Enochian Binary Planetary Spirits and Invocation Rite Part 2

Here is my rare gift to those who read my blog, an actual ritual pattern that you can use. Consider this a Solstice gift from me to you. Just flesh out this ritual pattern and you will have a powerful ritual to invoke one of the 49 Bonarum. I have found these spirits to be profoundly useful and very insightful. Bright blessing to you this wonderful day, December 21, 2022.

Now that we have classified these 49 Bonarum spirits we can present the ritual for invoking one of them.

The Invocation of a binary planetary intelligence uses the same pattern as the invocation of the Talismanic Elemental, with some additional features. Instead of invoking the ruling planet of the lunar mansion, the operator would perform a double invocation of the planetary base and then the planetary qualifier. There is no charging vortex used, so instead the operator would set the zenith with a great rose ankh, set the four watchtowers with the lesser hexagram of union (earth) and then draw a rose ankh on the parchment sigil.

To invoke a binary planetary intelligence, the parchment sigil should contain the sigil of the function or purpose of the working, the sigil of the name of the spirit, as derived from the alphabet wheel (use the English wheel for Enochian spirit names), and the symbols of the two planets, the qualifier set above the base planet. When I make this composite symbol, it looks like a fraction with a line separating the base from the qualifier.

Invocation of the Binary Planetary Intelligence Spirit Ritual

Here is the ritual pattern for you to examine. This ritual is performed within a fully erected and charged magic circle.

