|
CONTENTS...
Where do ritual pentacles come from? |
Pentacles, or more precisely pantacles (the difference is explained here), are ritual objects emblematic of Western occultism. Since the Middle Ages, magicians and scholars have attributed to them the ability to concentrate and direct invisible forces, whether to protect against evil, attract divine favor, or communicate with the spiritual world. A pentacle takes the form of a disk marked with symbols: it can be a pentagram (five-pointed star) surrounded by divine names, Hebrew inscriptions, or astrological signs, all forming a talisman charged with power. But for such an object to acquire its effectiveness, tradition requires its consecration or “magnetization”, that is, a precise ritual intended to imbue it with spiritual force. Here we focus on the method derived from Solomonic magic in its most traditional form.
Where do ritual pantacles (and not pentacles) come from?
The term pantacle appears in medieval Latin texts as early as the 11th century, notably through the translation of an ancient Arabic treatise on astral magic called Picatrix. This manuscript, compiling ancient knowledge, describes how to capture the influences of the stars by engraving for each planet a seal charged with symbols, divine names, and intermediary spirits, all circled to concentrate the celestial influence. Later, in the 16th century, the famous occultist Cornelius Agrippa drew inspiration from these sources and codified the making of planetary pentacles in his De Occulta Philosophia. He associated each planet with a specific metal, a geometric figure, and an angel, and recommended crafting the talisman at a favorable astrological moment. In the same vein, an influential grimoire called the Clavicle of Solomon (or Key of Solomon) offers a collection of pentacles associated with the planets and divine Energies, in a style tinged with Christian religiosity. The best manuscripts of the Clavicle date from the 15th–17th centuries and testify to learned practices blending Hebrew Kabbalah and Christian liturgy.
To go further, you can consult our complete article on planetary powers.
General principles of ritual magnetization
In all esoteric schools, emphasis is placed on the necessity to "animate" or magnetize the pentacle once it is made. Simply crafting the talisman is not enough: it must also be infused with influence and magically sealed to become active. Without this consecration, the pentacle would remain a mere decorative object, devoid of power. The magnetization ritual thus serves to purify the pentacle, invoke the appropriate spiritual forces upon it, and bind these forces to the object.
The Solomonic planetary ritual
The Solomonic tradition is primarily high magic and is thus demanding and precise (through purification, sanctification, sealing). The ritual is deliberately long and solemn. It takes about an hour, sometimes a bit more depending on preparation time, as it includes the blessing of water and salt, incense fumigation, the complete reading of eight biblical psalms, and finally the closing prayer.
This high magic teaches that each planetary pentacle must be consecrated at its corresponding time: you will therefore need to choose the appropriate hour beforehand by referring to our planetary hours calculator tool. This rule applies to all planets, as the effectiveness of the rite depends on the harmony between the sky and the object.
Purification
For this, you will need lustral water or holy water, and Dead Sea salt.
The pentacle is held in the left hand. With the right hand, the pentacle is sprinkled three times with the prepared water. During the sprinkling, say:
« Be purified and sanctified, O creature, by water and salt, so that all impure influence withdraws from you, and that you may be worthy to receive the sacred power. »
A censer is prepared with burning charcoal, on which olibanum, mastic, and aloe are placed (the Clavicle specifically mentions these aromatics). The pentacle is passed three times through the smoke while saying:
« May this fumigation drive away all impure spirits, and may the prayer of sanctification of this sign rise before God. »
The pentacle is thus purified.
Sanctification
The operator turns to the East and reads a series of 8 sacred psalms, each in its entirety. This reading is done in a spirit of prayer and devotion, as these are the psalms that call for divine blessing on the sign. The traditional order passed down by the Solomonic manuscripts is as follows (to be read in full, one after the other):
Psalm 8: praise of creation and divine power
« Lord, our Lord! How majestic is your name in all the earth!
Your majesty is exalted above the heavens.
Through the mouths of children and infants you have established your praise,
to confound your adversaries, to silence the enemy and the vindictive.
When I consider the heavens, the work of your hands,
the moon and the stars that you created:
what is man, that you remember him?
And the son of man, that you should care for him?
You made him a little lower than God,
and you crowned him with glory and honor.
You gave him dominion over the works of your hands,
you have put everything under his feet,
the sheep as well as the oxen, and the animals of the fields,
the birds of the sky and the fish of the sea,
all that travel the paths of the seas.
Lord, our Lord! How majestic is your name in all the earth!»
Psalm 21: call for God's help in the face of the enemy
"My God! My God! Why have you forsaken me,
and do you turn away without helping me, without listening to my complaints?
My God! I cry out by day, and you do not answer;
at night, and I have no rest.
Yet you are holy, enthroned among the praises of Israel.
In you our fathers trusted; they trusted, and you delivered them.
They cried out to you, and they were saved;
they trusted in you, and they were not put to shame.
And I am a worm, not a man,
the scorn of men and the despised of the people.
All who see me mock me,
they open their mouths, shake their heads:
Commit yourself to the Lord! The Lord will save him,
he will deliver him, since he loves him!
