The Magic of the Seal of Solomon, a Great Esoteric Jewish Symbol
There are symbols that transcend people, cultures and even religions. The Seal of Solomon is one of them.
Known from Jewish, Christian and Muslim traditions, but also alchemical, esoteric and Druidic, the magical symbol that will interest us today has powers recognized by all.
According to legend, the seal of Solomon belonged to the Jewish king of the same name: Solomon, the son of King David.
Although some sources contradict each other, it seems that our king really owned a signet ring engraved with this intriguing seal, to say the least.
Even if the most skeptical will tell you the opposite, this same jewel did indeed seem to offer power, control... and in particular over the demons and spirits of our world.
Despite a clear link with the Judaic religion, others present the seal of Solomon to us as even more powerful.
In short, we are here faced with a symbol surrounded by dozens and dozens of mysteries... mysteries that today we are going to unravel together!
Contents :
Description of the Seal of Solomon
At the origins: the legend of King Solomon
The seal of Solomon in the Muslim religion
Description of the Seal of Solomon
Our elders describe the seal of Solomon as a symbol of strength and beauty, in the symmetry and accuracy of its curves indicate creators of immense knowledge and wisdom.
This is not false and, indeed, great messages are hidden in the very appearance of this emblem.
The Seal of Solomon is actually formed from a six-pointed star (pattern also known as a hexagram). In this sense, it is quite similar to the Star of David (another hexagram-shaped symbol).
This is clearly proven when you look at this lucky necklace, based on our famous pattern.
There is, however, a major difference: while the Star of David is made up of two superimposed triangles, those of the Seal of Solomon intertwine, thus forming a figure that is paradoxical to say the least.
This particularity makes it a simple complex… particularly in the interpretation of the different “zones” that it defines.
Here are three theories in this regard:
- The center of the seal would represent our world, and each point would express the idea of stars (and therefore of a celestial world) which surround us. Our symbol would thus be a representation of the supreme cosmic order.
- By its division into seven zones, the seal of Solomon could be an allegory of the divine being which, in Kabbalah (a Jewish mystical tradition), is precisely composed of seven distinct spheres. Some also see it as an allusion to the seven types of angels in Judaic tradition.
- We can also see our symbol as dividing four areas, in its four corners. They would then each be associated with one of the primordial elements (earth, air, water and fire). The center of the seal would then indicate what is created at the reunification of these four elements: the ether, the spirit.
In addition to this, it is not uncommon to find our lucky symbol accompanied by other glyphs, magical incantations, formulas written in Hebrew or even simple drawings.
Yes, the seal of Solomon contains quite immense wealth within it…
Seals, glyphs and sigils
Before we look at the story of King Solomon (and the appearance of his famous seal), it may be good to talk about what seals are.
You should know that the use of abstract symbols is something very old, probably several millennia before the appearance of writing. Some even like to think that the letters of the various alphabets are magical symbols used for their intrinsic powers.
In short, a sigil is a pattern that exercises power over one or more aspects of our world. In other words, they serve to create links between spiritual forces and our material world.
Known to all peoples and cultures, seals are often included in larger traditions including rites, ceremonies and sometimes even an entire liturgy.
In the case of the seal of Solomon, we are thinking directly of the great monotheistic religions, but there are certain seals originating from more discreet, esoteric customs... or even downright occult!
Often, sigils will be used to connect their user to higher forces. In this sense, the Catholic cross which connects its bearer to Jesus Christ and God can be seen as a form of seal, just as the crescent serves as an emblem of Islam, and so on.
If you want to dig deeper into the subject, here is the Wikipedia article talking about seals and sigils. We read it and it really presents some practical and interesting information.
The less spiritual among us rather like to say of the seals that they connect us to archetypes, common representations without real existence, but highly significant from the point of view of the psyche and the unconscious.
This theory is undoubtedly valid in many respects, but it is not the one that we have chosen to adopt.
In short, whatever the way, the fact is that the seal of Solomon has a real impact on the world of ideas which, in turn, will affect the material world.
But actually, what impact are we talking about?
At the origins: the legend of King Solomon
We have already mentioned it but it seems obvious: the seal of Solomon is indeed linked to the king of the same name.
Discovering the legend of King Solomon can help us see a little more clearly about what his seal can bring us and, above all, help us understand why so many men and women gave it such importance.
Let us also point out that the story of Solomon is complex, highly symbolic and still subject to debate. The (very) brief summary that we are going to present to you here does not describe all the subtleties, and all the hidden messages.
If the subject interests you, here is a more complete description of this Jewish king, which should provide you with additional interesting information.
The Appearance of Solomon's Seal
The main information about our magical symbol is found in the “ Testament of Solomon ”, a text attributed to the king himself, but which some historians say dates from the Middle Ages.
In short, in this Testament, it is described to us how Solomon decided one day to build a temple to the glory of the Lord.
