Samuel Farrand OfficialSamuel Farrand OfficialSamuel Farrand Official
This work was developed as a comprehensive study of planetary correspondences informed by the medieval Arbatel de magia veterum (Arbatel of Planetary Magick). The intention was to consolidate multiple esoteric systems into a single unified diagram, revealing both expected structures and unexpected correspondences through the process of synthesis.
The foundational order of the diagram follows the Chaldean sequence of the planets. Its operational structure echoes the alchemical image of Azoth, composed of seven planetary points arranged in accordance with the acronym V.I.T.R.I.O.L., meaning Visita Interiora Terrae Rectificando Invenies Occultum Lapidem—“Visit the interior of the earth and, through rectification, you will find the hidden stone.” Traditionally associated with the Philosopher’s Stone, this process is understood here allegorically, representing the refinement of consciousness and the formation of a spiritual stone.
Classically, VITRIOL describes a progressive ascent from matter to spirit, a pattern mirrored in vertical systems such as Kabbalah and the chakra model. In this diagram, each planet is assigned a unique color, identifiable through its planetary glyph. Each planetary sphere contains seven correspondence categories:
Each category aligns with a specific planetary principle: Metals correspond to Saturn, Archangels to Jupiter, Goetic Spirits to Mars, Olympian Spirits to the Sun, Planetary Spirits to Venus, Hebrew double letters to Mercury, and Planetary Intelligences to the Moon. Each category contains seven unique identifiers, forming forty-nine total correspondences across the seven planetary circles.
Toward the center of the diagram, Sanskrit symbols are used to link each planet to one of the seven chakras: Saturn to Muladhara, Jupiter to Svadhisthana, Mars to Manipura, the Sun to Anahata, Venus to Vishuddha, Mercury to Ajna, and the Moon to Sahasrara. These associations integrate planetary and energetic correspondences into a unified system. At the core appears a contemporary glyph spelling AZOTH, which in this context functions as the prime symbol of completion and union.
By aligning the outermost points of the planetary spheres with their corresponding positions within the planetary wheel, the essential nature of each planet is distilled. Lead represents Saturn’s metal, Sachiel expresses Jupiter’s archangelic principle, Asmoday corresponds to Mars, Och to the Sun, Kedemel to Venus, the Hebrew letter Beth to Mercury, and Malcha to the Moon.
The outermost correspondences, positioned within the triangles of the master heptagram, relate to the seven stages of alchemy. Together with the seven planets, these stages form a complete seven-step framework, presenting the diagram as a structured map for inner transformation.
The diagram is symmetrically divided. The left side, with the Sun as its center, represents active or masculine principles, comprising Saturn, Jupiter, and Mars. The right side represents passive or feminine principles, comprising the Moon, Mercury, and Venus. The Sun functions as the mediating principle, harmonizing these polarities.
This structure may also be read through the four worlds of Kabbalah, aligned with the four elements. Saturn and the Moon correspond to Assiah, Earth. Jupiter and Mercury to Yetzirah, Air. Mars and Venus to Briah, Water. The Sun corresponds to Atziluth, Fire. When extended to include the fifth element of Spirit, the center becomes the point of mediation, analogous to the Veil of Paroketh on the Tree of Life.
The diagram further aligns with the seven directions described in the Sefer Yetzirah: Jupiter to the East, Saturn to the South, Moon to the West, Mercury to the North, Mars above, Venus below, and the Sun at the center. Mars, Venus, and the Sun may also be read as planetary expressions of the Tria Prima, with Mercury reflected in the Sun, Sulphur in Mars, and Salt in Venus.
Two three-step paths are embedded within the structure. The left path represents ascent, from matter toward spirit. The right path represents descent, from spirit into matter. The forty-nine correspondences also echo the forty-nine angelic intelligence’s described in Enochian magick, a system transmitted by John Dee.
The seven planetary colors correspond to the visible spectrum. Saturn, Jupiter, and Mars represent lower-frequency, denser energies, while the Moon, Mercury, and Venus correspond to higher-frequency, aetheric states. This structure reflects the principles of RGB light, which refracts into the full spectrum, with white, pure light, at the center.
The diagram simultaneously reflects the three channels of the chakra system, Ida, Pingala, and Sushumna, and the three pillars of the Kabbalistic Tree of Life, demonstrating how triadic structures recur across symbolic systems. Explore more from this series →
