Conference Contributors & Speakers: AM22

AI and Magical Imagery

The Oracle in the Machine

Talismanic astrological-magic flies on two wings: electing the appropriate time to work, and making the appropriate image. This talk will explore the latter subject, questioning what it means to “make” an image and what place the emerging technology of AI can have in this process. We will discuss the occult implications of the underlying technology of neural nets, the oracular experience of working with AI to make art, and, of course, there will be many pictures. Finally, we’ll speculate on future uses of this technology and encourage by any means the generation of new imagery for the vitality of modern occultism.

Ben Jeans Houghton

Thrice Great Giger as Scorpionic-Psychopomp

Constellating Auto-Ethnographic Arts-Praxis as Astral-Magic

This self-reflexive presentation of practice-based research explores atavistic-experimentalism as arts-praxis.How can the subjective-genesis of the-art-of-transformation be enriched by astrological contextualisation? Akin to Andrei Tarkovsky’s Stalker, a liminal psychopomp whose gnostic-psychogeography navigates a profound post-uranian zone of perilous plutonic-portent, I invoke Hans Ruedi Giger’s ghost-as-guide; through the generation of image, text, object, costume and performance, to explore this question through self-reflexive subjectivity.

Giger, as scorpionic ambassador, guides an auto-ethnographic chronological exploration of my own arts-praxis. By illuminating something of Giger’s gnostic capacity to world-the-shadow I will explore the transpersonal-panspermia of celestial, terrestrial, and infernal realms; contextualised-with and focused on the scorpionic-archetypes and imaginal-ecologies of an astrological metaphysics.This auto-ethnographic odyssey serves to examine the agencies and implications of arts-praxis when considered as practice-led astral-magic. Through the exegesis and exposition of my own magical experiences I will discuss formative initiatory experiences through exercise, accident and anomaly that led to the channelling of an astro-magical system and the generative ritual-worldling that nourishes it.

Brandon Hansen

The Annuli

Modern Descendants of the Pinax

The Annuli are a series of boards used for displaying astrological charts tangibly, to accentuate their inherent beauty, as well as aid in clearer understanding of planetary alignments (both hypothetical and specific-to-a-moment). While designed modernly by artist and stargazer Brandon Hansen, an Annulus is a descendant of the ancient Pinax.

In Chris Brennan's book, Hellenistic Astrology: the Study of Fate and Fortune, he describes a Pinax as, "similar to modern-day chess boards, except that the astrological boards depicted the twelve signs of the zodiac, and sometimes the decans or other subdivisions, and then different stones were placed around the board in order to represent the positions of the planets in the chart." This description can be totally applied to an Annulus as well, though the updated design includes many other features, including representations of sect, primary and secondary motion, aspects, the lunar mansions, fixed stars, spatial depth in the Solar System, differentiating inferior and superior planets, and more, all while retaining the beautiful simplicity of being Annular, comprised of only circular divots on circular boards.

In this presentation Brandon will display a few iconic charts upon an Annulus to show its potentials in granting insights to even well-seasoned astrologers, magicians, and educators. By its conclusion, viewers of any level will have a better grasp on scientific mechanics of the cosmos, various philosophical paradigms, and the historical mythologies of multiple cultures.

Chris Reppucci & Elodie St-Onge-Aubut

Direct Encounter Of The 28 Shapes

Throughout the past three years of continual practice of engaging with the 28 Lunar Mansions under the nexus of the list from the Prayer to Mene in the Greek Magical Papyri we've come to feel much of the forms and flows of the Moon as she moves through this memory of creation and integration with the whole of the world. Join us in immersion of the images, visions, voices, personae, messages and stories which came through our nightly encounters, woven with both insights and questions to the relation of directionality, light, anatomy, seasonality, animalism, phenomenon, spirits, afterlife, transmigration, and creation towards a submersive lunar reality.

Cory C. Childs

Channelling the Music of the Spheres

The Planets in Musical Practice

The seven classical planets are often a central part of many forms of astral magic, with the desired effect of a planetarily associated ritual at times being empowered through the use of materials with sympathetic correspondences. While some esoteric authors have touched on the potential of using the materials of music for such a task, there has yet to be a serious effort to not only bring together the traditions of ancient sources but also synthesize them with concepts of modern music theory.

