Royal Persian Star Regulus II: Garnet Pendant

Of the nature of the fixed star Regulus, these garnet pendant talismans were created with the intent of granting their bearers emotional and psychological peace, instilling glory and favor, and imbuing the cardinal virtues of prudence, justice, fortitude, and most especially temperance.

The fixed star Regulus sometimes gets associated with the Sun by contemporary astrologers. This makes intuitive sense, given Regulus’s position as the Heart of the Lion in the constellation Leo, whose affiliation with the domicile of the Sun needs no explanation to the astrologically savvy. 

These intuitive symbolic associations find support in the magical significations of Regulus talismans, which can be thought of as granting lion-heartedness even to folks who have trouble with Solar talismans and materia. In his Three Books of Occult Philosophy, Agrippa says of Regulus talismans that they “make a [person] temperate, keep anger away, and give grace” (Book II, Chapter 47, tr. Eric Purdue), and in De Quindecim Stellis they are said to grant favor and remove “wrath and melancholy” (tr. Regulus Hess).

In our magical star lore, however, the nature of Regulus is described as of Mars and Jupiter in both De Quindecim Stellis and Ptolemy’s Tetrabiblos (interestingly only two stars and one star cluster are associated with the Sun in the latter, and none in the former—the luminaries in general seem to be underrepresented among the traditional planets in stellar associations). Lions, too, though frequently associated with the Sun (by al-Biruni, Agrippa, Lilly, and Ramesay), are also attributed to Mars (by al-Biruni) as well as Jupiter (by both al-Biruni and Theophilus of Edessa).

Viewing Regulus through the lens of Mars and Jupiter, rather than the Sun, provides an intriguing inroad to conceptualizing the nature of Regulus talismans. Interestingly, al-Biruni, who as we noted attributes lions to the Sun, Mars, and Jupiter, attributes the King of Beasts to Jupiter because they can be trained. Regulus talismans can therefore be thought of as taking our more unrestrained Martial qualities under the yoke and bringing them into more deliberate, thoughtful, and measured reflection. 

Of note, Regulus talismans dovetail with some other fixed star talismans, for which we have noted that the magical effects frequently run almost opposite to their mundane significations. Robson, for example, notes that Regulus is associated with “violence, destructiveness, military honor of short duration, with ultimate failure, imprisonment, [and] violent death” (The Fixed Stars and Constellations in Astrology, p. 195) in addition to some more positive significations. The magical qualities of Regulus talismans as described above clearly reverse these more gruesome indications. 

The reversal of mundane significations and magical effects in fixed stars has a kind of transformational quality, refining and rendering more potent, usable, and useful the raw power behind more naturally unwieldy forces. The enigmatic early Neoplatonic philosopher Pseudo-Dionysius reflected on anger in a way that accurately captures the Jovial mastery of Marital rage represented by the Regulus talisman—the way that the mildness and reason of Jupiter reins in the power of Mars:

“[A]mong those lacking in intelligence, anger is a raging, passionate and irrational urge, whereas among those endowed with reason it is something else, and has to be understood as such. For intelligent beings anger is, I believe, the sturdy working of reason in them and the capacity they have to be grounded tenaciously in holy and unchanging foundations.”
—Pseudo-Dionysius, The Celestial Hierarchy, Chapter 2 (tr. Colm Luibheid)

This grounding “tenaciously in holy and unchanging foundations” is a profound way to think about astrological talismans. While it is not bad or wrong to view talismans as simply a way to get special bonuses or magical benefits, there was also a strong stream of the tradition of astrological magic that considered them part of a larger theurgic practice of elevating the soul. 

The virtue in Peace, Glory, & Virtue refers not only to the cardinal virtue of temperance, but also the way that, as Marsilio Ficino puts it, “the spirit is made luminous by luminous things” (Three Books on Life, Book 3, Chapter IV, tr. Kaske & Clark). These talismans are therefore intended to support the achievement of emotional and psychological peace, imbuing their bearers with the cardinal virtues of prudence, justice, fortitude, and most especially temperance. 

Peace necessitates the willingness to make peace—to fight for it, if necessary.

Glory arrives after humility.

Virtue cannot be bought or stolen; it must be earned.

In coming into relationship with Regulus so as to pause before taking offense, sink into a deep breath before responding, and give the benefit of the doubt, we transform the stagnant habit energy of our irritation and move toward a loftiness and generosity of spirit—the more regal rather than predatory aspects of the lion. 

Note that the Peace, Glory, & Virtue talismans offer a right-sized-ness which may come with a correction. If one is prone to devaluing how far they have come, how much they have surmounted, or what they have accomplished, the Peace, Glory, & Virtue talismans may aid in a correction toward healthy ego and confidence. If one, on the other hand, is ungracious to those they depend on, attached to a narrative of martyrdom or victimhood, or otherwise committed to a relationally harmful self-importance, the Regulus talisman may offer a correction the other way, as well.

Technical Details

The royal Persian star Regulus talismans were ensouled on Monday, August 5, 2024 between 1:54pm and 2:12pm EDT.

Essential Features of the Election

For fixed star astromagical elections, we require that the relevant fixed star either rises on the Ascendant or culminates on the Midheaven. In this election, Regulus was culminating on the Midheaven within 2°30’ on either side during the electional window.

Fixed star elections also require the Moon to be in sufficiently good condition and applying to the relevant fixed star. Idola Stellarum only uses lunar conjunctions to fixed stars. In this election, the new Moon, about to come out from under the beams and increasing in light, was applying to conjoin Regulus within 1°30′. The Moon was separating from Jupiter and applying to conjoin Venus in the same degree as Regulus. The Lord of the house of the Moon was the Sun, dignified by domicile and triplicity in Leo, who was applying by sextile to the Greater Benefic, Jupiter. 