1.    Take up the wand from the altar and proceed to the eastern watchtower. Facing the east, draw an invoking pentagram of the target element to the base, and above it, a lesser hexagram of the zodiacal quality. Join the two points together with a narrow invoking spiral, creating a pylon with the zodiacal sign.
2.    Proceed to the southern watchtower. Facing the south, draw an invoking pentagram of the target element to the base, and above it, a lesser hexagram of the zodiacal quality. Join the two points together with a narrow invoking spiral, creating a pylon with the zodiacal sign.
3.    Proceed to the western watchtower. Facing the west, draw an invoking pentagram of the target element to the base, and above it, a lesser hexagram of the zodiacal quality. Join the two points together with a narrow invoking spiral, creating a pylon with the zodiacal sign.
4.    Proceed to the northern watchtower. Facing the north, draw an invoking pentagram of the target element to the base, and above it, a lesser hexagram of the zodiacal quality. Join the two points together with a narrow invoking spiral, creating a pylon with the zodiacal sign.
5.    Proceed to the center of the circle. Facing the center, draw an invoking pentagram of the target element to the base, and above it, a lesser hexagram of the zodiacal quality. Join the two points together with a narrow invoking spiral, creating a pylon with the zodiacal sign.
6.    Return the wand to the altar and pick up the sword. Proceed to the eastern watchtower, and with the sword draw the pylon residing there to the pylon in the center of the circle at the zenith point.
7.     Proceed to the southern watchtower, and with the sword draw the pylon residing there to the pylon in the center of the circle at the zenith point.
8.    Proceed to the western watchtower, and with the sword draw the pylon residing there to the pylon in the center of the circle at the zenith point.
9.    Proceed to the northern watchtower, and with the sword draw the pylon residing there to the pylon in the center of the circle at the zenith point.
10.    Proceed to the eastern watchtower and draw a line on the floor from the east to south, then the south to the west, then the west to the north, and then a line to the east.
11.    Return the sword to the altar. Take up the staff and proceed to the eastern watchtower. Begin a circumambulation starting from the east and proceeding deosil around the circle with a spiral arc towards the center of the circle, passing the eastern watchtower three times and entering to the center of the circle. Place the staff before the center altar and imagine the energy field fully activated within the circle. Then return the staff to the altar and pick up the wand.
12.    Using the wand, proceed to the northern watchtower, and therein draw a rose ankh before it, projecting into it a deep violet color.
13.    Proceed to the western watchtower and draw a rose ankh before it, projecting into it a deep violet color.
14.    Proceed to the southern watchtower and draw a rose ankh before it, projecting into it a deep violet color.
15.    Proceed to the eastern watchtower and draw a rose ankh before it, projecting into it a deep violet color.
16.    Proceed to the center of the circle and draw a rose ankh to the nadir, projecting into it a deep violet color.
17.    Return the wand to the altar, take the sword and proceed to the northern watchtower. Using the sword, draw a line of force from the ankh in the watchtower to the ankh in the center of the circle at the nadir.
18.    Proceed to the western watchtower and using the sword draw a line of force from the watchtower to the center of the circle.
19.    Proceed to the southern watchtower and using the sword draw a line of force from the watchtower to the center of the circle.
20.    Proceed to the eastern watchtower and using the sword draw a line of force from the watchtower to the center of the circle.
21.    Return the sword to the altar, and pick up the wand. Proceed to the northern watchtower and starting from there, proceed to walk in around the circle widdershins, and slowly arc into the center of the circle, passing the northern watchtower three times, and holding the wand out to push the forces to the center of the circle. Once reaching the center, push the combined powers into the nadir. The invoking vortex is now set.
22.    Return the wand to the altar. Proceed to the eastern watchtower, face the west.
23.    Draw invoking spirals to the southeast, northeast and then the western watchtower – these positions are the Guide, Guardian and Ordeal respectively – address each when drawing the invoking spiral.
24.    Draw lines of force with the right hand, from the southeast angle, to the western watchtower, to the northeast angle, and then back again to the southeast angle. The gateway is established
25.    Proceed to walk slowly from the east to the west, and when arriving at the west, perform the pantomime of opening the veil or a curtain with a dramatic flourish. Step close into the western watchtower and turn to face the east, performing the descending wave of energy from above the head to the feet.
26.    Proceed to walk slowly from west to the east, imagining descending into a chamber – stop at the center of the circle where there is placed the central altar.
27.     Draw an inner circle around the central altar, starting in the north and proceeding widdershins around the circle until ending again at the north. Retrieve the wand and sigil from the altar and proceed to the central altar, standing on the western side. Place the sigil in the center of the septagram icon.
28.    Using the wand, draw the invoking pattern for the base planet on the septagram icon. Start at the point opposite the target planetary point and draw a line towards it, then continuing drawing following the lines of the septagram until you reach the point just before the target, then draw the last line projecting the energy of the wand to the action.  Then point the wand at the sigil, and then draw an invoking spiral on the septagram icon, centering on the sigil and exhaling the breath.
29.    Using the wand, draw the invoking pattern for the qualifier planet on the septagram icon. Start at the point opposite the target planetary point and draw a line towards it, then continuing drawing following the lines of the septagram until you reach the point just before the target, then draw the last line projecting the energy of the wand to the action.  Then point the wand at the sigil, and then draw an invoking spiral on the septagram icon, centering on the sigil and exhaling the breath.
30.    Draw three consecutive invoking spirals over the septagram icon, and then name the binary planetary spirit, touching the wand to the parchment sigil.  
31.    Standing at the central altar, facing the east, with the wand in hand, draw a great rose ankh in the zenith point. Project a deep violet color into the ankh.
32.    Then step one step away from the central altar, facing the southeast, with the wand draw a lesser hexagram of union (earth) to the southeastern angle. Draw a line of force with the wand from the hexagram to the sigil in the center of the septagram icon.
33.    Turn to face the southwest, with the wand draw a lesser hexagram of union (earth) to the southwestern angle. Draw a line of force with the wand from the hexagram to the sigil in the center of the septagram icon.
34.    Turn to face the northwest, with the wand draw a lesser hexagram of union (earth) to the northwestern angle. Draw a line of force with the wand from the hexagram to the sigil in the center of the septagram icon.
35.    Turn to face the northeast, with the wand draw a lesser hexagram of union (earth) to the northeastern angle. Draw a line of force with the wand from the hexagram to the sigil in the center of the septagram icon.
36.    Draw a rose ankh upon the sigil in the center of the septagram icon and project a deep violet color into it. Then draw a line of force from the ankh in the zenith down to the ankh on the sigil.
37.    Intone the prepared invocation of the binary planetary intelligence, and then call its name repeatedly, with a dramatic voice. Let the voice diminish in volume until it is just a whisper.
38.    Sit in meditation before the center altar and internally call to the binary planetary intelligence until a response is sensed. Use the imagination to help enhance the experience of that spirit.
39.    When the meditative communion with the spirit is completed, then stand before the septagram icon and take up the wand and draw a banishing spiral over it, and give the target spirit a warm farewell and thanks for visiting.
40.    Place the wand on the septagram icon, and then turn around and proceed to the west then turn again to fact the east.
41.    Draw invoking spirals to the northwest, southwest and then the eastern watchtower – these positions are the Guide, Guardian and Ordeal respectively – address each when drawing the invoking spiral.
42.    Draw lines of force with the right hand, from the northwest angle, to the eastern watchtower, to the southwest angle, and then back again to the northwest angle. The gateway is established
43.    Proceed to walk slowly from the west to the east, and when arriving at the east, perform the pantomime of opening the veil or a curtain with a dramatic flourish. Step close into the eastern watchtower and turn to face the west, performing the descending wave of energy from above the head to the feet.
44.    Proceed to walk slowly from east to the west, imagining ascending out of a chamber – stop at the center of the circle where there is placed the central altar.
45.    Take up the wand and proceed to the eastern watchtower and with the wand, draw therein a sealing spiral.
46.    Proceed to the southeastern angle and draw a sealing spiral.
47.    Proceed to the southern watchtower and draw a sealing spiral.
48.    Proceed to the southwestern angle and draw a sealing spiral.
49.    Proceed to the western watchtower and draw a sealing spiral.
50.    Proceed to the northwestern angle and draw a sealing spiral.
51.    Proceed to the northern watchtower and draw a sealing spiral.
52.    Proceed to the northeastern angle and draw a sealing spiral.  
53.    Return the wand to the altar. The vortex is sealed and the ritual is completed.

So, that is the ritual pattern for invoking the binary planetary intelligence also called the Bonarum. I have presented enough information in this appendix for you to be able to experiment with these spirits, and I invite you to do just that. I think that you will find them to be very powerful indeed.

