Seven mysterious planetary pentacles

Or a history of transmission of seven talismans through texts.

In the ”Key of Solomon” as published today in numerous editions with a multitude of textual sources we are used to find a number of pentacles and talismans, listed by their planetary affinities.

 Not all these figures were not in the oldest manuscripts of the text, but were later adopted by scribes to either supplement the lack of figures that the text mentions and did not keep from previous sources, or to add to the visual arsenal of the manuscript they were compiling and make it even more ”complete”, as they would consider it. The modern compilations and reworkings (Raphael, De Laurence, Hockley, Papus) were not included in the present study, my main goal being to research their transmission in the manuscripts, the only exception being the Calendarium Magicum. 

Source 1:

Les Vraies Clavicules du Roi Solomon par Armadel ( Ms. Lansdowne 1202)

The manuscript (1) contains many visual discordances, spelling errors and the drawings are not executed by a very talented hand. Our pentacles  appear once, as a complete series and some appear before them, with explanations. The transcription was checked with Joseph Peterson`s excerpts of the text, the translations are my own. The second series contains three figures, but only the two relevant to our study were isolated. The figures are coded VCA.

 

VCA1: Saturn

 VCA2: Jupiter

 VCA3: Mars

 VCA4: Venus

 VCA5-6: Saturn

 VCA7-8: Jupiter

 VCA9-10: Mars

 VCA11-12: Sun

 VCA13-14: Venus

 VCA15-16: Mercury

 VCA17-18: Luna

Sources 2 and 3
Les Veritables Clavicules de Salomon(Ms. Lansdowne 1203 and BNF Ms.Fr.25314)

I believe one of these very beautiful manuscripts, possibly Lans.1203 (2) to be the source of Lansdowne 1202 presented above. The script is concise and clear, with very few mistakes, and the figures are executed by a very talented artist that took great care to lay down the lines and letters perfectly, which can hardly be said of the scribe of Lans.1202. The explanations, which are more detailed than 1202, were checked against one another (generally BNF lacks some details in Lans.) The figures are supplied from the BNF  manuscript (3), which were clearer, but identical. The figures are coded VCS. 

 VCS1: Saturn

BNF.103, LANS.118

CS2: Jupiter

BNF.105, LANS.123

CS3: Mars

BNF.111, LANS.127

CS4: Sun

BNF. 96, LANS.113

CS5: Venus

BNF. 97, LANS.115

CS6: Mercury

BNF. 99, LANS.117

CS7: Moon

BNF. 127, LANS.142

Source 4

Perpetual Card: Vaticinia Varia

(UPenn Ms. Codex 1196)

This very interesting manuscript, generously offered by the Penn State University Library (4), clearly draws upon the printed Magical Calendar: although it does contain detailed accounts of using the wheels for divinatory purposes, it does not contain any further details on the origin or use of the talismanic figures.  The date might be far younger than the cited 1688, but I have no expert data regarding the age of the paper, watermark or palaeographic evidence. The drawings are neatly (but not perfectly) executed by a talented artist, with a free line that defines forms quite easily. For the sake of clarity, the artist placed the magical squares of the last three talismans on the following page. The figures are coded VV.

VV1-2: Saturn

p.127

VV4-5: Jupiter

p.128

VV5-6: Mars

p.129

VV7-8: Sun

p.130

VV9-10: Venus

p.131

VV11: Square of Venus

p.132

VV12-13: Mercury 

p.133

VV14: Square of Mercury

p.134

VV15-16: Luna

p.135

VV17: Luna

p.136

Source 5

Calendarium Magicum 

Popularised online by Joseph Peterson (5) with a few excerpts after being published in full by Adam McLean (6) with translations and notes, this 17th century engraving contains a wealth of synthesized data from various sources, unfortunately all uncited. I extracted the pentacles from the high definition scan of the copy kept in the Bibliothèque Nationale de France under the mark GED-5082 (7).

CM 1-2: Saturn

CM 3-4: Jupiter

CM 5-6: Mars

CM 7-8: Sun

CM 9-10: Venus

CM 11-12: Mercury

CM 13-14: Moon

Source 6

Calendarium Magicum Manuscript Source

(Harley Ms. 3420)

Dated to 1614, British Library Manuscript Harley 3420 (8) was identified by Carlos Gilly as being the source of the printed engraving  (9). As I do not possess the entire manuscript, in order to check the numbering, I will refer to the pages as they appear in the images themselves. Also, having a low resolution scan of the microfilm proved a bit problematic, but I made every effort to enlarge and clean the figures so as to render the writing legible. As seen below in the images of Saturn, there is a little extra material that did not make it into the engraving (click for enlargement). 

The top of the first talisman is marked with a set of characters not found in the engraving, but found in earlier manuscripts, which can help us identify the sources even closer. Those will be dealt with in a separate study. Below them we find the characters that have made it into the engraving (the ones Agrippa collected as well and proved their geomantical origin) and a comparison between them and the Darmstadt Manuscript can be found on Table 10. The images are coded H. 

