Editing Pentacle

{{Short description|Magical talisman}}
{{Other uses}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2019}}
[[File:Pentacle_(fixed_width).svg|thumb|Pentacle]]
A '''pentacle''' (also spelled and pronounced as ''pantacle'' in [[Thelema]], following [[Aleister Crowley]], though that spelling ultimately derived from [[Éliphas Lévi]])<ref name="CrowleyCLXV">{{cite book |chapter=Liber CLXV: A Master of the Temple |first=Aleister |last=Crowley |author-link=Aleister Crowley |year=1991 |title=[[The Equinox of the Gods (Crowley)|The Equinox of the Gods]] |publisher=New Falcon Publication |isbn=978-1561840281}} "The Pantacle of Frater V. I. O."</ref> is a [[talisman]] that is used in [[magic (supernatural)|magical]] [[evocation]], and is usually made of [[parchment]], paper, cloth, or metal (although it can be of other materials), upon which a magical design is drawn. Symbols may also be included (sometimes on the reverse), a common one being the six-point form of the [[Seal of Solomon]].

Pentacles may be sewn to the chest of one's garment, or may be flat objects that hang from one's neck or are placed flat upon the ground or altar. Pentacles are almost always shaped as disks or flat circles. In the [[Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn]], though, a pentacle is placed within the triangle of evocation.

Many varieties of pentacle can be found in the [[grimoire]] called the ''[[Key of Solomon]]''. Pentacles are also used in the [[Modern Paganism|neopagan]] magical religion called [[Wicca]], alongside other [[Magical tools in Wicca|magical tools]]. In the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn and Wicca, pentacles symbolize the [[classical element]] earth.<ref name="A Witches' Bible">{{cite book |chapter=The Witches' Way |title=A Witches' Bible |publisher=Phoenix |location=Custer, Washington |first1=Janet |last1=Farrar |author1-link=Janet Farrar |first2=Stewart |last2=Farrar |author2-link=Stewart Farrar |year=1996 |orig-year=1981 |isbn=0-919345-92-1}}</ref><ref name="Guiley1989">{{cite book |title=The Encyclopedia of Witches and Witchcraft |publisher=Facts on File |location=New York |first=Rosemary |last=Guiley |author-link=Rosemary Ellen Guiley |pages=[https://archive.org/details/encyclopaediaofw00guil/page/122 122–124] |year=1989 |isbn=0-8160-2268-2 |url-access=registration |url=https://archive.org/details/encyclopaediaofw00guil/page/122 }}</ref> In the 1909 [[Rider–Waite–Smith tarot deck]] (the pentacles of which were designed by [[Arthur Edward Waite]]), and subsequent [[tarot]] decks that are based upon it, and in Wicca, pentacles prominently incorporate a [[pentagram]] in their design. This form of pentacle is formed upon a disk which may be used either upon an altar or as a sacred space of its own.

==Definitions==
The first documents to depict pentacles were the 16th-century grimoires called the [[Pietro d'Abano#Writings|''Heptameron'' by pseudo-Pietro d'Abano]], and the ''[[Key of Solomon]]''. In the ''Heptaméron'', there is only one pentacle, whereas in the ''Key of Solomon'', there are dozens of different pentacles. The ''Heptameron''{{'s}} pentacle is a hexagram that is embellished by patee crosses and letters, whereas the ''Key of Solomon''{{'s}} pentacles have a very broad variety of designs, only two of which are pentagrammic. That contrasts with the later popular definitions of pentacles from the 1900s, which state that pentacles are inherently pentagrammic.

[[Gerald Gardner]], known by some as the 'Father of [[Wicca]]', got his concept of pentacles in large part from the 1909 [[Rider–Waite–Smith tarot deck]]{{Citation needed|date=May 2022}}, in which the pentacles are disks that are covered with a pentagram. In Gardner's 1949 book ''[[High Magic's Aid]]'' and 1954 book ''[[Witchcraft Today]]'', Gardner defined a pentacle as a "five-pointed star", intending to mean a pentagram. In his 1959 book ''[[The Meaning of Witchcraft]]'', Gardner defined a pentacle as a synonym of 'pentagram'.

There is a particular definition of 'pentacle' among many latter-day Wiccans: Namely, a 'pentacle' refers to a 'pentagram' [[Circumscribed circle|circumscribed by a circle]].<ref name="Guiley1989" />

== Etymology ==

The word is first recorded in English usage in 1561, from earlier French use. The French word had the meaning of "talisman". The French word is in turn from the Latinized word 'pentaculum' (using the Latin diminutive suffix ''-culum''), which is in turn from the Italian word 'pentacolo'.

