Sun  .    .    .    .  Sunday. 
Moon .    .    .    .  Monday. 
Mars .    .    .    .  Tuesday. 
Mercury.  .    .    .  Wednesday. 
Jupiter . .    .    .  Thursday. 
Venus .   .    .    .  Friday. 
Saturn .  .    .    .  Saturday.

That is to say, we have the planets in the order in which they were supposed to rule over the days of the week.  This is perhaps, not so surprising, because it seems probable that, each day being first divided into twenty-four hours, it was assumed that the planets ruled for one hour in turn, in the order first mentioned above.  Each day was then named after the planet which ruled during its first hour.  It will be found that if we start with the Sun and write down every twenty-fourth planet, the result is exactly the same as if we write down every third.  But Mr OLD points out further, doing so by means of a diagram which seems to be rather cumbersome that if we start with Saturn in the first place, and write down every fifth planet, and then for each planet substitute the metal over which it was supposed to rule, we then have these metals arranged in descending order of atomic weights, thus:—­

Saturn    .    .    .  Lead (=207). 
Mercury   .    .    .  Mercury (=200). 
Sun .     .    .    .  Gold (=197). 
Jupiter   .    .    .  Tin (=119). 
Moon .    .    .    .  Silver (=108). 
Venus          .    .  Copper (=64). 
Mars .    .    .    .  Iron (=56).

Similarly we can, starting from any one of these orders, pass to the other two.  The fact is a very surprising one, because the ancients could not possibly have been acquainted with the atomic weights of the metals, and, it is important to note, the order of the densities of these metals, which might possibly have been known to them, is by no means the same as the order of their atomic weights.  Whether the fact indicates a real relationship between the planets and the metals, or whether there is some other explanation, I am not prepared to say.  Certainly some explanation is needed:  to say that the fact is mere coincidence is unsatisfactory, seeing that the odds against, not merely this, but any such regularity occurring by chance—­as calculated by the mathematical theory of probability—­are 119 to 1.

All the instruments employed in the art had to be specially prepared and consecrated.  Special robes had to be worn, perfumes and incense burnt, and invocations, conjurations, etc., recited, all of which depended on the planet ruling the operation.  A description of a few typical talismans in detail will not here be out of place.

In The Key of Solomon the King (translated by S. L. M. MATHERS, 1889)[1] are described five, six, or seven talismans for each planet.  Each of these was supposed to have its own peculiar virtues, and many of them are stated to be of use in the evocation of spirits.  The majority of them consist of a central design encircled by a verse of Hebrew Scripture.  The central designs are of a varied character, generally geometrical figures and Hebrew letters or words, or magical characters.  Five of these talismans are here portrayed, the first three described differing from the above.  The translations of the Hebrew verses, etc., given below are due to Mr MATHERS.