Frater Barrabbas

Breaking Rules - My Zodiacal Magick

As you may know from my previous blog articles, I was too dim to figure out how to work planetary magick in the traditional Golden Dawn manner, so I had to invent something completely different to accomplish that end. Since I had departed quite a bit from the tradition, that left me with a conundrum to figure out - namely, how to work magick using zodiacal elements.

Let’s briefly review how I work planetary magick. It’s really simple, and it’s based on using a septagram trigon. I constructed a rectangular piece of plywood into a talismanic device with a septagram painted on it, and after charging and consecrating it, I would employ it to draw the invoking angles for a specific planet. The septagram talisman is placed in the center of the circle after an inner circle is erected in the magickal circle proper. The actual details of how this is worked can be found in my previous article, which is located here. Using this device, I had the option of using an outer invoking vortex to assist me in invoking just a planetary intelligence, or I could generate an outer element vortex, which would assist me in generating and invoking a talismanic elemental. I could also summon one of the Enochian seniors as well as employ the use of one of the Lunar Mansions.

So using the septagram (instead of the superior hexagram) allowed me to build a magickal repertoire that allowed me to work magick using the seven planets. However, I faced a more difficult task when I attempted to address the problem of working zodiacal magick. Since I had gone so far off of the beaten track, I would have to invent something completely new (or adapt something that was already being used) in order to continue to build my magickal system. I wanted to continue to use some kind of device, but I didn’t want to have to use a trigon with a duodecagram painted on it. I just wanted to come with a simple solution, and use what was already being used, although I would have to use it in a manner that might break the rules.

In addition to failing to figure out how to work with the superior hexagram ritual for doing planetary magick, I also couldn’t figure out how or even why to use the lesser hexagram ritual, but I was intrigued by the three devices that employed double triangles that were offset from each other. The fourth triangle device of this set was just a hexagram, but the other three were offset with parallel bases, touching apexes and where one triangle was penetrating the base of the other with its point. These three triangle devices were very interesting to me, and possibly useful if I wanted to use them in a manner quite different than what they were used for in the lesser hexagram ritual. Anyway, let’s put these three devices aside for a moment and look at what specifically defines an astrological sign.

If I consult the matrix of symbolic elements that define an astrological sign, I will come up with three essential qualities. These qualities consist of the base element, the quadrant house or modality, and the ruling planet. The base element consists of one of the four elements, and that can be easily expressed by the device of the invoking pentagram. The quadrant house or modality are expressed as groupings of three, such as angular, succedent and cadent for the quadrant houses, and cardinal, fixed and mutable for the modality. The ruling planet would be defined by an invoking septagram; but a corresponding device used to define the quadrant house or modality would be the three devices of the lesser hexagram. Applying these triplicities to the three devices of the lesser hexagram that don’t form a true hexagram would seem to solve the problem of how to define through a matrix the nature and quality of a sign. Keep in mind that I associate signs with the houses, which is a modern astrological adaptation. So now that we have the three devices, how would they be deployed together to formulate and generate an astrological sign.

For instance: Capricorn would have a base element of Earth, a modality of cardinal (or angular/ascendent), and a ruling planet of Saturn. To invoke Capricorn, you would need to generate the earth element, modality of cardinal and summon the ruling planet of Saturn. This logic would be applied to all twelve of the zodiacal signs.

Now we need to consider what would be required to actually formulate a ritual structure to invoke a zodiacal sign. Since the base element and the lesser hexagram structure should be joined into a single expression, I discovered that a pylon ritual device would work quite well. I would set an invoking pentagram for a specific element to the base of the pylon, and the corresponding lesser hexagram device at the apex. These two points would be drawn together into an elongated invoking spiral, thus creating the ritual device of the pylon. If four of these pylons are set to the four watchtowers and drawn together to form a magick square within a circle, then the outer energy vortex field required for the astrological sign would be established. I would then erect another vortex using the rose ankh device, and set it to the four angles and the ultra-point, drawing them together and fashioning an invoking vortex. Then I could draw a center circle, place within it the septagram talisman device, charge it, and then proceed to invoke the ruling planet. Once these elements are generated and established in the empowered magick circle, I could summon the archangel of the astrological sign.

Being able to establish the astrological matrix of a specific sign is important if other aspects of the zodiac are going to be incorporated into the magickal working. These other aspects would be the astrological decans and their associated spiritual correspondences, and the astrological quinarians, which would allow for the invocation of the 72 ha-Shem angels or the Goetic Demons. As you can see, this combination of elements makes for nice and efficient magickal system, and causes planetary magick and zodiacal magick to be tightly related.

Of course, I was not able to come up with these ideas right away, and in fact, I had to think about it and experiment for awhile before I was able to determine the final form. However, what I did discover is that the system of magick that I had invented seemed to be quite capable of being modified and extended to perform any number of different kinds of operations. I did indeed break some rules, but that only applies to traditional Golden Dawn magick, and I had passed out of that tradition rather early in my attempt to forge a system of magick that was useful and relevant to a witch who was practicing ritual magick.

