Moon Phases & Signs in Graeco-Roman Necromancy
Ref: Greek & Roman Necromancy (Daniel Ogden)
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The Key of Solomon gives some electional rules for Necromancy as well, particularly that the Hour of Saturn is favorable (Except for calling upon those who died a violent death), and that the Moon should be in one of the Earth Signs:
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This makes much more sense to me than Moon in Libra. But I am often baffled when reading about ancient texts through my modern lens.
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Moon in Libra does make sense to me as Libra is the Exaltation of Saturn (And exaltation is very important). It being an Air sign, I believe, also helps with communication.
Capricorn and Aquarius may also be good signs for necromancy, since they are the Houses of Saturn. But, Capricorn may be avoided in most cases since it is Moon’s the Fall.
The Moon seems to have relation to the dead in some traditional sources. So, the Hour of the Moon does make sense, and Taurus may also be an especially excellent sign for necromancy since it is the Moon’s Exaltation, and of the Earthly Triplicity at the same time.
- Earth is the support of the world, the basis of the elements, the nurse of the living (beings), the receptacle of the dead; for (it comes) last after fire and water, since it became what (it is) after fire and water. What is the power of the world? To keep up for ever the immortal (beings), such as they came into being, and to always change the mortal.
–Definitions of Hermes Trismegistus to Asclepius, Aphorism 2 Definition 3
It should be noted for anyone looking into traditional texts that “Necromancy” is often used interchangeably with the term “Nigromantia”, which was once used to refer to astrological magick, and tended to be used to refer to various forms of magick in general.
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Wonderful points! Thank you Dank 
I thought Scorpio was the Moon’s Fall?
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Agrippa’s Orphic Table of Correspondences associates the moon with Hermes, the psychompomp. Not to mention the (later) association of Hekate and the Moon.
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Apologies, that’s right, yes! For some reason I mixed up her Detriment as her Fall there.
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