The ''[[Oxford English Dictionary]]'' in earlier editions (2nd edition 1989) went on to say that "some would connect it" with the [[Middle French]] word 'pentacol' (1328) or 'pendacol' (1418), a jewel or ornament worn around the neck (from ''pend-'' hang, ''à'' to, ''col'' or ''cou'' neck).<ref name="OED2nd">{{cite book |chapter-url=http://www.oed.com/oed2/00174753 |chapter=Pentacle |title=[[Oxford English Dictionary]] |publisher=Oxford University Press |edition=2nd |year=1989}}</ref><ref name="Godefroy1881">{{cite book |url=http://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/bpt6k50639p |title=Dictionnaire de l'ancienne langue française et de tous ses dialectes du IXe au XVe siècle |publisher=F. Vieweg |location=Paris |first=Frédéric |last=Godefroy |author-link=Frédéric Godefroy |volume=6 |page=88 |year=1881–1902 |oclc=1034921}}</ref> This is the derivation the [[Theosophical Society]] employ in their glossary:

<blockquote>...it seems most likely that it comes through Italian and French from the root pend- "to hang", and so is equivalent to a [[pendant]] or [[amulet|charm]] hung about the neck. From the fact that one form of pentacle was the pentagram or star-pentagon, the word itself has been connected with the [[Greek language|Greek]] pente (five).<ref name="TheoGloss">{{cite book |chapter-url=http://www.theosociety.org/pasadena/etgloss/pa-peq.htm |chapter=Pa-Peq |title=Encyclopedic Theosophical Glossary |publisher=Theosophical University Press |editor-first=Gottfried |editor-last=de Purucker |editor-link=Gottfried de Purucker |year=1999 |isbn=978-1-55700-141-2}}</ref></blockquote>

==As magical objects==
 
''Pentacles'', despite the sound of the word, often had no connotation of "five" in the old magical texts, but were, rather, magical talismans inscribed with any symbol or character. When they incorporated star-shaped figures, these were more often [[hexagram]]s than [[pentagram]]s.{{Citation needed|date=February 2007}} Pentacles showing a great variety of shapes and images appear in the old magical [[grimoire]]s, such as the ''[[Key of Solomon]]''; as [[Heinrich Cornelius Agrippa]] summarises it, their use was to "fore-know all future things, & command whole nature, have power over devils, and Angels, and do miracles." Agrippa attributes [[Moses]]' feats of magic in part to his knowledge of various pentacles.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.esotericarchives.com/agrippa/agripp3e.htm |title=Of Occult Philosophy, Book 3, Part 5 |last=Agrippa |first=Heinrich Cornelius |author-link=Heinrich Cornelius Agrippa |translator-first=John |translator-last=French |year=1651 |orig-year=1533 |access-date=29 August 2006}}</ref>

A ''Fourth Book of Occult Philosophy'' (c. 1565), which was falsely attributed to Agrippa, gives detailed instructions as to how pentacles should be formulated:

<blockquote>But we now come to speak of the holy and sacred Pentacles and Sigils. Now these pentacles, are as it were certain holy signes preserving us from evil chances and events, and helping and assisting us to binde, exterminate, and drive away evil spirits, and alluring the good spirits, and reconciling them unto us. And these pentacles do consist either of Characters of the good spirits of the superiour order, or of sacred pictures of holy letters or revelations, with apt and fit versicles, which are composed either of Geometrical figures and holy names of God, according to the course and maner of many of them; or they are compounded of all of them, or very many of them mixt.<ref>{{cite book |chapter-url=http://www.esotericarchives.com/agrippa/agrippa4.htm#chap6 |chapter=Concerning Pentacles and Sigils |title=Fourth Book of Occult Philosophy |author=Anonymous |translator-first=Robert |translator-last=Turner |year=1655 |orig-year=c. 1565 |access-date=29 August 2006}}</ref></blockquote>

[[Francis Barrett (occultist)|Francis Barrett]], in his influential work ''[[The Magus (Barrett book)|The Magus]]'' of 1801 (Book 2, part 2), repeats these instructions almost verbatim.

Another common design employed in pentacles is a [[magic square]], such as the [[Sator Square|Sator-Arepo-Tenet square]].<ref>{{cite book |chapter=Introduction by Mathers |title=[[The Book of the Sacred Magic of Abramelin the Mage]] |publisher=Dover |location=New York |author=Abraham ben Simeon, of Worms |translator-first=S. L. |translator-last=MacGregor Mathers |translator-link=Samuel Liddell MacGregor Mathers |year=1975 |orig-year=1897 |isbn=0486232115}}</ref>

In the [[Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn|Golden Dawn]] magical system, the Earth Pentacle is one of four [[Classical element|elemental]] "weapons" or tools of an Adept. These weapons are "symbolical representations of the forces employed for the manifestation of the inner self, the elements required for the incarnation of the divine."<ref>{{cite book |title=The Golden Dawn |url=https://archive.org/details/goldendawnorigin00rega |url-access=limited |publisher=Llewellyn |location=St. Paul, Minnesota |first=Israel |last=Regardie |author-link=Israel Regardie |id=Volume I, section 94 |page=[https://archive.org/details/goldendawnorigin00rega/page/n61 47] |year=2003 |isbn=0-87542-663-8}}</ref>

