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Penʹtacle

.

A five-sided head-dress of fine linen, meant to represent the five senses, and worn as a defence against demons in the act of conjuration. It is also called Solomon’s Seal (signum Salamoʹnis). A pentacle was extended by the magician towards the spirits when they proved contumacious.

“And on her head, lest spirits should invade,

A pentacle, for more assurance, laid.”



The Holy Pentacles numbered forty-four, of which seven were consecrated to each of the planets Saturn, Jupiter, Mars, and the Sun; five to both Venus and Mercury: and six to the Moon. The divers figures were enclosed in a double circle, containing the name of God in Hebrew, and other mystical words.

 

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Entry taken from Dictionary of Phrase and Fable, edited by the Rev. E. Cobham Brewer, LL.D. and revised in 1895.

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Penny Pots
Penny Readings
Penny Saved (A)
Penny Weddings
Penny Wise
Pennyroyal
Pennyweight
Pennyworth or Penoth
Pension
Pensioners
Pentacle
Pentapolin
Pentapolis. (Greek, pente polis.)
Pentateuch
Pentecost (Greek, pentecostê, fiftieth)
Penthesilea
Penthouse
Pentreath (Dolly)
Peony (The)
People
People’s Charter (The)

See Also:

Pentacle