Yes, you brought me out of the womb,
you placed me safely on my mother's breasts;
from the maternal breast I have been under your care,
from my mother's womb you have been my God.
Do not stay far from me when distress is near,
when no one comes to my aid!
Many bulls are around me,
bulls of Bashan surround me.
They open their mouths against me,
like a lion tearing and roaring.
I am like water flowing away,
and all my bones separate;
my heart is like wax,
it melts within my entrails.
My strength dries up like clay,
and my tongue sticks to my palate;
you reduce me to the dust of death.
For dogs surround me,
a band of villains prowls around me,
they have pierced my hands and my feet.
I could count all my bones.
They watch, they look at me;
they divide my clothes among themselves,
they cast lots for my tunic.
And you, Eternal One, do not depart!
You who are my strength, come quickly to my aid!
Protect my soul from the sword,
my life against the power of the dogs!
Save me from the mouth of the lion,
deliver me from the horns of the buffalo!
I will declare your name among my brothers,
I will praise you in the midst of the assembly.
You who fear the Eternal One, praise him!
All the offspring of Jacob, glorify him!
Tremble before him, all you offspring of Israel!
For he has neither contempt nor disdain for the sufferings of the miserable,
and he does not hide his face from him;
but he listens when he cries out to him.
You will be the object of my praise in the great assembly;
I will fulfill my vows in the presence of those who fear you.
The unfortunate will eat and be satisfied,
those who seek the Eternal One will praise him.
May your heart live forever!
All the ends of the earth will think of the Eternal One
and will turn to him;
all the families of the nations will bow before your face.
For the kingdom belongs to the Eternal One: he rules over the nations.
All the mighty of the earth will eat and bow down also;
before him all who go down to the dust will bow,
those who cannot preserve their life.
The offspring will serve him;
the Lord will be spoken of to the next generation.
When she comes, she will proclaim her righteousness,
she will proclaim her work to the newborn people."
Psalm 27: request for light and salvation
"The Eternal One is my light and my salvation: whom shall I fear?
The Eternal One is the support of my life: whom shall I fear?
When wicked men advance against me,
to devour my flesh, they are my persecutors and my enemies
those who stumble and fall.
If an army camps against me, my heart will have no fear;
if a war rises against me, I will still be confident.
I ask the Eternal One for one thing, which I desire greatly:
I would live all my life in the house of the Eternal One,
to behold the majesty of the Eternal One
and to admire his temple.
For he will protect me in his tabernacle on the day of trouble,
he will hide me under the shelter of his tent;
he will lift me up on a rock.
And already my head rises above my enemies who surround me;
I will offer sacrifices in his tent, to the sound of the trumpet;
I will sing, I will praise the Eternal One.
Eternal One! hear my voice, I call to you;
have mercy on me and answer me!
My heart says of you: Seek my face!
I seek your face, O Eternal One!
Do not hide your face from me,
do not reject your servant in anger.
You are my help, do not leave me,
do not forsake me, God of my salvation!
For my father and my mother forsake me,
but the Eternal One will receive me.
Eternal One! teach me your way,
lead me in the path of righteousness, because of my enemies.
Do not deliver me to the will of my adversaries,
for false witnesses rise against me and people who breathe only violence.
Oh! if I were not sure to see the goodness of the Lord
on the land of the living…
Hope in the Lord! Be strong and let your heart be firm!
Hope in the Lord!"
Psalm 29: glorification of God who delivers
"I exalt you, O Lord, for you have lifted me up,
you did not want my enemies to rejoice over me.
Lord, my God! I cried out to you, and you healed me.
Lord! you brought up my soul from the realm of the dead,
you made me live again far from those who go down to the pit.
Sing to the Lord, you who love him,
praise his holiness with your songs!
For his anger lasts a moment,
but his grace all life;
in the evening come tears,
and in the morning gladness.
I said in my security:
I will never stagger!
Lord! by your grace you had strengthened my mountain…
You hid your face, and I was troubled.
Lord! I cried out to you,
I pleaded with the Lord:
What do you gain by shedding my blood,
to bring me down to the pit?
Does dust have praise for you?
Does she tell of your faithfulness?
Hear, Lord, and have mercy on me!
Lord, help me!
And you have turned my mourning into gladness,
you have loosened my sackcloth and girded me with joy,
so that my heart may sing to you and not be silent.
Lord, my God! I will praise you forever."
Psalm 32: recognition of divine goodness
"Righteous, rejoice in the Lord!
Praise is fitting for upright men.
Praise the Lord with the harp,
praise him on the ten-stringed lute.
Sing to him a new song,
make your instruments and voices resound!
For the word of the Lord is upright,
and all his works are accomplished with faithfulness.
He loves justice and righteousness;
the goodness of the Lord fills the earth.
The heavens were made by the word of the Lord,
and all their army by the breath of his mouth.
He piles up the waters of the sea in a heap,
he puts the depths into reservoirs.
Let all the earth fear the Lord!
Let all the inhabitants of the world tremble before him!
For he says, and the thing happens;
he commands, and it exists.
