grävel

traditional astrologer and magician of the stars. thoughts appear here.

shop + readings open 04/18 — [email protected]

[grävel @opushelios]

Introducing "The Three Graces" — Greater Venus in Taurus talismans, created under one of the most benefic Venus elections I have ever had the privilege to work with.

Venus rises in her own sign of Taurus, joined by an exalted waxing Moon, while both behold an exalted Jupiter in Cancer beneath an exalted Sun. In the ancient astrological tradition, these three planets—Venus, Jupiter, and the Sun—were regarded as the great beneficent powers of heaven, and inspired both the name and image of this collection.

Each green aventurine pendant is engraved with the Picatrix image of three figures embracing, prescribed to bring prosperity in commerce, profit, goodwill, and enduring affection. Green aventurine was chosen in keeping with the medieval lapidary tradition, where the green stones of Venus symbolized fertility, flourishing life, beauty, and abundance.

The ritual itself was prepared through a week of fasting and chastity before being completed during the Hour of Venus with traditional prayers, suffumigations, the Orphic Hymn to Venus, Song of Solomon 2:10–13, 1 Corinthians 13, Deuteronomy 8:18, Proverbs 3:9–10, and the invocation of the angels of Venus. Each talisman was engraved at the elected moment, individually suffumigated, wrapped in white silk, and laid to rest until ready for its new keeper.

These talismans were created with the intention of bringing luxury, physical love, prosperity, harmony, and success in business ventures, and are especially favorable for those with Venus in Taurus, Libra, or Pisces, or Venus placed in the 1st, 4th, 5th, 7th, 10th, or 11th houses.

Visit the 1ink in b10 to read the full report!

[grävel @opushelios]

@AleenaAstro One of my fav activities

[grävel @opushelios]

We are approaching this from two very different methodologies.

My hesitation isn't that Saturn can never protect. It's that I don't think the conclusion follows from the authors you've cited. Hanegraaff seems to be offering a modern framework for understanding esotericism as practice. Ficino is describing the kinds of activities that place a person under Saturn's influence. Neither, to my mind, establishes protection as a direct virtue or function of Saturn.

I also don’t agree with the statement that Saturn does not separate. That is contrary to nearly all traditional astrological sources, where Saturn repeatedly signifies estrangement, widowhood, exile, imprisonment, and every kind of isolation brought about through time or privation. Mars separates through force; Saturn primarily separates through exclusion and deprivation. I don't really see those as mutually exclusive ideas.

Also, putting magic aside and looking at nativities, I would be very interested in seeing an example from the texts where Saturn is delineated as a protector.

So, I don't object to saying Saturn can be employed, in some capacity, for protective ends in certain magical operations. I object to redefining Saturn's essential nature on that basis. For me, that's an entirely different claim, and one I don't think the traditional sources support.

Employing Saturn as a form of protection is very dangerous and will always come with Saturnine strings; he does not give anything without also taking. I certainly would never recommend it to anyone I cared about.

If indeed you have found Saturn to bestow some kind of protection, I'm glad for you. It doesn't deny the established and known essential nature of the Greater Malefic.

[grävel @opushelios]

Saturn is not a protector.

[grävel @opushelios]

We know the nature of Saturn is cold, dry, dark, and restrictive. He governs boundaries, isolation, old age, fear, scarcity, and endings. He certainly preserves things through endurance, discipline, and limitation, but preservation is not the same as protection.

When magicians sought protection from enemies, illness, or misfortune, they generally turned to Jupiter, the Sun, or Mars depending on the situation. Saturn was instead invoked for works involving binding, concealment, stability, contemplation, banishing, or dealing with death and spirits. His nature is to separate and restrict rather than to nourish or defend.

People often say Saturn protects because boundaries can keep danger out. I think that's true in a more secondary sense. A prison protects you from the outside world but, it also confines you. Saturn's so called “protection" comes through limitation, austerity, and withdrawal, but not through beneficence.

Speaking from a natal perspective, he does indeed participate in protection but only in configuration with other planets. Standing alone, in no sense are you safe from harm. So, I don't deny that Saturn can preserve or shield under certain circumstances. I simply don't think "protector" is his primary office or function.

[. @sailorsRest1]

Leo & Sol

[grävel @opushelios]

In the 1st century CE, Dorotheus of Sidon outlined many astrological electional guidelines for various purposes. Some of these include the most auspicious times for banishing demons and wicked spirits.

He says that the best time to remove hauntings is when the Ascendant and the Moon are in Aries, Taurus, or Gemini. Also, when Jupiter and Venus are with the Moon or in the Ascendant.

The worst, or most ineffective, times to banish a spirit is when the Moon and Ascendant are Cancer, Leo, Scorpio, and Aquarius.

Image: Saint Juliana binding a demon, illumination from the Passionary of Weissenau (12th century CE)

[grävel @opushelios]

@mercurialsarah It’s true

[The Modern Hermeticist @ModernHermetics]

The Occult Meaning of Homer's Odyssey: On the Wanderings of Ulysses by Thomas Taylor https://t.co/xSOWY50VNa

[grävel @opushelios]

These talismans replaced the Venus in Pisces talismans. If you received one of those, consider yourself lucky; I won't be putting those back up for several months.

