Stellar Talismans

These talismans are my most extensive working of Stellar Witchcraft to date. It was in this working that I found the clarity I needed to truly understand - deep into my blood -  what it means to integrate Stellar Witchcraft with Astrological Magic and I am inflamed with both excitement and commitment to this work. Alcyone and the Pleiades revealed so much (some) of which I have shared in my write-up - where we journey from zmaj serpents and meteorites to the Emerald Palace deep within the earth and to the chambers where the echoes of scales of peridot rasped upon crystal and iron resound. 

I am greatly honored to have Sasha Ravich contribute the rite, The Mantic Milk of the Emerald Palace in accompaniment to these talismans. Sasha deeply understood the gravitas of this work and the Stellar Spirit of this talisman and I am forever grateful to have her art accompanying mine for she is both the finest wordsmith and the mother of Stellar Witchcraft.

I began the Deneb Algedi working around the winter solstice of 2022. The winter solstice is marked by the Sun’s yearly ingress into tropical Capricorn, the constellation of which Deneb Algedi is the alpha star. In ancient Babylonia, Capricorn was known as the Goatfish. As the guardian at the southern gate (the tropic of Capricorn) he was seen to rise during the winter solstice and guide the rebirth of the Sun. While the Capricorn constellation no longer physically rises during the winter Solstice because the stars have moved by procession over the thousands of years that have passed since the days of Babylonia, the Yule period remains a potent time for being in relationship with Deneb Algedi. 

The Venus Exalted 27 talisman is all about Venus’ being EXALTED. The election chosen for this talisman features Venus in her own watery triplicity of Pisces at her exaltation degree of 27 degrees. 

As I have centred exaltation as a core focus in this talismanic working it is important that we first understand it's meaning. Exalted refers to being RAISED UP and according to the Mariam Webster dictionary it means: elevated in rank, power, or character. Firmicus says that exalted planets are elevated by a certain natural sublimity of magnitude. While Dorotheas says that planets in their exaltations make them very illustrious and remarkable, becoming an authoritative figure who can be entrusted with noble works as well as dwell with and enjoy the profits of regal endeavours. 

Venus being both in her exaltation sign and degree we can consider her here to be raised up to her UTMOST HEIGHT, POWER, and AUTHORITY. Being in her own triplicity we can envision her ON HIGH HER WATERY THRONE. 

The Sualocin talismans are hand crafted from jewellers wax and cast in solid Sterling Silver they are set with Abalone shells, Mother of Pearl and Pearls. A mixture of  dried herbs - blue lotus, hawthorn, sage and mint are placed under the abalone shell settings and encapsulated in resin.

There are many paths to Sualocin, the binary alpha star in the eye of the Delphinus (dolphin) constellation. Normally in a talisman's accompanying essay I would start with the mythic origin stories of the constellation, however, I can attest that the most visceral connection to the star Sualocin is found through mermaid / water nymph spirits, therefore the nature of the star can be found in nymph mythos. It was Sasha Ravich who pointed me in this direction and the association resonated. I went to the Orphic Hymns looking for a confirmation and found it in the Hymn to the Nereids…

 

I am releasing these Saturn talismans to coincide with Saturn stepping out of his airy domicile of Aquarius and into the oceanic depths of Pisces. Now that Saturn has left Aquarius we won’t see another Saturn talismanic opportunity for another 16 years. This offering is intended to help steer and solidify your relationship with Saturn as he moves through the signs. It is no secret that many people feel trepidation when it comes to Saturn, which is understandable considering the hard lessons he brings. However this perception can be reframed when we experience Saturnian trials as initiations that lead us into maturity and wisdom. And while it is true that no-one escapes the steel gaze of father time, we CAN learn to integrate helpful Saturnian qualities so that we experience the transits with greater ease and humility. 

These talismans intend to bring you into relationship with Saturn. Saturn in his domicile (where he is in his strength) can teach us many valuable lessons, such as the importance of preparation; building strong foundations, of patience, discipline and determination and discernment as well as structures and boundaries. These are solemn qualities and a far cry from the heady excitement of talismans crafted for the benefics, yet these qualities are essential to anyone who seeks to realise their dreams, goals, and desires. For it is with Saturn that we step into our authority, and become the authors of our lives. 

This election was primarily focused on Venus in Pisces but also involved embracing the Jupiterian energy that was present due to the conjunction of Venus and Jupiter in Pisces. The election took place on 27 April 2022 at 2:46am AEST, with the moon in Pisces applying to conjoin exalted Venus on the ascendant.

Venus in her exaltation of Pisces brings out the dreamy and watery side of our Venusian goddess. Here she is right at home in her triplicity of water where she consorts with Jupiter who is in his nocturnal domicile, and the spirits of the sea, namely Posiedon (Neptune), who before becoming god of the sea originated as a personification of the fertilising power of water. The watery influence on Venus here is amplified by Neptune  being in between Venus and Jupiter, closely conjoining them both. Neptune in Modern astrology is known as the higher octave of Venus, and the modern ruler of Pisces. This modern delineation does, however, have ancient roots. Before being elevated to a celestial sphere, Neptune as god of the sea was said to be at home in the constellation of Pisces, and according to Manilius, Neptune recognises his own in the aether of Pisces. 

 Jupiter in his nocturnal domicile of Pisces catalyses Venus, Valens says that these two planets together are in harmony and bring new acquisitions, gifts, adornments, as well as preeminense amongst the masses, honours and gold crowns. 

