Venus in Taurus: Shelter – Sterling Silver Bracelet

Imagine a Venus talisman: what’s the first quality or power that comes to mind? Love? Pleasure? Friendship? Harmony? Joy?

How about protection?

The truth of the celestial intelligences is that they are incredibly vast. Their powers and potentialities always overrun and outstrip not only our initial ideas, but also the sum total of our possible ideas. That said, our ancient ideas of Venus do encompass protective virtues.

Consider some ancient epithets of Venus: we have Venus Ambologêra – Delayer of Old Age, Venus Apostrophia – the Averter, Venus Euploia – of the Fair Voyage, Venus Genetullis – Protectress of Birth, and then most of all, Venus Physica Pompeiana, a local cult figure version of Venus that we could name ‘Protective Venus.’

We were particularly interested in the possibility of making a Venus talisman during her time in early Taurus conjunct the North Node, since Picatrix explains that “when [the Head of the Dragon, i.e., the North Node] is with fortunate planets it increases them in honor and strength.” When we sat with the particular election we found (full details below), we began to understand how so many factors in this election supported using a particular if somewhat obscure Picatrix election for Venus talismans that claim that whoever bears them will “not suffer loss or injury,” due to the separations from malefic planets seen in the chart.

At first we were unsure exactly how such a talisman would operate. How does Venus protect from loss or injury? We discovered that the key was in the “not suffer” part of the Picatrix recipe. Although cliches like “pain is necessary, suffering is optional” can often come from a macho and martial perspective (and can be part of a toxic kind of ‘broicism’), we can rethink this from a Venusian perspective: When we deeply accept loss as an inevitable part of a world in which all things are impermanent, and we see the cycle of generation and corruption as a beautiful whole rather than a good part sullied by the bad, the pains of the world begin to be seen as a harmonious part of a complex and dappled world.

We are put in mind of John Keats, who in a letter to his brother George wrote, “Call the world, if you please, ‘the Vale of Soul Making.’ Then you will find out the use of this world… Do you not see how necessary a world of pains and troubles is to school an intelligence and make it a soul? A place where the heart must feel and suffer in a thousand diverse ways.”

The Shelter talisman does not merely offer the Solace of acceptance, however. Injury and loss also hit us particularly hard when we are braced against them, unprepared for them, or feel ourselves as inadequate to face them. It is well known that the human immune system becomes more vulnerable during times of high stress. A sense of ease, capacity, and comfort go a long way to mitigating the harsh edges of the world and rendering us less susceptible to their ills.

The Venus in Taurus Shelter talisman therefore offers not the harsh boundaries of a stone wall or the threat of a dagger, but the padding of a soft cushion. The Shelter talismans are quite Taurean in the sense of providing a hospitable, grounded, down-to-earth sense of calm. Shelter is the felt sense that things will be okay. Shelter is the bone-deep assurance that this too shall pass. Shelter is the gentle touch that permits us to relax and shed our anxiety. Shelter is the pliability of the bamboo that bends but does not break in the face of the storm. Shelter is the embrace of Mother Venus that communicates that what has been broken can be made whole again.

Although we cannot and do not make any medical claims or guarantees for our talismans, our experience thus far has been that the Shelter stones are the closest thing to an anxiolytic talisman that we have encountered. Given how anxious the world is these days, we made a calculated bet—backed by our meticulous re-examination of the electional chart—that these talismans would be ready for release as soon as the six-month safety window that we stand by in our guarantees was over, and thus far they have proven to be wonderful, with no significant losses or injuries to speak of and a lovely sense of calm and ease layered into our experiences of stress and strain.

We do want to add that these talismans remain untested for ongoing or acute difficulty, grief, or injury. Our understanding so far is that they are protective: if we think about the Shelter talismans as a kind of spiritual medicine, we could say that their primary use is preventative, not curative. Time will tell whether the extravagant claim of the Picatrix that that the bearer “will not suffer [any] loss or injury” is true full stop, but our sense so far is that these talismans provide a welcome layer of cushion and relief from the slings and arrows of foul fortune.

The bracelets come in one size and are fairly small: they measure about 6cm wide by 6cm tall, or about 2 and 3/8ths of an inch in both directions.  Although the bracelets are adjustable, they have a tendency to wear and break if bent too much, so we recommend these talismans for folks with small hands. Potential adopters of these talismans should know that cracks in the silver should be expected with bending and should not disrupt the potency of the talisman.

NOTE: As we clearly state in our guarantees and disclaimers on our website, Idola Stellarum cannot guarantee any health outcomes related to our talismans, even in circumstances where health is a primary aim of a magical working. Health is collective and individual, and in magic, one’s shifting understanding of health can be as important an effect as physical change, though neither are guaranteed. Our talismans are not intended to diagnose nor treat any health condition, and anyone seeking medical advice or treatment should always consult with a licensed physician about any and all treatments.

Technical Details

The Venus in Taurus Shelter talismans were ensouled on Sunday, March 19 between 3:01pm and 3:29pm EDT.

Essential Features of the Election

For planetary astromagical elections, we require that the relevant planet either rises on the Ascendant or culminates on the Midheaven during the relevant planetary hour. This election took place during Venus hour with Venus culminating on and within 5° of the Midheaven during the electional window. Venus was unafflicted and dignified by domicile in Taurus. She was also dignified by triplicity and term, and was just over a degree away from conjoining the North Node.

