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Cornelius Agrippa - RENAISSANCE ASTROLOGY

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Bianca
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« on: March 25, 2008, 09:42:32 pm »

                                                           









                                          Astrology & Magic of Cornelius Agrippa   


 

Seeing there is a Threefold world, Elementary, Celestial and Intellectual, and every Inferior is
governed by its Superior... the very Original and Chief Worker of All doth... convey the Virtues
of his Omnipotency upon Us.

Cornelius Agrippa 
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Bianca
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« Reply #1 on: March 25, 2008, 09:48:47 pm »








Introduction



Henry Cornelius Agrippa von Nettesheim was born on September 14, 1486 in Cologne. He died in Grenoble or Lyons in 1534 or 1535.

Unlike Marsilio Ficino, for example, Agrippa never had the benefit of long term patronage. He was
never able to stay long in one place and pursued many different professions serving as a soldier, physician, ambassador, and university lecturer. He was made a knight by the Emperor Maximilian.

 
In 1509 Agrippa wrote De nobilitate et praecelentia foemini sexus , (the nobility of the female sex
and the superiority of women over men), which was not published until 1532. In 1509 Agrippa also began writing his magnum opus, Three Books of Occult Philosophy which was finally published in
1531.

In 1530 Agrippa published De incertitudine & vanitate scientiarum & artium, (the vanity and uncer-
tainty of the arts and sciences). He also wrote a commentary on the Ars Brevis of Raymond Lull, as well as treatises on, marriage, the plague and geomancy. As is clear from the long delay between the writing and publishing of many of his works throughout his life Agrippa was dogged by ill luck and opposition to his ideas and works.
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« Reply #2 on: March 25, 2008, 09:50:55 pm »









Agrippa's Theory & Philosophy



Agrippa's thought unites the streams of classical Neoplatonic   and Hermetic philosophy, Jewish Kabbalah and Christianity.

Three Books of Occult Philosophy, his most famous work, is a systematic exposition of the occult, in the sense of hidden, knowledge extant in Renaissance Europe. It is an encyclopedic work of Renaissance magic providing information on such diverse topics as planetary rulerships, occult virtues, sympathies and enmities of natural things, enchantments, sorceries, types of divination, the scales of numbers and their significance, astrological talismans, the divine Trinity, the Kabbalistic Names of God and the orders of evil spirits.

Yet despite its comprehensive nature Three Books of Occult Philosophy is organized in a systematic fashion. The three books each correspond to the three worlds of the elementary, celestial and intellectual realms. Agrippa sees the descent of all things from God through the worlds as a hopeful sign of the possibility of an ascent back to God.

The Renaissance philosophy of magi like Cornelius Agrippa represents the highest development of a spiritual and unified schema of thought in the West prior to the advent of the materialism and atheism of the Enlightenment. After 500 years Three Books of Occult Philosophy remains one of the leading texts of Western esoteric thought.

Here is a more comprehensive article on Agrippa's Theories of Astrological Magic.
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« Reply #3 on: March 25, 2008, 09:57:04 pm »









The Three Worlds



Agrippa divides his magnum opus, Three Books of Occult Philosophy into three sections,

"Seeing there is a threefold world, elementary, celestial and intellectual, and every inferior is governed by its superior, and receiveth the influence of the virtues thereof, so that the very original and chief Worker of all doth by angels, the heavens, stars, elements, animals, plants, metals and stones convey from himself the virtues of his omnipotency upon us..."
Three Books of Occult Philosophy, Bk. I, Chap. 1, page 3. Thus the first book deals with the world composed of the four elements: fire, air, water and earth, the material world. The second book deals with the celestial world: the Zodiac and the heavenly bodies. The third book with the spiritual world of angels, intelligences and ideas.   

Each of these worlds is connected, says Agrippa, because the spiritual world gave rise to the celestial and the celestial to the material. Having created the lower realms the more perfect worlds continue to influence and control them. Because of this descent, says Agrippa,

"...wise men conceive it no way irrational that it should be possible for us to ascend by the very same degrees through each world, to the same very original world itself, the Maker of all things and First Cause..."


Three Books of Occult Philosophy, Bk. I, Chap. 1, page 3.
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« Reply #4 on: March 25, 2008, 09:59:59 pm »









Definition of Magic



Magic, says Agrippa,

"..produceth its wonderful effects, by uniting the virtues of things through the application of them one to the other, and to their inferior suitable subjects, joining and knitting them together thoroughly by the powers and virtues of the superior bodies."

Three Books of Occult Philosophy, Bk. I, Chap. 2, page 5.
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« Reply #5 on: March 25, 2008, 10:02:24 pm »









One of the most important links between 
 
the higher and lower worlds is that of astrology Agrippa says,



"Every natural virtue doth work things far more wonderful when it is not only compounded of a natural proportion, but also is informed by a choice observation of the celestials opportune to this (viz. when the celestial power is most strong to that effect which we desire, and also helped by many celestials) by subjecting inferiors to the celestials as proper females to be made fruitful by their males."


Three Books of Occult Philosophy, Bk. I, Chap. 29, page 357.

Thus everything that exists in the material world is under the rule of a particular celestial as each inferior thing had its origin through a superior. By identifying the ruler we may influence the ruled.
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« Reply #6 on: March 25, 2008, 10:05:43 pm »









Talismans



Agrippa says,

"So the magicians affirm that not only by the mixture and application of natural things, but also in images, seals, rings, glasses and some other instruments, being opportunely framed under a certain constellation, some celestial illustration may be taken, and some wonderful thing may be received..."

Three Books of Occult Philosophy, Bk. I, Chap. 35, page 373.



The mechanism of this astrological magic, says Agrippa, are,

"...the beams of the celestial bodies being animated, living, sensual, and bringing along with them admirable gifts and a most violent power, do, even in a moment, and at the first touch, imprint wonderful power in the images..."


Three Books of Occult Philosophy, Bk. I, Chap. 35, page 373.
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« Reply #7 on: March 25, 2008, 10:06:52 pm »









Talisman Material & Images



Thus by choosing an astrologically appropriate moment to make a talisman or other magical object we greatly increase its magical effect. But timing is not the only important factor,
 
"Yet they bestow more powerful virtues on the images, if they be framed not of any, but of certain matter, namely whose natural and also special virtue is agreeable with the work, and the figure of the image is like to the celestial for such an image...is best prepared to receive the operations and powers of the celestial bodies and figures...Hence saith Ptolemy in Centiloquio, that inferior things do obey the celestial, and not only them, but also their images; even as earthly scorpions obey not only the celestial Scorpion, but also his image, if if shall be opportunely figured under his ascent and dominion."


Three Books of Occult Philosophy, Bk. I, Chap. 35, page 373.
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« Reply #8 on: March 25, 2008, 10:09:31 pm »








Conclusion



For Agrippa the essential tripartite structure of the worlds was paramount even when performing astrological magic,

But know this, that such images work nothing unless they be so vivified that either a natural or celestial or heroical or animatical or demoniacal or angelical virtue be in them or assistant to them...Nobody hath them but he who doth...transcend the progress of the angels and comes to the very Archetype itself of which being then made a cooperator may do all things..."


Three Books of Occult Philosophy, Bk. I, Chap. 50, page 404.


MORE

http://www.renaissanceastrology.com/agrippatheoryastromagic.html
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