The Sorcery of Solomon

A Guide to the 44 Planetary Pentacles of the Magician King

$29.95

1297 in stock

Imprint: Weiser Books
Availability: In stock
“In 1889, S. L. Mathers published a composite translation of the magic text, The Key of Solomon, based on seven manuscripts. It has been hugely influential. The manuscripts, and his edition, are not always easy to understand. In The Sorcery of Solomon, Sara Mastros has provided a deep dive into the forty-four pentacles as codified by Mathers. Drawing on a wide variety of sources, including Biblical exegesis, Babylonian Talmud, Aramaic incantation bowls, Greek Magical Papyri (PGM), mathematical speculations, and her own experiences, she includes many easy-to-follow exercises for exploring them.”
—Joseph Peterson, author of The Secrets of Solomon

The Sorcery of Solomon: A Guide to the 44 Planetary Pentacles of the Magician King is much more than the subtitle might imply. It is a comprehensive work which deep-dives into the pentacles given in the Mathers’ edition of the classic grimoire, The Key of Solomon. Before this journey, the author deftly guides the reader through the necessary historical and philosophical context of Solomon and Jewish magic necessary to work the pentacles and then provides a concise and coherent system of practice which frames the use of the pentacles. As Sara Mastros states, the magic of the pentacles synergizes many roots in addition to the Jewish ones, and as such the practices she details set the use of the pentacles in modern magic without forgetting their roots. From honoring the dead to calling on the Most High, this work is an excellent body of practice for those wishing to explore the vast depths of the magic of the Solomonic pentacles.”
—David Rankine, author of The Grimoire Encyclopaedia

“Sara Mastros’s I stands out as a must-have resource for anyone interested in The Clavicula Salomonis and its pentacles. Far more than just a showcase of the forty-four planetary pentacles found in The Key of Solomon and what they can do, this brilliantly written user-friendly guide shows how to actually use them to their full potential. . . . I was astounded by the depth of knowledge and practical wisdom I gained from this book. Suitable for the dedicated beginner and invaluable for the experienced magician, this book provides real-world, actionable insights. It’s definitely a game changer in magical studies and Solomonic magic. Whether your goals are spiritual or practical, The Sorcery of Solomon will be an indispensable reference you’ll continually revisit.”
—Mat Auryn, author of Psychic Witch and Mastering Magick

“Sara Mastros is the real deal! To anyone well-versed in magical practice, it is clear that The Sorcery of Solomon is deeply rooted in genuine sorcerous work. Her writing possesses the unique power to offer great value to the most seasoned magus and the curious dabbler alike.”
—Carl Nordblom, author and manager at Watkins Books, London UK

“My high school girlfriend bought me a copy of Mathers’s The Greater Key of Solomon for my seventeenth birthday. I have used the pentacles of Solomon on and off over the decades since. I only wish I had a book like The Sorcery of Solomon by Sara Mastros back then! Sara manages to illuminate the past history of the pentacles while shining a light forward into the future with clear and thoughtful instruction. Not only does she fully explain the design of each pentacle, correcting many errors along the way, but she shares advice and insight gained from her own work. The Sorcery of Solomon delivers what it promises: a fully workable system of magic.”
—Jason Miller, author of Consulting with Spirits, Protection and Reversal Magic, and other books and courses

The Sorcery of Solomon is the book on Solomonic magic I wish I’d I had before attempting Solomonic magic!. . . .Accessible to magicians and witches of many levels of experience, I wish I’d had this book not only before attempting any of the grimoire tradition, but it would also have been quite handy before embarking on ceremonial studies in general—for the explanations of Hebrew and the pentagram alone.”
—Christopher Penczak, author of the Temple of Witchcraftseries
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Book Details

Pages

272 Pages

Size

6 x 9

Format

Trade Paperback

Pub. Date

01/08/2024

ISBN

978-1-57863-786-7

Publisher

Red Wheel Weiser

Authors

Sara L. Mastros is the author of Orphic Hymns Grimoire and The Big Book of Magical Incense. She also teaches magic, witchcraft, tarot, Greek and Near Eastern mythology, Pan-Levantine folk magic, and practical sorcery online and at festivals worldwide. She’s also a co-owner of the Fool’s Dog family of Tarot, Lenormand, and oracle apps. Find her at WitchLessons.com or on Instagram @saramastroswitchlessons.

“An excellent body of practice for those wishing to explore the vast depths of the magic of the Solomonic pentacles.” —David Rankine, author of The Grimoire Encyclopaedia
 
The Key of Solomon is a family of closely related historic grimoires legendarily attributed to Solomon, the biblical Magician King. Most famously, Samuel Liddell MacGregor Mathers’s 1889 English edition presented forty-four Hebrew seals, commonly called the “planetary pentacles.” However, it offered very little guidance for how to work with them. Sara L. Mastros, a leading teacher and practitioner of magic, translates and interprets each of these pentacles and presents practical methods for working with their magical powers, creating a clear, accessible user’s guide.
 
“Sara Mastros has provided a deep dive into the forty-four pentacles as codified by Mathers. Drawing on a wide variety of sources and her own experiences, she includes many easy-to-follow exercises for exploring them.” —Joseph Peterson, author of The Secrets of Solomon
 
In The Sorcery of Solomon, Mastros places The Key of Solomon in a historical and folkloric context, presenting a complete, fresh translation of the forty-four pentacles, all of which have been newly illustrated. She guides the reader through the process of working with Solomonic pentacles and more. Primarily intended for intermediate-level magicians who already have a basic knowledge of spellcraft, The Sorcery of Solomon is also appropriate for beginners who are willing to do a bit of extra “homework.”
 