These planetary energies joining together in Pisces in this auspicious election bring to these talismans a feeling of otherworldly delight in calm and expansive oceanic dreams of potential and new dawns.

Oh great benefic Jupiter, you who are most similar to the Sun in your gifts, but more tempered, for you never scorch your suppliants. You are jovial in nature, encouraging goodwill and generosity. You are known as the helping father who draws out maladies of body and spirit and brings joy, optimism and hope. As the great shapeshifter who takes the form of many beasts, you teach us that we too can shape shift and become our dream-selves. Ever expansive, you inspire us to philosophical thought and to find connection in ideas. For like Venus you are also connective, your thunderbolt is a conduit for the electricity that connects all things. 

Jovially Aureate: Jupiter Talisman Rings

I have two Jupiter offerings in this release. First up is the Jovially Aureate ~ Jupiter Talisman Rings. I have 4 available, these rings are hand carved from jewellers wax and cast in solid .925 sterling silver. Each ring is set with a large 6+ carat natural Citrine gemstone and on each side of the ring I have engraved the seal of Jupiter which can be found in Agrippa’s three books of Occult Philosophy. Due to the handmade nature of these rings each does vary slightly from the one in the image however all rings are lovingly finished to a high quality and polish. The rings come in a classic leatherette box. 

Hail, white-armed goddess, bright Selene, mild, bright-tressed queen! 

-Homeric Hymn to Selene

The Selene ~ Moon in Cancer Talisman Pendants were crafted over a couple of months: the face of Selene placed in the center of the entwined serpents is the talismanic element of these pendants. I sculpted her face from modelling clay and at the elected time of 5:27pm on the 16 Jan, 2022, AEST in Brisbane, I sand cast the faces of Selene in solid Sterling Silver. This election took place during Moon hour. The Moon was waxing gibbous and fast approaching her fullness as well as dignified in her domicile of Cancer and applying to conjoin the ascendant. Enclosed by the benefics, the Moon was separating from dignified Jupiter and applying to Venus, with Venus in her heliacal rising phase.

The conjunction of Jupiter and Neptune in Pisces is a transit occurring only once in every two lifetimes, making it an extremely rare talismanic opportunity. I decided this would be the perfect election to invite astrologer, writer, and Jupiter in Pisces native Gray Crawford to collaborate, having admired his astrological writing in which he weaves together traditional and modern astrology, mythology, and depth psychology. An election I selected was sent to Gray with the proposition of a collaboration. The talismans and writing are the result of our collective research and discussions on Jupiter and Neptune in which we thoroughly explored the full potential of this conjunction in magical application. I hand-crafted the talismans and Gray contributed the following accompanying text.

The Jupiter Neptune talismans were completed at the elected time of 10:11 am on 9 April 2022, Brisbane Aust AEST. Jupiter was applying within one degree of a conjunction with Neptune, and was also ruling the midheaven in Pisces while applying toward a close conjunction with the midheaven. The Moon was in her own domicile of Cancer, applying toward a trine aspect with Jupiter and Neptune while also being in the exaltation of Jupiter. 

Deneb Adige is the alpha star of Cygnus and can be found in the tail of the great Swan who glides across the watery section of the heavens known to the ancients as the Sea. Mostly associated with spirituality, creativity and learning, Deneb Adige is said to be of the nature of Venus and Mercury and “gives ingenious nature and a clever intellect that is quick at learning” according to Vivian Robeson in The Fixed Stars and their Constellations in Astrology. Robeson goes on to describe the Cygnus constellation as giving a “contemplative, dreamy, cultured and adaptable nature”. (1)  Ebertin in Fixed Stars and Their Interpretation said that Deneb Adige is “favorable for artistic and scientific pursuits which are carried out with the aim of gain,” noting that Deneb Adige fosters the potential to become successful within the creative fields. (2)

We can look to the Lunar Mansion Al Sa’d Al Ahibiya for other attributes given to Deneb Adige as she is found within this mansion and according to Robeson, was known to the ancient Arabic astrologers as “The lucky star of hidden things or hiding places”. Robeson described the Moon in this Mansion as giving “marital happiness, and victory to soldiers” as well as being beneficial for travel, building, and making friends. (3)

The fixed star Antares is the brightest star in the constellation of Scorpius, it is located in the centre of the body and is therefore known as the Heart of the Scorpion. As one of the Royal Stars of Persia that preside over the four cardinal points, Antares is the watcher of the West. Antares has a long history of magical and mundane astrological significance within the mythologies of ancient cultures the world over. 

In the creation of these Antares Talismans, I looked specifically to Babylonia, as that is where we can find accounts of some of the earliest practises of astrological magic, as well as the Medieval magical tradition in which Antares is recognised as one of the 15 Behenian stars. The astrological election I chose originates from the astro-magical practices of Babylonia, and the talismans I designed in accordance with instruction found in Agrippa’s 3 Books of Occult Philosophy:

Under the Heart of Scorpio they made the Figure of a Scorpion; it giveth understanding and memory, it maketh a good colour, and aideth against evil spirits, and driveth them away, and bindeth them. [1]

This is the second offering of Venus' transit through Libra in September 2021. The first offering was the Venus conjoined Spica talisman, which culminated over two elections; the second being the morning of the 10th September with Venus on the ascendant. The election for the Dignified Venus Talismans took place later that same day when Venus reached the midheaven. At this time she was out of orb of the Behenian fixed star Spica which makes these talismans purely Venusian.