Frater Barrabbas

Seven - Mystic Number of the Macrocosm

In the Golden Dawn tradition, it is taught that the number five represents the microcosm and that the number six represents the macrocosm. This is why the pentagram is used in magick that manipulates the microcosm, and correspondingly, the hexagram is used in magick that manipulates the macrocosm. The pentagram is used to invoke one of the four elements and spirit, and the hexagram is used to invoke one of the seven planets. It’s all very neat and tidy, and it would seem that there is no room for debate if one accepts this logic, and many ritual and ceremonial magicians do indeed accept it.

I am, regrettably, an exception, because I don’t accept this logic and haven’t for three decades! For me, the septagram (also known as the heptagram) was the perfect representation of not so much the macrocosm, but the sphere of the seven planets, which is exalted above the mundane sphere but is not the highest level of being. This is similar to what many Neoplatonic philosophers of late antiquity believed, thus it’s not so far fetched as it would seem. I believe that the planets are not actually the emblems of the Godhead as they are the spheres through which that unity engages with the material world. Above the sphere of archetypes exists the One, and it is that one through which we seek union and perfect emulation in ourselves. That one-ness within us is our individual godhead, our Atman or God/dess Within.

The seven archetypes, which are typically associated with the seven planetary intelligences, are also associated with seven of the ten Sephiroth of the Tree of Life (and the Seven Rays of the theosophists), but all of these qualities are the attributes of the One (the Monad), but that is not the same as saying that they are equivalent. So for me, there are layers to this model, and the stratification of these layers can be largely and generally classified as consisting of the macrocosm and the microcosm, but there is also a mesocosm between them. In other words, it’s just too complex to be left to a bipolar explanation, however simple that would be.

How did I arrive at the deduction that the number of the macrocosm is seven instead of six? It was an accident! Well, maybe it was due more to my frustration with the hexagram as a tool for drawing the invoking planetary angles. When it came to drawing the invoking formulation for the sun, the magician had to invoke all of the six preceding planetary angles, and then their combination (along with the solar glyph) produced the proper invocation angle of the sun. I thought that this was kind of convoluted, and not being wedded to the Golden Dawn methodology, I instead opted to experiment with the septagram.

Of course, Aleister Crowley had already come up with the unicursal hexagram, which had a specific angle for the sun, but by the time I encountered this new form, I was already using the septagram. Another factor was that the use of the hexagram for planetary magick was quite vague in the Golden Dawn material, and the version stipulated by Aleister Crowley in Liber O wasn't much better. Since there wasn’t anyone around to help me figure this out, and me being something of a revisionist dunderhead, I opted to create a whole new system. After all, I was a practicing witch, and the whole foundation of my ritual work (using the magick circle as sacred space) was quite different than that practiced by the Golden Dawn.

The first time that I attempted to make a precise drawing of this star form, I had to figure out where the points were and then connect them. That sounds simple enough, right? Well, to do that, I had to divide a circle containing 360 degrees by 7, to produce an angle of 51.42857.., or rounded to 51.43 degrees. Using a protractor and a compass, I had to mark the exact angles at the protractor points of 51.43, 102.86, 154.29,  205.72, 257.15, 308.58, and 360 or 0 degrees.

This task, of course, was not as easy as drawing a hexagram, but the resultant septagram was quite beautiful and elegant. (I must admit that it was like love at first sight when I finished drawing one for the first time. How geeky is that?) The one drawback to the septagram is that it’s pretty tough to draw in the air with any degree of accuracy or consistency. So for this reason, I constructed a large talismanic septagram device painted on a rectangular piece of plywood with a black background, a device that I call a trigon. The trigon is placed in the middle of the circle after an inner circle structure is drawn and opened, and it is used to invoke or banish one or all of the planetary angles of the seven planets. Adopting the septagram seemed like just a practical endeavor on my part, but once I began to really analyze the seven pointed star, I realized that it had a lot of potent symbolic correspondences that made it a really great choice.

The most profound and dramatic of the symbolic associations with the septagram and the number seven is that they symbolize the union of heaven and earth. The mystery of the Godhead is often denoted by the number three, which is why the triskelion (three interlocking spirals) and the trinity are important aspects of the Deity. These symbols are far more antique and widespread than the later theological Christian Trinity. Thus, as the number three, the Deity represents the combined forces of creation, preservation and destruction that permeate the material and immaterial universes. The Godhead, as three, is joined to the Divine Tetrad (the number four), which symbolizes the world as Cosmos, to produce the septagram. Therefore, the number seven is an amalgam of the numbers three and four, the Godhead immersed within the manifested world - the joining of Spirit and Matter in perpetual Union. Thus the number seven is quite a powerful symbol characterizing the impact of the macrocosm upon the microcosm, fostering a kind of magickal mesocosm, which is the place of mediation and union between these two domains. Taking all of this into consideration, what symbol could better represent the invocation and manipulation of spiritual intelligences commanded by the magician (as representing the godhead) to impact the mental and material planes?

