The First Pentacle of the Sun: the Greater Key of Solomon, the face, and the form

What this pentacle is, in the Greater Key

The Greater Key of Solomon first pentacle of the Sun is the subject of this article, and it is a different kind of object from a Goetia seal. A Goetia seal is the sign of a particular spirit, made to be worked with in spirit work with that spirit. A pentacle of the Sun, in the Greater Key tradition, is a figure of the Sun itself, made according to the Key, carrying divine names and a versicle, and worn or used as a pentacle of the planetary power it belongs to. That distinction matters, because it changes how the piece should be approached, prepared, and kept.

Around the versicle, in Latin, it reads: Behold His face and form by Whom all things were made, and Whom all creatures obey. That versicle is not decoration around the edge of a design. In the Key's way of working, the words on a pentacle are part of the pentacle, just as the figure is. They name what the pentacle is for, and they set the frame within which it is to be understood.

Before you wear or work with a pentacle of this kind, be clear about what you are asking of it, in one sentence, and about what system you are working in. If you are working in the Greater Key tradition, work from the instructions and teaching you already follow in that tradition. A general article like this one is not a substitute for proper teaching, and it should not be used to invent a purpose for a pentacle you have not studied.

The Sun in this tradition, and why the first pentacle comes first

The Sun, in the planetary tradition the Key draws on, is not only a planet among planets. It is the centre, the source of light, the visible sign of a power that orders and gives form. A pentacle of the Sun therefore carries a different weight from a pentacle of a lesser planetary power. It is concerned with face and form, with the visible shape of things, and with obedience in the sense of the versicle: all things made, and all creatures obeying, the One whose face and form the pentacle beholds.

That is a large claim, and it should be approached with proportion. A pentacle does not make its wearer the Sun, and it does not give its wearer authority over all creatures. It places the wearer in relation to the Sun's power, as the Key understands it, and that relation is one of beholding, not of commanding. The versicle says behold His face and form. It does not say command Him. That posture, of beholding rather than seizing, is worth keeping in mind through the whole working, because it shapes how the pentacle is prepared, worn, and kept.

The first pentacle comes first because it establishes that relation. Later pentacles of the Sun, in the Key, have their own figures and their own purposes, but the first is the foundation: the face, the form, and the names. A practitioner who works with the first pentacle properly, with attention to its names and its versicle, will understand the later pentacles better than a practitioner who collects them all at once and wears them without distinction.

The names on the pentacle

El Shaddai is one of the divine names carried on this pentacle. Divine names on a pentacle are not labels. They are invocations, in the Key's way of working, and they should be treated with the respect that invocation requires. That means, practically, learning how the name is written on the pentacle, where it sits in the figure, and how it relates to the versicle around it, rather than treating the pentacle as a picture whose details do not matter.

It also means, practically, keeping the pentacle clean, whole, and respected in its keeping. A pentacle whose names are worn away, scratched through carelessness, or left in a drawer among unrelated objects is not being kept in the way the tradition asks for. Keep it in a clean, dry place when you are not wearing it, away from other metal objects that could scratch it, and clean it gently, with a soft cloth, according to its material.

If you work with Metatron in your own practice, bring that knowledge to the pentacle. If you do not, do not invent an association to fill the gap. Work with what is given: the figure, the names, and the versicle, in the Key's tradition, as taught by a teacher you trust.

Starting with the work, not with the tool

Spirit work is not shopping, and a pentacle does not do the work for you. Before you wear one, be clear about why you are doing this working, what you are asking for, and what you are prepared to do yourself. A vague purpose produces a vague working, and a vague working is hard to read afterwards.

Ask yourself, plainly, whether this is the right working at all, whether the timing is right, and whether there is ordinary-world work that should be done first, or at the same time. Ritual work is not a substitute for dealing with a legal matter, a safety matter, or a medical matter in the ordinary world. If any of those apply, deal with them first. A pentacle of the Sun, concerned with face and form, is also a good place to ask whether the matter at hand is one of form at all: whether what needs changing is the shape of a situation, its visibility, or its order, rather than a hidden fact or a particular spirit's help.

This version, and the cast version

That cast version is a different making, not only a different price: lost wax casting, starting with a wax version, in pure metal, one at a time, rather than the discount version's making. Which version is right for you depends on what you want the pentacle for, how you will wear and keep it, and what you can afford. A discount version worn with attention and respect is worth more, as a working tool, than a cast version left in a drawer. A cast version, made by hand for your order, carries a different weight of making, and for some practitioners that weight is part of the work itself.

