One of the pillars of astrology is astrological magic. Many people have strong prejudices against magic in general, but astrologers in particular don´t like astrological magicc.
There is two reasons for that, one is that magic is against religion´s commandments (specially in Christianity and Islamics). I don´t take this seriously, as if we were to follow these dogma, we couldn´t, by definition, be astrologers. People will see evil whenever is convenient.
The second reason is that modern astrology really thinks that one day it will be “taken seriously”. Be through quantum mechanics, chaos theory, or jung theory, in a few years the status quo of science will prove that astrology is a “real science” and astrologers will be hold hands and finally get out of shadows and be celebrated as the great leaders of society. You can see Christopher Warnock take on this on She blinded me with Science.
But in the past, magic was heavily dependent of astrological symbolism and elements, including electional astrology. Also, as Warnock´s show in The Modern World View, you can´t really understand astrology from a materialistic view. The spiritualistic view is essential to the comprehension of astrology. And magic is essential to the spiritualistic view.
Here are some astrological talismans from Arabic origin that I found in a book called Oriental Magic (I think it is from Idries Shiah, but I really don´t know anymore). Many of the names seem to be linked to the lunar mansions, but I still have to look it carefully (there are 28 mansions, and 24 talismans in this list). You are supposedly to make the talisman when the moon is in the position indicated by the text, probably when the moon is inside a lunar mansion. I also have to compare them to the picatrix, but they look similar. Some of the talismans are for black magic:
“From Ibn Jaldun, a list of talismans made of iron or copper
- To create disagreements – an squared shaped talisman – moon in aries
- to summon an spirit who helps find and hidden treasure – in Aries – squared shaped
- to give powers to alquimists, soldiers and sea sailors – moon in Pleiades – written in copper the word ATHORAY
- evil magic in general and to destroy buildings – in Taurus, made of copper, word ADELAMEN
- to help travelors and healings – shape triangular, in taurus, made of iron, word ALCHATAY in black
- to help besiegers, to destroy crops and to vengeance – in Gemini, iron and copper, shape of half moon, word ATHANNA
- to help friendship and love – in Gemini, iron and copper, shape of half moon, word ALDIMIACH
- fights between men and women, problems to travelers, in Leo, word ALMAZAN
- love and benevolence – made in Leo, put this talisman in a fixed position, word ALGELIOCHE
- traveling and to gain back lost loves – in Leo, AZOBRA
- good gains – in Virgo, ALZARFA
- to keep love, heal diseases, bad for traveling through land, in Virgo, ACHURETH
- to find treasures – in Libra, AGRAFA
- bad luck – Scorpio, AZUBENE
- good luck and good travel – in Scorpio, made of copper and lead (Pb), ALCHIL
- hate magic, to tear friendships and travels – ALLATHA
- to destroy fortunes and induce gambling – ABRAHAYA
- to help crops, travelers (or to bring divorce and disagreement) – ABEIDA
- good health – Capricorn – SADAHECHE
- healing – ZABODOLA
- “Road of luck”, fidelity in the couple
- Revenges and divorce – SADALABRA
- to find your other half, good luck – ALFARZ
- security in strange places, used for protection by wizards in magic rituals, harmony in the marriage – in Pisces, ALBOTHEN
You can see in the instructions above that in many talismans there is no indication of the shape of talisman or in which sign of zodiac the moon must be. But I think that one can follow the mansions of the moon or the picatrix and find what is the proper images, names of power and shapes to be used.
gjiada
January 8, 2009
It looks like they were talking about lunar mansions. For example the Gemini mansion is called ATHAYA in Vat.Reg. 1283 – I have translated it some months ago.
I think there are several medieval texts talking about Lunar Mansions, so names of mansions could be different, or mistranslated in Latin.
Anyway Vat.Reg.1283 comes from the same Spanish court of Alphonse the Wise from which Picatrix comes. I think Charles burnett wrote a little about texts related to lunar mansions, I read something.
Margherita
yuzuru
January 8, 2009
Yes, Marguerita, I also noticed… I think the fact that he didn´t say anything about the other mansions is because 1 – there are blanks in the transmission of the text or 2 – the author didn´t find them interesting
best regards
yuzuru
January 8, 2009
By the way, you are my first commenter… my second really, but as the first one was a spam, you are at least the first human
thanks !
gjiada
January 8, 2009
Happy to be a human
And I’m always surprised to see how Medieval translators translate texts. Sometimes their mistakes became the standard version – the most important one.
