galactic magic ✧
a galaxy is a collection of solar systems, stars, stellar remnants, dark matter, interstellar gas, and dust which is bound by gravity from the objects it contains. nebulae, on the other hand, are clouds of cosmic dust and [primarily] hydrogen/helium gas within a galaxy, many of which form stars!
this post is based on my personal understanding of a very complex and advanced topic - i'm not a professional astronomer so be nice.
common galaxy shapes:
barred spiral - spiral with a central bar shaped structure made of stars - the milky way is a barred spiral galaxy :)
elliptical - round or oval with a central bulge
irregular - blobs that lack a defined center and have no designated boundary
lenticular - has a central bulge and disk much like a spiral galaxy but without arms; has lost or used much of its matter and has very little star formation activity; thought to contain aging stars
spiral - rotating disk with a central bulge of stars and spiral arms that are sites of star formation
galactic terms & facts
active galactic nucleus (AGN) - the center of an active galaxy; theorized to be a supermassive black hole that is accreting at a rapid speed
active galaxy - 100x brighter than an "inactive" galaxy because of the huge amount of radiation that the SMBH emits from the rapid accretion of matter; can be any shape
blazar / blazar galaxy - active galactic nucleus (AGN) whose jet is pointed directly at the earth
dark nebula - nebula whose clouds are so dense that it blocks light from other stars and objects behind it; clouds are made up of frozen carbon monoxide and nitrogen which blocks out visible light wavelengths
diffuse nebula - irregularly shaped nebula without clearly defined boundaries
emission nebula - emits its own radiation either by star formation or as a planetary nebula in the presence of ionized ultraviolet radiation emitted by nearby (hot) stars; star nurseries
flux nebula - nebula without a central point of illumination; is illuminated by the flux (the amount of energy from a luminous object that reaches a given surface or location) of all the stars in the milky way
H II regions - emission nebula; forms when the ultraviolet radiation from newborn super hot stars (o and b type) begins to ionize hydrogen from nearby gas clouds
planetary nebula - emission nebula; forms from the stellar dust and gas that is ejected by dying stars that are low to intermediate in size (1 to 8 solar masses); has nothing to do with planets but was mistaken for one in the late 1700s, which is how it got its name; our sun will eventually end up as a planetary nebula
protoplanetary nebula - the stage just before the formation of a planetary nebula when the star first begins to expel its outer layers
pulsar wind nebula - type of nebula that exists inside the remnants of a supernova and is powered by the winds of a rapidly spinning, highly magnetized neutron star, aka, pulsar
quasar / quasar galaxy - AGN whose jet is observed at a wide angle; extremely bright and further away than a seyfert; can be detected in the absence of the galaxy around it because of its luminosity
reflection nebula - reflects light from nearby stars
satellite galaxy - galaxies that orbit other galaxies
seyfert galaxy - one of the most common active galaxies; luminosity varies over time; "younger" thus closer to us in distance; most are spiral galaxies; the surrounding galaxy is more easily detected than that of a quasar galaxy because the AGN doesn't outshine it
starburst galaxy - extremely active star forming galaxy
star nursery - star forming nebula
supernova remnant nebula (SNR) - consists of material ejected by the explosion of a supernova; bound by the shockwave formed from the ejected material
on emission nebulae: H II regions give life to newborn stars, whereas planetary nebulae are the result of stellar death. blazars and quasars are essentially the same thing. the only thing that differs is the viewing angle.
magical associations for some of the above
nebulae
dark - warding, shielding, protection
flux - community, collective, self-reflection, illumination
H II region - rapid growth, expansion, catalyst, manifestation
planetary - destruction, death, rebirth, transformation
protoplanetary - the beginning of the end, transitions, metamorphosis
pulsar wind - weather magic, wind calling, swiftness, catalyst
reflection - shadow work, meditation, introspection
supernova remnant - spirit work, storm magic, destruction
galaxies
barred spiral - harvest, vitality, balance, abundance
blazar - illumination, focus, insight, courage, confrontation
elliptical - protection, warding, shielding, boundaries
irregular - illusion, freedom, unpredictability
lenticular - stasis, stillness, wisdom, responsibility
quasar - power, energy, manifestation, illumination
satellite - sacrifice, obsession, hyperfixation, focus
seyfert - hidden power, moderation, humility
spiral - transformation, distortion, illusion, balance, death and rebirth
starburst - growth, expansion, manifestation, fertility, cleansing
some ideas
make a crystal grid in the shape of whatever galaxy you choose; imagine the central crystal is the AGN of the galaxy; could be used as a battery to charge the grid
implement colors accordingly - you can use the spectral class of stars or the color of visible light emitted by each object (different elements give off different colors depending on their state of matter); can be applied to candles, crystals, textiles, etc.
use galaxy shapes as the base of sigils
print photos of or draw galaxies and nebulae - write your petitions over them
craft a glitter jar with star sequins and mica powder and twirl it around to simulate the appearance of a spiral galaxy
carve galaxy shapes into candles or other objects
utilize galactic energy as a catalyst
think of a supernova remnant nebula like a web to trap or shock [something]
imagine yourself as a satellite galaxy, and the parent galaxy as something you're trying to attain or concentrate on
reflection nebulae are great for introspection but can also be used to return to sender
starburst galaxies can be utilized for more than just personal growth - think financial growth or career advancement
barred spiral galaxies tend to look like double sided scythes while lenticular galaxies contain aging stars; these two types of galaxies can be associated with saturn and its correspondences as well
visualize an elliptical galaxy surrounding you and your space versus a traditional circle for protection during spells and rituals - you are the AGN in this case (neat)
star nurseries and starburst galaxies can be seen as a place to store your ideas so they can grow and manifest over time
irregular galaxies and diffuse nebulae have no defined shape and can be used for generalized energy
these correspondences are personal to me - ymmv. please source back to me if you reference my content, thank you!
celestial body correspondences stellar color magic planetary composition planetary correspondences ✧ magical ideas ✧
© 2025 space-queen / based on personal observations, concepts, and experiences - not for replication or redistribution