H 1-2: Table of Saturn 

f.30r

H 3-4: Table of Jupiter

f.30r

H 5-6: Table of Mars 

f.30r

H 7-8: Table of The Sun 

f.30r

H 9-10-11: Table of Venus

f.30r

H 12-13: Table of Mercury

f.30r

H 14-15: Table of the Moon 

f.30r

Source 7

The Book of Tables of Thaytamen

(Dartmstadt Manuscript)

Manuscript Hs1410 (10), reffered to here as the Darmstadt manuscript (11), contains the only version I know of this text, on fols 9v-14v. It is preceded by a work on planetary rings by Zoel and followed by a work of Messahala on the same subject. The full title is Liber Thaytamen Philosophi Magni et astronomi nobilissimi de laminis seu Tabulis Planetarum, that is The Book of Thaytamen, Great Philosopher and most-noble astronomer, on the lamens or Tables of the Planets. 

This is not only the first time I have seen this treatise but also the first time I`ve met with this (supposedly Arabic) author. And this could be caused by my profound lack of knowledge in the field of astral magic authors if it weren't for the fact that I haven`t found him in any bibliography or in Frank Klaassen`s list of authors of image magic, astral magic and every other kind of magic (12).  

The only author it resembles would be Thethel (Thethel>Thaythelem>Thaytam), which in turn is a corrupted version of Zahel (Sahl>Zahl>Zahel>Cahel>Cathel>Tethel). This however seems a bit unlikely  since there are other treatises by Zahel in the codex.  

The figures are called ”Tabula”, just like in the Calendarium manuscript and in Agrippa, which can be translated as Table. The circles and lines are in faded black ink and the figures, numbers and writing are in bright red. Due to the lack of consistency of contrast, I will be doing a superior version of these seals in a future post. 

I am currently working on a translation of this work which will be published separately. 

D 1-2: Table of Saturn

fol. 10v

D 3-4: Table of Jupiter

fol.11r

D 5-6: Table of Mars

fol.11v

D 7-8: Table of the Sun

fol.12r

D 9-10: Table of Venus

fol.12v

D 11-12:  Table of Mercury

fol.13v

D 13-14: Table of the Moon

fol.14r

Comparison tables 

Table 1: Names of the Saturn Pentacles
VCA	VCS	VV	CM	H	D
Saturnus Saturnus	Saturnus	Satvrnvs	Satvrnvs	Saturnus	Saturnus
Caroler Caroler	Caroser	Carose	Caroser	Caroseriren	Mars
Maraca Maraca	Managa	Maraca	Maraca	Marac	onosernus
Cesileie Heseleie	Lesilege	Fesileie	lesileie	Lesileie	yaleye
Kabractam		Kabractan	Kabractan	Kabractan	kbzucharan
Gabriel		-	Gabriel	Gabriel	Captiel

Table 2: Names of the Jupiter Pentacles
VCA	VCS	VV	CM	H	D
Jupiter Jupiter	-	-	Ivpit	Iupiter	Jupiter
Mirach Miraoth	Merach	Alirah	Mirach	Morach	Meras
Lamo Lamo	Lamo	jamo	lamo	Ianic	bergis
Calbat Calbut	Calbat	Calbat	Calbat	Calbat	-
Caolos Cados	Caolos	Caolos	Caolos	Cados	-
Alma Chiamoch Almadram- oth	Almadij Moch.	Asmadi amoch	Almachia-moch	Alnahy-niach	-
Arosbonachar		Arolbo-nachar	Arolbo- nachar	Azolbo- nachar	Szobara- Btan?
Fatqniel		Satgviel	Satguiel	Angelus Satquiel	Satquiel

Table 3: Names of the Mars Pentacles
VCA	VCS	VV	CM	H	D
-	Nate	Nare	Nate	nate	Madi
-	Mars	Mars	Mars	Mars	Mars
-	Reicho	Reihe	Raihe	Reihe	He
-	Ma	Ma	Ma	Ma	Mare
Yriochsos	Yvigo	Yriocas	Yriocas	yrius	Yrreys
Coves	Aries	Aries	Aries	Aries	-
Malchidael Malchidael	Malchi-dael	Malchi-dael	Malchi-dael	Malchi-dael	-
Bareschas Bareschas	Barechas	Bareshas	Bareschas	Bareschas	Barros- carkas
Samael Samael	Samael	Samael	Samael	Angelus Samael	Samahel

