The Key of Solomon

The Key of Solomon is divided into two books. Book I contains conjurations, invocations and curses to summon and constrain spirits of the dead and demons, forcing them to do the operator's will. It also describes how to find stolen items, become invisible, gain favour and love, and so on. Book II describes various purifications which the operator (termed "exorcist") should undergo, how they should clothe themselves, how the magical implements used in their operations should be constructed, and what animal sacrifices should be made to the spirits.

As in most medieval grimoires, all magical operations are ostensibly performed through the power of God, to whom all the invocations are addressed. Before any of these operations (termed "experiments") are performed, the operator must confess his sins and purge himself of evil, invoking the protection of God. Many barbarous names are also employed in the invocations, some of which are Arabic in origin, deriving from older magical texts from the Near East, while many others are clearly taken from Hebrew names of God. Elaborate preparations are necessary, and each of the numerous items used in the operator's "experiments" must be constructed of the appropriate materials obtained in the prescribed manner, at the appropriate astrological time, marked with a specific set of magical symbols, and blessed with its own specific words.

All substances needed for the magic drawings and amulets are detailed, as well as the means to purify and prepare them. Many of the symbols incorporate the Transitus Fluvii occult alphabet.

The book contains instructions to practice necromancy, experiments of invisibility, to cause harm to others, etc., and the zodiacal time appropriate for each experiment.

The Lesser Key of Solomon

The Lesser Key of Solomon is divided into five parts.

Ars Goetia

The circle and triangle, used in the evocation of the seventy-two spirits of the Goetia. The magician would stand within the circle and the spirit was believed to appear within the triangle.

The first section, called Ars Goetia, contains descriptions of the seventy-two demons that Solomon is said to have evoked and confined in a brass vessel sealed by magic symbols, and that he obliged to work for him. It gives instructions on constructing a similar brass vessel, and using the proper magic formulae to safely call up those demons.

It deals with the evocation of all classes of spirits, evil, indifferent and good; its opening Rites are those of Paimon, Orias, Astaroth and the whole cohort of Infernus. The second part, or Theurgia Goëtia, deals with the spirits of the cardinal points and their inferiors. These are mixed natures, some good and some evil.

The Ars Goetia assigns a rank and a title of nobility to each member of the infernal hierarchy, and gives the demons' 'signs they have to pay allegiance to', or seals. The lists of entities in the Ars Goetia correspond (to high but varying degree, often according to edition) with those in the Steganographia of Trithemius, circa 1500, and Johann Weyer's Pseudomonarchia Daemonum an appendix appearing in later editions of his De Praestigiis Daemonum, of 1563.

A revised English edition of the Ars Goetia was published in 1904 by magician Aleister Crowley, as The Book of the Goetia of Solomon the King. It serves as a key component of his popular and highly influential system of magick.

The 72 Demons

Buer, the 10th spirit, who teaches "Moral and Natural Philosophy" (from a 1995 Mathers edition. Illustration by Louis Breton from Dictionnaire Infernal).

The demons' names are taken from the Ars Goetia, which differs in terms of number and ranking from the Pseudomonarchia Daemonum of Weyer. As a result of multiple translations, there are multiple spellings for some of the names, which are given in the articles concerning them.

Ars Theurgia Goetia

The Ars Theurgia Goetia ("the art of goetic theurgy") is the second section of The Lesser Key of Solomon. It explains the names, characteristics and seals of the 31 aerial spirits (called chiefs, emperors, kings and princes) that King Solomon invoked and confined, the protections against them, the names of their servant spirits, called dukes, the conjurations to invoke them, and their nature, that is both good and evil.

Their sole objective is to discover and show hidden things, the secrets of any person, and obtain, carry and do anything asked to them meanwhile they are contained in any of the four elements (Earth, Fire, Air and Water). These spirits are given in a complex order in the book, and some of them have spelling variations according to the different editions.

Ars Paulina

The Ars Paulina (The Art of Paul) is the third part of The Lesser Key of Solomon. According to the legend, this art was discovered by the Apostle Paul, but in the book is mentioned as the Pauline Art of King Solomon. The Ars Paulina was already known since the Middle Ages. It is divided in two chapters in this book.

The first chapter refers on how to deal with the angels of the several hours of the day (meaning day and night), to their seals, their nature, their servants (called Dukes), the relation of these angels with the seven planets known at that time, the proper astrological aspects to invoke them, their names (in a couple of cases coinciding with two of the seventy-two demons mentioned in the Ars Goetia, the conjuration and the invocation to call them, the Table [sic] of practice.

The second chapter concerns the angels that rule over the zodiacal signs and each degree of every sign, their relation with the four elements, Fire, Earth, Water and Air, their names, and their seals. These are called here the angels of men, because all persons are born under a zodiacal sign, with the Sun at a specific degree of it.

Ars Almadel

The Ars Almadel (The Art of the Almadel) is the fourth part of The Lesser Key of Solomon. It tells how to make the almadel, which is a wax tablet with protective symbols drawn on it. On it are placed four candles. This chapter has the instructions concerning the colours, materials and rituals necessary for the construction of the almadel and the candles.

The Ars Almadel also tells about the angels that are to be invoked, and explains that only reasonable and just things that are needed must be asked to them, and how the conjuration has to be made. It also mentions twelve princes ruling with them. The dates and astrological aspects that have to be considered most convenient to invoke the angels are detailed but briefly.

The author asserts to have experimented with what is explained in this chapter.

Ars Notoria

The Ars Notoria (The Notable Art) is the fifth and last part of The Lesser Key of Solomon. It was a grimoire known since the Middle Ages. The book asserts that this art was revealed by the Creator to King Solomon by means of an angel.

It contains a collection of prayers (some of them divided in several parts) mixed with kabbalistic and magical words in several languages (i.e. Hebrew, Greek, etc.), how the prayers must be said, and the relation that these rituals have to the understanding of all sciences. It mentions the aspects of the Moon in relation with the prayers. It also says that the prayers act as an invocation to God's angels. According to the book, the correct spelling of the prayers gives the knowledge of the science related to each one and also a good memory, stability of mind, and eloquence. This chapter prevents on the precepts that have to be observed to obtain a good result.

Finally, it tells how King Solomon received the revelation from the angel.