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The foundational text of astrological magic and talismans Picatrix (Ghayat al Hakim) was published in English for the first time in its immense history, from a medieval Latin manuscript, by Christopher Warnock and John Michael Greer in 2011.

Although the book had been published by Ouroboros Press in two volumes (2002 and 2008) from Arabic manuscripts, it was generally not usable in practice due to the highly specific astrological terms being misunderstood by the translator and most of the key instructions, such as the proper astrological conditions for combining the sun with the north node, were omitted or mistranslated.

The Warnock-Greer edition had the notable distinction of being translated and edited by a practicing astrologer. Chris Warnock had been among the first of a small group of people who took on the tedious task of reviving what is now called “Traditional Astrology”, by painstakingly studying and implementing astrology as it was practiced centuries ago.

This form of astrology was found to be much different than its modern form, which was developed alongside the study of psychology, something unrecognizable centuries prior.

Until this edition of Picatrix was published in 2011, the only other related source that was widely available to the public was Heinrich Agrippa’s Book 2, itself largely overlooked and generally unknown. The information in Agrippa’s work is a very valuable source in and of itself, but it was written in 1533 when traditional astrology was readily available to learn and not lost to time as it is today.

In short, it assumes that the reader has considerable skill in something that is still in the process of being rediscovered and rebuilt today.

The Greer-Warnock edition of Picatrix made this lost science easily available to everyone for the first time in history. However, like Agrippa’s work, Picatrix also assumes that the reader has a lifetime of expertise and practice, fully versed in the writings of prominent figures such as Al Kindi, Abu Mashar, Al Biruni and others whose works, like Picatrix, have only become available in recent years.

This is largely due to the efforts of Dr. Benjamin Dykes and other scholars who are taking on the monumental task of accurately translating medieval Arabic texts that have been untouched for many centuries.

It is in these books that we can find the answers to many enigmas that the anonymous author of Picatrix left for the reader to know for themselves, including crucial details about combining planetary forces like the sun and the north node.

The North Node Mistaken as a Benefic

In this article, I will show that all available medieval texts agree that the North Node (the Head of the Dragon or Caput Draconis) conjoining the Sun is an especially harmful configuration, despite popular notions to the contrary today.

This is important because the small community of people who are working diligently to rediscover the benefits of astrological magic by making talismans to benefit themselves and others could be making an enormous mistake because of a widespread interpretation of passages in Picatrix and Agrippa’s Book 2, Chapter 45.

Picatrix Book 3, Chapter 2, page 137 states:

Know that the nature of the Head of the Dragon is to augment; when it is with fortunate planets it increases them in honor and strength, and if he is with unfortunates he augments them in condemnation and bad fortune. Similarly the Tail of the Dragon has the nature of diminution. And when it is with fortunate planets it diminishes their good and with infortunates it diminishes their evil and condemnation.

This passage states that the North Node makes benefic planets (Jupiter, Venus) perform even better. The widely held assumption is that the Sun, one of the two Luminaries, is a benefic planet is potentially a serious mistake, as will be shown later.

This assumption about the Sun is given further weight by another passage in Picatrix which states that the Moon, the other Luminary, is of immense benefit when conjoining the North Node.

Picatrix Book 1, Chapter 5, page 48:

Make images for love and delight and to visit kings and high lords in the day of the Moon, when she is waxing, and in Sagittarius, Taurus, Cancer or Pisces, and if she is with the Dragon’s Head it is powerful for workings…

The South Node being of a highly malefic nature has never been in debate as Picatrix makes it plainly clear. With the Moon being one of the two Luminaries, it is reasonable to assume that the Sun would benefit from the North Node as well.

However, it is important to keep in mind what exactly the North and South Nodes are: mathematical points of the eclipse.

The Nodes are the two points in the sky where the Moon’s orbit intersects with the ecliptic (the Sun’s path through the Zodiac). They travel through each zodiac sign for approximately 19 months each and mark where eclipses will occur.

Their origins reach back into the earliest recorded history. The ancient Egyptians and people of Mesopotamia were using advanced mathematical formulas to predict all future eclipses over 4,000 years ago because of their immense astrological significations. For more information on the incredible achievements of Bronze Age kingdoms, please read this article.

The well-known Ouroboros, the snake eating its tail and often depicted encircling the earth, is the Dragon or Serpent, symbolizing the infinite cycles of time.

In Egyptian funerary texts, this serpent accompanies and guides Ra (the Sun) through his nightly journey through the underworld. The oldest known depiction is from the Old Kingdom of Egypt, in the pyramid of Unas (2375-2345 BCE) at Saqqara which served as the king’s tomb.

On the walls of the sarcophagus chamber is a carving of two entwined snakes eating each other, interpreted as a spell that binds heaven and earth.

The eclipse is often one the most forceful and potentially catastrophic aspects in all of astrological lore, widely recognized as such since prehistoric times, and regarded as such by virtually every known human culture, from the ancient peoples of the Americas to the Old World.

Far from the popular and uninformed idea of primitive people believing that the sun and moon were literally destroyed, historical records show that eclipses were skillfully chosen by ancient kings as times to initiate battles of incredible significance.

The battle that took Alexander the Great and the Greeks from local warlords to a world power was initiated during an eclipse, as shown in this article:

The Blood Moon Eclipse of Alexander the Great

The Ottoman Empire, which was one of the world’s superpowers for almost half a millennium, went from a small backwater kingdom in Turkey to an empire that rivaled all of Europe in a matter of weeks when they conquered the last remnants of the Roman Empire, Constantinople, during a significant lunar eclipse.

The Ottomans were the first to conquer this city where all before them had failed for over a thousand years:

Cosmic Conquerors: How the Ottomans Used Astrology to Topple Constantinople

These are only two examples of eclipses that changed the entire course of human history and were documented for study in modern times. What has never been in dispute is that harm in the material world, in some form, always accompanies the eclipse. The specific circumstances and severity of those events is the only thing that varies.

The Eclipse According to Picatrix

Tomb of Tutankhamun. The Ouroboros is encircling the head and feet of the figure, believed to depict Osiris, the deceased Pharoah, or both. 1300 BCE.  Photo credit: touregypt.net

Simply put, the astrological influences of an eclipse according to Picatrix are of an immense force that emanates purely destructive influences.

Like the symbol of the Ouroboros, creation is an endless cycle of destruction and rebirth. The specific ways that an astrologer can expect th eclipse to manifest on earth varies according to many factors beyond the scope of this article; no two eclipses are the same.

Tetrabiblos by Claudius Ptolemy is an excellent source for those who are interested in Greco-Egyptian astrology and Ptolemy’s work provides considerable information on the specifics of eclipses.

All sources agree that destruction will accompany an eclipse in some form.

Picatrix Book 2, Chapter 3, pages 67-68 states:

The conclusion we ought to draw from all that we have said up to this point is that everything in the world, and all their qualities, orders and ends, are from the aspects of the Moon with the Sun, because this includes everything that is contained in trees and composite bodies because of the stars and the Moon. This is what causes the greater part of the influence and harm they receive from an eclipse of the Moon or other planets that are eclipsed. From the Sun, the Moon, and the fixed stars come permanent mutations; from these, things suffer change, receiving benefits from good qualities and harm from bad ones. Eclipses affect the Sun and Moon and other planets and influence them to the harm of other composite bodies. Do not believe for a moment that the Sun or Moon receive any harm in their nature or accidents thereby; and we will call this an impediment of the heavens, so that you will understand that the reason that harm comes to animals, trees, and other composite bodies from eclipses of the Sun, Moon, and the other planets happens because the four elements are altered, changed and damaged.

Picatrix further states that for an astrological election to be safe from the effects of the eclipse, the Moon must not be within 12 degrees before or after the degree in which the eclipse occurred (the location of the Node) but does not mention the Sun which also conjoins one of the Nodes during an eclipse.

