The Pentacles

The 4th Pentacle of Mercury

Mercury’s fourth pentacle promises understanding of created and hidden things and commands spirit envoys called Allatori. Around its central El, a twelve-pointed figure carries a strange request to fix the volatile and restrict the void. [1]

Mathers 1889 · Book I, chapter XVIII; printed p. 68; figure 47, Plate XI; plate PDF page 95

Pentacle profile

Tradition and Group: Mathers 1889 · Mercury [1]
Position within the Set: Pentacle 4 · figure 47 · plate XI [1]
Attributed Purpose: To acquire understanding and knowledge of all created things, penetrate hidden things, and command the Allatori to perform embassies; these spirits obey readily. [1]
Design: A twelve-pointed interlaced star surrounds central El and Hebrew wording; a separate Latin sentence fills the outer band.

[1]

A twelve-pointed interlaced star surrounds Hebrew El in a central circle. Other Hebrew letters occupy spaces among its rays; Latin lettering fills the outer band beneath a small looped ornament. — **Source reproduction** The 4th Pentacle of Mercury: central El, an inner Hebrew petition and an outer Latin sentence about wisdom and knowledge. Plate XI, figure 47; notice on p. 68.

Knowledge and spirit envoys

The fourth Mercury pentacle seeks understanding and knowledge of everything created, including the discovery of hidden things. It also commands spirits called Allatori to perform embassies: they act as envoys sent on a mission. The notice says that they obey very readily. Invocation is already assigned to this figure by the preceding notice. [1]

From El to the outer sentence

El stands at the centre of a small circular field. Around it, intersecting lines produce a twelve-pointed star, with Hebrew letters distributed through the spaces among its rays. Mathers reads their sentence as “IHVH, fix Thou the Volatile, and let there be unto the void restriction.” [1]

The outer band changes to Latin: “Sapientia et virtus in domo ejus, et Scientia omnium rerum manet apud eum in saeculum saeculi.” Mathers translates this as wisdom and virtue in his house, with knowledge of all things remaining with him for ever. A small looping ornament interrupts the Latin at the top of the circle. [1]

Sources and editions

The Key of Solomon the King · The 4th Pentacle of Mercury
S. L. MacGregor Mathers, 1889; printed edition, including editorial restoration of Hebrew characters. Book I, chapter XVIII; printed p. 68; figure 47, Plate XI; plate PDF page 95; Complete Mercury notices and notes, printed pp. 68–69 (PDF pp. 91, 96); general Book I VIII pp. 39–41 and XVIII pp. 56–57

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