Perseus is a northern constellation sitting above Taurus and below Cassiopeia, and between Andromeda and Auriga. Perseus spans 28 degrees of the Zodiac in the Signs of Taurus and Gemini. The constellation derives its name and narrative from one of Greek mythology’s most celebrated heroes. As the son of Zeus and Danaë, Perseus was destined for greatness but subjected to numerous trials. His most famous feat was the beheading of Medusa, whose deadly gaze could turn men to stone. Medusa, once a beautiful maiden, had been cursed by Athena, transforming her into a monstrous figure. Perseus, aided by the divine gifts of Hermes’ winged sandals, Hades’ helm of invisibility, Athena’s shield, and a celestial sword, was able to slay Medusa and use her severed head as a powerful weapon. The themes of vision, blindness, reflection, and invisibility are central to the story of Perseus’s slaying of Medusa, beginning with his theft of the lone eye of the Graeae, which he stole to compel the three crones to reveal her location. It’s no surprise, then, that talismans of this constellation would provide protection from envy, which is most commonly transmitted through the evil eye, and we see this reflected in the description of these talismans by Saint Albertus in his De Mineralibus:
Perseus, holding in his right hand a sword and in his left the Gorgon’s head, is said to protect from thunderbolts and storms, and from attack by the envious.
It has become taboo in our culture to speak of oneself as being a victim of envy. Expressing this is often seen as arrogant or haughty, despite its being such a pervasive phenomenon that almost every culture throughout recorded history has a conception of it and practices for dispelling it. It’s something almost everyone will experience at some point in their lifetime, more so if they are in the public eye or successful in some way. Additionally, it is believed that the evil eye can even be cast unintentionally. I created these talismans for protection from both inadvertent and direct attack from the envious, as both have the potential to cause harm. I conceived and designed these talismans while working on my Algol release, wanting to explore the mysteries of this myth from both sides and as a balance to the energies of Algol. Like Algol, these talismans required deep secrecy, allowing “no eyes” on them but mine. They also underwent numerous redesigns and shifts, eliciting my own personal “hero’s journey” toward their creation.
To elect a constellational talisman, I use the method taught to me by my teacher, Christopher Warnock. This involves choosing a central star in the constellation as the focal point so that the entire constellation is either rising or culminating during the electional window, and then applying the same electional rules as for electing a fixed star talisman. The star chosen for this election was Mirfak, which is located at 2 degrees Gemini. It’s important to note here that this star is being used to mark time; however, it is the spirits of the constellation as a whole that are called and pacted using this method. Astrological magic is fundamentally spirit work, with the timing laying the initial groundwork for this process.
At the time of the election, which took place on December 13, 2024, Mirfak was rising on the ascendant with the moon applying to conjoin. The moon was fast, waxing, which is appropriate for protection, and unafflicted by the malefics. The election was further fortunated by the presence of the benefic Jupiter in the first house and the benefic Venus conjoining the midheaven. The chart is available to view in the gallery.
As there are no stone or herb correspondences laid out in the source text, I chose hematite for its protective qualities and mirror-like surface. I also chose to use bay laurel, an herb linked to heroism, as well as rue that I personally grew, due to its common use against the evil eye.
During the electional window, I engraved the back of the hematite stones with a simplified image of Perseus holding a sword in his right hand and Medusa’s head in his left, as laid out in the text. The stones were then suffumigated with bay laurel and rue and ritually enspirited. They were later set into the pendants, which feature a hand-sculpted sword surrounded by snakes that was cast in solid sterling silver. The pendants measure approximately 3″ tall and come on your choice of an 18″ or 20″ oxidized sterling silver chain or black satin cord, accompanied by the devotional artwork pictured above, printed on cardstock. Each talisman contains slight variations due to its handcrafted nature and the use of natural stones, but it will be nearly identical to those pictured and intuitively selected. 6 total are available.
I have titled this release “The Reflection” as the energetic foil to my Algol release, titled “The Mirror”; therefore, the playlist for this release is the Algol playlist with the tracks in reverse order.
May the daimon of these talismans protect you from attack by the envious.