Picatrix Book 1, Chapter 5 states:

You should beware of trying to work magic to a good end when the Moon is applying to an eclipse, or under the rays of the Sun, that is, twelve degrees before or after.

In July 2018, Clifford Low crafted solar talismans with the Sun rising in Leo, separated from the North Node by one degree and posted it in real time on social media, under the assumption that the Sun is a benefic and would therefore be well suited for the Head of the Dragon, as is standard practice for the Moon in the instructions provided by Picatrix.

Within a few hours he destroyed all of them.

His experiences immediately following the engraving of his jewelry were especially unpleasant and he quickly stated his opinion that the Sun and North Node is a malefic combination. At first glance, this goes against the popular notion of the Sun as a benefic in the same sense as Jupiter or Venus.

When we consider the severity of combustion as an affliction, among other factors, the Sun is not necessarily a benefic planet.

I’ve since searched for definitive answers in all the traditional astrology sources available to me from Hellenistic, Medieval and Renaissance to find a clear answer to the question of the Sun’s relationship with the North Node and, if possible, the orbs of both the North and South Node.

Although the finer details vary somewhat according to the individual source, all are clear that the Sun in proximity to the North Node is a severe affliction and attracts many of the negative influences of the eclipse itself.

Modern Knowledge Gap

As stated already, the use of Picatrix and its related sources is still in the infancy of its modern revival, as is the practice of traditional astrology itself.

An immense knowledge gap now exists between a person thoroughly educated in the practice 1,000 years ago and the most knowledgeable people today due to several centuries of traditional astrology being cast out of society, and the tendency to view these sources through the lenses and assumptions of astrology’s modern psychology-based forms.

Adding to the confusion is the sheer complexity and many seemingly contradictory instructions, or lack thereof, in Picatrix and its related texts (Book of the Treasure of Alexander, Thabit Ibn Qurra’s On Images, Marsilio Ficino’s Three Books on Life, Heinrich Cornelius Agrippa’s Three Books of Occult Philosophy).

Simply put, these texts were written for a reader who was vastly more educated and experienced than anyone today. The author of Picatrix explicitly states that the book was deliberately written in a form that could not be understood or used by someone who was not deeply learned in the “sciences of the philosophers”.

In the Prologue of the Picatrix, the anonymous author states:

You who wish to gain the knowledge of the philosophers and to understand and ponder their secrets, know that you must first diligently search their books, in which the great wonders of their art can be found, and seek to discover the wonderful science of magic. First of all, however, you must understand that this science has been hidden by the philosophers, and they have not wished to disclose it to humanity; nay, they have rather hidden it with all their might, and whatever they have said about it was phrased in secret words, and indeed in signs and similitudes, as though they spoke of other sciences. And they did this on account of their honesty and goodness, because if this science were revealed to all humanity, the universe would be thrown into confusion. And it was for this reason that they spoke of it figuratively, that no one would be able to obtain it unless this science was first revealed to them.

The sciences of the philosophers are the Quadrivium which vanished from all educational institutions centuries ago. The Quadrivium was four subjects or arts: arithmetic, geometry, music, and astronomy in their classical forms. Although these subjects are widely taught today, their classical forms were systematically erased in the post-Enlightenment era and were made virtually extinct at the beginning of the Industrial Age.

Aside from the Quadrivium, the reader was expected to be well-versed in the works of Plato and Aristotle, particularly their cosmological and metaphysical frameworks. Obtaining formal education in these subjects in their classical forms, as they were taught centuries ago, is now impossible. The only option available now is meticulous self-study of their writings.

Returning to the subject of Picatrix, the process of creating astrological talismans, timing of ritual petitions, and compiling herbal mixtures according to its instructions is itself an immensely complicated task.

Christopher Warnock made enormous contributions for studying the book by carefully identifying the book’s common denominators and minimum requirements and establishing a standard base to work from, published in his many books. Everything beyond the standard formula he established becomes murky territory and often a matter of debate.

One of the murky subjects up for debate is the relevance of traditional natal, horary, mundane and electional astrology to the use of Picatrix, and if the vast rules and instructions in Picatrix alone are sufficient. The author of Picatrix intended for its readers to have expertise in all these branches.

It could be reasonably argued that astrological magic, or “The Science of Images” as Picatrix defines the practice of creating and using talismans, is separate from the others and many of their rules and processes do not apply. I argue that although the processes differ for each, the principles are the same. An undesirable planetary configuration in a natal or horary chart is also undesirable in a talisman or ritual petition.

Adding weight to my argument is the fact that Thabit Ibn Qurra’s On Images is one of the primary sources for Picatrix, acknowledged as such in Book 1, Chapter 5 after the author provides unusually complex astrological criteria for 29 different talismans, several of them copied verbatim from Ibn Qurra’s book, which consists of only seven. The others strongly resemble the complexity of Ibn Qurra’s work.

Ibn Qurra states in the first chapter of On Images that these seven sets of instructions were handed down through the priesthood of Harran, and that these seven are “certain rules which constitute examples”. In chapter 8, after having listed all seven examples in minute detail, he concludes by stating that there exists an image for every purpose imaginable if the astrologer is skilled enough to correctly identify and gain the assistance the astrological forces.

The significance of the 29 images and instructions detailed in Picatrix that I want to emphasize is they appear to have been crafted by others using Ibn Qurra’s work as a source. Furthermore, Ibn Qurra’s seven examples have multiple recommendations to create talismans based on an individual’s nativity for maximum effect with an emphasis on using the exact same degree of the native’s ascendant.

If a precise birth time can’t be obtained, then a horary chart cast for that talisman’s purpose is a viable substitute, and these same recommendations are often repeated in the 29 similar images in Picatrix.

Although not explicitly stated word for word, it is strongly implied by both sources that the processes are different, but the principles of natal and horary astrology equally apply to the Science of Images. Thabit Ibn Qurra, himself a famed polymath in an era of great thinkers, stated that it is the highest form of all the sciences.

In the following sections I will provide all references to the Sun its relationship to the North Node that I could locate in a wide range of traditional sources.

Hellenistic, Medieval And Renaissance Sources

Claudius Ptolemy, Alexandria, 2nd Century

Hellenistic astrology texts (approximately 200 BCE to 600 CE) give the Nodes little consideration as significators aside from the eclipse itself, of which much was written. Claudius Ptolemy, on whose works much of Western astrology builds on, writes:

Again, if the luminaries, together or in opposition, move toward the maleficent planets upon the angles, or if the maleficent planets move toward the luminaries, particularly when the Moon is at the nodes or her bendings, or in the injurious signs such as Aries, Taurus, Cancer, Scorpio, or Capricorn, there come about deformations of the body such as hunchback, crookedness, lameness, or paralysis, congenital if the maleficent planets are joined with the luminaries, but if they are at the mid-heaven points, elevated above the luminaries or in opposition one to the other, the deformations will result from serious dangers, such as falls from a height, the collapse of houses, or the attacks of robbers or animals. If Mars prevails, the danger is from fire, wounds, bilious attacks, or robberies; if it is Saturn, through collapse of buildings, shipwreck, or spasms

(Tetrabiblos, Book III, chapter 13)

… nevertheless the condition of the Moon itself also makes a certain contribution. For when the moon happens to be at the bendings of its northern and southern limits, it helps with respect to the character of the soul, in the direction of greater versatility, resourcefulness, and capacity for change.”

(Book III, Chapter 14)

Ptolemy and other Hellenistic sources briefly mention the Nodes and harmful effects but evidently considered them mathematical points, like the Lots or so-called Arabic Parts, rather than significators as they later developed into. It was during the rise of early Islamic kingdoms that the North and South Nodes took a prominent role in medieval astrology practices (around 700 CE). The efforts of the Abbasid Caliphate to develop and advance all branches of learning, including astrology, was in large part responsible for the Islamic Golden Age.

