There was a time before the familiar classical era Latin in which there were more cases. Yes, even more than the five (or six, or six and a half) that we know. The classical ablative is actually a combination of three of those earlier cases. Understanding those earlier cases can help us sort out the seemingly random mass of ablatve uses.
Sic Transit Gloria Mundi
Sic transit gloria mundi - "So passes the glory of the world." This Latin sentence pops up in all sorts of places. Few people, however, seem aware of where it comes from.
Christian Latin: Ave Regina Caelorum
If you're interested in Medieval or Christian Latin, you might enjoy the post below from the blog Spes in Domino. It briefly discusses both the history of the prayer/hymn Ave Regina Caelorum, and also some specific Latin language aspects. https://spesindomino.org/hail-queen-ave-regina-caelorum/
Ancient Rome lives on in The Church
The Church "baptized" the best parts of ancient Rome and incorporated them into a new Christian Europe. The vast treasury of pagan Roman literature that we possess today, for example, would have been lost without the labor of Christian monks in their scriptoria.
The Weightiest of Reasons: The Pope and Latin in the Liturgy
Contrary to the common misconception, however, the council did not retire the Latin language. Furthermore, as the quote above demonstrates, John XXIII would have strenuously opposed any attempts to do so. In any case, the council and the pope were in agreement.
Latin is Everywhere: The Power of Quotes
Roughly half of English words come from Latin, and the more technical the vocabulary, the higher the proportion. It has also been an inextricable part of what people built, painted, and wrote about over the past fifteen centuries.
The Human Touch: Latin in the Liturgy
Christian believers hope to participate in that communion in a more profound way in the next world. In this physical world, however, we rely on our corporeal senses. Latin has endured in the Church for such a long time because it gives us that human touch.
Appearances Can Deceive: Review of Wheelock’s Latin
Frederick Wheelock, then, did, not see his book as some sort of technical manual. He saw it as an invitation to engage as human beings with our brothers and sisters from the past who expressed themselves through the Latin language.
O Bone Deus: Adventures with the Vocative
Who knows, they may be right. Maybe Scribonius Largus was not an inept Latin stylist, but a champion of Writing For The Common Man. Either way, his work does cast some light on our discussion of the vocative singular of deus.
Something is Always Lost in Translation
The choices, preferences, experiences, and particular strengths and weaknesses of a given book's creators will unavoidably shape its presentation of the Latin language. Any and every introductory text will have a bias of some sort or other.