In this presentation, I will share my own efforts to codify and consecrate the musical materials of the planets. First, an overview of the historical sources that were either used outright or as guiding inspirations for more abstract musical correspondences will be provided, after which some basic elements of music theory will be briefly introduced. Next, the methods employed for correspondence and consecration will be elaborated upon before the musical materials of each planet are described in turn with the help of a piano. Finally, various modes of utilizing the materials are explored that are suitable for a range of musical aptitudes from the layman to the adept.

Danny Larkin

John Dee and Queen Elizabeth 1

John Dee is one of the most influential mages in our occult tradition. Studies of Dee often focus on his scrying and angelic contact. In this session, we will instead focus on the relationship between John Dee and Elizabeth 1. How did John Dee guide Elizabeth 1 to get the most out of the potentials and dangers of her natal chart? How did he use electional astrology to improve the situation?

Diego de Oxóssi

Afro-Brazilian Numerology

The Orishas Birth Chart

Orishas are the name given to all African Gods and Goddesses worshipped in diasporic Americas, nature deities that rules the Universe and our lives through Odus - the African destiny roads. Afro-Brazilian Numerology is a self-knowledge technique on how to calculate your Orishas Birth-Chart, understanding the Odus related to your life and the influence of these birth-ruling energies in our personalities: how to work with the dark/shadow side of them, how to improve their light side in order to achieve self-knowledge, and how to use these insights to improve your personal and social skills.

Edoardo Costa

Rediscovering Hermes' Quindecim Stellis

Part 2

Did you know that Sirius' stone may not be heliodor? That Regulus' stone may indeed be garnet and not granite? That Aldebaran's herb may not be milky thistle? And, that you probably not need the tongue of a frog for the talisman of the Wing of the Crow?

During our talk last year we left many things unsaid and we had to skip much of the presentation because of time reasons. This time, we'll try to complete what we left undone. In this talk, we will further explore: discoveries unveiled during the translation of this ancient manuscript; corrections to the commonly accepted translations of the talismanic materials (the stones, herbs, animal parts) used to make the talismans of the 15 Behenian fixed stars; corrections to the translations as to what their effects actually are; the rest of the "knowledge snippets" discovered in this Latin manuscripts of the Liber...; and some speculation as to the implications of my work.

Erica Wilmore-Falu Shadowsong

Sekhmet Creates the Universe

As a devotional priestess of Sekhmet, I have pored through historical references to find very few myths about this ancient, extremely powerful Goddess. Finding few, I have started to experiment with writing myths for Her, and other deities whose myths were either lost to us, or were never really fleshed out. I believe telling stories about the gods is powerful magic. The stories passed down to us have influenced our relationships with them.

In Egyptian mythology, it is common for the creation and origin myths to differ based on the region, as different cities focused on different deities. Their hierarchies differed as well, reflecting their view of the deities prime to them. One way of doing this is to assign to a deity some aspect of creating the universe. In this story cycle, It is in continuation of this practice I offer a creation myth for Sekhmet, that venerates her many celestial aspects, as reflected in such titles as Goddess of the Galaxies, Pre-eminent One in the Boat of the Millions of Years, and Great One in Heaven.

In my exploring this idea of myth-making with the gods, I have a couple of major influences. One is Nancy Ellen Abrams, whose book A God That Could Be Real presents a perspective to deity that can unify both seekers and skeptics by taking into account all we have learned from science in the few thousand years of recorded human history. The other are authors such as Joanne Harris, of The Gospel of Loki, and of course, Neil Gaiman, whose American Gods has brought a lot of lesser known mythology into the mainstream and given life and shape to names that are familiar to many of us. I find myself following naturally what I think is an impulse to relate to the greater forces of the universe through form, especially story, myth, song, drama, and art.

Hawk

Good God!

the nativity and the gods who claim us

The Gods are in your birthchart! For those who worship them, the relationship with deities plays out holographically – manifesting across all aspects of existence. The birth chart is no exception. By mapping these godform relationships to their corresponding place in the nativity, we can not only add depth to our understanding of the placement, but gain a pristine window through which to look upon the face of the Gods.

Illustrated with the charts of polytheists in Hawk’s own client practice, as well as the charts of famous devotees, you’ll learn to recognize the imprint of the Gods in the natal chart. You might just see the fingerprint of a deity who’s been trying to get your attention.