Even though I began this journey of adopting the septagram out of frustration, curiosity and creative inspiration, it’s only later that I discovered how important and significant it turned out to be. I found that my adoption of this star form was quite an important feature of the kind of magick that I work, and it took me to a completely new kind of ritual magick. All of this happened because I wasn’t smart or gifted enough to figure out how to work planetary magick using the Golden Dawn system. Two of my friends, Scott Stenwick and David Griffin, had to study and carefully examine the Golden Dawn documents passed down to us from Crowley and Regardie, and from these they were able to figure out how to work this kind of magick. I suppose that I wasn’t shrewd enough or as dedicated to the Golden Dawn tradition to come up with the same analogous method that they came up with. Instead, I invented something completely new.

This should prove to be an interesting point of discussion, and perhaps the central point of this article. When does a student depart from tradition and invent their own method of performing some magickal operation? I guess the answer would be that whenever that technique or method is not well articulated in the legacy material, or if it seems inelegant, inefficient or just plain clumsy, then the student has every right to create something that is better or more elegant.

Using this logic doesn’t give anyone the right to change everything and attempt to reinvent the wheel, as it were. Yet if that’s what the student wants to do, and if they can pull it off without making a confusing mess of things, then they are fully within their rights to do it. They may upset other occultists in that tradition, or if it’s a reconstruction, then they might do something that has no prior precedent. Regardless, if it works really well and can be readily taught to others, then it has progressed to the point where it has become a new practical technique. The bottom line is that most magicians who are at least worth their salt will ultimately craft their own independent system of magick, even if many parts of it are represented by an ongoing and living tradition, they will put their own unique stamp on it.

So the septagram became for me the central occult symbol of the magick of the macrocosm, representing the higher magick of the seven planetary intelligences, and the art of theurgy and evocation. I still use the hexagram in my magick, but it is used to signify the union of the archetypal masculine and feminine, and I don’t articulate it to invoke specific planetary archetypes. The hexagram is just two triangles superimposed upon each other, showing that the union of the ascending and descending graces is the core of the Great Work. Therefore, I have actually elevated the meaning and use of the hexagram in my magick. I use the simple sign of the hexagram to indicate that the previously generated forces or invoked spiritual aspects are now in glorious union. Perhaps in some manner, I have found a more suitable alternative for planetary magick, and placed the hexagram in a much greater position of honor and respect.

Creativity and experimentation are critical parts of the repertoire of the ritual and ceremonial magician. Without them, the practicing magician will never learn anything new or discover another and better way of doing something. Personal growth, an awakening awareness and an evolving understanding and practice of spiritual techniques are the hallmark of the progressive aspirations of the initiate and the adept. Doing the same thing forever or maintaining a dogmatic unwillingness to try anything new or different are the signs of a failed occult practice. May we all be open minded, receptive and innovative in our practice and appreciation of magick.

Frater Barrabbas

Planetary and Astrological Magick

One of the most essential and potent forms of magick, aside from theurgy and evocation, is planetary and astrological magick. Where elemental magick could be seen as working mostly with attributes of energy, planetary and astrological magick functions with a combination of energy, psychology and spirit formulations. Planetary and astrological magick tap into the basic archetypes of consciousness and culture, so they can be experienced as a form of power that effects the individual and the group mind simultaneously. In addition, these forms of magick also engage directly with attributes of spirit. Planetary and astrological intelligences, which are also considered to be a type of psychological archetype, are highly qualified and evolved spiritual entities in their own right, whether they are perceived as principals of the pagan godhead or as ruling angels. Still, in order to fully grasp the topic of planetary and astrological magick, I will need to define the nature of the planetary and astrological archetypes, which is key to the whole process.

What is the nature of planetary and astrological archetypes? Are they related in some fashion to the actual celestial planets and zodiacal signs that they represent? The answer to this question pivots on how these attributes are defined, and how one defines the active principles of astrology. Do we take a literal approach to our understanding of astrology and the effect that the planets have on us? Some have written that the gravitational impact of the planets, even though subtle and minute, can affect individuals, but science has shown that to be highly unlikely.

If we consider the fact that the gravitation impact of the Moon on an individual human is one ten-millionth of the Earth’s gravitational force, and the sun’s is 40% of that, then the gravitational effect of the planets would be infinitesimally smaller still. Distances from planets to the earth are so vast that they would far outweigh even the size and gravitational impact of the greatest of the planets. While the combination of the moon and sun appear to have a significant effect on large bodies of water and tectonic plates on the surface of the Earth, individual human beings are much too small to be directly impacted by them.

The Earth is too far away to be influenced by even it’s closest celestial neighbors, Mars and Venus. Thus, we would have to assume that the gravitational pull of all eight planets is completely negligible for individual human beings. So it must be true that the effect of the planets on our minds, individually and collectively, has nothing to do with any known physical phenomenon. Therefore, planetary effects must be psychological, both on an individual as well as a collective level. This is why I refer to the planetary attributes as archetypes, since they suffuse our minds and saturate our culture. Even the division of the seven days of the solar week are named after the seven planets of antiquity, as are many qualitative adjectives describing personality traits or types.

Astronomy has determined that the solar system is heliocentric, and that approximately nine planets orbit around the Sun in elliptical orbits, depending on whether you consider Pluto to be a planet or merely a planetoid. Astrology has borrowed eight of the nine planets, but still uses the Sun and Moon in it’s considerations, but not the Earth, which is only used as a method of determining the position of the houses and establishing the point of view. The older astrological system, as determined by Ptolemy, used only the five planets as seen by the naked eye. Adding the Sun and Moon to this list gave a total of seven planetary attributes, and these were and still are used in planetary magick.  

