Angels, Intelligences, Spirits, and Planetary Talismans: or, Why I Am Now and Forever SPN's Bitch
ETA that I elaborated a bit more on what I understand about planetary talismans (in a John-specific way) here. Better and better-informed minds than mine may well be able to improve upon this.
I have HOUSE meta to write and HOUSE-related comments to answer. I have my Grim Noir Grimoire (my chatty little guide to SPN herbs and hoo-doo) to wrap up. I even have my damned apartment to finish cleaning. But there was a little somethin' somethin' that's been driving me nuts from "In My Time of Dying." I finally found it!
Son of a bitch. I knew I recognized the symbol John drew. This look familiar, y'all?
Because it should. That's the talisman John drew when he summoned his good buddy the demon.
So, here's what's cool. Heinrich Cornelius Aggrippa was one of the major big boys in renaissance alchemical, occult, religious, and astrological writing. Granted, he was also something of a self-aggrandizing liarhead TOOL but, hey, who doesn't have his faults? Anyway, one of his most well-known texts is his de Occulta Philosphia, a treatise on practical magic. Therein, one can find the following in chapter 22 of the third book:
It is affirmed by Magicians, that there are certain tables of numbers distributed to the seven planets, which they call the sacred tables of the planets, endowed with many, and very great vertues of the Heavens, in as much as they represent that divine order of Celestiall numbers, impressed upon Celestials by the Idea's of the divine mind, by means of the soul of the world, and the sweet harmony of those Celestiall rayes, signifying according to the proportion of effigies, supercelestiall Intelligencies, which can no other way be expressed, then by the marks of numbers, and Characters. For materiall numbers, and figures can do nothing in the mysteries of hid things, but representatively by formall numbers, and figures, as they are governed, and informed by intelligencies, and divine numerations, which unite the extreams of the matter, and spirit to the will of the elevated soul, receiving through great affection, by the Celestiall power of the operator, a power from God, applyed through the soul of the universe, and observations of Celestiall constellations, to a matter fit for a form, the mediums being disposed by the skill, and industry of Magicians; But let us hasten to explain the tables severally. The first of them is assigned to Saturn, and consists of a square of three, containing the particular numbers of nine, and in every line three every way, and through each Diameter making fifteen. Now the whole sum of numbers is fourty five/ Over this are of Divine names set such names as fill up the numbers with an Intelligency to what is good, with a spirit to what is bad, and out of the same numbers is drawn the seal, or Character of Saturn, and of the spirits thereof, such as we shall beneath ascribe to its table. They say that this table being with a fortunate Saturn engraved on a plate of lead, doth help to bring forth, or birth, and to make a man safe, and powerfull, and to cause success of petitions with princes, and powers: but if it be done with an unfortunate Saturn, that it hinders buildings, plantings, and the like, and casts a man from honours, and dignities, and causes discords, and quarrellings, and disperses an Army.
And even now I can hear you all saying "..." as you cut your eyes at each other and wonder if the stress of recent months has finally cracked what was once left of my fragile little mind.
Fear not, my friends. My fragile little mind cracked long and long before this. Also, I can explain why this has me squeeing Liek Woah. First, here's the table he's talking about:
What Agrippa is saying in the bit I bolded is that this table engraved on a strip of lead and representing fortunate Saturn helps with childbirth and makes folks all confident and powerful and stuff. On the other hand, if the square is placed under the sign of unfortunate Saturn, it will deprive folks of all honor and dignity, cause dissension, etc. Okay. So, where's this whole "fortunate" and "unfortunate" business coming in?
The sign John used represents the Character of Saturn, which in and of itself is neutral. (Agrippa himself described the exact use of the astral image of Saturn for a number of things, including increasing life expectancy and predicting the future. HAH!)
So, let me lay this out for you and then I'll elaborate. In Hebrew, Saturn is called "Shabbathai." As described in The Key of Solomon (which HI! is the book Bobby gave the boys), Saturn's Angel is Cassiel; its Intelligence (or beneficial spirit) is Agiel; and its Spirit (darker aspect/demon) is Zazel.
That symbol represents Saturn's Character (ruling angel) Cassiel, who is also known as the "Angel of Tears." Why that particular nickname? Because Cassiel is responsible for the tough things in life: solitude, restriction, discipline, and strictness -- but also acceptance, wisdom, and humility. (I should also note that Cassiel is the patron of archaeologists and is responsible for the aging of things into fossils, and that it watches over those of us born on Saturdays. Just in case y'all aren't already weeping over how very much I need to get out and get laid.)
Can I tell you how much I am hyperventilating at the sheer fucking GENIUS and RESEARCH done for this show? I mean, seriously. LOOK AT THAT LAST PARAGRAPH AGAIN. (Well, not the part about me needing to get laid. That's kind of sad.) *flails* How beyond perfect is that for John, for the life he lived, and for the choice he made to save his boy? *flails so much fucking more it's not even funny*
I'm not done yet, though. I figure if I'm gonna give you this much, I might as well give y'all the rest.
The "fortunate" Saturn is its Intelligence, Agiel, and is represented as such:
Agiel's name roughly translates into English to mean "Flee from God." These Intelligences are somewhat more violent in their natures than you'd think based on their names. In fact, they border on the Demonic, but seem to keep mostly to the higher side of that border. (That's per the Golden Dawn, btw.) What matters to us as flaily fangirls is that neither the Intelligences nor the Spirits should be used for serious ritual unless the need is very great and the preparations have been quite carefully made. (...Witness part of my reasoning for why we never see the Winchesters using all that much in the way of magic.) Anyway, dealing with either the Intelligences or the Sprirtd is considered seriously dangerous as it's the point that marks the borderline between the higher mind and the subconscious. The will is easily overthrown at times in this level of work.
IOW, John Winchester had to seriously be one badass motherfucker above and beyond what we'd already known about him to do what he did in the season premiere. *bites lip so hard* I'm totally not the only one completely turned on by this, right?
Moving along...the "unfortunate" Saturn is its Demon, Zazel, which is represented thusly:
The meaning of Zazel? "Destroyer."
EEEEEEEE!!!!
(Sorry, sorry. I'm just loving this SO MUCH!!1!)
Spirits ain't just questionable, y'all. Most of the occulty types consider Spirits to be Demonic, even if they're only lesser demons. (Interestingly, that puts them amongst the Qliphot, which are the demonic waste matter of the Assiah world. But that bit doesn't have all that much to do with SPN, actually. *g*) What rocks my socks about Zazel? Only that Zazel CAN PROTECT AGAINST SUDDEN DEATH. Wheeeee!
Have I mentioned that the metal associated with Saturn is lead, btw? God. I am so PWND by the elegance and fucking perfect grounded-in-the-grand-traditions logic to this show.
Today, I wound up doing what I so often do -- start with a niggling little notion and suddenly wind up thumbing through approximately seventy billion books while surfing links madly. I wanted more info on Zazel (because I'm just like that, all right?) Agrippa notes the following in the third part of his third book:
The flesh being forsaken, & the body being defunct of life, is called a dead Carkass [carcass]; Which as say the divines of the Hebrews, is left in the power of the Demon Zazel, of whom it is said in the Scripture, 'Thou shalt eat dust all thy daies'; and elswhere, 'The dust of the earth is his bread.' Now man was created of the dust of the earth, whence also that Demon is called the Lord of flesh, and blood, whilest the body is not expiated and sanctified with due solemnities.
Which was cool enough, but then I found this page of notes on the demonic pantheon. From there, I now quote about Gaap, who is listed (hee) as one of the "major players":
Gaap, Tap, Zaazonash, Zazel. Prince and President. Appears as a human, accompanied by four kings. Teaches magical lore, grants familiars and teleports. 6th hour of the night. Rules 6 chiefs and 6 subalterns. As Zazel, he was one of the leaders of the 200 Angels who swore allegience to Samiaza and rebelled against God.
Sadly? I actually realized I knew from where this summary had been drawn. In 1583, Johann Weyer published a treatise on witchcraft called De praestigiis daemonum. In it, he included a section which listed the names and descriptions of demons. He called that bit the Pseudomonarchia daemonum. From that I quote the following (which is actually the English translation as provided by Reginald Scot in 1584 in his "The Discoverie of Witchcraft"):
Gaap, alias Tap, a great president and a prince, he appeareth in a meridionall signe, and when he taketh humane shape he is the guide of the foure principall kings, as mightie as Bileth. There were certeine necromancers that offered sacrifices and burnt offerings unto him; and to call him up, they exercised an art, saieng that Salomon the wise made it. Which is false: for it was rather Cham, the sonne of Noah, who after the floud began first to invocate wicked spirits. He invocated Bileth, and made an art in his name, and a booke which is knowne to manie mathematicians. There were burnt offerings and sacrifices made, and gifts given, and much wickednes wrought by the exorcists, who mingled therewithall the holie names of God, the which in that art are everie where expressed. Marie there is an epistle of those names written by Salomon, as also write Helias Hierosolymitanus and Helisæus. It is to be noted, that if anie exorcist have the art of Bileth, and cannot make him stand before him, nor see him, I may not bewraie how and declare the meanes to conteine him, bicause it is abhomination, and for that I have learned nothing from Salomon of his dignitie and office. But yet I will not hide this; to wit, that he maketh a man woonderfull in philosophie and all the liberall sciences: he maketh love, hatred, insensibilitie, invisibilitie, consecration, and consecration of those things that are belonging unto the domination of Amaymon, and delivereth familiars out of the possession of other conjurors, answering truly and perfectly of things present, past, and to come, and transferreth men most speedilie into other nations, he ruleth sixtie six legions, and was of the order of potestats.
(For a less eye-watering version of the above, see here, btw. *g*)
Why did I get all flaily about this? Because it led me back to The Key of Solomon and The Lesser Key of Solomon, Bobby's gift to the boys. With these, I finally figured out what symbols were pulled together to create the trap for Meg in last season's finale. They used a general pentacle, which is properly known as the Grand (or Great) Pentacle:
This comes with the explanation that It serves to convene all spirits; when shown to them they will bow and obey you.
At the center of that general pentacle, they used the fifth pentacle of Mars:
To my delight, that comes with the following note: Write thou this pentacle upon virgin parchment or paper, because it is terrible unto the demons, and at its sight and aspect they will obey thee, for they cannot resist its presence.
Y'all, these people aren't playing when it comes to their research and the significance of the symbols they use. I make this point because as far as I'm concerned, all signs point to John ultimately being sprung outta hell...and that he knew it was possible to escape hell all along. Whether he comes back to life? I dunno. But that bastard clearly isn't gonna stay put. YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY!
I have HOUSE meta to write and HOUSE-related comments to answer. I have my Grim Noir Grimoire (my chatty little guide to SPN herbs and hoo-doo) to wrap up. I even have my damned apartment to finish cleaning. But there was a little somethin' somethin' that's been driving me nuts from "In My Time of Dying." I finally found it!
Son of a bitch. I knew I recognized the symbol John drew. This look familiar, y'all?
Because it should. That's the talisman John drew when he summoned his good buddy the demon.
So, here's what's cool. Heinrich Cornelius Aggrippa was one of the major big boys in renaissance alchemical, occult, religious, and astrological writing. Granted, he was also something of a self-aggrandizing liarhead TOOL but, hey, who doesn't have his faults? Anyway, one of his most well-known texts is his de Occulta Philosphia, a treatise on practical magic. Therein, one can find the following in chapter 22 of the third book:
It is affirmed by Magicians, that there are certain tables of numbers distributed to the seven planets, which they call the sacred tables of the planets, endowed with many, and very great vertues of the Heavens, in as much as they represent that divine order of Celestiall numbers, impressed upon Celestials by the Idea's of the divine mind, by means of the soul of the world, and the sweet harmony of those Celestiall rayes, signifying according to the proportion of effigies, supercelestiall Intelligencies, which can no other way be expressed, then by the marks of numbers, and Characters. For materiall numbers, and figures can do nothing in the mysteries of hid things, but representatively by formall numbers, and figures, as they are governed, and informed by intelligencies, and divine numerations, which unite the extreams of the matter, and spirit to the will of the elevated soul, receiving through great affection, by the Celestiall power of the operator, a power from God, applyed through the soul of the universe, and observations of Celestiall constellations, to a matter fit for a form, the mediums being disposed by the skill, and industry of Magicians; But let us hasten to explain the tables severally. The first of them is assigned to Saturn, and consists of a square of three, containing the particular numbers of nine, and in every line three every way, and through each Diameter making fifteen. Now the whole sum of numbers is fourty five/ Over this are of Divine names set such names as fill up the numbers with an Intelligency to what is good, with a spirit to what is bad, and out of the same numbers is drawn the seal, or Character of Saturn, and of the spirits thereof, such as we shall beneath ascribe to its table. They say that this table being with a fortunate Saturn engraved on a plate of lead, doth help to bring forth, or birth, and to make a man safe, and powerfull, and to cause success of petitions with princes, and powers: but if it be done with an unfortunate Saturn, that it hinders buildings, plantings, and the like, and casts a man from honours, and dignities, and causes discords, and quarrellings, and disperses an Army.
And even now I can hear you all saying "..." as you cut your eyes at each other and wonder if the stress of recent months has finally cracked what was once left of my fragile little mind.
Fear not, my friends. My fragile little mind cracked long and long before this. Also, I can explain why this has me squeeing Liek Woah. First, here's the table he's talking about:
What Agrippa is saying in the bit I bolded is that this table engraved on a strip of lead and representing fortunate Saturn helps with childbirth and makes folks all confident and powerful and stuff. On the other hand, if the square is placed under the sign of unfortunate Saturn, it will deprive folks of all honor and dignity, cause dissension, etc. Okay. So, where's this whole "fortunate" and "unfortunate" business coming in?
The sign John used represents the Character of Saturn, which in and of itself is neutral. (Agrippa himself described the exact use of the astral image of Saturn for a number of things, including increasing life expectancy and predicting the future. HAH!)
So, let me lay this out for you and then I'll elaborate. In Hebrew, Saturn is called "Shabbathai." As described in The Key of Solomon (which HI! is the book Bobby gave the boys), Saturn's Angel is Cassiel; its Intelligence (or beneficial spirit) is Agiel; and its Spirit (darker aspect/demon) is Zazel.
That symbol represents Saturn's Character (ruling angel) Cassiel, who is also known as the "Angel of Tears." Why that particular nickname? Because Cassiel is responsible for the tough things in life: solitude, restriction, discipline, and strictness -- but also acceptance, wisdom, and humility. (I should also note that Cassiel is the patron of archaeologists and is responsible for the aging of things into fossils, and that it watches over those of us born on Saturdays. Just in case y'all aren't already weeping over how very much I need to get out and get laid.)
Can I tell you how much I am hyperventilating at the sheer fucking GENIUS and RESEARCH done for this show? I mean, seriously. LOOK AT THAT LAST PARAGRAPH AGAIN. (Well, not the part about me needing to get laid. That's kind of sad.) *flails* How beyond perfect is that for John, for the life he lived, and for the choice he made to save his boy? *flails so much fucking more it's not even funny*
I'm not done yet, though. I figure if I'm gonna give you this much, I might as well give y'all the rest.
The "fortunate" Saturn is its Intelligence, Agiel, and is represented as such:
Agiel's name roughly translates into English to mean "Flee from God." These Intelligences are somewhat more violent in their natures than you'd think based on their names. In fact, they border on the Demonic, but seem to keep mostly to the higher side of that border. (That's per the Golden Dawn, btw.) What matters to us as flaily fangirls is that neither the Intelligences nor the Spirits should be used for serious ritual unless the need is very great and the preparations have been quite carefully made. (...Witness part of my reasoning for why we never see the Winchesters using all that much in the way of magic.) Anyway, dealing with either the Intelligences or the Sprirtd is considered seriously dangerous as it's the point that marks the borderline between the higher mind and the subconscious. The will is easily overthrown at times in this level of work.
IOW, John Winchester had to seriously be one badass motherfucker above and beyond what we'd already known about him to do what he did in the season premiere. *bites lip so hard* I'm totally not the only one completely turned on by this, right?
Moving along...the "unfortunate" Saturn is its Demon, Zazel, which is represented thusly:
The meaning of Zazel? "Destroyer."
EEEEEEEE!!!!
(Sorry, sorry. I'm just loving this SO MUCH!!1!)
Spirits ain't just questionable, y'all. Most of the occulty types consider Spirits to be Demonic, even if they're only lesser demons. (Interestingly, that puts them amongst the Qliphot, which are the demonic waste matter of the Assiah world. But that bit doesn't have all that much to do with SPN, actually. *g*) What rocks my socks about Zazel? Only that Zazel CAN PROTECT AGAINST SUDDEN DEATH. Wheeeee!
