On Pentacle

What is the basis of the strength of Pentacle as a weapon?

Dear Brother, the strength of every weapon lies in control of it, in its proper use and in Knowledge. So the tiniest blade could be deadly in the hands of the one who Knows how to handle it, and who Understands its Nature. The strength of all magickal weapons is reflected in these principles.

A weapon is as strong as the one who carries it. Now, ponder the meaning of Strength itself. It is about harmonized action, about precise and defined ways to use the Force. In other words, it entails the perfect knowledge of that upon which the Force acts, and where the leverage is to be placed. But it is not enough to have a weapon and leverage only. It is also necessary to Know where, when and how to use them. Only one single method corresponds to a particular action, which will turn it into a visible result. All others are more or less proper methods, but not the Perfect Ones. The strength of a weapon is in the Balance of its Nature, the nature of the one who uses it, and That upon which the weapon is used. If Perfection is discovered in the interaction of these three, we could say that the weapon demonstrated Strength and Firmness. But those are just the observations of one balanced whole, which is interpreted by our Mind as Strong and Firm, attributing its qualities to the Weapon only, or the One who is using it. Full and comprehensive truth includes all elements, so if something is Strong, it means that the manifestation of interaction between the Weapon, subject who uses it and the object that the weapon is used upon, is strong. When people glorify David they rarely think of the strength of his weapon, or the strength of Goliath himself. David could never defeat Goliath with the same weapon if Goliath was even for an ounce weaker than he was.

What is Pentacle? Is it attributed to Earth and the work with elements only? Does it have any other use?

Pentacle, or Disc, belongs to a category of basic elemental weapons of a magician, and corresponds to element Earth. It is the weapon that corresponds to the last letter of Tetragrammaton, and represents the manifestation of the force and magician’s will in a condensed, earthly form. If you have a look at other weapons, you will see that each one of them got a specific purpose, or, better said, specific Nature which is manifested in an elemental form.

Pentacle corresponds to Earth, it is firm and its image is carved to be permanent. The Sword cuts the Air, the Cup carries the Water, the Wand spreads the Fire.

Let’s go back to Pentacle. As I said, it is an elemental weapon, but it still conceals some other uses that we must be aware of. A symbol or picture of the Universe, as the magician sees it, is carved upon the Pentacle. Pentacle is an aphorism of Reality, its arabesque miniature. On the first sight, you can ask me how to represent the endless Universe, with all its parts and Realms, upon something so finite, small and seemingly fragile? Remember now what we have spoken about weapons. A weapon is as strong as the one who uses it. If someone possesses the Knowledge, and demonstrates sincere Effort to represent the Universe on a piece of clay or wax, isn’t that will equal to the higher will of the Architect of the Worlds who built and measured all that is? Isn’t that already the measure of Success itself?

1. Let not the failure and the pain turn aside the worshippers. The foundations of the pyramid were hewn in the living rock ere sunset; did the king weep at dawn that the crown of the pyramid was yet unquarried in the distant land?
2. There was also an humming-bird that spake unto the horned cerastes, and prayed him for poison. And the great snake of Khem the Holy One, the royal Uræus serpent, answered him and said:
3. I sailed over the sky of Nu in the car called Millions-of-Years, and I saw not any creature upon Seb that was equal to me. The venom of my fang is the inheritance of my father, and of my father’s father; and how shall I give it unto thee? Live thou and thy children as I and my fathers have lived, even unto an hundred millions of generations, and it may be that the mercy of the Mighty Ones may bestow upon thy children a drop of the poison of eld.
4. Then the humming-bird was afflicted in his spirit, and he flew unto the flowers, and it was as if naught had been spoken between them. Yet in a little while a serpent struck him that he died.
5. But an Ibis that meditated upon the bank of Nile the beautiful god listened and heard. And he laid aside his Ibis ways, and became as a serpent, saying Peradventure in an hundred millions of millions of generations of my children, they shall attain to a drop of the poison of the fang of the Exalted One.
6. And behold! ere the moon waxed thrice he became an Uræus serpent, and the poison of the fang was established in him and his seed even for ever and for ever.

LIBER LXV, Chapter V

How to build Pentacle, and what materials should be used in its construction?

