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The Sorcery of Solomon: A Guide to the 44 Planetary Pentacles of the Magician King
“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 a fully workable system of magic.” —Jason Miller, author of Protection and Reversal Magic
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 a fully workable system of magic.” —Jason Miller, author of Protection and Reversal Magic
- GenresWitchcraft
274 pages, Kindle Edition
Published January 8, 2024
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Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
February 10, 2024
Sara's perspective is probably the best I have read so far when it comes to Solomonic magic. She makes the subject approachable to beginners yet also writes with enough depth for intermediate to advanced practitioners. A must read companion for anyone wanting to get into Solomonic magic.
April 19, 2024
What a wonderful journey this book has taken me on. I will be poring over the information in this book for months and going over the exercises carefully.
June 22, 2024
I thought it was a great intro to the solomonic pentacles. She explains clearly how to use the pentacles and tells you what the hebrew words are in the pentacles in english. The names are going to take some getting used to, but I'm excited to start working with the pentacles and exploring a bit more about solomonic magick.
August 17, 2026
The Sorcery of Solomon is exactly the kind of book I want someone like Sara L. Mastros to write. Take an enormously influential piece of historical magic that generations of occultists have stared at, copied, debated, and attempted to use, then ask the wonderfully practical question: “Okay, but how do we actually work with this?” The result is one of the most useful modern books on Solomonic magic I've encountered.
The forty-four planetary pentacles from the Key of Solomon are famous. You've probably seen them even if you've never worked with them. They appear in occult books, on talismans, jewelry, candles, social media, and practically everywhere ceremonial magic overlaps with popular occultism. The problem is that Mathers's enormously influential 1889 edition gives you these extraordinary seals with relatively little explanation of how a working magician is supposed to take them off the page and actually do something with them. Mastros steps directly into that gap.
What I love is that she doesn't treat the pentacles as mysterious occult clip art. She translates them, examines their texts and symbolism, considers what they are designed to accomplish, and then gives the reader practical ways to engage their powers. Suddenly these complicated Hebrew seals stop being artifacts you're supposed to admire because they're old and become magical technologies you can actually learn to operate.
That combination of scholarship and sorcery is where Mastros shines. She knows the historical material, but she is also very clearly a practitioner. There are scholars who can tell you everything about the textual history of a grimoire but have no interest in whether the magic works, and practitioners who happily use old material without understanding what any of it says. Mastros refuses that division. Understanding the pentacle better makes you better equipped to use it.
I particularly appreciate the attention she gives to translation and interpretation. When you're dealing with magical seals containing divine names, biblical passages, Hebrew inscriptions, and layers of historical transmission, details matter. Simply photocopying something from an old edition and assuming every line has been transmitted perfectly isn't good enough. Mastros helps restore meaning to symbols that are too often reproduced without context.
And once you understand that meaning, the planetary organization becomes much more alive. These aren't simply forty-four unrelated magical seals. They're situated within larger currents of planetary power, each addressing particular needs and possibilities. Working through them begins teaching you something about planetary magic itself as well as Solomonic sorcery.
This isn't necessarily the first magical book I'd hand someone who learned what a sigil was yesterday, and I appreciate that the book doesn't pretend otherwise. Mastros assumes some familiarity with spellcraft and magical practice. But an ambitious beginner willing to stop, research unfamiliar concepts, and do the homework can absolutely grow into it. In fact, I think that's one of the best ways to learn serious magic.
Sara Mastros has an unusual gift for making complicated occult material understandable without making it simplistic. She doesn't remove the complexity of the Key of Solomon; she gives you enough context and practical instruction that the complexity becomes navigable.
The Sorcery of Solomon takes forty-four of the most recognizable magical seals in Western occultism and gives them back their purpose. They're not decorations. They're not historical curiosities. They're tools. And thanks to Sara Mastros, modern magicians finally have an exceptionally clear guide for learning how to use them.
The forty-four planetary pentacles from the Key of Solomon are famous. You've probably seen them even if you've never worked with them. They appear in occult books, on talismans, jewelry, candles, social media, and practically everywhere ceremonial magic overlaps with popular occultism. The problem is that Mathers's enormously influential 1889 edition gives you these extraordinary seals with relatively little explanation of how a working magician is supposed to take them off the page and actually do something with them. Mastros steps directly into that gap.
What I love is that she doesn't treat the pentacles as mysterious occult clip art. She translates them, examines their texts and symbolism, considers what they are designed to accomplish, and then gives the reader practical ways to engage their powers. Suddenly these complicated Hebrew seals stop being artifacts you're supposed to admire because they're old and become magical technologies you can actually learn to operate.
That combination of scholarship and sorcery is where Mastros shines. She knows the historical material, but she is also very clearly a practitioner. There are scholars who can tell you everything about the textual history of a grimoire but have no interest in whether the magic works, and practitioners who happily use old material without understanding what any of it says. Mastros refuses that division. Understanding the pentacle better makes you better equipped to use it.
