Of Magic Pentacles And Their Composition

Of MAGIC PENTACLES and their COMPOSITION.

WE now proceed to speak of the holy and sacred Pentacles and Seals. For these pentacles are certain holy signs and characters, preserving us from evil chances and events, helping and assisting us to bind, exterminate, and drive away evil spirits, alluring the good spirits, and reconciling them to us. These pentacles consist either of characters of good spirits of the superior order, or of sacred pictures of holy letters or revelations, with apt and proper versicles, which are composed either of geometrical figures and holy names of God, according to the course and manner of many of them, or they are compounded of all of them, or many of them mixed. The characters which are useful for us to constitute and make the pentacles are the characters of

p. 81

the good spirits, chiefly of the good spirits of the first and second order, and sometimes of the third order. These kind of characters are especially to be named holy.

Whatsoever characters of this kind are to be instituted, we must draw about him a double circle, wherein we must write the name of his angel; and if we will add some divine name congruent with his spirit and office, it will be of greater force and efficacy; and if we draw about him any angular figure, according to the manner of his numbers that is lawful to be done. But the holy pictures which make the pentacles are they which every where are delivered to us in the prophets and sacred writings, both in the Old and New Testaments; even as the figure of the serpent hanging on the cross, and such like; whereof many may be found in the visions of the prophets, as in Isaiah, Daniel, Esdras, and others, and likewise in the revelations of the Apocalypse. And we have before spoken of them in our First Part, where we have made mention of holy things, therefore where any picture is posited of any of these holy images, let the circle be drawn round it on each side; wherein let there be written some divine name that is apt and conformed to the effect of that figure, or else there may be written around it some versicle taken out of part of the body of holy Scripture, which may ascertain or deprecate the desired effect.

If a pentacle were to be made to gain a victory, or revenge against one's enemies, as well visible as invisible, the figure may be taken out of the Second book of the Maccabees, that is to say, a hand holding a golden sword drawn, about which let there be written the versicle there contained, to wit, take the holy sword, the gift of God, wherewith thou shall slay the adversaries of my people Israel. Or else there may be written about a versicle of the fifth Psalm; in this is the strength of thy arm: before they face there is death; or some other such like versicle. But if you will write a divine name about the figure, then let some name be taken that signifies fear; a sword, wrath, the revenge of God, or some such like name congruent and agreeing with the effect desired. And if there shall be written any angular figure, let it be taken according to the rule of the numbers, as we have taught where we

p. 82

have treated of numbers, and the like operations. And of this sort there are two pentacles of sublime virtue and great power, very useful and necessary to be used in the consecration of experiments and spirits; one whereof is that in the first chapter of the Apocalypse, to wit, a figure of the majesty of God sitting. upon a throne, having in his mouth a two-edged sword, as there is described; about which let there be written, "I am Alpha and Omega, the Beginning and the End, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty. I am the First and the Last, who am living, and was dead, and behold I live for ever and ever; and I have the keys of death and hell." Then there shall be written about it these three versicles:

Munda Deus virtuti tuæ &c.--Give commandment, O God, to thy strength; confirm, O God, thy strength in us. Let them be as dust before the face of the wind: and let the angel of the Lord scatter them. Let all their ways be darkness and uncertain: and let the angel of the Lord persecute them.

Moreover, let there be written about it the ten general names, which are El, Elohim, Elohe, Zebaoth, Elion, Escerchie, Adonay, Jah, Tetragrammaton, Saday.

There is another pentacle, the figure whereof is like a lamb slain, having seven eyes and seven horns; and under his feet a book sealed with seven seals, as it is in the fifth chapter of the Apocalypse. Round about let be written this versicle, behold the lion hath overcome of the tribe of Judah, the root of David. I will open the book and unloose the seven seals thereof. And another versicle, I saw Satan like lightning fall down from heaven. Behold I have given you power to tread upon serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of your enemies, and nothing shall be able to hurt you. And let there be also written about it the ten general names as aforesaid.

