And now, just rising,
Spica, late, low, and slightly veil’d.
Scenes on River and Ferry Walt Whitman
We are again privileged in our study of
Astrological Magic and
Astrological Talismans to have
to have another image by Nigel Jackson;
a beautiful image of the fixed star Spica, a portion of which appears above to right.
This week's election is a combined Spica/Venus in Libra talisman which unites the
energy of a Spica Talisman with the
Venus in Libra Talisman.
Two images (Spica & Venus in Libra) and an elegant lapis lazuli and emerald necklace
(similar to the one which appears below to right)
can be ordered here. Please
Contact me before ordering the Spica/Venus
talisman as very few will be made and I may be out of stock.
You can take a look at the descriptions of images for
Venus in Libra Talisman. These come from
Picatrix,
Cornelius Agrippa and
Giordano Bruno's and his
49 Planetary Images.
Spica is the brightest star in the constellation
Virgo and thus is also known as alpha Virginis.
It is located in the sheaf of wheat held by Virgo. Bernadette Brady says that Spica
was considered a symbol of the gifts of harvest and bounty to mankind. Brady's
Book of Fixed Stars (Weiser, 1998) page 273.
The Hellenistic philosopher and scientist
Ptolemy says that Spica is of the
nature of the planets Venus and to a lesser extent
Mars. Tetrabiblos Bk. I, Chapter 9 (Loeb, 1940)
page 51.
As for the image of Spica, Agrippa says,
"Under the Spike [Spica] they
made the image of a bird, or a man laden with merchandise;"
"[I]t conferreth riches,
and maketh one overcome contentions, it taketh away scarcity and mischief."
Three Books of Occult Philosophy Bk. II, Chapter 47,
(Tyson ed.) page 395.
Our elected time and date is
August 31, 2002 at 10:28 am EDT (+4) at Cleveland Park, a
Washington, D.C. neighborhood, 38 N 56 77 W 03.
At this date and time Spica rises
as it is currently located at 23 degrees and 50 minutes
of Libra.
Venus is dignified by sign as she is
in Libra and applies to a partile conjunction of Spica.
The Moon applies to a trine of Venus and
Spica. She is peregrine and in the 8th house, but she is fortified by
her partile conjunction with the benefic North Node.
As far as the things in the Material World that are
under the rule of Spica, Agrippa says of the fixed stars,
"The tenth is called Spica, which
hath under it, amongst stones the emerald; amongst plants, sage, trifoil, periwinkle,
mugwort and mandrake."
Three Books of Occult Philosophy Bk. I, Chapter 32, (Tyson ed.) page 98.
Most of these herbs are available from the
Lucky Mojo Curio Company,
the finest on-line source for hoodoo and rootwork supplies.
Agrippa also gives the characters for some of the
most important fixed stars, including Spica, whose character is shown to right.
Three Books of Occult Philosophy Bk. II, Chapter 52, (Tyson ed.) page 410.
Here is further information on
Astrological Talismans
and Astrological Magic. If you
wish to delve even deeper into this fascinating area I offer an
Astrological Magic Full Course and
Mansions of the Moon Mini-Course
as well as a traditional astrology and astrological magic discussion
group Spiritus Mundi.