The word archetypes has many meanings, but in occultism, which has taken on the combined perspectives of Neoplatonism and Jungian Psychology, archetypes are perceived as transcendent first principles that affect the human psyche and human behavior. They are said to have both an objective existence and also function as the building blocks of human consciousness. They are represented by internal impulses within the psyche as well as modeling and shaping external events. Archetypes are said to have a transcendent and mythic quality, perhaps due to the fact that they are associated with specific celestial pagan godheads who still have a powerful currency both within the minds of individuals and across cultures. The seven planetary archetypes are found in all human cultures and seem to embody the motivations and the characteristics of the psyche and group mind. It is likely for this reason that astrology and planetary magick continue to be relevant in the post modern age.

In the most sophisticated circles, people still talk about martial activities, venereal proclivities, individuals who are jovial, saturnine, mercurial, sunny or lunatic. It would seem that even though we exist in a world dominated by science and technology, our sentiments are steeped in a kind of mythological exposition. Even the seven days of the week, which make up an artificial measurement of time, are named after the seven planetary archetypes.

Magicians who deliberately engage with these archetypal qualities, whether in magick or divination, enter into the very foundation of the psychological “chemistry” of human personality. Through the occult manipulation of planetary archetypes, a magician can augment, empower and even illuminate himself, as well as curse his enemies. This type of psychic control has the ability to affect the self as well as the local social environment, so it should be considered a very potent and even hazardous kind of magick. This is true because through planeatary magick an accomplished magician can change or reprogram a person’s internal psychological structure at will. Needless to say, this type of magick must be deliberative and performed with a great deal of internal sensitivity and expert knowledge, since any egregious mistake might, if it’s successful, incur a high price for the unwitting magician.

The internal and external archetypal nature of the planets and the signs of the zodiac could also be considered analogous to the power and nature of spirits and gods, since these entities exist in a paradoxical domain where they are experienced both within the mind and also external to the self. Planetary archetypes have the dual quality of being both the elemental constituents of consciousness and complex spiritual entities, the most obvious of these are several of the Roman gods and goddesses, whose names are given to these planets. Thus we have Sol, Luna, Mercury, Mars, Venus, Jupiter and Saturn.

Conscious sentience seems to be made up of symbolic expressions that are analogous to the planetary archetypes, and they function as the basis for the formulation of the individual personality. If an astrological model is applied to the symbolic diagram or structure of the psyche, then each planetary archetype becomes qualified by a zodiacal sign and house, and thereby delineated so as to determine their impact, interrelationships and combined power within that deconstructed personality. Where each planetary archetype is a facet of one’s inner characteristics, their dynamic union can determine the nature of one’s identity, personality and motivation. Some of these attributes will dominate a given personality, and others will be submissive or sublimated into the background. Yet the unified elements of the psyche orchestrate the nature of individual human beings, and they can also be found active in the overall culture, determining sentiments, values, tradition and the ever changing goals and motivations.

These archetypal facets exist in a kind of dynamic and harmonious balance with each other, and when they become imbalanced, they can erupt into forms of neurosis, delusions, paranoia, violent or chaotic behavior and even complete psychosis. Therefore, maintaining an equilibrium is very important - both for the individual and the culture. As you can see, having a knowledge of the planetary archetypes and their associated zodiacal qualifiers can give the occult student an ability to understand and manipulate the very stuff of consciousness itself, as well as the fabric of cultural reality.

Planetary archetypes have a myriad of symbolic correspondences to compare against their base-line meanings. Each planet has a simplistic set of descriptions and characteristics, but then those meanings may be extended by a comparison with various pagan deities, colors, incense, magickal seals or characters, symbolic attributes, magickal weapons, angelic rulers and specific Qabbalistic Sephiroth, which allow for an ever greater set of correspondences.

When engaging with any form of planetary magick, the magician should, at the very least, seek to use pagan deity characteristics, magickal seals or sigils, colors and incenses to assist in capturing the essential quality of the planetary archetype. Astrological based timing (elective astrology) as well as using the planetary hour and day become important factors in working planetary magick. A magician should schedule a working to coincide with the specific planetary day and hour, as well as determining the astrological auspiciousness of the magickal event. This becomes quite critical for planetary magick, forcing a more stringent regimen on the magician than working with earth based energies, such as Elementals, which focus more on the phases of the moon than on any other planet.

The simple qualities for each of the seven planetary archetypal intelligences can be summarized by the following list. This list is neither definitive nor complete, but it gives the student a starting point for a more comprehensive set of definitions. In building a more extended list of qualities, I would recommend that the student seek out any good book on astrology (such as “Horoscope Symbols” by Robert Hand). It would seem that the authors of astrology books have produced a more extensive analysis of the meanings of the planets than any other occult discipline. Keep in mind that the planets can also be qualified by being associated with a specific zodiacal sign, which would be used in any kind of astrological analysis of one’s natal chart, progressed chart, transits or forms of elective astrology.

