The following glossary gathers Julianus’s key terms and presents each with its literal meaning and context. While written in Koine Greek, his language sometimes contains older symbolic meanings.

Glossary of Key Terms in Julianus’s Work

Τελουμένων (Teloumenon)

Literal Meaning: “Consummation” or “fulfillment.”

Other Meanings:

  1. Etymology: Somewhat related phonetically to Arabic talsam (“talisman”).
  2. Religious/Symbolic: “Fulfillment of divine decree,” “revelation of divine work.”
  3. Astrological: Completion; the planets “perfect” their aspects.
  4. Cultural: Latin consummat; tied to marriage, the union of heaven and earth.

Note: When the planets’ aspects are completed, it symbolizes the work of the heavens being fulfilled, and the image is its earthly link.

Revelation (ἀναδείξεις)

Literal Meaning: Disclosure, laying bare.

Other Meanings:

  1. Linguistic: Related to Latin revelare.
  2. Religious: Divine communication, supernatural vision, ultimate outcomes (cf. Book of Revelation).
  3. Mythic Parallel: Culmination of heaven and earth’s work.

Note: This is how the chart reveals the outcome.

Agalma (ἄγαλμα)

Literal Meaning: Sacred image, idol, treasured object.

Other Meanings:

  1. Religious statue, shrine, offering, or ensouled vessel.

Practical Note: In Homer’s poems, this word’s meaning was more akin to “relic”. By the Common Era, it denoted statues in pagan temples and is found throughout the Septuagint and Greek New Testament.

Spear-Bearers (δορυφόρων / Doryphory)

Literal Meaning: Planetary guards or attendants.

Functions:

  1. Protect or divert the ensouled deity.
  2. Can bring the influence of multiple deities into one image.

Practical Note: Check the angularity of planets serving as spear-bearers. Functions best when angular (1st or 10th houses).

The Lot of Fortune (ὁ τῆς τύχης κλῆρος)

Literal Meaning: A calculated point from the Sun, Moon and Ascendant.

Functions:

  1. Final arbiter of the operation.
  2. Signifies the actualization in the world of matter.

Note: If the Lot of Fortune is severely afflicted, the outcome can be affected negatively.

Fixed Signs (στερεόν ζῴδιον)

Literal Meaning: Taurus, Leo, Scorpio, Aquarius.

Other Meanings:

  1. Endurance of astrological influence.
  2. Julianus recommends enshrinement/ensoulment when fixed signs are rising.

Note: Parallels to this rule are found in Picatrix.

Chthonic Deities (καταχθόνιοι)

Literal Meaning: Underworld gods.

Layers of Meaning:

  1. Catchall for nocturnal/earthly influences.
  2. Julianus recommends the Moon, Venus, and Jupiter in harmonious aspects as well as Saturn.

Practical Note: For chthonic deities, applying aspects with the Moon and at least one of the benefics (Venus or Jupiter) is necessary, and Saturn should have no harmful influences.

Mutual Witness (μαρτυρεῖσθων)

Literal Meaning: Testifying by aspect.

Other Meanings:

  1. Planets “beholding” each other by aspect, not conjunction.
  2. Crucial for chthonic gods: Moon, Venus and Jupiter mutually witness

Practical Note: Probably means aspects with mutual reception.

Hidryses (ἱδρύσεις)

Literal Meaning: “Sweat,” or light of Sun/Moon.

Layers of Meaning:

  1. Literal: Vital bodily fluid, tied to life essence.
  2. Mythic: Milk of Hera, Hathor, Nuit; nourishment.
  3. Biblical: Sweat as physical incarnation (Genesis 3:19) and related to blood (Luke 22:44).

Notes: Astral light enmeshed in matter that empowers the sacred image.

Julianus’s Key Warnings 

Hermes/Mercury Afflictions

Julianus repeats warnings about Mercury four times. Mercury governs communication and divine messages, and its afflictions affect the oracular properties of sacred images.

  • If Mercury is separating (ἀπορρέοντος) speech weakens.
  • If Mercury is retrograde (ἀναποδίζοντος) words are “turned away”.
  • If Mercury is in mute signs (ἐν ἀφώνοις) the voice is lost.

Note: If Mercury is opposing Mars (and presumably Saturn) it can bring highly destructive influences in some cases. Mercury’s nature is to act in hidden ways and potential hazards should be considered.

The Maxim of Sympathy (ὅμοιον ἀποτελέσουσιν)

“For like produces like.” This principle anchors the connection between the microcosm (statue, image, ritual participants) and the macrocosm (cosmos, world of matter).

Note: Avoid harmful astrological configurations for ensouling images because they will influence the world of matter in a similar way.

Interpretive Frameworks

Much of mythology is itself a complex metaphorical depiction of the heavens and natural world. Astrological charts in the Hellenistic world were viewed as a web of interactions between different gods and not just an astronomical event. For instance, the Sun opposing Saturn was also seen as Helios in conflict with Kronos. Many ancient myths incorporate astrological symbolism in seemingly bizarre narratives. Zeus transforming his appearance into various animals is often a metaphor for the Sun’s position relative to certain constellations.

Different images of gods also incorporated astrological symbolism to denote specific astronomical information. For example, ram horns on a god often denote Aries as Porphyry explains in his treatise On Images.

Many philosophers wrote lengthy commentaries on Greek myths as an exercise in Plato’s four modes of cognition.

Greek Cognition: Plato’s Four Modes

Plato categorized cognition on four levels:

  • Imagination: the world of images and appearances.
  • Belief: common opinion and shared convictions.
  • Thought: rational consideration and dialectic.
  • Understanding: direct apprehension of the Forms.

These levels are lived out through the three parts of the soul:

  • Logos (reason/forms)
  • Thymos (spirit, emotion)
  • Eros (desire, appetites)

This has parallels to the Pythagorean Tetractys. The three-sided triangular structure of the Tetractys contains four rows of points, totaling ten. Hellenized Jewish thinkers such as Philo of Alexandria (50 BC – 20 AD) applied this structure to Jewish texts.

Jewish Exegesis: PaRDeS

Medieval Kabbalah described four interpretive layers, often called PaRDeS (“orchard” alluding to Eden):

  1. Literal sense: reading the words directly.
  2. Root-word analysis: uncovering the inner structure of language.
  3. Contemplation: reflecting on the symbolic depth of the roots.
  4. Direct knowing: ultimate insight, the fruit of the orchard.

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