Zodiac-Based Magickal Archetypes and Theurgical System

This is a long-term idea I’ve been working on for some time now. Essentially it’s based on the idea of an astral temple, which I first worked with well over thirty years ago. But over the past year or so I’ve combined this idea with my long-term nembutsu practice, and am coming up with something very unique.

The Elements

East

The Zodial Circle

Essentially, the astral temple is based on the zodiac. You spend time daily there, chanting (and creating and maintaining visually (astrally) a central deity (representing your awakened self)).

The temple is based on a magick circle, with air in the East, and so on, and the zodiac is also marked with murials at the correct place (the magick circle is a physical wall).

Your natal planets are existing as shrines in their correct places (so, for example, I have the sun in 12, and so facing the East, my Ascendency is Gemini, and so there is an Apollo shrine to my right.

Now of course this whole thing can be used for meditation on self, kind of like a Bardon black and white mirror affiar, of knowing what needs to be worked on in self, by locating yourself in the temple and considering how a certain placement or aspect affects your mind.

So then there are two things you can do with this system. One, you can use theurgy, as a black/white mirror practice black/white mirror practice.

So you can know what you want to change. You want to feel a certain state, and the state is an idea, say an (unmanifest) idea of abundance or expansion and so you can astrally face the Jupiter shrine and pray and meditate and perform nembutsu, and then in the physical you can perform libations before a shrine – and in both worlds, at the same time, you are feeling the state, you become the idea you are attracting.

And then to specifics, what you want to manifest in the world from this energy (more money say) and so thaumaturgy means to do this. You can literally see what you want on the astral which exists at the Jupiter shrine in the correct place. Then you can perform libation on a physical shrine where you are. You can also, say, make a talisman, and collect the energy of the idea (of abundance) which is the diety (Jupiter) itself, into a physical object on your person in the material.

When you are chanting, you feel (and become) the idea. When you are in the world and feel the idea (abundance) in connection to life or fantasy, you can let go of any daydream associated with the state and think of the diety of the shrine in the astral. You will have a relationship with it by then and so it not only becomes a focused replacement thought when you are in it’s state (you have become the diety by the energy your consciousness is now occupying), but also the specifics of what you want to manifest in the physical are permanently existing on the astral shrine as a statement of your intent, a permanent statement as each time you recall (= create) the shrine astrally, the intention (a specific amount of money) is always there.

So you develop a few overarching goals and create the suitable shrines and objects in your astral temple, which is then always recalled (created) the same way, it’s not only a memory system, but a permanent statement of intent, that each time you feel a suitable feeling (are in state) you are surrendering (unrelated fantasy) to the diety (personification of the energy) and your intention is existing at it’s feet.

Below are some zodiac associations, which I will be developing, largely using the picatrix, in the coming months. Much of my recent ideas are based on the book Divine Magic.

Update: This is still a work in progress. I have pathworkings written for all signs but am updating them. I recently came to better understand the way the Golden Dawn colour scales work and this goes really well into my system, but I need to experiment with it personally, and then rewrite all of the below. You have something to work with for now. Stay tuned for further refinements.

Aries
Theme: Initiative, action, combat, courage, identity
Traits: Bold, impulsive, assertive
Element/Modality: Fire / Cardinal
Ruler: Mars
Archetypes: Ares/Mars (Greek/Roman), Sekhmet (Egyptian), Kartikeya (Hindu), Thor (Norse)
Magickal Focus: Start new workings, destroy obstacles, energise will
Contact: Martial rites, red candles, weapons, sunrise meditations

Aries – The Power of Will and Beginning

Taurus
Theme: Stability, materiality, sensuality, persistence
Traits: Grounded, stubborn, comfort-seeking
Element/Modality: Earth / Fixed
Ruler: Venus
Archetypes: Aphrodite (Greek), Hathor (Egyptian), Demeter (Greek), Lakshmi (Hindu)
Magickal Focus: Prosperity, grounding, healing through nature
Contact: Offerings of food/drink, garden rituals, singing, body awareness

Taurus – The Power of Stability and Embodiment

Gemini
Theme: Communication, intellect, flexibility, duality
Traits: Curious, witty, scattered
Element/Modality: Air / Mutable
Ruler: Mercury
Archetypes: Hermes (Greek), Thoth (Egyptian), Odin (Norse), Hanuman (Hindu)
Magickal Focus: Divination, writing, deception, learning
Contact: Scribing, spoken invocations, puzzles, tongue twisters

