The pantacle of the Three Roads presents an immediately understandable image: several paths open before the person who must move forward. Julio describes one road crossing the plain, another passing through the forest, and a third ascending toward the mountain. He reads these landscapes as different ways of conducting one’s life, not as three tourist routes.
The figure belongs to the discernment pantacles in the collection. Its formula asks to know which path to follow. The issue is therefore one of a life choice, an important decision, or a personal direction that will shape the future.
Essential reference points
| Tradition | Discernment and life choices |
|---|---|
| Figure | Three paths crossing plain, forest, and mountain |
| Application | Personal direction and important decisions |
| Source | Abbé Julio, 1908, notice no. 70 |
Reading the symbolism
The plain represents an ease that can lull vigilance to sleep. The forest evokes the difficulties, obstacles, and confusion of an agitated existence. The mountain suggests a more demanding ascent, whose effort can lead to a new light. These correspondences are given by Julio and must be understood within his moral interpretation.
The notice describes the three roads and the divine name that radiates above them. The plain represents an ease that can induce sleep; the forest, the difficulties of an agitated life; the mountain, a demanding ascent. The text asks to know which path to follow.
The divine name radiating above the landscape provides a common reference point for these different paths. The figure is not organized around chance: the paths appear under God’s gaze, and the verse invites one to ask for direction rather than mechanically draw an answer.
History and traditions
The theme of two or more paths runs through many religious and moral traditions, from Antiquity to Christian images of the narrow way and the broad way. Julio takes up this heritage by presenting three roads whose difficulties and attractions change according to the landscape.
This composition occupies a different place from divine names and monograms. It uses a scene whose narrative anyone can follow, transforming the comparison of visible paths into a reflection on life’s commitments.
Attributed effects
Julio attributes to the pantacle assistance in choosing a way of life, making an important decision, and finding inspiration. Its application concerns first and foremost the direction of one’s life, beyond a material journey.
Julio attributes to the Three Roads assistance in choosing a way of life, a profession, or an important decision. The request concerns discernment and the direction to take. It differs from protection during a material journey, which is notably associated with the Landscape and the Dragon.
It would be incorrect to turn the drawing into a random selection among the three paths, associating one of them, for example, with an automatic answer. The notice emphasizes understanding the path and praying for direction.
Usage according to Julio
The sign accompanies a specific request for discernment, within the framework of prayer and Julio’s blessed and consecrated supports. The notice does not propose a random selection among the three paths.
The figure is linked to an intention to make a decision within the framework of the blessed and consecrated pantacles described by Julio. The book does not prescribe closing one’s eyes, pointing to a path at random, or repeating an invented numerological formula.
To study it, it is useful to compare what each landscape represents, then reread the request to know which path to follow. The text offers a framework for discernment that does not eliminate the need to reflect and act.
Features of this pantacle
The divine Triangle devoted to Formation, reformation, and transformation also addresses major choices, but through three successive stages rather than three alternative paths.
The Mountain develops another image of elevation, associated with the fertility of crops; the Landscape concerns the elements and travel. Their proximity reveals the precision of the uses Julio attributes to nature scenes.
The source and variants
Abbé Julio, The Secret Book of Great Exorcisms and Blessings, Vincennes, published by the author, 1908. Explanation and application no. 70, pp. 452–453. Practical advice on blessed and consecrated supports: pp. 462–463.
Classical directory numbering: 36 of 44. This numbering differs from the inventory of engravings in the old volumes.
Read the notice in the 1908 edition
Engraving taken from the copy digitized by the Divinity School Library, Duke University / Internet Archive, at 360 dpi. Composition, lettering, and colors preserved.