Other pentacles for the evocation of spirits are also employed in the Golden Dawn system; these are engraved with the name and sigil of the spirit to be invoked, inside three concentric circles, having painted on their reverse a circle and cross like a [[celtic cross]].<ref>{{cite book |chapter=Z.2: Magical Formulae |title=The Golden Dawn |url=https://archive.org/details/goldendawnorigin00rega |url-access=limited |publisher=Llewellyn |location=St. Paul, Minnesota |first=Israel |last=Regardie |author-link=Israel Regardie |id=Volume III, section 159 |page=[https://archive.org/details/goldendawnorigin00rega/page/n397 380] |year=2003 |isbn=0-87542-663-8}}</ref>

According to [[Aleister Crowley]]'s instructions for the [[A∴A∴]], the pentacle is a disc of wax, gold, silver-gilt or [[Electrum Magicum]], eight inches diameter and half an inch thick; the Neophyte should "by his understanding and ingenium devise a symbol to represent the Universe", and engrave this on the disc.<ref>{{cite book |url=http://lib.oto-usa.org/libri/liber0412.html |title=Liber CDXII: Liber A vel Armorum |chapter=The Pantacle |publisher=A∴A∴ |first=Aleister |last=Crowley |author-link=Aleister Crowley}}</ref>

<blockquote>There is, therefore, nothing movable or immovable under the whole firmament of heaven which is not included in this pantacle, though it be but "eight inches in diameter, and in thickness half an inch." Fire is not matter at all; water is a combination of elements; air almost entirely a mixture of elements; earth contains all both in admixture and in combination. So must it be with this Pantacle, the symbol of earth.<ref>{{cite book |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=o2KUQHX9yZcC&pg=PA95 |chapter=The Pantacle |title=[[Magick (Book 4)|Magick: Book 4, Liber ABA]] |publisher=S. Weiser |location=[[York Beach, Maine]] |first=Aleister |last=Crowley |author-link=Aleister Crowley |page=95 |year=1997 |isbn=0-87728-919-0}}</ref></blockquote>

A pentacle is also employed as a magical tool within [[Wicca]], generally to summon certain energies or summon spirits.<ref name="A Witches' Bible"/>

===Method of employment===
In many old grimoires dealing with magical evocation, the pentacle is described as being hung about the neck, providing protection and authority to the operator. [[Johannes Trithemius]] has the magician donning the pentacle just before casting the protective circle:

<blockquote>Then taking your ring and pentacle, put the ring on the little finger of your right hand; hang the pentacle round thy neck; (Note, the pentacle may be either wrote on clean virgin parchment, or engraven on a square plate of silver and suspended from thy neck to the breast)....<ref>{{cite book |url=http://www.esotericarchives.com/tritheim/trchryst.htm |title=The Art of Drawing Spirits Into Crystals |first=Johannes |last=Trithemius |author-link=Johannes Trithemius |translator-first=Francis |translator-last=Barrett |year=c. 1801}}</ref></blockquote>

One version of the ''[[Key of Solomon]]'' mentions both a "Great Pentacle" which is drawn in a book, as well as a collection of other pentacles which are drawn in ink on separate pieces of parchment for use as amulets:

<blockquote>Thou shalt preserve them to suspend from thy neck, whichever thou wilt, on the day and hour wherein thou wast born, after which thou shalt take heed to name every day ten times, the Name which is hung from thy neck, turning towards the East, and thou mayest be assured that no enchantment or any other danger shall have power to harm thee.<ref>{{cite book |url=http://www.esotericarchives.com/solomon/l1203.htm |title=The Veritable Clavicles of Solomon |translator=Rabbi Abognazar from Hebrew to Latin}}</ref></blockquote>

The pentacle is of central importance in the evocation of spirits. A fairly typical evocation involves a series of conjurations of increasing potency, each involving the display of the pentacle:

<blockquote><poem>...&nbsp;If they then immediately appear, it is well; if not, let the master uncover the consecrated pentacles which he should have made to constrain and command the spirits, and which he should wear fastened round his neck, holding the medals (or pentacles) in his left hand, and the consecrated knife in his right; and encouraging his companions, he shall say with a loud voice:

: Here be the symbols of secret things, the standards, the ensigns, and the banners, of God the conqueror; and the arms of the almighty One, to compel the aerial potencies. I command ye absolutely by their power and virtue that ye come near unto us, into our presence, from whatsoever part of the world ye may be in, and that ye delay not to obey us in all things wherein we shall command ye by the virtue of God the mighty One. Come ye promptly, and delay not to appear, and answer us with humility.

