Phuonidie is the spirit or angelic shem-force assigned to the fixed star Zaurak (Gamma Eridani) in the system of celestial correspondences catalogued in Liber 777. The name is a Hellenized or Latinized rendering from the grimoire tradition, likely derived from the Hebrew or Arabic names for the star, and functions as a sigilized intelligence that mediates the star's astrological influence. The etymology is obscure, but it follows the pattern of the Shem haMephorash angelic names and the Picatrix style of planetary spirits, indicating a being that is bound to a specific fixed star for operative magical work.

Position on the Tree of Life

Phuonidie operates on Path 19, the path of Teth, which runs between Geburah (the severity of judgment) and Chesed (the mercy of expansion). This path embodies the energy of the zodiacal sign Leo and the solar principle, and Phuonidie appears here as a fixed star of a Cadent nature—meaning its influence is considered falling, weakening, or obstructing in the traditional astrological sense (as opposed to angular or succedent). The cadent quality links Phuonidie to the Cadent Houses in astrology (3rd, 6th, 9th, 12th), which are houses of transition, challenge, and hidden matters.

Astrological and planetary correspondence

In the fixed-star system that Crowley drew from (chiefly Ptolemy and Agrippa), Zaurak is of the nature of Saturn and Mercury. Saturn brings limitation, melancholy, and structure; Mercury brings craft, commerce, and subtlety—together, they indicate a sharp but treacherous intellect, adept at calculation but prone to gloom and subtle deception. Phuonidie is not a gentle influence: it is best used for works of binding, investigation, and uncovering hidden wisdom where risk is acceptable. The classification 'Cadent' reinforces this: the star's power is not direct or triumphant but oblique, working through delays, retreats, and second-hand channels.

Historical context

The name Phuonidie appears in the De Arte Magica (attributed to John Dee) and in the later lists of the Arbatel of Magic where spirits of the inferior celestial spheres are enumerated. In the Renaissance grimoire tradition, each major fixed star had a named spirit or intelligence that could be invoked for specific effects. Zaurak—the star's Arabic name meaning 'the bright one'—is the brightest star in the constellation Eridanus (the River). The Babylonians called it Irûsu, and it was often associated with watery, depressive omens. By the 17th century, occultists had consolidated these influences into tabular form: Zaurak's spirit Phuonidie was catalogued as presiding over the adverse fusion of Saturn-Mercury, used in talismans designed to cause confusion in enemies or to sharpen the magician's cunning against obstacles. The term 'Cadent' in the same tag derives from the Latin cadere (to fall), and in this context identifies Phuonidie as a star that falls or sets with difficulty—its power is latent but demanding.

Phuonidie in Liber 777

In Crowley's tables, Phuonidie is entered at Column CLXXII (the column of 'As Col. CXLVIII—Cadent') of Scale 19 (Path 19). This placement shows it as the fixed-star counterpart to the path of Teth, in the same row that also lists the plant Atropa Belladonna and the perfume of Onycha. Phuonidie is not a celestial prince but a gatekeeper of the cadent abyss, useful in operations where the magician must deal with hidden, oblique, or obstructed forces—always with the understanding that such forces are fallen or falling in nature, and must be raised with care.