Fifth of the Moon

Often mysterious are the pentacles of the Lunar sphere. 

While the other planets have amulets associated with them with what might be considered fairly predictable goals, the moon in her enigmatic splendor favors us with strangeness. Venus is for love and grace, Jupiter for wealth and protection and Mars for war, protection and violence all fall under predictable and utilitarian categories. 

In the case of the Fifth Pentacle of the Moon, we find the following description:

“It serveth to have answers in sleep. Its Angel Iachadiel serveth unto destruction and loss, as well as unto the destruction of enemies. Thou mayest also call upon him by Abdon and Dalé against all Phantoms of the night, and to summon the souls of the departed from Hades.”

-Clavicula Salomonis

Here we find not merely an Angel associated but also names by which this spirit can be called to not only protect against night phantoms but also to summon ghosts from the underworld. 

Now, in practice we often find “Phantoms of the Night” to be many things. A Discerning Individual could find this to mean both hostile spirits, illusions and even the attempts of witches to hag-ride people (either themselves or via the agency of familiar spirits.) This alone would be an extremely useful skill but it surely doesn’t end there. 

We find the ability to call the dead, specifically the wandering dead, the unruly or disquiet dead, and bring them presumably under one’s control also under the aegis of this pentacle, its attending Angel and the powerful names by which the Angel is called via the amulet itself. This is an invaluable tool, aid and force-multiplier for any intrepid necromancer who also wants to be assured in his or her protections against the mishaps that can sometimes come of the practice. 

Even keeping it on oneself during a cemetery walk can help boost the perceptions of the dead and, indeed, protection from them following the practitioner home. Worn during paranormal investigations, this item can aid in contact and safety. The applications of this are not merely vast, they are bookended in a neat and intriguing way. 

We at Practical Occult strive to provide our Discerning Individuals with the best tools for the job and, it being October, we find it is paramount that one doesn’t allow this talisman to slip into obscurity.