The Abbasids were the third caliphate to succeed the prophet Mohammed and established their capitol in Baghdad in 750 CE, with two of the most skilled astronomers of the time, Abu Mashar and Masha’allah, carefully choosing an astrologically auspicious time for the coronation of the city as the new capitol and initiating what was, at the time, arguably the peak of medieval human civilization.

For centuries, the Caliphs paid handsomely for the best astronomers in the world to live in Baghdad, study in their famous House of Wisdom, and compile what became the foundational texts of medieval astrology. The remnants of the Persian Magi contributed greatly to this development, when Zoroastrian temples and schools still existed in what was left of the Sassanid (Persian) Empire.

The astrologer-priests of Harran, enjoying the protection and patronage of Muslim kings despite their so-called “Sabean” religion, also played an enormous role in its development.  What became Islamic medieval astrology was a consolidation and of knowledge based primarily on Hellenistic astrology, adding elements from other schools of thought such as the Persians, Sabeans, and some elements of Vedic astrology from India.

Although the process of the Nodes becoming part and parcel of Western astrology remains unknown, it is likely that the Persian astrologers of the time introduced it. In Vedic astrology, Rahu and Ketu (North and South Node) are considered malefic demons in every sense.

The notions of the North Node having a benefic nature in some circumstances makes the Persian astrologers the most likely sources, due to their proximity and long term cross-cultural exchange with India while maintaining their own independent traditions and practices since the Persian Empire and probably long before.

William Lilly, England, 17th Century

I explored the writings of the English astrologer William Lilly, who translated astrological texts from Latin into English for the first time in the 17^th century and made the practice accessible for less privileged people in Europe.

Famous in his own lifetime for his many accurate predictions that played a significant role in the English Civil War, as well as predicting the Great Fire of London of 1666 decades prior to the event, Lilly was among the last famous and widely respected astrologers in Europe before the practice entered its final decline.

In his introduction of astrological principles, he states that the North Node is fortunate, but does not explicitly mention the Sun in respect to either of the Nodes.

The Head of the Dragon is Masculine, of the nature of Jupiter and Venus, and of himself a Fortune; yet the Ancients doe say, that being in Conjunction with the good he is good, and in conjunction with the evil Planets they account him evil. The Tail of the Dragon is Feminine by Nature, and clean contrary to the Head; for he is evil when joined with good Planets, and good when in conjunction with the malignant Planets. This is the constant opinion of all the Ancients, but upon what reason grounded I know not; I ever found the North Node equivalent to either of the Fortunes, and when joined with the evil Planets to lessen their malevolent signification; when joined with the good to increase the good promised by them: For the Tail of the Dragon, I always in my practice found when he was joined with the evil Planets; their malice or the evil intended thereby was doubled and trebled, or extremely augmented, and when he chanced to be conjunction with any of the Fortunes who were significators in the question, though the matter by the principal significator was fairly promised, and likely to be perfected in a small time; yet did there ever fall out many rubs and disturbances, much wrangling and great controversy, that the business was many times given over for desperate ere a perfect conclusion could be had; and unless the principal significators were Angular and well-fortified with essential dignities, many times unexpectedly the whole matter came to nothing.

(Christian Astrology Book I. page 82)

Guido Bonatti, Italy, 13th Century

Going back deeper into European texts, I looked to Guido Bonatti whose work Liber Astronomiae or “Book of Astronomy” revolutionized the practice of astrology in Europe when it was published in 1277. Drawing heavily on the expertise of earlier Arabic astrologers as well as his own observations, Bonatti’s fame as an astrologer earned him a place in Dante’s Inferno.

Although much of Bonatti’s life details are lost to time, he earned renown for timing the military campaigns via electional astrology for the Count of Montefeltro when Italy was a loose collection of warring city-states.

By all accounts, the Count of Montefeltro was hopelessly outnumbered and stood little chance of success but Bonatti’s expertise proved critical to his stunning victories in battle. Historical records state that Bonatti accurately predicted the process and outcome of a battle with incredibly specific details, including that the Count would win but suffer a life-threatening wound in the process.

The Count planned for his wounding and made the necessary preparations. When it occurred exactly as predicted, the medical treatment he had prepared saved his life. Bonatti went on to enjoy a successful career as an astrologer for numerous kings, including the Holy Roman Emperor Frederick II.

Bonatti, in Tractate III, states unequivocally that the Sun is heavily afflicted by both the North and South Node 12 degrees before and after, and the other five planets are afflicted for 10 degrees after conjunction with an eclipse.

For clarity around the seeming contradictions of Picatrix, Lilly and Agrippa regarding the Moon and North Node, the Sun is only in the same signs as one of the Nodes during an eclipse, whereas the Moon passes by once every month. The terms genzahar and zenzahar are phonetic translations of Arabic terms for orb.

Or if they [the planets] are with the Caput or Cauda Draconis, or if they are in their genzahar, so that there is between them and the Caput or Cauda Draconis, or their zenzahar, 12 degrees or less before, or 10 degrees or less after. And of the planets, those more greatly impeded by their genzahar are the Sun and the Moon, when there are between them and the Caput or Cauda Draconis 12 degrees or less before them- since there they suffer an eclipse which is a great detriment to them.

(Guido Bonatti, Tractate III, XX, When and In Which Places the Planets Become Weak, translated by William Tynan.)

This is significant for Picatrix enthusiasts who widely operate under the assumption that a separating aspect, even by one minute, nullifies the effects. This is not without good reason because Picatrix clearly states that separating aspects nullify the effects of that aspect for the purposes of a talisman.

For example, one of the most consistent rules in Picatrix is that the Moon must not be in a separating aspect from the significator, i.e. in a Venus talisman, the moon must not be making a separating aspect from Venus even by one minute.

The Moon is a key factor in making all talismans and performing petitions.

However, Picatrix also emphasizes the immense harm of an eclipse and its only exceptions to its rule of separating aspects are combustion and the eclipse. The Moon is still combust and of a harmful nature when it is one degree separated from the sun (Cazimi being the notable exception).

Abu Mashar & Al Qabisi, 9th to 11th Centuries

The following quotes are from “Abu Mashar & Al Qabisi: Introductions to Traditional Astrology” translated by Benjamin Dykes. Both of these astrologers were famous in their lifetimes, Abu Mashar especially.

Al Qabisi was born in modern-day Iraq and was gainfully employed as an astrologer for the Emir of Aleppo (modern day Syria) and Abu Mashar was a Persian Muslim born in modern-day Afghanistan before emigrating east to eventually become the most influential astrologer in the Abbasid court. He is best remembered for consolidating astrological information into more user-friendly learning manuals for future astrologers in the palace.

Abu Mashar makes very clear that not only the Moon but also the Sun is dangerously afflicted when conjoining both Nodes, and that 4 degrees is by far the most dangerous. Furthermore, they are both afflicted within 12 degrees applying or separating.

Picatrix enthusiasts will be quick to point out that the Moon and North Node are an especially benefic combination under the correct circumstances, but I’ll point out again that the Moon conjoins each Node once a month. The Sun only conjoins each Node once per year, during eclipses.

Al Qabisi lists the properties of the Nodes which is quoted by many later sources but, like Lilly, he conspicuously doesn’t mention the Sun:

The friends of the Head of the Dragon are Jupiter and Venus, and it’s enemies Saturn and Mars. But the friends of the Tail of the Dragon are Saturn and Mars, and it’s enemies the Sun and Moon, Jupiter and Venus.

(Al Qabisi, Book 3, pg 205)

Abu Mashar states:

Even to be in the Head or Tail of the Dragons, even if there were 12 degrees or less between them and the Dragon, but the worst is if the Moon were in these places. For the Sun, to be within 4 degrees of the Head or Tail…..

