The Lesser Key of Solomon (Lemegeton) is a 17th-century grimoire of ceremonial magic containing five books — Ars Goetia, Ars Theurgia-Goetia, Ars Paulina, Ars Almadel, and Ars Notoria — that provide instructions for evoking spirits, constructing talismans, and obtaining hidden knowledge. Its 72 demonic hierarchies and ritual architecture have shaped Western occult practice for over three centuries.
Where does the Lemegeton come from?
The oldest known manuscript of the Lemegeton is Harley MS 6483, held in the British Library and dated to the reign of Charles II (1660–1685). The text draws from earlier sources. The Ars Goetia is largely a reworking of the Pseudomonarchia Daemonum (1577) by Johann Weyer, a physician who compiled 69 demons (the Lemegeton adds three). Weyer had taken his material from a manuscript of the Liber Officiorum Spirituum (c. 1580), which itself borrowed from the Heptameron and the Sworn Book of Honorius.
The title “Lemegeton” may be a corruption of the Latin legemeton, meaning “the little key” — a distinction from the Greater Key of Solomon, a longer and earlier grimoire. The Lemegeton claims authorship by King Solomon, but no scholar takes the claim literally. The text is a compilation assembled by multiple hands in the late 1500s and early 1600s, showing clear Christian and Cabalistic influences.
The first printed version of the Ars Goetia alone came in 1898 when Samuel Liddell MacGregor Mathers (of the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn) published it. In 1904, Aleister Crowley released his own edition, The Goetia: The Lesser Key of Solomon the King, with illustrations of the 72 seals and a preface that reframed the spirits as parts of the human psyche. That edition became the standard for the 20th-century occult revival. Joseph H. Peterson produced the first complete critical edition of all five books in 2001, based on multiple manuscripts, bringing the full Lemegeton back into print.
What are the five books of the Lemegeton?
The Lemegeton is not a single grimoire but a bound collection of five distinct texts, each with its own purpose and hierarchy.
Ars Goetia – The “Art of Wrath” is the most famous book. It lists 72 demons, each with a rank (king, duke, prince, etc.), a physical description, a seal engraved on brass, and a list of powers. The spirits range from Bael (a king who teaches invisibility) to Andromalius (a duke who recovers stolen goods and punishes thieves). The instructions require the magician to draw a triangle of conjuration, a protective circle, and to use the seals as controlling emblems.
Ars Theurgia-Goetia – This book deals with 31 aerial spirits, mostly ruled by the four cardinal kings and their ministers. The spirits are less demonic than those of the Goetia and are used for travel, knowledge, and manipulation of natural forces. The seals here are more complex, and the conjurations include lengthy invocations of God.
Ars Paulina – Attributed to the Apostle Paul (hence the name), this book divides the day and night into hours, each ruled by a specific spirit. It contains 24 angelic or spirit lists for the hours of the day and night, plus spirits for the days of the week and the zodiacal signs. Its seals are drawn on parchment, not brass.
Ars Almadel – This book builds an elaborate wax tablet with four “temples” (sets of 12 spirits each) corresponding to the four corners of the heavens. The Almadel itself is a frame of white beeswax held by copper wires, inscribed with divine names. The spirits are of a higher, more celestial order, meant to grant wisdom and prophecy.
Ars Notoria – The oldest section, dating in part to the 13th century. It is a set of prayers, orations, and magical figures (notae) that the magician performs to gain knowledge of the liberal arts, memory enhancement, and eloquence. It resembles the Ars Notoria of Solomon that circulated in medieval manuscripts and influenced later grimoires like the Hygromanteia.
Why are the 72 seals and the triangle so important?
The seals are the core of practical Goetia. Each spirit has a unique seal that must be engraved on brass during an astrologically favorable hour. The seal is not merely a symbol; it is a binding contract. The magician holds it or places it inside the triangle of conjuration to compel the spirit to appear.
The triangle of conjuration is drawn on the ground, oriented toward the East. Within it, the magician places the spirit’s seal and a vessel (a crystal stone or a brass pot) that acts as the focus for the spirit’s manifestation. The circle surrounds the magician, inscribed with divine names and the names of the four cardinal kings of the Goetia. The circle is the only safe space. Step outside, and the protection is broken.