Isaac Hill

Lessons from the English Astrological Doctors

Herbalism, Astrology and Natural Magic

In this talk, we will explore and extract practical lessons from the work of 17th century English Astrological Doctors such as Nicholas Culpeper and Joseph Blagrave. Planetary herbalism, medical astrology, and simple but effective natural magic all intersect in this rich tradition with roots in the ancient world, and parallels in systems of traditional healing from all over the globe. Some of the techniques that these doctors used are relatively easy to grasp, and don't require the same skill level as extremely complicated astrological talismans, so are perfect for those starting out on their journey of practical astrology, and especially those interested in combining their love of plants with their love of astrology.

Brother Hoodoo Moses

Astroanatomy and Sorcerous Correspondences

Applying Classical Astrology to Folk Magical Workings

In this presentation, we examine multiple sets of astrological and anatomical correspondences, and how these can be applied to potentiate and target traditional folk magic operations. From crafting effigies to preparing animal organ amulets, this talk draws together the metaphysics of the Doctrine of Signatures and the Chain of Correspondence with classical astrology and hands-on folk magic. We discuss working with the signs, planets and elements, as well as timing rituals according to astrological elections, and using astrological sympathy to target individuals and their specific parts. Open to all backgrounds and experience levels, this class is designed to help practitioners think astrologically about themselves, their bodies, and their magical tools and targets.

Ivo Dominguez Jr.

Three Gates of the Moon and Nodes

There are many ways to reach and to connect with the powers and places variously named the Moon, the Astral Plane, and the sphere of Yesod. There are three especially powerful gateways that open into these places that are created by the relationship between the Sun, the Moon, and the Earth. The Lunar Nodes also provide points of access to the Astral. We will explore the locations of these gateways and their particular qualities. Several uses for these Gates in ritual and divination will be presented. The relationship of these gates to the Lower, Middle, and Upper worlds will be explained as well.

James Divine

Unblock Your Magick

Modern Society, The Elements, and You

Earth, Air, Fire, Water: Are the elements equal? When we reflect carefully, do we actually appreciate some elements more than others? In this provocative talk, James Divine posits that modern western society has socialized us to value the elements in an unbalanced way. When we understand the mechanics of this social programming, it helps clear the path to magickal achievement and has a positive impact on our metaphysical identity.

JD Kelley

Intimations of New Animist Astrologies

The history of western astrology — as with much of western thought — has been deeply influenced by platonism and aristotelianism. At times, the impact of this is obscured from our awareness as it is, in many ways, the sea in which we swim, an entirely ubiquitous, a priori reasoning. Equally, we are unaware of its limitations this poses to experiencing a living cosmos. In the course of this talk, JD Kelley will briefly review this relevant history and influence to then turn to alternative frameworks for experiencing our cosmos based on animist astologies.

Jo Flinders

Daughter of Love and War

Rebirth of Harmony

A 3 part journey to Harmony. Though science and art do play in her Court, Harmony has but a few bars in the tale of Dionysus and an odd phrase in the Greek epics. In science and math, Harmony is the center of all enquiry as the essence of the equals sign.

John Anderson

As the Stars Go Backward

Celestial Strangenesses and the Five Spirits

This presentation seeks to examine the nature of the retrograde states of the five classical planets, collectively called the Wuxing: Muxing (Jupiter), Huoxing (Mars), Tuxing (Saturn), Jinxing (Venus), and Shuixing (Mercury) respectively. Each of these planets is tied by correspondence to one of the Wushen, or five spirits which hold sway over various aspects of our experience by way of the Five Phases (also called Wuxing). As the planets move into retrograde motion, there is a general diminution of the qi (breath, pneuma, or energy) of the spirits and therefore also human experience more broadly. This presentation will address the following: the five planets in classical Chinese thought; the nature of the Five Phases and Five Shen spirits; specific outcomes for the individual consistent with retrograde motion; and the use of the Five Shen as remedial processes and tutelary spirits during times of adverse celestial "weather". The goal of all of this is to redefine some of the relationships that we and our spirits hold with situations such as retrograde states of planets as well as larger cyclical patterns which may impede the work of person and spirit alike.

KristaLyn A. Vetovich

Stellar Storytelling

The Renewed Art of Sharing Wisdom through Modern Myth

Storytelling is arguably the most enduring form of knowledge-sharing, integrating of archetypal concepts. In this talk, KristaLyn will explore the ways in which the incredible tradition of using story to share wisdom, embody divine concepts, and connect people to one another can be continued through astrological techniques rooted in the promise of the natal and inspiration charts. We will discuss how to use the natal chart or the moment of inspiration to divine the themes, settings, characters, and message of a story, as well as techniques to plan the most auspicious moment to write and release a story so that it becomes an astrological talisman to the relevant cosmic messages explored within.

