The 44 Pentacles of Solomon: A Complete Guide
The Pentacles of Solomon are among the most precisely constructed talismanic tools in the Western magical tradition. They come from the Key of Solomon — a grimoire of ceremonial magic attributed to King Solomon himself, compiled through medieval and Renaissance manuscript traditions, and brought into modern reach primarily through S.L. MacGregor Mathers' 19th-century translation. Each pentacle is not a generic symbol of power. It is a consecrated figure inscribed with divine names, spirit seals, and scriptural verses, designed to accomplish one specific spiritual or practical end. Forty-four pentacles in total are described across the text, organized under seven classical planets: Saturn, Jupiter, Mars, the Sun, Venus, Mercury, and the Moon. This guide covers every single one.
What Are the Pentacles of Solomon?
In the Solomonic tradition, a pentacle is not synonymous with a pentagram. The pentagram is a five-pointed star — a geometric shape. A pentacle, as understood in this Solomonic context, is a completed talisman: a charged figure that may or may not contain a star, but which always bears the divine names, angelic seals, and sometimes scriptural passages specific to its intended office. The shape serves the inscription, not the other way around.
Traditionally, pentacles were made on virgin parchment or engraved on metal during the planetary day and hour corresponding to their ruling planet. The color used for inscription matched the planet's correspondence — black or dark for Saturn, blue for Jupiter, red for Mars, gold for the Sun, green for Venus, orange or mixed for Mercury, silver for the Moon. This timing and material specificity isn't ceremonial decoration. It aligns the physical object with the spiritual current it's meant to invoke, concentrating the will of the operator through a vessel that has been tuned to receive it.
The Pentacles of Saturn
Saturn governs restriction, time, binding, protection against hostile spirits, and the forcing of spirits to manifest and obey. Its metal is lead, its color is black, and its pentacles work at the edges of human experience — commanding spirits, breaking obstacles that nothing else will move, and confronting death and limitation directly.
The First Pentacle of Saturn — This pentacle bears the divine names IHVH, Adonai, Yiai, and Eheieh arranged within a square, and its documented virtue is striking terror into spirits: upon being shown it, they submit, kneel, and obey. The surrounding verse is Psalm 72:9 — "His enemies shall lick the dust." For modern practitioners, it is a foundation of commanding authority. Carry or display it when you need whatever forces you are working with to take your will seriously from the first moment of contact.
The Second Pentacle of Saturn — This pentacle is constructed around the famous SATOR AREPO TENET OPERA ROTAS acrostic square, and the tradition records it as of great value against adversities — especially for repressing the pride of spirits. Its verse is Psalm 72:8. In modern practice it is a pentacle of overcoming opposition: reach for it when you are facing stubborn resistance, whether from spiritual forces or from circumstances that refuse to yield.
The Third Pentacle of Saturn — The tradition specifies this pentacle should be made within the Magic Circle and is good for use at night when invoking spirits of Saturn's nature. It bears the names of four angels: Omeliel, Anachiel, Arauchiah, and Anazachia. It is a working tool for nocturnal Saturnine operations specifically — less a general ward and more a ritual instrument for those doing active spirit work under Saturn's current.
The Fourth Pentacle of Saturn — This pentacle serves principally for operations of ruin, destruction, and death. When made in full perfection, the tradition also records it as useful for invoking spirits from the South who bring news. Its center bears the mystic letter Yod, and its verse is Psalm 109:18. This is one of the more explicitly baneful instruments in the Saturn set — approach it as what the source says it is, a tool of directed destruction, not a repurposed protection charm.
The Fifth Pentacle of Saturn — This pentacle defends those who invoke the spirits of Saturn at night, and it chases away the spirits who guard hidden treasures. It bears the divine names IHVH and Eloah alongside the angels Arehanah, Rakhaniel, Roelhaiphar, and Noaphiel. Its verse is Deuteronomy 10:17. In modern use it functions as a protective working for nighttime Saturnine ritual, and as a means of clearing the spiritual obstructions that stand between you and something that has been deliberately concealed or guarded.
The Sixth Pentacle of Saturn — This is a binding and cursing pentacle. The tradition states plainly that the person against whom it is directed shall be obsessed by demons. It is formed from the mystical characters of Saturn with no verse assigned. This is the most explicitly harmful pentacle in the Saturn series. If you are working with it, you are working a curse — be clear about that, and proceed with full understanding of what you are directing and at whom.
