Every ritual is symbolic. Symbols transcend words and actions, they speak directly to our inner self.

Religious ritual is designed to exalt one’s consciousness, to connect us with the divine, with something that is greater than ourselves. And while every religion has its own system of values, symbols and philosophy, they are all a reflection of the human experience.

Wiccan neo pagan sensibilities.

Wiccan rituals are tied to the Earth. We celebrate our place within our planet’s rhythms and cycles. By understanding ourselves we seek to understand our world. By understanding the cycles of Nature and our place in them, we seek to understand ourselves.

While a full blown Wiccan ritual is charged with Wiccan-specific symbolism, and that symbolism is probably not adequate for a non-pagan audience, many of the underlying archetypes need not be so. The same can be said of rituals pertaining to almost every other Pagan denomination.

Ritual cycles in a stable workgroup can be established as a path of self healing and exploration. When properly crafted, these cycles can also become a path to a new understanding, to a new balance of the self. Neo Pagan rituals often focus on very basic archetypes, and require (at an essential level) nothing more than a commitment to oneself, an open mind and sincerity.

If we dress not the underlying archetypes with their usual full pagan regalia of sacred names, invocations and spellcraft, but we instead focus on the essential principles and the energy work, the possibility of sharing our experiences with our fellow non pagan brothers and sisters can be made a reality.

Why.

As I see it, the main reason is that we can learn and grow from these shared experiences. If we live in a place where there are very few Pagans around, multi-faith, non denominational rituals can also be an excellent way to celebrate the Sabbats and even some select esbats.

Another aspect we must not underestimate is the fact that these rituals can also help to dispel many of the preconceptions and “bad publicity” that Paganism usually attracts in conservative countries.

Last but not least… because it is fun, and a way to share between friends and family a constructive experience.

How.

A few words of caution: Creating and leading an effective ritual of this kind puts a lot of stress on your ability to shape and direct energy. All of the invocations will be silent, the casting of the circle will be sustained with your visualization. I do not recommend trying it if you have not solid experience leading and performing full blown solo or group rituals in the traditional way. If you are a solitary, without access to structured training, please do not attempt this unless you have already been practicing on your own for some time. The classic “a year and a day” is a good start, but only if you do your rituals in full form, without any simplification or shortcut through the opening and closing steps. Failure to heed this words of caution can lead to an ineffective ritual experience (in the best of cases), or even to the creation of a severe energy imbalance and inner harm to all the participants (in the worst case). You have been warned. Remember: In perfect love and perfect trust. An it harm none, do as you will.

The key: who to invite.

This is what you must decide first. The quality of the “mood” and energy work depends a lot on who is participating. Non Wiccan Pagans? A mixed agnostic – Christian group? New agers? An open ritual in a public park? Consider carefully. Ritual work is a deep experience. It requires a certain implicit trust to exist between all parties involved. And of course, you will be tunning the ritual to the composition of the group, so this is the first thing you must decide. Resist the urge to invite everyone, and think carefully. Write down the names of prospective participants, approach them and get a formal confirmation. Let them know what this will be all about. You need to minimize surprises as much as possible.

Ritual planning and design.

Now is the time to get your Book of Shadows/notepad/word processor/whatever. First of all, decide what will be the intent of the ritual. What are you trying to achieve. Create an entry in your book, and record the ritual intent there.

Now, start imagining the ritual. Visualize how you plan to cast the circle. Visualize how will you call upon the Quarters. Will you invoke specific deities?

This is a tricky part. If your group has non pagans in it, or people not used to magickal works, invocations can be scary for them. They may also be against Christian/Hebrew/Islamic sensitivities. It is important that you tailor this part of the ritual to your people.

In my case, I often have a mix of Christian and Agnostic friends in the group. So I do not invoke/evoke anything out loud. I visualize and vibrate internally all invocations. I erect the Watchtowers and Call on the Quarters while circling the ritual area without saying a word out loud.  I do say a few things after I have finished, to signal that the space and time is now sacred, and that the ritual is set to begin.

Write down how you plan to do it. If you are not really used to speaking in public, write down every word you plan to say. Practice it. Believe it or not, what you say(and how you say it) can have a profound impact on the overall experience.

With the opening completed, I often perform an alocution called the “Declaration of Intent”. I tell both the participants and the spirits what the ritual is about and why are we here.

Then comes the main part of the ritual. Here is where your imagination comes in. Guided visualization? basic spellwork? oracles? drama? The heart of the ritual resides here. Take as many notes as you can. Plan ahead.

After the “high point” in the ritual, you need to start winding down and grounding everyone. One of the easiest ways to do this is the “cakes and ale” formula.

I often use wine as “ale”. Unless you have people who cannot drink in your group, I recommend trying with wine. You can select the variety that most closely corresponds with the ritual ocassion (a spring sabbat? Try a sweet late harvest wine. A full moon in summer? A fresh, fruity rose wine may be perfect, slightly chilled. A new moon esbat? Go for a dark red wine, like Cabernet or Merlot. Winter nights may call for strong wine. Use your creativity.)

Cakes… can be biscuits, real cake, chocolates, whatever seems appropiate.

Decide how will you do the blessing, and how will you perform the libations and offerings (if any). Remember, write it all down.

Now, When first passing around the wine, I often invite every participant to make a toast. To say whatever comes to their mind and express it freely. Do not be pushy, respect those who want to say nothing… but encourage all to speak. On your nervous first experiences, this is your first moment of true feedback on how things are going.

Last but not least, close the ceremony: thank the spirits, dismiss the quarters, open the circle… do not rush through this. Take your time. The ritual should have symmetry: this is the mirror of the opening formulae.

After you write all this down, you will end with a script for your ritual. Read it a few times. Practice it. Change it as it seems appropriate. This is your ritual. It must flow with your energy. But remember that this is also the ritual of those who are going to take part in it. Be considerate.

Talk to your guests.

Now you have a ritual script, and a a group of people eager to participate. Time to talk and explain. When you gather round, talk them through the steps of the ritual. Not in detail, but also do not gloss over any step. Answer questions. Be prepared to make minor adjustments to your script.

They should not be surprised during the ritual except when it is absolutely important for the ritual drama and experience.

Tips of an effective ritual.

