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Toward a Trauma-Informed Astrological Magic
(Note: This post has been translated into French by our colleague Azur! You can read it here: Vers une magie astrologique qui prend en compte les traumas, par Idola Stellarum)
Astrological talismans are deep and consequential magic. Thus astrological talismans are not inherently safe.
At Idola Stellarum, we consider it of vital importance to inform and empower potential customers of astrological magic about the risks and benefits of talismanic relationships. We hold ourselves as to some degree responsible for the well-being of the people who are considering or who choose to come into relationship with astrological talismans—particularly our own talismans at Idola Stellarum, but also more generally, since we view ourselves as stewards of the tradition of astrological magic we work within.
In the early days of Idola Stellarum we published a two-part blog post series entitled “Are Astrological Talismans Safe?” Part I explored technical and relational considerations, while Part II focused on issues of risk and quality control. To a large extent, these two posts focused on the talismanic side of things: that is, we focused on the nature of talismans, their risks and benefits, and what we do to ensure that our talismans are as safe as possible.
In this post, we explore the other side of the equation to move toward an outline of some key principles of trauma-informed astrological magic. In sharing these principles and how we aspire to embody them as purveyors of astrological talismans who are also deeply invested, professionally and personally, in a relational ethos, we hope to educate and empower consumers to make informed choices about how and whether to enter into relationship with astrological talismans, and to encourage astrological magicians to reflect on how they can embody these principles in their own practice so as to best take care of talismanic spirits and the people who come into relationship with them.
Not All Talismans Are Beneficial
To some degree we are invested in popularizing astrological magic and we take our collective responsibilities seriously in that process. We believe in the positive, life-changing potential of relationships and especially of relationships with powerful celestial spirits, whether through devotional practices or connecting to astrological talismans. We often say that astrological magic is medicine for materialism, but the harms experienced within materialist worldviews are exactly what keep some folks from accessing the medicine.
To remedy that inaccessibility, one cornerstone of our approach has been to provide education and resources to allay people’s fears about astrological talismans. Many people, especially people who have lived through traumatic experiences/relationships or who have grown up afflicted by colonialism and white supremacy, bring legacies of anxiety, fear, and perfectionism that gets in the way of effectively relating to astrological talismans.
We want people to know that although all beings and all spirits ought to be respected, a well-made talisman for beneficial purposes is not a being that one need approach with fear or fawning.
With all of that said, we have to also acknowledge—and astromagical consumers should be made aware—that not all talismans are well-made, and not all talismans are made for beneficial purposes.
Talismans can be harmful—even purposefully harmful. Grimoires contain recipes for curse talismans and the principles of electing beneficial talismans can be reverse-engineered to bring about destruction and suffering.
Moreover, no election is perfect and the principles of electing talismans are highly complex. Consequently, even talismans crafted with unimpeachably positive intent will almost inevitably involve some mix of positive and negative factors in the electional chart. Hopefully, the positive will outweigh and to some degree mitigate the negative. The grimoires instruct us in some of these mitigation factors and adept astrological magicians come upon others through careful trial and error as the tradition develops in our modern day. Astrological magicians may also at times go forward with elections that contain serious afflictions, perhaps due to overlooking something or because a lust for results or profit leads to carelessness.
Finally, we should also note that ours is a finicky tradition. The knowledge we have received in the so-called West about astrological talismans is piecemeal: there is no consensus or rock-solid foundation that infallibly predicts what works and what does not. Elections, materials, and procedures vary widely. Even the most exacting astrological magician will make substitutions, compromises, and guesses that hopefully have good results but probably quite often water down the magic.
We say all of this not as criticism, but as fact: after all, people do not and should not necessarily wait years or decades for the best possible election, because people need results now. We all have to work with what’s available. It also bears noting that making talismans requires having certain privileges of time (to learn the tradition, sift through elections, source materials, perform the rituals etc.) and resources (to acquire materials and tools), and so we all work within our means and locations.
A Rough Typology of Astrological Talismans
Astrological talismans will therefore exist along a spectrum. We can think about two basic factors: the efficacy of a talisman (i.e., whether and how well works) and the alignment of a talisman (i.e., what it works for).
First, with regards to the efficacy spectrum, talismans can be powerful or they can be inert. Excellent elections can create life-changing astrological talismans; on the other hand, without proper expertise and planning, mages can wind up with inert objects that do more or less nothing. This can happen for a variety of reasons: ignorance of basic principles may lead to a failure to ensoul a talisman at all, and the use of inappropriate or low-quality materials, confused or ineffectual procedures, or flimsy elections may result in genuine talismans with little magical vitality.