Gemini – the Power of Thought and Communication

Cancer
Protection, emotion, family, memory
Traits: Nurturing, defensive, loyal
Element/Modality: Water / Cardinal
Ruler: Moon
Archetypes: Selene/Hecate (Greek), Isis (Egyptian), Parvati (Hindu), Frigg (Norse)
Magickal Focus: Ancestral rites, emotional healing, home blessings
Contact: Moonlight rituals, water bowls, family altars

Cancer: The Power of Feeling and Protection

Leo
Theme: Identity, radiance, leadership, expression
Traits: Proud, creative, loyal
Element/Modality: Fire / Fixed
Ruler: Sun
Archetypes: Apollo (Greek), Ra (Egyptian), Surya (Hindu), Lugh (Celtic)
Magickal Focus: Confidence, visibility, performance, honour
Contact: Solar meditations, gold items, performance rituals

Leo – The Power of Expression and Sovereignty

Virgo
Theme: Service, order, health, discernment
Traits: Analytical, perfectionist, helpful
Element/Modality: Earth / Mutable
Ruler: Mercury
Archetypes: Athena (Greek), Ma’at (Egyptian), Saraswati (Hindu), Brigid (Celtic)
Magickal Focus: Healing work, sacred tasks, organisation
Contact: Daily devotions, journaling, altars of cleanliness/order

Virgo – The Power of Discernment and Devotion

Libra
Theme: Justice, harmony, love, aesthetics
Traits: Diplomatic, indecisive, fair
Element/Modality: Air / Cardinal
Ruler: Venus
Archetypes: Themis (Greek), Ishtar (Babylonian), Venus (Roman), Durga (Hindu)
Magickal Focus: Relationship work, truth-seeking, symmetry
Contact: Mirror work, aesthetic rituals, prayer beads

Libra – The Power of Harmony and Judgment

Scorpio
Theme: Death, transformation, desire, secrecy
Traits: Intense, private, powerful
Element/Modality: Water / Fixed
Ruler: Mars / Pluto
Archetypes: Hades/Persephone (Greek), Anubis (Egyptian), Kali (Hindu), Hel (Norse)
Magickal Focus: Shadow work, necromancy, sexual alchemy
Contact: Dark moon rites, sex magick, underworld meditation

Scorpio – The Power of Depth and Transformation

Sagittarius
Theme: Expansion, knowledge, freedom, faith
Traits: Adventurous, dogmatic, inspired
Element/Modality: Fire / Mutable
Ruler: Jupiter
Archetypes: Zeus (Greek), Horus (Egyptian), Ganesh (Hindu), Odin (Norse)
Magickal Focus: Vision quests, philosophical magick, divination
Contact: Fire scrying, pathworkings, mantras

Sagittarius – The Power of Vision and Expansion

Capricorn
Theme: Authority, structure, time, discipline
Traits: Ambitious, serious, enduring
Element/Modality: Earth / Cardinal
Ruler: Saturn
Archetypes: Chronos (Greek), Geb (Egyptian), Shani (Hindu), Heimdall (Norse)
Magickal Focus: Long-term plans, oaths, mastery
Contact: Stone altars, silence rituals, endurance tests

Capricorn – The Power of Strucure and Ascent

Aquarius
Theme: Change, innovation, society, mind
Traits: Independent, strange, visionary
Element/Modality: Air / Fixed
Ruler: Uranus / Saturn
Archetypes: Prometheus (Greek), Ptah (Egyptian), Varuna (Hindu), Loki (Norse)
Magickal Focus: Tech magick, future vision, chaos rituals
Contact: Circuitry symbols, air meditations, night sky work

Aquarius – The Power of Insight and Liberation

Pisces
Theme: Transcendence, dreams, unity, illusion
Traits: Empathic, mystical, escapist
Element/Modality: Water / Mutable
Ruler: Jupiter / Neptune
Archetypes: Poseidon (Greek), Nephthys (Egyptian), Vishnu (Hindu), Njord (Norse)
Magickal Focus: Dreamwork, channeling, mysticism, trance
Contact: Oceanic sounds, sleep invocation, incense, fasting