Astrological modifiers and horoscopes

Since I’ve slowed down prior to posting my thoughts on handling skills and past lives, here’s a detour.

The astrological modifiers were one of the more maligned rules in the Nephilim rules. Enlightened Magic retained a simplified version of them and made them optional, which is what I will use.

Each day of the week is associated with a particular planet and element. Sunday with the Sun and Solar-Ka, Monday with the Moon and Lunar-Ka, Tuesday with Mars and Fire-Ka, Wednesday with Mercury and Water-Ka, Thursday with Jupiter and Air-Ka, Friday with Venus and Earth-Ka, and Saturday with Saturn and Orichalka. (Enlightened Magic lists a slightly different arrangement, but I prefer this one because it is more poetic and consistent with the French version.)

Each day grants a bonus to magical workings of the associated element and a penalty to its opposed elements. Air is opposed to Earth and Lunar, Earth is opposed to Air and Water, Fire is opposed to Lunar and Water, Lunar is opposed to Air and Fire, Water is opposed to Earth and Fire, and Orichalka is mutually opposed to all other elements except Solar. On Sunday, all elements receive the bonus.

Each element is also associated with one or more zodiac signs, and receive a modifier depending on the current sign like a horoscope. Solar is associated with Leo, Lunar with Cancer and Capricorn, Fire with Aries and Scorpio, Water with Gemini and Virgo, Air with Pisces and Sagittarius, Earth with Libra and Taurus, and Orichalka with Aquarius. (The Nephilim rulebook lists a different association, but I prefer this one because it is more poetic and consistent with the French version.)

The time of a day or month when an element receives a bonus is known as an Enthronement of that element. When two Enthronements meet (e.g. on the day of the element in the month of that element) is known as a Grand Enthronement. Enthronements are important not only because of their astrological modifiers, but also because certain types of rituals only work during Enthronements or Grand Enthronements. This applies even when astrological modifiers are not being used.

The zodiac months are different from the months of the Gregorian calendar, and may or may not include Ophiuchus. For simplicity, you may prefer to use this chart where each sign is associated with a month of the Gregorian calendar.

Pearson Scott Foresman, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

I like this chart because it feels poetic. For example, Scorpio is associated with October (the month of Halloween) and is the Exaltation of the Unnamed Arcanum (see Major Arcana p9); Scorpio is also the month in which Ophiuchus (the sign of the Black Moon) is hidden according to the French version.

Speaking of which, you may notice that I have not mentioned astrological modifiers for the Black Lunar-Ka. This is because there aren't any, at least not until the French third edition. In that version, the Black Lunar-Ka modifiers were based on the zodiac and the phase of the Moon. Basically, Black Lunar-Ka receives a penalty when the Moon was new or full (syzygy) and a bonus when the Moon was waxing or waning. When it came to the zodiac, Black Lunar-Ka received modifiers as if it was opposed to Lunar-Ka: it receives a bonus on months associated with Air, Fire or Solar (Aries, Leo, Pisces, Sagittarius and Scorpio) and a penalty on those associated with Lunar or Orichalka (Aquarius, Cancer and Capricorn). 

Thus, a Black Lunar Enthronement occurs on a day when the Moon is waxing or waning, or in the months of Aries, Leo, Pisces, Sagittarius or Scorpio. A Grand Enthronement occurs on a day when the Moon waxes or wanes in the months of Aries, Leo, Pisces, Sagittarius or Scorpio.

Since these are optional rules anyway, you may opt to base Black Lunar modifiers on the day of the week instead of the phase of the moon. In that case, Black Lunar magic receives the bonus on Sunday, Tuesday, and Thursday, and the penalty on Monday and Saturday.