Medieval Astral Magic for TTRPGs - Part One - General Principles
Or: About bloody time, some usable content.
Introduction
Astral magic was a branch of learned magic that was closely associated with - but distinct from - astrology. Where the latter attempted to discover and unravel the influence of the stars and planets on Earth as a technique of prognostication, astral magic was more concerned with directly exploiting this influence to achieve material effects. It relied on the commonplace medieval cosmological assumption that bodies in the ‘higher’ spheres of the heavens influenced, guided or controlled things of the ‘lower’ sphere. The planets in their elevated spheres of existence therefore naturally governed people, places, plants, animals, metals, minerals, the weather and almost every other aspect of the lower earthly sphere. Correspondingly, these substances could be used to channel or summon the power of the associated planet. To practice astral magic was to acquire a detailed understanding of these relationships between the planets and people, substances and phenomena on Earth. It was, therefore, the province only of those with sufficient literary and scientific knowledge to be able to draw up or interpret the complex tables of planetary motions and to have at their fingertips all of the correspondences necessary to exploit the power of the planets.
Astral Magic was expressed in two broad ways. First, it was used to create images or amulets from appropriate substances onto which occult symbols were ‘inscribed’ to allow a given power of the planet to be manifested in the world. ‘Inscribed’ is a loose term - it could mean literally ‘carved’ into the surface of the material of the amulet but, just as commonly, it could also refer to ‘drawing’ the required image or symbols, often employing olive oil and using a brush, stylus or even one’s fingers. The second technique of astral magic was the performance of a complex ritual conducted at specific times and places calling upon the power of the planet directly to obtain some desired goal that was within the planet’s area of influence. These procedures relied for their success on a deep knowledge of the associations between the planets and earthly substances such as minerals, metals, stones, plants and animals as well as the colours, cloths and symbols appropriate to the planet being called upon and employed in the ritual.
Astral magic travelled to the Christian west from the Islamic world, where scholars had preserved and built upon the Classical scientific observations of Ptolemy, Pliny and others as well as pagan mysticism. As such, it was sometimes distrusted by the ecclesiastical authorities, who feared that the powers imputed to the planets were actually the manifesation of demonic influence. However, like much of the magic practiced by learned men in the high and late medieval period, while individual practitioners could be subject to censure and correction, it rarely attracted condign punishment unless it was employed to carry out a crime.
What follows are the broad strokes of medieval astral magic presented in a system-agnostic manner. Although broad suggestions for how to give mechanical expression to this information are provided, GMs will need to tailor these to the details of their desired system. Inevitably, the complexities and subtleties of this hugely complicated system have been grossly simplifed. To take one example, the twelve hours of each day and night discussed below were evidently not standardised 60-minute hours in the modern sense. The period between each sunset and sunrise was divided into twelve equal portions, and so the length of each ‘hour’ could vary between a 40-minute daylight hour and an 80-minute night-time hour in the depths of winter to an 85-minute daytime hour and a 35 minute night hour during the summer. This assumes a northern latitude. Nor is any attempt made to reconstruct the immensely complicated actual movement of the planets and their relationship to the complex cycle of the constellations.
Planetary Influence and the Calendar
Depending on their relative position in the sky, each planet (which consisted of the sun and moon as well as the known planets of Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn) had a greater or lesser degree of influence on and power over events and objects on Earth. The highest state of influence was described as being In Dignity, then came In Exaltation. When a planet’s influence was waning it was descibed as being At Fall and when it was at its lowest ebb it was In Detriment. This is summarised in the table below.
Just as the planets exercised their influence at particular times of the year, so too did their power increase at specific hours of the day and night. Below is the weekly and hourly table of planetary authority. The day of the week is most closely associated with the planet that also governs the first hour after sunrise or sunset, so Monday is the day of the Moon, Tuesday the day of Mars, Wedesday is Mercury’s day and so on.
Mechanical Considerations
There is nothing, in principle, to prevent a GM converting astral magic into a Vancian scheme with spell levels determining the number of techniques known and the magnitude of their effects. Astral magicians could also be created using a skill-based system whereby a combination of knowledge skills and crafting skills decide the capacity of a given practitioner.
Particular rules’ sets will have default assumptions about the ease and frequency with which magic can be employed and its degree of power in the world. GMs will also have their individual preferences on these questions. In low magic settings, it might be the case that astral magic is strictly curtailed and can only be performed at propitious times and, even then, has a high likelihood of failure. In more high fantasy settings, the ability to call down the power of a planet might be more commonly available, but the making of talismans or the success of rituals is only made more challenging during the wrong season, day and hour.
Mechanically, GMs can represent these states of affairs by awarding the astral magician bonuses and penalties for attempting the works of a given planet at a more or less propitious time of year and at an appropriate day and hour. Thus if a magician is attempting one of the effects of Venus, he can gain the maximum cumulative bonuses for doing so in April and September (when Venus is In Dignity) on Friday (Venus’ day) and at the first or eighth hour after sunrise or sunset.