If they appear at this time, show them the pentacles, and receive them with kindness, gentleness, and courtesy; reason and speak with them, question them, and ask from them all things which thou hast proposed to demand.

But if, on the contrary, they do not yet make their appearance, holding the consecrated knife in the right hand, and the pentacles being uncovered by the removal of their consecrated covering, strike and beat the air with the knife as if wishing to commence a combat, comfort and exhort thy companions, and then in a loud and stern voice repeat the following conjuration: ...<ref>{{cite book |url=http://www.esotericarchives.com/solomon/ksol.htm |title=The Key of Solomon |translator-first=S. L. |translator-last=MacGregor Mathers |translator-link=Samuel Liddell MacGregor Mathers}}</ref></poem></blockquote>

Once the spirit has appeared and been constrained, the pentacle is covered again, but is uncovered whenever demands are made of the spirit or when it is compelled to depart.

In the [[Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn|Golden Dawn]] system, the pentacles are not suspended from the neck, but wrapped in a cloth covering. Instead of wearing a pentacle, the magician wears fastened to their breast a [[lamen (magic)|lamen]].

===Gallery===
<gallery>
Image:Goetia seal of solomon.svg|The "Pentacle of Solomon" from the 17th century [[grimoire]] ''[[Lesser Key of Solomon]]''. Its purpose is to constrain spirits during magical evocation.
Image:Second Pentacle of Jupiter.jpg|The Second Pentacle of Jupiter, from the ''[[Key of Solomon]]'' (''Clavicula Salomonis''). This was found on the body of [[Anselm Franz von Ingelheim (Bishop of Würzburg)|Anselm]], [[Bishop of Würzburg]], on the night of his death in 1749. He was rumored to be an [[Alchemy|alchemist]].<ref>{{cite book |title=The Secret Lore of Magic: Books of the Sorcerers |publisher=Citadel |location=New York |first=Idries |last=Shah |author-link=Idries Shah |year=1958 |orig-year=1957 |oclc=1066407}}</ref>
Image:Heptameron Pentacle.jpg|The pentacle in the 1500s grimoire ''[[Heptaméron]]''. It is to be drawn on kid-skin parchment on the day and in the hour of Mercury, the Moon increasing.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://esotericarchives.com/solomon/heptamer.htm|title=Peter of Abano: Heptameron, or Magical Elements}}</ref>
Image:First Pentacle of the Moon.png|The "First Pentacle of the Moon" from the ''Key of Solomon''. It serves "to call forth and invoke the spirits of the moon, and further serveth to open doors, in whatever way they may be fastened." It is to be drawn in silver or grey.
Image:Golden Dawn Earth Pentacle.svg|The Earth Pentacle in the [[Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn|Golden Dawn]] system of magic, one of the elemental "weapons" or tools of an adept.
File:Emb-37.svg|[[United States Department of Veterans Affairs emblems for headstones and markers|USVA]] Headstone Emblem 37.
</gallery>

==In tarot==
[[Image:Pents04.jpg|thumb|upright|The traditional suit of coins became "pentacles" in the 1909 [[Rider–Waite tarot deck]], designed by [[Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn|Golden Dawn]] initiates [[A. E. Waite]] and [[Pamela Colman Smith]].]]

Much like conventional [[playing card]]s, the [[Minor Arcana]] of the [[tarot]] are divided into four suits. The suit names have evolved over time, and based on the innovation of [[Éliphas Lévi]], contemporary English-language writers on [[tarot divination]] often prefer "pentacles" for the suit of coins.

The 1909 [[Rider–Waite–Smith tarot deck]] was the first to use an ''actual'' [[suit of pentacles]], where [[Arthur Edward Waite]] designed the pentacles as golden disks with a pentagram on them. The influence of that deck resulted in widespread use of the pentacle symbol, particularly among Wiccans.

==In mathematics==
The term ''pentacle'' is used in ''[[Tilings and patterns]]'' by [[Branko Grünbaum]] and [[G. C. Shephard]] to indicate a [[five-pointed star]] composed of ten [[line segment]]s, similar to a [[pentagram]] but containing no interior lines.<ref name="Grunbaum1987">{{cite book |title=Tilings and Patterns |publisher=W. H. Freeman |first1=Branko |last1=Grünbaum |first2=G. C. |last2=Shephard |year=1987 |isbn=0716711931 |url-access=registration |url=https://archive.org/details/isbn_0716711931 }}</ref>
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==References==
{{Reflist|35em}}

==External links==
{{wiktionary}}
{{Commons category|Pentacles}}
* [http://www.symbols.com/encyclopedia/29/2914.html Symbol 29:14—Pentagram inscribed in a circle]—Symbols.com

{{WiccaandWitchcraft}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Ceremonial magic]]
[[Category:Ceremonial weapons]]
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[[Category:Talismans]]