And the Nodes impede the Sun more severely if there were 4 degrees between him and them, in front or behind. And they impede the Moon more severely if there were 12 degrees between one of them and her, in front or behind.

(Abu Mashar, Page 223)

The nature of the Head is hot and masculine, but the nature of the Tail is cold and feminine.

(Abu Mashar, pg 274)

Al Biruni, 1000 AD, Persia & India

Al Biruni, who lived around 1000 AD, was another polymath famous in his lifetime. A Persian born in what is now Uzbekistan, he spent much of his early life in Afghanistan and spent a great deal of time living in India where he explored the Hindu culture and wrote treatises on Vedic culture and beliefs.

As stated earlier, while the Greco-Egyptian astrologers like Ptolemy recognized the Nodes, it was the Hindu astrologers who ascribed to them the devilish characteristics of Rahu and Ketu. Al Biruni also agrees with 12 degrees being dangerous for the Luminaries with the Nodes and disagrees with Abu Mashar’s statement on the temperament and gender.

Some say the Head of the Dragon is Male and Diurnal and the Tail Female and Diurnal, but this is quite illogical.
(Instructions, page 27)

When both the luminaries are in aspect to each other, and to the benefics, and are in their own sections of the signs of the benefics, both of them are strong. But if they are in situations unsuitable to them, and the malefics, full of enmity are above them, and the benefics below, or are eclipsed, or near the dragon’s head or tail, especially the latter by less than 12 degrees, both of them are weak.
(Instructions, page 110)

Understanding the Astrological Impact of the Sun and North Node

The experts of centuries past, who were employed by kings and thoroughly answered the most difficult questions using astrology and provided precise details, very often risked their lives.

Their answer could determine the fate of an entire nation and it was a common practice to put court astrologers to death for mistakes. Lengthy imprisonment in a dungeon followed by banishment was considered merciful, as happened to the colleagues of Jean Baptiste Al Morin who made minor but unforgiveable errors in their astrological readings.

These experts often disagree on some minor details, but all agree that the Sun and the North Node is a dangerous combination. 12 degrees applying or separating is the most widely agreed answer. 10 degrees of separation is the closest for the Sun to be unafflicted if Bonatti is right. 4 degrees on either side is the most volatile according to Abu Mushar.

It is simply not worth the risk of making Sun talismans with the North Node and finding out firsthand if these renowned geniuses were simply wasting expensive paper and ink bottles, or if they knew something we don’t. The astral light of an eclipse, captured in a talisman, would likely not be noticed immediately but within a year or two, its owner could be experiencing strange mood swings, a weakened immune system, illnesses involving the head area, or more, if the source texts are correct.

With the Sun now entering Aries, many enthusiasts of astrological magic will no doubt be excited to make Sun talismans which are very popular for good reasons. When the Sun is in his domicile or exaltation, these talismans are among the most beneficial by far, in my opinion surpassing that of Jupiter.  The presence of the North Node in 15 and 16 Aries for many will bring with it expectations that the exalted benefic Sun will be even better.

We should keep in mind that the author of Picatrix explicitly states that there are not only things deliberately concealed for only the most learned and discerning reader, but also deliberate traps written in the pages of this book for those who do not measure up to the expected standards.

One of those standards was that the practitioner be an expert astrologer and learned philosopher by the standards of the time, which bluntly stated, simply do not exist anymore due to centuries of systematic state-sponsored efforts all around the world to suppress and wipe out the means to directly experience the spiritual part of life.

What has survived into the present day is most often due to this knowledge being kept hidden from the masses and reserved for the ruling classes, as is certainly the case for Picatrix, and once-secret manuscripts being found in dusty museum vaults centuries later after the skills and knowledge base has been extinct for several hundred years.

It is only due to the freedom of speech and religion, a relatively recent privilege in the grand scheme of human history, that these once-hidden books can be accessed by anyone. But fully understanding them is a whole other task that will take many decades and the efforts of many people, and most likely generations.

Harness the Power of Talismans Wisely

As the reader can see from the testimonials on this website, astrological talismans can have a very profound effect on a human being. Many people have reported positive effects that have totally changed their life. But it should be kept in mind that what can help can also hurt. Wielding the power of astrological talismans is a significant responsibility, and it’s crucial to approach this practice with wisdom, caution, and a deep understanding of the underlying principles.

If you’re intrigued by the potential of astrological talismans and would like to explore this path further, I encourage you to delve deeper into our collection of resources. Check out our store to browse our carefully crafted talismans, each designed with meticulous attention to astrological details.

Additionally, I highly recommend reading our comprehensive guide on astrological factors for creating talismans, which will equip you with a deeper understanding of the intricate astrological considerations involved in this ancient practice, and possibly assist you in your own path if you too are navigating the labyrinth of Picatrix.

Remember, the path of astrological magic is one that requires dedication, study, and a profound respect for the forces at play. By approaching this journey with an open mind and a willingness to learn, you can unlock the transformative potential of talismans while navigating their complexities with wisdom and care.

– The Persian Magi

Often overshadowed in historical narratives, they Persian Magi were instrumental in shaping the foundational elements of Western civilization. Their contributions to monotheistic religions, human rights, and Greek philosophy will be explored in-depth.

The Persian Magi may be the single most important group of people in the history of the western world and among the most overlooked. The three great Monotheistic religions grew from them in some way. Ideas like human rights, cross-cultural exchange of ideas, religious tolerance, and preserving ancient knowledge started with the Persian Empire 2,500 years ago. And finally, Greek philosophy, from which rational inquiry, the scientific method, and democracy emerged came about largely as a result of Greeks learning from the Magi from which the philosophers grew and influenced the world for the next 2,000 years. The Magi were also occultists or “magicians”, the practice of which still bears their namesake.

The Magi were the priests of ancient Persia (modern-day Iran). Like the priesthoods of other nations, they were the most educated people of their time and held a high position in society, with many acting as the closest advisors to royalty. The Persian religion was Zoroastrian, the monotheistic religion known for its emphasis on a single supreme God Ahura Mazda (monotheism), the eternal struggle against evil Angra Mainu (dualism), and an emphasis on the virtues of peaceful behavior. Its three core principles were Good Thoughts, Good Words, and Good Deeds, which were unique for the time. The time of Zoroaster’s life has been estimated as anywhere from 600 BCE to 1,500 BCE, and as far back as 6,500 BCE.  The Avesta and Gathas, the Zoroastrian scriptures which have survived, consist mostly of hymns, rites, rules and some brief statements about the cosmos. A lesser-known theology within Zoroastrianism called “Zurvan” existed as early as 400 BCE, which emphasized the ultimate unity of Ahura Mazda and Angra Mainu, through the primordial source Zurvan. This is comparable to the ideas of the One or Monad of Pythagoras. Zurvanism overall appears to have been a relative minority within the Zoroastrian religion which emphasized the timeless struggle of good and evil, similar to the later Sufi orders that still exist within Islam and explore the deeper meanings of their faith.

Their influence spread across the Near East during the Persian Empire beginning 2,500 years ago and may have been the single biggest, and most unrecognized, factor to shape western civilization by engaging in exchanges of knowledge and ideas with the most prominent thinkers of the conquered areas. This possibly resulted in region-wide social engineering that lasts to this day. The Magi were also famed for their knowledge of astronomy, astrology, natural science and ability to harness spiritual forces to produce miraculous effects.

Efforts at social engineering would have been an effective method to repair immense and widespread damage done to the region during the Late Bronze Age Collapse (approximately 1,200 BCE). To this day it is still unclear what the main cause or causes were, but the elaborate cities of Mycenaean Greece, the Aegean, and Anatolia became the villages of the Greek Dark Ages. The Hittite Empire collapsed, as did many thriving city-states like Ugarit.