The most important tip I have to give you is: put your heart into your ritual. Be sincere. Worry not if you stumble, or if something is “not perfect”. Remember: these rituals are about basic energies at work. Keep things simple.

Darkness, fire (be it a bonfire, a small campfire or simple candles), incense and your voice are powerful elements. Do not underestimate them. Also, your body language should reflect your focus: perform every movement with intention.

Keep the ritual short. Long meditations, overly complex opening and closing ceremonies and such can kill the dynamics of a group that is just there for the first time.

Rituals in public or semi public spaces have their own set of constraints. For example: no blades (daggers, swords and the like), no one wants to get arrested!, avoid flashy pagan regalia if you are in the open, be careful with the noise level, etc.

Afterwards.

After the closing of the ceremony, if all went well, your group should be still in a slightly altered state of consciousness. This is the moment for reflections, quiet conversation and flame-staring. Let the mood relax. Keep passing along the wine and cakes. Answer questions. This stage should help ground everyone, and be a time for everyone to share whatever they want.

Some final words.

While these rituals can be quite impressive, and have a lasting effect… remember, they  are a simplification of a much more subtle work. As the officiant, it is your responsibility to manage the rhythm and shape of the ritual. To aid in the flow of energy. But remember: in group rituals, the energy at work is a shared construct. You can help direct it subtly, but you must respect the independence and development level of every participant.

Leading group rituals is a valuable experience. If you approach it with humility and dedication, it is not only rewarding in terms of friendship and social relationships… it is an opportunity for a deeply spiritual understanding and awakening.

May the Old Gods inspire you

I call unto Her wisdom,
Her insight,
Her Love.

For inspiration.
For rebirth.
For knowledge.
For wisdom.

Within me,
as without.
As above,
so below.

Night deep azure,
bright silver starlight.
In their paths lies wisdom,
an eternal dance of destinies.

In Her Name I write.
In Her Wisdom, I desire to live.
Even as my place I forget,
beneath my feet the path remains.

Well, since I am not very politically correct, I will break “tradition” by describing what I have learned while fending off some pretty nasty “intrusions”.

Knowledge as a weapon.

It seems so obvious… but it never hurts writing it again: what you know gives you power. Any kind of information is a source of power. Think about it. You will notice you use this power every day. You use it to comunicate, to use other tools, to establish relationships…

In the same way that the knowledge of how to drive a car allows you to get a license and actually drive a car, knowledge about people lets you act upon them. In good faith (guiding, learning, teaching, counselling)… or in not so good faith (“pushing the buttons”, manipulating, etc.). I know, it is a blunt and crude concept, but it is real.

People adept to the magickal arts tend to be very keen observers, intelligent and quite sensitive. We cultivate our knowledge and our skill to use it with devotion and a focus that seldom seen nowadays. Curiosity often drives us, but also the need to learn for the value of the learning itself.

This adds up to a great capacity to do both good and to harm. The “classical” figure of the magickian as “the power behind the throne”, Rasputin-style, or the mean Witch who seduces and terrifies the villagers of many a story are examples of how, without moral and ethical guidance, knowledge and skill can be used as a weapon.

Weapons have no moral warranty.

Almost anything can be turned into a tool to do harm. Knowledge is no exception. Magickal knowledge is no exception. In fact, it may even be easier to use the power to harm than to heal. Healing, teaching and helping the bettering our peers requires not only knowledge but wisdom, skill, restraint, infinite patience and perseverance… flailing with a curse requires only hate, disregard for any consequence and the heat of a moment. The basics are covered in almost any classical magickal grimoire.

Of course there are consequences. Some are immediate, some are not. I am certain that the Law of Threefold return is not literal, but the consequences of harming others with the knowledge and skill of magick are there.

What we need to bear in mind is that, like a sword, magick comes not with a warranty that it will not be used to do harm. We teach others to use it only to keep balance, to heal, to evolve, etc… we “impose” our morals on the tool, but the tool has no morals of its own. It is as amoral as fire, metal, electricity or magnetism.

And yet, the source of magick’s power is the very same source that gives and sustains our life. We regard it as a sacred Art, in a sense, as a gift from the Divine. It seems sacrilege to use this very gift to disrupt life. A Wiccan will not harm other through magick if it can help it… It will not do so not because of some rule, but because of his or her love for life and the balance and beauty of the Universe. A Christian will not do so either, because his or her love for God extends to the rest of Creation as God’s children. Some people, however, lack such guidance, and are so blinded in their own evolutive path that are perfectly capable to lash out with offensive magick without regard for any consequence. Nothing in the act of casting magick prevents him or her from using it to do harm.

Natural immunity.

Most of the effects one can “create” with spells and enchantments are quite subtle in nature. It is not easy (and some may say it is impossible) to actually challenge the laws of science with magick. Most of the targets for spells are living beings, and it is “common knowledge” that some of the most easily crafted spells are those who affect the perception of reality, and not “reality” itself.

All sentient beings exist in equilibrium with the reality they perceive. There is a balance between the belief of we have in “reality” and how the Universe reacts to that belief. In a sense, reality is partially based on our perception of itself. It is a very interesting manifestation of the Principle of Correspondence. Magick can subtly affect that equilibrium when properly crafted.

One of the side effects of this conception is that there exists a natural barrier, an interface, between the personal “sphere of sensation” and the Universe at large. This barrier has many names, aura being one of the most common.

In people that are firmly rooted in the material life, with a strong belief in science, good mental and physical health and no interest in the realms of the spiritual, occult or magickal disciplines, this barrier in unusually high and thick… while it is fairly simple to disrupt it or to interact past it by mundane means, it is VERY difficult to breach it with magick. There is a very high natural resistance.

It is only for those whose soul has been weakened by diseases of the body or the mind, who have low self esteem and/or an unbalanced interest or sensibility towards the Unseen world that magickal attacks can easily target.

Also, we, the magi and witches who by our very nature are open to feeling and travelling through the world Beyond the Veil are very much open. Our auras are open, delicate and, when not properly trained, quite transparent to whatever astral nonsense is happening around us. That is why the first lesson one learns is to “clear and release”, to “cleanse the aura”, “balance one’s own elemental nature”, “building our body into our astral temple” or however you like to call it. Basically, we learn to ground both our excess energy and whatever we may have picked up, and to strenghten the barrier so that only those energies we allow to pass come through. Like a very personal circle of power, our aura is our line of defense against both naturally occurring astral low forms or artificially created attacks.

