The Images of the Planets and How Man's Mind Ascends to the Celestial World

PRACTICAL CONSIDERATIONS FOR ASTRAL MAGIC THE IMAGES OF THE PLANETS AND HOW MAN'S MIND ASCENDS TO THE CELESTIAL WORLD ADAPTED FROM FRANCIS BARRETT'S THE MAGUS 1801 OF THE IMAGES OF SATURN BUT NOW WHAT IMAGES THEY DID ATTRIBUTE TO THE PLANETS ALTHOUGH OF THESE THINGS VERY LARGE VOLUMES HAVE BEEN WRITTEN BY THE ANCIENT WISE MEN, so that there is no need to declare them here. Notwithstanding, I will recite a few of them, for they made, from the operations of Saturn, Saturn ascending in a stone which is called the lodestone, the image of a man having the countenance of a heart, and a camel's feet, and sitting upon a chair, or else a dragon, holding in his right hand a scythe, in his left a dart, which image they hoped would be profitable for the prolongation of life. For Albumasar, in his book Sadar, proves that Saturn conduces to the prolongation of life. Where, also, he says that certain regions of India being subject to Saturn, there are men of a very long life, and die not, unless by extreme old age. They made, also, an image of Saturn, for a length of days, in a sapphire, at the hour of Saturn, Saturn ascending, or fortunately constituted, whose figure was an old man, sitting on a high chair, having his hands lifted up above his head, and in them holding a fish or a sickle, and under his feet a bunch of grapes, his head covered with a black or dusky coloured cloth, and all his garments black or dark. They also made this same image against the stone and diseases of the kidneys, namely in the hour of Saturn, Saturn ascending, with the third face of Aquarius. They made, also, from the operations of Saturn, an image for the increasing of power, Saturn ascending in Capricorn, the form of which was an old man leaning on a staff, having in his hand a crooked sickle, and clothed in black. They also made an image of melted copper, Saturn ascending in his rising, namely in the first degree of Aries, or the first degree of Capricorn, which image they affirmed to speak with a man's voice. They made, also, from the operations of Saturn, and also Mercury, an image of cast metal, like a beautiful man, which, they said, would foretell things to come, and made it on the day of Mercury, on the third hour of Saturn, the sign of Gemini ascending, being the house of Mercury, signifying prophets, Saturn and Mercury being in conjunction in Aquarius, in the ninth house of Heaven, which is also called God. Moreover, let Saturn have a trine aspect on the ascendant, and the moon in like manner, and the sun have an aspect on the place of conjunction. Venus, obtaining some angle, may be powerful and occidental. Let Mars be combust by the sun, but let it not have an aspect on Saturn and Mercury, for they say that the splendour of the powers of these stars was diffused upon this image, and it did speak with men, and the images of Jupiter. From the operations of Jupiter, they made, for prolongation of life, an image in the hour of Jupiter, Jupiter being in his exaltation, fortunately ascending, in a clear and white stone, whose figure was a man crowned, clothed with garments of a saffron colour, riding upon an eagle or dragon, having in his right hand a dart, about as it were to strike it into the head of the same eagle or dragon. They made also another image of Jupiter, at the same convenient season, in a white and clear stone, especially in crystal, and it was a naked man crowned, having both his hands joined together and lifted up, as it were deprecating something, sitting in a four-footed chair, which is carried by four winged boys, and they affirm that this image increases felicity, riches, honours, and confers benevolence and prosperity, and frees from enemies. They made also another image of Jupiter, for a religious and glorious life, and advancement of fortune, whose figure was a man having the head of a lion or a ram, and eagle's feet, and clothed in saffron coloured clothes. Of the Images of Mars. From the operations of Mars, they made an image in the hour of Mars, Mars ascending in the second face of Aries, in a marshal stone, especially in a diamond, the form of which was a man armed, riding upon a lion, having in his right hand a naked sword, erect, carrying in his left hand the head of a man. They report that an image of this kind renders a man powerful, in good and evil, so that he shall be feared by all, and whoever carries it, they give him the power of enchantment, so that he shall terrify men by his looks when he is angry, and stupefy them. They made another image of Mars, for obtaining boldness, courage, and good fortune, in wars and contentions, the form of which was a soldier, armed and crowned, girt with a sword, carrying in his right hand a long lance, and they made this at the hour of Mars, the first face of Scorpio ascending with it. Of the Images of the Sun. From the operations of the sun, they made an image at the hour of the sun, the first face of Leo ascending with the sun, the form of which was a king crowned, sitting in a chair, having a raven in his bosom, and under his feet a globe, he is clothed in saffron-coloured clothes. They say that this image renders men invincible, and honourable, and helps to bring their business to a good end, and drive away vain dreams, also to be prevalent against fevers and the plague. And they made it in a balanite stone, or a ruby, at the hour of the sun, when he in his exaltation fortunately ascends. They made another image of the sun in a diamond, at the hour of the sun ascending in his exaltation, the figure of which was a woman