The triangle, circle, and seals together form a symbolic map of power: the magician stands in the microcosm (the circle), the spirit appears in the macrocosm (the triangle), and the seal mediates between them. This architecture is unique to the Lemegeton. No earlier grimoire uses the triangle for evocation in quite the same way. For more on the construction of these tools, see our glossary entry on seals and sigils.
How is the Lemegeton actually used?
A practitioner begins with weeks of preparation: fasting, purification, and the making of tools (the circle, the triangle, the seals, the wand, the black robe). On the chosen day, the magician enters the ritual space alone. The conjurations from the Ars Goetia are recited word-for-word, including the “Conjuration of the Evil Spirits” and the “Binding of the Spirits.” If the spirit does not appear, the magician repeats the call with increasing urgency, using a series of “curses” from the grimoire.
Once the spirit appears, the magician binds it by holding the seal and demanding a visible sign (usually a form of salute or obeisance). The spirit is then commanded to perform a specific task, such as revealing hidden treasure, causing love or enmity, or granting knowledge. When the work is done, the License to Depart is read, dismissing the spirit without insult.
This is not meditation. It is a confrontational ritual, built on command and authority. The Lemegeton assumes the magician holds a higher rank than the spirit through the power of divine names. Failures are blamed on impure intentions or broken ritual rules.
The Greater Key of Solomon is the Lemegeton’s older cousin. It focuses on planetary magic, purification, and the making of pentacles, with no demonic hierarchy. The Lemegeton is more aggressive and specialized: it is for evocation, not meditation or talismanic magic.
The Grimorium Verum (18th century) borrows the 72 spirits but presents them within a demonic pact framework, which the Lemegeton explicitly rejects, the Lemegeton claims authority by divine right, not by pact.
The Pseudomonarchia Daemonum of Weyer is a source, but it offers no instructions for conjuration. It is a catalog only. The Lemegeton provides the full ritual apparatus.
The Lemegeton is not a Satanist’s book. The spirits are called evil in the text, but the magician invokes the name of God, Jesus, and the angels to command them. The grimoire assumes a Christian framework, the demons are enemies of God, but they are subservient to God’s authority when properly addressed. The goal is not worship but control.
Another misunderstanding is that the seals alone work as talismans. They do not. A seal without the correct ritual, the circle, the triangle, the conjuration, the astrological timing, is inert. The Lemegeton is a system, not a collection of shortcuts.
Finally, many assume the spirits are literal external beings. Crowley and many modern practitioners treat them as psychological archetypes, parts of the unconscious that can be integrated. The Lemegeton itself does not take this view, but the text has been used both ways for over a century.
FAQ
Is the Lemegeton dangerous? Practitioners consider it risky if approached without discipline. The intense mental focus and confrontation can cause psychological distress, especially if the rituals fail. Physical danger is more mundane: handling brass engraving tools, candles, and incense in a closed space.
Do I need to speak Latin to use the Lemegeton? The conjurations are in English in most modern editions, but the original manuscripts mix Latin, Hebrew, and English. Peterson’s edition uses the original English from the 17th century. You do not need Latin, but you need to read the text aloud as written.
Can anyone perform the rituals of the Lemegeton? The grimoire assumes the operator is a “man of good disposition, pure, and clean of life.” It also requires astrological timing, a private space, and the ability to resist fear. Few attempt it; fewer complete the full system.
The Lemegeton in practice
The Lemegeton demands patience. It asks the practitioner to accept that a seal engraved in brass, a triangle drawn in chalk, and a circle full of names can produce a real encounter. Whether that encounter is with a spirit, a part of the self, or a projection of the collective unconscious, the experience is rarely forgotten. It is a rigorous tradition, and it rewards rigor.
For more on the broader tradition of ceremonial magic, visit our ceremonial magic hub. For a deeper look at the most famous book within the Lemegeton, read our guide to working with the 72 spirits of the Goetia. You may also find our glossary entry on Solomonic magic useful for understanding the wider tradition.