Fixed Stars, Gemstones and Plant Correspondences – a Potted History

03 Feb 2010 10 Comments

by Peter Stockinger in Astrology, Gemstones, Magic Tags: Agrippa of Nettesheim, Astrology, Confessio Amantis, fixed stars, Gemstones, John Gower, Liber Hermetis, traditional astrology

In his book The Fixed Stars and Constellations in Astrology, first published in 1923 and still in print, Vivian Robson provides a chapter on the correspondences between fixed stars, gemstones and plants. Unfortunately he does not share the origins of this knowledge with his readers, but only mentions that Cornelius Agrippa wrote much about “magical ceremonies”.

In the following I give a summary of the correspondences between fixed stars, gemstones and plants, according to Robson:   

Fixed Star	Gemstone	Plant
Aldebaran	Carbuncle, ruby	Milky thistle, “matry-silva”
Algol	Diamond	Black hellebore, mugwort
Algorab	Stones of the colour of black onyx	Burr, quadraginus, henbane, comfrey
Alphecca	Topaz	Rosemary, trefoil, ivy
Antares	Sardonyx, amethyst	Long aristolochy, saffron,
Arcturus	Jasper	Plantain
Capella	Sapphire	Horehound, mint, mugwort, mandrake
Deneb Algedi	Chalcedony	Marjoram, mugwort, nip, mandrake root
Pleiades	Crystal, the stone Diodocus	The herb Diacedon, frankincense, fennel
Polaris	Loadstone	Succory, mugwort, periwinkle flowers
Procyon	Achates	Flowers of marigold, pennyroyal
Regulus	Granite	Sallendine, mugwort, mastic
Sirius	Beryl	Savine, mugwort, dragonwort
Spica	Emerald	Sage, trefoil, periwinkle, mugwort, mandrake
Wega	Chrysolite	Succory, fumitary

Following Robson’s hint, a look into Cornelius Agrippa’s books shows that Agrippa has a similar list of correspondences to offer.  Here is a table, listing the correspondences between fixed stars, gemstones and plants after Agrippa in Three Books on Occult Philosophy, first English edition, 1651:

Fixed Star	Gemstone	Plant
Head of Algol	Diamond	Black hellebore, mugwort
Pleiades or Seven Stars	Crystall, Diodocus	Diacedon, frankincense, fennill
Aldeboran	Carbuncle, ruby	Milky thistle, matry-silva
Goat-Star	Saphir	Horehound, mint, mugwort, mandrake
Great Dog-Star	Berill	Savin, mugwort, dragonwort
Lesser Dog-Star	Achates	Flowers of Marigold, penyroial
Heart of the Lyon	Granate	Sallendine, mugwort, mastick
Taile of the lesser Bear	Loadstone	Succory, mugwort, flowers of periwinkle
Wing of the Crow	Such stones as are of the Colour of the black Onyx stone	Bur, quadraginus, henbane, comfrey
Spica	Emerald	Sage, trifoile, perwinkle, mugwort, mandrake
Alchamech	Jasper	Plantain
Elpheia	Topaze	Rosemary, trifoile, ivy
Heart of the Scorpion	Sardonius, amethyst	Aristolochy, saffron
Falling Vulture	Chrysolite	Succory, fumitary
Taile of Capricorn	Chalcedone	Majoram, mugwort, nip, root of mandrake

Agrippa names his sources as Hermes and Thebit, which leads us to the conclusion that he had access to Thabit ibn Qurra’s De Imaginibus, and the famous Liber Hermetis de xv stellis xv lapidibus xv herbis et xv imaginibus, which only seems to exist in the form of a few Latin manuscripts. Nevertheless we can catch a glimpse of the original set of correspondences. In 1390 John Gower published his Confessio Amantis. In book 7 of his monumental work he lists 15 fixed stars together with stones and herbs. Scholars who studied Gower’s work are convinced that he used various versions of Liber Hermetis in his Confessio Amantis.

The following is a list according to Gower’s Confessio Amantis, book 7:

Fixed Star	Gemstone	Plant
Aldeboran	Carbuncle	Anabulla
Clota or Pliades	Crystal	Fennel
Algol	Diamond	Black hellebore
Alhaiot	Sapphire	Horehound
Greater Dog Star	Beryl	Savin
Lesser Dog Star	Agate	Cowslip
Arial	Gorgonza	Celandine
Crow’s Wing	Honochinus	Sorrel
Alaezel	Emerald	Sage
Almareth	Jasper	Plantain
Venenas	Adamant	Chicory
Alpheta	Topaz	Rosemary
Scorpion’s Heart	Sardis	Birthwort
Botercadent	Chrysolite	Savory
Scorpion’s Tail	Chalcedony	Marjoram