Sun - Identity (ego), pride, dignity, self-expression, individuality.

Moon - Emotions, feelings, sensitivities, moods, internal or psychic perceptions.

Mercury - Communicative, intellectually active, verbal, curious, commercial activities.

Venus - Desire, love, friendship, creativity, sentiment, sensuality.

Mars - Aggressive pursuits, courage, disciplined action, self-motivation, impulsive.

Jupiter - Compassion, idealism, sympathy, grandeur, pomp, ostentatious.

Saturn - Judgment, rules, restrictions, fate, responsibilities, determination.   
 
In addition, the following planets can be used for certain types of magick.

• Healing - Sun, Mercury, Jupiter
• Wealth - Jupiter, Mercury, Saturn, Venus
• Love/Romance - Venus
• Success in conflict - Mars
• Divination - Moon, Mercury
• Charity, Aid from Rulers, Compassion - Jupiter
• Resolving Legal Disputes - Saturn
• Obtaining Justice - Saturn, Jupiter
• Protection from Evil - Sun
• Friendship, Artistic pursuits - Venus, Sun
• Cursing, retribution, harm, causing ill health and disharmony - Saturn, Mars

As you can see, the planetary archetypes can be useful in a number of different types of magickal operations. This list is by no means exhaustive, but it also shows that planetary archetypes are also somewhat limited, often requiring more than one to achieve a specific objective.

Perhaps the most practical tool used in the deployment of the planetary archetypes is the talisman. A talisman is usually a metallic piece of jewelry that is worn on the person of the recipient who wishes to use the influences of a selected planetary archetype to ensure a specific outcome. A sigil can be developed to symbolize that specific outcome, and it can be etched on the metallic talisman, along with any other characters or seals associated with the planet. The quality and type of metal used for the talisman can be chosen based on the specific metal associated with the planetary archetype, or it can be any base metal that is enameled so that it has the proper associated planetary color. A talisman can also have a mounted and faceted gemstone attached to it, often substituting for the planetary metal, which can therefore be either silver or gold, depending on the assumed gender of the planet.

A talisman is often created or fashioned on the planetary day or even the planetary hour to give it a greater association with the planetary archetype. Then it is consecrated with a specific perfumed oil and charged with the energies of the invoked planetary archetype. Magicians believe that the energies associated with a planetary archetype can be projected into a metallic or crystalline object and therein kept energized in perpetuity. A talisman supposedly never loses its charge, especially if the subject who is deploying it periodically remembers the purpose and reason for its creation. A talisman can be used for a very specific purpose, or it can be made more general and used for a multitude of purposes. Either approach is determined by the spectrum of qualities of the associated planetary archetype. Talismans are worn and kept in contact with the body of the subject for several days or a few weeks, by then the power and impact of the talisman has penetrated the subject’s personality and being, becoming a semi-permanent quality. As previously stated, a renewed contact with the talisman is required periodically, but that contact need only be brief in order to ensure that the talisman remains active.

Metals, colors, incense, gemstones and days of the week associated with the planetary archetypes can vary considerably depending on the authority cited. I have taken the following list from classical and Qabbalistic authorities. Still, as long as the list that one is employing is consistently used, then there is no variation that is the one true version.

• Sun - Yellow - Gold - Frankincense - Yellow Topaz (Yellow Diamond) - Sunday
• Moon - Indigo - Silver - Myrrh - Moon Stone (Pearl) - Monday
• Mars - Scarlet - Iron - Costus (Tobacco) - Ruby (Garnet) - Tuesday
• Mercury - Orange - Cinnabar (Mercury) - Cassia - Amber (Turquoise) - Wednesday
• Jupiter - Blue (Purple) - Bay leaf (Cedar) - Amethyst (Sapphire) - Thursday
• Venus - Green - Copper - Spikenard (Rose) - Lapis Lazuli (Emerald) - Friday
• Saturn - Black (Violet) - Lead - Storax - Obsidian (Black Onyx) - Saturday

To invoke one of the planetary archetypes, the operator should acquire an appropriate talisman (made from the appropriate materials), candles, robes, incense and a colored sigil or seal drawn on parchment. An invocation of the associated pagan deity, angelic ruler or Olympian spirit should also be constructed, to be used to assist the actual invocation of the planetary archetype. Invocations to lesser planetary godheads can be found in the Greek Magical Papyrus in Translation or in classical writings, such as the Homeric or Orphic Hymns. The operation should be performed during the proper planetary day and planetary hour (as determined by the hour and minute of the rising sun). In addition, the operator should have a large painted trigon with the image of a septagram depicted on it.

I have chosen to use the septagram instead of the hexagram for drawing the lines associated with invoking the specific planetary archetype, but that is a distinction of my own personal magickal system. Still, since it is quite difficult to draw an invoking septagram for a specific planet in the air, I have chosen to use a painted trigon instead. The trigon is a rectangular shaped piece of plywood, usually 18 inches by 14 ½ inches, and is 1/4 inch thick. I typically paint the trigon with flat black paint, then I paint the design associated with the trigon over that background. The final painted design is then covered with a glossy transparent medium to protect it.