Planetary elections also require the Moon to be in sufficiently good condition. During this election, the balsamic Moon was moving very fast in Pisces, separating from Saturn by just over a degree, leaving the malefic influence behind. The almost-dark Moon, still waning, is well-suited to a protection talisman—the desire being to leave behind or let fall away negative influences, removing obstacles and difficulties. Luna was also just under a degree away from an applying sextile to Venus, the significator of the election.

Since the 1st house signifies the bearer of the talisman, we also look at the condition of the Lord of the Ascendant in planetary elections. Sol, Lord of the Ascendent in this election, was peregrine in Pisces and separating from a square to Mars. While it was not ideal to have the Sun in the final degrees of Pisces, the whole sign sextile to Venus, the exaltation lord of Pisces, was a mitigating factor for this minor accidental debility. 

Further Magical Factors in the Election

Three factors emphasized the protective significations of this election: the waning moon, signifying decrease; the separation of the Moon from a conjunction to Saturn; and the separation of Sol (Lord of the Ascendant) from a square aspect to Mars. All of these factors symbolically emphasize the idea of leaving negative influences behind, or allowing them to fall away.

First, we noted above that the Moon was applying by sextile to Venus. A further profound and harmonious factor of this election was the mutual reception of this aspect: Luna was in Venus’s sign of exaltation, and Venus was similarly in Luna’s sign of exaltation. The strong bond between these two planets strongly potentiates the Venusian aspects of this election.

Second, the Moon was also about a degree and a half from a conjunction with the Persian Royal Fixed Star Fomalhaut, a lovely and very fortunate configuration.

Third, as if the first two factors weren’t enough, the close applying conjunction of Venus to the North Node strongly boosts the benefic qualities of this election, according to Picatrix Book III, Chapter 2 instructing: “Know that the nature of the Head of the Dragon is to augment; when it is with fortunate planets it increases them in honor and strength.” 

Reflection on Weaknesses of the Election

The close separation of the Moon from Saturn and the Sun (Lord of the Ascendant) from Mars may look to be too close for comfort. However, traditional sources do not issue ambiguous judgments on this topic. William Lilly, in Christian Astrology, defines separation as “when two planets are departed but six minutes distance from each other” (p. 110), and Guido Bonatti, in Animae Astrologiae, in the context of horary astrology, notes that separations of less than a degree can signify things that come to pass, “but not without extraordinary labor and trouble” (p. 9). Since the separation of each luminary from the malefics is more than a degree, we do not consider the close separating aspects a problem. A minor weakness would be the Sun as Lord of the Ascendant in the final degrees of Pisces, which is not ideal. Finally, Saturn angular in the seventh house is not ideal, but given Saturn’s distance from the DC, the malefic influence is truncated. Still, it is worth emphasizing that Saturn in the seventh house underscores that these are not Venus talismans for love and relationship. 

Recommendations

We consider these talismans generally beginner friendly: talismans of the benefic planets (i.e., Venus and Jupiter) are often good places for people to start with talismans. That said, if your natal Venus is highly afflicted, we do recommend you perform a divination or seek consultation from a trusted magically literate astrologer for guidance about whether this is the right talisman for you.

Note that we cannot guarantee any particular results related to health or safety through the purchase or use of this talisman.

Ceremonial Details

Gemstone & Talismanic Image

The Picatrix says that this talisman should be made “in quartz,” and we followed this instruction, using 30mm rose quartz cabochons for the pendants and 18x25mm clear quartz cabochons for the bracelets. The lapidary De Virtutibus Lapidum (The Virtues of Stones) by Damigeron attributes “styptic powers” to “crystal,” the name by which quartz was often known in ancient times, meaning the power to staunch bleeding when applied to a wound. These healing powers—literally to stop the loss of blood—correspond well to the purposes of this talisman.

The front of the talisman was engraved with a specific image of Venus from Picatrix: “the image of a seated woman with wings with her hair braided behind her back with two braids with two boys in her lap” (Book II, Chapter 10). According to the Picatrix, the bearer of this image will “not suffer loss or injury.” The obverse side of the talisman was carved with the symbol of Venus and the sigil of her intelligence, Hagiel. Vervain herb, attested by Culpeper as generally “opening obstructions, cleansing, and healing” as well as having myriad other specific curative virtues, was affixed to the back of the stones.

Ritual Setup

An altar lush with blue and green was erected to Venus prior to the working, with many offerings of flowers, sweets, food, and spirits. Seven green candles embellished with the signs of Venus and her planetary angel, intelligence, and spirit and consecrated to Venus in her planetary hour provided illumination for the ritual, and a plate of copper engraved with the kamea (magic square) of Venus was offered as well. Gustav Holst’s “Venus, the Bringer of Peace” from his opuses dedicated to The Planets served as a soundtrack for this ritual.

Images are worth a thousand words:

Suffumigation

The suffumigation used to ensoul these talismans consisted of a specially made Venus in Pisces incense blended and consecrated to Venus during a previous Idola Stellarum Venus election, prepared according to a modified recipe from Heinrich Cornelius Agrippa’s Three Books of Occult Philosophy: “For Venus, take musk, ambergris, lignum aloes, red roses and red coral.” Since musk and ambergris are ingredients derived from endangered species, suitable substances similarly situated on the cosmic hierarchy were used as replacements: Spanish labdanum resin was used in lieu of ambergris, and sustainably harvested Canadian beaver castor (scent gland) was used in lieu of musk.