I mean, truth is not what works but what was most influential.
Anyway mansions are very difficult to solve, because they derive from images of fixed stars, and these images unfortunately were not fixed at all
Margherita
Melissa Grove
August 15, 2009
Ibn Jaldun’s list broadly matches one given by Robson – with omissions since there are 28 mansions and only 24 entries by Ibn Jaldun.
THE ARABIC MANSIONS
1. AL THURAYYA. Tauri. 28° 52′.
The Many Little Ones. Profitable to sailors, huntsmen and alchemists.
3. to give powers to alquimists, soldiers and sea sailors – moon in Pleiades – written in copper the word ATHORAY. From Ibn Jaldun, a list of talismans made of iron or copper
2. AL DABARAN. Tauri. 8° 40′.
The Follower. Causes the destruction and hindrances of buildings, fountains, wells, gold mines, the flight of creeping things, and begets discord.
4. evil magic in general and to destroy buildings – in Taurus, made of copper, word ADELAMEN. From Ibn Jaldun, a list of talismans made of iron or copper
3. AL HAK’AH. with Orionis. 22° 35′.
A White Spot. Helps the return from a journey, the instruction of scholars, building, and gives health and goodwill.
5. to help travelors and healings – shape triangular, in taurus, made of iron, word ALCHATAY in black. From Ibn Jaldun, a list of talismans made of iron or copper
4. AL HAN’AH. Geminorum. 7° 59′.
A Brand or Mark. Favourable for hunting, besieging towns, and the revenge of princes, destroys harvests and fruits, and hinders the operation of the physician.
6. to help besiegers, to destroy crops and to vengeance – in Gemini, iron and copper, shape of half moon, word ATHANNA. From Ibn Jaldun, a list of talismans made of iron or copper
5. AL DHIRA. with Geminorum. 19° 8′.
The Forearm. Favourable for gain and friendship and for lovers, and destroys magistracies.
7. to help friendship and love – in Gemini, iron and copper, shape of half moon, word ALDIMIACH. From Ibn Jaldun, a list of talismans made of iron or copper
6. AL NATHRAH. 44 M Cancri. 6° 7′.
The Gap or Crib. Causes love, friendship and society of fellow travellers, drives away mice, afflicts captives and causes their imprisonment.
7. AL TARF. Leonis. 16° 46′.
The Glance (of the Lion’s Eye). Hinders harvest and travellers and causes discord.
8. fights between men and women, problems to travelers, in Leo, word ALMAZAN. From Ibn Jaldun, a list of talismans made of iron or copper
8. AL JABHAH. , with , , and Leonis. 28° 43′.
The Forehead. Strengthens buildings, promotes love, benevolence, and help against enemies.
9. love and benevolence – made in Leo, put this talisman in a fixed position, word ALGELIOCHE. From Ibn Jaldun, a list of talismans made of iron or copper
9. AL ZUBRAH. with Leonis. 10° 12′.
The Mane. Good for voyages, gain by merchandise, redemption of captives.
10. traveling and to gain back lost loves – in Leo, AZOBRA. From Ibn Jaldun, a list of talismans made of iron or copper
10. AL SARFAH. Leonis. 20° 30′.
The Changer (of the weather). Gives prosperity to harvest and plantations hinders seamen, good for the bettering of servants, captives and companions.
11. good gains – in Virgo, ALZARFA. From Ibn Jaldun, a list of talismans made of iron or copper. The delineation could apply to the succeeding mansion, but the similarity of the names – Al Sarfah and Alzarfa – suggest this is the mansion referred to by Ibn Jaldun.
11. AL AWWA. with , , , and Virginis. 26° 2′.
The Barker. Gives benevolence, gain, voyages, harvests and freedom of captives.
12. AL SIMAK. Virginis. 22° 43′.
The Unarmed. Causes marital love, cures the sick, helps sailors but hinders journeys by land.
12. to keep love, heal diseases, bad for traveling through land, in Virgo, ACHURETH. From Ibn Jaldun, a list of talismans made of iron or copper
13. AL GHAFR. with Virginis. 2° 40′.
The Covering. Favourable for extracting treasures, digging pits, helps divorce, discord, the destruction of houses and enemies, and hinders travellers.
13. to find treasures – in Libra, AGRAFA. From Ibn Jaldun, a list of talismans made of iron or copper
14. AL JUBANA. with Libræ. 13° 58′.
The Claws. Hinders journeys and marriage, harvest and merchandise, favourable for the redemption of captives.