[grävel @opushelios]

Introducing "The Three Graces" — Greater Venus in Taurus talismans, created under one of the most benefic Venus elections I have ever had the privilege to work with.

Venus rises in her own sign of Taurus, joined by an exalted waxing Moon, while both behold an exalted Jupiter in Cancer beneath an exalted Sun. In the ancient astrological tradition, these three planets—Venus, Jupiter, and the Sun—were regarded as the great beneficent powers of heaven, and inspired both the name and image of this collection.

Each green aventurine pendant is engraved with the Picatrix image of three figures embracing, prescribed to bring prosperity in commerce, profit, goodwill, and enduring affection. Green aventurine was chosen in keeping with the medieval lapidary tradition, where the green stones of Venus symbolized fertility, flourishing life, beauty, and abundance.

The ritual itself was prepared through a week of fasting and chastity before being completed during the Hour of Venus with traditional prayers, suffumigations, the Orphic Hymn to Venus, Song of Solomon 2:10–13, 1 Corinthians 13, Deuteronomy 8:18, Proverbs 3:9–10, and the invocation of the angels of Venus. Each talisman was engraved at the elected moment, individually suffumigated, wrapped in white silk, and laid to rest until ready for its new keeper.

These talismans were created with the intention of bringing luxury, physical love, prosperity, harmony, and success in business ventures, and are especially favorable for those with Venus in Taurus, Libra, or Pisces, or Venus placed in the 1st, 4th, 5th, 7th, 10th, or 11th houses.

Visit the 1ink in b10 to read the full report!

[grävel @opushelios]

For the nerds like me, the chart is also available at the 1ink! https://t.co/85dsynOaGO

[Astrologer @JyotirAstrology]

Associated with the Virtuous - from the Garuda Purana

[mish.kim♑︎ @QuicksilverKin]

A good Venus in Virgo remediation is actually reading about Venus in any way

[grävel @opushelios]

These talismans will be replacing the Venus in Pisces talismans so this will be the last week to pick up one of those for a few months! https://t.co/tqNdpsDs9b

[grävel @opushelios]

My "Three Graces" Venus in Taurus collection is coming. They will drop on July 17th at 10AM/CST

[grävel @opushelios]

@JyotirAstrology Yes! Dr. Noble is an amazing resource. His papers have been so helpful, wish I had that book though!

[grävel @opushelios]

In Marsilio Ficino’s "Three Books On Life", he outlines 7 steps and operations necessary to draw down the celestial virtues. Each step correlates to one of the seven planets.

Moon - Hard materials (stones, gems, and metal)
Mercury - Plant material, resins, fruits, and animal parts
Venus - Powders of the prior materials, flowers, and ointments
Sun - Harmonic vibration (Words, songs, and music)
Mars - Motion, form, and passion (images, ritual dance and gestures, etc.)
Jupiter - Human reason and piety (fasting and attunement)
Saturn - Simple and remote operations (contemplation and planning)

I believe this set of steps and processes is something much deeper than we think.

Throughout Ficino’s works he mentions the word “spiritus” and the philosophy that the universe is not divided into separate parts of matter and spirit. Instead, he theorized that it is a continuum and turns the question of “How can I bring such-and-such planet down?” into “How do I become capable of receiving that planet?”

This ladder he identified is almost alchemical in nature or, at the very least, some process of refinement.
We can propose that it is: Body to Living Nature to Essence to Spirit to Soul to Intellect to Divine. Each step strips away another layer of density until the soul naturally resonates with the desired planetary virtue.

So, read in this way, the list is as much an inner alchemy as an outer one. The true operation isn't performed only on the materials; it's performed on the magician. From complexity to simplicity, we refine.

[grävel @opushelios]

@JyotirAstrology I love Al-Razi, such a shame there aren't very many English translations of his works, that I know of anyways. The few I have are from various scholar's dissertations and articles.

[grävel @opushelios]

Well, Magnus makes a similar description for his "Panthera" but, leaves out the bit about attracting other stones. He often did this when he was doubtful about a stones supposed properties.

It was almost certainly opal and the name is a bastardization of the Greek "panchrus". It's also been called "pantochras" which is 'all-colored'. And it makes sense if you think about how they believed stones to be formed and how they received their color(s).

Though you are probably right in that, if it existed, it was likely an opal matrix containing iron that would have a minor lodestone effect. But, unfortunately, there are no known stones that attract other stones, as Agrippa claims.

[grävel @opushelios]

Yes! And there is so much magical precedence for it, even putting aside the alchemical implications.

Amazonite carved as solar scarabs in Egypt, chrysolite (peridot/olivine), chrysoprase, heliotrope (bloodstone), etc. — all being green stones used in works for the Sun. Going further into Asia, Sun deities were carved into jade!

The Sun certainly can take life but, only where it shines does life flourish.