"The Behenian Stars: An Introduction" is here ✨
my lecture on some of the most powerful, magical fixed stars is now available <3
To look up at the night sky is to be initiated into a realm with a seemingly infinite number of stars. Each one is their own city, their own universe, with richness and magic that can fill whole volumes just trying to catch it all.
As a stellar practitioner, one of the most frequent questions I receive is where to begin with the stars. There are so many universes to behold! How can one start to narrow the view?
My answer? Start with the Behenian Stars.
These 15 are special, a true foundation for both beginners and experts of the stellar arts.
They are:
- Algol, Eye of Medusa, 26º Taurus
- The Pleiades, the 7 Sisters, 0º Gemini
- Aldebaran, Eye of the Bull, 10º Gemini
- Capella, The Charioteer, 22º Gemini
- Sirius, Major Dog Star, 14º Cancer
- Procyon, Lesser Dog Star, 26º Cancer
- Regulus, Heart of the Lion, 0º Virgo
- Alkaid, Tail of the Bear, 27º Virgo
- Algorab, The Crow, 13º Libra
- Spica, The Maiden’s Sheaf of Wheat, 24º Libra
- Arcturus, The Hunter-Farmer, 24º Libra
- Alphecca, The Flower Crown, 12º Scorpio
- Antares, The Heart of the Scorpio, 10º Sagittarius
- Vega, Orpheus’s Lyre, 15º Capricorn
- Deneb Algedi, Tail of the Sea-Goat, 23º Aquarius
I always always pay attention to these stars when they show up in someone’s natal chart. They tend to have a pretty clear influence in the stories, archetypes and journeys of your life.
I also find these stars quite potent for magic and ritual.
A Brief History of the Behenian Stars
This group of 15 stars was first identified in the 1st century A.D. Attributed to Hermes Trimegistus, this mythical amalgam of Hermes and Thoth singled out these stars for their unique power and magical ability.
The original hermetic text on these 15 Bright Stars survives in various rescensions and rewrites, making its way to Medieval Islamicate astrologers, whose translations make their way to Cornelius Agrippa and Marsilio Ficino.
Their tradition is primarily one of magic. Virtually every text of the Behenians in the tradition is one for talismanic prescriptions with recipes for ensouling the virtues of a star into a stone talisman.
When I was first studying the stars, a lot of my struggle came from finding quality introductory texts that could give me the knowledge I need. Beyond these magical descriptions, what do they mean? How do I get to know them?
This lecture attempts to fill this gap in the available literature and translate these traditional texts for a contemporary audience.
I created my introduction to share the wisdom of the Behenians I’ve accrued over the years and give you the comprehensive introduction I didn’t have.
I have studied the fixed stars for years. Not only have I given countless fixed stars readings and written extensively on them in my newsletter and for my book, I have spent the past year communing directly with the Behenian stars through ritual and magic.
The Behenians have the advantage of being written about and practiced for millennia. Virtually all stellar magical texts mention these 15 stars.
Though all stars are powerful, each their own universe, the Behenians have been singled out and practiced with extensively for millennia. Multiple texts espouse their particular plant + correspondences as well as their talismanic properties.
In this lecture, I gather my extensive knowledge and practice with these stars in order to demystify their history and special place within the stellar pantheon.
This lecture covers:
What are the Behenian Fixed Stars?
Their History
The Meaning of “Behenian”
Magical and Talismanic Uses
Behenians in Natal Astrology
Brief Summary of the 15 Stars
Doing Magic with the Stars
This lecture is for all stellar astrologers, researchers, magicians, and practitioners, particularly those who feel excited at combining their intellectual knowledge with direct experience and ritual with the stars.
Both longtime fixed star experts and those just beginning their stellar journeys will get something out of this lecture. This is info and gnosis on these stars that you cannot find elsewhere combined with plenty of ancient sources and extensive research.
Though you need not know anything about the Behenian Stars to enjoy this lecture, you should have a basic understanding of the fixed stars. (If you want an even more basic intro to the stars, I have that on my website too!)
Learn more about this offering and purchase on my website now:
Behenian Deep Dive: Fixed Star Sirius
Want a taste of the richness and magic of these stars? Let’s spend some time with one of them.
Do you have any placements near 14º Cancer? Then you are touched by Sirius, the brightest star in our sky, and one the powerful Behenian Stars.
Sirius, the dog star, is our bright beginning. The brightest star in the sky, it heralded the flooding of the Nile in Ancient Egypt and marked the beginning of their calendar year. Sirius is pivotal. Sirius is sacred.
Residing at 14º Cancer, Sirius is definitely a dog. I have seen it as a canine gnawing at my leg, which immediately grows back, to my own pup, who cycles between lazy calm and excitable agitation.
Yet Sirius is pure spirit. A Sirius talisman “bestoweth honour and good will, and the favor of men, and aerial spirits, and giveth the power to pacify and reconcile kings, princes, and other men” according to Agrippa. Use this star to tap your highest purpose, separate from material concerns, and connect with friends and high places.
This star, like all the Behenians, attunes us to our core selves and the power therein. Like a faithful dog, this star stakes out the path for you and helps you grow into the person that is a vessel for the divine.
Want to learn more about Sirius and her ilk? Spend time with dogs, with great light and dark, studying the invisible connection between you and your beloved.
Learn more about Sirius in my essay below:
Until next time,
Love,
Chloe