The magic square of the Sun is a 6-by-6 numerical table incorporated by Agrippa into his planetary magic in the 16th century. The numbers are arranged so that each row, each column, and the two main diagonals produce the same sum: 111. The sum of all the cells reaches 666. Agrippa connects this architecture to divine names, an intelligence, a spirit, and the planet's seal.
| Kamea | What is a planetary magic square? |
|---|---|
| Numbers | Why does the Sun receive a 6 × 6 grid? |
| Names | How does Agrippa connect numbers and spiritual powers? |
| Seal | How does the planetary seal arise from the table? |
| Talismanic magic | What place does the magic square of the Sun hold in magic? |
What is a planetary magic square?
A magic square organizes numbers in a grid so that each row, each column, and the two main diagonals produce the same sum. Agrippa calls these figures the “sacred tables of the planets” and assigns them a celestial function.
The table is therefore not merely an arithmetic exercise in his work: it serves as the matrix for the talismanic system.
Why does the Sun receive a 6 × 6 grid?
In Agrippa's series, the seven celestial bodies receive squares of increasing order, from Saturn's 3 × 3 to the Moon's 9 × 9. The Sun occupies the fourth position in this progression.
The constant 111 and the sum 666 also serve to organize certain names by numerical value.
How does Agrippa connect numbers and spiritual powers?
Agrippa places several sacred names above each table whose values correspond to the characteristic numbers of the grid. He adds a planetary intelligence and spirit.
This architecture combines calculation, sacred language, and cosmology. Number becomes a means of connecting the heavens, the name, and the graphic character.
How does the planetary seal arise from the table?
Agrippa indicates that the character of the planet and those of its powers are drawn from the table. The magical seal of the Sun must therefore be read as the graphic extension of the kamea.
The astrological glyph, however, belongs to another graphic tradition.
What place does the magic square of the Sun hold in magic?
Agrippa attributes effects consistent with the planet's astrological nature to the Table of the Sun: fame, dignity, elevation, and power.
Later Hermetic orders and occultist authors would use kameas as foundations for planetary seals, talismans, and sigils.
Historical sources and reference points
Heinrich Cornelius Agrippa, De occulta philosophia, Book II, chap. XXII, digital edition by Joseph H. Peterson.
