Sun…”
—Three Books on Life, Book 3, Chapter XVIII (tr. Kaske & Clark)

“[They] made a similar [image] for kidney diseases…”
—Three Books on Life, Book 3, Chapter XVIII (tr. Kaske & Clark)

Given that Ficino was a physician and mostly used astrological magic to concoct and prescribe medicines, his focus on the healing powers of Solar talismans does not come as much of a surprise. The two talismans he lists for the Sun are for curing diseases generally, and specifically for kidney diseases. The latter is interesting, given that the Sun is normally associated with the heart, not the kidneys, which are typically associated with Venus. Possibly, this reflects the strategy described as repression by Clifford Low in his talk entitled Secret Keys to Astrological Remediation, which involves using the powers of the planet one step above the troubled planet in the Chaldean order to address those problems—here, using the Sun to address a Venusian problem. Elsewhere in the book (Book 3, Chapter XIV), Ficino does note that certain other Solar remedies relieve pain of the kidneys, so perhaps this represented more standard medical astrology knowledge, which is not one of our specialties.

While most of Ficino’s images in this section come from Picatrix, these are two that diverge from that trend, coming instead from the Conciliator by Pietro di Abano, which unfortunately has not been published in English-language translation.

A Sun Talisman from A.E. Waite’s The Occult Sciences

A text from A.E. Waite documents social and medical benefits of a certain Solar talisman:

“The talisman is supposed to insure to its bearer the goodwill of influential persons. It is a preservative against death by heart disease, syncope, aneurism, and epidemic complaints.”
—The Occult Sciences, A.E. Waite, p. 119

In the main, this is similar to other Sun talismans we have seen thus far, with this one likewise granting elevation of status among Solar hierarchies. And again we see health benefits, this time with a longer list of more specific illnesses. “Epidemic complaints” is like “plagues” above in Agrippa. The other listed diseases are all issues of the circulatory system and fairly cleanly fall under the auspices of the Sun.

Israel Hibner’s Sun Talisman from Mysterium Sigillorum

Finally, Israel Hibner documents a talisman based on the planetary square or kamea of the Sun that purports to cure a number of ailments:

“This Solar Sigil made and prepared duly, and put in a golden colour’d, or yellow Silk bag, and hung about the Neck, or on the Breast, preserves sound People, and cures the Sick of all Solar Diseases”
—Mysterium Sigillorum, Israel Hibner, p. 171

Hibner lists as “diseases of the nature of the Sun” the following:

“All Distempers of the Brain. Pimples and Sun-burning. Right Eye of a Man. The Left Eye of a Woman. Navel. All sorts of Swellings. Catarrh. Red Face. Palpitations of the Heart. Sight.”
—Mysterium Sigillorum, Israel Hibner, p. 5

In addition, in a later section of Mysterium Sigillorum, Hibner boasts a laundry list of positive effects from the same Solar talisman, if properly prepared:

“This precious Sigil brings Men to great Dignities, that they grow in Honour and Riches day after day; it makes Men Invincible Strong, Couragious [sic], and Fortunate; it brings great Riches; it preserves against the Plague, and Lunacy; a Golden yellow colour made in the Sun’s Influence, is fine and durable.”
—Mysterium Sigillorum, Israel Hibner, p. 188

All in all, these are significations that we have already seen in other Sun talismans: elevation of dignity, honor and riches (and great riches besides), protection, courage, fortune, and protection from illnesses.

Selecting a Sun Talisman

Whenever anyone is choosing a talisman, we by and large recommend selecting based off of your goals and intentions rather than on the nature or reputation of the celestial body represented by the talisman. So, if you are looking for a talisman for success and victory, a particular Sun talisman might be a good choice for you; if you are looking for a talisman for, say, sleep, romantic love, or occult knowledge, we can see that our available traditional sources do not describe Sun talismans with these particular effects.

As we can see from the above list of purposes and effects of Sun talismans, even the most multipurpose Sun talismans are not purported to carry every possible Solar benefit. Although, various sources describe fairly general purpose Solar talismans that convey a variety of Solar benefits, we generally still consider it wise wise not to think in terms of selecting or obtaining ‘a Sun talisman’ in a vague or general sense, but rather in terms of identifying which particular type of talisman—whether of the nature of Sun or otherwise—would be most useful to you.

If you are interested in forging a relationship with the Sun but are unsure about making a commitment to a Sun talisman, we also provide resources on Solar devotion, prayer, and veneration on our page on the Orphic Hymn to the Sun and other prayers.

Here at Idola Stellarum, we release quarterly collections of astromagical talismanic jewelry, which have included some powerful Sun talismans. Get on our mailing list below to receive word of new resources, collections, and when our Inner Sanctum opens next.

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