Have I mentioned that the metal associated with Saturn is lead, btw? God. I am so PWND by the elegance and fucking perfect grounded-in-the-grand-traditions logic to this show.
Today, I wound up doing what I so often do -- start with a niggling little notion and suddenly wind up thumbing through approximately seventy billion books while surfing links madly. I wanted more info on Zazel (because I'm just like that, all right?) Agrippa notes the following in the third part of his third book:
The flesh being forsaken, & the body being defunct of life, is called a dead Carkass [carcass]; Which as say the divines of the Hebrews, is left in the power of the Demon Zazel, of whom it is said in the Scripture, 'Thou shalt eat dust all thy daies'; and elswhere, 'The dust of the earth is his bread.' Now man was created of the dust of the earth, whence also that Demon is called the Lord of flesh, and blood, whilest the body is not expiated and sanctified with due solemnities.
Which was cool enough, but then I found this page of notes on the demonic pantheon. From there, I now quote about Gaap, who is listed (hee) as one of the "major players":
Gaap, Tap, Zaazonash, Zazel. Prince and President. Appears as a human, accompanied by four kings. Teaches magical lore, grants familiars and teleports. 6th hour of the night. Rules 6 chiefs and 6 subalterns. As Zazel, he was one of the leaders of the 200 Angels who swore allegience to Samiaza and rebelled against God.
Sadly? I actually realized I knew from where this summary had been drawn. In 1583, Johann Weyer published a treatise on witchcraft called De praestigiis daemonum. In it, he included a section which listed the names and descriptions of demons. He called that bit the Pseudomonarchia daemonum. From that I quote the following (which is actually the English translation as provided by Reginald Scot in 1584 in his "The Discoverie of Witchcraft"):
Gaap, alias Tap, a great president and a prince, he appeareth in a meridionall signe, and when he taketh humane shape he is the guide of the foure principall kings, as mightie as Bileth. There were certeine necromancers that offered sacrifices and burnt offerings unto him; and to call him up, they exercised an art, saieng that Salomon the wise made it. Which is false: for it was rather Cham, the sonne of Noah, who after the floud began first to invocate wicked spirits. He invocated Bileth, and made an art in his name, and a booke which is knowne to manie mathematicians. There were burnt offerings and sacrifices made, and gifts given, and much wickednes wrought by the exorcists, who mingled therewithall the holie names of God, the which in that art are everie where expressed. Marie there is an epistle of those names written by Salomon, as also write Helias Hierosolymitanus and Helisæus. It is to be noted, that if anie exorcist have the art of Bileth, and cannot make him stand before him, nor see him, I may not bewraie how and declare the meanes to conteine him, bicause it is abhomination, and for that I have learned nothing from Salomon of his dignitie and office. But yet I will not hide this; to wit, that he maketh a man woonderfull in philosophie and all the liberall sciences: he maketh love, hatred, insensibilitie, invisibilitie, consecration, and consecration of those things that are belonging unto the domination of Amaymon, and delivereth familiars out of the possession of other conjurors, answering truly and perfectly of things present, past, and to come, and transferreth men most speedilie into other nations, he ruleth sixtie six legions, and was of the order of potestats.
(For a less eye-watering version of the above, see here, btw. *g*)
Why did I get all flaily about this? Because it led me back to The Key of Solomon and The Lesser Key of Solomon, Bobby's gift to the boys. With these, I finally figured out what symbols were pulled together to create the trap for Meg in last season's finale. They used a general pentacle, which is properly known as the Grand (or Great) Pentacle:
This comes with the explanation that It serves to convene all spirits; when shown to them they will bow and obey you.
At the center of that general pentacle, they used the fifth pentacle of Mars:
To my delight, that comes with the following note: Write thou this pentacle upon virgin parchment or paper, because it is terrible unto the demons, and at its sight and aspect they will obey thee, for they cannot resist its presence.
Y'all, these people aren't playing when it comes to their research and the significance of the symbols they use. I make this point because as far as I'm concerned, all signs point to John ultimately being sprung outta hell...and that he knew it was possible to escape hell all along. Whether he comes back to life? I dunno. But that bastard clearly isn't gonna stay put. YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY!