I Got 99 Problems and Mercury Ain't One

So, my favorite time a year is when Mercury is retrograde, and by favorite, I mean, I hate watching all the posts about people dealing with Mercury being retrograde.

The influences of the planets are based on movements, proximity, and relationships. So while Mercury may appear to go backwards it doesn't really travel backwards, so nothing really changes in its movement. Position is the main thing that comes up in how the planets and stars relate, there are some key movement based elements, but retrograde motion has never struck me as a particularly important one.

But, whether I believe in the impact of retrograde motion or not doesn't necessarily impact whether you do or not. So maybe it's a problem you need to resolve. Or maybe you just need to create a beneficial Mercurial presence in your life.

Currently, Mercury, Jupiter, and the Sun are all in the sign of Virgo. Virgo has a lot of influence right now with such a stellar cast of characters hanging out in her neighborhood. So we can use this to our advantage.

Mercury is exalted in Virgo, meaning that in Virgo Mercury is in its optimum position, it is able to impart its effects without being hampered by contrary astrological effects. Not only is Mercury exalted in Virgo, but double whammy of awesome, Mercury rules Virgo. So even without the exaltation Virgo would be a positive position for Mercury adding to its ability to impart a harmonized Mercurial force. So with Mercury currently in Virgo we have a pretty good position to work from.

But...we're concerned with Mercury having issues because of the retrograde motion.

The Sun is also in Virgo. The sign the Sun is in reflects the outer appearance of things which occur during that time. So the Sun in Virgo will impart the essential elements of Virgo in a balanced visible fashion. Sun in Virgo indicates exacting attention to detail, a grounded nature, and dutiful execution of specific tasks. When taken into the realm of communication this ties back to clear precise communication.

The Sun in general represents aligning, and balancing things, and ordering them to their true purpose. It is the central force which organizes the planets along their rotations. It positions them and therefore is directive of the ordered exposition of their luminescence. So the Sun acting in relation to Mercury works to correct the manifestation of Mercurial force.

Now, we noted Jupiter is also hanging out there in Virgo. We don't need too much focus on the Jupiterian presence here. Jupiter in Virgo, as we discussed recently, diminishes Jupiter's ability to create prosperity. But, when we discussed the Homeric Hymn of Mercury, Mercury was kind of running around like crazy trying to get himself situated (retrograde), he stole Apollo's (Sun) bulls (an animal associated at times with Jupiter) and so Jupiter interceded, and gave position and power to Mercury and set Apollo on instructing and directing Mercury. So the story here, while it reflects Jupiter's detriment in Virgo, it also reflects the situation we're dealing with. Mercury isn't behaving how we want, but a relationship with Jupiter and Sol fixes Mercury's motion. So the current positioning gives us the tools we need.

In classical and medieval magic a common way of dealing with astrological elements was to apply a talisman made under and reflecting favorable astrological conditions. Today we call this “Scholastic Image Magic” in the renaissance and middle ages it was called telesmatics, Persian Image Magic, Arabic Image Magic, or signs were referred to as Hermetic Images and other similar names. Often this is treated as a form of non-addressative magic, meaning it did not involve rituals or spirits. You simply made the talisman under the right astrological influences and the celestial rays present at the time of construction were sealed within the talisman so that it could be applied in situations where people needed those influences, or so that it could draw in or ward off things based upon the image and the celestial rulership.

We do have several examples which show addressative forms of image magic in renaissance, late medieval, and even in some middle eastern texts. In these addressative forms talismans were made under correct conditions and rituals or prayers were included. Our example today can be done either way depending upon your preferred way of working.

The talisman should be made with dual rings encircling it. In the outer ring should be the names associated with the sign of Virgo since that is where everything is occurring. In the inner ring should be the names and seal of the Sun since we want the influence of the Sun to align the planetary force of Mercury. The name for the Mercurial archangel can appear within the talismanic image since that is the focus of the image. We will not include a Jupiterian name because it's not primarily the force we want to be working with, we just kind of want a nod to the Jupiterian presence and it's ability to add beneficence to the direction of Mercury.

The image in the center should be of Mercury as the Messenger; he should hold a bull by the neck, similar to in a Mithraic tauroctony image. Above should be the Sun, below should be the name of the Mercurial archangel.

Virgo names: Hamaliel (Archangel), Ceres (Greek Divinity), Vav Yod, Heh, Heh, (astrological banner)

Solar Names: Raphael (Archangel), Och (Olympic Spirit), Apollo (Greek Divinity), ELVH (Divine Name)

Mercurial Angel: Michael

The seals for Raphael, Michael, and Och can be found in the Magical Calendar.

If we are making the seal without addressing any spiritual powers we simply construct the seal while these planets are still in the sign of Virgo. Sunrise or Noon being the best times of day.

