I again
feature one of their images as this week's chart of the week. The faces or decans
are 10 degree subdivisions of the signs. There are two methods of determining
their planetary rulership. The first, commonly used in traditional
horary, electional and
natal astrology uses the Chaldean Order of the planets, beginning with Mars ruling the
first face of Aries. Thus the second face of Aries is ruled by the Sun and the third
by Venus. The first face of Taurus is thus ruled by Mercury and so on throughout
the rest of the Zodiac.
The other method makes the ruler of the first decan of a
sign the planet that rules the sign. The next decan is ruled by the ruler of the next
sign in the triplicity of the sign. Thus the first decan of Aries is ruled by Mars.
Since Aries is a fire sign, the next fire sign is Leo and thus the second decan of Aries
is ruled by the Sun. The next fire sign is Sagittarius and thus the third decan of Aries
is ruled by Jupiter. Here is a listing of the
decan lords under both systems.
The faces are very ancient and from their earliest use they
have been associated with particular gods and spirits and their images. This images
have also long been used in astrological magic.
The image descriptions for this week's talisman comes
Picatrix, an encyclopedic work of
medieval Arabic astral magic. We are fortunate to have the
new English translation from Arabic of the Picatrix from
Ouroboros Press which we can
compare to the Latin Picatrix edited by David Pingree which is
available from the
Warburg Institute.
We turn to page 145 of the
Ouroboros translation of Book Two, Chapter Eleven of Picatrix.
The Faces of Leo
The image of a man wearing a wreath made of white basil
on his head and holding an arrow in his hand appears in the second [face]. This is the
[face] of Jupiter and it indicates heresy, ignorance, perplexity, idleness of idiots,
pulling out swords and fighting.
Here is the corresponding talisman from the Latin
Picatrix
Et ascendit in secunda facie Leonis vir in suo capite coronam albi myrti habens et in
eius manu balistam. Et hec facies est pulchritudinis, equitandi et
ascendendi hominis nescii et vilis; et est facies belli et ensium nudorum.
Et hec est eius forma.
There ascends in the second face of Leo [the image of] a man with a crown of white myrtle
on his head and in his hand an [arrow]. And this is a face of beauty, of a man ignorant
and common who will mount and ride [a horse], and this is a face of war and bared
swords. And this is its form.
Translation by Christopher Warnock, Esq.
Here is the corresponding talisman from Agrippa's
Three Books of Occult Philosophy
Of the Images of the Faces
In the second [face of Leo] ascendeth an image with hands lifted up, and a
man on whose head is a Crown; he hath the appearance of an angry man,
and one that threatneth, having in his right hand a Sword drawn out
of the scabbard, & in his left a buckler; it hath signification upon
hidden contentions, and unknown victories, & upon base men, and upon
the occasions of quarrels and battels:
Book II, Chapter 37.
The Picatrix gives instructions for
making talismans of the faces at Book II, Chapter 11,
"Accordingly make the images of the faces
when their rulers are present in them as this will perfect their effects in the
World. And if by chance the Sun is rising in the hour of the planet or [is
in aspect] the work will be stable and strong.
Translation by Christopher Warnock, Esq.
The election for this talisman is
January 23, 2003 at 7:28 am EST (+5) for Cleveland Park,
a neighborhood of Washington, D.C., 38 N 56, 77 W 03.
Jupiter is at 14 Leo, the second face of Leo, which it rules.
It is the day and
planetary hour of Jupiter. The Sun rises. The only problem is that
Jupiter is retrograde.
At the top of the page is the image of the second face of
Leo from the frescoes of the months in the Palazzo Schifanoia at Ferrara.
It would be an appropriate image for the decan talisman.
Here is further information on
Astrological Talismans
and Astrological Magic. If you
wish to delve even deeper into this fascinating area I offer an
Mansions of the Moon Mini-Course and
a Astrological Magic Full Course
as well as a traditional astrology and astrological magic discussion
group Spiritus Mundi.
