Mars — Planetary magic

What Agrippa associates with Mars

Book I lists the qualities, plants, animals and materials he places under each planet.

Planetary nature in Agrippa

Agrippa connects Mars with courage, anger and conflict. His Mars list includes fire, iron, sharp plants and fierce animals. Martial images are intended for strength and victory, but the book also allows for harmful uses of that force.

Summarized from Agrippa's account of the planet and the things he places under it.

Sources (1)

Three Books of Occult Philosophy , English translation, J.F., London 1651 — Book I, chapters XXII and XXVII
Read at esotericarchives.com ↗

Mars's numerical square

This is Agrippa's 5 × 5 square. The numbers along the right and bottom show the sum of each row and column. Both diagonals add to that number too.

Mars square, 5 by 5. Every row, column and diagonal adds to 65.
11	24	7	20	3	65
4	12	25	8	16	65
17	5	13	21	9	65
10	18	1	14	22	65
23	6	19	2	15	65
65	65	65	65	65	✓

Each line: 65
Whole square: 325
Source: Three Books of Occult Philosophy, Book II, ch. 22
Checked: Every row, column and diagonal adds up.

Compare all seven squares →

The square's intelligence

Agrippa prints an intelligence's name alongside each square. He also gives a separate name for its spirit. The planetary angel below comes from another chapter.

Intelligence of the square

Graphiel

Printed at 325, the square's square total.

Sources (1)

Three Books of Occult Philosophy , English translation, J.F., London 1651 — Book II, chapter XXII, names answering to the numbers of Mars
Read at esotericarchives.com ↗

See Graphiel in the correspondence map →

Angel over Mars

Book III gives two lists of angels over the planets. Here is the name in Agrippa's first list, followed by the name in his alternative list. Neither is the name of the square's intelligence.

Planetary angel in Agrippa's first list

Camael

This is Agrippa's first list. He gives another list in the same chapter; neither list names the square intelligences.

Sources (1)

Three Books of Occult Philosophy , English translation, J.F., London 1651 — Book III, chapter XXIV, first list of angels over the planets
Read at esotericarchives.com ↗

Read about Khamael → · Map this angel

Agrippa's alternative list contested

Zamael

Agrippa gives this alternative name a few lines after his first list. These are not the names printed with the squares in Book II.

Sources (1)

Three Books of Occult Philosophy , English translation, J.F., London 1651 — Book III, chapter XXIV, alternative list beginning 'Now there are some'
Read at esotericarchives.com ↗

Compare all seven assignments and the Heptameron →

Images and intended uses

Agrippa describes images made at selected planetary times and says what they were meant to do. These are claims in the book, not proven results.

Method and election

Agrippa places Mars images in Mars's hour, with Mars rising in a martial face. The figures carry a sword or lance.

Sources (1)

Three Books of Occult Philosophy , English translation, J.F., London 1651 — Book II, chapter XL, ‘Of the Images of Mars’
Read at esotericarchives.com ↗

Traditional aims

He says they were made for courage and success in war or conflict. Some of his examples also use martial force to inspire fear or cause harm.

Sources (1)

Three Books of Occult Philosophy , English translation, J.F., London 1651 — Book II, chapter XL, ‘Of the Images of Mars’
Read at esotericarchives.com ↗

Related pages

Mars in astrologyHow the planet is read in a chart.
All seven intelligencesNames printed with the squares.
Planetary angelsCompare Agrippa's two lists.
Map Mars's correspondencesFollow the sourced links to its intelligence, angel and other associations.

11	24	7	20	3	65
4	12	25	8	16	65
17	5	13	21	9	65
10	18	1	14	22	65
23	6	19	2	15	65
65	65	65	65	65	✓

11	24	7	20	3	65
4	12	25	8	16	65
17	5	13	21	9	65
10	18	1	14	22	65
23	6	19	2	15	65
65	65	65	65	65	✓

11	24	7	20	3	65
4	12	25	8	16	65
17	5	13	21	9	65
10	18	1	14	22	65
23	6	19	2	15	65
65	65	65	65	65	✓