You can add ritual components by consecrating your space and materials through whatever openings, invocations, and purifications you feel are appropriate. Psalms from the Greater Key of Solomon might make sense. Openings from the Chaldean Oracles. A prayer to your Holy Guardian Angel or to the Architect of Creation. Any of these could be used.

If we want to move closer to addressative magic add the appropriate Orphic Hymns. While writing the names for Virgo use a Hymn to Persephone. While doing the Solar ring a Hymn to Apollo or Helios. While doing the inner image a Hymn to Hermes while drawing him and a Hymn to Zeus while drawing the bull.

You could further consecrate the talisman by using a conjuration of the Archangel Michael or the Olympic Spirit Ophiel and explaining the powers you would like imparted into the talisman.

You have a lot of options.

My intention here was more to give a framework than a set ritual to use. If you try making a talisman let me know how it goes in the comments!

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Rocket to Jupiter: Improving your work with the Powers of Prosperity

Over the last several years Jupiter has become an exceedingly popular force, either divine or planetary, for modern magicians. Jupiter was always a good go to as an exemplar for magical groups showing a ritual template or talking about work to do because most Jupiterian qualities are pretty positive. But it's really been of late that people are immersed in and excited about Jupiter as a primary force to drive them to working more magic and focusing that magic around a structure.

This is great, it adds a realism and a drive towards hands on magic. It's something that wasn't there as much before. This has been one of the big improvements in modern magic which seems to come from the work of folks like Jason Miller, and Rufus Opus and the Gentlemen of Jupiter. People have joked that they are the preachers of the prosperity gospel of magic. They focus on magic as a way to improve lives so that once people's lives are in order they can focus on the bigger stuff. It's a great approach and it gets people actually doing the work instead of sitting on the side lines.

I don't know a ton about what the Gentlemen of Jupiter did, Rufus tried to get me to join, but it was during my period of being semi-retired. All I can say though is the work they've done has epically changed the culture of modern magic.

That said, the focus on prosperity work only works when said prosperity work works. Or, even better, when it works better.

Recently I was thinking about some astrological components of prosperity magic. I haven't done a lot of it lately, but I know for a lot of people things have not been as prosperous as they would like. Business is slow for me and a lot of my coworkers, a lot of people I know have had a lot of financial fires to put out. Some have turned to magic.

One friend mentioned having done some work for a friend having financial troubles and acquiring the money needed to cover some stuff. Another friend had some more interesting results. She did a big Jupiter rite with some people, and only got a nominal raise at work. But then, online, dudes on dating sites started offering her money for her company. She was not going to take them up on it. It was a result, but not the result she wanted.

For a lot of people stuff like this is what they've been getting. Weird, patchy results.

See, the thing with Jupiter, is Jupiter isn't for that. Jupiter is for the new job, the lucrative marriage, the raise, the steady stream of clients, or the small handful of very good very productive client relationships, the big raise with the new office...prosperity, fecundity, stability. A flowing stream to make your soil fertile, not a quick bucket to hold back a roaming fire.

That said, results are good, I'm proud of my friends who did magic and got some result. But there is a reason their results and those of others don't look like Jupiter. The answer, is Mercury.

August 2015 Jupiter entered Virgo. It will leave Virgo September 2016. In Virgo Jupiter is in detriment which reduces or reverses its power. Think back, from August 2015 through now, how has your prosperity work with Jupiter looked, or in general, are there things which would have provided prosperity that didn't, or which did, but could have provided more? The specifics of how it will have affected your life will depend upon elements of your birth, but how it impacts magic will have a little more consistency.

In both examples given above the people working were able to get small amounts of money, one was able to help someone resolve some specific problems, the other one was able to get a raise so in name they got what they asked for but in essence they got nothing. They then got offers for more spurts and bursts of money, from guys wanting to spurt and burst.

When I was a kid, Mercury was my go to for money. Partially because of my personality at the time, and partially because I didn't want prosperity, I wanted money so I could keep my pocket just full enough to get what I wanted without having anything to hold me down or to care about. Mercury, is great for that, but not so great for sustained prosperity. Mercury also likes underground type of stuff, communication and connections, and moving from spot to spot, so, guys offering money for one night liaisons definitely could fall under mercurial ways to make money, particularly since the Mercurial exposure in this case is shaped by Virgo, or the Maiden.

Virgo involves being analytical, modest, shy, and grounded. So nothing big, nothing expansive.

Mercury, mythologically, is Jupiter's son who he left tucked away with his mother in a cave away from the gods. He wasn't like Zagreus, born to inherit his father's throne. He felt the need to scrape and steal for his father's attention and power. He proclaimed to his mother Maia that he would use whatever plan he could to get them what they need instead of leaving them alone and unfed in their cave without the wealth and prosperity of the gods. He had to be clever and scrappy, he even threatened to steal what they need if his plan didn't work. He talked about wanting the things Apollo had, and it was Apollo that he stole from to get their father Jupiter's attention.