Larry Arrington

wow

mom

wow mom is a dance film made by larry arrington and alexa burrell using astrological timing. The works dives into the myths of Venus, particularly the myths of Pisces.

Linsey Gosper

Creative Process & Magical Workings

Photography, Planets, & Plants

As an artist and magic practitioner the emphasis of this presentation is on creative expression and astral magic, and the practical application of magic. I will share images of my practice to illustrate how I combine ritual, artistic processes, and alchemical herbalism, to create a channel of communication with astral spirits.

I engage in performative ritual practice, informed by astrology and planetary magic, herbalism and plant folklore, divination, and ceremonial magick. Influenced by my training as an artist, it is creative, individual and personal. I use photography to document and activate spell work and to create magical objects. I am interested in the alchemy and meditation of analogue processes, and how this relates to magical thinking. The slowness, and hands on process of analogue photography allows maximum intention and imprint of the stars at each step. Here, I can temper solar (light) and lunar (silver gelatin) archetypes alchemically.

As another aspect of connecting with astral spirits, I will discuss working with the planetary and elemental correspondences of plants. I follow traditional Hermetic and European folklore methods of harvesting and blessing, and the alchemical traditions of cosmic timing, keeping in mind planetary hours and days, in the preparation of herbal material. This imbues the plants with astral influences and in turn, I present the corresponding herbs as offerings to planetary spirits in magical work. It is here that my passion for plants, astrology, and ritual combine. I have found this to be a useful and rewarding framework for connecting to, empowering my work with, and embodying (literally bringing into my body) astral energies.

Lisa Solari

Releasing the Dragons, Tending the Vessel

I will be discussing my ideas around spirit contact, possession, and the lingering physical side effects of the "spirit hangover" from the framework of the classical Chinese Medicine concept of Gu Syndrome (gu zheng). Gu is translated to mean Snakes and Demons, or either two or three worms squirming in a vessel.

Engaging with Spirit does carry some inherently physical and mental side effects. From my own practice and talking with other practitioners, heavy spirit contact can leave one feeling heavy, stagnant, fatigued, and congested. Muscular weakness, peculiar food cravings and digestive difficulties may follow. Mental symptoms such as depression, a feeling of being possessed and confusion are not uncommon after the extreme highs and ecstasy of contact. If we intentionally tangle, how do we disentangle?

Chinese Medicine, a tradition of medicine rooted in shamanic arts, has an ancient knowledge and treatment approach that practitioners of magic can use to ensure the stability and vibrancy of their health. I offer these approaches to the modern practitioner: herbal prescriptions, acupuncture, moxibustion, dietary approaches, and Qigong Exercises.

My approach highlights the beauty, vibrancy and deep intelligence that connection with spirit can provide, while illuminating a tradition that offers us a framework for understanding spirit contact and approaches for balance and agency.

Micki Pellerano

Particles & Rays

Marsilio Ficino in Theory and Practice

Marsilio Ficino’s De vita coelitùs comparanda conveys elaborate instruction on how the practitioner may absorb the influence of the planets described as “The Three Graces”: Jupiter, Venus, and the Sun.

During the spring of 2022 all three planets occupied astrological signs of essential dignity, allowing for a seven-week regimen of nutritional supplementation, alimentation, oblation, exercise, ritual, and talismanic construction in strict adherence to Ficino’s methods.

This presentation introduces practical guidelines on the application of Ficino’s astral magic, and contextualizes the metaphysics at work by tracing the ancient influences that formed the basis for Renaissance magic, their confluence in Ficino’s methodology, and their further development through Giordano Bruno up to contemporary models of physics, media manipulation, and occult practice.

By a demonstrated convergence of theory and praxis, it aims to decode the spiritual power and initiatory stages invoked by the dramatic results of Ficino’s remedies which operate synchronously on the levels of magic and theurgy.

Patrick Geary

Time-Travel Talismans

As magicians, astrologers and cosmic artists, we are no longer limited to working with the collective celestial configurations above us. From the place where are now – the present moment – we can readily access any point in the past or future and channel its energy into physical form in our world as we experience it today.

