We’ve been following Christopher Warnock’s new book, The Celestial Way: The Spiritual Path of the Stars and Planets, to get a grip on (1) a personal worldview that (2) supports a spiritual path that will (3) help us find meaning not only in the world around us but also in our personal lives.
In line with the ancient Hermetic traditions that have heavily influenced modern-day Western religious philosophy, Warnock reminds us that the meaning for which we search will be found all around us. As the Corpus Hermeticum (the primary text of Alexandrian Hermeticism) suggests, our job is to look for symbols because all symbols point to God (or the One), and if we learn how to read these symbols, then we will know Him.
My last blog post introduced how this might be accomplished through working with the planets and with the spiritual beings, or angels, associated with them. The idea is not to ask these angels to do our bidding: that would be foolish. They are much more powerful than we are, and besides, that would be disrespectful.
Instead, the focus might best be devotional. Warnock notes that this does not preclude seeking specific goals in your work. Indeed, if you’ve no idea what you want to achieve, there’s little chance of doing so. However, consider sticking with nonmaterial benefits like gaining insight or developing compassion and wisdom.
Warnock suggests you may still ask these spirits for special favours, as you might do with a good friend. Just don’t get too wedded to the results you had in mind. Remember, these angels may have their own ideas about what we need or may not see granting such favours as their job. Indeed, getting a good handle on these angels’ various attributes, roles, and powers is sensible.
Angel is the name of their office, not of their nature. If you seek the name of their nature, it is spirit; if you seek the name of their office, it is angel; from what they are, spirit, from what they do, angel – the angels are servants and messengers of God.
Saint Augustine, one of the greatest Christian philosophers of Antiquity, from the Catechism of the Catholic Church.
Warnock also suggests that a good way to make positive connections with these planets and their angels is through talismans, which like batteries, store spiritual energy.[1] These talismans are carefully crafted and consecrated to correspond to the special powers, attributes and roles of the planets and their angels. They act as finely a finely calibrated portal to the chosen planet (and his/her angels)
I think this requires some individual consideration. For example, whilst Renaissance mage, Cornelius Agrippa, suggests a Saturn talisman ‘doth help to bring forth, or birth, and to make a man safe, and powerfull, and to cause success of petitions with prince and powers’, not everyone ought to be working with Saturn talismans.
If you were to have that problematic Saturn in Cancer mentioned in earlier blog posts of this series, you might be best to stay clear of Saturn talismans and instead approach him differently. Saturn in Cancer is ‘afflicted’ in that it is considered in Detriment in traditional astrology. This suggests you may not have the best relationship with Saturn, at least not with the traditional realm of his concerns. Until you get this as much under control as possible through other means, you’d be best to err on the safe side. Modern psychological natal astrology is much more forgiving concerning planetary ‘afflictions’ than traditional astrology.
Finally, your spiritual practice – and the planets and angels with which and with whom you work – should further your spiritual needs and goals as they evolve through your spiritual practice.
Next Warnock introduces us to the interrelated concepts of guardian angels, personal daimons, astrological time lords, and the almuten figuris, or natal chart ruler.
(to be continued)
[1] Talismans can be purchased from a reputable dealer such as Warnock or another noted celestial magician, Austin Coppock. Likewise, you can make talismans from scratch. Although Warnock gives instructions for this, you might benefit from additional help through Warnock or Coppock.
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