The Seventh Pentacle of Saturn — This pentacle is specifically fit for exciting earthquakes. The tradition records that the power of the nine orders of angels invoked within it is sufficient to make the whole universe tremble. It names the Nine Orders of Angels — Chaioth ha-Qadesh, Auphanim, Aralim, and the rest of the celestial hierarchy. Its verse is Psalm 18:7. In modern practice it is a pentacle of total upheaval: used when you need not just disruption but a seismic shift in the foundations of a situation.
The Pentacles of Jupiter
Jupiter governs expansion, authority, wealth, and the favor of those in power. Its metal is tin, its color is blue, and its pentacles range from the acquisition of treasure and honors to the compelling of spirits associated with Jovian glory. Working with Jupiter means working with abundance as a force that already exists and needs to be directed toward you.
The First Pentacle of Jupiter — This pentacle serves to invoke the spirits of Jupiter, and in particular Parasiel, described in the tradition as Lord and Master of Treasures, who teaches the operator how to become possessor of the places where treasures lie. Its angels are Netoniel, Devachiah, Tzedeqiah, and Parasiel. In modern practice it functions as the foundational key to the Jupiter court — carry it when you want to open a working toward wealth and abundance from a place of Jovian authority.
The Second Pentacle of Jupiter — This pentacle's documented virtue is the acquisition of glory, honours, dignities, riches, and tranquility of mind. It is also recorded as useful for discovering treasures and chasing away the spirits who guard them. Its verse is Psalm 112:3. Wear or carry it when you are pursuing a promotion, public recognition, or any situation where being seen favorably by those above you is the goal.
The Third Pentacle of Jupiter — This pentacle defends and protects those who invoke and summon spirits — upon being shown it, the spirits immediately obey. Its verse is Psalm 125:1. The modern application is dual: it is a protective instrument for active spirit work, and a talisman of authority that commands the cooperation of whatever forces you are directing.
The Fourth Pentacle of Jupiter — This pentacle serves to acquire riches and honour and to possess much wealth. Its angel is Bariel, and the tradition specifies it should be engraved on silver during the day and hour of Jupiter while Jupiter is in Cancer. Its verse is Psalm 112:3. This is a more specifically targeted wealth talisman than the Second — where the Second draws glory and recognition broadly, the Fourth is oriented toward the accumulation of material wealth directly.
The Fifth Pentacle of Jupiter — This pentacle is recorded as having great power for assured visions. The tradition notes that Jacob beheld his ladder-to-heaven vision while armed with it. Its verse is Ezekiel 1:1. In modern practice it is a talisman for visionary work and prophetic clarity — use it when you need your spiritual perception to open and your visions to be reliable rather than distorted.
The Sixth Pentacle of Jupiter — This pentacle serves for protection against all earthly dangers, achieved by regarding it daily with devotion and repeating its verse. It names the four rulers of the elements: Seraph, Kerub, Ariel, and Tharsis. Its verse is Psalm 22:16-17. In modern practice it is a steady, devotional protection talisman — not a one-time working but a pentacle you return to consistently, building its protective current through repeated engagement.
The Seventh Pentacle of Jupiter — This pentacle has great power against poverty when considered with devotion, and it drives away the spirits who guard treasures and reveals them. Its verse is Psalm 113:7. Where the First and Second of Jupiter open paths toward abundance and glory, this one operates as a direct counter to destitution and spiritual blockage around wealth — useful when the problem is not attracting more but removing what is actively keeping resources away.
The Pentacles of Mars
Mars governs war, conflict, courage, and the overcoming of enemies. Its metal is iron, its color is red, and its pentacles are some of the most combative in the Key of Solomon — built for physical defense, the defeat of specific kinds of opponents, and the courage to act under pressure. Red is the color of Martian force in both candle and talisman work.
The First Pentacle of Mars — This pentacle is proper for invoking the spirits of Mars, especially those named within the figure itself. Its angels are Madimiel, Bartzachiah, Eschiel, and Ithuriel. It is the foundational key to the Mars court, and in modern practice it establishes the operator's Martian authority before any more specific working in this planetary series begins.
The Second Pentacle of Mars — This pentacle serves with great success against all kinds of disease, when applied to the afflicted part. Its verse is John 1:4 — "In Him was life, and the life was the light of man." This is worth noting because the traditional function is healing, not combat. If you have been working primarily with the Mars pentacles for conflict and protection, the Second sits outside that pattern — it is a Martian healing instrument, drawing on the same vital force that drives martial energy and redirecting it toward recovery.