The key, of course, is perseverance. Grounding should be done everyday to be useful. Sensibility should be heightened so one is aware when something out of the ordinary is happening. The Will must be strenghtened so that we have the courage to avoid harmful situations.

Contrary to what some may have told you, initiates and adepts need constant protection against the harmful build up of energies that often happen around conflicting daily situations. That’s why a lot of them develop a quiet way of life, with plenty of time for contemplation and cleansing… and why some detach themselves from contact from others outside their Order or lodge.

In the next post on this series:

How to spot the beginning of a magickal attack, and how to differentiate it from more mundane disorders, basic precautions and part of the price of being “out of the broom closet”.

Stay tuned… Love and light.

I sit on the grass, on this sunny afternoon, with spring hitting in full strenght. The plum blossoms have now joined the peaches. The ivy that covers the fence that limits the garden is once again full of lush new green. Color and life have returned to the Land. The cycle is once again being born into existance. 

I can’t help but try to relate to this… I feel the Sun get warmer, I see the days starting earlier… I am a child of the Earth, and I feel in my Soul the return of new beginnings. It comes to me when I am still wounded inside, but it nevertheless fills me with new energy, with new hope. 

I still remember hope. I still remember how it was, for a little while. The memories of freedom and peace are still bright in my mind. A joyful memory that keeps the heart warm… a stark contrast with most of my days. 

And yet… this is a celebration of Life, a moment of Beginning and of Rebirth. The cold darkness of Winter has finally given up, and we move towards the joyful dance of Summer. The Empress welcomes us once more into the palace of her open fields, full of golden grains and verdant woods. 

I will embrace this Life… I will come back.

The oranges and lemons are ripe on their evergreen leafy homes, while the rest of the gardens are still in the long sleep, in the apparent death of Winter. There is silence… birds have still not come back.

Since my forced exile deprived me of my own little parcel of Nature, I have grown restless. Grey have been my days, cold my nights. For many weeks, clouds crowned the sky, and the Sun and Moon remained unheeded. I took refuge in my own self, the only thing remaining to me that no one can take away.

But even Darkness has an end. Like the new leaves growing in the old roses, like the nascent buds and flowers that blossom on the peach trees. The growing warmth of the new season follows the chilling cold of the dying one. Soon, in a moon or so, full spring will overtake this realm of long nights and short days.

I wish I could have such a bright prospect for myself… my future is still uncertain. I feel like a tree that has been unrroted. But today… today I take confort that the first signs of spring have arrived. Like a welcome sunrise after a long Night, I greet the renewal of Life.

A blue and golden sky, in a clear August afternoon… somewhere near Buenos Aires. Who would have thought that this very simple moments of peace would become a treasure so prized. My heart yearns for simple times, for the clear flame shining in the night to honor the Gods.  I miss the secure warmth of the root and the home. I miss the freedom of choice. I miss the simple joys, the hope of a better day tomorrow.

As I transit this “in between” period of my life, I fear to lose my way in the gray mists of an undefined present. But She has deemed pertinent that I walk this path like the Hermit, with only the Lamp of my inner flame to guide me. No auguries to pre-view the road. No omens to avert the little dangers.

Where is this road taking me? I do not know. And the Fear of Not-Knowing is a great Shadow to face before me. The threads of the weave remain unseen, and the pattern is like a distant memory. But I shall not fall, I shall not fail. For good or Ill, I am commited to the Path, and I will transcend this darkness of my own limitations.

From somewhere in Argentina, in perfect love and perfect trust, I leave you my best wishes.

I have not been around lately, but I will be back soon. As soon as I finish the job it’s allowing me to pay for my new computer equipment hehehe

Love and light,

Pablo, The Mage of the Many Shadows.

While I am kind of forced by technical reasons to take a short break in my writing, I have been digging into my “unpublished” and “partially published” articles stack.

And I found this little, but very nice, article you may like.

It touches topics such as magickal awareness, why those who take up this path are so “different”, what are the consequences of magick and how to face them…

Should I have taken the blue pill?

By Pablo M. Dotro, The Mage of the Many Shadows
<wizard@elysium.com.ar>
Rev. 1.0.1

One of the defining qualities of those who choose to take on the path of magick or witchcraft is a deep desire to understand. In a way, magickians and witches are constantly trying to expand their consciousness, to see beyond the surface… “beyond the Veil”. Some do it intuitively, in a kind of holistic, “gestalt” way; while some of us tend to focus on a more structured quest for patterns and relationships. But the essence is that we all seek the underlying truth we suppose exists beyond all the physical manifestations of the Universe. Hermetic teachers speak of “The All”; other mystic schools have different names for it. But we all assume there is something beyond, something that is “real” underlying all the shallow, ephemeral manifestations of our sensual world.

How does that belief translate in our lives? It takes many forms, but I think one of the most common is a kind of awareness. Those of us who have taken the first steps into a magickal path tend to share a few premises that subtly differentiate “us” from the “common” person. One of them is, paradoxically, an almost absolute belief in causality (it can take many forms, we do not believe in unexplainable phenomena). Another is the belief that nothing in the Universe is isolated… everything is connected. These two streams play a strange tune on our consciousness… often deriving in one finding purpose. No longer are we simply reacting to education, genetics and/or our environment, but we become aware that our destiny is in our hands. That this is not as easy as it sounds… is a mere understatement, but that is a topic for another essay.

The key point is that those of us with a natural attraction to the magickal arts feel within ourselves some of the subtle patterns of nature. It manifests differently in each of us, but it usually takes the form of a keen intuition, unusual self awareness and a holistic understanding of our environment… So, invoking a “Matrix” cliché, we feel that we have taken “the red pill”, and awakened outside of the so-called normal consciousness.

Most of us had, in our lives, a moment resembling to a turning point, a decision… a choice. But even that choice was an illusion (Matrix fans would say, “the choice was already made”), for we would have awakened to this state nevertheless, sooner or later. Even if we would have chosen to deny our “gift”… it is something we kind of knew from the start, a growing consciousness that separates us from our immediate human environment.

