Aldebaran: The Visionary Eye of the Great Bull of the Heavens
Aldebaran is a red giant and a royal star of great renown. As the visionary eye of the great Bull of the heavens, Aldebaran is a star that gathers wealth and honor, according to Heinrich Cornelius Agrippa and the Behenian star lore of Hermes Trismegistus. The ruby hue of Aldebaran, along with its association with Venus and Mars, suggests how the fiery Eye of the Bull achieves glory and accumulates abundance: through desire, passion, willpower, and creative fire. Aldebaran initiates and creates with an indomitable, sharp focus that always strikes the center of the targeted Bull’s Eye. Do you have a dream and grand vision? A world you intend to build and develop to inspire and uplift others? If so, you can have no better ally and creative partner than the daimon of Aldebaran.The Hellenistic astrologer Firmicus Maternus documented that Aldebaran “decrees the increases of the most powerful and overflowing assets,” while Anonymous 379 wrote that Aldebaran, easily recognized for its brilliant appearance in the night sky, causes those born with it rising to “become the most esteemed, the most notable, and richer than other men.” Aldebaran’s potent capacity to garner acclaim and riches aligns with its royal star status, but it also serves as a warning to those wishing to deepen their relationship with its dynamic creative potency. While the four royal stars (Aldebaran, Regulus, Fomalhaut, Antares) can elevate us to great heights of success, they can also lead to deep misfortune if we are not prepared to take on the responsibility required to harness and administrate their power.
Due to the burning focus and firepower of Aldebaran, it’s essential to be mindful of the broader implications and consequences of the vision you set in motion with the Eye of the Bull. The intentions you initiate with Aldebaran must be rooted in integrity, and more importantly, you must be committed to managing the responsibilities that will build as Aldebaran helps your ideas take off. Fortunately, the Aldebaran talisman is ideal not only for assisting with the daily grind of tasks but also for lifting your vision to see the much larger trajectories of the future taking shape beyond the horizon.
Perhaps the greatest testament to the demiurgic creativity of Aldebaran is that its magical image, according to Hermes, is no less than an “image of God.” In Vedic astrology, Aldebaran marks the supremely charming, creative, and charismatic Rohini nakshatra, a lunar station ruled by Brahma, the Creator of the universe. According to ancient authors Eratosthenes and Hyginus, the Bull is none other than the divine creator Zeus, in his bullish form that enchanted Europa. The stars of the Hyades surrounding Aldebaran have been imagined by some as the nymphs who nursed Zeus, by others Dionysus. In his book Mystai, Peter Mark Addams notes that the bull is one of Dionysus’ ancient theriomorphic identities and when in this form he is “identified with the constellation of Taurus”. As a fiery red star associated with fertilizing and creator gods, Aldebaran is the ultimate star to work with when you wish to give birth to brilliant endeavors that can reshape the world in alignment with your values and ideals.
I recently traveled through Greece on pilgrimage to many sacred sites. In the village of ancient Olympia, I met the artisan Dimitris Kirkilessis who owns a shop in which he sells vases and other artifacts he paints by hand using the same authentic methods used by ancient artisans. A true character, Dimitris regaled us with many stories of ancient Greek culture and symbolism, including the significance of Zeus and Dionysus both taking the form of the Bull. Why do Zeus and Dionysus transform into bulls? According to Dimitris it is because the two horns of the bull symbolize “spiritual control.” Spiritual control is about agency, so that we are not at the whims of unseen forces.
The focalized spiritual potency of the divine Bull aligns perfectly with Aldebaran's magical attributes, which direct intentional desire with concentrated command. Dimitris also explained that Zeus shapeshifted into the Bull because it has the strongest sperm, syncing with Aldebaran’s supreme fertility. The banner image I am using is adapted from an ancient vase Dimitris showed us, depicting Dionysus with Semele making the sign of the horns, which he explained represents spiritual control.
In his book on lunar stations, Procession of the Night Theatre, J.M. Hamade references the work of Kenneth Johnson, who related Rohini, the lunar station of Aldebaran, to the Red Goddess. Just as the Taurus constellation corresponds to the generative growth of spring in the northern hemisphere, so too does the magnetic redness of Aldebaran’s starry fire give rise to new life. “What is the underlying force that elicits growth, birth, and abundance? It is no other than the Red Goddess herself, voluptuous, radiant, and all-inviting; she beckons life from the death of winter back into manifestation” [Hamade].
Aldebaran is about fully participating in daily creation. However, its royal star status also requires that you steward and direct your enterprises with accountability and integrity. It’s essential to take the time to develop a clear intention and vision for the world you wish to build in relationship with Aldebaran before initiating your plans. Once your vision is clear, invite Aldebaran to work with you.
Aldebaran is currently projected onto the ecliptic at 10°07′ Gemini, but due to Saturn’s presence in Pisces, there haven’t been any recent favorable elections utilizing the Moon in conjunction with Aldebaran’s ecliptic degree. Instead, I chose to craft the Aldebaran talismans before sunrise on July 2, 2024, in alignment with its heliacal rising. The heliacal rise of a star occurs roughly once a year, marked by the first day it rises in the morning twilight when the Sun is far enough below the eastern horizon to make it visible. Heliacal risings held great significance in ancient astrology and folk magic, with accounts of their importance in the earliest recorded star lore. I’ve been crafting talismans timed with the heliacal rising of stars for several years and have found them to possess extraordinary potency.
The heliacal rise follows a period of invisibility that corresponds with the star's heliacal setting. This period of invisibility was seen as a time during which the star journeyed through the underworld before being reborn. In mythopoetic observation, when a star reappears briefly in the predawn sky after its chthonic journey, it creates a bridge between the heavens and the earth. The star is momentarily among us, walking upon the earth at the horizon before ascending back into the heavens. Crafting talismans during this significant time, when the celestial spirit touches the earth, draws upon an ancient form of magic that predates the Medieval tradition.
The Aldebaran Talismans were hand-carved in wax and cast in solid sterling silver it was ritually completed during the helical rise of Aldebaran at 4am on July 2, 2024 in Olympia, Washington each talisman was set with a red garnet, as Agrippa and other authors who cite the Hermes text ascribe carbuncle to Aldebaran, a stone associated nowadays with Garnet. A suffumigation of frankincense and milk thistle was made along with offerings of flowers, water, wine, honey cake and candies.
The ALDEBARAN TALISMAN is about 3cm in diameter; it is solid sterling silver. It comes with an 18", 20" or 22” (if your preferred length is sold out please message me) sterling silver chain.
References
Agrippa, Heinrich Cornelius. (2021). Three Occult Books of Philosophy. Translated by Eric Purdue. Inner Traditions.
Anonymous of 379. (1993). The Treatise on the Bright Fixed Stars. Translated by Robert Schmidt. Edited by Robert Hand. The Golden Hind Press.
Eratosthenes and Hyginus Constellation Myths with Aratus’s Phaenomena. A new translation by Robin Hand. (2015). Oxford University Press.
Firmicus Maternus, Julius. (2023). Mathesis. Translated by Benjamin Dykes. Cazimi Press.
Hamade, J.M. (2024). Procession of the Night Theatre: An Exposition on the Lunar Stations. Revelore Press.
Adams, Peter Mark. (2019) Mystai: Dancing out the Mysteries of Dionysos. Scarlet Imprint.