I particularly appreciate the attention she gives to translation and interpretation. When you're dealing with magical seals containing divine names, biblical passages, Hebrew inscriptions, and layers of historical transmission, details matter. Simply photocopying something from an old edition and assuming every line has been transmitted perfectly isn't good enough. Mastros helps restore meaning to symbols that are too often reproduced without context.
And once you understand that meaning, the planetary organization becomes much more alive. These aren't simply forty-four unrelated magical seals. They're situated within larger currents of planetary power, each addressing particular needs and possibilities. Working through them begins teaching you something about planetary magic itself as well as Solomonic sorcery.
This isn't necessarily the first magical book I'd hand someone who learned what a sigil was yesterday, and I appreciate that the book doesn't pretend otherwise. Mastros assumes some familiarity with spellcraft and magical practice. But an ambitious beginner willing to stop, research unfamiliar concepts, and do the homework can absolutely grow into it. In fact, I think that's one of the best ways to learn serious magic.
Sara Mastros has an unusual gift for making complicated occult material understandable without making it simplistic. She doesn't remove the complexity of the Key of Solomon; she gives you enough context and practical instruction that the complexity becomes navigable.
The Sorcery of Solomon takes forty-four of the most recognizable magical seals in Western occultism and gives them back their purpose. They're not decorations. They're not historical curiosities. They're tools. And thanks to Sara Mastros, modern magicians finally have an exceptionally clear guide for learning how to use them.
August 29, 2026
The Sorcery of Solomon is exactly the sort of contemporary occult scholarship I find useful: historically literate enough to understand that a grimoire is a transmitted and mutable textual tradition, yet practical enough to remember that magicians presumably wanted to do something with these texts. Sara Mastros takes the forty-four planetary pentacles familiar from Mathers’s Key of Solomon and examines their Hebrew, biblical passages, divine names, geometries, traditional virtues, and probable magical logic before asking the question Mathers often leaves frustratingly unanswered: how does one actually work with them? Her willingness to revisit translations, question inherited interpretations, and openly acknowledge symbols whose meanings remain uncertain gives the work considerably more credibility than the usual occult tendency to conceal ambiguity beneath confident revelation.
What makes the book exceptional, however, is the transition from textual analysis into praxis. Mastros treats drawing and writing the pentacles as magical acts in themselves, introduces Hebrew Names of Power and kavvanot, develops methods of awakening and deploying the pentacles, and incorporates dream incubation, trance journeying, spirit communication, and relationship with Solomon into a coherent curriculum. The gradual construction of an awakened Book of Pentacles is particularly inspired: instead of treating a grimoire as information one passively consults, the practitioner creates an accumulating magical object through repeated acts of writing, consecration, study, and operation. By the end, the book itself approaches the status of a familiar, which strikes me as far closer to the older magical conception of a grimoire as a potent ritual object than our modern habit of regarding magical books primarily as repositories of instructions.
Mastros also demonstrates how historical tradition can be extended without pretending that innovation is antiquity. She is neither attempting a museum reconstruction of one Solomonic manuscript nor using “personal gnosis” as permission to disregard the sources; instead, she studies the machinery of the tradition closely enough to generate new practice from within it. That balance is difficult to achieve, particularly with Solomonic magic, where conversations about authenticity can become exercises in reproducing increasingly specific historical conditions. The Sorcery of Solomon offers a more compelling model: understand the language, sources, symbols, mathematics, and magical assumptions as deeply as possible, then become sufficiently fluent in them to practice creatively. It is one of the strongest modern books I have encountered on how a living grimoire tradition can remain genuinely traditional precisely because it is still capable of producing new magic.
What makes the book exceptional, however, is the transition from textual analysis into praxis. Mastros treats drawing and writing the pentacles as magical acts in themselves, introduces Hebrew Names of Power and kavvanot, develops methods of awakening and deploying the pentacles, and incorporates dream incubation, trance journeying, spirit communication, and relationship with Solomon into a coherent curriculum. The gradual construction of an awakened Book of Pentacles is particularly inspired: instead of treating a grimoire as information one passively consults, the practitioner creates an accumulating magical object through repeated acts of writing, consecration, study, and operation. By the end, the book itself approaches the status of a familiar, which strikes me as far closer to the older magical conception of a grimoire as a potent ritual object than our modern habit of regarding magical books primarily as repositories of instructions.