When the construction site was already well underway, he noticed that the son of one of the builders had lost a worrying amount of weight.
Solomon then decided to question the child to see what was going on. The little one replied that a demon came to torment him every evening at dusk.
In his kindness, the king began to pray to God to ask him to help the little one. In response, the Lord sent him a signet ring (look, we are offering one quite similar here !), offered by an angel and engraved with a symbol capable of dominating the demon: the seal of Solomon.
A symbol of power over demons
We have just said it: the object offered by God to Solomon knew how to control the demon which tormented the builder's child, yes... but not only that!
It quickly became apparent that all demons, jinns and evil spirits could only follow the orders of the one who possessed the seal.
In particular, the king used it to command the demons and force them to build his temple, which lightened the workload of his people, accelerated the work and made it possible to build a real palace worthy of his king.
A tool at the basis of demonology and all exorcisms
Some could have used this immense power to do evil, but not Solomon.
Already known for his exceptional wisdom, the king once again demonstrated it by using the powers of his seal only for good.
It also seems that Solomon took the opportunity to ask the name of each demon, the way in which each could torment humans and especially the ways to counter them.
None of them would normally have given this information, but with his seal, Solomon knew how to make them all comply.
Use as a Jewish symbol
With the legend that we have just discovered, it is easy to understand how the seal of Solomon could take such a place in mystical and religious traditions around the world.
When we also know the importance that King Solomon has in Jewish tradition, serving as a true symbol of wisdom, justice and knowledge, his predominance in Judaism really no longer surprises us.
And yet...
However , this Jewish lucky symbol did not always occupy the place we know it today!
The emblem of the Bohemian Jews
The first large-scale use of the Seal of Solomon by Jewish communities actually dates back to the Middle Ages and, more specifically, to 14th century Prague.
It was there that King Charles IV decreed that the city's Jews would have the right to use this symbol as a sign of unity and belonging to their religion. Later it spread to all countries, then to all of Central Europe, then to all of Europe.
Thus, without there being (a priori) a strong spiritual meaning behind it, the Jews began to use the seal of Solomon as decoration, as signs of entry into their neighborhoods, on official documents, etc.
Seal of Solomon, Star of David and Zionism
From the 19th century, the hexagram became the official symbol of the Zionist movement.
Zionism is a fairly complex political and religious doctrine. Mainly known for advocating the return to the Promised Land (Israel), this movement has many other aspects that we will not have time to look into today.
If you want to delve deeper into the subject, here are a few words on this doctrine that should interest you.
In short, by simplifying the pattern, it is quite complicated to know whether the symbol of Zionism is a Star of David or a Seal of Solomon (remember, we made the distinction earlier in this article). No doubt, moreover, it is a bit of both.
A lucky symbol that is the subject of debate!
According to certain traditionalist currents, there is nothing Jewish about the use of the seal of Solomon… or at least, nothing religious.
It is true that given the long history of the Jewish people, the phenomenon is quite recent and, above all, seems to have been generated by the decision of a Catholic European monarch...
This position, however, does fit with everything we have taught you since the beginning of this article!
Indeed, the legend of King Solomon and his Testament are very real, and have been part of Judaic tradition since the dawn of time...
In reality, the traditionalists who reject Solomon's seal are arguably the same ones who reject all Jewish mysticism, Kabbalah, and the possibility that esoteric transmission may have been taking place for millennia now.
Contemporary use
At the end of the Second World War and its horrors, the state of Israel decided to include the seal of Solomon on its flag in an effort to unify all the Jews of the world.
Even today, this motif constitutes a true rallying sign for all diasporas and, more broadly, for all sympathizers of the Jewish cause.
Between representation of Zionism, emblem of Jewishness, magic seal capable of repelling demons and historical symbol of the acceptance of Jews in Europe, there is in any case no shortage of reasons for Jews to proudly display this symbol.
It is therefore not surprising that this flag of Israel, decorated with the seal of Solomon, is so appreciated by certain members of our community!
The seal of Solomon in the Muslim religion
Our esoteric symbol occupies a prominent place in Judaism, yes… but also in Islam!
For the Jews, Solomon was one of the greatest kings of all time.
For Muslims, he occupies the rank of prophet, and therefore represents a leading figure. The Koran itself also contains several verses about Solomon and his seal…
Thus, from the very first centuries of Islam, this character has been associated with magic, the fight against demons (called jinns in the Muslim religion) and esoteric secrets in general.
Without going into too much detail, there are dozens and dozens of legends featuring the Seal of Solomon as an object with extraordinary powers, most of which were developed by Arab storytellers and authors of the Middle Ages.
Descriptions of the lucky signet ring are numerous and can vary.
In some stories, it is presented to us as made of two metals, brass and iron. While the first allowed its wearer to have control over benevolent spirits, the second allowed them to subdue demons.
