“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
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.
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.
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.
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!
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 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.
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.
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.
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
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.
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.