Election of the Sixth
Mansion of the Moon for Friendship & Love from Picatrix
Let those love now who never
loved before;
Let those who always loved, now love the more.
Thomas Parnell
This week's talismans come from David Pingree's Latin
version of Picatrix, an encyclopedic work
of medieval Arabic astrological magic.
For more information on Picatrix, see
Picatrix at Twilight Grotto.
Two more selections from Picatrix, untranslated
elsewhere and dealing with the magical uses of the lunar mansions can be found at
Astrology, Magical Talismans & Mansions of the Moon in Picatrix and
Listing of the Mansions of the Moon in Picatrix.
The election for this week's talismans uses the
sixth mansion of the Mansions of the Moon,
a 28 fold division of the monthly orbit of
the Moon. The tenth century Arabic astrologer Al-Biruni
gives the name of the sixth mansion as Al-Hana "A Brand or Mark".
Book of Instructions Section 164 (Wright trans.) page 83.
Here are the instructions for the image of the
Sixth Lunar Mansion from Picatrix,
"The sixth Mansion is Achaya, and it is for the creation of love between two people.
When the Moon has come about to this Mansion, fashion two images from white wax,
place them face to face, and wrap them in white silk. Cense them with amber
and lignum aloes, and say: You, Nedeyrahe, bring together this one
and this one, and place between them love and friendship. And from this
it shall be done as you desire.
And know that Nedeyrahe is the name of the lord of this Mansion."
Picatrix Book IV, Chapter 9 (translation by Robert Thomas).
Originally the lunar mansions were sidereal, that is
their boundaries were measured against the fixed stars. Vivian Robson, following
Al-Biruni's instructions, gives the indicator stars for the sixth mansion as
Gamma Geminorum, known as Alhena, whose current position is 9 Cancer 6.
The Fixed Stars
and Constellations in Astrology (Sun Books 1995) page 72.
The next mansion begins at Alpha Geminorum,
known as Castor, whose current position is 20 Cancer 14. Thus the current boundaries
for the Mansion Al-Hana extend from 9 to 20 Cancer
A much later version of this election is found in
A Treatise on Angel Magic circa 1700, "In the Sixth Mansion, for
the increase of love between two parties, they sealed in white wax two Images
embracing one another, and fumed it with Lignum Aloes and Amber."
A Treatise on Angel Magic (Phanes Press, 1990) page 131.
The time chosen for
the election is December 30, 2001 at 5:20 pm EST in Washington,
D.C. 38 N 55, 77 W 03. At this time the Moon is at 15
degrees of Cancer. Thus at our elected date and time the Moon
is in her sixth Mansion.
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 Web Course
as well as a traditional astrology and astrological magic discussion
group Spiritus Mundi.
