The Benefit of Using a Solar Return Elemental Talisman
Medieval Islamic Astrology has a rich history of using talismans for protection and blessings. One such personal talisman is for Balancing the Moon. I prescribe these personal talismans to my clients as part of their Solar Return Reading.
What is a medieval talisman used for?
Talismans are used for a wide variety of purposes, from protecting your home to encouraging a love connection. A medieval Islamic talisman is often a square made of letters and/or numbers in a configuration that imbues it with power.
Talismans can be made with paper and special saffron ink, but as I’ll show you below, they can also be made by stitching on fabric.
The solar return elemental talisman balances the humors of your solar return temperament. Temperament in astrology is the elemental influence of the planets on your Moon and your Ascendant. These influences affect the expression of your character from year to year.
For example, say you’re in a year where your solar return temperament is excessively cold and wet. This can make you too adaptive in your year ahead, even to the point where you would rather adapt to a bad situation than go through the discomfort of making necessary changes.
In the above example, I would prescribe the medieval Fire Talisman to balance you out and give you a boost to overcome this.
“The talisman has the effect of cultivating all the good promised in that year’s [solar return] chart while remediating the bad to some extent”
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To figure out which talisman you need, I first calculate the temperament of your solar return.
Below, I’ve calculated my own latest Solar Return temperament as an example:
My solar return Moon is in Libra. Libra is a hot and wet sign.
Libra is ruled by Venus. Venus is a hot and wet planet.
My solar return rising sign is Leo. Leo is a hot and dry sign.
Leo is ruled by the Sun, a hot and dry luminary.
The phase of my solar return Moon is cold and wet.
My solar return Moon receives aspects from:
Mars, a hot and dry planet
Mercury, a mutable planet in Sagittarius, a hot and dry sign
The Sun, a hot and dry luminary
To get the temperament, just add up the elements:
Hot (7): 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥
Dry (5) 🪨🪨🪨🪨🪨
Cold (1) 🥶
Wet (3) 💧💧💧
In prescribing the Balance of the Moon talisman, I will also see if the Moon receives any aspects from either Mars or Saturn in your Solar Return. In my case, my Moon receives a tight sextile from Mars: a hot and dry planet.
With 7 Hots 🔥 and 5 Drys 🪨, my astrological temperament is excessively Hot and Dry this year.
I need a Water Elemental Talisman to Balance the Moon. 💦
How to use your elemental talisman
Keep your printed paper or fabric talisman at home and carry it around to maintain your elemental balance. Putting it in your wallet is an easy way to do this. Tie the magick square to your right arm when you’re going through a stressful or difficult time.
These talismans are a simple yet powerful way to feel supported and more balanced during your year ahead. Schedule a solar return reading with me to receive a PDF with your elemental talisman which you can print and use to Balance the Moon.
How to make a cloth talisman with saffron ink and a piece of canvas*; 🪡
*Printed, paper talismans are just as effective. You don’t have to make a cloth talisman — unless you’re extra like me, LOL. 😆
Before I create any talisman, I choose an auspicious* election.
*As best I can within the required timeframe.
Making Talismanic thread with Saffron Ink
Take about 61 CM (24”) of white embroidery thread and soak it in talismanic ink** for about five minutes. The magick ink immediately stains the thread, and it smells of rose water and saffron. Absolutely beautiful!
Remove the excess ink in the sink and hang it to dry. If you're hanging to dry indoors, put a towel under the thread to catch ink drops to avoid staining surfaces. After about ten minutes, pat the thread dry with a paper towel and thread your needle.
Cut a piece of fabric to 7.5 CM (3”) wide x 6 CM (2.5”) high. You can make it however big or small you want; these are the sizes I chose for mine.
💡Pro-Tip: Trim the edges to remove any fly-away threads and apply Fray-Check along all the edges. This will keep the cloth from fraying.
**Learn how I make saffron ink here OR watch the video below! My method is based on my teacher Ali Olomi's instructions for the ink. Learn more about these powerful talismans on the Head on History Patreon page.
Draw the talisman onto the canvas with a pencil to create a template and start stitching!
I stitched each individual glyph and tied them off at the back.
Next, I used a dark thread to add the lines. The dark thread was just my preference.
Elemental talismans to Balance the Moon are just one of the many ways a robust Medieval Solar Return supports you during your year ahead.
Personally, I take a lot of comfort in having my talisman. I keep it near me during work when I’m most under pressure. Since mine is made of cloth, I can easily slip it under my right sleeve, and it stays in place as I work at my desk. The canvas and thread retained the smell of the talismanic ink, which was a very pleasant surprise and a huge added bonus I was not expecting.
The PDF talismans I share with my Solar Return clients show the talisman large enough that you could make a cloth talisman for yourself. If sewing is not your thing, talismans can also be etched in wood or stone or simply printed as-is using a standard office printer.
Ready to make your talismanic ink? Learn how right here!
Let me know if you have any questions in the comments below.
