Sabian interpretation
Dec. 7th, 2021 01:57 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
crimsoncurrentI find this most useful in the exploration of current transits of the slow moving planets, the activators. For example Saturn is currently at 11° of Aquarius, or Aquarius 12, the symbol for which is “Life’s broad stairway: each landing, a new grade of life.” For this I might imagine an old woman (Saturn) climbing up this broad stairway to distant stars (Aquarius) when I explore this part of Aquarius. I will perhaps conjure a smell (Air) that for me signifies the concept of slowly rising up the stairwell of life. This part will be very personal, it will stem from my personal experience and make complete sense to me but not necessarily to others. I will do meditation beforehand to uncover this analogy, perhaps considering the scents or plants of Saturn in this inner reflection, and I will never reveal it to others.
Notice that in the above example, the movement up a stair is resonant with the fact that Aquarius 12 is a Mercury decan (in both the descending and triplicity order), while it is the terms of Venus (Egyptian terms), which is why I made Saturn an old woman and not an old man, but the Venus terms are also reflected in the emotional feeling this symbol brings of being uplifted spiritually, gently but firmly. The broad steps of the grades of life leading upwards are also pure Saturn in Aquarius.
In evocation the spirits of the Earth Zone will often but by no means always first choose to show themselves in the magic mirror in the form of the Sabian symbol of that degree or some part of it, or something very similar, so if I want to work with the more magical intelligence of a degree I will include the main magical purpose of that degree in any creative imagination with it, for example with Aquarius 12 (Quabbalistic magic) I will perceive the old woman making magical utterances as she rises up the stairwell, or there will be formulae on her robes, the stairs, in the heavens, or some other feature. In short I will perceive that magical activity taking place in that degree and being performed by or involving the symbolism of that degree. By mental transference I will then connect my mental body with that of the imagined scene and commune with it. This is not an evocation but instead a simple form of empathic mental magic so the communication is not externalized in a face to face or self to self relationship, but it is still a useful form of communication that can teach a great deal about a particular degree and your relationship to it. If you fashion talismans of the Earth Zone spirits (which you can do at step 9 of Initiation into Hermetics, but it really requires work in evocation with the spirit beforehand through the Practice of Magical Evocation) you can use the symbolism of the relevant Sabian degree in its design, for example a stairway for Aquarius 12.
Notice that in the above example, the movement up a stair is resonant with the fact that Aquarius 12 is a Mercury decan (in both the descending and triplicity order), while it is the terms of Venus (Egyptian terms), which is why I made Saturn an old woman and not an old man, but the Venus terms are also reflected in the emotional feeling this symbol brings of being uplifted spiritually, gently but firmly. The broad steps of the grades of life leading upwards are also pure Saturn in Aquarius.
In evocation the spirits of the Earth Zone will often but by no means always first choose to show themselves in the magic mirror in the form of the Sabian symbol of that degree or some part of it, or something very similar, so if I want to work with the more magical intelligence of a degree I will include the main magical purpose of that degree in any creative imagination with it, for example with Aquarius 12 (Quabbalistic magic) I will perceive the old woman making magical utterances as she rises up the stairwell, or there will be formulae on her robes, the stairs, in the heavens, or some other feature. In short I will perceive that magical activity taking place in that degree and being performed by or involving the symbolism of that degree. By mental transference I will then connect my mental body with that of the imagined scene and commune with it. This is not an evocation but instead a simple form of empathic mental magic so the communication is not externalized in a face to face or self to self relationship, but it is still a useful form of communication that can teach a great deal about a particular degree and your relationship to it. If you fashion talismans of the Earth Zone spirits (which you can do at step 9 of Initiation into Hermetics, but it really requires work in evocation with the spirit beforehand through the Practice of Magical Evocation) you can use the symbolism of the relevant Sabian degree in its design, for example a stairway for Aquarius 12.