As everything, this has consequences. One of the greatest is the delusion of power. We find that sensual reality is a plastic thing (in particular if you get used to relying on “practical” magick)… not really real. It can be modeled with the proper use of the Will (different magickal schools have different names, the concept is the same). That can make us feel above the rest of the universe. Instead of being a part of the whole, we feel we can master reality to our wishes. It is a very real and present danger. And a danger we are, as a rule, not ready to see when we face it. A lot has been written about this, and the essays “The Price of Magick” and “Groups: the Nature of the Beasts“, both by Barry Walker, are great reading on the subject.

Another very important consequence is that this change in consciousness is irreversible. This extended awareness shows us a lot of the subtle relationships of the Universe, giving us a lot of extra information and a direct link to “tap into” it. But we may not like what we see. This is particularly important when we deal with human nature and our interaction with other human beings.

You can, in some instances, see through attitudes and words, getting a direct feel of the true nature of both others and yourself. This has two problems (at the very least). One, related to the delusion of power. We are human, and so we are prone to errors. And more than that, the gift of extended awareness is filtered by our ego-self, so we cannot truly rely on it… we can, in some instances, get a very accurate picture of the “truth”, while in others be exceptionally blind… or worse, get utterly convinced of something that is an illusion. How do you know when that happens?

That’s the catch, you usually can’t. You find out the hard way. And if you delude yourself, thinking you are always right about such things, the Universe has a tendency to show your wrongs… the hard way.

So that’s about the delusion of power… but as I stated in a previous paragraph, the delusion of power is not the only consequence of extended awareness. There is a much more subtle danger in seeing too much.

You may not like what you see. Or you may not understand it. That is much more painful than it sounds. It happens in many different aspects of life, and is often associated with the first stages of learning.

Magickal ceremonies of initiation attempt to unite the lower and higher aspects of the mind and soul, much like a shock treatment that brings to light all the ugly complexes, repressed character traits and uncertainties. This is treated in some texts about magick (for example, in Israel Regardie’s books “The Golden Dawn” and “The Middle Pillar”; in “Initiation and Death“, an essay by G.D. initiate Tommy Westlund and in some convoluted form, in many of Aleister Crowley’s writings). To be able to keep our sanity, we absolutely need to devote ourselves to the hard work of accepting and modeling our hidden aspects of the self… mastering our “shadow”, if you like. Only a dedication to such diligent a work, more often than not with some aid, allows us to keep ourselves “sane”. Needless to say, this is not easy.

The issue I am trying to refer to is that in many cases, we are far too perceptive, getting deep insight from the apparent chaos. Intuition is powerful… but what happens when we discover something we did not want to know?

In a magickian, the old saying “ignorance is bliss” tends to elicit an ironic smile. Most of us are proud of our perception (some of us too proud, even), but I think that everyone of us has, in some moment or other, wished we could live without really knowing, without that awareness, that small glimpses of what lies behind the veil.

It is often a painful moment, that in which one desires life to be simple again. But the process is one-way only, and once you take up the path, you are changed forever. It all starts in the unconscious self… and by the time the ego makes the willing choice, the changes are well under way. From there on, you have taken the red pill. The matrix-reality is no longer the same.

The path of the magickian, the witch, the mystic… they take you on a journey outside normal awareness. A journey in which you have to confront your personal daemons to succeed. A journey that induces deep changes and crystallizes them into a beautiful, shining whole. The process is difficult, often starting well outside everyday consciousness, and dawning on us only when the ego-self is just getting prepared to understand it.

I want to make clear that the characteristics described here as related to the practice of magick are not really restricted to it. In fact, many sensitive people experience them, without ever stepping beyond that sensibility into the realm of magick or casting the simplest of spells. Any level of increased awareness yields these same traits, even when one is not actively seeking to take up the mantle of the Art of Magick.

There is a strong correlation, however. Almost without exception, skilled and gifted magick-users are very sensitive, highly aware of themselves and their environment. It is often the case that the initial sensibility is what attracted them to the Path.

What strikes me so much is the intensity with which all these little changes dawn on you. As we start our journey, we read about it in many different books, writings and introductory texts. If we are lucky enough to have someone who can guide us, then we are sure to get the warning about the dangers of our choices from our teacher. But words are never enough to describe it, and when you are fully aware of the changes… these are well on their way, and only then we understand. Many things in magick are that way, that’s why some authors say that it is an “experiential discipline”… something you have to experiment to understand properly, not just read about.

But what happens when you “take the red pill”? It is possible to walk away from the active practice of magick, but the gained extended awareness remains there for you for the rest of your life. For good or evil, we change in the experience, and we cannot go back to the previous stage of our lives.

The consequences of extending our awareness can be painful, conflictive, hard to understand and can very well take us into despair… but they can also be rewarding, loving, enlightening, breathtakingly sublime, noble and become our means to reach a higher level of consciousness. It’s the application… and the attitude what makes the difference. When the daemons strike, we strike back, we understand them, we name them, we beat them and make them a constructive part of the whole that is our existence.

The learning process is a spiraling series of clashes like these. Successive periods of darkness and light. In each circle, you learn more, you understand more, and you unlock new depths within and without yourself. Using the language of alchemy, you transmute your soul from the gross and dark matter into pure philosophical gold. No more and no less than that.

It is dangerous and often painful path; but like I said, for some of us the choice is already made… now we have to understand it.

So, my advice to you… if you are already on this journey, do not hesitate to continue, to work hard. Always. It is the only way to succeed. And you will succeed whatever the practical outcome may be. If you are just interested, or have read this far out of simple curiosity, I hope I have been able to provide you with a little more understanding about those who are different, either by choice or by character. May the stars shine on us all.

History of Revisions: 1.0.0: Feb. 3^rd, 2004. Initial release in MS Word and PDF format.

1.0.1: Jan. 20^th, 2008. Minor style corrections and grammar copy/editing. HTML version.

I present to you  this week’s article, from my regular column at The Daily Spell. On this issue: different criteria for planetary classification. If you want to know what a “personal planet” is, this is the place to look Also, this week’s featured planet: Venus, the Goddess of Love.

Have fun!