We can enchant talismans, charms, and sacred objects with the energetic footprints that gave birth to the Great Pyramids, the Taj Mahal, the Statue of Liberty. We can travel the astral plane and harness the mythological might of Helen of Troy, Solomon’s Seal, the Midas Touch. We can even revisit the moment of our own birth and create a powerful physical reminder of our vibrational essence, our home frequency.

In this talk, I will explain how I’ve come to work across spacetime and inspire you to do the same. I’ll share simple, intuitive and practical steps for time-travel magic, and take you on a guided journey back to the very special place and time you arrived. There is no experience necessary – each of us is a magician at heart, and as part of this universe it is your birthright to connect with All That Is.

Peter Duchemin

Timesong

Weaving the Magick of Orreristic Temporality

The Copernican cosmology is only 500 years old. Having been proven by pure calculation and observation, its disclosure created a great gap, or fissure between the living and story-populated Ptolemaic cosmology, and this new, bare framework. Populating the heliocentric world picture with a similar “as above so below” layer of myth, story, and memory – in other words – creatively assimilating soul and cosmos in terms of the sun-centred model, and then reconciling that “cogniformed” version of heliocentrism with the older models, would go a long way towards integrating our fragmented attitudes to myth, magick, and science.

I present an original methodology of poly-temporal calendar design that re-envisions heliocentricism – that allows us to populate it with myth symbols and story – and yet to comprehend that process rationally. Since 2003 I have designed over 30 magickal calendars, eight of which are the core components of a system I call the Ibisystem Orrery. The Ibisystem uses planetary calendars for Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune, which are a based on the orbits of those planets. We are giving a qualitative dimension to a world-picture that has so far been starkly quantitative. This cogniformed Copernican world picture is reconcilable with earlier models as a kind of processing organ within a larger series – rather than as an epistemological break from “primitive” world pictures. The stories, myths, symbols and even scientific data sets that can be married to the Orreristic model of time are then assimilated by the community of practice into a kind of hyper-orality – a failsafe orality which will be instrumental for navigating a future beyond technological dependence.

Rory Keys

Untangling Traditions

The Egyptian and Hermetic Lots

The Lot of Basis remains obscure to modern astrologers, largely due to the lack of exposition handed down to us from Antiquity.

Utilising the Lunar Cycle as our guide, we chart the relationships between Sun, Moon and the Egyptian Lots: Fortune, Daimon, Eros and Ananke, in order to identify the Lot of Basis.

Having laid this foundation, we move on to explore the implication these patterns might have for us in electional astrology and katarchic ritual, and experiment with the possibilities of combining these Egyptian Lots with their better known counterparts, the Hermetic Lots.

Sam Belyea

Planetary Altars

Anchoring Celestial Divinities

Planetary theurgy brings us closer to the archetypes that are inside and outside of us. A basic step that waters and nourishes the spiritual seeds of the planets already present within us is making planetary altars. This involves setting up sacred space within our domain to call the planet’s virtues into us, to partner with them, and to remediate our relationship with the divine and its qualities is an essential part of planetary magick. Become an anchor for the celestial spheres through veneration, creativity, and evolving conversation with the divine.

Skyler Lee B. & Kole Emmett M.

Observing Holidays with John Dee & Edward Kelley

In evidence, these “Renaissance prophets” may have fulfilled Revelations chapter 11 and brought forth the Christian eschaton. We call on astrology and calendrical science to be additional witness to the auspicious nature of their relationship and mission. We hold Dee’s meticulous record of horary conditions to a providential survey of angelic contact correlative to celestial movements. Thus, in analysis of the hours in his diaries, we will explore the implication of planetary cycles as these might relate to the character and content of their scrying sessions. Sense will also be sought in their parables and prophecies, echoing both biblical lore and British affairs. The coherence of their theology and “Christian thaumaturgy” will be promoted, as we hope to outline the salience of their message for our present apocalypse and end with some technical points on operative magic: astronomical timing, cardinal hierarchies, and the stellar correspondence of terrestrial spirits.

Taylor Ellwood

Imaginal Magic

Praxis of Identity and Astral Magic

In my talk I'll explore the connection between the Astral, the stellar cosmos, and the underworld, showing how the astral uses the realm of the imagination to connect us to the numinous power of the stars and the underworld fire, as well as the elemental and spiritual powers we choose to work with. We'll explore how magical operations are used to imprint new identities on the astral and in turn manifest these identities into realities that transform the space and time for the magician.