RARE 3RD LUNAR MANSION, DEGREE OF EXALTATION & NORTH NODE

“The third Mansion is Azoraye (that is, the Pleiades) and is for the acquisition of all good things.”

The 3rd Lunar Mansion is one of the most beloved talismans for its purely benefic nature. It has long been one of the most popular talismans from various grimoires for its all-around properties of good luck, and it is no different with Picatrix and its related sources. The 3rd Lunar Mansion brings its bearer “all good things”.

Most amazing about this talisman is that the Moon is not only conjoining the Dragon’s Head (North Node), which amplifies the properties of a planet, but it is also in its Degree of Exaltation! Out of the 360 degrees of the zodiac, the Degree of Exaltation is the single degree where a planet is at its most powerful and positive influence. A window of time when a planet is in its Degree of Exaltation, on the ascendant or midheaven, and also meeting the other stringent factors for a talisman is exceptionally rare. 

To have both the Degree of Exaltation and Dragon’s Head together is a once in a lifetime opportunity. 

Page 48 of the Picatrix states:

“It is necessary to observe, when casting images for love and friendship, that the Moon is fortunate and waxing and not when the Moon is afflicted and waning. Here is an example of this. 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), and always in a mansion fortunate and appropriate for the work, and when the Moon is joined to Venus in the hour of Jupiter.”

The Moon is fast at 13.4 degrees, oriental of the Sun (rising before the Sun) and culminating in the Midheaven. The Lord of the Ascendant, the Sun, is peregrine and has no significant strength other than being in an angular house which is acceptable. This is overshadowed by the Moon. The Moon is making a wide sextile to its sign ruler, Venus, with mutual reception, an excellent fortitude. Picatrix says in Book 2, Chapter 3, page 70:

“If you find both the Moon and the lord of her house favorably placed, the working will be good in all things and well completed, and you will obtain what you desire, and the end will be good. This will be even more so if the lord of the ascendant is a fortune and is in the ascendant or another of the angles, or if it is an infortune and favorably placed.”

Before the moon makes its sextile to Venus, it completes a conjunction to Mercury and a sextile to Saturn. Hard aspects to the malefics, the square and opposition, are the key aspects for curses in Picatrix and are to be avoided at all times. Some Picatrix practitioners avoid all aspects to Mars and Saturn completely because Picatrix states that the moon beholding them is afflicted; they have had undesirable results to back up this view. This statement in Picatrix is in contrast to the Book of the Treasure of Alexander, which specifically calls for soft aspects with the Moon and the two malefics in their signs when making Saturn and Mars talismans.

An informed view of this can only come from experience and from what I have seen, it varies per individual on a case-by-case basis. I have never had any negative effects from a sextile. I have seen undesirable things happen with trines to malefics in certain conditions, while others did great. Regardless, even if you deduct value for the sextile to Saturn, the Moon is conjoining the North Node which is very desirable and the Moon is waning in light in its 4th quarter.

Picatrix states that the Moon waxing in light and aspecting the malefics are serious afflictions but does not mention waning. While it is waxing in the 1st and 2nd quarter its nature is wet, conflicting with the dry nature of the malefics, but in the 3rd and 4th its nature is dry, making the aspect more agreeable. There is a popular notion that the moon’s waxing or waning light is a critical factor but the only real significance of it I have seen for talismans is in its aspects to malefics.

Talismans were engraved on natural, untreated lunar materials: quartz crystal, aquamarine, emerald, silver, and selenite. They were suffumigated with frankincense and Liber Razielis lunar incense made by Adley Nichols. The petition word אֶשֶׁר (Esher), meaning “happiness” and “blessed” is engraved in Paleo-Hebrew across the middle of the talisman.

THE CHART

17 May 2023, 1201-1211