on the fixed star Algol
The Demon's Head
The following piece is adapted from a previous writeup for my talismans of the fixed star Algol, expanded as a general introduction to the star and its talismanic effects.
‘Tis the tempestuous loveliness of terror; For from the serpents gleams a brazen glare Kindled by that inextricable error, Which makes a thrilling vapour of the air Become aand ever-shifting mirror Of all the beauty and the terror there— A woman’s countenance, with serpent-locks, Gazing in death on Heaven from those wet rocks. –Percy Bysshe Shelley
Algol, also known as the Demon Star or Ra’s al Ghul (“Demon’s Head”), derives its name from the Arabic term for “mischief-maker” and is linked to the mythological Gorgon Medusa, beheaded by Perseus. The second-century astronomer Ptolemy labeled it as “the bright one in the Gorgon’s head” and designated it as being of the nature of Jupiter and Saturn. Algol was often seen as an ominous star by various cultures: Hebrew folklore calls it Rosh ha Satan (Satan’s Head), while Chinese astronomers named it Tseih She (Piled-up Corpses). Algol appears as Caput Larvae (Spectre’s Head) in medieval European texts and as the Gorgon’s Head in Greco-Roman sources. Algol is widely considered to be the most malefic of the fixed stars, and Vivienne Robson notes, “It causes misfortune, violence, decapitation, hanging, electrocution and mob violence, and gives a dogged and violent nature that causes death to the native or others. It is the most evil star in the heavens.”
The symbolism of Medusa and the Gorgons is layered with meanings that have evolved over time. In ancient Greece, the Gorgoneion—an image of Medusa’s head—was a powerful apotropaic symbol, often used to ward off evil. The Gorgoneion was used on shields and breastplates, such as that of Athena, who wore Medusa’s head on her aegis as a symbol of her own power. This image served a dual purpose as both a symbol of Athena’s martial prowess and a protective device, meant to strike fear into the hearts of her enemies.The fearsome image of the Gorgon can also be seen as a reflection of societal fears surrounding feminine power. In patriarchal Greek society, powerful women were often portrayed as dangerous and threatening. The Gorgons, with their blend of beauty and monstrosity, represent the dual perception of women as both desirable and dangerous. Medusa, in this sense, can be viewed as a symbol of the chaotic, untamed aspects of femininity that threatened male-dominated social structures.
The philosopher and cultural critic Julia Kristeva sees Medusa as emblematic of what she terms the “abject,” a representation of the border between human and inhuman, life and death. In her work Powers of Horror, Kristeva argues that Medusa’s ability to petrify with her gaze signifies the horror of confronting the abject, where meaning collapses. Medusa’s liminal status, suspended between beauty and monstrosity, victim and villain, life and death, makes her a potent symbol of the anxieties surrounding the boundaries of the self.
During the Renaissance, artists became fascinated with Medusa’s duality—her monstrousness and her beauty. Caravaggio’s Medusa (1597) famously captures the moment of her decapitation, her face frozen in a grimace of shock and agony, transforming her into a tragic, almost sympathetic figure. Similarly, the poet Percy Bysshe Shelley reinterpreted Medusa as a tragic heroine in his poem On the Medusa of Leonardo da Vinci in the Florentine Gallery. Shelley’s depiction evokes the Romantic fascination with beauty intertwined with horror, transforming Medusa into a symbol of sublime, otherworldly power.
Feminist theorists have also revisited Medusa’s myth, reclaiming her image as a figure of female resistance and rage. Hélène Cixous’s essay “The Laugh of the Medusa” (1975) argues that Medusa’s portrayal as a monstrous woman reflects male anxieties about female sexuality and autonomy. Cixous urges women to reclaim Medusa’s image, declaring, “You only have to look at the Medusa straight on to see her. And she’s not deadly. She’s beautiful and she’s laughing.” I personally reject this feminist lens that would seek to defang her, however, and find it incredibly dangerous to imbue victimhood with inherent virtuosity or innocence. Her deadliness is very real and should never be underestimated. To do so would be to rob her of her power, fullness, and complexity.
Cornelius Agrippa in his Three Books of Occult Philosophy says of talismans of Algol, “Under Caput Algol, they made an image whose figure was the head of a man with a long beard, having a bloody neck. This brought the good outcome of petitions, gave the bearer boldness and nobility, preserved members of the body from injury, helped against sorceries, and reflected evil attempts and evil incantations from enemies.” Hermes on The Fifteen Fixed Stars states, “Its virtue is to make a man great of heart, and it guardeth a man from sorcery. Its color is as iron polished and clear. And its virtue is greater when the Moon is with this star. Its herb is deadly Black Hellebore. If thou puttest a bit of this herb and an equal amount of Mugwort beneath Diamond when the Moon is with Algol, thou wilt have the power to judge as thou wouldst.”
I will admit I was initially hesitant to make talismans of this star due to its reputation but my personal philosophy towards art and magic is to always be open and receptive to the spirits, and when she came calling to me I knew I had to answer. The line between artistic inspiration and possession is often a extremely fine one, if it indeed exists at all. The working began with the acquisition of a black hellebore plant for my garden, the plant associated with Algol according to the traditional sources. The name “black hellebore” refers to species “helleborus niger” which is a winter-blooming evergreen perennial, also sometimes called Christmas Rose. As soon as I saw it, the associations became more clear.
Talismans of Algol are believed to provide some of the strongest protection of any star due to her fearsome and terrifying nature. I have found this to be true as long as one treats Algol with the great respect and care she deserves. Her protection is not always kind, however, and one must keep in mind that she can also reveal the ways in which we project our own monstrosity upon others. She has also been known to provoke those around us to “lose their heads” or reveal to us their “true faces.” This was my experience, and I was forced to confront the illusions I had crafted around certain people as their masks fell away. These experiences can often feel chaotic and destabilizing, but they are a necessary evil for those who wish to walk through the world in truth. As Bernadette Brady notes, “Algol represents a strong consuming passion that may devour you with anger and rage. If one can contain an unconscious compulsion to take revenge, and focus that passion into a more productive outcome, Algol is one of the most powerful stars in the sky.”
References
Agrippa,Three Books of Occult Philosophy
Hélène Cixous, The Laugh of the Medusa
Hermes on The Fifteen Fixed Stars
Julia Kristeva, Powers of Horror: An Essay on Abjection
P.B. Shelley, On the Medusa of Leonardo Da Vinci in the Florentine Gallery
Vivian Robson, The Fixed Stars and Constellations in Astrology
Bernadette Brady, Brady’s Book of Fixed Stars
love this. thank you