The Third Pentacle of Mars — This pentacle is of great value for exciting war, wrath, discord, and hostility, and for resisting enemies and striking terror into rebellious spirits. Its verse is Psalm 77:13. Unlike the Second, which channels Martian force toward healing, the Third turns it outward as aggression and conflict. Use it when you want to sow discord in an adversary's camp or project an atmosphere of Martian force that makes opposition costly.
The Fourth Pentacle of Mars — This pentacle is of great virtue and power in war, and gives victory without doubt. Its center bears the name Agla, and its verse is Psalm 110:5. This is the straightforward victory talisman of the Mars set — not a tool for causing confusion or projecting terror, but for ensuring the outcome of a conflict goes in your favor. Carry it when you are in an active dispute and need the scales to tip decisively.
The Fifth Pentacle of Mars — Written on virgin parchment, this pentacle is described as terrible to demons: at its sight they are unable to resist and are compelled to obey. It bears the figure of a Scorpion at its center, and its verse is Psalm 91:13. Its office is the commanding of spirits under Martian force — a tool of coercive authority over hostile or resistant spiritual beings rather than a protection against human adversaries.
The Sixth Pentacle of Mars — The tradition records this pentacle as so virtuous that one armed with it, if attacked, will be neither injured nor wounded — and the attacker's own weapon will turn against them. Its verse is Psalm 37:15. This is not a cursing pentacle but a deflection pentacle: the harm directed at you rebounds to its source. It is one of the most practically useful Mars pentacles for anyone facing active physical or energetic attack.
The Seventh Pentacle of Mars — This pentacle is written with the blood of a bat in the day and hour of Mars. When uncovered within the Circle while invoking the demons named on it, hail and tempest will immediately appear. Its verse is Psalm 105:32-33. The tradition is explicit about both the method and the effect — this is a weather-working pentacle, and its construction requirements place it among the most demanding in the Mars series. In broader modern practice it represents the capacity to call up sudden, overwhelming environmental force against a situation or opponent.
The Pentacles of the Sun
The Sun governs authority, visibility, divine light, the spirits of the solar court, and the revelation of hidden truth. Its metal is gold, its color is yellow or gold, and its pentacles range from commanding spirits who refuse to appear to invisibility, liberation, and the acquisition of worldly power. Solar workings reward those who are willing to be seen — and this set also contains the tools for those who need not to be.
The First Pentacle of the Sun — This pentacle bears the Countenance of Shaddai the Almighty, at whose aspect all creatures obey and angelic spirits kneel in reverence. At its center is the head of the archangel Metatron. It is the supreme solar authority talisman: the image of divine power itself, carried or displayed to command the immediate submission of whatever spiritual forces are present. In modern practice it is the foundation of solar working — the pentacle that establishes who is in authority before any other solar operation begins.
The Second Pentacle of the Sun — This pentacle shares the Sun's nature with the pentacles before and after it, and its specific virtue is repressing the pride and arrogance of solar spirits, who are described in the tradition as naturally proud. Its angels are Shemeshiel, Paimoniah, Rekhodiah, and Malkhiel. Use it when working with solar spirits who are being uncooperative or overreaching — it is a talisman of solar discipline directed at the spirits of this court rather than at external adversaries.
The Third Pentacle of the Sun — In addition to the solar authority established by the first two pentacles, this one serves specifically to acquire Kingdom and Empire, to inflict loss on enemies, and to gain renown and glory. These effects flow chiefly through the Tetragrammaton, which is repeated twelve times on the figure. It is the most politically ambitious pentacle of the solar set — the one to reach for when your goal is the acquisition of genuine worldly power and the diminishment of rivals.
The Fourth Pentacle of the Sun — This pentacle enables the operator to see spirits when they would otherwise remain invisible. Once uncovered during an invocation, the spirits appear in visible form to those working the operation. Its verse is Psalm 13:3-4. For modern practitioners, it is a talisman of spiritual perception — used specifically during active spirit work to force visibility on whatever is present but not showing itself.
The Fifth Pentacle of the Sun — This pentacle serves to invoke spirits who can transport the operator from one place to another, over a long distance in a short time. Its verse is Psalm 91:11-12. In modern spiritual terms it is a pentacle of rapid movement and the removal of distance as an obstacle — useful in workings where something needs to cross from where it is to where you are, or where you need to move through circumstances that would normally take far longer to traverse.