14. bad luck – Scorpio, AZUBENE. From Ibn Jaldun, a list of talismans made of iron or copper
15. IKLIL AL JABHAH. with and Scorpii. 2° 4′.
The Crown of the Forehead. Improves misfortune, makes love durable, strengthens buildings and helps seamen.
15. good luck and good travel – in Scorpio, made of copper and lead (Pb), ALCHIL. From Ibn Jaldun, a list of talismans made of iron or copper
16. AL KALB. Scorpii. 8° 39′.
The Heart. Causes discord, sedition, conspiracy against princes and rulers, and revenge from enemies, but frees captives and helps building.
16. hate magic, to tear friendships and travels – ALLATHA. From Ibn Jaldun, a list of talismans made of iron or copper
17. AL SHAULAH. with Scorpii. 23° 28′.
The Sting. Helps in besieging cities, taking towns, driving men from their places, destruction of seamen and captives.
18. AL NA’AM. with , , and Sagittarii. 12° 31′.
The Ostriches. Helps the taming of wild beasts, strengthening of prisons; destroys the wealth of societies and compels a man to come to a certain place.
17. to destroy fortunes and induce gambling – ABRAHAYA. From Ibn Jaldun, a list of talismans made of iron or copper. This could perhaps belong to the previous mansion.
19. AL BALDAH. Sagittarii. 15° 8′.
The City or District. Favourable for harvest, gain, buildings, and travellers, but causes divorce.
18. to help crops, travelers (or to bring divorce and disagreement) – ABEIDA. From Ibn Jaldun, a list of talismans made of iron or copper
20. AL SA’D AL DHABIH. with Capricorni. 2° 42′.
The Lucky One of the Slaughterers. Helps the escape of servants and captives and the curing of diseases.
19. good health – Capricorn – SADAHECHE. From Ibn Jaldun, a list of talismans made of iron or copper
21. AL SA’D AL BULA. with Aquarii. 11° 53′.
The Good Fortune of the Swallower. Causes divorces, liberty of captives and heals the sick.
20. healing – ZABODOLA. From Ibn Jaldun, a list of talismans made of iron or copper
22. AL SA’D AL SU’UD. with Aquarii. 22° 17′.
The Luckiest of the Lucky. Gives marital happiness, victory of soldiers but prevents the execution of government.
21. “Road of luck”, fidelity in the couple. From Ibn Jaldun, a list of talismans made of iron or copper
23. AL SA’D AL AHBIYAH. with , , , and Aquarii. 5° 36′
The Lucky Star of Hidden Things or Hiding Places. Favourable for besieging and revenge, destroys enemies, causes divorce, helps prisons and buildings, hastens messengers, hinders childbirth and hinders the action of the body.
22. Revenges and divorce – SADALABRA. From Ibn Jaldun, a list of talismans made of iron or copper
24. AL FARGH AL MUKDIM. with Pegasi. 28° 15′.
The Fore-spout (of the Water-bucket). Causes union, health of captives, and destroys buildings and prisons.
23. to find your other half, good luck – ALFARZ. From Ibn Jaldun, a list of talismans made of iron or copper. It matches ‘causes union’ where the following mansion has no such attribution.
25. AL FARGH AL THANI. with Pegasi and Andromedæ. 8° 2′.
The Second, or Lower, Spout (of the Waterbucket). Increases harvests, revenues, gain, heals infirmities, hinders building, upholds prisons, causes danger to seamen and destruction of enemies.
26. AL BATN AL HUT. Andromedæ. 29° 17′.
The Belly of the Fish. Increases harvest and merchandise, helps travellers through danger, strengthens prisons and causes marital happiness and loss of treasure.
24. security in strange places, used for protection by wizards in magic rituals, harmony in the marriage – in Pisces, ALBOTHEN. From Ibn Jaldun, a list of talismans made of iron or copper
27. AL SHARATAIN. with Arietis. 2° 51′.
The Two Signs. Causes discords and journeys.
This mansion is now considered to begin the series.
1. To create disagreements – an squared shaped talisman – moon in aries. From Ibn Jaldun, a list of talismans made of iron or copper
28. AL BUTAIN. with Arietis. 27° 52′.
The Belly. Helps the finding of treasures and retaining of captives.
2. to summon an spirit who helps find and hidden treasure – in Aries – squared shaped. From Ibn Jaldun, a list of talismans made of iron or copper
If anyone finds errors in this and can correct them, I would appreciate them doing so.
Melissa