New Modern Translation of Book One of Agrippa's Three Books of Occult Philosophy

I am very pleased to announce the first volume of three of a new modern translation of Agrippa's Three Books of Occult Philosophy!!! Three Books of Occult Philosophy Book One.

Picatrix is the only rival to Three Books of Occult Philosophy and where Agrippa omits some details of magic ritual and is not so focused on astrological magic as Picatrix, he more than makes up for it with his systematic exposition of how magic and astrology works. The three books of TBOP correspond to the three worlds, Material, Celestial/Imaginal and Divine/Archetypal/Angelic. If you understood Agrippa, you would truly be a mage!

Agrippa wrote TBOP in Latin in 1533 and so far we've had to get by with the 17th century JF translation. It's spotty, has mistakes and JF, (whoever he was) was weak on astrology. Tyson did his best with the Llewellyn version, but he didn't read Latin and didn't know traditional astrology. Frankly I basically ignore all of Tyson's comments on astrology they will lead you astray, except for really basic stuff like which star the text is referring to.

There is, however, a modern Latin critical edition. This is very expensive, over $200, and you need to be able to read Latin to use it. It is very useful, however, because the editor carefully looked at all the different versions of Agrippa and came up with the most accurate one possible.

Now Eric Purdue has come along and translated the Latin critical edition, so we finally have a true modern translation! Obviously it's going to be similar to the JF translation, but it is surprising how much JF and Tyson missed or misunderstood. This edition, which we are calling the Academic Edition, tries to be as literal a translation as possible, while still using modern English. Plus it is extensively sourced and has over 1,000 footnotes! This is Agrippa as close to the original as possible.

Now we are starting with Book One, which deals with the Material World, with occult virtues of natural things and natural magic. Very key part of magic, very important section of TBOP. We do hope to finish the complete TBOP and I can understand how readers might say, "oh, I'll just wait for the complete version to come out" Couple of things. First, TBOP is not translating itself, and there is not some big team of paid translators beavering away. Eric is doing this on his own time, with no guarantee of remuneration. The complete version may never come out! It is also going to take a long time, I would not expect to have Books 2 & 3 finished until late into 2013. Finally, by buying the individual volumes you support the ongoing translation effort as well as the translator and Renaissance Astrology. We are not government funded and not amateurs, we aim to continue to bring professional skill and professional quality translations to the contemporary esoteric community. Plus buy now and you get it NOW!

So, for the next 8-10 weeks, the new modern translation of TBOP Book One will be available just from the Renaissance Astrology website and for just $19.95 plus shipping. Once it shows up on Amazon, the price will be $24.95.

If you are a student of mine, if you are serious about traditional astrology and particularly traditional astrological magic, you need to get a copy of this new translation! Absolutely essential reading!

New Video: How Do Astrology and Magic Work?

I am pleased to present another video, this time on magical and astrological causality: How Does Astrology & Magic Work?

You will note that in this video I am wearing a yellow shirt, as the video was made on Sunday, the day of the Sun whose color is yellow.

I hope you'll find these videos useful and interesting!

New Video: Picatrix Editions

New Video!!!!

I just got new video and audio equipment so I am starting to work on new videos, podcasts, etc.

Here is a quickie Youtube video I made on the different editions of Picatrix.

End of the World?

I was asked if there was anything astrological to support the 2012 APOCALYPSE!!!

Astrologically, nothing out of the ordinary is happening.

As secular humanist as modern Westerners may think they are, we are programmed by 2000 years of Judeo-Christian eschatological thought (google eschatology!) to expect the imminent END OF THE WORLD. Under this view there is a beginning, a direct linear progression and then an end.

My personal preference is more Greek or Asian and their cosmology and view of history is cyclical, not linear.

In any case, as John Greer has detailed in his book, Apocalypse Not, prophecies of the Apocalypse have been continuously made, failed and the failure ignored and then more are made.

Not only is the Apocalypse in our cultural "genes" but it serves a useful personal function as well. Currently our culture has two disparate views of the future, a binary choice between what I call "Star Trek" or "Mad Max" In the Star Trek future, science and technology has solved all current world problems, war, poverty, disease, and we effortlessly zip between the stars. In the Mad Max future a few wretched survivors scrabble for scraps in the ruins of great cities.

The advantage of this binary future is that we can excuse our current wasteful consumerist lifestyle and need make no effort to adapt to future change, after all there is nothing we can individually do to hasten the Star Trek future and nothing we can individually do to avoid Mad Max.

Also, as illogical as it may appear, the Apocalypse is very appealing to people that dislike their current job or life situation. If the world ends tomorrow, they won't have to go to work!

Astrological Software?

I had a poster asking about what kind of astrological software to buy. My response is, why buy expensive astrological software at all?

The difference between the free online software at Astrodienst (use "Chart drawing Ascendant") and expensive, commercial software costing several hundred dollars is pretty minimal. They all give you quick, easy and above all accurate charts, which Lilly no doubt would trip out over. He used to have his charts sent out to be done!

The most popular programs that traditional astrologers use are Janus and Solar Fire. I haven't used Janus, but I've never heard anyone complain vehemently about it and certainly lots of traditional astrologers like Janus and use it. Solar Fire is what I use, but with my special Traditional Page. This page only works if you already have Solar Fire! This is the horary/electional version which is free with my Electional Course, Horary Course and Astrological Magic Course. There is a natal version that comes free with my Natal Astrology Course.

I like the square chart, but it is not to everyone's taste!

Here's the thing. The marketing "hook" for astrological software, stated or unstated, is that if you spend the $300+ then you won't have to do anything else, the program will do everything for you, not only create a chart, but read it for you.

Sadly, this is not so! An astrological chart to an astrologer is like an X-ray to a radiologist. A vital tool, but useless without mastery of the area. I can assure budding traditional astrologers that don't feel they can afford $300+ that they are not missing out on anything essential by not having Solar Fire, Janus, etc. On the other hand, if you do want to spend your money, you are going to be fine for traditional astrology with Janus or with Solar Fire and my Traditional Page.

Must Just be a Coincidence!!!

Guess what? Today the Moon is in the 7th Mansion.

Silver 7th Mansion talisman
White Bronze 7th Mansion talisman
Glass 7th Mansion pendant
7th Mansion mirror


This is my newest talisman and I have been wearing a silver one.

Today turned out to be my biggest day for profits so far this month. Must just be a coincidence!

Tower of the Winds: Ancient Astrological Architecture

I added a new web page on the Tower of the Winds, an ancient building in Athens.

The standard modern view is that it was "scientific" you know a big utilitarian clock tower.

The webpage is a description of the Tower by a 17th century Turkish traveler, who describes a great deal of astrological talismanic lore regarding it. Very interesting and reminiscent of the larger scale astrological talismanic workings in the Book of the Treasure of Alexander. and Adocentyn, the astrological city of Hermes Trismegistus in Picatrix, Bk IV ch 3.

We tend to think of talismans as jewelry, as rings or medallions. In fact, De Imaginibus of Thabit Ibn Qurra clearly is talking about statuettes and many of the Picatrix Bk IV chapter 9 mansions images are also to be made as statuettes, often of wax. Certainly magic mirrors and swords, for example, are part of our traditional view of talismans, but almost anything, up to a whole city, can be created as an astrological talisman. These forces permeate all material things and if we pay attention orient us to the spiritual cycles and forces that underlie everything in the material world.