crowned, with the gesture of one dancing and laughing, standing in a chariot, drawn by four horses, having in her right hand a looking-glass or buckler, in the left, a staff, leaning on her breast, carrying a flame of fire on her head. They say that this image renders a man fortunate, and rich, and beloved by all. And they made this image on a Cornelian stone, at the hour of the sun ascending in the first face of Leo, against lunatic passions which proceed from the combustion of the moon. Of the images of Venus, from the operations of Venus, they made an image, which was available for favour and benevolence, at the very hour it ascended into Pisces. The form of which was the image of a woman, having the head of a bird, the feet of an eagle, and holding a dart in her hand. They made another image of Venus, to obtain the love of women, in lapis lazuli, at the hour of Venus, Venus ascending in Taurus, the figure of which was a naked maid, with her hair spread abroad, having a looking-glass in her hand, and a chain tied about her neck, and near her, a handsome young man, holding her with his left hand by the chain, but with his right hand doing up her hair, and both looking lovingly on one another. And about them is a little winged boy, holding a sword or dart. They made another image of Venus, the first face of Taurus, Libra or Pisces ascending with Venus, the figure of which was a little maid, with her hair spread abroad, clothed in long and white garments, holding a laurel apple or flowers in her right hand, in her left a comb. It is said to make men pleasant, jocund, strong, cheerful, and to give beauty. Of the images of Mercury. From the operations of Mercury, they made an image of Mercury, Mercury ascending in Gemini. The form of which was a handsome young man, bearded, having in his left hand a rod, round which a serpent was entwined. In the right he carried a dart, having his feet winged. They say that this image confers knowledge, eloquence, diligence in merchandise and gain. Moreover, to obtain peace and concord, and cure fevers, they made another image of Mercury, ascending in Virgo for good will, wit and memory. The form of which was a man sitting upon a chair, or riding on a peacock, having eagle's feet, and on his head a crest, and in his left hand holding a cock of fire. Of the images of the Moon. From the operations of the Moon, they made an image for travellers against weariness. At the hour of the Moon, the Moon ascending in its exaltation. The figure of which was a man leaning on a staff, having a bird on his head, and a flourishing tree before him. They made another image of the Moon for the increase of the fruits of the earth, and against poisons and infirmities of children, at the hour of the Moon, it ascending in the first face of cancer. The figure of which was a woman cornuted, riding on a bull or a dragon with seven heads, or a crab, and she hath in her right hand a dart, in her left a looking-glass, clothed with white or green, and having on her head two serpents with horns, twined together, and to each arm a serpent twined about, and to each foot one in like manner. And thus much spoken concerning the figures of the planets, may suffice. Part 2. That human imprecations naturally impress their powers upon external things, and how man's mind, through a degree of dependencies, ascends into the intelligible world, and becomes like to the more sublime spirits and intelligences. The celestial souls send forth their virtues to the celestial bodies, which transmit them to this sensible world. For the virtues of the terrine orb proceed from no other cause than celestial. Hence the magicians that will work by them uses a cunning invocation of the superiors, with mysterious words, and a certain kind of ingenious speech, drawing the one to the other, yet by a natural force, through a certain mutual agreement between them, whereby things follow of their own accord, or sometimes are drawn unwillingly. Hence says Aristotle, in his sixth book of his mystical philosophy, that when any one, by binding or bewitching, calls upon the sun or other stars, praying them to assist the work desired, the sun and the other stars do not hear his words, but are moved, after a certain manner, by a certain conjunction and mutual series, whereby the parts of the world are mutually subordinated the one to the other, and have a mutual consent, by reason of their great union. As in a man's body, one member is moved by perceiving the motion of another, and in a harp, one string is moved by the motion of another. So when any one moves any part of the world, other parts are moved by the perceiving of that motion. The knowledge, therefore, of the dependency of things following one the other, is the foundation of all wonderful operation, which is necessarily required to the exercising the power of attracting superior virtues. Now, the words of men are certain natural things, and because the parts of the world mutually draw one the other, therefore, a magician invocating by words, works by powers fitted to nature, by leading some by the love of one to the other, or drawing others by reason of the one following after the other, or by repelling by reason of the enmity of one to the other. From the contrariety and difference of things, and multitude of virtues, which, although they are contrary and different, yet perfect one part, sometimes also he compels things by way of authority, by the celestial virtue, because he is not a stranger to the heavens. A man, therefore, if he receives the impression of allegation, or fascination, doth not receive it according to