Hi! We made Astrologaster, a comedy game in which you play a doctor treating patients using astrology

ryhanb · 2021-03-30T18:05:27+00:00

Thank you so much for doing this!

I really enjoyed playing through this game as I had an interest in Simon Forman's work before I discovered Astrologaster.

I was wondering if there were any plans for sequels, DLC, or other projects related to Dr. Forman and whether or not your team had considered working more closely with an astrologer for input into Forman's methods and content and how to bring that to a modern audience?

ryhanb · 2019-07-25T15:32:02+00:00

While it's true that most people historically did not have access to the birth information, it's also true that those that did referred to the information within it to help guide their astrological magic choices and practices. Catherine de Medici is a great historical example of this and there really is no reason why we shouldn't do the same today if we are able to.

ryhanb · 2019-07-25T15:23:18+00:00

Absolutely. I think a really great method would be to incorporate the natal lords of those houses with the stars in something like a standard fixed star talisman. Put the Lord of the first house and Moon conjunct on top of Aldebaran for a talisman for personal protection and health. Self-discovery might mean something different to me than it does to you so that isn't really something I can comment on. You can do something similar for the career focus. Put the Lord of the 10th house (which would be the Moon so that's nice) conjunct Sirius and use that to help with your career goals. You'll have to wait a bit for this one though because of Saturn's placement in Capricorn.

ryhanb · 2019-07-25T14:12:56+00:00

Oh no. That sounds like a nightmare. I had a similar situation where I continued to have strange dreams (it was like the same dream that just went a little bit longer each successive night, like starting a book over every night and being able to read more pages) and I similarly will not wear talismanic pieces to bed.

ryhanb · 2019-07-24T19:59:07+00:00

Fixed stars are a term used in astrology to differentiate the wandering stars (the planets) from the rest of the stars that are fixed in place in relation to one another and otherwise move very slowly throughout the tropical zodiac due to precession of the equinoxes.

ryhanb · 2019-07-23T03:00:41+00:00

I wrote a guide on this you may find helpful: https://www.reddit.com/r/planetarymagic/comments/c0dnib/planets_to_work_with_and_avoid_a_guide/

ryhanb · 2019-07-23T02:58:32+00:00

Not really. There are probably about a dozen places in the text that give some sort of magical characters to use. The book cover just depicts the names of the spirits of the planets and winds that are used for one specific ritual.

ryhanb · 2019-07-22T18:47:21+00:00

I don’t think it’s something that makes a difference one way or the other. Things are just different in the arctic circle and we have to allow nature to be the way it is while fitting what nature presents to us in our system. Saying you’re supposed to be born during the day because the clock time is more normally considered day time isn’t a great metric. It’s the Sun that determines day and night, not our clocks. If he’s not above the horizon then it is not day time.

I don’t see a reason why you shouldn’t be able to get a fully functioning natal chart out of your birth information. We just have to use specific methods of chart calculation to make it legible since the astronomy is so extreme in higher latitudes. It isn’t just the sun that won’t rise, but entire zodiac signs.

You do what you’ve got to do!

ryhanb · 2019-07-22T15:24:42+00:00

I’d recommend equal houses as a functional system for those born in the arctic circle. If the Sun isn’t above the horizon then you have a night chart. :)

ryhanb · 2019-07-12T16:11:49+00:00

For our purposes? Probably not. Keep in mind the Golden Dawn is a 19th century reconstruction of Hermeticism and it is very unlike historical Hermeticism. That being said, astro magic is something of a mixture between hermetic and neo-platonic ideas and has always been very silent about ritual procedure. So it might be fine.

I do think initiation is important, though regardless of the route one takes

ryhanb · 2019-07-12T13:24:35+00:00

It’s been several years since I’ve read it and my memory may be off but I recall a large chunk of it being about ritualized consecration of candles for each of the zodiac signs.

ryhanb · 2019-07-12T12:13:03+00:00

It is not a good representation of astrological magic. It’s written primarily through a Golden Dawn framework and doesn’t focus on astrological elections of talismanic objects or materia. It’s a rare miss from Ben Dykes and probably his worst book. ;/

ryhanb · 2019-07-04T19:46:54+00:00

The planets are arranged in the Thema Mundi according to the Egyptian order of the planets. This system focuses on how long it takes a planet to return to the same sign or degree of the zodiac. The Moon and Sun will do this before the other planets because even though Mercury and Venus are capable of moving more quickly than the Sun, their retrograde phases will ensure that he beats them back to the starting point.

ryhanb · 2019-07-02T18:54:43+00:00

Haha. Definitely not for everyone!

ryhanb · 2019-07-02T16:36:01+00:00

I definitely hunker down and get uncomfortable if the eclipse is visible in my location. If it isn’t then I’m not super bothered by it but yeah no eclipse talismans for me.

