A Thursday King
Originally uploaded by anselm23
So, yesterday I made these little Artists Trading Cards of the images of the seven governors. The Seven are the spiritual powers of the Hermetic philosophy of magic, but they’re also the visible planets: the Moon, Mercury, Venus, the Sun, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn. Turning them into trading cards was pretty neat, actually, although I’m not sure that I could trade them. There’s this curious thing, though, that happens when I draw them, which I think would be of interest to Gordon in his discussions of sigils, or for people who are practicing the Ars Memorativa… It’s certainly in line with RO’s ideas about kinetic meditation.
The act of visualizing them so precisely increases the depth of my relationship with these forces. Drawing a king like this, makes me want to be and act more kingly. But it also helps me “own” the image more thoroughly. I mean, if you run into me at a coffee house or at a gathering, and I have pens and paper, I can draw one of these cards for you more easily than I ever could before. They’re taking less time, each time I draw them; and each time I draw them they become more nuanced and skillful. They just, in Gordon’s parlance, “feel right”.
There’s sixteen such Geomancy images I own now; and four American civilizations; and these seven traditional planetary figures; and I’m growing in facility with the Zodiac and the 36 Decans and the 28 Mansions of the Moon… that’s a good ninety-odd images (91?)
When I say “own” I mean it. I’m getting to the point where I can recall which image is needed, and recreate it. Drawing them has empowered me, as it will empower you if you learn these symbols and the skills to create them. Learning to draw them will improve your note-taking skills, and it will improve your memory, and it will improve your understanding of how image intersects with word to form memories.
Via Flickr:
Jupiter, associated with Thursday (Joven in Spanish, Jeudi in French, etc.), is the king of the gods, lord of the thunderbolt, fragrant with cedars, and hangs out with the number 4 (which Pythagoras said was the number of “Justice”). Here’s a visualization of Jupiter to play with today during Jupiter hour.