The New Kingdom of Egypt survived, but only barely. Only the Phoenicians managed to thrive and expand trade networks while the rest of the region continuously declined until the rise and rapid expansion of the Achaemenid empire in 550 BCE. According to the Guinness Book of World Records, their empire was the largest in history by population – a staggering 44% of humans alive at the time, 49 million out of a total of 112 million. (1)

ABOVE: Map of the Persian Empire at its peak SOURCE: WIKI Commons

According to numerous Greek sources, the Magi were skilled in the art of creating astrological talismans and using supernatural means to produce effects in the natural world. In Greece, the title Magos and Magi (plural) spawned the word Mageia to describe the activity they were known for, which eventually became “magic” and remains so today. Herodotus (484- 425 BCE) clearly defined the Magi as skilled interpreters of dreams and omens. Pliny the Elder (24-79 AD) defined magic as the sum of astrology, religious rites and medicine, who also attributed its origins mainly to Zoroastrians over the previous six thousand years.

Like the Israelites, the Zoroastrians did not worship statues of deities. They worshiped one supreme God, called Ahura Mazda (Lord of Wisdom). Herodotus wrote, “[the Persians] have no images of the gods, no temples nor altars, and consider the use of them a sign of folly. This comes, I think, from their not believing the gods to have the same nature with men, as the Greeks imagine.” He adds that the Persians offer sacrifice to, “the sun and moon, to the earth, to fire, to water, and to the winds. These are the only gods whose worship has come down to them from ancient times. At a later period, they began the worship of Urania (goddess of the stars and astronomy) which they borrowed from the Arabians and Assyrians.”

Their religion appears to have been similar to the practice of Theurgy described by Iamblichus in his work On the Mysteries of the Egyptians, Chaldeans and Assyrians in the 3rd century.

The skills and knowledge of the Magi at the start of the Achaemenid (Persian) Empire in 550 BCE will probably remain unknown. The spread of the Persian Empire was incredibly fast. In approximately one century the Persians established their rule from parts of Central Asia and India all the way to Mesopotamia, Turkey and Egypt. They could have possessed high levels of sophistication in all areas and passed this on to the priests and scholars of conquered nations or formed partnerships and established orders within the conquered areas, sharing and consolidating skills and knowledge.

The latter scenario seems most plausible, as the incredible sophistication of Babylonian and Egyptian sciences prior to the Persian Empire is well known. A widespread astrological religious fervor had taken hold of ancient Iraq by 800 BCE. Ziggurats were being built or restructured to clearly reflect the planetary hierarchy. Groups of foreign astrologer-priests would have likely found themselves in good company among Babylonian priests, and the Persian emphasis on cross-cultural exchange would have made for a natural partnership. The Persian and Babylonian priesthoods were both referred to as “Magi” and “Chaldeans” 2,000-2,500 years ago. The esoteric text “Chaldean Oracles of Zoroaster” venerated by Neoplatonists is an excellent example of this.

Strictly speaking, Chaldeans are Babylonian and Magi are Persian, but many writers lumped them together based on their shared practice of astrology and magic of various kinds and their origins as “eastern”, which meant any area from Mesopotamia to India. By the time of Philo of Alexandria, schools identified as Magi were commonplace throughout the region, many practicing a syncretic blend of practices from centuries prior.  The Persian policy of religious tolerance cultivated many groups who merged their own existing practices and deities with knowledge received from the Magi. According to Xenophon, it was the Magi who advised Cyrus to offer sacrifices and pay respects to the gods of the cities he conquered, as he was known to have done for Marduk in Babylon.

Philo apparently held the Persian priesthood itself in very high esteem, while also using the term “Magi” as a blanket term for charlatans of all types:

“XVIII. (100) Now the true magical art, being a science of discernment, which contemplates and beholds the books of nature with a more acute and distinct perception than usual, and appearing as such to be a dignified and desirable branch of knowledge, is studied not merely by private individuals, but even by kings, and the very greatest of kings, and especially by the Persian monarchs, to such a degree, that they say that among that people no one can possibly succeed to the kingdom if he has not previously been initiated into the mysteries of the Magi (101) But there is a certain adulterated species of this science, which may more properly be called wicked imposture, which quacks, and cheats, and buffoons pursue, and the vilest of women and slaves, professing to understand all kinds of incantations and purifications, and promising to change the dispositions of those on whom they operate so as to turn those who love to unalterable enmity, and those who hate to the most excessive affection by certain charms and incantations; and thus they deceive and gain influence over men of unsuspicious and innocent dispositions…” (2)

Elsewhere, when discussing mystics and priestly orders of his time, Philo gives another glowing account of the Persian Magi.

“Among the Persians there is the body of the Magi, who, investigating the works of nature for the purpose of becoming acquainted with the truth, do at their leisure become initiated themselves and initiate others in the divine virtues by very clear explanations.” (Page 689) (2)

(1) Largest empire by percentage of world population | Guinness World Records

(2) The Works of Philo: Complete and Unabridged. Translated by C.D. Yonge.

The Magi’s Influence on Monotheist Religions

Aristotle, like many other Greek philosophers, claimed that the Prophet Zoroaster (or Zarathustra) lived over 8,000 years ago. Now dismissed as fanciful by the majority of academics, most of whom argue the time of Zoroaster to be no later than 600 BCE and no earlier than 1,500 BCE based on linguistic evidence in Zoroastrian scriptures, Mary Settegast presents considerable evidence in her book “When Zarathustra Spoke” that the more ancient date shouldn’t be dismissed. She meticulously demonstrates compelling evidence that peaceful farming life in the region, which Zoroaster encouraged over war cultures, was also accompanied by unique art styles reflecting dualism, light and dark patterns, for which Zoroastrian thinking is well-known. The ceramic artifacts were not used for food and appear to have been for religious purposes in all places they were found, which matches ancient descriptions of Persian ritual worship. Furthermore, for thousands of years these farming communities left no traces of spears or any weapons of war. In fact, the act of tending to the earth and farming appears to have been a sacred undertaking in these communities. This began around 6,000 BC, the time that Greek sources claim Zarathustra began his religion and spread from Central Asia all the way to Greece until the rise of warring city-states who became dominant in the early Bronze Age. This phenomenon also appears to have been the result of missionaries, as physical evidence has been found for large, highly organized groups of people sailing to Greece to establish these farming communities, bringing hundreds of animals and seeds not native to the area. Further adding weight is the fact that they appeared to have been welcomed upon arrival and their lifestyle was adopted and spread throughout that part of Europe for the next two millennia. 

What became the religion of the Persian Empire underwent changes for six thousand years, but its core principles appear to have remained intact from the time agriculture became widespread in the region. The result was promoting the growth of populations who valued a peaceful agrarian life over continuous raids, slavery, hunting and genocide. Although it is unlikely that this can ever be proven or disproven, it provides valuable food for thought and highlights overlooked contributions of Zoroastrians to human history.

The first Messiah, meaning “Annointed by God”, mentioned in Jewish scripture is Cyrus the Great, King of Persia, who conquered Babylon 2,500 years ago and freed the Jewish people from their captivity. He even sponsored their return to their homeland and assisted with rebuilding when the Second Temple was constructed, and the Jewish nation was reestablished for another half millennia. 2,500 years after Cyrus, the Jewish people live on in the modern state of Israel and are considered the root of Christianity and Islam.

Carving of Cyrus the Great, 5th Century BC

At least two billion people alive today have seen depictions of the Magi and recognize them as the three “Wise Men” or “Kings” bearing gifts at the birth of Jesus Christ and are widely seen on Christmas decorations. According to the New Testament, they came “from the East” and knew not only the location of the infant Jesus but also the time of his birth by observing the stars and following information they somehow derived from it. The details of how they did this are not explained, nor are any other details about them provided in Biblical sources. These “Wise Men” are widely recognized by Christians and non-Christians alike to have been Persian Magi. Their known role in Christianity begins and ends there, but their journey to the birth implies that their importance and authority were widely recognized 2,000 years ago and their recognizing Jesus as King of the Jews was highly significant. Philo of Alexandria, the Jewish philosopher, wrote that schools of the Magi were still active in the region in his time, around the time of Christ.

