On the Agrippan Method for Calculating the Name of the Natal Genius
Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the Law.
This will be something of a How-To guide on how to calculate the name of one’s Natal Genius/Daimon using one of the methods suggested by Agrippa. There is floating around out there an Excel spreadsheet which is particularly handy in assisting with the drudgery of calculation, but in this brief epistle I’ll go into how it’s actually done.
First, what is it that we’re naming exactly? Agrippa speaks of “a threefold good Demon, as a proper keeper, or preserver” which consists of three spirits, “one whereof is holy, another of the nativity, and the other of profession.”
The calculation method used below is a suitable method that can be used to acquire the name of the Genius of one’s nativity. Agrippa says this of that particular spirit:
“Now the Demon of the nativity, which is called the Genius, doth here descend from the disposition of the world, and from the circuits of the Stars, which were powerfull in his nativity. Hence there be some that think, when the soul is coming down into the body, it doth out of the quire of the Demons naturally choose a preserver to it self, nor only choose this guide to it self, but hath that willing to defend it. This being the executor, and keeper of the life, doth help it to the body, and takes care of it, being Communicated to the body, and helps a man to that very office, to which the Celestials have deputed him, being born. Whosoever therefore have received a fortunate Genius, are made thereby virtuous in their works, efficacious, strong, and prosperous. Wherefore they are called by the Phylosophers [philosophers] fortunate, or luckily born.” (Agrippa, III.xxii)
It should be noted that this spirit is not the same thing as the Holy Guardian Angel, which most likely is the spirit referenced as the holy “good Demon” mentioned in this chapter.
A few chapters later Agrippa mentions in Chapter XXVI the following regarding how to calculate the names of various spirits:
“There are also the Arabians, and many others, and some Hebrews, who finde out the name of a Genius by the places of the five Hylegians, and making projection alwayes from the beginning of Aries, and the letters being found out according to the order of Hylegians with the Astrologers, being reduced into a known order, and being joyned together, make the name of a good Genius: but they draw the name of an evil Genius from the opposite Hylegian places, projection being made from the last degree of Pisces against the order of signs.”
In this particular chapter he gives a few examples of how one may calculate the name of any spirit using a handful of astrological techniques. In the method mentioned above Agrippa describes using the position of the five Hylegians to deduce the name of one’s Genius (or of any Genius, really). The term “Hylegian” isn’t one you see used very frequently any more, but the Hylegical bodies were of immense importance to astrologers of antiquity as they were considered to be the bringers of life. The 5 Hylegs consisted of the position of the Sun, the Moon, the Ascendant, the Part of Fortune, and the Prenatal Syzygy.
The positions of the Sun, Moon, and Ascendant are easy enough to locate on any natal chart so let’s spend a little time discussing the other two beginning with the Part of Fortune.
The Part of Fortune is one of the few Arabic Parts (or lots) which have survived into the modern day. The Arabic Parts are calculated locations on the chart derived from positions of various elements in the natal chart. Each part or lot usually consisted of three factors – the Personal Point (often the Ascendant), a point of Signification, and a Trigger. So in the case of the Part of Fortune one takes the position of the Ascendant and its distance from 0° Aries (for instance if you’re a Leo this would be somewhere in the 120-149° from 0° Aries). From here you add to this number the Significator, the position of either the Moon or the Sun depending on whether you were born during the day or night. For day births add the position of the Moon, and for night births use the position of the Sun. To this you subtract the Trigger, which in the case of the Part of Fortune is, again, either the Moon or the Sun depending on whether you were born during the night or the day.
To simplify:
Day Births: Fortune = Ascendant + Moon – Sun;
Night Births: Fortune = Ascendant + Sun – Moon.
So if someone happened to be born as I’m writing this, then the following positions are true:
Asc. = Cap. 1°21’
Sun = Sag. 0°0’
Moon =Ari. 14°43’
Since the sun is up this would be considered a day birth and therefore the Asc+Moon-Sun formula is the one we’ll use.
The Ascendant is 271° from 0° Aries
To this we add the position of the Moon which is 14° = 285°
From this we subtract the position of the Sun which is 240° = 45°
If we move 45° from Aries 0° we find that the Part of Fortune is 14° Taurus
So that gives us 4 of the 5 Hylegics, but what of the oddly titled Prenatal Syzygy? Simply put, it is the position of either the full or new moon prior to your birth. If the moon was waxing at your birth use the position of the New Moon immediately preceding your birth. If it was waning, then use the position of the Full Moon.
So in our present example the moon is currently waxing so we check to see when the previous New Moon was (November 11 at 11.47AM). Then a new natal chart is made using this as the birth date. This shows the moon in Sco 19° which gives us our Prenatal Syzygy and the last of our Hylegs.