The Lord overturns the designs of the nations,
he destroys the plans of the peoples;
the purposes of the Lord endure forever,
and the plans of his heart, from generation to generation.
Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord!
Blessed is the people he chooses as his inheritance!
The Lord looks down from heaven,
he sees all the sons of man;
from the place of his dwelling he watches
all the inhabitants of the earth,
he who shapes their heart to all,
who is attentive to all their actions.
It is not a great army that saves the king,
it is not great strength that delivers the hero;
the horse is powerless to ensure salvation,
and all his strength does not give deliverance.
Behold, the eye of the Lord is on those who fear him,
on those who hope in his goodness,
to snatch their soul from death
and to keep them alive in the midst of famine.
Our soul hopes in the Lord;
he is our help and our shield.
For our heart rejoices in him,
for we trust in your holy name.
Lord, let your grace be upon us,
as we hope in you!"
Psalm 51: request for purification
"O God! have mercy on me in your goodness;
according to your great mercy, erase my transgressions;
wash me thoroughly from my iniquity,
and purify me from my sin.
For I acknowledge my transgressions,
and my sin is always before me.
I have sinned against you alone,
and I have done what is evil in your eyes,
so that you will be just in your sentence,
without blame in your judgment.
Behold, I was born in iniquity,
and my mother conceived me in sin.
But you want truth deep in the heart:
let wisdom penetrate within me!
Purify me with hyssop, and I will be clean;
wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.
Tell me of gladness and joy,
and the bones you have broken will rejoice.
Turn your gaze away from my sins,
erase all my iniquities.
O God! create in me a pure heart,
renew in me a willing spirit.
Do not cast me away from your presence,
do not take away your holy spirit from me.
Restore to me the joy of your salvation,
and may a spirit of goodwill sustain me!
I will teach your ways to those who transgress them,
and sinners will return to you.
O God, God of my salvation! deliver me from shed blood,
and my tongue will celebrate your mercy.
Lord! open my lips,
and my mouth will proclaim your praise.
If you had desired sacrifices, I would have offered them to you;
but you do not take pleasure in burnt offerings.
Sacrifices that are pleasing to God,
it is a broken spirit:
O God! you do not despise a broken and contrite heart.
Pour out your blessings on Zion by your grace,
build the walls of Jerusalem!
Then you will accept righteous sacrifices,
burnt offerings and whole sacrifices;
then bulls will be offered on your altar."
Psalm 72: prayer for divine justice
"O God, give your judgments to the king,
and your justice to the king's son!
He will judge your people with justice,
and your afflicted with fairness.
The mountains will bring peace to the people,
and the hills also, by the effect of your justice.
He will uphold the cause of the afflicted among the people,
he will save the children of the poor,
and he will crush the oppressor.
They will fear you as long as the sun endures,
as long as the moon shines, from generation to generation.
He will be like rain falling on mown ground,
like showers that water the countryside.
In his days the righteous will flourish,
and peace will be great until there is no more moon.
He will rule from sea to sea,
and from the river to the ends of the earth.
Before him the inhabitants of the desert will bend the knee,
and his enemies will lick the dust.
The kings of Tarshish and the islands will pay tribute,
the kings of Sheba and Saba will offer gifts.
All kings will bow down before him,
all nations will serve him.
For he will deliver the poor who cries out,
and the unfortunate who has no help.
He will have pity on the miserable and the needy,
and he will save the life of the poor;
he will free them from oppression and violence,
and their blood will be precious in his eyes.
They will live, and give him gold from Sheba;
they will pray for him without ceasing,
they will bless him every day.
The wheat will abound in the land,
on the tops of the mountains;
the ears will wave like the trees of Lebanon,
and men will flourish in the cities like the grass of the earth.
His name will endure forever,
as long as the sun;
his name will be perpetuated from generation to generation;
through him one will be blessed,
all nations will call him happy.
Blessed be the Lord God, the God of Israel,
who alone does wonders!
Blessed forever be His glorious name!
May the whole earth be filled with His glory!
Amen! Amen! »
Psalm 133: is the praise of brotherly unity under God
« Behold, oh! how good and how pleasant
for brothers to dwell together!
It is like the precious oil that, poured on the head,
descends on the beard, on the beard of Aaron,
which descends on the edge of its garments.
It is like the dew of Hermon,
which descends on Mount Zion;
for it is there that the Lord sends the blessing,
life, for eternity. »
Sealing
After the complete reading of these psalms, the following prayer is recited to seal the consecration of the pentacle:
« O Almighty Lord, Eternal and Indescribable, who created all things by Your Word, and who governs the entire universe by Your power, You who gave Solomon these pentacles to subdue the spirits, we implore You to bless and sanctify this sign. May it obtain strength and virtue against all spirits, so that the one who carries it finds protection of soul and body, through You, Lord of Lords, King of Kings, holy and mighty God, forever and ever. Amen. »
The pentacle is magnetized according to the Solomonic tradition in accordance with the planetary power to which it is linked. You can thus keep this pentacle/pantacle with you and let it do its work.