The Sixth Pentacle of the Sun — This pentacle serves excellently for the operation of invisibility, when correctly made. Its center bears the mystic letter Yod, and its verses are Psalm 69:23 and Psalm 135:16. Where the First Pentacle of the Sun commands full divine visibility and authority, the Sixth does the opposite: it renders the operator imperceptible. Use it when you need to move through a situation without being seen or recognized by those who might obstruct you.
The Seventh Pentacle of the Sun — If someone is imprisoned or held in iron fetters, the presence of this pentacle — engraved in gold in the day and hour of the Sun — will immediately deliver and free them. It names the four elemental angels: Chasan (Air), Arel (Fire), Phorlakh (Earth), and Taliahad (Water). Its verse is Psalm 116:16-17. For any working aimed at releasing yourself or someone else from an unjust constraint — legal, relational, or otherwise — this is the pentacle to reach for.
The Pentacles of Venus
Venus governs love, desire, beauty, friendship, and the power of attraction. Its metal is copper, its color is green, and its five pentacles cover a narrower but deeply human range of concerns — drawing love, inspiring desire, commanding the spirits of Venus, and resolving conflict between people.
The First Pentacle of Venus — This pentacle and those following serve to control the spirits of Venus, especially those named within the figure itself. Its angels are Nogahiel, Acheliah, Socodiah, and Nangariel. It is the foundational key to the Venus court — the opener that establishes your authority over Venusian forces before any of the more specific love or attraction operations begin.
The Second Pentacle of Venus — This pentacle is proper for obtaining grace and honour, and all things belonging to Venus, and for accomplishing all desires in her sphere. Its verse is Song of Songs 8:6 — "love is strong as death." It is a broad Venusian talisman: where the pentacles that follow are targeted at specific people or situations, this one draws the full range of Venusian favor toward the operator generally.
The Third Pentacle of Venus — If merely shown to a person, the tradition records that this pentacle serves to attract love. Its angel, Monachiel, should be invoked in the day and hour of Venus, at one o'clock or eight. Its verse is Genesis 1:28. The mechanism here is contact and presence — the pentacle's influence operates through being seen, making it a straightforward attraction instrument for situations where you have direct access to the person whose affection you intend to draw.
The Fourth Pentacle of Venus — This pentacle holds great power: it compels the spirits of Venus to obey, and serves to bring any named person to the operator instantly. Its verse is Genesis 2:23-24 — "bone of my bones." Where the Third draws someone through attraction, the Fourth compels through Venusian authority. Use it when the situation calls for direct action rather than the gradual kindling of desire.
The Fifth Pentacle of Venus — When merely shown to any person, this pentacle wonderfully incites and excites them to love. Its verse is Psalm 22:14. Like the Third, its mechanism is contact and visibility — but the tradition frames its effect as more immediate and intense. Approach it as a working of directed desire, with clarity about your intent and who you are directing it toward.
The Pentacles of Mercury
Mercury governs communication, intelligence, trade, eloquence, and the world of quick-moving spirit beings associated with information and trickery. Its metal is mercury (quicksilver), its color is orange or mixed, and its five pentacles govern everything from compelling spirits to work for the operator to opening locked doors and acquiring knowledge of hidden things.
The First Pentacle of Mercury — This pentacle serves to invoke the spirits who dwell under the Firmament. It names the spirits Yekahel and Agiel. It is the key to the Mercury court — the foundational invocation that opens access to the Mercurial spirit hierarchy before any of the more specific operations in this series begin.
The Second Pentacle of Mercury — This pentacle's spirits bring to effect and grant things contrary to the order of Nature — things not covered under any other pentacle's office. The tradition notes they answer easily but are difficult to see. It names the spirit Böel among others. This is the most unusual entry in the Mercury set: its specific function is operating in the gaps, accomplishing what falls outside every other pentacle's documented scope.
The Third Pentacle of Mercury — This pentacle and the one following serve to invoke the spirits subject to Mercury, especially those named within the figure. Its angels are Kokaviel, Ghedoriah, Savaniah, and Chokmahiel. It functions as a secondary invocation key in the Mercury court alongside the First, used specifically for calling the angelic intelligences associated with Mercurial operations.
The Fourth Pentacle of Mercury — This pentacle is proper for acquiring understanding and knowledge of all created things, and for seeking out hidden things. It commands the spirits called Allatori to perform embassies, and the tradition notes they obey readily. For modern practitioners working with divination, research, or any situation where knowledge is being withheld, this is the Mercury pentacle to reach for — it is a talisman of discernment and the uncovering of what has been kept from you.
