Statue of Isis wearing the cow horn and solar disc headdress. Her iconography mirrors Julianus’s description of sacred images in Egypt.
Part 1: Julianus’s Astrological Rules for Talismanic & Sacred Image Creation
Julianus begins instructing on the mechanics of crafting sacred images, he opens with a dense statement that is equal parts astrological and metaphysical. We are offered a glimpse into how ancient astrologers viewed the interweaving of planetary forces and form. These are not just abstract ideas, but real-world conditions for the linking of gods and matter that was among the most secret and sacred knowledge of the ancient world.
1A. Planetary Gender, Sect, and the Divine Feminine in Sacred Image Creation
Let ‘sweats’ (ensoulment) of the gods come into being (genesis) (γινέσθωσαν, echoing the creation in Genesis), Selene (the Moon), being present in the goddess (ἐν τῇ θεᾷ) in femininity (οὔσης), and in that which is feminine, and also in the solid (στερεῷ) [or “fixed”] sign of the zodiac (<ζῳδίῳ>), and Aphrodite auspicious (ἀγαθοτυχούσης) But let these not be one in (μόνῳ) Scorpion (Σκορπίῳ). And during the corresponding risings (ἀνατολὰς) the ascensions, like dawn, that are signs of new beginnings, let them come into being.
The Moon, or Selene, “in the Goddess,” is possibly denoting the third house and the Moon’s joy. In Hellenistic astrology, the third house was not only the Moon’s place of rejoicing but also associated with the goddess, opposite the ninth house of the god. These themes are tied to lunar symbolism and the underworld, with the ninth house of the god above the earth and the third below. Julianus places particular importance on aligning gender, sect, and house.
The Moon aspecting Venus at night is especially good. Aphrodite auspicious is most likely in a sign of her dignity. This tells us that supporting planets can carry significant weight. For female gods, night is optimal, and the nocturnal female planets take priority. The implication is that all female gods depend on the influences of the nocturnal Moon and Venus, and that sect is an important consideration.
The gender of the sign, where diurnal is masculine and nocturnal is feminine, strongly affects the functions of the planet in it. This is a factor that’s normally considered of relatively little importance overall, but in ancient times, it could change the identity of the god or goddess.
For instance, Selene’s mythology is that of a mild, gentle female. This fits the Moon’s nature as a passive receptacle and reflector. However, she can reflect many things. According to Manilius in the first century, in Sagittarius she was Artemis or Diana, the goddess of the hunt, wildlife and childbirth.
The rules indicated here are:
- The ascendant is optimal for the significator planet
- The image must correspond to the planet’s sect and gender, which includes the gender of the sign
- The house placement strongly influences the effects
These aren’t just simple chart mechanics. They are the ritual architecture through which the divine enters form. Together, these instructions form the lunar and Venusian scaffolding on which sacred images, especially of goddesses, may be properly ensouled.
1B. Avoiding Corruption: The Role of Scorpio and the Rising Sign
But let these not be one in Scorpion. And during the corresponding risings (ἀνατολὰς) the ascensions, like dawn, that are signs of new beginnings, let them come into being.
Of note is Scorpio, which he recommends not using for sacred statues, at least for the Moon and Venus. Both are severely afflicted or “corrupted” in that sign. Scorpio, ruled by Mars, is the sign of the Moon’s fall and a traditional site of detriment for Venus, both of which are overwhelmed by its volatile, martial nature. The Moon is the secondary significator for all matters, including elections, and she reflects the stars above her. Mythological portrayals of Scorpio are of a blindly malicious monster. The Scorpion is the underworld beast that attacked Heracles, as seen in the annual helical risings of Orion (Heracles) and Scorpio. When Orion rises before dawn, the Scorpion sets into the entrance of Hades, the descendant. When the Scorpion rises, Orion sets, or dies, in the chthonic world.
Some elections involving Mars require the Moon in Scorpio according to Book of the Treasure of Alexander. Even though this text is believed to date no earlier than the 9th century, it draws heavily on Hellenistic influences, so this may not be a blanket rule. We can better interpret this as “do not have significator planets or the Moon in signs that heavily afflict them.”
The ascendant (hour, hour marker, helm, or eastern in Hellenistic terms) is the optimal placement of the significator planet because it’s mentioned early in the text: ἐν μόνῳ δὲ πρὸς τὰς ὁμοίας ἀνατολὰς γινέσθωσαν, or “rising of the east.”
Julianus’s warning is important. An unsuitable sign afflicts the planetary spirit, distorting its presence and thereby disrupting the spirit that ensouls the image.
