Astrological Magics
I've begun incorporating the Western Zodiac into my personal magical system and pondering its implications. I started by contemplating via oracle and improvised readings the nature of these energies. I then cross-referenced my intuitions with "learned" resources like Agrippa, modern alchemical foundations , the Picatrix, De Quindecim Stellis, and even blog posts by practicing astrologers.
Most of this information is useless and in some cases downright misleading. Medieval and Renaissance magicians were either fools or geniuses, but I cannot tell which. Some authors seem content to provide long lists of correspondences with little to no context, as-is tradition.
Nonetheless, with the benefit of a cold reading one can ascertain how and where the Zodiac "fits." Personally, I've found the concept of "cardinal", "fixed", and "mutable" serves as a nice bridge from the elements, where the concept of "ascendant" and "descendant" bridges to the planets. There are also some helpful hints about the nature of time (and time keeping) if you squint.
Overall, I think the Zodiac is a nice thing to have in one's toolbox, not because of its inherent power, but because of the increased precision it offer.
Has anyone else had success incorporating the Zodiac into magical workings?
Piggybacking off what Liam just said, I personally don’t see much value in going straight to incorporating zodiac spirits into any workings unless you’ve spent time with them. What use would it be to just throw Scorpio into a ritual or spell unless you know who you’re dealing with? Nothing beats “bathing” in that energy—as Liam and Chris put it—and getting personal. When you have that familiarity and respect, on a daily basis, then you can think about using that energy. The point is, zodiac spirits are not ingredients, per se, any more than any other spirit. Nor is it enough to simply view them as aspects of yourself. In todays world, that’s all too easy to do. Astrology is a huge part of the popular culture, and we tend to think of zodiac spirits in terms of how they relate to us in a more narrow respect. I’m guilty of that—it wasn’t till Liam and Chris suggested I actually contact my zodiac placements that I saw the difference. For instance, I’m an Aries. You’d think Aries energy would come easily to me when I invoke it, or that I’d instantly be comfortable with it, but that’s not the case, I found.