Second, with regards to alignment, talismans can have more benefic and positive effects, or more malefic and negative effects. As mentioned, only the rarest talisman will have a perfect election with purely benefic (or purely malefic) factors: most will have a complex mix of pluses and minuses. Talismans more squarely in the middle might result in mixed, chaotic, or unpredictable effects, might impart side effects that need other magical mitigation, or might involve difficult adjustment periods before more benefits are enjoyed.
Putting these two factors together gives us a two-dimensional space within which we can map out a rough typology of astrological talismans:
Functionally inert astromagical talismans will either be harmless or may provide some positive psychological effects in much the same way the placebo effect works. This is not to denigrate the placebo effect, which has great importance in medicine and psychotherapy, but merely to appropriately identify the source of effects as primarily mundane, symbolic, or due to the power and faith of the mage alone rather than as potentiated by spirits of time.
Somewhat effective astromagical talismans may be sinister but not entirely destructive if they lean toward the malefic alignment, or may be friendly allies that provide welcome and tangible magical support and comfort if they lean more benefic.
Truly powerful talismans can operate as trenchant, dangerous curses or as life-changing, consequential magic that significantly improves our circumstances or even our fate.
Finally, many talismans likely occupy an amorphous and ambiguous middle ground, with many doing little (whether positive or negative) and some generating a mix of both desired and noxious effects. Our experience has been that there can be significant interaction between a talisman and the particularities of the individual that bears them, particularly with respect to interactions with the natal chart and other spirit relationships. This is a complex issue beyond the scope of this article—we bring it up only to say that mixed results may just as easily be a result of complex relationships rather than solely the complex nature of a particular talisman.
In our view, it is vital for consumers of astrological magic to understand the potential range of what talismans can do, and vital that we as astrological magicians empower people to understand what they are getting.
Informed Consent as a Core Value in Astrological Magic
The truth, however, is that people often do not know what they are getting. This is partly because of what we have said above: we are piecing together a tradition from partial sources that has only been recently resuscitated in Western magic by the likes of Robert Zoller, Christopher Warnock, and Clifford Low, among others.
However, people also sometimes do not know what they are getting because they are either not equipped with the education or not provided with sufficient information to adequately evaluate a talisman’s potential qualities.
Even if astrological magicians cannot predict exactly how powerful a talisman will be, and even if we do not know precisely how to quantify the balance of fortitudes, afflictions, and mitigations in a magical election, we do know something about what makes for a solid talisman. We know that the power and character of a talisman stems to a large degree from the timing of the astrological election, and we have traditional sources we can cite about what factors matter. We can also cite traditional sources as to our choices about materials and procedures, or we can provide reasons for why we choose to deviate from them.
At Idola Stellarum, we believe in informed consent as a cornerstone of our practices. The Society for Psychotherapy notes that some of the goals and benefits of informed consent are to promote autonomy and self-determination, minimize risk, improve relationships, reduce dependence on authorities, promote ethical practices, and foster respect.
Within our relational-ecological spirit model of astrological magic, we often emphasize respecting and valuing the spirit side of the relationship. Historically, colonial and materialist ideologies have denigrated and erased this side of the equation. It is also vitally important, however, to respect and value the human side of the relationship as well.
Providing potential customers with precise and detailed information about the election, talismanic images, materials, procedures, suffumigation, and concepts and sources behind our talismanic creation process better equips people to make a decision for themselves about whether a particular talismanic relationship is right for them. We take our cue here from Christopher Warnock, who encourages all who learn from him to ground their workings in citations to historical sources, but also from our relational ethics and backgrounds in academia which understand citation as a feminist practice.
Providing educational resources about the nature, workings, and potential harms of astrological magic in general and individual astromagical talismans in particular helps us work toward empowering people to step into talismanic relationships that they feel might benefit them, while allowing them to avoid talismanic relationships that might not be a good fit for whatever reason.
Toward a Trauma-Informed Astrological Magic
One framework for thinking about these issues is the model of trauma-informed care. For astrological magic to be trauma-informed, we must recognize the traumas that affect many humans who seek this magic, and our practices and services should reflect this recognition.
Adapting a framing from a paper by Butler, Critelli, & Rinfrette (2011) entitled “Trauma-informed care and mental health” (PDF link) a trauma-informed astrological magic must recognize that violence, victimization, and severely disrupted and disorganized patterns of attachment significantly influence the experience of many consumers of astrological magic.
