Celestial Gems and Sigils - De Lapidibus and Liber Sigillorum - Talismanic Lapidaries of Damigeron and Techel

Bravo!

Often in the Western Ceremonial Tradition we're presented with tables of correspondence. Those show what gems, birds, images, men, stars, and practically any other category of being is associated with any other. Our construction of ritual becomes a game of Pokemon where we gather as many items as we can that match our goals. These could be a quest for enlightenment or union with God or more mundane like a new car or the seduction of a desired partner. But, this is a very mechanistic approach to a breathing tradition.De Lapidibus and Liber Sigillorum translated by Regulus Hess offer us a glimpse into the tradition of stones. Carving specific images into the stones to bring about the desired effects. Essentially, making talismans relying on the virtues of the stones themselves as they have been impregnated by the celestial forces rather than working with astrological elections. The images themselves will be familiar with those who have delved into the pages of the Picatrix and are familiar with the type of work performed by the astrological mage.  This reminds us all that the Anima Mundi is a living breathing being and her creation, like our own, was a divine act of microcosm and macrocosm woven together in a beautiful mosaic.Christopher Warnock, the first contemporary Astrological Mage, offers invaluable insight in his Astrological Magic Commentary. He compares passages from the newly translated works with those found in the Picatrix and provides a clear description of the differences between an academic researcher and a working mage.  He covers how the images themselves are discovered rather communicated and transformed and provides evidence from writers such as Agrippa as to how one can pull all these things together. He also reintroduces his own talismanic framework and describes the kind of hard choices all practitioners must make as they augment their own practices with insights gleaned from these new sources.Also included are several wonderful new talismanic images illustrated by the talented Holly Ellis in Warnock’s brief Grimoire of the 7 Planets. If you are already familiar with astrological magic these will prove extremely useful. Warnock provides astrological instruction and includes excerpts from the Liber Sigillorum to allow a proficient practitioner to immediately take advantage of some of the potential offered by these new works.I would recommend this book to anyone who has interest in the occult virtues of stones and minerals, the living western magical tradition, or those who have a working knowledge of talismans ensoulment and would like to increase their working library.