Table 4: Names of the Sun Pentacles
VCA	VCS	VV	CM	H	D
Vau	Vau	Vau	Vau	Vau	Anima
Ferus	Febus	Phoebus	Febus	Febus	Febus
Nantho	Xamba	Fanha	Xanho	Xanha?	Xancha
Elou?	Eloha	Eloha	Eloha	Eloha	-
Sol	Sol	Sol	Sol	Sol	Sol
Abihai	-	Gabi Lia	Abiha	Abiba?	-
Staytabortas		Staitabor-tos	Staytabor- tos	Geyrabo-rius? Staytabo-gtis	Szaroth- berthos
Raphael		Raphael	Raphael		Raphael

Table 5: Names of the Venus Pentacles
VCA	VCS	VV	CM	H	D
Mago Imago	Mago	Mago	Mago	Mago Mago	-
Remis Remis	Remis? Remus?	Renus	Renus	Venus Venus	Venus
Sehva Sehia	Setiiu	Schya	Schya	Schya hehiu ?	habya ?
Tarson? Farton	Sariof	Forsons	farsous	farsour forforus	forforas
Tarso Farto		Farso	farso	farsa	-
Asmodel Amoday	Asmodet	At-model	Asmodel	Asmodel	-
Zamiel Zamiel	Zame	Zamiel	Zamiel	Zamiel	-
Messy- Ioxondich		Melli Lo- xonaich	Melly loxondich	Melly- loxondich	Enielli- kendich
Anael		Anael	Anael	Angelus Anael	Anael

Table 6: Names of the Mercury Pentacles
VCA	VCS	VV	CM	H	D
Le-He-rah	Rah-He-Le	le-he-rah	Le-he-rah	Le-he-rah ?	-
a-na-po-nua	A-Na-Po-Na	a-na-po-na	a-na-po-na	A-na-bo-na	-
ni-hop	Nj-Toph	nr-toph	Ni-toph	Ni-toph	-
de-e-a	Le-E-A	Le-e-a	Le-e-a	Le-e-a ?	-
Son-Mas	Mas-Son	Son-Mas	Son-Y-Mas	Y-Son-Y-Mas	-
Horasten- dem		Horasten- dem	Horasten- dem	Horasten- dem Harastan- ten	Hetascei- don
Michael		-	Michael	Angelus Michael	Michael

Table 7: Names of the Moon Pentacles
VCA	VCS	VV	CM	H	D
THET RAGR AMMA THON	THEX YAGR AMYA HOAV	TETR AGRA MMAT ON A ET Ω O O	Thet Ragr Amma Thon A Ω T	Thet Ragr Amma Thon A Ω T	-
Barmot- Tiba		Barmotiba	Barmottiba	Barmottiba	-
Gabriel		-	Gabriel	Angelus Gabriel	Gabriel

Table 8

Similarities between the Harley manuscript seals (which do appear in the Magical calendar) and the Darmstadt manuscript, in a treatise by Zoel that accompanies the treatise by Thaytamen.

Bibliography:

(1) 

British Library Lansdowne Manuscript 1202, digital copy provided by Jérémie Segouin.

(2) 

British Library Lansdowne Manuscript 1203, digital copy provided by Jérémie Segouin. Printed as Les Veritables Clavicules de Salomon, editions du Monolith, Paris, 2018.

(3)

Les Clavicules de Salomon ; traduit de l'hébreux en langue latine par le rabin Abognazar et mis en langue vulgaire par M. Barault, archevêque d'Arles. — 1634

https://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/btv1b90633658/f1.item.r=clavicule%20salomon

(4)

Perpetual Card, Vaticinia Varia, London, 1688. 

 http://hdl.library.upenn.edu/1017/d/medren/9943207803503681

(5)

Peterson, Joseph H.:  The Magical Calendar (excerpts), online edition at http://esotericarchives.com/mc/index.html

(6)

McLean, Adam: The Magical Calendar: A Synthesis of Magical Symbolism from the Seventeenth-Century Renaissance of Medieval Occultism (Magnum Opus Hermetic Sourcewo) (English and Latin Edition), 2008.

(7)

Grosschedeh ab Aicha, Johan Baltista (sic): Calendarium naturale magicum perpetuum, online copy at   

https://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/btv1b53006672b/f1.item.zoom

(8)

I am greatly indebted to Joseph Peterson for sending me the required microfilm scan images of this manuscript, without which this study would have been far less informed.

(9)

Gilly, Carlos: The rediscovery of the original of Großchedel's Calendarium Naturale Magicum Perpetuum, in Carlos Gilly, Cis van Heertum (ed.) Magia, Alchimia, Scienza Dal '400 al '700. L'influsso di Ermete Trismegisto Centro Di: 2 vols. Firence, 2002, vol. 1 pp. 310-317 as cited on http://esotericarchives.com/mc/index.html

(10)
http://tudigit.ulb.tu-darmstadt.de/show/Hs-1410

(11)
http://studies-vartejaru.blogspot.com/2018/10/the-darmstadt-magic-manuscript.html

(12)
http://homepage.usask.ca/~frk302/MSS/authors.htm

To download a printable PDF of this work to read offline, go HERE. 

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