In others, the seal would be engraved with the name of God (or Allah depending on your beliefs), which gave it additional magical power.
One legend even suggests that the ring was made from four others then melted together. The four original rings would also have been offered by four different angels, a sign of confirmation of the trust that God placed in Solomon.
Real magical, esoteric powers?
Judaism, Islam… but what about other religions or spiritual movements?
Well, as we will discover together, the research of the greatest sages seems to indicate that this magical symbol is found in cultures and beliefs all over the world... and in a more than disturbing way.
Indeed, all those who were confronted with it from near or far found magical powers in the seal of Solomon.
For us, there is no doubt: there must be something bigger, more mysterious hiding behind it.
Kabbalah, a medieval Jewish esotericism
The symbol of Solomon's seal appears on a whole bunch of documents related to Kabbalah.
It is generally accepted that great secrets were left behind, hidden deep within this strange and esoteric motif.
After all, if Solomon was the wisest of kings, the most learned of esotericists and the first magician among the Jews, it is a safe bet that his personal seal (and even more so given the legend that we discovered together) be imbued with its mysteries.
In short, in the Jewish esoteric tradition, it is common to use this motif to protect oneself from evil spirits.
If this kind of consideration resonates with you, here is an article from the cairn.info site dealing with magic in the Jewish religion.
The subject of powerful lucky charms
Throughout the Middle Ages, the symbol of the hexagram was used by sorcerers and bone-setters throughout Europe for its abilities to ward off misfortune, bad luck and the evil eye.
Over the centuries, its use was unfortunately linked to witchcraft, and was opposed by the Christian Church... without, however, ever being able to make the population eager for protection against demons forget its great abilities.
Despite the ban, amulets, pendants and other lucky charms engraved with the seal of Solomon continued to be worn.
A favorite tool for exorcists
As we are told in the legend of King Solomon, his seal is a kind of divine tool allowing to subdue the most evil demons.
It is therefore not surprising that exorcists around the world use it during their rituals to ensure a certain protection.
Be careful, however: as always when it comes to evil spirits, caution is required, and it would be very foolish to think that you could not let yourself be deceived by the evil one...
Nothing is better than staying away from evil, don't you think?
Seal of Solomon and alchemy
This too was mentioned earlier: some see the seal of Solomon as an allegory of the elementary principles (water, earth, fire, wind), but also of their sacred union.
For those who know a little about alchemy, the link is obvious and requires no explanation.
Another interesting fact, some alchemists establish an interesting connection between our symbol and the philosopher's stone, the famous spiritual stone capable of transforming lead and gold.
Undoubtedly more symbolic than anything else, this parallel undoubtedly deserves our attention...
Solomon and the kings of Ethiopia
Historically, the Ethiopian royal family claims to be directly descended from King Solomon through the first of its members, King Menelik.
There are striking archaeological sources that point in this direction, notably the emblem used by these African kings and queens since the dawn of time: the seal of Solomon.
Among many troubling points, the longevity of the royal family is more than notable, with an uninterrupted reign of several millennia (an extremely rare thing in the light of History!)
Coincidence or link with a protective magical symbol, everyone will have their own opinion…
Perfect example of sacred geometry
Sacred geometry is a philosophical doctrine aiming to uncover the secrets of the world (or on the contrary to create them) through the study and discovery of particular geometric patterns.
Ranging from the simple (the circle is undoubtedly one of the most spiritual motifs) to the complex, sacred geometry also recognizes the powers of the seal of Solomon, which it classifies in the category of protective motifs.
Conclusion: what uses does Solomon’s seal have for you?
To conclude, it is good to dwell on the harmony inherent in our magic seal. This may sound like a no-brainer, but our pattern is simply beautiful, balanced and quite aesthetically pleasing.
If we also remember all the historical and cultural importance it can have, it also takes on a depth like few lucky charms can do.
In fact, here we only have to skim over what the seal of Solomon can bring us in our daily lives.
Here is a summary of what we discovered together today :
- This emblem is said to have the power to control demons.
- It contains within it ideas linked to creation, with spheres (two triangles) which intersect.
- The fundamental elementary principles are also found there.
- Jews around the world recognize each other through the meaning of the seal of Solomon…
- …and Muslims too.
- Almost every form of esotericism or magic that has been confronted with it has offered a special place to this symbol.
- From the Middle Ages to the present day, this motif has been used as a good luck charm in the fight against evil and exorcisms for centuries.
If such symbols speak to you or you simply like the history of Judaism, here is finally an entire collection dedicated to this religion and its greatest secrets.
In any case, we sincerely hope that you enjoyed reading this, that you learned some interesting secrets, and that you will in turn be able to share with your loved ones!
Lucky charms featured in this article
Star of David Necklace
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Star of David Signet Ring
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