Solomonic · Overview

Solomonic Magic

Solomonic magic is a family of grimoires claimed to be written under the legendary authority of King Solomon. The Ars Goetia's seventy-two spirits sit inside a ceremonial magic system of preparation, divine names, protective figures, petitions and commands. This section records the book, its catalogue and its material history without turning the operations into instructions.

Stories of Solomon mastering spirits are ancient, but surviving Solomonic handbooks are medieval and early modern works composed long after the biblical king. The Lemegeton, or Lesser Key of Solomon, took its five-part form in seventeenth-century English manuscripts, drawing on earlier prayer, planetary and spirit literature. Its Ars Goetia became far better known through the 1904 Mathers–Crowley edition used here.

Explore the books and catalogue

  • The Ars Goetia catalogueSearch the first book's seventy-two spirits by name, rank and number of legions.
  • The bookSee how the five parts of the Lemegeton fit together and where they differ.
  • Ranks and metalsFollow the titles and the metals assigned to their seals.
  • SealsInspect the public-domain engravings and the files from which they came.