Planetary magick uses a very simple ritual structure that consists of a Rose Ankh Vortex with a central internal circle, where the trigon is placed. The Rose Ankh vortex is used as a kind of magnetic containment field that will powerfully attract any spirit or entity summoned. It is generated when the operator draws a Rose Ankh to each of the four Angles and the Infra-point (nadir), and then draws the four Angles together through the center of the circle. The operator completes the structure with a counter clockwise circumambulation around the circle, beginning in the center of the circle and proceeding outwardly, walking a spiral that transcribes the circle three times.

The operator then draws an inner circle in the center of the magick circle, makes the sign of the parting of the veil, and places the septagram trigon in the center. The talisman and sigil are placed in the center of the trigon, and the appropriate planetary incense is burned. Then the operator draws the invoking septagram for the specific planet with a wand, tracing the lines over the septagram trigon and completes the operation with an invoking spiral. At this point, the operator will intone the invocation of the planetary intelligence and summon it to manifest into the center of the circle.

Once the planetary intelligence has appeared and made itself known to the operator in some manner, she will then take the talisman, hold it in the air and draw the power of the planetary intelligence into it. The talisman is then consecrated with a special perfumed oil and wrapped in a colored cloth for a period of three days. If the talisman is to be given (or sold) to another person, then the sigil, which was used to summon the spirit, should be burned immediately following the three day waiting period, so as to ensure that the talisman will no longer be associated with the operator. (This can be done even if the talisman is to be used by the operator.) Often the planetary intelligence will communicate to the operator in the form of visions, or even after the working is completed, through dreams and impressions. In fact, the magician can use the invocation of a planetary archetype for the purpose of divination or crystal skrying. Anything that occurs to the mind or senses of the operator during or after the rite should be noted down in a magickal journal.

Planetary archetypes may be construed as being somewhat limited or too general in their practical use and employment. Often, the operator has to include some kind of specific sigil to focus the impact of the magick. However, there are a number of other magickal qualities that can use the planetary attributes. Thus, the magician deploy the planetary archetypes in combination with the four elements, or with the astrological quality of the zodiacal triplicities, or by combining them with other planets to produce a kind of binary planetary archetype. In the system that the Order of the Gnostic Star uses to perform theurgy, all seven of the planetary archetypes are invoked and qualified with a zodiacal sign, to produce a type of simplistic zodiacal natal chart that determines the personality of the spirit. This activated and empowered septagram, erected for a given spirit, acts as its dynamic intelligence, which is then joined with a four-fold elemental energy envelope that generates the body and mind of a spirit, as opposed to summoning it.

The following forces, intelligences and entities can be invoked using one of the above constructs. These different attributes are much more useful, since they are more varied (i.e., they have more elements) than if one were to just use the seven planetary archetypes.

Planetary Ruling Angel or Archangel of the Sephirah - the planetary ruling angel or the qabbalistic archangel represents a more ambitious theurgic methodology. Thus the planetary working becomes an angelic invocation rite instead.

Talismanic Elementals - Planetary archetype plus element: 28 elements - can be used analogously with the 28 Lunar Mansions.

Astrological Archangels/Spirits - Element plus astrological triplicity: 12 elements - useful for astrological magick. I use three of the lesser invoking hexagrams to represent the astrological triplicities.

Astrological Decans/Angelic Ruler - Element plus astrological triplicity plus ruling planet: 36 elements. This structure is the foundation for invoking the 72 angels of the ha-Shem and the goetic demons.

Bonarum (Good Spirits) - Binary Planetary Intelligences - Planetary archetype combined with another planetary archetype: 49 elements. These spirits are unique to the Enochian system of magick, but could be replicated elsewhere.

As you can see, there is quite a lot of variation based on the planetary archetypes in western occultism and the practice of magick. Talismanic magick is very useful in magickal workings, but the same methodology can be used to develop a generative system of theurgy and evocation.

If you are interested in engaging in a more in-depth research of planetary and astrological magick, then I can recommend the following books:

• “Graeco-Egyptian Magick - Everyday Empowerment” by Tony Mierzwicki
• “Ritual Magick Manual” by David Griffin
• “Secrets of Planetary Magic 3rd Edition” by Christopher Warnock
• “Planetary Magick” by Melita Denning and Osborne Phillips
• “Practical Planetary Magick” by Sorita d'Este and David Rankine

One of the old grimoires associated specifically with planetary magick is the Arbatel, which was assembled in the early 17th century from writings associated with Paracelsus. Joseph Peterson has a wonderful new translation of this book that you can purchase it if want to work with it.

Finally, if you happen to live in the Twin Cities, there is a presentation on Planetary Magick at the forthcoming Paganicon, this weekend. My friend, Ananael, along with his associate (Michele), will be conducting a class on Planetary Magick on Saturday, March 26th at 1:00 pm in Courtyard 3. There will also be a demonstration of a Planetary Magick ritual that evening, at 8:00 pm, in the same room. As an aside, I will also be at Paganicon teaching classes on Saturday afternoon and Sunday morning. You can find a copy of the schedule here.

Frater Barrabbas