The Way of the Stars

An Introduction to Astrology

By Pablo Dotro(*) – The Mage of the Many Shadows.

wizard@elysium.com.ar – http://www.elysium.com.ar

“Lady of the Azure Mantle,
to you we call in the clear, dark Night.
To read our Destiny in your Heart,
these words I offer thee,
in perfect love and perfect trust.”

Merry Meet, my dear friends! First of all, happy new year . This week, I will tell you about the different way astrologers use to classify or group the planets for study. Also, our featured planet this week is Venus, the ruler of Love and Beauty.

Planetary classification

Modern astrology is a healthy mix of modern science and thought on one side, and a myriad of traditional approaches… some of them going back even to ancient Sumer and Babylon. The modern astrological concept of planet; and the different ways into which we divide them for study are a clear example of this “mix”.

The different criteria for classification stem from the different approaches and needs astrologers experienced down the centuries. As time passed, those criteria evolved and coalesced into the few we now use. The following are the most usual (and useful) ways to divide the planets for study and interpretation.

By their astrological/psychological function in a chart:

• The Luminaries: Sun and Moon, these are the most important planets of all. They represent the conscious and unconscious self, and are the center from which everything else emanates.
• The Personal Planets: Mercury, Venus and  Mars. These planets are the ones that relate to our stamina and will, our mind, our sense of aesthetics and self image, our childhood experiences and our basic character. As such, they are often closely analyzed and throughly interpreted as manifestations of our essential nature.
• The Social Planets: Jupiter and Saturn. These two form a dual pair that describe our relationship with society at large; the concept, spirit and letter of the Law; higher learning; religion; politics and such. These planets move slowly in the sky, representing the slow changes in the backbone of the social order of our world.
• The Transpersonal Planets: These are the “new” planets, Uranus, Neptune and Pluto. They manifest themselves usually not in our individual life but in the traits and characteristics of our generation. These are the planets that think, feel and act “outside the box” of everyday society. They bring about changes in the social, technological and spiritual landscape of the world. People with strongly placed planets of this kind is often on the front lines of revolutionary ideas or actions. They are “the ones who are different”. These planets are also often called “the trans-saturnines”.

If you look closely to the previous classification, you may notice something that seems universal to modern astrological thought: astrological symbols are more personal and relevant when their motion in the sky is fast… when their placement is so unique to our birth time that they are like a snapshot of our potential. That is why the fastest planets (and of course the houses and the ascendant) are given so much importance. More on this in a few weeks

An other way to classify the planets is by their placement relative to Earth in the heliocentric Solar System:

• Inner planets: Mercury and Venus
• Outer Planets: Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune and Pluto.

This is useful for the rules on retrograde movement and as a visual aid when trying to form a mental image of our solar system. It is also helpful to remember that the inner planets are never too far away from the sun (28° for Mercury, 48° for Venus).

From the earliest days of Greek astrology, a tradition emerged that classifies planets by their “gender”:

• Male planets: Sun, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Pluto.
• Female planets: Moon, Venus and Neptune.
• “Neutral”: Mercury.

A a few centuries later, from the European late Middle Age and Renaissance, with a re emegence of Hermeticism, a system evolved grouping the planets by a subjective measure of their heat or coldness:

• Cold planets: Moon, Saturn, Mercury and Uranus.
• Warm planets: Venus, Jupìter and Neptune.
• Hot planets: Sun and Mars.

In a similar vein, planets are also classified by their “wetness” or moisture:

• Dry planets: Sun, Mars and Saturn.
• Moist or wet planets: Moon, Mercury, Jupiter, Uranus and  Neptune.

There is also a very old classification that comes to us from Babylon and Sumer… planets were, of old, considered good or evil.

• Benefics: Venus, the Lesser Benefic and Jupiter, the Great Benefic.
• Malefic: Mars, the Lesser Malefic and Saturn, the Great Malefic.

 
Astrologers use all of these classifications in their daily work. This provides a very rich framework and vocabulary… but on the other hand it tends to create a “jargon” that often seems incomprehensible to non-astrologers.

 
Today’s featured planet: Venus, Lady of Love and the Arts.

In Astronomy:

• Venus lies between Mercury and Earth in the Solar System, moving in an almost circular orbit.    
• Its internal composition is very similar to Earth’s: a metallic core and a thin crust of silicates and other elements. It’s atmosphere, however, is very inhospitable, thick and dense. It is composed mostly of carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, sulhpur oxides, nitrogen, water vapour and sulphuric acid. The mean atmospheric pressure near the surface is of around 90 times the one on Earth’s sea level.
• Venus’ size, gravity and density are similar to Earth’s. It’s geology is so similar it is often called  “our sister planet”.
• A “year” in Venus lasts 224 days, and a “day” is 243 days long. Venus is the only planet on the Solar System to have a reverse rotation direction: the Sun rises from the West and sets in the East. That may explain why it takes longer for this planet to complete a revolution around itself than a full orbit around the Sun (the year is longer than the day).  
• Venus’ atmosphere is very thick, it is impossible to see the surface from space. Detailed observations of Venus’ surface are made mostly using radar.  
• Temperatures in Venus are around the highest on any of the planets on the Solar System, with a mean temperature of around 480-500°C (932°F, enough to melt tin and lead). The dense atmosphere and constant wind make this temperature almost uniform during day and night, all year long..
• Being the planet closest to the Sun, Mercury is the fastest planet on our Solar System. Its closeness to our main star and its speed were key to one of the earliest proofs of Einstein’s theory of General Relativity in 1916.

In myth and legends:

Venus has a long history of observation and myths, as it is one of the brightest points in the night sky.

In Sumerian and Babylonian mythology, the early Sumerians first identified it as Innana, Goddess of love, war and sex. The Akkadians, Babylonians and later mesopotamic cultures associated this planet with Ishtar.

In Greek and Roman  mythology, as with Mercury, this planet was not identified as a unique body until the 4^th century BCE. It was previously thought to be two planets: one that appears before sunrise, Phosphoros (He who brings the Light). To the Romans this star was called Lucifer (the Light Bearer). When Venus was sighted  after sunset, it was called Hesperos (the Star of the Evening). The Romans called this evening star Vesper. Pythagoras is traditionally attributed the discovery that both stars were, in fact, a single planet. It was not until the late Hellenic period that this knowledge became widespread, and was called Venus/Aphrodite.