Neither version is described here with a promise about what it will do for you. Both are offered as pentacles made for this work, in the Key's tradition, and what follows from wearing and working with one, in terms of magical result, is yours to observe, not the maker's to guarantee. That wording is about the magical work itself, not about delivery dates for physical items.

Ways of working with a pentacle

The general ways of working with a seal that run through this site apply to a pentacle as well, adapted to the fact that a pentacle is a planetary figure, not a spirit's seal: holding it, putting it under a candle, putting oil on it, carrying it with you, wearing it as a pendant, or showing it to your desired person, as your practice requires. For a pentacle of the Sun, wearing it as a pendant is the central way, and the others support that wearing rather than replacing it.

Putting the pentacle under a candle is a way of preparing it before you first wear it for a working, setting it aside in a dedicated place for that purpose, rather than simply taking it out of its packaging and putting it on. Putting oil on it is a way of marking it for a purpose, applied deliberately, naming the purpose in your own words, and lightly, so that oil does not build up in the figure or the lettering. Carrying it, in the sense of wearing it daily, is where the working meets ordinary life. Notice what you notice on days when you wear it compared with days when you do not, and write that down.

Do not wear a pentacle of this kind as if it were ordinary jewellery, and do not lend it casually. A pentacle that has been prepared for a working carries that preparation, and lending it, or wearing it without attention, blurs the very distinction the preparation was meant to establish. Keep it for its purpose, and keep it clean, whole, and respected.

Preparing yourself and the place

Preparation is most of the work. Clear the space you will use for the first working with the pentacle, physically, and set it aside for this purpose. Put away the things that pull your attention elsewhere. If you have a regular working space, use it. If you do not, choose one place and use it consistently for this working, so the place itself starts to carry the association.

Then prepare yourself. Bathe, or at least wash your hands and face, and change into clothes you do not wear for ordinary errands. This is not about looking a certain way for anyone else. It is about marking, for yourself, that this time is set apart. Eat simply beforehand if you can, and avoid starting a working when you are exhausted, drunk, or already agitated. A clear head is a working tool, just as much as a pentacle is.

Know what you are going to say, in your own words, and know what you are not going to say. A petition that tries to cover every possible outcome usually covers none of them well. Keep it direct, keep it honest, and keep it to the matter at hand.

A simple working order, to adapt to your own practice

The following is a general order, not a fixed script. Adapt it to the system you already work in, and to the instructions you already follow for Key of Solomon work. First, prepare the place and yourself, as above. Second, set out the pentacle, and any oil, incense, or candle you will use. Third, prepare the pentacle, if your practice calls for it, deliberately, naming the purpose in your own words. Fourth, speak your petition, clearly and once, rather than repeating it until it loses its shape. Fifth, sit quietly for a time and listen, rather than filling every moment with more words. Sixth, close the working properly, in whatever way your practice requires, and put the pentacle on, or put it away in its proper place, according to your practice.

Afterwards, write down what you did, when you did it, and what you noticed. Not what you hoped would happen, but what actually happened, in plain language. That record is what lets you tell, weeks later, whether anything changed, and whether that change had anything to do with the work.

Keeping a record, and knowing when to stop

Keep a short record for each working: date, purpose in one sentence, pentacle used, what you did, and what you noticed afterwards, over days and weeks, not just on the day itself. If nothing changes, that is also information. It may mean the petition was unclear, the timing was wrong, the work was not appropriate, or simply that the situation needs a different approach.

Do not repeat the same working endlessly in the hope that repetition alone will force a result. Do the work properly, once, observe, and then decide, calmly, whether a second working, a different approach, or no further working is the right next step. Repetition without reflection is not persistence. It is noise.

Greater Key of Solomon, 1st Pentacle of the Sun

A pentacle should be read, not only worn.

This is the Greater Key of Solomon first pentacle of the Sun, the Metatron seal as listed, including the names El Shaddai, with the versicle in Latin around it: Behold His face and form by Whom all things were made, and Whom all creatures obey. Pendant size 1.4 by 1.6 inches, 35 by 39 millimetres. This is the discount version. If you wish to have the high quality lost wax cast version in bronze or silver, search for GKOS. I make no promise about what it will do for you, only that it is offered as a pentacle for this work.

If you want this pentacle, this is the one I offer: Greater Key of Solomon 1st Pentacle of the Sun, $108 CAD. View the product

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