People come to astrological magic with legacies of fear and hurt that impact their expectations. In some cases, people have a hard time allowing room for magic to work in their lives because they are terrified to open up to new relationships or closed off to unfamiliar (and hence potentially dangerous or unsettling) experiences. Others will bring idealizations or unrealistic hopes that will leave them vulnerable to disappointment and retraumatization. Astrological magicians have an opportunity and, perhaps, an obligation to do what they can to help people navigate this rocky terrain.
Roger Fallet and Maxine Harris (2009), two of the architects of trauma-informed care, outlined five broad principles of trauma-informed care (PDF link) that are worth reflecting on in the practice of astrological magic. Each of these principles could be explored in great depth, and we will only briefly touch upon them in this overview, speaking to how we approach these principles at Idola Stellarum. Our intent is not to lay out a rubric of what other practitioners should do, but to describe where we currently stand in our practices and how we embody values that we hold dear.
Principle 1: Safety
“To what extent does an astrological magician’s practices ensure the physical, emotional, relational, and spiritual safety of consumers? How can astromagical services be modified to ensure this safety more effectively and consistently? How can astrological magicians better communicate about the risks as well as the benefits of astrological magic while also helping consumers better understand how to navigate and mitigate these risks?”
—adapted from Fallet & Harris (2009), p. 6
As we have noted in this article and in our past series on the safety of astromagical talismans (Part I and Part II), coming into relationship with astrological talismans is not inherently and absolutely safe: there are dangers, as there are with any relationship. Making this clear is one way that we try to foster safety: knowledge is power.
In each of our writeups of our talismans, we also make sure to describe and reflect upon negative aspects of the astrological election in the interest of full disclosure, informed consent, and safety. We explain any mitigations present for those negative aspects, and the sources or experiences behind the use of mitigations, if relevant. We issue specific articulations of risk for particular persons, natal placements, and health factors, when we deem it necessary, and whether a talisman is suited for beginners or more seasoned practitioners. Also, as outlined in our guarantees, we keep our talismans in-house for at least six months and personally test at least one talisman from each election to help maximize the safety and informed consent of our customers.
Principle 2: Trustworthiness
“To what extent does an astrological magician’s practices maximize trustworthiness by making the tasks involved in magical service delivery clear, by ensuring consistency in practice, and by maintaining appropriate boundaries? How can astrological magicians maximize honesty and transparency?”
—adapted from Fallet & Harris (2009), p. 7
Transparency and clarity support trustworthiness. To the greatest extent possible, we attempt to communicate about the details of our astromagical rituals: this openness is supported by not only our values but also our spirits. We publicize not simply the chart for an election, but the specific temporal window to the minute on either side. We specify the stones, settings, images, herbs, suffumigations, and ritual details for each of our workings, and each of our talisman writeups includes pictures of the actual ceremonial setting and talismans. In our guarantees, we also outline the principles and standards of quality that we hold ourselves to and that customers can expect from us.
We provide detailed writeups of the election, describing the principles we work off of and how the election meets those criteria—or why we have deviated. We routinely discuss and reflect upon the weaknesses of our astromagical elections for every talisman that we make. This is because, ultimately, we would rather someone not buy one of our talismans than potentially expose themselves to a risky relationship or difficult experience because they were not provided with adequate information to make an informed decision.
Finally, by citing our sources and firmly grounding our work within the stream of historical tradition, we show our work and foreground the principles and reasons for what we do, rather than solely relying on exaltation of our own authority or personal gnosis. As mentioned above, Christopher Warnock’s consistent and fastidious commitment to historical citation stands as a model for the astromagical industry.
All of this is in the interest of transparency, trustworthiness, informed consent, and empowerment.
Principle 3: Choice
“To what extent does an astrological magician’s practices maximize consumer experiences of choice and control? How can astrological magicians foster more informed decision-making and greater agency among their consumers?”
—adapted from Fallet & Harris (2009), p. 8
In addition to providing as much information as possible so that people can make an informed decision to consent to enter a relationship with a talismanic spirit, we often and repeatedly encourage potential customers to divine on whether a specific talisman will be right for them. Not every talisman will find a good home with just anybody. Some spheres, and some specific talismans, may fit better with some people rather than others. In some cases, it’s just not the right time, whether due to personal circumstances or mundane transits.
The limited edition quality of all astrological talismans can create a toxic urgency that pressures people into purchasing a talisman that isn’t the best fit at that time. We share as much information as we can about the talismans, timing of shop openings, quantity, and price to empower our customers to be able to divine and sit with their own needs, desires, and possibilities.
We take care to describe when and how a particular talisman might not be right for some people and how results may vary, allowing people an opportunity to reflect on how a talismanic relationship will be highly personal with no firm or universal guarantees. We also make sure to consider and to publicize our thoughts on which people might not benefit from a particular talisman or who might need to exercise greater caution, especially when due to any negative aspects of the astrological election.