Mastros also demonstrates how historical tradition can be extended without pretending that innovation is antiquity. She is neither attempting a museum reconstruction of one Solomonic manuscript nor using “personal gnosis” as permission to disregard the sources; instead, she studies the machinery of the tradition closely enough to generate new practice from within it. That balance is difficult to achieve, particularly with Solomonic magic, where conversations about authenticity can become exercises in reproducing increasingly specific historical conditions. The Sorcery of Solomon offers a more compelling model: understand the language, sources, symbols, mathematics, and magical assumptions as deeply as possible, then become sufficiently fluent in them to practice creatively. It is one of the strongest modern books I have encountered on how a living grimoire tradition can remain genuinely traditional precisely because it is still capable of producing new magic.
March 27, 2024
This review originally appeared on The Magical Buffet's website on 03/27/2024.
Are we building to a full-on King Solomon renaissance? I find myself pondering this because on my tiny website, which in no way encompasses the entirety of occult publishing, I have reviewed “King Solomon the Magus” by Claude Lecouteux which released in September of 2022, “Ars Notoria: The Notory Art of Solomon” translated by Matthias Castle which released in November of 2023, and today we’ll be discussing “The Sorcery of Solomon: A Guide to the 44 Planetary Pentacles of the Magician King” by Sara L. Mastros which was published in January of this year.
The influence of Solomon on current day occult practices cannot be overstated. Even a self-identified eclectic dabbler like myself uses the Seal of Solomon in my talisman crafting. However, for as frequently as I’ve seen Solomon’s influence in texts, “The Sorcery of Solomon” is the first time I’ve encountered a Solomon centered practice.
Mastros focuses on “The SLM Method,” a three-pillared approach for beginners in Solomonic magic. S stands for Solomon (surprised?), the L is Logos (which focuses primarily on Names of Power), and Magic (you know, magic!) Even for those not interested in learning the book’s “SLM Method” “The Sorcery of Solomon” is a robust text exploring King Solomon, his evolution, and ultimately all the branches of magic that his life and work influenced. Included, as the subtitle states, are the 44 planetary pentacles with ample illustrations. With that, Sara L. Mastros has put together an excellent book for anyone interested in Western Esoteric occult magic, particularly with a Hebrew angle. This definitely has the potential to be an occult classic!
Are we building to a full-on King Solomon renaissance? I find myself pondering this because on my tiny website, which in no way encompasses the entirety of occult publishing, I have reviewed “King Solomon the Magus” by Claude Lecouteux which released in September of 2022, “Ars Notoria: The Notory Art of Solomon” translated by Matthias Castle which released in November of 2023, and today we’ll be discussing “The Sorcery of Solomon: A Guide to the 44 Planetary Pentacles of the Magician King” by Sara L. Mastros which was published in January of this year.
The influence of Solomon on current day occult practices cannot be overstated. Even a self-identified eclectic dabbler like myself uses the Seal of Solomon in my talisman crafting. However, for as frequently as I’ve seen Solomon’s influence in texts, “The Sorcery of Solomon” is the first time I’ve encountered a Solomon centered practice.
Mastros focuses on “The SLM Method,” a three-pillared approach for beginners in Solomonic magic. S stands for Solomon (surprised?), the L is Logos (which focuses primarily on Names of Power), and Magic (you know, magic!) Even for those not interested in learning the book’s “SLM Method” “The Sorcery of Solomon” is a robust text exploring King Solomon, his evolution, and ultimately all the branches of magic that his life and work influenced. Included, as the subtitle states, are the 44 planetary pentacles with ample illustrations. With that, Sara L. Mastros has put together an excellent book for anyone interested in Western Esoteric occult magic, particularly with a Hebrew angle. This definitely has the potential to be an occult classic!
June 30, 2025
I cannot put this book down. From the moment I opened the package, The Sorcery of Solomon wouldn’t stop calling to me. The pull was magnetic—and it didn’t let go.
I’ve been working within the Solomonic tradition for a while now, and I’ve studied the Key of Solomon in multiple forms—including the Mathers translation.
But let me be clear: Sara Mastros has completely transformed the landscape. Where earlier versions feel distant, dry, and often filtered through colonial or Christian lenses, Mastros returns the text to its roots—and gives it a soul.
This is more than a translation. It’s a resurrection.
Sara’s voice is intellectual and approachable. She writes with deep scholarship but never talks down to the reader. You feel like you’re sitting with a trusted teacher and friend—someone who knows the spirits intimately and wants to help you actually work with them. It’s rare to find an author who speaks with such clarity, reverence, and realness all at once.
The Pentacles, in particular, have never felt more alive to me. Mastros treats them not as decorative curiosities, but as what they are: powerful talismanic technology, meant to be used. Her explanations are vivid and useful, and she invites you into the current of practice, not just armchair study.
If you're interested in Solomonic magick, don't hesitate. This is the book I’ve been waiting for.
The book you’ve probably been waiting for.
And if you’re on the fence? Let me say this: it’s worth it.
This book doesn’t just inform—it initiates.
I’ve been working within the Solomonic tradition for a while now, and I’ve studied the Key of Solomon in multiple forms—including the Mathers translation.
