Part 2: Astrological Principles for Image Consecration
Continuing from the foundational astrological frameworks in Part 1, this section explores Julianus’s deeper guidance on image consecration. Consecration in this context means the moment that the image is ensouled. This is where timing, planetary harmony, and elemental forces shape the moment when a divine presence enters form. From lunar rites for chthonic deities to solar alignments for male gods, and the seasonal gates that govern spiritual descent, Julianus reveals how sacred images are ensouled and operate within the world of matter.
Helios, the Sun God, rides his chariot through the zodiac, a representation of both earthly and celestial archetypes.
Rule 3: Chthonic and Lunar Harmony
Let this divine life be made (καθιδρύσεις ἔσονται) if the gods are chthonic (καταχθόνιοι, of the earth and underworld), with Selene, Aphrodite, and Zeus bearing mutual witness (μαρτυρεῖσθων ὑπ’ ἀλλήλων) to it; and let Kronos also testify to them in harmony.
In this rule, Julianus turns his attention beneath the heavens to the gods who dwell below in the underworld. The Greek term καταχθόνιοι denotes beings not only terrestrial, but of those rooted in the realm of Hades or Pluto. These govern the mysteries of death, rebirth, the hidden, and the fertile decay from which all life springs.
To consecrate an image of such gods, establishing their “divine life” (καθιδρύσεις) in matter, Julianus prescribes a rare configuration: Selene (the Moon), Aphrodite (Venus), and Zeus (Jupiter) must behold each other, forming soft and receptive aspects. The Moon, Venus, and Jupiter are a trinity of benevolent forces. To this triad, Kronos (Saturn) must also lend his assistance.
This is a nearly impossible configuration in practice. The Moon, Venus, and Jupiter alone forming applying aspects is rare enough, but for Saturn to also align through soft aspects like trines or sextiles, and with reception is prohibitively rare.
A reality of astrological magic is that perfection is impossible to achieve but it must be strived for. The practical application here is to ensure that the Moon makes a soft applying aspect to Venus or Jupiter, while ensuring Saturn does not afflict them. The greater malefic, when square or opposed to these lights, can corrupt the operation. Mars, the so-called lesser malefic, can also wound the image if not carefully managed. Some rites may tolerate or even require various aspects with malefics but for chthonic deities, the balance must be handled with particular care.
Julianus’s use of the term chthonic invites further interpretation. In one sense, it could refer to the literal gods of the underworld: Hades, Persephone, and Hekate, or the night itself. In the Chaldean Oracles, the Moon was ruled by Hekate and served as a resting place for spirits and the home of demons, the same as the underworld. Although Kronos is grouped into the diurnal sect, his attributes are strongly that of the underworld. “Chthonic” may also indicate planets operating in their nocturnal modes or placements within the Moon’s hemisphere as seen in the Thema Mundi, the birth chart of the cosmos.
In Hellenistic astrology, signs were also assigned elemental and symbolic identities. Cancer and Pisces were aquatic; Aries, Taurus, Leo, and Scorpio were classed as terrestrial. Scorpio, paradoxically both terrestrial and watery, has obvious chthonic associations. The air signs of Gemini, Libra, Aquarius were seen as human or dual-natured. Each of these attributions must be weighed when determining whether a deity is chthonic or celestial in nature, because their myths are extensive.
In the ancient worldview, the world of matter exists between the two and they embody themselves in nature through the seasons. The spring and summer are celestial because of the dominance of light while autumn and winter are chthonic darkness. Many deities straddle these boundaries. Persephone, for instance, reigns as Queen in the underworld and as a goddess of renewal in the world above. Her myth reflects the journey of Venus, exalted in Pisces at the threshold of spring, emerging from Hades who rules winter into the light.
Many myths had layers of astronomical symbolism, and important movements of the stars were portrayed as an eternal cyclical drama. To consecrate a chthonic image is to align the heavens with the depths of the earth. The image must mirror the deity’s astrological configuration, his or her nature and mythos.
The operative rules distilled from this passage are:
The Moon should aspect the benefics (Venus or Jupiter), ideally with reception and without affliction.
Avoid hard aspects from malefics, especially from Saturn; be cautious of conjunctions unless ritually required.
Align the image with the nature of the deity and consider the sect light (Sun or Moon) appropriate to the god’s myths and identity.
Rule 4: Male Gods and the Solar Throne
“When it comes to the male gods (ἀρρένων), let us cause Helios (Ἥλιος) to ‘sweat’ (be alive) (καθιδρύσωμεν) in God; and if the statue is that of Ares (Ἄρεως), then let us regard Ares (τὸν Ἄρη σκεψώμεθα); but if it is Kronos, then consider Kronos (τὸν Κρόνον), for the same rule (ὁ αὐτὸς λόγος) applies to all.”
Julianus now turns our attention back toward the heart of our existence: the Sun, Helios. When the gods in question are male (ἀρρένων), the entire configuration can shift. Where lunar harmonies governed the feminine and chthonic, now solar light takes precedence.
The phrase “let us cause Helios to sweat in God” (καθιδρύσωμεν) is related to the first passage with Selene in the Goddess. As in Rule 3, the same term for ensoulment or divine establishment is used. “In God” means the ninth house, opposite the third house of the goddess, which is “the god” or “the god’s decree”.
Julianus instructs that for statues of Ares (Mars) or Kronos (Saturn), we must regard each on their own terms “consider Ares,” “consider Kronos.” Yet he adds that “the same rule applies to all” (ὁ αὐτὸς λόγος). This rule is clear: for male gods, the presence and strength of the Sun is essential. The Sun is not merely a light source, it is the demiurgic force, the visible image of the divine intellect in the cosmology of the Greeks.
The optimal placement for Helios to “sweat in God” is the ninth house, the Sun’s joy in Hellenistic astrology. This is the seat of divine vision, prophecy, and decrees of the divine. When placed here, the Sun expresses its full potential in the top of the celestial dome. For talismanic images of male deities, Julianus instructs us to root the operation in a day chart, aligning the inception with the diurnal sect.
This draws on sect doctrine which divides planets and charts into day and night. Fire and air signs are masculine in nature, more aligned to male gods and the Sun; earth and water are feminine, belonging more to the night and the Moon. The Sun in a masculine sign, in its own sect, ideally in a place of dignity or joy, allows the male deity to be ensouled in its optimal state.
This principle extends beyond Helios. Ares and Kronos (Mars and Saturn) are not merely to be present; they must be considered within this solar framework. Ares, being martial and of fiery nature, would best embody these traits in the sign of Aries, where Helios is exalted. Ares is a bit of an anomaly in the divisions of sect, being male but nocturnal. Kronos, though a malefic, belongs to the diurnal sect, and should be approached not as a purely destructive force but as a necessary instrument of order. The fire of the Sun tempers his severe cold and icy nature.
Moreover, Julianus’s injunction to “consider” each of these gods individually suggests that these deities should be seen not only with abstract rules, but through personal understanding of their myths. Their imagery, astrological correspondence, and mythological archetype must all align. For an image of Aphrodite, this could mean Venus in the watery sign of Pisces where she springs forth from the sea foam. Kore or Persephone in her underworld persona is better suited in Libra where the autumn equinox brings the cold and dark seasons.
The operative rules for this section are:
For male gods, the chart should generally be diurnal or the significator planet rising oriental of the Sun (before sunrise).
Align the deity’s gender with the sect of the chart; masculine signs and diurnal placements for male gods and the opposite for female deities.
The planet(s) representing the god(s) should be considered in light of their myths, i.e. the Sun opposing Saturn is Helios in a battle with Kronos.
Rule 5A: Seasonal Alignment and Elemental Harmony
“When the gods are of the airy or celestial (ἀερίων), let the vernal or first quarter (τὸ ἐαρινὸν τεταρτημόριον) be observed, and of the heavenly ones (οὐρανίων) the summery quarter, for those that encircle (περιγείων) the autumn, and for those of lakes or the sea (λιμναίων ἢ θαλασσίων) the winter season.”
With this final rule of Part 2, Julianus offers a vision of astrological ritual grounded not only in planetary movement, but also in the cycles of the seasons. Here, consecration is not merely a question of which planet is dignified or which luminary holds sect, but when in the annual cycle that image is brought into being. The body of the ensouled image is made of the Earth and it stands to reason that it would work in harmony with nature.
Each quarter of the year is assigned to a different class of gods. The vernal (spring) quarter is best for airy or celestial deities (ἀερίων); the summer for the heavenly ones (οὐρανίων); the autumn for those that “encircle” the Earth (περιγείων); and winter for the gods of lakes and seas (λιμναίων ἢ θαλασσίων). Though brief, this passage encompasses an extensive hierarchy of gods ranging from the most abstract and distant to beings that inhabit nature.
The spring quarter, beginning with Aries and the vernal equinox, is a time of birth, qualities aligned with the air element that provides the animating breath (πνεῦμα) in nature. This may include deities of inspiration, intellect, and winds, Hermes, Iris, Urania, and others who operate in the subtle strata between earth and heaven.
The summer quarter, fire and solar power, is assigned to the “heavenly” gods proper (οὐρανίων). These may include Zeus, Apollo, and the full procession of solar or stellar deities. Their natures are expansive, commanding, and bright like the Sun at its peak. The summer sky offers maximal visibility, light, and heat, the ideal environment of sky-kings and solar heroes.
By contrast, the gods who “encircle” the Earth, the περιγείων, are assigned to the autumn quarter. These may be earth-spirits, deities of agriculture, decay, or the seasonal dying of light. Autumn is the domain of the harvest, but also of descent. Many chthonic myths take place at this time, when Persephone is drawn back below, and the veil between realms grows thin. This quadrant suits gods that carry protective, fertility, and underworld power.
Lastly, the winter quarter is reserved for the gods of lakes and the sea, watery deities who mirror the stillness, mystery, and depth of the cold season. Water has always symbolized the unconscious and the primordial womb. In the celestial dome, the winter quarter is also where the River Eridanus meets the starry ocean in Pisces, with Cetus the Whale and Argo Navis close by.
This elemental-seasonal division is the doctrine of four elemental qualities: hot, cold, dry, and wet distributed evenly across the year. Spring is warm and moist (air), summer is hot and dry (fire), autumn is cool and dry (earth), and winter is cold and moist (water).
There is also a directional aspect. Paul of Alexandria tells us that the winds, and by extension, spirits, are governed by the Moon’s aspects to planets in the four triplicities. Fire signs draw eastern winds, air signs call the western, earth signs the southern, and water signs the northern. In ancient languages like Greek, Hebrew, Arabic, and Latin, the wind (πνεῦμα / ruach / spiritus) was the vehicle by which spirit moved through matter; the same word denoted “breath”. Many grimoires, especially in the Solomonic tradition, reflect this, treating the wind as the final gateway for a conjured spirit to pass through. The direction the conjuror faces is of high importance.
This also reflects the nature of time in mythology. Gods are not timeless abstractions but living forces that move in cycles symbolized in stories. Attis rises in spring and lives on in nature through the pine tree. Osiris dies with the Nile’s ebb and returns with the flood. Persephone rises in spring and descends in autumn. All of these myths hinge on the four points of the equinox and solstice axis.
The rule that emerges from this is simple in its phrasing, but profound in application:
Match the deity’s elemental nature to the appropriate seasonal quarter
Choose the image to reflect the mythic and elemental composition of the season (i.e. flowers for spring, wheat for autumn)
Consider the triplicity of the Moon’s aspects, and the spiritual “winds” that animate the work
Rule 5B: Fulfillment and Revelation
And the revelations (ἀναδείξεις) the unveiling and fulfillment (τελουμένων, the completion of a divine act) occur in this manner.
Here, Julianus points toward a concept central to theurgy: that a divine act is not a single event, but an ongoing unfolding. The image, once ensouled, is not static; it moves with the flow of time. It reveals the god again and again, at moments when the heavens align with its natal election or “birth”.
The Greek term ἀναδείξεις (anadeixeis), used in the Septuagint and elsewhere, implies a final unveiling. Likewise, τελουμένων (teloumenōn) carries the meaning of something completed or fulfilled. The act of creating a sacred image begins a cycle that repeats through celestial events.
Porphyry’s account of lunar offerings to Hecate and Hermes reinforces this. In his treatise “On Abstinence” he recounts a man who diligently made simple offerings at their statues at the same time every month. The benefits he received outweighed those of people who made extravagant offerings. His point was that the timing was of higher importance. Divine images, like celestial beings, have cycles. A statue of Helios crafted under Aries may radiate heightened force when the Sun returns to that sign, or to the other fiery signs, Leo and Sagittarius. Lunar returns, too, renew their power.
In this context, Julianus may be hinting at profections, solar and lunar returns, bounds, and transits, timing techniques that allow practitioners to detect when the god is near again and when the image is more potent. The image becomes a focal point for the god’s cyclical reentry into the world.
Porphyry’s reference in “On Statues” to Eleusinian ritual dress reinforces this principle of extending correspondence and sympathy. The torchbearer acted as Helios, the altar priest as Selene, and the herald as Hermes.
In practice, this means:
Sacred images follow celestial cycles; use electional timing (lunar/solar returns, transits, profections) to identify periods of increased influence
Seasonal returns, such as the Sun re-entering its natal sign or trigon, amplify the image’s activity
Time ritual offerings with these periods to sustain effectiveness
Julianus’s Rules Part 3- Durability and Oracular Power Through Astrological Placements
Having explored the Science of Images through planetary sect, luminary of sect, and seasons, we now turn to the third section of Julianus’s astrological rulebook. In Part 3, the focus is on the longevity and prophetic capabilities of these sacred images. There, we will explore how specific astrological placements, from angular houses to fixed signs, affects long-term outcomes and oracular potential.
Click here for Part 3: Enhancing Durability and Oracular Power Through Astrological Placements