The Seals of Solomon
From Association of Independent Readers and Rootworkers
Jewish magic has influenced many different occult practices. Probably the most obvious instance of this is in the realm of magic that involves the use of sigils, seals, petition papers, and talismans. And of these, the legendary seals and pentacles of King Solomon are the best known.
According to early Jewish traditions, the "Seal of Solomon" was comprised of interlocking triangles. As a symbol, it also known as the Star (or Shield) of David -- who was the father of King Solomon. It is presumed to have been the device on the warrior King David's literal shield, and also the device on his son Solomon's signet ring, used for impressing seals for documents.
The story of these seals begins not in Jerusalem but in Egypt. Found at the Cairo Geniza, a storage place for worn-out scriptural books, "The Testament of Solomon" is a Greek-language text in the Jewish grimoire tradition, presumably written by a Christian author sometime between the 1st and 5th centuries CE. It is noted for its description of the seal of King Solomon and for having the first references to Jews summoning demons and controlling them for the purposes of doing good, rather than evil. With the use of his magic ring, Solomon is said to have commanded 36 demons to help build the First Temple of the Jews. The idea that demons are the offspring of humans and fallen angels is also elucidated in this text.
"The Testament of Solomon" is the earliest instance in which the Seal of Solomon (or Star of Solomon) is described as having five interlocking points rather than six. This newer seal of Solomon is called the "pentalpha" ("five letter As" -- in reference to its five points) and is also known in modern times as the pentacle (from the word "pentangle" or "five angles").
Solomon's six-pointed or five-pointed seal is sometimes conflated or confused with the "pentacles of King Solomon" because they are also sometimes called the "Seals (plural) of Solomon." Since a pentacle is a five pointed design within a circle -- as shown in the tarot card suit of Pentacles -- this further confuses people who wonder why the "pentacles" or "seals" of Solomon are not strictly six-pointed or five-pointed in design -- and may not be radially symmetrical at all. The reason for this is that over time, the word "seal" drifted away from its reference to a signet-seal and the word "pentacle" drifted away from its reference to a five-pointed star. Both words became generic terms for a magical diagram which may or may not include geometric figures, images of various entities, and lettered words, acronyms, or magical numbers.
The pentacles of Solomon are believed by many to have been designed by God and given to the wizard-King by the Archangel Michael. Reportedly, using these pentacles, sigils, or seals in conjunction with angelic intercessors is what gave King Solomon control over animals, the elements, and even demons. Historically, These pentacles can be traced back to a book called "The Greater Key of Solomon" or "The Key of Solomon the King," which is said to have been authored by King Solomon himself. It was intended to be an instruction manual for his son, and some people believe that a copy of the book was buried with Solomon. It is also believed by some that the book was found by Babylonians when they were excavating the ruins of the First Temple. However, the book is first mentioned in the literature between 1308 and 1312 CE. Manuscript copies of the text appear in the 14th century, first in Italian, then in Latin, and later in Hebrew and French.
In 1894, Samuel Liddell MacGregor Mathers (1854-1918) created a version of these books by transcribing, translating, and compiling seven existing French and possibly Latin manuscriot editions into "The Greater Key of Solomon the King." The material in this popular book was used by Mathers and his colleagues to help construct the Golden Dawn system of ceremonial magic, and it has remained continuously in print ever since it was first released.
In the early 1900s, African American root doctors became familiar with the use of talismanic seals through the publishing efforts of the famous Chicago-based occultist and plagiarist L. W. de Laurence. In addition to a large library of pirated texts, which he passed off as his own writing and for which he paid no royalties, de Laurence also marketed printed paper goods, hoodoo incense compounds, candles, and talismanic jewelry by mail order throughout the world. De Laurence's pirated books had a great influence on the 20th century development of Jamaican obeah and Southern hoodoo. In 1905 he pirated "The Sixth and Seventh Books of Moses," with its set of the Seals of Moses, and in 1916, he illegally reprinted Mathers's "Greater Key," with its emblematic Seals of Solomon. He made off-prints of both sets of seals, printing them on parchment in gold ink These were offered for sale by the sheet and as single, trimmed pieces -- and any customer who placed a $5.00 (of 2 shilling) order could select one printed seal as a free gift. De Laurence also hit upon the ingenious idea of offering a leather (later cloth) "talisman holder," a flat envelope into which the practitioner could place the specific seals required for a given working or magical spell. The popularity of the de Laurence company among hoodoo practitioners was evident in the number of the African American root workers who were interviewed by the folklorist Harry. M. Hyatt during the 1930s who recommended that Hyatt send off to Chicago for his own copy of the de Laurence catalogue.
By 1936, when the New York based author Lewis de Claremont published his ground-breaking "Legends of Incense, Herb, and Oil Magic," for the African-American market, the use of printed seals was so embedded in hoodoo that he devoted an entire chapter to the use of the Seals of Moses, with full illustrations.
In the 1950s, the British occultist Gerald Gardner (1884–1964) used the material in Mathers's book as he was constructing the rituals for the new Neo-Pagan religion of Wicca.
During the 1960s, suppliers of hoodoo curios continued to sell packets of de Laurence style printed loose sheets of both the Solomonic and Mosaic seals on parchment paper for use in mojo bags and under candles. The spiritual supplier and metaphysical author Larry B. Wright (also known as Elbe Wright and Dr. Elbe) included at least one or two appropriate printed Solomonic seals in every mojo hand he made for his clients, and instructed them to use the seals as prepared surfaces on which to write their own personal petitions and prayers. He also sold loose printed sheets of seals for the use of professional and home practitioners.
By 1975, when the American occultist Dorothy Spencer (1922-2003), writing under the pseudonym Anna Riva, published "Secrets of the Magical Seals and How to Use Them," the intermingling of Jewish Grimoires, Neo-Pagan practices, and the folk magic of African-American hoodoo and Jamaican obeah had been tested through two generations of practitioners. More than 100 years after they were first introduced into popular magical culture, "the Seals," as they are known, can be found in the form of papers on which to write petitions, as metal talismanic jewelry, and as tattoos with which occultists decorate their bodies.
Credits
This page is brought to you by the AIRR Tech Team:
- Authors:Dr. Jeremy Weiss, catherine yronwode
- Contributors: Papa Newt, nagasiva yronwode
- Image: Unknown artists; sourced and photo-edited by nagasiva yronwode