600 years later, a wandering young man named Salman al-Farisi (Salman the Persian), met the Prophet of Islam in what later became the city of Medina, and became one of his closest companions throughout Muhammad’s life, with some Islamic traditions claiming that he was considered a member of the Prophet’s household. Salman was born and raised in Isfahan, Persia, and spent the first sixteen years of his life training to be a Zoroastrian Magus (priest) and became guardian of a temple. He became interested in Christianity and left his home to travel around the Middle East to study with priests and scholars before encountering Muhammad at a critical time of his life and becoming one of the key figures in the foundation of Islam. Salman later translated the Quran into Persian, the first time it became available in a language outside of its original Arabic, and this played a key role in Persians converting to Islam, which remains the dominant religion of the former Persian Empire to this day.

Judaism, Christianity and Islam are best known for monotheism, the doctrine that there is only one supreme God, and together they comprise the faith of half the people on the planet and is one of the defining features of the west. Zoroastrians, themselves monotheists and widely considered to be the oldest such religion, played a crucial role and largely overlooked role in all three. Today, the number of Zoroastrians number only around 100,000. They may have played an even more important and overlooked role in the development of Greek philosophy, widely acknowledged as the foundation of the western world and which also emphasized monotheistic thinking at its core.

Pioneers of Human Rights and Cross-Cultural Exchange

One of the most unique contributions of the Persian priesthood to the region is the ethics and way of thinking that later crystallized in Greek philosophy and continues to affect us today. These ethics and ideas include human rights. Cyrus the Great is still admired for his pioneering policy of religious and cultural tolerance and not forcing any language, religion or customs onto them.

It should be noted that 2,500 years ago, slavery, genocide, religious tyranny and even government-mandated human sacrifice was the norm in many places. One notable example of enforced human sacrifice was the Phoenicians, or the Canaanites of the Bible. While the descriptions of infant sacrifice by burning was well-attested by the Jewish scriptures, many people argued that this was simply a case of demonizing foreign enemies. Roman accounts of soldiers witnessing the mass sacrifice of babies in Carthage, with the firstborns of each family forcibly taken from the parents to be publicly burned alive with a large statue of a horned deity, was similarly scorned. The accounts of the Israelites and Romans gained credibility when archaeologists in the Phoenician colony of Carthage discovered mass graves of thousands of infants burned to ashes, accompanied by inscriptions that indicated they were offerings to a god. (2) The Phoenicians were not the only people who endured such gruesome practices, only one of the best known. Various kingdoms in the region still practiced human sacrifice on a smaller scale, including that of infants, during the rise of Islam in the 7th century, which was quickly outlawed under Muslim rule.

The Cyrus Cylinder, a clay cylinder inscribed with a declaration by the king, is considered one of the earliest examples of a declaration of human rights and was an extremely benevolent approach to government for the time. The Persians also emphasized the transmission of ideas between cultures, as well as preserving and restoring the works of older ones. One of Cyrus’s first orders after his entry into Babylon was the restoration of temples and the return of religious artifacts to suppressed groups. Cyrus also advocated for the protection of vulnerable people, promoting the welfare of women, children and the poor. He also desired to abolish forced labor and the mistreatment of workers overall. (3)

Women’s rights were also pioneered by the Persians. While most women did not hold a prominent role in government, women could be employed in leadership roles in their workforce, which offered higher pay, and many trades offered equal pay regardless of sex. Some women held very important positions in the Persian empire such as Artemisia I of Caria, an admiral and queen who was highly respected by Xerxes. Artemisia was portrayed by Eva Green in 300: Rise of An Empire, albeit as mostly historical fiction.

Like monotheism, the role of Greek philosophy on the western world also cannot be overstated. The extent of the role of Persian thought and the Magi in its development has been and will probably always be a matter of debate, but it is beyond question that there was Persian influence. Greek philosophy has had a profound and lasting impact on the Western world, influencing various aspects of culture, thought, and intellectual inquiry. Among the most important effects of Greek philosophy are the development of rational inquiry. Philosophers, such as Thales, Pythagoras, and Parmenides, were among the first to emphasize reason and critical thinking as tools to understand the natural world. This emphasis on rational inquiry laid the foundation for the scientific method and the development of Western science. The empirical and rational approach to understanding the natural world, championed by figures like Aristotle and Archimedes, laid the groundwork for the development of modern science and the scientific method.

Philosophers like Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle explored ethical questions and the nature of the good life. Their ideas on ethics and virtue continue to shape moral philosophy and ethical debates in Western society. The development of Christian thought in Europe was heavily influenced by Greek philosophy, especially after Marsilio Ficino translated Plato’s writings into Latin and its popularity began to spread. Although there was widespread debate initially among Church authorities, Greek philosophy was accepted as compatible with Christian ideas. Saint Albertus Magnus devoted great efforts to defend it. The spread of ethical philosophy emphasized the ideas of empathy and the intuitive knowledge of right and wrong. During the Enlightenment in the 17th and 18th centuries, the revival of interest in classical Greek philosophy contributed to the emphasis on reason, individual rights, and the rejection of traditional authority. Enlightenment thinkers drew upon Greek philosophy to advance ideas about democracy, liberty, and human rights.

Plato’s “Republic” and Aristotle’s “Politics” remain foundational texts in political philosophy. They introduced concepts of justice, governance, and the ideal state, which have influenced political thought throughout Western history. Greek philosophy contributed to the secularization of Western thought, paving the way for the separation of religion and philosophy. This separation has been a defining characteristic of Western intellectual life.

2. Ancient Carthaginians really did sacrifice their children | University of Oxford

3. The Cyrus Cylinder – World History Encyclopedia

The Magi and Greek Philosophers

Over 2,000 years ago, Alexander the Great conquered Egypt, founded his new city of Alexandria, and ordered that all of the written documents in the region be consolidated in its famous library, the largest in the world at the time. This included ancient knowledge from Mesopotamia, Europe, Central Asia, India and the Far East. Sadly, the library was burned on multiple occasions under Roman occupation, destroying vast amounts of writings that can never be replaced. Later, in the Muslim conquest of 642 CE, the Caliph Omar ibn Al-Kattab ordered the remaining writings in Egypt to be burned, and among these were a vast amount of Greek texts. The lasting damage to our knowledge of Greek achievements cannot be overstated but remnants remain. Even more tragically, and ironically, many of the most ancient scriptures of Zoroaster were destroyed during Alexander’s campaign to conquer Persia centuries prior.

Relatively few details about the personal lives of the Greek philosophers are in the writings for which they are famous. Various ancient historians have remarked on both the important Greek philosophers and the Magi but provide little depth. Pythagoras, one of the most important founders of philosophy, has no authoritative biography and what little is written was penned centuries later. The same is true of Plato, who is today still a household name today. Much of the biographical information of Greek philosophers comes from “Lives and Opinions of Eminent Philosophers” written by Diogenes Laertius, of which himself no biographical information exists. Even the time he lived is disputed although the early 200 – 250 CE is most likely. Further adding to the confusion, Diogenes takes everything at face value and states all information as fact, without any critical thinking, analysis and little source citing. He appears to have collected any and all information available at the time and compiled it exactly as he found it.

While this hodgepodge of biographical information provides few definitive answers, it does present a clear argument that the Platonic philosophers who lived after Plato were fully convinced that they owed everything to the Egyptians and the Persian Magi, the latter of which I will focus on in this article. Egyptian influences are much more prominent and well-known.

Much of this section is speculative and deals with circumstantial evidence or writings far removed from the time and place that they were referring to, but the sheer volume of written statements and circumstances points to the Magi providing the roots of what is probably the most overlooked contributions in our modern world in all branches of thinking: ethics, government, theology, philosophy, science, and also what is now relegated to the metaphysical or occult.

