Fixed Star Ras Alhague: Panacea & Therapeia

Pioneered by Kaitlin Coppock of Sphere + Sundry, talismanic Ras Alhague workings are approached for the purposes of healing through a connection to the healer god Asklepios. The image of the Ophiuchus constellation, in which Ras Alhague finds its home, is The Serpent Bearer or The Snake Charmer: the man holding the snake resonates with that ancient image of healing and medicine, the Rod of Asklepios. Through blending fixed star image magic with theurgical invocation of Asklepios, Sphere + Sundry paved the way for talismanic innovation, producing four series of magical offerings, including talismans from Tony Mack and, most recently, talismanic copper water vessels.

Kaitlin’s innovation builds off of and expands the classical magical associations with this constellation. Ras Alhague itself is not among the 15 traditional Behenian fixed stars for whom we have talismanic recipes from the various editions of De Quindecim Stellis. Rather, this star was singled out as the herald star for the Serpentarius aka Ophiuchus constellation, one of the various constellations for whom we have attested talismanic recipes, coming down to us through the Speculum Astronomiae of Albertus Magnus and the Speculum Lapidum of Camillo Leonardi. These Renaissance sources attest to Serpentarius talismans as “effective against poisons.” Theurgic invocation of Asklepios adds a Spark of divine empowerment to widen this healing scope.

These particular Ras Alhague talismans were created with the intent of aiding healing in both directions. The first keyword, Panacea, derives from the name of the daughter of Asklepios, Panakeia, whose name has become synonymous with remedy, cure-alls, and universal health. The second keyword, Therapeia, can be used in a similar context to refer to curing and healing. The word therapeia appears in the Bible in reference to crowds “who had need of healing” (Luke 9:11) and to the leaves of the tree of life that “were for the healing of the nations” (Revelation 22:2). Foundationally, though, therapeia refers to the service of healing, and in the petition drafted specifically for this election it was invoked in the service of requesting divine assistance with being of service to the health of others, so that the bearers of these talismans might not only receive healing but also shine as a light of health in the darkness of woe. 

This two-sidedness will be familiar to anyone familiar with Asklepios’ teacher Chiron, the exemplar of the Wounded Healer-Teacher archetype. So often, healers gain their vocation, their passion, and their compassion through the Spark of their woundedness, which kindles in them a fire to share their warmth and skill with others. 

This alerts us to a necessary insight about healing: our goal cannot and should not be to achieve or return to some mythical state of perfection or woundlessness. There is no weedless garden. Skies forever blue herald drought. Healing happens within finite lifetimes and fragile bodies—and often, an enormous portion of the psychological aspect of healing involves the various griefs of affliction, acceptance, adaptation, survival, and, often, the incompleteness of healing. The depth psychologist Barbara Stevens Sullivan provides a wonderful image to ponder:

“In some sense, a person is her wounds. A sapling, planted beside a supportive stake that the gardener neglects to remove, will grow around the stake. The stake’s presence will injure the growing tree; the tree will adapt by distorting its ‘natural’ shape to accommodate the stake. But the mature tree will be the shape it has taken; it cannot be ‘cured’ of the injury, the injury is an intrinsic aspect of its nature.” 
—Barbara Stevens Sullivan, The Mystery of Analytical Work, p. 175

What has become gnarled will not be made even again: ashes do not return to firewood. In the ancient Hippocratic oath, the oathbearer promises to “keep pure and holy both my life and my art.” This cleansing, holy purification reminds us that healing often involves transformation. Ptolemy held that Ras Alhague has a nature of Saturn and Venus, and the association of Ras Alhague with Saturn may point toward how healing is akin to aging: it is a move forward into a new, altered form rather than an eternal return into youth.

We have certainly found these Ras Alhague talismans to possess a kind of stern severity that could be seen as Saturnine or, alternatively, as the brusque, down-to-business approach of a doctor who must triage the many patients needing medical attention. This also winds us toward another important aspect of these talismans. Although the myth of Asklepios, the archetype of the healer, and the image of the Serpent Bearer tend to center the human, the Ophiuchus constellation—and the talismanic image we used—also firmly centers the snake. And these talismans possess a definitively serpentine, non-human, otherworldly aspect.

Many who work devotionally with Asklepios—even casually—note the deity’s swift and steadfast willingness to show up, to be present, and to aid. There can be a relatedness in working with Asklepios that is quite human and comes with an investment in devotees’ well-being. While there is a kindness and comfort to these encounters, the awareness and medicine given can come with uncomfortable, and sometimes painful, truths. The serpent wraps around the base of the cup. Risk is often necessary for healing. Sacrifice is often called for when looking for divine intervention.

Healing is not always linear or easy. Healing often involves discomfort, trial, initiation. Healing can come through disconcerting means. Traditional medicine has used snake venom for millennia, and our experience suggests that these talismans employ constriction as an avenue toward health: both Idola mages have had experiences of needing to make significant lifestyle changes, which have come with relinquishing certain meaningful pursuits, in order to achieve significantly greater ease and well-being.

