~ THE HOLY PENTACLES ~

CONCERNING THE HOLY PENTACLES OR MEDALS

The medals or pentacles, which we make for the purpose of striking terror into the spirits and reducing them to obedience, have besides this wonderful and excellent virtue.

If thou invokest the spirits by virtue of these pentacles, they will obey thee without repugnance, and having considered them they will be struck with astonishment, and will fear them, and thou shalt see them so surprised by fear and terror, that none of them will be sufficiently bold to wish to oppose thy will.

They are also of great virtue and efficacy against all perils of earth, of air, of water, and of fire, against poison which hath been drunk, against all kinds of infirmities and necessities, against binding, sortilege, and sorcery, against all terror and fear, and wheresoever thou shalt find thyself, if armed with them, thou shalt be in safety all the days of thy life.

Through them do we acquire grace and good-will from man and woman, fire is extinguished, water is stayed, and all creatures fear at the sight of the names which are therein, and obey through that fear.

These pentacles are usually made of the metal the most suitable to the nature of the planet; and then there is no occasion to observe the rule of particular colours. They should be engraved with the instrument of art in the days and hours proper to the planet.

Saturn ruleth over lead; Jupiter over tin; Mars over iron; the Sun over gold; Venus over copper; Mercury over the mixture of metals; and the Moon over silver.1

1. This paragraph does not occur in Aub24, Ad. 10862, Sl. 1307, or L1202. -JHP
They may also be made with exorcised virgin paper [with the quill pen and ink of the Art],2 writing thereon with the colours adopted for each planet, referring to the rules already laid down in the proper chapters, and according to the planet with which the pentacle is in sympathy.
2. So Aub24 and Ad. 10862. Mathers omits. Aub24 continues with "or blood or cinnabar as portrayed in the example." -JHP
Wherefore unto Saturn the colour of black is appropriated; Jupiter ruleth over celestial blue; Mars over red; the Sun over gold, or the colour of yellow or citron ; Venus over green: Mercury over mixed colours; the Moon over silver, or the colour of argentine earth.3

3. This paragraph does not occur in Aub24, Ad. 10862, Sl. 1307, or L1202. -JHP
The matter of which the pentacle is constructed should be virgin, never having been used for any other purpose; or if it be metal it should be purified by fire.
As regards the size of the pentacles it is arbitrary, so long as they are made according to the rules, and with the requisite solemnities as hath been ordained.4

4. Mathers inserts a section of Lans. 1203 at this point: "The virtues of the holy pentacles ... never descend into oblivion." -JHP
Adore5 and revere the most holy names of God which are found in these pentacles and characters, for without this never shalt thou be able to come to the end of any enterprise, nor to accomplish the Mystery of Mysteries.

5. The rest of the chapter is from 1202 Lansdowne MSS. -SLM
Above all things, remember that to perform any of these operations thou must be pure in body and mind, and without blemish, and omit not any of the preparations.
This Key, full of mysteries, hath been revealed unto me by an angel.
Accursed be he who undertaketh our art without having the qualities requisite to thoroughly understand our Key, accursed be he who invoketh the name of God in vain, for such an one prepareth for himself the punishments which await the unbelievers, for God shall abandon them and relegate them unto the depths of Hell amongst the impure spirits.

For God is great and immutable; he hath been for ever, and he shall remain even unto the end of the ages.