As stated in “The History of Astrological Magic”, today most Greek philosophers would be considered highly educated occultists, much to the surprise of many today who fully equate them with our modern ideas of “rationality”. Pythagoras was stated by Porphyry and Diogenes to have studied with Egyptian priests for many years, and later studied with the Magi in Babylon before returning to his homeland of Samos, and only then when it was under the rule of the Persian Empire. Socrates spent vast amounts of time in a meditative trance, conversing with his “daimon” or “Genius”, a spirit that he claimed gave him his most profound knowledge.

The exact details of Plato’s life are scarce. Diogenes Laertius stated that Plato studied in Egypt and desired to study in the Persian Empire but was unable to go further east. Pliny the Elder praised Zoroastrian philosophy and claimed that Plato incorporated it into the Academy. Eudoxus of Cnidus, best known today for his important contributions to mathematics and astronomy, headed the Academy in Plato’s absence. He traveled to Babylon (then part of the Persian Empire) and Egypt and studied at length in Heliopolis where he learned “priestly wisdom” and “astrology”. According to Pliny, Eudoxus wanted magic to be recognized as the highest and most useful of the schools of philosophy.

The Epinomis, widely attributed to Plato but possibly penned by his student Philip of Opus, shows heavy influences of Zoroastrian doctrine and especially the Magi for its emphasis on astrology. It claims the science which makes men most wise is astrology, which provides knowledge of numbers. According to this text, astrology originated with the Egyptians and Syrians, and finally reached Greece after thousands of years of being tested.

According to Mary Settegast, some historical sources claim that one of the Magi traveled to Greece to accompany Plato in his old age just before his death. There were also many Magi who attended his funeral and claimed he was a member of their order. In the 3rd century, Colotes of Lamascus accused Plato of plagiarizing Zoroastrian writings, specifically in The Republic. At the time, there was a widespread debate in philosophical circles regarding the originality and sources of Greek knowledge.

Timaeus and Critias have long been recognized as unusual when compared to the Plato’s other writings. Best known today for their story of Atlantis and a worldwide cataclysm 11,500 years ago, both books represent what is termed “esoteric” today. Plato records the dialogue of Timaeus, a respected Pythagorean philosopher, as he explains the structure of the cosmos, spirit, and matter, with an emphasis on the material world as a reflection of the cosmos (microcosm and macrocosm), both of which are but visible manifestations of a perfect divine pattern that cannot be perceived by the senses, the World of Forms. His cosmology is also notable in that it emphasizes “the One”, or ultimate source of all existence, essentially a philosophical and mathematical description of a single supreme God, which allowed his writings to avoid suppression by Christian and Muslim authorities whenever they deemed it necessary to stamp out heretical ideas.

Plato is elaborated on here because he is the most well-known Greek philosopher today and throughout the last 2,000 years, Aristotle perhaps being a close second. Pythagoras is generally known for his mathematical work, especially the Pythagorean theorem that bears his name and he is credited for discovering. It should be noted that in 2022, a Babylonian tablet written in cuneiform, over 3,700 years old and 1,200 years older than the time of Pythagoras, was discovered by Daniel Mansfield, a mathematician with the University of South Wales, to display the very same mathematical formula. This is mentioned to emphasize the high levels of sophistication existing in Bronze Age civilizations, lending further weight to my belief that the Persian and later the Greek Empire were region-wide social engineering projects intended to mitigate the damage of the Bronze Age Collapse in 1,200 BCE and propel civilization forward, rather than allow further degeneration.

By the time of the Neoplatonists 2,000 years ago, Plato obtaining important knowledge from the Magi was widely accepted. However, Plato was far from the only notable Greek philosopher to be accredited with teachings of the Magi. Democritus, considered by many as the father of science, was a pre-Socratic philosopher born around 460 BCE. Democritus is famous for his idea of atoms. In fact, his atomic theory was unsurpassed until the Atomic Age almost 2,500 years later. Historical sources claim that Democritus spent a significant portion of his early life being taught by the Magi, which clearly led him to incredible heights of knowledge.

Democritus is said to have been born into a noble family who received the Persian King Xerxes with hospitality during the Second Persian War. One of Xerxes’ gifts was to leave behind numerous Magi, who taught the young man astronomy, astrology and their theology among other things, having a profound impact on him. Following the death of his father, he used his family’s considerable wealth to travel and learn from the best sources available. Democritus visited Persia, Ethiopia, parts of Central Asia and India, as well as spending five years in Egypt to learn their mathematics. One source states that he studied under a Chaldean Magi named Ostanes.

Following his return to his home and his fortune spent, Democritus embraced the philosophical thought of Cynicism, an ascetic way that rejected material pleasures in favor of pursuing wisdom. He gave public lectures and earned some degree of favor from the public, using his advanced knowledge to accurately predict natural events and celestial phenomenon such as eclipses. The tutelage of the Magi clearly led Democritus to ideas that were thousands of years ahead of his time, assuming they originated with him, and he was not repeating what he had learned elsewhere. Either scenario is remarkable and raises questions that have no apparent rational explanation.

Although astrology and much of what constituted natural sciences of the time would now be termed “occult practice” and relegated to pseudo-science, the Prologue of Book 1, Lives of the Eminent Philosophers clearly describes a core practice of the Magi to obtain knowledge as something that would be considered a specialized form of clairvoyance today, shortly after mentioning Democritus and reminiscent of Socrates obtaining information from his daimon.

“Clitarchus in his twelfth book… also says that the Chaldaeans apply themselves to astronomy and forecasting the future; while the Magi spend their time in the worship of the gods, in sacrifices and in prayers, implying that none but themselves have the ear of the gods….Further, they practice divination and forecast the future, declaring that the gods appear to them in visible form. Moreover, they say that the air is full of shapes which stream forth like vapour and enter the eyes of keen-sighted seers.”

Although this is vague and open to many interpretations, the statement “the air is full of shapes…and enter the eyes of keen-sighted seers” could imply that deep contemplation of geometry and the Forms espoused by Plato led to a special altered state of consciousness where the mind could produce thoughts unavailable in a normal waking state. These types of practices were wholeheartedly endorsed by later generations of Platonists such as Iamblichus, Porphyry, Plotinus, Proclus and others.

Identifying the Persian Magi influence in Greece becomes more complicated as many historical sources used variations of the term Magi as an insult. The wars between Greeks and the Persian Empire did not result in fondness for the foreigners among the average person, and the rulers of the time encouraged prejudice for many reasons. “Magi” could simply be a derogatory name for any foreigner, or even a Greek practicing native religious rites that were misunderstood or disliked. However, the discovery and translation of the Deverni Papyrus dating back to approximately 400 BCE, firmly establishes that some Greek mystics and initiates of mystery schools were knowledgeable of the esoteric rites of the Magi and could only have been known via firsthand observation. (4)

The papyri remains were badly burned and only fragments were available to translate, but part of it contains extensive details of Zoroastrian funeral rites, as well as ritual and prayer practices that have been verified as practices specific to the Persian religious rites. While this is a small piece of evidence, it does establish definitively that cross-cultural exchanges were taking place and making an impression on some learned Greeks and philosophers were keen students of the mystery schools of their time.

These are only a few notable examples, to provide a full treatment would require volumes. As stated earlier, vast amounts of original Greek sources perished in the Roman and Islamic conquests of Egypt and the surrounding areas. What is clear is that Greek philosophy produced thinkers that were often unrivaled for centuries or even thousands of years, in all fields of learning, and they fully embraced practices that have been deemed disreputable since the beginning of the Industrial Age, and there are overwhelming claims that they owed all of this to priests from Egypt and Persia.