In the end Jupiter, amused by his son's antics, granted him his place amongst the gods, but rather than taking him in and teaching and empowering him, he gave him lesser reflections of the powers and domains of Apollo.

The impact of Mercury's rulership of Virgo has a similarly diminishing effect on the powers of Jupiter while it transits Virgo. So while Jupiter and Mercury can both bring about money, and the Earthy nature of Virgo can relate to money, that Earthy nature also relates to grounding, and so the flowing prosperity implied by Jupiter's watery nature is grounded by the context of Virgo. The effusive expansive steady prosperity of Jupiter as providence is is stymied by the quick, changeable, catch as catch can nature of Mercury.

So if we want to do Jupiter magic while Jupiter is in Virgo. This ends soon, September 9^th. But it provides a good opportunity to talk about off setting astrological considerations in magic.

If we want to unbound Jupiter's effects from being diminished by Mercury and Virgo we need to address those elements. We could banish Mercury, or Virgo or both. We could invoke a zodiacal force more positive for our ends such as Sagittarius. You could potentially also invoke Sol, as Apollo was the intermediary between Jupiter and Mercury and solar force galvanizes natures. Directly banishing and invoking appropriate zodiacal forces makes more sense to me. Adding components to strengthen the Jupiterian force can help, such as using the planetary hour, or working when Jupiter is at its Zenith or Rising could work help, or working while Mercury is setting or while Mercury is at its nadir. Similarly you could select a time where Virgo is setting or at it's low point, or while Sagittarius is rising or at its zenith. Any option or combination of options that places the celestial powers in a position advantageous to your goal will benefit your result.

An alternative option would be if you had talismans, particularly astrologically charged talismans, formed under any of these conditions. For instance a mercurial talisman made with Mercury in detriment placed upside down upon the altar. Or a Jupiter talisman made while Jupiter is in a position of strength placed in a position of prominence on the altar.

Tomorrow I'll post a ritual that provides an example of this kind of astrological work, so make sure to like us on Facebook so you can follow along!

Owning The Time of Your Magic

Have you ever had a magical ritual you wanted to perform where the outcome was pretty important to you, and so you wanted everything to go right, but little things that weren't under your control just weren't lining up?

I think everyone has this at some point if they do enough magic.

One of the little details that a lot of people want to include but find to be a pain in the ass to coordinate is planetary hours.

I've often seen where people believe they need to do something during a planetary hour but can't arrange their schedule to do their working to accommodate the planetary hour, or to combine forces with a particular hour on a particular day.

I personally am not very sold on the traditional planetary hour system, at least, not the way it is approached by people who base their use of it on the way it's given in Mathers' version of the Greater Key. In this approach it's just another correspondence, another way to add a particular force to the context of your work. So, while I'm not going to argue in favor or against it at the moment, I will note that as it is simply a means of contextualizing your work within a particular current of force, there are ways around it.

The simplest approach would be some invocation of the planet, like through the Lesser Hexagram Ritual, or through reciting the appropriate Orphic Hymn.

Some people might not like this because it's just a way of ritually setting the space, where the hour is a fixed condition of the environment.

So let's look at another way. We can approach the problem hierarchically like we do in spirit magic. If we want to go a rung above the planetary force, then we would call upon the zodiacal force. The zodiac are generative, the planets and metals are reflective/manifesting, and the elements are producing or manifesting. If we start with the zodiac that determines the chain of manifestation going down into the planets.

The zodiac signs have ruling and mystical planets, but more to the point of an actual fixed condition of reality, the planets sit within regions of the sky mapped by the zodiac. Agrippa's description of the influence of the stars and planets relates to their radiance and their placement. So by invoking the planetary force based on its position in the sky we entreat the source of radiance and the placement while working with our actual environment.

Doing this is actually incredibly simple and can be added before any ritual easily.

Each zodiac sign has an element and a ruling planet. Before your ritual go to each quarter and trace the sign of the ruling element and planet for the sign in which the planet pertaining to your ritual resides at the time your ritual is beginning. Therefore, if you are doing a ritual of Mars and Mars is in Libra at the time of your ritual you would go to each quarter, and trace a symbol of Air, a symbol of Venus, and call upon Zuriel. In each quarter, seal the invocation with the sign of the cross and the seal of the zodiacal sign. Your ritual is now occurring within the light of the sign in which your planet resides, and thus, you and the planet are within the same space.

Even rituals which are defined primarily by the planetary hour, such as Trithemius's Art of Drawing Spirits into Crystals, can be set and determined using this opening.