Thus, although the word Panacea may evoke fantasies of a magic pill that cures all of our ills, we would caution that these spirits may let us know in one way or another that our health depends on not just what illness we have but also how we live and act in the world.

We always stress the relational nature of magic and the two-way nature of talismanic relationships in particular, but these talismans may get a little pushier about us holding up our end of the bargain, slithering in to the soft spots of our life and applying pressure to get us to fix it already. And then, like a snake after feeding, they may go dormant and quiet for a while.

On the healer side of things, these Panacea & Therapeia talismans may inspire (or push) us to brush up, study up, and show up to deepen and further commit to the mysteries of our craft. Like the Rod of Asklepios that shows both the solidity of the staff and the suppleness of the serpent, they may support us to stand firm in our values, convictions, and knowledge while also embodying the flexibility, humility, and liveliness that raises us beyond mere technician to genuine healer.

NOTE: As we clearly state in our guarantees and disclaimers, 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 fixed star Ras Alhague Panacea & Therapeia  talismans were ensouled on Wednesday, February 15, 2023 between 7:30am and 7:48am EST.

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, the fixed star Ras Alhague at 22^◦46’ Sagittarius was culminating on the Midheaven and the working took place while Ras Alhague was within 2^◦30’ of the MC.

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 Moon was making an applying conjunction to Ras Alhague within about 2^◦30’. Luna was also moving with very fast speed, was not making a hard aspect to any malefic, and her next aspect was to the highly dignified Venus in Pisces.

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, Jupiter as the Lord of Pisces was peregrine though unafflicted, in perfectly serviceable shape for this purpose.

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

Further Magical Factors in the Election

Two major factors stand out in this election. First, both malefics (Mars & Saturn) are cadent, indicating the absence and lack of influence of negative, harmful powers. Second, both benefics (Venus & Jupiter) are in the first house, signifying health and well-being for the bearer of the talisman.

In terms of other factors, the applying square of the Moon to Venus (and thus the square to the Midheaven by Venus) as well as the Moon’s sign-based opposition to Mars (which is, importantly, long since separating by degree) add some tension to the configuration: after all, health is a dynamic process and not merely the absence of illness/dis-ease, and healing often requires pressure and the overcoming of stress and difficulty. The separating aspect to Mars might also signify a movement away from pain and strife toward healing.

Reflection on Weaknesses of the Election

No election is perfect, and we always try to give an evenhanded consideration to the less-than-perfect factors of all of our elections in the interest of informed consent. In this election, the Moon, although immediately applying to Venus, is also just over 7^◦ applying to a sextile to Saturn. The softness of the aspect mitigates this issue considerably. Also, in an ideal world the Moon would be applying to her ruler; although she witnesses Jupiter by a whole sign trine aspect, she is separating by degree.

Recommendations

As noted above, healing can sometimes be a messy affair. We encourage folks considering this talisman to take stock of their current capacity and willingness to invite in whatever changes and, potentially, initiatory experiences might ultimately be necessary to bring about healing or to develop as a healer. Bearers of these talismans must take responsibility for having relationships in place with your own healing practitioners and being sufficiently resourced to seek out professional advice from licensed professionals as needed.

People whose natal charts feature malefic planets (Mars or Saturn) within a few degrees of 22-23^◦ of Sagittarius, Pisces, Gemini, or Virgo are encouraged to divine on how well this talisman would fit for them at this time.

Ceremonial Details

Gemstone & Talismanic Image

The talismans themselves were created from natural carnelian cabochons. In A Lapidary of Sacred Stones, Claude Lecouteux summarizes medieval sources that say that this stone “calms anger, purifies the flesh, and stops blood flow, especially that of women,” and additionally “strengthens eyesight, enlivens the soul, and gives one a venerable air and good character” (p. 115). The health-giving properties of this stone make it a natural choice for Asclepius.

The carnelian cabochons were engraved with one of the most ancient and universal symbols of healing in the Western world: the rod of Asclepius. On either side of the healer’s symbol were carved the election’s petition keywords, PANACEA and THERAPEIA, transliterated Greek words for remedy and curing. 

Ironwort harvested from Mount Olympus (not by us, sadly) was affixed to the back of the talismans. Ironwort aka sideritis or Greek mountain tea is mentioned in the texts of Hippocrates and has long been used as a remedy for many diseases as well as wounds caused by iron. 

Ritual Setup

An altar graced with a clean white and gold cloth and a bronze statue of the Asclepius was established prior to the working, strewn with bay leaves and set out with wholesome, medicinal offerings of food, herbs, spirits, and red wine. A dozen white candles plus two symbol-etched candles, one for the Moon and one for Ras Alhague, provided illumination, while fresh white and green flowers offered beauty. A mirror emblazoned with the word ‘Physician’—found in the library of our house when we moved in, as the previous inhabitant was a long-time practicing physician—provided a background for the Asclepius statue. 

Suffumigation

Suffumigation and incense offerings consisted of a talismanic incense blend consecrated in a previous experimental Ras Alhague election. The incense blend consisted of frankincense, mastic, black frankincense, white willow bark, ground sage, snake skin, and locally harvested cypress and pine.