2. Sacred Forms and Shadows: Plato’s Forms and the Agalma
Julianus now turns from planetary condition to the sacred image itself, the agalma. The divine statue is not merely a symbol; it is an embodiment of the world of matter and celestial forces united. Its form, animal-headed or human-like, embodies the relationships between stars, planets, matter and the World of Forms, which exist as abstract archetypes.
“Of the enigmatic character of the divine statue (ἀγάλμα, agalma, a word also found in the Septuagint to denote a crafted image or idol), such as Zeus with a ram‑face (κριοπροσώπου), or Isis with a cow‑head (βουκεφάλου), or one of lion‑form (λεοντομορφου), or simply one that is circular (κυκλικοῦ) or unadorned (ἀπλάστου). These are the riddles of Egyptian wisdom that reveal hidden (κρυπτομένους) or shadowed (ἐπισκιαζομένους) aspects of the stars, whenever they have likeness with what is sought (τὸ ζητούμενον); or you see Hermes the “turned-away” (ἀπόστροφον) who signifies this.”
We can see in this passage a possible precursor to later magical image traditions, that being the ram-headed Jupiter talismans in Agrippa’s Book 2. The mention of Zeus with a ram’s face reflects iconography common in Ptolemaic Egypt, where Zeus and the Egyptian Ammon were syncretized into Zeus-Ammon. The lion or ram-headed Ammon appears as a bearded figure crowned with spiraling horns.
Isis, lunar goddess of Egypt, takes on the form of a cow in Taurus and a lioness in Leo. These forms are not random, the Moon is the mirror of the heavens. Each embodies what the Moon reflects: the solar light, the seasons, and the distant but immense power of the fixed stars. The circular or unadorned images likely refer to specific ancient stones used in Egyptian temples and elsewhere. For example the stone of Cybele, later worshipped in Rome but originating in Asia Minor, was a meteorite that fell from the heavens. These were possibly viewed as primordial forms unsuited for an earthly likeness.
The word ἱδρύσεις, translating as “sweat” can also be translated as effluence or emanation: something that flows out. Of the four elements (fire, air, water, and earth) the heaviest and most dense is earth which is the material the image is made of. Water is the second most dense and forms the majority of the human body, including the blood. To sweat, one must be incarnated in a physical body.
Julianus writes of “hidden or shadowed aspects of the stars”. The term ἐπισκιάζω can mean “to overshadow” or “eclipse.” In astrological terms, it points to planets or fixed stars conjoined with the significator or the Moon, their lights experiencing raw, unfiltered contact. The Hellenistic astrologers did not treat conjunction as an aspect like the trine or square; it was not “beholding” or “witnessing”, but one god entering the space of another.
These encounters were often linked in myth: conjunctions were not just stellar alignments, but meetings, sometimes loving and receptive, other times violent or disruptive. Reception, the astrological harmony between planets, was understood as affection and agreement between gods. Its absence was a cold estrangement at best and violence at worst.
The phrase “a likeness to what is sought” encapsulates the doctrine of sympathy. When the Moon or significator conjoins a fixed star or planet, the outcome takes on the character of that union. A Moon conjunct Mars in Aries yields a result colored by both the martial and the fiery: forceful, aggressive, and warlike. In terms of Plato’s Theory of Forms, the pure idea of conflict passes through a chain, the stars and planets, and becomes denser until the Moon directly emanates it into the elements as an influence for fighting and struggle.
Julianus ends this passage with the phrase “Hermes the turned away”, possibly Mercury in aversion to the significator. According to Vettius Valens, this condition renders Mercury powerless. “If [Mercury] is in an inoperative place,” he writes, “it cannot apply any of its own influence.” The metaphor is that Mercury, the divine messenger, is cut off from the conversation. This is akin to exile.
Hellenistic astrologers viewed aversion as a serious impediment. Aversion is total isolation. The planets involved cannot see, reflect, or respond to each other. This is Orion and Scorpio, eternal enemies, fated never to share the same sky. One rises as the other falls, the cycle of mutual denial repeating forever.
Though Julianus names only Mercury in this condition, it is reasonable to extend the concern to any planet in aversion to the significator. Some aversions may be negligible and others more severe depending on the circumstances.
This rule is:
Consider all conjunctions made by the significators and take care to avoid aversions with key planets.
These dynamics shape more than outcomes; they shape the soul of the image that inhabited a temple.
Part 2: Julianus’s Chthonic, Celestial, and Seasonal Considerations in Image Consecration
Having established the planetary and iconographic foundations for sacred image creation, Julianus next addresses the seasonal, celestial, and underworld influences that guide the process. Click here to continue with Julianus’s rules 3-5.