Although we consider the condition of the Lord of the Ascendant to be a lesser factor in fixed star elections due to their austere nature and remoteness from the sublunary realm, we always examine the Ascendant Lord for all elections since the first house represents the bearer of the talisman. In this election, Mars in Gemini ruled the rising sign of Scorpio. Dignified by face, Mars was in somewhat mixed condition, making a beneficial conjunction to Jupiter in Gemini but also just barely within orb of a square to Saturn in Pisces. 

Note that for fixed star talismans, planetary hour and day are not essential considerations.

Further Magical Factors of the Election

The Moon plays a critical role in fixed star elections: “she is the mediatrix of their effects; for she receives the influences and impressions of all the stars and planets, and pours them down onto the inferior things of this world” (Picatrix, Book II, Chapter 3, tr. Greer & Warnock). Using the analogy of writing, if the rest of the chart is what gets written, the Moon’s condition represents how it gets written: a lovely sentiment can get expressed through beautiful calligraphy, utilitarian type, or illegible scrawl. The medium, in a certain sense, is the message, and the medium here is the Moon. In this election, the Moon was in beautiful condition, graced by a rare and auspicious condition called bonification by enclosure. This condition occurs when the last aspect the Moon made was to one of the benefic planets (Venus or Jupiter) and the next aspect the Moon will make is also to a benefic planet. 

When benefic enclosure happens, it is like the exact opposite of the phrase “between a rock and a hard place”: it is like the Moon having her best friends, allies, and benefactors surrounding and supporting her. In this instance, the Moon was separating from a sextile to Jupiter in Gemini and applying to a conjunction with Venus in Virgo. Although neither benefic planet was in the most hospitable sign for their own natures, Picatrix style elections treat aspects to benefic planets as positive regardless of their essential dignity. Thus, although the essential debility Jupiter and Venus tempers the positivity of the benefic enclosure, it was still a beautiful moment ot set in stone.

Reflection on Weaknesses of the Election

Besides the mixed condition of Mars (as Lord of the Ascendant) mentioned above, the other weakness of note was the slow speed of the Moon. Picatrix warns that the Moon should not be moving fewer than 12^◦ per day, and although the Moon’s speed was above this threshold in this election, her languorousness was not ideal. That said, the presence of Venus on the Midheaven serves as a major mitigating factor for any misfortunes of the Moon in a talismanic election (“[L]ook for Jupiter or Venus either in the ascendant or in the tenth place, for so they compensate for the debilities of the Moon,” Ficino, Three Books on Life, Book III, Ch. VI, p. 271, tr. Kaske & Clark).

Recommendations

While reasonably beginner-friendly, the qualities of these Regulus talismans would best support those who are familiar with tests that require courage, and tension as a way of survival. After all, there is an inherent tension between Peace and Glory: the whole sign hard aspects of Mars and Saturn signify that the Peace granted by this talisman is never simply given, but must be made. This, not always but often, aligns with square aspects between personal planets in the natal chart.

Ceremonial Details

Gemstone & Talismanic Image

We do note that there is occasional confusion over the stone of Regulus talismans. This is due to some authors taking the Latin granatus as granite, which Eric Purdue has noted is a mistranslation (“The Latin here is granatum. Most translations, including J.F., translate this as ‘granite.’ The Latin for granite looks similar to garnet: granitum”): granatus referred to the redness of pomegranate seeds, and was clearly associated with the carbuncle and other red stones now identified as garnets. Albertus Magnus writes of garnets that they are “said to gladden the heart and dispel sorrow” (Book of Minerals, p. 96, tr. Dorothy Wyckoff), which fully accords with the magical significations of Regulus talismans. Moreover, the carbuncle (garnet) was also said to be “the noblest, having the powers of all other stones” (ibid, p. 61). 

The garnet cabochons were engraved with the image of Regulus, the head of a lion, embellished with a crown. In his Three Books of Occult Philosophy, Agrippa says of Regulus talismans that they “make a [person] temperate, keep anger away, and give grace” (Book II, Chapter 47). De Quindecim Stellis attests that Regulus talismans “maketh a [person] mild, and granteth good favor to [those] that beareth it” (p. 49, tr. Regulus Hess). On the obverse side of the cabochon was carved the sigil of Regulus. The same mixture used for the suffumigation of these talismans—celandine, mugwort, mastic, garnet powder, and acorn flour—was affixed to the back of these talismans.

Ritual Setup

Although frequently associated with the Sun due to Regulus’s fixture as the Heart of the Lion (i.e., the Leo constellation), Ptolemy and De Quindecim Stellis agree that Regulus is of the nature of Mars and Jupiter (indeed, not a single one of the 15 Behenian fixed stars is associated with the Sun by De Quindecim Stellis). Thus, the altar and offerings were of a mixed martial and jovial nature, with a golden cloth making a royal candle-lined row toward a carved wooden lion bust over top a red velvet cloth. Candles ritually consecrated to Mars and Jupiter also adorned the altar, which was furnished with fresh flowers and copious offerings of food (including fresh boar and venison meat), wine, spirits, honey, and olive oil. A bespoke invocation of the spirits and angel of Regulus and petition for the ensoulment of the talismans was intoned at the outset of the ritual before carving, affixation of herbs, and suffumigation of the talismans.

Suffumigation

Initial suffumigation consisted of Greek gum mastic and the herbs attributed to Regulus, celandine and mugwort. This incense was used to suffumigate and empower a talismanic incense blend of mastic, celandine, mugwort, garnet powder, and acorn flour, symbolizing the heart of the mighty oak rooting the power of Regulus and evocative of the Jovial nature of the star. This incense blend was talismanically consecrated during a previous Idola Stellarum fixed star Regulus working.