But let me be clear: Sara Mastros has completely transformed the landscape. Where earlier versions feel distant, dry, and often filtered through colonial or Christian lenses, Mastros returns the text to its roots—and gives it a soul.
This is more than a translation. It’s a resurrection.
Sara’s voice is intellectual and approachable. She writes with deep scholarship but never talks down to the reader. You feel like you’re sitting with a trusted teacher and friend—someone who knows the spirits intimately and wants to help you actually work with them. It’s rare to find an author who speaks with such clarity, reverence, and realness all at once.
The Pentacles, in particular, have never felt more alive to me. Mastros treats them not as decorative curiosities, but as what they are: powerful talismanic technology, meant to be used. Her explanations are vivid and useful, and she invites you into the current of practice, not just armchair study.
If you're interested in Solomonic magick, don't hesitate. This is the book I’ve been waiting for.
The book you’ve probably been waiting for.
And if you’re on the fence? Let me say this: it’s worth it.
This book doesn’t just inform—it initiates.
November 27, 2024
This is an introductory book to the magic of Solomonic pentacles.
Even though I don't have experience in this kind of sorcery, I bought the book because Sara is an excellent teacher, and I wanted to add it to my collection. The book is very interesting, quite in-depth, but at the same time easy to follow, for someone with zero background in Solomonic magic or in pentacles.
I especially enjoyed how Sara presents Mathers' original interpretation for each pentacle, and then offers her own, with a good explanation as to why her opinion differs (if it does).
It's rare to find books that are so well written.
Even though I don't have experience in this kind of sorcery, I bought the book because Sara is an excellent teacher, and I wanted to add it to my collection. The book is very interesting, quite in-depth, but at the same time easy to follow, for someone with zero background in Solomonic magic or in pentacles.
I especially enjoyed how Sara presents Mathers' original interpretation for each pentacle, and then offers her own, with a good explanation as to why her opinion differs (if it does).
It's rare to find books that are so well written.
September 11, 2026
Mastros takes the 44 Solomonic pentacles apart like somebody who actually intends to use the damn things, Hebrew, psalms, planetary logic, historical context and all the little errors that got copied forward from Mathers for over a century. What really sold me is she doesnt just explain what each seal supposedly does, theres an entire working method for awakening and actually experimenting with them, which turns an old grimoire curiosity into usable magical technology. This is exactly how I want traditional magic presented, respect the old machine enough to understand how it was built and then for gods sake switch it on.
February 12, 2024
Wonderful easy to read book explaining every aspect of the Pentacles of Solomon. Ms Mastros includes how to make a use a Book of Pentacle for one's own Spiritual Journey. Obscure Magical material is weaved in effortlessly including things such as hand movements, and ways to use in Ritual. This is the only planetary book that gave me the inspiration to jump in!
I think the reader will need to know something about Planetary Magick beforehand, or at least be somewhat familiar with Mather's Key- will give the journey much more ease. Highly recommended.
I think the reader will need to know something about Planetary Magick beforehand, or at least be somewhat familiar with Mather's Key- will give the journey much more ease. Highly recommended.
April 23, 2024
Sarah Mastros has truly illuminated the path of Solomonic Planetary Pentacles with her incredible book, 'The Sorcery of Solomon.' Her insights are nothing short of amazing, offering a far deeper understanding than ever offered before . Thanks to Sara's guidance, I'm on the brink of unlocking a whole new realm of Magical possibilities.
Thank you so very much.
Infernally yours
Mordecai Ravenschilde 🤘🔥🤘
Thank you so very much.
Infernally yours
Mordecai Ravenschilde 🤘🔥🤘
January 13, 2026
One of the best texts on the use of Solomonic pentacles. Mastros’s ability to explain the history of the larger Solomonic tradition, the intricacies of the pentacle symbolism, and the practical usage of the same, while making the work approachable and practical should be commended. A great introduction point for beginners to Solomonic magic or seasoned ritual practitioners needing a complete solution for the use of these pentacles.
February 12, 2024
No comment
March 12, 2024
A very detailed overview of a complex and rich tradition of magic.
April 12, 2024
Very well-written and technical
This was far too technical for me, but I appreciated the ideas and the excellent writing. Lots of wisdom and ideas in here.
This was far too technical for me, but I appreciated the ideas and the excellent writing. Lots of wisdom and ideas in here.
February 27, 2025
This book is incredible. It’s essential to those who want to make more sense of the pentacles and the origins of them. I love the way Sara writes and breaks stuff down! 10/10
March 28, 2025
This has a great breaking down of the pentacles and the Hebrew names involved and a lot of practical advice on them but also courting Solomon, dream incubation and energy work.
August 21, 2024
There are good points about personalizing and personifying tools and implements. Other than that you need to really enjoy Hebrew, Qabbala, and monotheism to get anything else out of this.
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews