Planetary Magic

What Is It?

Planetary magic is a paradigm through which one uses the will to affect reality.

In this paradigm magic is worked through attuning to the classical planets of Hermetic philosophy.

The process of learning planetary magic involves an initiatory journey where the aspirant seeks to bask in the archetypes and currents representative of each planet. Through this process one becomes empowered with both knowledge and the ability to work magic through symbolic resonance.

In Hermetic astrology and the Western esoteric tradition there are seven planets from our perspective as observers centered on the Earth: the Moon, Mercury, Venus, the Sun, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn.

Each of these planets is associated with certain archetypes and currents that are fundamental to conscious experience and to human experience and thus each can also be associated with the Sephiroth (Sephirah is the singular) of the Kabbalah. For example, some aspects of the Venusian current are the emotional qualia of our reality and our relationships to others and to ourself. This mirrors qualities of the Force dynamics of the Sephirah of Netzach. Another example: the main aspects of Jupiter are associated with expansion within domains and eventual rulership thereof. This corresponds to the Sephirah of Chesed in respect to the Kabbalah. On this site, because most practical magic is more easily worked from a planetary magic paradigm, each Sephirah is actually described in its corresponding planetary sphere's section below (even if there is not a perfect, one-to-one correspondence between a Sephirah and a planetary sphere) and is then elaborated on in the Sephirah's article. That additional elucidation is more tightly tied into actual Kabbalistic theory and can be found off of the main menu or at the bottom of the introduction to the Kabbalah.

As mentioned, there are some deviations in mapping from the planets to the Kabbalah and vice-versa that one should be aware of, although we will not delve too deeply here into them. Earth, our planet and base sphere, is the tenth Sephirah of the Kabbalah (Malkuth) and is not traditionally discussed in Hermetic cosmology since it's the foundation from which explorations begin. We do cover it though for sake of completeness and to sync up with the Kabbalistic map of reality. It also is thought of as the final sphere of emanation in the Kabbalah as opposed to the first sphere since the Kabbalah changes the perspective of the root observer from the Earth to the Heavens: the difficult-to-succinctly-discuss Abodes that correspond to the Kabbalistic Sephiroth of Kether and Chokmah, and which don't map neatly to any planets. There is also the Sephiroth representative of Da'ath, in the Kabbalah, that we will delve into only when discussing Kabbalistic theory.

While planetary magic can be tied into the physical planets and there does seem to be an intricate connection between gravity, mass, the accretion of matter, the evolution of consciousness complexity, and the cosmological processes of the universe, it is best not to overponder such aspects at this time as the initiatory journey through the planetary spheres is intensely personal and trying to match each current or set of archetypes from each planetary sphere to the actual planet is likely to be an exercise in futility and frustration.

The Descent Into Matter and Organic Life

A Journey to the Heart of the Spheres

The planetary magic paradigm has its roots in Hermeticism and the writings of Hermes Trismegistus. In that system there is a rather well-defined cosmological model that defines the human being's place in the Universe in relation to the planetary spheres. Existing in the center of the sphere that is our Earth and proceeding outward one comes across the spheres of the seven classical planets enveloping the central sphere (upon which we find the seat of our consciousness within the physical body). These seven spheres correspond to an inner reflection of the seven planets visible to ancient astronomers. On the outermost layers of the Onion Model are the spheres associated with stellar and transcendental consciousness: far removed from human physicality, but the actual primordial source of our individualized conscious experience.

There are two main ways to look at the planetary paradigm: from the Earth on up (as just described) and from the perspective of "God" emanating down into physicality from the outermost layers of the Onion Model toward the center – and Earth. The latter view is the preferred approach as it more accurately describes how Consciousness became individuated and found Itself entangled within human form (and within dualistic experience in general). This latter perspective also reflects how I recommend structuring one's initiatory journey. Start either at Saturn (if one has some experience in magical pathworking or if they're feeling especially bold) or, more likely, with Jupiter and spend a week or two with each sphere as you proceed attuning to the remaining planetary spheres in order of descent – finishing at the Moon. You can then go and return to Saturn (regardless of whether or not you started there) and focus on starting a new cycle of planetary initiation: seeking attunement to each sphere's current and set of archetypes, working with the intelligence and spirit of each sphere to understand its forces and relationship to oneself and one's life, and even attempting magic or paying particular attention to how your life changes as you work through each sphere and cycle through them. Stick with a sphere for a longer period of time if there seems to be issues or trouble resonating within one or the other; I stuck with Venus and the Moon for a longer period of time when I really started cycling until I got a solid response from both within my life. Things can get weird very quickly so prepare yourself as well!

Further Reading

For a more elaborate discussion on the causal chain of emanation that individuates Souce Consciousness into self-affirming "individuals" please refer to the Kabbalah section of this site as it goes into further detail on each of the planetary spheres from a slightly different perspective. Each of the first sub-articles on the individual Sephiroth contains a fantastic summarization of the corresponding planetary sphere's connection to Consciousness as well as information pertinent to Thelemic and Western occult studies on the Sephiroth, (e.g. Vision of the Sephirah, Magical Image, Magical Tool, etc.). We also elaborate there upon the First, Second, Tenth (and the "hidden" Eleventh) Sephiroth which are immensely important in understanding Consciousness and its evolution but which do not match up very well with what we are examing here with planetary magic and theory.

Additionally, please study the section on Elemental Magic to further go into the nitty gritty details of how we can classify and dissect conscious experience at each level of the Four Worlds and take a gander at the Four Worlds article to get a better idea of the roadmap that is reality and what Kabbalah and Elemental Magic are trying to model as well as why so many models and classifications for reality by "levels" and "planes" exist.

The following site map is presented more in order of conscious emanation than as a practical attempt to pathwork. The first three are not planetary spheres per se and are included more for purposes of completeness so that Consciousness as the seat of experience and foundation of magic is never forgotten. Refer, especially, to the first article in each planetary sphere's section for a thorough dissection of the sphere's relation to Consciousness and for a detailed look at what it represents. These first articles are usually more detailed and relevant to planetary theory and practice than the corresponding first articles for the Kabbalistic Sephiroth will be.