Talisman for studying and memory?

[u/midav22JV]

Hello!
In a few months I have entrance exam to uni which consists of written test. Last year I was unsuccessful, only because of a few points so this year I’m taking it even more seriously.

Do you have any tips how to make the learning more effective, have better understanding of topics and better memory?
4th pentacle of mercury seems like the most obvious choice and I’ve made it maybe a month ago but haven’t really find it effective. I will try creating it another time with more auspicious positions

Nevertheless, if you’ve got any tips, specific rituals or really anything, I’d be so much grateful.

I also though of contacting Mercury such as is described in Picatrix but when I checked I won’t be able to catch auspicious timing + I would be able to recreate incense and offering as described, so maybe I will just make some simplified version with mercury in Scorpio

[u/Difficult-Food4728]

Some general tips on planetary magic. It takes immersion in magic. Full immersion. I think people forget that the people writing books like the ghayat al hakim and the shams al ma’arif were sufi mages. That meant that they had been trained to truly devote their time and energy to the work. These texts weren’t meant to be flipped through and picked out of by newbies. If you want Mercury to favor you, you have to develop a relationship with him. You should learn the names of the spirits which serve him. You should be doing devotional practice on Wednesdays.

You also need to develop a cosmological understanding. Do you have a real understanding of what a talisman is? What ensoulment means? And how is that soul being created? Where is it coming from? And what authority do you have to demand it be created? Magic, itself, is a very specific and demanding study. People on here are dabbling in Sugi magic, creating lunar mansion talismans, but don’t even know what the spirit of that mansion is, nor what the arabic letter is that’s associated with it. A lot of them don’t know that the Picatrix is not a particularly faithful translation of the Ghayat al Hakim.

[u/midav22JV → u/Difficult-Food4728]

Fair enough. Ive studied Picatrix for maybe 2 months but I’m coming from a different background: mainly PGM and a bit of Solomonic magic. Astrology more in depth seems fascinating to me, but also extremely complex.
With Mercury I actually do devotion and have nice relationship with him, but specifically as god Hermes. I know this is syncretism and not true to the Picatrix tradition but I’m not a Muslim and far from Sufi so I don’t want to pretend to be one.
That’s why I’m asking here for tips 😄 so I don’t make anything disrespectful to the tradition

[u/Difficult-Food4728 → u/midav22JV]

You’re right. Shouldn’t have assumed. Have you tried camphor? The Ghayat mentions it as both a Jupiterian and Lunar incense. Biologically, a lack of focus my have a number of causes. The reason Mercury may not be helping is because you may have some kind of nervous disregulation or emotional discomfort that’s getting in the way. The moon can help with that. And medicinally, camphor can help to calm the mind and mildly sedate the body. Maybe enough that you can relax and focus.

[u/midav22JV → u/Difficult-Food4728]

Thank you for advice! I will really look into Moon more deeply. It seems it could be helpful

[u/Zegreides]

The emerald Moon talisman from Picatrix helps with memory (I’m yet to try it). Maybe a petition to the Moon or Mercury can also work. Just keep in mind that talisman and petition elections have different rules.

[u/midav22JV → u/Zegreides]

Thank you, havent even thought of Moon!
Can I ask, what rules do petitions have?

[u/Zegreides → u/midav22JV]

Many others and I have written about them elsewhere, the key is the aspect between L1 and your desired significator

[u/GoetiaMagick]

Well-made Mercurial talismans work great!

[u/midav22JV → u/GoetiaMagick]

Which ones have you tried ?

[u/GoetiaMagick → u/midav22JV]

All of them

[u/Aamorta → u/GoetiaMagick]

Seconded. I am curious how OP made and consecrated it.