The Fifth Pentacle of Mercury — This pentacle commands the spirits of Mercury and serves to open doors however they may be closed: nothing it encounters can resist it. Its verse is Psalm 24:7. Use it when you are facing barriers to entry — closed doors in a career, blocked access to information, or any situation where something that should be open to you remains shut. The tradition's claim is absolute: no lock holds against it.
The Pentacles of the Moon
The Moon governs dreams, the subconscious, water, travel (especially by sea), and the vast court of lunar spirits who move between worlds. Its metal is silver, its color is silver or white, and its six pentacles touch on travel protection, elemental danger, spirit communication, dream divination, cursing, and weather working. Lunar pentacles work best when your intention involves what flows, changes, and cannot be forced directly.
The First Pentacle of the Moon — This pentacle and those following call forth and invoke the spirits of the Moon. It also serves to open doors however they may be fastened, and the figure itself is shaped like a door or gate. Its verse is Psalm 107:16. It is the master key to the lunar court — useful for any working where you want to align with lunar current, and practically effective for any operation where access and passage are part of what you are trying to achieve.
The Second Pentacle of the Moon — This pentacle serves against all perils and dangers by water. The tradition also records a specific ritual use: if the Moon's spirits raise storms around the Circle to frighten the operator, showing this pentacle makes the storm cease at once. Its verse is Psalm 56:11. In modern practice it is a protection talisman for water travel and for calming volatile spiritual forces that are being used to intimidate or destabilize you.
The Third Pentacle of the Moon — Properly made and carried on a journey, this pentacle protects against all attacks by night and every peril by water. Its verse is Psalm 40:13. Where the Second focuses on dangers specifically at sea and on silencing spirit storms, the Third is a broader travel ward — for those moving through darkness or across water and needing protection against whatever the night or the depths might bring.
The Fourth Pentacle of the Moon — This pentacle defends against all evil sorceries and all injury to soul or body. Its angel, Sophiel, grants knowledge of the virtues of all herbs and stones to whoever invokes his name. This is the counter-magic pentacle of the lunar set, and Sophiel's additional gift makes it particularly interesting for practitioners who work with botanical or crystal magic — the protection and the herbalist's knowledge come from the same angelic source.
The Fifth Pentacle of the Moon — This pentacle serves to receive answers in sleep — it is the dream divination instrument of the lunar set. Its angel, Iachadiel, governs the destruction of enemies and can be invoked (as Abdon and Dalé) against night phantoms and to summon the souls of the departed from Hades. Its verse is Psalm 68:1. The range here is wide: the same pentacle that opens prophetic dreaming also governs banishment of hostile nighttime spirits and communication with the dead.
The Sixth Pentacle of the Moon — This pentacle is wonderfully effective for exciting heavy rain: engraved on a silver plate and placed underwater, rain continues as long as it remains submerged. It should be made in the day and hour of the Moon. Its verse is Genesis 7:11-12. The tradition's function here is weather working, specifically the calling of rain — which distinguishes it sharply from the rest of the lunar set. In the broader symbolic register, it is a pentacle for releasing what has been held back, for opening the sky when things have been too dry and too still for too long.
Choosing a Pentacle for Your Working
With 44 options across seven planets, the instinct is to pick a planet that feels thematically close to your situation and then grab the first pentacle listed under it. That approach rarely lands well. The Pentacles of Solomon are specific instruments, and their power comes precisely from that specificity. Before you choose, identify your actual situation as concretely as possible — not "I need protection" but "I am being targeted by a specific person who is sending hostility my way." That precision is what lets you distinguish, say, the Fifth Pentacle of Jupiter (which counters sorcery) from the Third Pentacle of Saturn (which protects against physical and spiritual assault) from the Fifth Pentacle of the Moon (which neutralizes enchantments traveling through lunar current). Three pentacles that all loosely sound like "protection" but each doing a different thing.
Once you have your specific intention, read the documented purpose of every pentacle in the relevant planetary group before deciding. The planetary correspondence tells you which court you are working with. The individual pentacle's office tells you whether this is actually the right instrument for your working. A Jupiter pentacle for gaining the goodwill of people in authority is not the same working as a Jupiter pentacle for acquiring hidden treasure, even though both are Jovian. Match the documented function to your real intention, and the talisman you choose will carry the full weight of centuries of accumulated magical specificity — which is exactly the kind of focused, directed will that makes a working land.