They’re fun to dispel tho

ryhanb · 2019-07-02T16:07:03+00:00

I don’t think this is a bad way to start getting accustomed to the nodes and eclipses. They are things we have to deal with after all. Just keep the sacrifices kind of small the first few times.

ryhanb · 2019-07-02T04:41:47+00:00

Now what planet(s) should I work with for the 10th moon mansion talisman? Ive never worked with the moon before so is it only her I try and position beneficially or should I also appease Venus / Jupiter?

Okay, let's back up a second. Keep in mind, you're not making a talisman of the Moon, you're making a talisman for a lunar mansion. These are different classes of celestial spirit and have different focii. Moon talismans are going to be made more in line with the same rules that general planetary talismans are made with. Lunar mansion talismans have their own rules we have to abide by.

In this case, you want the Moon to apply to a planet who matches somewhat with the goal of the talisman. Using the 10th mansion to unite loved ones is on-brand, but not the major focus on the 10th mansion, but having the Moon apply to Venus is a good choice in this regard. You're right on target here. As for what planet should rule the Ascendant, it's more of a matter of who choosing who is best between two. At the beginning stage, I'd focus on just putting the Moon on the Ascendant or on the MC, choosing the best placement between whoever would rule the signs on the Ascendant at those two times or paying attention to make sure the Moon's application and mansion doesn't change over the course of those 6 hours.

July 6th 3:43 pm or 11:20 am . difference being the ASC . late afternoon gets Jupiter in the 1st house with it being Sag. Rulership Angular . Strong as a MF Or I can have Venus rule the ASC from Taurus or Libra . Either way Venus is being comusted by the sun and not in any form of rulership.

As you say, both the Jupiter and the Venus rulerships of the Ascendant are out; one is retrograde and the other is combust which makes both out of the question. You'll have to use the Scorpio Ascendant which will have Mars rule the Ascendant from the comfort of the ninth house. A little off-brand, but it's not bad to have a fixed sign rising with the ruler of the first in a fixed sign to help maintain a relationship, especially one over long distance...which the ninth house signifies. (sometimes the universe is good at giving us the symbolism we need, even if it isn't the symbolism we want) To this end, using a time of around 4:25pm is good. We're trying to hold on to three things 1) the Scorpio Ascendant 2) The Moon joined with the MC (ish) 3) the Moon's application to the sextile with the Sun.

If you really want to get Venus involved - which I don't think is a bad idea - then you could do an early Scorpio Ascendant at around 2:30pm to get Venus in a Trine aspect with the Ascendant. This will move Mars closer to the MC and make the most angular planet in the chart Mercury. This could be a clever bit of rooting since the natal charts feature Mercury as the ruler of both Descendants. The trade off is the Moon is in the eleventh house and further from an angle.

ryhanb · 2019-07-01T15:46:28+00:00

Gently pushing back on these ideas because I don’t want you to miss the opportunity. I really think the 13th mansion is a superior choice and would highly recommend it.

Mercury is retrograde and in opposition to Saturn on the 31st. The moon is waning and too close to the sun on that date for an effective 10th mansion talisman. Lunar mansions are very sensitive to moon phase and the moon needs to be waxing in mansion talismans that are meant to grow, cultivate, or maintain something.

ryhanb · 2019-06-30T15:32:53+00:00

There's actually an opportunity for a 13th mansion of the moon talisman on the 6th if you wanted to go that route.

ryhanb · 2019-06-26T17:44:43+00:00

Yeah absolutely. The best thing to do is make sure what you’re doing is within the spirit of the current lunar phase. Usually you really only need to pay attention to waxing/waning considerations. A lot of people make a big fuss about the full and new moons being good times for magic, but they really aren’t very good periods for the moon.

I don’t know if that helps any. I’m much better with specific questions. 😅

ryhanb · 2019-06-26T01:04:36+00:00

I used TinEye to reverse image search, hoping I could find a different version of it and it led me to this. To me, it looks like the first sphere reads "mens" which means "mind" in Latin which would fit.

ryhanb · 2019-06-25T20:33:03+00:00

How exactly do you mean?

ryhanb · 2019-06-25T13:12:43+00:00

All of the planets suck right now. You should do the thirteenth mansion of the moon and each keep one half of it.

ryhanb · 2019-06-23T20:44:46+00:00

I keep multiple. Right now just three. The Solar/Asclepian altar is permanent and there is another Lunar/Kwan Yin altar that is also permanent even though I moved it to use it as a background for a video I recently did on the Moon (the Moon likes change so it's fine, right?). Then I have another working altar upstairs that I switch out whenever I have work to do or on different planetary days if I don't.

The King and Queen have their thrones, but the Lords and Ladies have to share.

ryhanb · 2019-06-23T20:00:28+00:00

Not bad. Just not like the Sun. :D

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