Its essence is the only material it is built of. Its construction is the perfection of its design. Did you measure the entire Universe, did you establish its full proportions? Did you explore all of its hidden spaces? And finally, how much are you certain into all of this? Pentacle corresponds to Earth, so isn’t your own body, in fact, your own Disc? What is inside corresponds to what is outside. As it is above, so it is below. Explore and measure yourself and it might be that you will discover the perfect proportion by which the Great Architect constructed all Things. How firm is your body, how resistant and valuable, upon which foundations it was built? How much do you care for it? Answers to these questions are part of a perfect design. Pentacle shows the picture of the Universe. How do you see the Universe at all, how well do you know it? How big it is, what are its boundaries?

All these are the things you have to take care of, dear Brother, and exploring this, you will discover what the perfect proportions of your Pentacle are. There are as many Pentacles as there are Wills, and as there are bodies. Are there two same bodies? Are there two same Wills? Are there two same beings that perceive and understand Universe in the same way? Dear Brother, what is your way? Work on that to Know what is to be carved upon the Pentacle: if it is perfect, would it matter what is its size or colour or how likeable it is? Isn’t the Universe endless itself? What material will you use to construct it? Something hard and heavy? But it can be soft too. Something elastic and bending? But it is fleeting and unreliable. Dear Brother, do you know what your own body is made of? Are you aware of all of your organs, are you aware of all the internal pits that your breath visits daily, each time after you inhale?

And besides all of this, you can find some general remarks in Therion’s Magick and in Liber A vel Armorum.

How could I use the Pentacle?

Dear Brother, perfect Pentacle proves your Royal ancestry. The first question to a Beggar would be what the embroidery of the Prince’s pillow was. If you were King yourself, you would perfectly Know. Dear Brother, if you represent All by the One, then by One single act of yours you could achieve All. If you become Universe, what would you do as the Universe?

Pentacle is a link toward your Dharana, and toward your certainty in truth, as well as toward the way of your Great Work. If you were so certain and noble in a thing which is totally abstract, and if you were persistent and firm in counting to infinity, how yet certain and firm will you be in finite, small things? How certain will you be while counting until a finite and known number? But, how are you going to number the infinite? Isn’t the largest possible number still infinitely away from the infinite? Do you think you can reach the stars by climbing the stairs? Heed of this too: Infinite is much lesser than you imagine. It is even lesser than the Finite. Because, the Infinite is only one, while there is an endless multitude of Finite things. Think of this often.

Dear Brother, be persistent, work hard and enjoy the fruits of your labour. Draw your Pentacle by your Labor, count to Infinity by the magnitude of your Success. As a Being, are you a finite idea? Or are you something more than that? If you want to count and draw the Infinite, maybe you have to be the Infinite yourself. Then, you simply draw the Pentacle upon your face. The key to this riddle is in your Work and Success only.

Remember that when you succeed in this, you will have a perfect magical link in your hands. By acting upon your Pentacle, you will be acting upon the Universe itself. Yes, it is strange that by acting upon that small and fragile piece of clay you would act upon the whole of the Universe. But, if by chance you change the Universe, will your Pentacle change also? Even if you destroy it, it would not be the same Universe you previously drew upon the Pentacle, and therefore it wouldn’t be perfect. Think of this, Brother, the Pentacle must be perfect, and One and only. One is the Pentacle, one is the Universe reflected in it, and one is the Star that uses the One Pentacle in the One Universe. Create all the possible and impossible coincidences, but more than anything – Work. Remember this also: the problem is caused by even the slightest misbalance between the factors, and pain and suffering ensue from that. If the one who uses the weapon is out of balance, it could happen that he drops down even the sword of fiery God, due to excessive swinging. If his method is out of balance, it could happen that his sword becomes blunt because of excessive blows. One blow is enough to cut one head. If the weapon is misbalanced, it might be that weak fire would be drowned by the strong rain shower, and vanish completely.

Even if I Succeed in this, in what way I could be sure that the Universe I experience now will be the same Universe in a few years? Does the Pentacle change in that process?

The only constant is the constant of Change. You mention ‘few years’, you mention time. What is the time in the eye of the Universe, what is the time in comparison with the Eternal? Your Pentacle represents the certainty of your insight into the nature of the Universe. If your insight was perfect once, it will be perfect forever. Do not fear Change. Isn’t it part of the Universe too? Isn’t it on your Pentacle also?

I am going now, to measure my Universe!

Yes, indeed, measure your Universe!

Frater Aureus 273∴

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