Venus became associated in more modern times with the female principle of creation, and so its symbol is now a common way to designate female individuals in biology and colloquial writing. To the mediaeval alchemists, Venus was associated with copper.

In the astrological tradition:

Venus is one of the most harmonic symbols present in a chart. Along with the Moon, Venus is one of the main female archetypes in Astrology. Venus is one of the benefic planets, and often brings harmony to the sign and house where it is placed on any chart.

Venus rules many of our aesthetic and visual ideals, and thus it is said to be the planet that defines our idea of beauty. Venus is related to our ability to enjoy life, to the way we love and are loved. On a more practical level, social interactions in general are also connected to Venus.

As Venus relates to our conception of beauty and pleasure, it is also said to rule over the concept of value, be them our personal values or the value of things.

It is important to note that the feelings of love that are Venus domain are not necessarily those of sexual love, which are (more often than not) the province of Pluto and Mars.

A well placed Venus in a chart brings beauty, serenity, sensuality, an innate aesthetic sense and some artistic talents. Also a certain personal charm and courtesy, with a good grasp of social life.

When it is inarmonically placed, Venus can lead to over idealization of love and relationships… like living in a perpetual fairy tale. It can also lead to an overly hedonistic or superficial lifestyle, excessive vanity. When overly hindered by its placement, it can result in personalities that are very insecure or overly shy, with serius difficulties in establishing meaningful relationships.

Venus is at home in the signs of Taurus (the earthly nature of Venus: pleasure, values and lasting projects that transcend the present) and Libra (the more social aspects of Venus: relationships, commitments and balance).

 Coming up next week:

Next week I will show you how to do some simple interpretations of  “planets in signs” using keywords and your own intuition. Also, our featured planet will be Mars, ruler of willpower and war. Remember you can read this one and all past columns in my blog(1).

 
–

References:

(*) Pablo is an advanced astrology student at the Centro Astrológico de Buenos Aires (www.astrolcaba.com.ar), a First Degree student at Witchschool, and has extensive experience in Wicca, ceremonial magick, computer science, the Internet, physics and chemistry.

(1) http://www.wordsofmagick.com.ar/blog

The first issue of The Way of the Stars of 2008 is here

It got published at The Daily Spell on Jan 3rd. 2008. It covers The Sun and The Moon as a duality and the featured planet of the week was Mercury.

Come and take a look

The Way of the Stars

An Introduction to Astrology

By Pablo Dotro(*) – The Mage of the Many Shadows.

wizard@elysium.com.ar – http://www.elysium.com.ar

“Lady of the Azure Mantle,
to you we call in the clear, dark Night.
To read our Destiny in your Heart,
these words I offer thee,
in perfect love and perfect trust.”

Merry Meet, my dear friends! I am sorry for the delay

This week, our main topics are the relationship of the Sun and the Moon, an expression of the inner duality of our self and this week’s featured planet: Mercury, ruler of the mind. Let’s take a look…

The Sun and the Moon.

The Sun and the Moon are, by far, the most important of the planets present in every chart. Their placement by sign and house, their angular relationship with each other and the rest of the sensitive points of a chart are very significant considerations in every chart analysis. They are “the luminaries” of the chart.

They represent the opposite sides of the fundamental active-passive duality, and as such play a fundamental role in our quest to understand human nature. The table below shows a few examples of this relationship:

The essential link between the Sun and the Moon is that former represents the parts of our personality that we usually consider our “self” or ego, and the latter represents the inner, more emotional traits.

The nature of the duality is similar to the one existing between The Magician and The Emperor versus The High Priestess and The Empress cards in the Tarot. It permeates our whole being.

When we interpret a chart, these two symbols manifest in many ways. Often, the Sun brings out the basic personality, and the Moon expresses itself as an underlying background of emotions. The Moon is, however, of paramount importance in our relationships with others. Since she rules our habits, our emotional response and our instincts, it is probably even more relevant than the Sun for the success of any emotional link with other people.  

In any case, every one of us has both the Sun and the Moon present… When they are well placed, the resulting personality is straightforward… often meaning people who attain a great deal of innate self knowledge and self esteem, for there is little conflict between the wishes of the rational self/ego (the Sun) and the needs of the emotional self (the Moon). Life “moves smoothly” for them.

Of course, on the other hand in some other charts there is tension between the symbols… either because there is direct opposition (i.e. the person was born near the full moon), or because the Sun/the Moon are placed in signs into which they hold no dignity(1) (“in fall/detriment” or “in exile”, for example). In these cases, the resulting personality may exhibit some tensions and interesting twists: the needs and desires of the emotional self and the objectives of the ego may be at odds with each other. It often takes a great deal of inner work to balance this duality… and because of the celestial mechanics of our Solar System, most of us fall into this category.

In a few weeks, I’ll teach you about the special “angles” the planets form with each other (what astrologers call “aspects”), and then I will devote some time to explain the “special case” of those who were born under the full moon (i.e. with the Moon exactly 180 degrees apart from the Sun).

There is, of course, an immense variability in how the Sun and the Moon interact in each birth chart. Some charts may be dominated by the Moon, while others may have a strong solar component.

The Moon has a connection to the physical body and eating habits, so in many charts its relationship with House 1 and the Ascendant (who also relate to the physical body), with House 6 (which relates to our habits and routines) and House 4 (traditionally, the house of the Mother and Home) is an important key.

The Sun has a connection to creativity and the ego, so in many charts its relationship with House 1 and the Ascendant (how we show ourselves to the world), with House 10 (traditionally, the Father, our job and our position of social prominence) and House 5 (creativity, self expression) is important.

There is even some anecdotal evidence supporting the observation that the Sun/Moon placement in our mothers birth chart is related to the position of the Moon in our charts (for example, my mother is a Virgo, with a lot of planets also in that sign… and my Moon is in Virgo).

Some authors refer to the Sun-Moon duality as the “Solilunar paradox”, but in truth there is no paradox… they are simply opposite ends of the fundamental dual forces of the Universe. As Hermetic thinkers often say:

“Everything is dual; everything has poles;
everything has its pair of opposites;
like and unlike are the same;
opposites are identical in nature, but different in degree;
 extremes meet; all truths are but half-truths;
 all paradoxes may be reconciled.”(2)

Today’s featured planet: Mercury, The Messenger of the Gods.