the rational soul, but the sensual soul. And if he suffers in any part, he suffers according to the animal part. For they cannot draw a knowing and intelligent man by reason, but by receiving that impression and force by sense, inasmuch as the animal spirit of man is, by the influence of the celestials, and cooperation of the things of the world, affected beyond his former and natural disposition. As the son moves the father to labour, although unwilling to keep and maintain him, although he be wearied, and the desire to rule is moved by anger and other labours to get the dominion, and the indigency of nature and fear of poverty moves a man to desire riches, and the ornaments and beauty of women is an incitement to concupiscence. And the harmony of a wise musician loves his hearers with various passions, whereof some do voluntarily follow the consonancy of art, others conform themselves by gesture, although unwilling, because their sense is captivated, their reason not being intent to these things. Hence they fall into errors, who think those things to be above nature, or contrary to nature, which indeed are by nature, and according to nature. We must know, therefore, that every superior moves its next inferior in its degrees and order, not only in bodies, but also in spirits. So the universal soul moves the soul, the rational acts upon the sensual, and that upon the vegetable, and every part of the world acts upon another, and every part is apt to be moved by another, and every part of this inferior world suffers from the heavens, according to their nature and aptitude, as one part of the animal suffers for another. And the superior intellectual world moves all things below itself, and, after a manner, contains all the same beings, from the first to the last, which are in the inferior world. Celestial bodies, therefore, move the bodies of the elementary world, compounded, generable, sensible, from the circumference to the centre, by superior, perpetual, and spiritual essences, depending on the primary intellect, which is the acting intellect. But upon the virtue put in by the word of God, which word the wise Chaldeans of Babylon call the cause of causes, because from it are produced all beings, the acting intellect, which is the second, from it depends, and that by reason of the union of the word with the first author, from whom all things being are truly produced. The word, therefore, is the image of God, the acting intellect, the image of the word, the soul is the image of this intellect, and our word is the image of the soul, by which it acts upon natural things naturally, because nature is the work thereof. And every one of those perfects his subsequent, as a father his son, and none of the latter exists without the former, for they are depending among themselves by a kind of ordinate dependency, so that when the latter is corrupted, it is returned into that which was next before it, until it come to the heavens, then to the universal soul, and lastly, into the acting intellect, by which all other creatures exist, and itself exists in the principal author, which is the creating word of God, to which at length all things are returned. Our soul, therefore, if it will work any wonderful thing in these inferiors, must have respect to their beginning, that it may be strengthened and illustrated by that, and receive power of acting through each degree from the very first author. Therefore, we must be more diligent in contemplating the souls of the stars, then their bodies, and the super-celestial and intellectual world, then the celestial, the corporeal, because that is more noble, although also this be excellent, and the way to that, and without which medium the influence of the superiors cannot be attained to, as for example, the sun is the king of the stars, most full of light, but receives it from the intelligible world, above all other stars, because the soul thereof is more capable of intelligible splendour. Wherefore, he that desires to attract the influence of the sun, must contemplate upon the sun, not only by the speculation of the exterior light, but also of the interior, and no man can do this, unless he return to the soul of the sun, and become like to it, and comprehend the intelligible light thereof, with an intellectual sight, as the sensible light with the corporeal eye, for this man shall be filled with the light thereof, and the light whereof, which is an undertype impressed by the supernal orb, it receives into itself, with the illustration whereof his intellect being endowed, and truly like to it, and being assisted by it, shall at length attain to that supreme brightness, and to all forms that partake thereof, and when he hath received the light of the supreme degree, then his soul shall come to perfection, and be made like to the spirits of the sun, and shall attain to the virtues, and illustrations of the supernatural virtue, and shall enjoy the power of them, if he has obtained faith in the first author. In the first place, therefore, we must implore assistance from the first author, and praying, not only with mouth, but with religious gesture, and supplicant soul, also abundantly, incessantly, and sincerely, that he would enlighten our mind, and remove darkness, growing upon our souls, by reason, of our bodies. End of Practical Considerations for Astral Magic. The Images of the Planets, and How Man's Mind Ascends to the Celestial World. Adapted from Francis Barrett's The Magus, 1801. Read by Dan Attrell. If you would like to support more work such as this, please visit patreon.com And above all, thank you for listening.