But those pentacles which are thus made of figures and names, let them keep this order; for when any figure is posited, conformable to any number, to produce any certain effect or virtue, there must be written thereupon, in all the several angles, some divine name obtaining the force and efficacy of the thing desired; yet so nevertheless, that the name which is of this sort do consist of just so many letters as the figure may constitute a number; or of so

p. 83

many letters of a name, as, joined together among themselves, may make the number of a figure; or by any number which may be divided without any superfluity or diminution. Now such a name being found, whether it be only one name or more, or divers names, it is to be written in all the several angles in the figure; but in the middle of the figure let the revolution of the name be wholly and totally placed, or at least principally.

We likewise constitute pentacles by making the revolution of some kind of name, in a square table, and by drawing about it a single or double circle, and writing therein some holy versicle competent and befitting this name, or from which that name is extracted. And this is the way of making the pentacles, according to their several distinct forms and fashions, which we may, if we please, either multiply or commix together by course among themselves, to work the greater efficacy, extension and enlargement of force and virtue.

As, if a deprecation would be made for the overthrow and destruction of one's enemies, we are to mind, and call to remembrance how God destroyed the face of the whole earth in the deluge of waters, and the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, by raining down fire and brimstone; likewise, how God overthrew Pharaoh and his host in the Red Sea; and to call to mind if any other malediction or curse be found in holy writ. And thus in things of the like sort. So likewise in deprecating and praying against perils and dangers of waters, we ought to call to remembrance the saving of Noah in the deluge of waters, the passing of the children of Israel through the Red Sea; and also we are to mind how Christ walked on the waters, and how he saved the ship in danger from being cast away by the tempest; and how he commanded the winds and the waves, and they obeyed him; and also, that he drew Peter out of the water, being in danger of drowning, and the like. And, lastly, with these we invoke and call upon some certain holy names of God; to wit, such as are significative to accomplish our desire and accommodated to the desired effect; as if it be to overthrow enemies; we are to invoke and call upon names of wrath, revenge, fear, justice, and fortitude of God; and if we would avoid and

p. 84

escape any evil or danger, we then call upon the names of mercy, defence, salvation, fortitude, goodness, and such like names of God. When likewise we pray to God that he would grant us our desires, we are likewise to intermix therewith the name of some good spirit, whether one only, or more, whose office it is to execute our desires; and sometimes also we require some evil spirit to restrain or compel, whose name likewise we intermingle, and that rightly, especially if it be to execute any evil work; as revenge, punishment, or destruction.

Furthermore, if there be any versicle in the Psalms, or any other part of the holy Scripture, that shall seem congruent and agreeable to our desire, the same is to be mingled with our prayers. Now, after prayer has been made to God, it is expedient afterwards to make an oration to that executioner, whom, in our precedent prayer to God, we have desired should administer to us, whether one or more, or whether he be an angel, or star, or soul, or any of the noble angels. But this kind of oration ought to be composed according to the rules which we have delivered in the former part of our work, where we have treated of the manner of the composition of enchantments, &c.

You may know farther, that these kind of bonds have a threefold difference; for the first bond is when we conjure by natural things; the second is compounded of religious mysteries, by sacraments, miracles, and things of this sort; and the third is constituted by divine names and holy seals. With these kind of bonds we may bind not only spirits, but also other creatures whatsoever, as animals, tempests, burnings, floods of waters, the force and power of arms. Also we use these bonds aforesaid, not only by conjuration, but sometimes also using the means of deprecation and benediction. Moreover it conduces much to this purpose to join some sentence of holy Scripture, if any shall be found convenient thereto, as in the conjuration of serpents, by commemorating the curse of the serpent in the earthly paradise, and the setting up the serpent in the wilderness; and further, adding that versicle, thou shall walk upon the asp and the basilisk, &c. Superstition is also of much prevelancy

p. 85

herein, by the translation of some sacramental rites, to bind that which we intend to hinder; as, the rites of excommunication, of sepulchres, funerals, buryings, and the like sort.