In Astronomy:

• Mercury is the planet that is closest to the Sun. From our viewpoint, Mercury is never farther away from the Sun than 28.3 degrees.  
• The planet is composed of 70% metallic elements and 30% silicates. It is one of the densest objects of the Solar System, with a density of 5.43 grams per cubic centimeter.
• Mercury’s diameter is of around 2440 Km (38% of Earth’s). Gravity at Mercury’s surface is around 38% of that we feel on Earth.
• A “year” in Mercury lasts 88 days, and a “day” is 58 days and 16 hours on average.
• It has almost no atmosphere, and its rocky surface (like that of our Moon) is littered with impact craters.
• Temperatures on Mercury are extreme, since it has no atmosphere and is only 57.9 million Km away from the Sun. A typical “day” under sunlight is at around 427°C (~800°F), while at night (or in the shade during the day) the temperature lowers to around -193°C (-316°F).
• Until 1965, it was believed that the surface was “locked”, with the same face looking towards the Sun at all times (just as in the Earth-Moon system). Detailed radar observations have, however, proved this false. It is nowadays understood that our original assumptions were based on incomplete optical measurements limited by the difficulty of observing Mercury when it is close to the Sun.
• Being the planet closest to the Sun, Mercury is the fastest planet on our Solar System. Its closeness to our main star and its speed were key to one of the earliest proofs of Einstein’s theory of General Relativity in 1916.

In myth and legends:

Mercury is quite elusive to observe. Its short separation from the Sun means that it is only visible either immediately before sunrise or just after sunset. Its speed makes these sightings difficult: only in brief periods of the year is Mercury far enough from the Sun to be visible. Many myths related to this planet in ancient civilizations are related to this phenomenon.

In Sumerian and Babylonian mythology, the early Sumerians first identified it as a planet in the 3^rd millennium BCE, and named it Ubu idim gud ud. Around one thousand years later, the Babylonians called this planet Nabu or Nebu, the god of writing and “Messenger of the Gods” in their religious pantheon.

In Greek mythology, this planet was given two distinct names, as early Greek astronomers-astrologers thought they were observing two planets. It was identified with the solar god Apollo when it was observed before sunrise and with Hermes when it was observed after sunset. Both gods share the attribution of being gods of wisdom and the arts. It was Hermes, however, the one who prevailed when advances in observational techniques allowed the ancient Greeks to realize they were observing the same planet. Hermes, like the Babylonian Nabu is the Messenger of the Gods, a god of writing, commerce and feats of the mind.

In Roman mythology, the Romans indentified the Hermes of the Greeks with Mercury to such a degree that the two gods are almost undistinguishable. Roman astronomers-astrologers also equated the planet assigned to Hermes with Mercury. The closeness of Mercury to the Sun was also related to Mercury’s role as Herald and Messenger to the Gods.

In Egyptian mythology, the planet Mercury was associated to Thoth, the god of Wisdom, Writing and magic. One of its attributes was the understanding and governing of the laws of Nature by means of knowing the true name of everything.

It is interesting to note that by fusing the attributes of Hermes, Mercury and Thoth, later occult thinkers gave birth to “Hermes Trismegistus”, the father of Western magickal ideas. After the Renaissance, astrologers have also associated this more “magic oriented” figure of Hermes-Thoth to the planet Mercury.

Also (in more modern terms) certain archetypical characters like Peter Pan (a clever, agile and ever-young kid who guides children into fantastic lands); Tom Bombadil (from The Lord of the Rings, a merry nature-spirit that is both young and old and has strong magical powers associated with words and names and guides the Hobbits out of the haunted Old Forest); Harry Potter (a very young boy who wields strong magic, also associated with the power of words) are fit incarnations of Mercury.

In the astrological tradition:

Mercury has long been associated in astrology with words, be them written or spoken, with commerce, with movement and short travels. Mercury represents our mental abilities for abstraction and short-term memory. It is related to learning, but it strongly leans to the basic, everyday learning of elementary education, high school and vocational institutions than the erudition expected of a College graduate.  

Of all the planets, Mercury is the only one that is gender-neutral and is often considered “the hermaphrodite planet”.

Mercury rules also curiosity, common sense, learning by experience, communication, ingenuity and reasoning. Because of all this, it is often said that Mercury has a lot to say about how we relate and express ourselves in front of others. It also is a key to understand how we connect different concepts into coherent logical constructions.

As this planet rules over our verbal and written expression, it has links to commerce, transactions and sales.

When Mercury is not well placed in the chart, it may translate as a lack of its qualities (memory lapses, a passive mind, lack of curiosity, bad luck with commercial transactions, etc.) or as an inharmonic expression of mercurial traits: the convincing words and clear perception of the salesman can turn into the twisted wit of the con artist, a quick mind can help others transcend their limits, or can make them manifest to take credit. As always, every symbol has two sides. For an example of a simple way of inharmonic expression of Mercury, you may want to take a look to my past article on Mercury retrogrades(3).

In more esoteric terms, Mercury is The Magician of the old planets. So it is closely connected to both the idea of mental transformation, the technical aspects of the art and science of Alchemy and almost everything related to “practical magick”. As we will see in a few weeks, this is also shared/expanded by the role of the outer planets (Uranus, Neptune and Pluto).

Coming up next week:

Next week I’ll tell you about different ways astrologers have of classifying the planets. Also, our featured planet will be Venus, ruler of beauty and love. Remember you can read this one and all past columns in my blog(4).

–

References:

(*) Pablo is an advanced astrology student at the Centro Astrológico de Buenos Aires (www.astrolcaba.com.ar), a First Degree student at Witchschool, and has extensive experience in Wicca, ceremonial magick, computer science, the Internet, physics and chemistry.

(1) http://www.wordsofmagick.com.ar/blog/2007/07/11/18/

(2) http://sacred-texts.com/eso/kyb/kyb12.htm

(3) http://www.wordsofmagick.com.ar/blog/2007/06/19/13/

(4) http://www.wordsofmagick.com.ar/blog

In this issue of my weekly column at The Daily Spell: How to create quick-reference cards of keywords and correspondences.