The same considerations of the extent to which astral magic should be ‘throttled’ can be applied to other aspects of the discipline. If a GM wishes to ensure that astral magic is rare then he or she can impose conditions on the creation of an amulet or the performance of a ritual. Historically it was the case that it was the magician himself who had to create a talisman through which the effect is achieved. GMs who wish to control or stratify the power of astral magicians may want to insist that a given effect requires a certain level of skill at crafting before the creation of the required amulet can be attempted or, more narratively, they can decline to handwave the acquisition of the sometimes rare and expensive materials needed for specific talismans.
The effects of astral magic varied wildly from keeping insects out of a house to rendering a whole city uninhabitable. The rules’ set and a GM’s tastes will direct the extent to which the claimed powers of the art are manifested in the world. It seems fairly clear that - as a rule - no-one sincerely believed that an amulet of Saturn could actually curse the entire population of a city to wither and die. Rather these claims were, perhaps, interpreted more loosely to include the bringing of ill-fortune or disease, the appearance of which could then be attributed to the power of the magic. Of course, in a high fantasy setting, there is no reason why an astral magician cannot do all that his books tell him he can. Some stray thoughts on the mechanical variance of these alternatives in specific cases are presented below.
Examples of The Planets’ Influence
Here are a few examples of some of the powers that the planets can grant. In future posts I will be examining each planet in turn and going in to much more detail about the rituals, spells and talismans associated with each, the knowledge and materials required to conjure the effects and the suggested mechanical difficulties and magnitude of consequences.
When the following works call for the making of an image, this can be interpreted in a number of ways. It can refer to something as simple as a crude representative (or even abstract) picture using charcoal or some other substance on parchment or a leaf or scratched on to stones or metal. In other instances it might require a three-dimensional model in wax, wood or metal.
Mechanically, the precise power of the consequences of these images and amulets is a matter for the GM to define based upon how gritty or otherwise the setting may be. In some cases, the effect might be little more than a small bonus or penalty to things such as saving throws. Thus the image to ‘create peace’ or ‘love’ (Nos.1 and 2) might mean only that each party to the spell will view the other as having a bonus to Charisma and respond accordingly. In other cases it may be that this has the same effect as a mutual Charm spell as between the two parties. To ‘destroy’ an enemy (No.4) might only lead to that individual suffering some mechanical disadvantage on some or all rolls for a specified amount of time, or perhaps until the amulet is found and destroyed. At the other extreme it could require a Save or Die. Other cases might warrant bonuses to skill rolls (when Fishing, for example, using the technique descibed in No.7) or even wild success dealt with narratively. It is also possible that the same general effect can be achieved more powerfully but at greater difficulty by imposing conditions mentioned above concerning the skill or materials needed to create the talisman.
To create peace and friendship between two individuals make an image in the likeness of both people on the day and at the hour of Jupiter or Venus. Bury each image in the house of the other and, for as long as the amulets remain undisturbed, the happy state will persist.
For an amulet to cause two people to fall in love make two images, one of each party, the first in the hour of Jupiter and the second in the hour of Venus, then bury them together in the home of the one who seeks the love of the other.
So that a lord may inspire loyalty he should have the image of himself made in the hour of Jupiter and another image of the servant he wishes to secure in the hour of Venus, join them and bury them in the house of the lord in the hour of Saturn.
To destroy your enemy make an image of your foe in the hour of Mars and under Scorpio (i.e. in October) and bury the image upside down outside the boundary of your enemy’s home-town under Aries (in March) in the hour of Mars.
If you would prevent the construction of a building make two images, one under Leo (July) in the hour of the Sun and the other under Cancer (June) in the hour of the Moon and bury them together on the building-site during the hour of Venus and the work will not go forward.
To allow a prisoner to escape make an image of the prisoner in the hour of the Moon and bury it facing the building in which they are held at the hour of the planet that was In Dignity at the time of the captive’s conception.
If you would catch a great many fish make an amulet of the fish desired under Pisces when Jupiter is in dignity (February) in the hour of Venus. Impale the image on a silver stylus and place it in a lead vessel with a narrow neck and fill it with water from the appropriate river, stream, lake or sea. Stop up the vessel with wax and cast it into the water. The fish desired will gather in great numbers at this place.
To increase crops make an image on a thin sheet of silver of a man surrounded by many crops and plants under Taurus (April) in the hour of the Moon. Bury this in the place desired and the plants there will grow abundantly and never be afflicted by pests.
A cure for depression or anger is to craft an image from pure silver on a Sunday in the hour of Venus when Mercury is In Dignity or Exaltation (May or August). For as long as the desired recipient carries it on their person, they shall be merry and placid.
To heal kidney stones inscribe on a fine sheet of gold a lion rampant, clutching the stone in its forepaws. Do this under Leo (July) in the hour of the Sun and give it to the man afflicted and he shall immediately be cured.
Next Time: Medieval Law Enforcement in TTRPGs - Part One - Discipline