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Astrological Chart of the Week
Christopher Warnock, Esq.
Current Astrological Chart
For May 2003
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Chart of the Week Archive
Chart for April, 2003:
Love with Sun & Saturn
Rats Begone!
Agrippa Talisman Example
Another Pest Control Example
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Medieval Bugs

Roaches

Begone!

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Astrological

Pest Control



Talismans for pest control are one of the few examples of "malefic" magic that are not usually considered objectionable. Just as we might condemn the use of poison in general, but find it acceptable for getting rid of termites, so too talismans that have a deadly effect on pests are justifiable.
These talismans were quite popular in the Middle Ages and Renaissance. Picatrix, a major source for Arabic and European astrological magic, has many examples of talismans for various pests, including scorpions, flies, mosquitoes and mice. We can see an example from Cornelius Agrippa's Three Books of Occult Philosophy of a talisman Against Rats and a talisman Against Roaches.
The noted Sabian astrologer and scientist Thabit Ibn Qurra provides instructions for a pest control control talisman. While using the example of scorpions he notes that the talisman be be adapted for other pests,

"When you wish to operate [in this manner], you should begin beneath a Scorpio ascendant, and fashion the image of a scorpion from iron or tin or lead or silver or gold. And carve atop the image the name of the ascendant and its lord and the lord of the hour and the lord of the day and the name of the Moon; and place the Moon [also] in Scorpio. And you should make the ascendant unfortunate in the following manner, [so that] you should put the lord of the ascendant in the house of death, and make unfortunate the lord of the house of the lord of the ascendant [by placing it] in the house of death or joined to a malefic by square or opposition. And when you have made it thus, you should bury it head downwards and say this: Thus it is buried, and this image is buried that none [of its kind] may enter this place."

"And it should be buried in the center of whatever place you wish that it shall drive [the scorpions] from [that place], or from a dwelling place, or in [any] place it is conjoined(?). And if you wish to fashion four images of the second manner, and bury one of each of them in each corner or quarter of a place from which you wish to drive [the scorpions], it shall be done swiftly and with great strength. And you should do likewise to drive any of the universal animals when you wish to expel it; and that should be begun beneath an ascendant like unto the form [of the animal] which you wish to drive out."

De Imaginibus, Chapter One, (translation by Robert Thomas).
Chart produced by Solar Fire 5

The elected time and date is May 14, 2003 at 6:43 pm EDT (+4) at Cleveland Park, a Washington, D.C. neighborhood, 38 N 56 77 W 03, Scorpio rises and the Moon is in Scorpio on the Ascendant.
The ruler of the first is Mars who is peregrine and conjunct the 4th house, associated with the grave. Guido Bonatti, Liber Astronomiae ch. 54 (Spica ed.) page 68.
The Moon first applies to a square of Jupiter, then an opposition of 8th ruler of death, Mercury, then a square of first ruler Mars.

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, a Planetary Magic Mini-Course and a Mansions of the Moon Mini-Course as well as my discussion group Spiritus Mundi.




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Copyright 2003 Christopher Warnock, All Rights Reserved.