Kaitlin Coppock of Sphere + Sundry exemplifies this principle in her detailed write-ups of talismanic materia series, specifying what and who beta testing has revealed a series will be most positive for and how to mitigate any potentially disruptive or harmful impacts or interactions.
Principle 4: Collaboration
“To what extent does an astrological magician’s practices maximize collaboration and sharing of power between magician and consumer? How can astrological magicians foster more effective and harmonious relationships between consumers and astrological talismans?”
—adapted from Fallet & Harris (2009), p. 8
Rooting ourselves in a relational perspective, we always emphasize that buying an astrological talisman means entering into a spirit relationship, and that all genuine, healthy relationships involve mutuality and reciprocity. As mages, we also make ourselves available for questions and concerns from our customers, whether in their discernment process or after they have already entered into talismanic relationships.
In addition to a variety of public resources on astromagical relationships, we also offer the Inner Sanctum as a container for people to enter into deeper relationship—with us, with the celestial spheres, and with their talismans. We hold monthly Inspirit Salons that have open discussion and Q&A to troubleshoot any issues folks are having in their talismanic (and otherwise) relationships and devotional/magical journeys. In fact, the topic for our November 2023 Salon was ‘Trauma and Astrological Magic’, which was requested by our members and one impetus for this post. (The recording is available to members in their library.)
Principle 5: Empowerment
“To what extent does an astrological magician’s practices prioritize consumer empowerment and skill-building?”
—adapted from Fallet & Harris (2009), p. 9
A big part of what we do at Idola Stellarum has to do with education and empowerment. We are not aiming for the Wizard of Oz model of the Mage Behind the Curtain who holds a mysterious and unattainable power. Instead, we consider ourselves stellar ambassadors, stewards of our particular tributary in the tradition of astrological magic. Through our transparency about our practices, our citation of our sources, our provision of resources, and our open sharing of our perspectives, theories, and practices, we aim to invite people into greater understanding of and therefore empowerment with respect to astrological magic.
Beyond this, for people who purchase one of our talismans, we provide extensive resources and best practices for coming into relationship with their talismans. Each of our talismans comes with a 10+ page information packet detailing the nature of the talisman, the circumstances of its creation, and our recommendations for attunement rituals and talismanic care. Customers regularly reach out to us with questions that we try to answer as directly and expeditiously as possible. We have also made it part of our standard practice to provide both general principles for finding a good time to attune with our talismans, as well as a list to new talisman bearers after each collection launch of specific upcoming times when they might most efficaciously attune to their talismans.
Through educating, informing, and assisting our customers, we aim as much as possible to help people have good relationships with their talismans, which will ultimately be in the service of empowering and resourcing them.
Stewards of the Tradition of Astrological Magic
Well before our first collection of astromagical talismanic jewelry saw the light of day, we worked to get clear on our values. One of the core values we centered was stewardship. We aspire to not merely be a part of the magic, but to take care of it. Through safeguarding our customers and our spirits through trauma-informed values and informed consent practices, we aim to preserve and protect this profound and wondrous tradition from the harms that can come from people becoming hurt and from the criticisms that have historically accrued to spiritual-magical traditions because of colonial and materialistic hostility to the esoteric arts.
Instead of offering protection through gatekeeping knowledge—a valid approach for some, simply not ours—we aspire to promote accessibility of the tradition to sincere practitioners who share these values, who may have had access limited because of the exclusionist impacts of colonialism and white supremacy, and who will protect the magic themselves through their own values-driven devotional and magical work.
In outlining the principles of trauma-informed astrological magic, we mark where we stand and invite our customers and peers to help us deepen and improve our practices. Together, through joining as custodians, we can help protect one another, ensure mutual flourishing, and preserve the power and wonder of this tradition of astrological magic. We also hope that this article serves to empower consumers to think more critically about talismans, talismanic materia, and astromagical services that they see for sale—including our own—so that they can make safer, better, and more empowering decisions about what magic to invite into their lives.
Embodying a trauma-informed astrological magic requires us to consider the legacies of harm that our customers often bring with them into their interest in astrological magic, and adapt our practices to best provide a container for those legacies of harm. Although we cannot possibly eliminate all possibility of harm—whether due to our own practices or due to the products and processes of the magic itself—we can and should thoughtfully, carefully, and respectfully adjust our practices to empower and inform our customers so they can step into this tradition with as much agency, authority, and safety as possible.
As stewards of the tradition of astrological magic, it is our privilege to bring the wonder of astrological talismans to others. Sign up to our mailing list for word of our upcoming talismanic collections and workings:
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