(4) “Rites without Frontiers” Magi and Mystae in the Deverni Papyrus”, Franco Ferrari, 2011

The Lasting Legacy of the Magi

The gods of the philosophers are beyond human understanding, orderly, and in an ideal society the people would strive to elevate themselves morally and mentally to better understand them and to live in harmony with the order they embody. Perhaps their most defining contribution was equating the Greek gods with the celestial bodies and advocating for a society that strives to improve the mental faculties of its citizens and rulers. Although the Greek gods predated philosophy by centuries, they were permanently equated with stars and planets after the rise of Alexander.

When comparing the Greeks gods as described by philosophers versus that of the writings of Hesiod, the contrast is striking. The gods of Homer have few qualities above the people who worshiped them, indulging in murder, theft, rape, and other cruel acts on a whim with no restraint or remorse, thereby giving license to people to do the same. The philosopher did not want to emulate Achilles nor look to him for an example of how to live. The sadistic and masochistic Spartans would have been appalling, and the possibility of their way of life spreading beyond their borders would have been nightmarish. Although the Greek people as a whole were not extraordinarily cruel like Sparta, they were nonetheless a band of constantly warring city-states who showed no indication of ever advancing beyond that. The philosophers desired for them to reach a higher potential, mentally and morally.

In Cyropaedia, the famous Greek soldier and scholar Xenophon (430-350 BCE) described the role of the Magus as an authority in all religious matters as well as providing the education for future emperors to produce a “sage and philosopher-king”, much like the later role of Aristotle in the life of Alexander the Great as his personal tutor from childhood.

“He took pains to show that he was the more assiduous in his service to the gods the higher his fortunes rose. It was at this time that the Persian priests, the Magians, were first established as an order, and always at break of day Cyrus chanted a hymn and sacrificed to such of the gods as they might name. (24) And the ordinances he established service to this day at the court of the reigning king. These were the first matters in which the Persians set themselves to copy their prince; feeling their own fortune would be the higher if they did reverence to the gods, following the man who was fortune’s favourite and their own monarch. At the same time, no doubt, they thought they would please Cyrus by this.” (Cyropaedia, Book 8)

Plato, in The Republic and many other works, advocated for this type of government. In Book 6 of Laws, he advocates for dividing a state into twelve groups, each with its own hierarchy of citizens to perform various functions. The number 12 is notable because of its reflection of the signs of the zodiac, essentially organizing a nation in the same pattern as the celestial hierarchy and the twelve Olympian gods and goddesses. Curiously, this same pattern of twelve tribes is crucial to the identity of Jews since ancient times.

Possibly the most convincing evidence of social engineering goals by philosophers is the “Noble Lie” described by Plato in Book 3 of The Republic. This is the notion that an enlightened elite should create a set of laws, beliefs and customs that will benefit the unenlightened masses, and propose these ideas in a way that are most appealing to the masses, regardless of their basis in fact. For example, if the people venerate heroic and mythical ancestors, these laws and ideas should be presented as originating from them to give it authority and credibility, as well as to easily gain the unquestioning support of the masses. If people believe this, they will more happily play their roles in a well-ordered society. Socrates even claims that a stable society must be founded this way. In short, a group of people will only function well if they fully believe that their laws and customs originate from a revered hero from the past, an important prophet, a deity or a combination of all.

Circumstantial evidence points to social engineering of some kind as well. Socrates was convicted and executed for “corrupting the youth of Athens”. In The Republic, Plato strongly hints that Socrates strongly rejected the mythology of Greek gods behaving immorally, and strongly hints that Socrates was devoted to monotheism in stark contrast to the Greek polytheism of the time. While this does not point to his involvement with the Magi, it should be noted that at the time, the Persian Empire surrounded Greece along with Zoroastrian (monotheistic) ideas. The only other people who practiced monotheism were the Jews, who were insignificant at the time and had barely begun to reconstruct their nation with the support of the Persians.

Contrary to popular and fanciful notions, philosophers were not held in high regard in Greece. In fact, many were systematically persecuted and often killed; their ideas of how Greek society should be were in stark contrast to the ruling classes of the time and represented a threat to them. Pythagoras was murdered by a mob and his school burned. Plato became a target of Dionysius, the tyrannical ruler of Syracuse, and was marked for death but sold into slavery instead. His freedom was purchased by Anniceris, a fellow philosopher, and Plato returned to Athens. These are only a few examples of many. The point I wish to illustrate is that philosophy in Greece was in no way supported by its rulers and violently opposed by many Athenians, many of whom were easily persuaded to carry out violence against them.

The wars between the Greeks and Persians also led to a widespread and well-documented prejudice of the former against the latter and the exchange of ideas between the two was widespread and unavoidable due to proximity. This circumstantial evidence points to social engineering on the part of the philosophers, whether real or perceived, as well as influence from the Persian priesthood who had a presence in Greece to some extent, as evidenced by the remarks of historians at the time about the Magoi and their activities.

Returning to the subject of the Persian Magi’s legacy, philosophy (love of wisdom) as a whole seems to be a highly developed product of Good Thoughts, Good Words and Good Deeds, coupled with advanced learning in multiple areas as well as esoteric religious rites like astrology and seership. The decrees of Cyrus for benevolent government finally crystallized in Greece. The ideas of the philosophers slowly took hold over centuries and were only respected posthumously. When the Roman Empire reached its zenith 2,000 years ago, the Greek philosophers were held in the highest regard and many of their ideas about governance, religious tolerance and rational inquiry were adopted. The high regard of Romans for Greece was so immense that Greek art was adopted as the ideal, and the syncretizing of Roman gods with the planets was also adopted from Greek philosophy.

As the monotheistic religions of Christianity and Islam spread, so too did the writings of Plato, Aristotle and others.  During the Abbasid Caliphate in the 8th and 9th centuries, vast efforts were made to translate Greek philosophy into Arabic and make them easily available to Islamic scholars. These writings played an immense role in the Islamic Golden Age for reconciling faith with reason, ethics, and also contributed greatly to the development of astronomy, astrology, and medicine. Christian Europe was influenced possibly even more. The Enlightenment of the 17th and 18th centuries were a direct result of the study of philosophy, resulting in the embrace of reason, secularism, the scientific method, human rights, and political thinking, all of which were crucial in what was to become our modern world only a few centuries later.

While I do not argue that any nation today or in the past ever created what could be called an ideal state, as Plato believed was possible, the western world has experienced ways of life that were once unthinkable. War, crime, corruption, persecution, ignorance, poverty, and many ills plague the modern world, even in the most desirable nations, just as they have throughout history. But in the last two centuries alone, we have seen slavery abolished, equal rights under law for men and women, banning genocide and ethnic cleansing, workers’ rights, equal rights for all races, religions and creeds, recognition of human rights, democracy, the universal right to education, and many other things on a large scale. These were only wishful thinking and idealistic goals for two thousand years and not even questioned as right or wrong before that.

Everything is intertwined, actions and events have ripple effects that can sometimes never stop moving. All that exists now is the result of countless events that happened before leading up to the present. Looking back at the pivotal developments in our history, the Greek philosophers’ ideas were openly at work. And in the background of Greece, the presence and influence of the Magi is visible. The religious faiths of half the planet are monotheistic, and the Magi played a direct role in the founding of all three. The pioneering efforts of Cyrus for building a better world slowly but surely took hold and grew. Whether this was by some grand design or by accident will probably never be known, but most people today would agree that it was ultimately a good thing, maybe even the best thing, and the Magi, as well as the ancient Persians as a whole, are owed a debt of gratitude for their contributions.

Further Reading:

“When Zarathustra Spoke: The Reformation of Neolithic Culture and Religion” by Mary Settegast, (2005)

Encyclopaedia Iranica. https://iranicaonline.org

“Those Who Wander In The Night: Magoi Amongst the Hellenes” by Damon Zacharias Lycourinos

“Lives of the Eminent Philosophers”, Diogenes Laertius