Vega is the Swooping Vulture, the oft-vampiric Witchmother of the Behenian Fixed Stars rivaling the Necromantic Wing of Corvus in her knowledge of the arts magical. She is a star of the arts, of music and of theater, but also of magic and of dominion. In my part of the world, Vega shines brightly above as the Sun enters Capricorn; she is the clearest star to illuminate the sky, and her presence is strongly felt as soon as night creeps in. She is often the first star to appear on the horizon as the Sun dips below the Pines. This watchful teacher of seduction and enchantment gazes upon us with a sapphire-blue gaze as night turns.

Vega is one of fifteen Behenian Fixed Stars, each of which have a marked influence on our physical and spiritual world. These stars have been invoked since antiquity in both high and low magics, whether by the priests of Ancient Egypt, or by the healers and prophets of the Americas. In Medieval and Renaissance Europe, their rays were channeled and affixed to images and talismans baring their symbols for the sake of enacting change on behalf of those with the knowledge to draw them down. Vega is the brightest star in the constellation of the Lyre, which is concerned with the arts, with beauty, and with poetry, but also with theft, with the weather, and with enchantment. It is said to preserve the mind and to grant the favor of spirits.

Despite her sometimes vampiric aspect (something which Sasha Ravitch has brought to my attention and has been very true in my experiences with Vega), Vega is benefic and willing to aid those who call upon her. She is of Venus and Mercury, after all. Vega is a star of plenty, like many of the Behenii, but she is also a fierce protector against enchantment and maleficia, as well as a teacher in those arts. She grants the gifts of greatness, of protection against wicked spirits, of power over beasts, of artistic and magical inspiration, and of dominion over spirits and people alike.

Hermes says of Vega that "Savory juice with an equal amount of the herb called fumitory and with a little of the stone called turonso, etc. grants favor with beasts, protects from scabies, that is, against demons, nocturnal phantoms, and fears." Her talisman is made in the semblance of a vulture, or of a traveling man. Her stone is Peridot, and her herbs are Fumitory and Chicory. Another talisman calls for a man laden with merchandise to be carved upon a stone of Peridot and set into the finest gold, for wealth and business, whilst the image of the vulture is reserved, at least within famous lapidaries, for use against witchcraft and enchantment.

Nigel Jackson, in his Celestial Magic, says that it "[...] aids in promoting self-esteem, magnanimity and pride [...]". Bernadette Brady in her Book of Fixed Stars states that Vega "[...] covers everything it touches in enchanting charisma." According to her, Vega took the role of the Pole Star around 12,000BCE-10,000BCE, at which point it was named after Ma'at, the Goddess who acted as a guide to spirits between this world and the next. Perhaps this is where her original influences on the Greek myth of Orpheus originated. Within the natal chart, Vega grants charisma and mysterious talent befitting both the artist and the witch, but also the criminal.

These attributes are what our Fixed Star Vega collection seeks to put to the forefront: those of enticing magic, of enchantment, of charisma to elevate one's status, of authority in the realm of spirits, of self-esteem and confidence, and of protection against the wiles of witches, magicians, and evil spirits. Our materia was enchanted during a non-traditional election, traditionally potent by every means except for the Moon's conjunction with the Sun which, according to the sages of the past, would make her combust and unable to properly transmit the star's rays. This collection was crafted at the request of the Winter Mother, however, and she insisted that it be enchanted during the conjunction of the Moon and the Sun with the star Vega, as the star shone its brightest above the location chosen. The scene was serene; a quiet, frozen river whose rumbling could only be heard from beneath the thick sheet of ice covering it, and a star-dotted sky filled with woodfire smoke. Fumitory, Succory, Myrrh, Wheat, Coriander, Liquorice, Sandalwood, Chrysolite, and many others, each lend their spirit to this work. Over the course of an hour, prayers were sung, dances were performed, and spirits were conjured to ensorcell and fill this materia with Vega's power.

Each offering was then presented to the Winter Mother and placed upon her altar to be touched by her hand, as this collection was born of her request and blessing. A talisman of the collection was placed with her permanently, so that she may bring her guidance to each one using the materia concocted in her honor, and so that she may better perform her duties as Witchmother and dominator of spirits.

The Fixed Star Vega collection was initially going to include instructions on how to use it, but I was told by my spirits that those wishing to work with these products should instead be left to tiptoe in the dark, so that they may receive their teachings directly from the Falling Vulture and her Witchmother. As such, I recommend any interested in working with this star to do so in a capacity that is without ceremonialism, and without elaborate ritual. Embrace the ecstatic nature of this star's work, and dance, sing, compose, and screech as she would.