“Sara Mastros manages to illuminate the past history of the pentacles while shining a light forward into the future with clear and thoughtful instruction. Not only does she fully explain the design of each pentacle, correcting many errors along the way, but she shares advice and insight gained from her own work. The Sorcery of Solomon delivers what it promises: a fully workable system of magic.” —Jason Miller, author of Protection and Reversal Magic

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“In 1889, S. L. Mathers published a composite translation of the magic text, The Key of Solomon, based on seven manuscripts. It has been hugely influential. The manuscripts, and his edition, are not always easy to understand. In The Sorcery of Solomon, Sara Mastros has provided a deep dive into the forty-four pentacles as codified by Mathers. Drawing on a wide variety of sources, including Biblical exegesis, Babylonian Talmud, Aramaic incantation bowls, Greek Magical Papyri (PGM), mathematical speculations, and her own experiences, she includes many easy-to-follow exercises for exploring them.”
—Joseph Peterson, author of The Secrets of Solomon

The Sorcery of Solomon: A Guide to the 44 Planetary Pentacles of the Magician King is much more than the subtitle might imply. It is a comprehensive work which deep-dives into the pentacles given in the Mathers’ edition of the classic grimoire, The Key of Solomon. Before this journey, the author deftly guides the reader through the necessary historical and philosophical context of Solomon and Jewish magic necessary to work the pentacles and then provides a concise and coherent system of practice which frames the use of the pentacles. As Sara Mastros states, the magic of the pentacles synergizes many roots in addition to the Jewish ones, and as such the practices she details set the use of the pentacles in modern magic without forgetting their roots. From honoring the dead to calling on the Most High, this work is an excellent body of practice for those wishing to explore the vast depths of the magic of the Solomonic pentacles.”
—David Rankine, author of The Grimoire Encyclopaedia

“Sara Mastros’s I stands out as a must-have resource for anyone interested in The Clavicula Salomonis and its pentacles. Far more than just a showcase of the forty-four planetary pentacles found in The Key of Solomon and what they can do, this brilliantly written user-friendly guide shows how to actually use them to their full potential. . . . I was astounded by the depth of knowledge and practical wisdom I gained from this book. Suitable for the dedicated beginner and invaluable for the experienced magician, this book provides real-world, actionable insights. It’s definitely a game changer in magical studies and Solomonic magic. Whether your goals are spiritual or practical, The Sorcery of Solomon will be an indispensable reference you’ll continually revisit.”
—Mat Auryn, author of Psychic Witch and Mastering Magick

“Sara Mastros is the real deal! To anyone well-versed in magical practice, it is clear that The Sorcery of Solomon is deeply rooted in genuine sorcerous work. Her writing possesses the unique power to offer great value to the most seasoned magus and the curious dabbler alike.”
—Carl Nordblom, author and manager at Watkins Books, London UK

“My high school girlfriend bought me a copy of Mathers’s The Greater Key of Solomon for my seventeenth birthday. I have used the pentacles of Solomon on and off over the decades since. I only wish I had a book like The Sorcery of Solomon by Sara Mastros back then! Sara manages to illuminate the past history of the pentacles while shining a light forward into the future with clear and thoughtful instruction. Not only does she fully explain the design of each pentacle, correcting many errors along the way, but she shares advice and insight gained from her own work. The Sorcery of Solomon delivers what it promises: a fully workable system of magic.”
—Jason Miller, author of Consulting with Spirits, Protection and Reversal Magic, and other books and courses

The Sorcery of Solomon is the book on Solomonic magic I wish I’d I had before attempting Solomonic magic!. . . .Accessible to magicians and witches of many levels of experience, I wish I’d had this book not only before attempting any of the grimoire tradition, but it would also have been quite handy before embarking on ceremonial studies in general—for the explanations of Hebrew and the pentagram alone.”
—Christopher Penczak, author of the Temple of Witchcraftseries “If you want to learn about the Key of Solomon, there’s nothing that offers the rigorous practitioner a text that is as scholarly and academic—paying detailed attention to history, folklore, and linguistics—and is also as practical and personal as Sara Mastros’s The Sorcery of Solomon. Mastros offers a point of view that is both open minded and open hearted, to give her readers essential tools to deepen their own practice. With respect for both tradition and creativity, Mastros’s The Sorcery of Solomon is an important addition to the library of any seriously practicing occultist.”
—Mark Horn, author of Tarot and the Gates of Light

“What stands out about The Sorcery of Solomon for me is the exposition of how to ask for the help of the spirit of Solomon, the master magician of Jewish lore. Also, I really like the information about working with the pentacles. The author fleshes out these magical tools and provides the reader with a very doable and empowering way of using them.”
—Harold Roth, author of The Witching Herbs and The Magic of the Sword of Moses

“If we are going to use the Jewish language in our magic, then we better treasure and respect those whose language it is. For centuries, Hebrew has been distorted and manipulated by occultists who adapted and appropriated the alphabet for their own gain, without understanding the depth and complexity, the multiple levels and meanings of each letter and word. In The Sorcery of Solomon, Sara L. Mastros sets the records straight. Her knowledge and understanding are second to none. Her wisdom and insight shine through. With clear instructions, she guides the reader through the practical use and application of the forty-four Pentacles of Solomon.”
—Diti J Morgan, author of Aromagick