Mars recently entered his domicile in Aries where he is due to remain until 6 January next year. Part of this time, from 9 September to 13 November, Mars will be retrograde, but we can use his direct movement to make talismans for strength, courage, healing, self-defence and protection, and healing from various kinds of illnesses.
Mars is known as the lesser malefic, and even when he is well behaved in his sign, his influence does not sit well with everyone. It is well worth checking if Mars is afflicted in your nativity and consider whether you have a good handle on your own aggressive impulses. If you are naturally choleric and fly off the handle easily you may well want to practice some caution if you start carrying around a Mars talisman.
William Lilly says of a native with Mars debilitated in his horoscope: “he is Pratler without modesty or honesty, a lover of Slaughter and Quarrels, Murder, Theevery, a promoter of Sedition, Frayes and Commotions; and Highway-Theef, as wavering as the Wind, a Traytor, of turbulent Spirit, Perjurer, Obscene, Rash, Inhumane, neither fearing God or caring for man, Unthankful, Trecherous, Oppressors, Ravenous, Cheater, Furious, Violent.” While that may represent a worst case scenario, none of these are qualities that you should want magnified.
If you find yourself subject to bouts of sudden anger, you may wish to take some cooling baths containing some herbs associated with Venus as She is the natural remedy of afflictions arising from Mars.
The election
The election is set for London, UK. The date is 16 July 2020 and the time is 23:37 (11:37PM).
Mars is dignified by domicile and is rising. The Moon is peregrine and waning in Gemini, she applies by sextile aspect to Mars and conjunction to Venus. Mars hour is between 23:04 and 23:45.
Mars does not make any aspects by orb to other planets, but he is in a sign-based square with a retrograde Jupiter and Saturn. These planets may have some degree of influence so you may wish to bear this in mind when you make your talisman.
Preliminary invocations can start at the beginning of the planetary hour, then work hard, work fast and get the job done.
Examples of Talismans
Agrippa in his 3 Books of Occult Philosophy (Book 2, Chapter 22) describes a particular form of Mars talisman that involves scribing an iron plate with the magical square associated with Mars as well as its divine names, Angel and Intelligence:
“The third table belongs to Mars, which is made of a square of four containing twenty five numbers, and of these in every side and Diameter five, which make sixty five, and the sum of all is 325. And there are over it Divine names with an Intelligence to good, with a spirit to bad, and out of it is drawn the Character of Mars, and of his spirits. These with Mars being fortunate, being engraven on an Iron plate, or sword, makes a man potent in war, and judgements, and petitions, and terrible to his enemies, and victorious against them..”
The Picatrix gives the image of Mars as a man bearing a sword in his right hand and a severed head in his left, either standing or riding a lion. For materials, the Picatrix suggests iron or red copper or carnelian.
Please note that this election is only viable for London, UK and will need to be rectified for your location. This is not simply a matter of correcting for time zones. If you would like me to cast an election for your location, you can order an election here.