One dreary mid-winter day in 1998, I sat quietly drinking peppermint tea from a cobalt blue mug with a radiant orange and yellow sun surrounded by stars. It had been a gift for speaking at a National Council for Geocosmic Research (NCGR) educational conference for astrologers in NYC. The horoscope in the hands was my topic. I’d been a faculty member and resident palmist for over 20 years. I needed more sun energy in my life and decided to transform my sun mug into a talisman to help me acheive that goal.
I felt inspired and rummaged around for an appropriate mug shot of myself. After cutting out my face, I carefully glued it to the center of the sun. Over that I applied several layers of crystal clear film. As I burnished down the edges, I imagined myself as Apollo, the Greek Sun God. When I finished, I raised the cup in my left hand to observe my handiwork. The phone rang. I picked it up with my right hand. “Hello, I’m the Public Program Coordinator for the National Design Museum. We’re curating a major Solar Energy Exhibition in June and are wondering if you’d be interested in conducting the Lecture / Workshop series on the symbolism of the sun?”
I almost fell out of my chair. I’d experienced synchronicity, but this seemed impossible. How could a talisman work that quickly? Confidently, I replied, “You’ve come to the right place.” The magic of the sun had materialized the moment I combined the esoteric power of the sun with my clear desire, intent, and action. My life instantly became sunnier.
Speaking of mugs, back in the early ‘80’s, a manufacturer of drinking mugs asked me to design a collection of astrology mugs for upstairs department stores like Bloomingdale’s and Macy’s. The six masculine sun signs were printed in 24 carat gold and six feminine signs in platinum. Customers loved the mugs, but began returning them soon after they were damaged in the dishwasher, even though they had been merchandised as ‘wash by hand’ only. My collection was discontinued despite my unrequited pleas to the manufacturer to try again with dishwasher safe inks.
A talisman is anything (including a simple piece of paper) with a scribble on it that’s symbolic of something you want to impress on your psyche to create change or reinforce something that needs to be strengthened. Amulets and hex signs are solar symbols used for protection. You see a lot of Amish hex signs blessing barns and homes and protecting livestock from harm.
These are some of the sun’s many correspondences. The sun in Leo (July 23 – August 23) rules the fifth house of the natural horoscope. The Sun’s day is Sunday. The Sun’s hour is noon. Gemstones besides diamonds that the sun rules are amber and topaz. In Kabala, Tiphareth corresponds to the Sun and the number six, which balances the tree of life. The Crown Chakrah is ruled by the sun. The heart is the organ ruled by the sun. Solar archetypes exist in every culture: GREEK – Apollo and Hercules, JUDAIC – Samson, EGYPTIAN – Osiris, AFRICAN – Anansi, INDIAN – Narasimha, HINDU –Vishnu, PERSION – Mithra, JAPANESE – Amaterasu, NORSE – Odin, IRISH – Lugh, and ARTHURIAN – Percival. The Lion King and Goldilocks are solar fairy tales. Lots of Leos are myths in their own minds. Musical links for the sun are the key of C and most instruments. Solar trees are citrus, walnut, bay, and palm. Solar herbs, plants, and scents are sun flower, yellow poppy, saffron, marigold, cinnamon, pepper, peony, musk, honey, frankincense, rice, and all aromatic herbs. Aroma of Frankincense (Christ and the Nativity) when used in ritual magic brings good health, wealth, success, acclaim, mental clarity, fearlessness, confidence, and spiritual awakening. Gold and diamonds worn on a ring finger are marriage magic. Pyrite, fool’s gold, eases anxiety, frustration, and depression. Pyrite is wise man’s gold when charged with clear vision and pure intention to attract wealth, boost self-esteem, aid communications, and enhance appreciation.
It’s best to create your own talisman. The more tuned you are to your intent, the more powerful your talisman will be. The more esoteric correspondences you use, the more potent the talisman’s effect will be. After my mug experience, I was inspired to create a small metalworking shop where I could make talismans to my heart’s content. Specific metals, minerals, and gems are incorporated for specific purposes on specific months, days, and times of day. Everything matters. Even facing the right direction, smelling the right incense, and hearing the right musical vibration while you’re creating your talisman can enhance its potency. I made the four talismans below for myself.
As you can see, ‘Grounding’ is a bit beat up. I wear it often because I need a lot of grounding. It works for me because I created it with the clear intent of becoming whole, centered, and peaceful. Copper represents Venus and earth and is grounded in practical reality. Silver symbolizes feelings and emotion. Gold promotes clear thinking, passion, intuition, and inspiration. Square shapes within circles add structure, discipline, and focus. Circles within circles help center, inspire, and empassion. The rest is the quest.
‘Energizing’ is solid bronze with an opal in the center. There was a huge crack in the casting. I almost chucked it, but decided the crack was like a bolt of lightning and an important pathway from the outside of the circle to the opal. When I finished polishing the talisman, it felt perfect for me and my purpose.
‘Strengthening’ was created on a picture-perfect day in May (Taurus). Horns remind me to be determined and persistent. This talisman helps me think with my head and feel with my heart. Being mainly bronze, it’s a blending of copper, tin, zinc, and lead. Alchemically, it blends Venus, Jupiter, and Saturn in order to balance ambition and compassion with order and action. A solid foundation helps a healthy framework become a powerful structure.
‘Centering’ consists of circles within circles, heart (copper) surrounded by mind (gold) and emotion (silver). Six small outer circles within two large inner circles represent masculine (gold) and feminine (silver) principles and twelve aspects of my character I must balance: behavior, values, thinking, feelings, will power, health, relationships, creativity, philosophy, purpose, hopes and dreams, and spirituality.
In case you’re not convinced of the power of the sun, let’s look at how religions, politics, governments, dictatorships, and corporations use the power of the sun to magnetize and mesmerize the masses with their ideologies, products, and services.
Circular logos and iconic names like $tarbucks are no coincidence