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Picatrix – magic of the planets

Picatrix – magic of the planets

Picatrix is one of the most comprehensive and outstanding works on astral magic. It was written in the Middle Ages. Its 400 pages include a synthesis of earlier works on magic and astrology.

Picatrix was written around the 11th century. The work was originally written in Arabic and was titled Ghāyat al-Hakīm, which translates as “the goal of the sage.” It is believed to be authored by Maslama al-Majritim, a respected astronomer, mathematician and alchemist who lived in the late 10th and early 11th centuries. At the request of Alfonso X the Wise, King of Castile (1252-1284), a translation of the work from Arabic to Castilian (Spanish) was produced in 1254. And this consequently made it possible to translate it into Latin in 1256. The work probably received the title Picatrix as a result of the erroneous attribution of its authorship to another Arab sage.

Hermetic sage, or main idea

Picatrix belongs to a collection of so-called Hermetic writings. Hermetic philosophy is perfectly reflected by the saying: “As above, so below.” The adjective “hermetic” comes from the name of the Greek god Hermes, who is identified with the Egyptian god Thoth – the patron of magic, astrology and alchemy, among other things. Picatrix is included in this collection due to the fact that in its pages the idea of the “Hermetic Husband”, who, through magic, becomes “ruler of the Heavens and Earth”, is clearly presented. This is because man lives, or is himself, a smaller world (called microcosm), which in turn is contained in the larger world (i.e. macrocosm). The microcosm is subordinate to the macrocosm. And the larger world influences the smaller world. Thanks to magic, man is able to understand this influence and use it for his own purposes.

Astral spirits and talismans

Picatrix is a guide to astrological magic. The work consists of four parts. Each of them has a different length. At the beginning, among other things, the author introduces the place of man in the universe and reminds us of the most important principle of magic – the belief in its effectiveness. He also describes the 28 lunar houses, which are relevant to the construction and use of talismans. In further pages, the author lectures in detail on the science of talismans, astral magic and presents the characteristics of astral spirits. Astral spirits are simply energy that emanates from the cosmos. On the pages of the work we read that: “All the sages agree that the planets exert influence and rule this world […]. Hence it follows that the source of magic is the movements of the planets.”By acquiring knowledge of how to acquire this energy and manipulate it, a person is able to direct the events of his life as he wishes. Picatrix teaches that to do this, one must “bring these celestial spirits to earth and force them to enter a material object (talisman), which thus acquires certain magical powers.”Of course, when creating talismans, one must stick to the set rules. Picatrix provides detailed instructions for their preparation – describing the necessary ingredients, magical formulas and planetary alignments that favor the creation of talismans for various occasions. The author assures that following the presented rules allows you to get the expected result.

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