Talismans

Deneb Algedi

I was a witch before I was an astrologer. After reading the Picatrix, I was a little scared of doing any astrology-based magic for a while. I didn’t want to choose a bad election, then find somewhere to dispose of a badly made talisman.

This February though, I ended up doing my first talisman with the fixed star Deneb Algedi. Deneb Algedi works within the themes of boundaries, fairness, and I’ve found it to be a very comforting star. It’s revealed the unseen to me and parts of my life I wasn’t paying enough attention to. It helped me reclaim the home I lost in divorce. It’s also helped me with magical protection and is a frequent talisman that helps me in spell-work.

The creation of the talisman began in January, I had the two dates picked out for the working, and was now on the search for a piece of jewelry to use. I meditated and felt pulled to a certain antique store and set off to visit and see what was there calling to me. I walked around for a while, a little overstimulated by all the stuff, and not finding anything until I laid my eyes on a necklace that was labeled “Amulet” for 25 dollars. I bought it immediately then took it home to research it, as it had the artists name etched into the back. It turns out the necklace was an original designed by Francisco Rebajes.

I was curious and searched up Rebajes’ natal chart and, to my surprise, it lined up with the elections I had picked out. The beginning of the spell was during a Mercury Cazimi at 28 degrees of Capricorn, this was conjunct Rebajes natal Mercury.

One thing I’ve noticed about doing magical workings over the years, are the strange ways spirit will lead you to all of the pieces you need. Usually this is a sign for me to do the working. I was shocked I found a piece of jewelry made by someone who’s natal Mercury perfectly lined up with the cazimi I had found for the beginning of the working, especially since this was the election of me etching into the metal. This cazimi was also part of my lunar return in Punarvasu so it seemed fitting, even though most people wouldn’t see this as a ‘good election’ for magical workings. I picked the elections the same way I do other magic as a witch, through communication with the spirits I work with and divination.

A Moon/Mars conjunction would not be a recommended election to choose astrologically! But I trust the spirits I work with with my life, and trusted after our years of magic together that this would be a fitting election. Especially with the cazimi of Mercury to help me get the etching just right. I enjoy how the Moon is in the 6th house, but is connected to the averse cazimi through it’s ruler. Also, reading significations, this really does look like a chart of the moment I would be etching into metal! If you also noticed in the bi-wheel, Francisco Rebajes has a Moon/Mars conjunction as well, but in Scorpio. I love when synchronicities like this just show up in a working unexpected.

This was a prominent Mars retrograde for me, with it exactly conjoining my natal Ketu when it stationed retrograde, but also retrograding all the way back to my natal Moon. It was a chaotic time, and the grounded energy of Deneb Algedi was what I yearned for in my life.

Part two of the spell occurred when the Sun conjoined Deneb Algedi. Normally the Moon is used in conjunction to a fixed star for a working, but this was the date I was recommended by the spirits to do part two and ensoul the talisman. I was a little nervous, I have connected with fixed stars before and their energy is a big large and intimidating.

The ensouling election happened while the Ascendant was conjoining my Natal Ascendant. Jupiter was near my natal Mars and shared a Parivartana Yoga with Venus in Pisces. This means we can also read this chart with Venus in Jupiter’s place and vice-versa. The spell ended soon after the Ascendant went into Sagittarius, specifically in the Mula Naksatra. The Moon sees both benefics but doesn’t see either Malefic. I was happy with Saturn in its own sign in the fourth house, and ruling the third. I also liked the energy of Venus and the Moon both seeing the Sun through Jupiter.

Deneb Algedi felt like a massive energy hovering over me while connecting to it. I connected to Deneb Algedi through the help and protection of the spirits I work with, and the form of communication with the star was something I hadn’t experienced before. It was a beautiful presence, grounded, and very matter-of-fact in nature. It communicated to me through colors, which I quickly got acquainted to as its method of communication with me, for whatever reason lol.

I finished the working and wanted to see how well it worked, or if I accidentally made a ‘cursed’ necklace lol The energy felt nice, so I was relatively confident that the working brought the energy I had planned. I put on the talisman and went to Costco do do some grocery shopping. As I was checking out, the cashier randomly started telling me about how much he loved working there, nobody really ever talks to me while I’m out and about. He told me about how he worked there for the past ten years, how he is happy with his health insurance, and how fair Costco is to it’s employees.

My boyfriend and I had a little laugh about the interaction after we left the store, because it’s as if the talisman had been a success.

Deneb Algedi is seen to work in balance, so beneficial and malefic. Life and death. Happiness and sadness. The most fair dynamic in our universe is the balancing of energy, and balance can only be obtained when both sides are tended to. Magic is relatively neutral, weaving through the energy seeing what needs to be balanced. A beneficial spell for someone to get a job will have a malefic effect on other people trying to get that same job position as well. When we do a spell, we spark an imbalance that balances itself out in ways we may not be aware. What is a curse, and what is a blessing? I’d say they are the same thing, but different sides of the spectrum. You can’t have one without the other.

Ptolemy says Deneb Algedi has the energy of both Mars and Jupiter, bringing in themes of authority. At first I was wary about this, as I don’t really associate Fixed Stars with planets, but now I’m realizing Ptolemy likely was explaining the complex energy through the planets as a way to translate it so astrologers would easily understand. This also brings in the ‘secrecy’ of the occult, keeping things hidden behind words and clues that only those who are searching for it will find. When we think about the Star and the planetary energy, I like to think of that planet as a whole. Not just only in its own sign, but also how it acts in the signs of its fall and detriment.

I give it to Ptolemy though, because since making this talisman I have regained some authority in my life, something that had been unobtainable to me for over a decade where my safety and happiness didn’t matter to those who had authority over me. Authority also brings us the confidence to set boundaries, let people know when they cross them, and let go of relationships that constantly try to avoid those boundaries.

Authority can mean power over other people, and often in a malefic sense. But I wanted to gain authority over my own life, balance the good and bad by drawing boundaries. I wont say this is an easy star to work with, starting to take authority over your own life can be an intimidating experience. All actions have a reaction, so trust in oneself is vital as well as trust in spirit finding a perfect balance with an equal reaction.

With my interactions with Deneb Algedi during the ensouling, I trusted the star to chose fair and equal reactions to my actions. Doing magic through the star would ensure that my workings wouldn’t lean so far on beneficence that it would have an equally bad side-effect that blocked my initial action. The star would help find a reaction that wouldn’t block my intent, especially if it’s a long-term working that takes many spells/rituals.

I’ve been wearing the talisman often since ensouling it, and it’s had a beautiful effect on my life but not without necessary challenges. Necessary challenges that are a part of my natal chart’s story, but with the guidance and protection through Deneb Algedi I have fallen into my story in a more confident way and began to speed it up a bit. Every challenge I was faced with over the past few months has had absolutely beautiful effects in my life.

The first week of November was one of the worst weeks of my year. On top of a family emergency, my work account accidentally got deleted so I was out of work for a week. My account was about thirteen years old, and the whole site has seen MASSIVE upgrades since I started. Support for the site compensated me for a portion of the time my account was lost, since it got deleted on a Friday. I couldn’t work my busy weekend shifts until support was back in the office and saw my emails on Monday. When I talked to support, they advised me to make a brand new account and asked me if I wanted to use the same user name.

I took a day to decide, and decided to not use my old name. It has associations with some of the worst moments of my life. So I chose a new name and got started. It turns out, the past few years of my account not being seen on the site was likely due to its incompatibility with the site upgrades over the years. I’m as busy as I was prior to 2020 and it’s a wonderful feeling to be seen again. The balance of a short-term 5 day loss of income (I got paid about half the amount I would over those days, but was happy to get that), but now I have an account that works fully again so I have a long-term gain of income. In themes of balance you can see it also balancing the accidental incompatibility issues my account had with the site over years of work.

There are more personal effects in my life within my immediate family that I don’t want to speak of publicly, but the horrible family emergency in November quickly became a healing moment. The healing brought comfort and trust, I saw fairness around me in a certain portion of my life and it’s the first time I’ve seen this in years. My experiences were also validated and heard by people who believed me, outside of close family and friends, for the first time in years.

This turned into a bit of a long witchy ramble, but I am truly blessed by this talisman. The negatives lead to positives, fairness, boundaries, and love. You can’t have true love without strong boundaries and a balance of the participating parties’ needs. Taking care of each other brings in balance, having space for each other brings balance, and having boundaries brings balance.

What is a benefic talisman, and what is a malefic talisman? I guess it depends on what part you focus on. I think those connected with spirit, the witches, may seem to have charts that look like they don’t follow the rules. This is why I only made one, for myself. I wouldn’t want to wave these charts around and say they are ‘good.’ These charts are not something I would want someone to try to use as a ‘guide to doing astrological magic’ either. They were highly specific, and determined with the many spirits I trust. The ones who taught me everything I know.

I truly love this working, and am excited to see where spirit pulls me next. I’d feel honored if i was called to work with another fixed star. I know the charts look a little odd…. but they perfectly fit my chart and the experiences I needed to bring balance and love into my life. The charts almost seem to point at me experiencing the negative first to get it out of the way quickly (remember that sixth house moon/mars on my natal moon?), in order to usher in the balance a little quicker. Knowing this, I know there is a time and place to wear the talisman so I let spirit guide me to know when that should be.