Asc. = Cap. 1°21’
Sun = Sag. 0°0’
Moon =Ari. 14°43’
P.F. = Tau. 14°
PNS = Sco 19°
The next step is to associate your alphabet to the chart starting from (you guessed it) Aries 0°. Many magicians use Hebrew as a matter of convenience so for the remainder of this exercise I’ll do likewise. Begin with Aleph at Ari 0° and then proceed placing a letter in sequence per degree. You’ll cycle through the alphabet 16 times with the sequence of letters from Aleph to Cheth rounding out the 360°. Then it’s merely a matter of locating what letter is associated with the position of the Hylegs.
In our present example –
Sun = Tav
Moon =Samekh
Asc. = Chet
P.F. = Aleph
PNS = Yod
So the name of the Natal Genius for someone born at this time would be: תסחאי
To this name one may add the divine suffixes –El or –Iah depending on whether the spirit is to exhibit qualities of power and virtue (for –El) or beneficence (for –Iah)
Once you have the name of the Natal Genius there’s plenty you can do to work with it. The numerical value of the base name is 479, with –El it’s 510, with –Iah it’s 494. With these numbers at your side you can begin performing an analysis using the art of gematria. You can also construct a sigil using a variety of methods.
To give you an idea of how this might be used let’s assume you want to address the Natal Genius as a real “doer” so you attach the suffix –El. As I stated the numerical value of this name (תסחאיאל) is 510. Some other words in Hebrew which also equal 510 are:
ירש – “to seize, to take hold of; to take into possession; to inherit; to possess.”
ישר - “to be straight or direct; to be even; right; upright; level, even; pr.n. ‘Uprightness’; straightness, evenness.”
These are all notable qualities for a spirit which is meant to actively aid and protect you.
Sigils may be made using the letters themselves as in the first illustration.
Another option is to use the Golden Dawn 22-petaled Rose as the basis for sigil with each letter corresponding to a petal as in the second illustration.
A third variant may comprise a composite of the previous two.
One may also use telesmatic imagery to craft a “look” for the Genius. The Sun Hyleg can represent the face of the Genius; the Moon, the body; the Ascendant, the general characteristics; the Part of Fortune, miscellaneous physical characteristics; the Prenatal Syzygy, other associated elements.
So with the Natal Genius we’ve been using they would have a dark complexioned and heavy face, an androgynous body wearing armor with fishes and a hand emblazoned on it, winged, and armed with a lantern and sword.
A more open-ended option is to keep the mind receptive for the visage the Genius uses to communicate itself to you.
Anyway, I hope you’ve been able to get a lot out of this magical discussion on the Natal Genius and how to construct some of the important elements which allow us to gain contact with them. Feel free to contact me with any questions or observations.
Love is the law, love under will
+NRSYH
@thehierophage
Thank you, @d33pstat3! Yeah! Who needs those stinkin’ vowels? Also, I’m not sure if I mention this in the original post, but I’ve since developed this system for Arabic as well.
Additionally, once you have this cosmically calculated name you can use it as a key to “unlock” zodiacal and planetary names (and as I’ve discovered in the case of Arabic, elemental) of spirits that are by analogy sympathetic to your Natal Genius. With these you can essentially work with a completely personalized pantheon.
This is certainly not anything that I originated. Agrippa gives the method in III:xxvii where he says:
Chapter xxvii. Of the calculating Art of such names by the tradition of Cabalists.
There is yet another Art of these kinds of names, which they call calculatory, and it is made by the following tables, by entring [entering] with some sacred, Divine, or Angelicall name, in the column of letters descending; by taking those letters which thou shalt find in the common angles under their Stars, and Signs: which being reduced into order, the name of a good spirit is made of the nature of that Star, or Sign, under which thou didst enter: but if thou shalt enter in the column ascending, by taking the common angles above the Stars, and Signs marked in the lowest line, the name of an evil spirit is made. And these are the names of spirits of any order, or heaven ministring [ministering]; as of good, so of bad, which thou maist after this manner multiply into nine names of so many orders, in as much as thou maist by entring with one name draw forth another of a spirit of a superior order out of the same, as well of a good, as bad one. Yet the beginning of this calculation depends upon the names of God; for every word hath a vertue in Magick, in as much as it depends on the word of God, and is thence framed. Therefore we must know that every Angelicall name must proceed from some primary name of God. Therefore Angels are said to bear the name of God, according to that which is written, because my name is in him. Therefore that the names of good Angels may be discerned from the names of bad, there is wont oftentimes to be added some name of Divine omnipotency, as EI, or On, or Jah, or Jod, and to be pronounced together with it: and because Jah is a name of beneficence, and Jod the name of a deity, therefore these two names are put only to the names of angels; but the name El, because it imports power, and vertue, is therefore added not only to good but bad spirits, for neither can evil spirits either subsist, or do anything without the vertue of El, God.
Below is an example of the chart done in Arabic for calculating the planetary spirit names. You go to the far right column (”The line of good”) and find the letters of your Natal Genius’ name and then look at the analogous corollary in the planet columns, and voila!.