Take a look

The Way of the Stars

An Introduction to Astrology

By Pablo Dotro(*) – The Mage of the Many Shadows.

wizard@elysium.com.ar – http://www.elysium.com.ar

“Lady of the Azure Mantle,
to you we call in the clear, dark Night.
To read our Destiny in your Heart,
these words I offer thee,
in perfect love and perfect trust.”

 
Merry Meet, my dear friends! In this issue I want to depart a little from our planetary tour in order to propose to you a small personal project. Today I will teach you a simple technique for creating your own set of quick reference cards for storing keywords and correspondences. This is an important first step that needs to be taken before making your own astrological interpretations.

There are many different techniques. The one I am going to detail here is, perhaps, one of the easiest and practical. If you complete the project, you will have in your hands a very valuable resource: a searchable personal database of keywords (in paper… no computers involved ). Let’s take a look…

 Putting keywords to work: how to create quick reference cards.

Last week(1), I rambled about the keyword system, and how it helps us to make sense of the symbols we work with in astrology. Today, I want to show you how to create a practical “dictionary” of keywords for your personal use.

You will need(2):

• A stack of blank filing cards (like those used as reference cards in libraries).
• A pair of colored pens (I use black and red).
• A straightedge or ruler.
• Past issues of this column and/or any good quality astrology handbook.

The basic idea is that each card will have a “header” with the symbol, name and usual correspondences, and then a main body containing the keyword list. As an example, I will show you how to create a “reference card” for Taurus.

Step 1: Header and basic correspondences.

On the top left of the card, I usually draw the astrological symbol prominently. Followed by the name (“Taurus”) and since this is a sign, the conventional “start and end dates” (in this case, April 20^th to May 20^th). These dates are not absolute, but the essential idea here is that the top row serves as an “index tab” for easy and quick searching.

After a separating line, I note the basic elemental, rhythm and polarity correspondences (Earth – Fixed – Negative). The next line details the regent planet (Venus) and the planet that exalts in this sign (Luna, The Moon).

The next one or two lines detail some other general correspondences that seem relevant to you. I like detailing colors and crystals. These are not strictly astrological, but suited to personal traditions and uses.

Below this line I draw a double line, separating correspondences from the keyword section. This(3) is how it looks so far. The data needed to complete this header can be extracted from past issues from this column, from my reference table(4) or from any basic western astrology manual.

Step 2: Extract and note down the keywords.

Now begins the real hard work… well, not that hard, but the most important part of the process . With your sources at hand, begin noting down the relevant keywords for the symbol. You may choose whatever order you feel right (alphabetical, by source, by subject, etc.). My personal recommendation is not to restrict yourself to one particular source (i.e. this column, or a particular book), but explore many different approaches and note down the words that you feel relevant.

The harder you look and bigger your effort here, more useful the card will be later. Try not to constrain yourself to a single meaning, try to think “outside the box” and note it all down.

If you are like me, a mild control freak, you may want to keep track of where each keyword came from. I usually do this by adding a numbered reference and listing them on the reverse of the card. This is how it looks like for me in the front(5) and reverse(6) sides. Note that each keyword is referenced (the black numbers).

 My recommendation is that you create, for yourselves and for personal use, a complete set of reference cards for the signs, and later for the planets. I know it is a slow process that takes time, but…

• It’s a great method for study. Writing the words helps us remember them.
• It will be a great resource for interpretation later on.
• It gives you the opportunity to “personalize” your relationship with the astrological symbols.

Do not worry if the cards seem incomplete at first. With time and experience, you will be constantly adding information to your files.

 Sign versus planetary keywords.

Since signs and planets fulfill different roles in astrology, it is only natural that the keywords associated with them be somewhat different from each other. This tends to translate in grammatical terms.

There is a tendency in astrological literature to “personalize” signs, and so most sign keywords are often adjectives. Following the lead of one of the best Argentine astrologers, Jerry Brignone(7), I will advise you against this tendency.

Since signs represent the motivations for action and background, it is best to characterize them by substantives and in some times by verbs in infinitive. That way, if the need arises to describe someone using the keywords, it is easy to convert the words to an adjective, and we avoid the temptation to narrow our interpretation in terms of solar signs alone. Remember, no one is 100% one sign. Each chart has the twelve signs in it.

When you create your personal keyword reference, keep this in mind, and accordingly convert any adjective you find into a substantive or infinitive verb.

Now planets are different. Planets are energy focused and in motion, so their keywords are verbs. Often personalized verbs and substantives. If Aries is action, then Mars is the one who acts. Planetary keywords should reflect this. Of all the astrological symbols, planets are the ones more likely to be personalized.

 Other uses of the keyword system.

Keywords are used in many divinatory systems. They are at the heart of our use of the principle of correspondence(8), so they are used in many esoteric texts and fields. That means that this technique for creating reference cards can also be applied to other systems. Divination disciplines like, the Tarot and the Runes; symbolic systems like the Quabalah and its Tree of Life; Color and musical scales used in ritual design… the list of applications is countless. And all it takes is a sharp mind, some time and a few office supplies. This is a very powerful technique, deceptively simple… but deep in potential. Have fun making good use of it .

 Coming up next week:

Next week I return to our scheduled tasks, and our featured planet will be Mercury. I will also talk a little about the two planets we already saw: the Sun and the Moon, and how they relate to each other. Remember you can read this one and all past columns in my blog(9).

 –

References:

(*) Pablo is an advanced astrology student at the Centro Astrológico de Buenos Aires (www.astrolcaba.com.ar), a First Degree student at Witchschool, and has extensive experience in Wicca, ceremonial magick, computer science, the Internet, physics and chemistry.

 (1) http://www.wordsofmagick.com.ar/blog/2007/12/16/37/

(2) http://www.wordsofmagick.com.ar/files/wts/22/utiles.jpg

(3) http://www.wordsofmagick.com.ar/files/wts/22/header.jpg

(4) http://www.book.wordsofmagick.com.ar/An_Overview_of_the_basic_system_of_correspondences

(5) http://www.wordsofmagick.com.ar/files/wts/22/KWfront.jpg

(6) http://www.wordsofmagick.com.ar/files/wts/22/KWreverse.jpg

(7) http://ar.geocities.com/jjbrignone/

(8) http://www.book.wordsofmagick.com.ar/Principle_of_Correspondence

(9) http://www.wordsofmagick.com.ar/blog