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A grimoire keeper once told us that Beleth is the demon you summon when you have already failed with everyone else. The statement stuck because it is true. Beleth is a Great King of Hell who commands 85 legions of spirits, known specifically for his terrifying arrival on a pale horse accompanied by trumpets and all manner of music. The Ars Goetia, the first book of the Lesser Key of Solomon (compiled circa 1640, drawing on earlier 15th and 16th century grimoires), lists 72 demons. Beleth is number 37. His specialization is love and attraction, but his method of delivery is so fearsome that most operators prepare for weeks before attempting his evocation.

What Makes Beleth Different from Bael, Paimon, and Asmodeus?

What Makes Beleth Different from Bael, Paimon, and Asmodeus

The Goetic hierarchy is organized by title: Kings, Dukes, Princes, Marquises, Counts, Presidents, and Knights. Beleth is a Great King. So are Bael (the first spirit), Paimon (the ninth), and Asmodeus (the 32nd). The difference is not rank but behavior.

Bael appears with three heads (a man, a toad, a cat) and speaks hoarsely. Paimon rides a dromedary and wears a crown, preceded by a procession of musicians. Asmodeus arrives on three legs (a serpent, a man, a bull) carrying a banner and a lance. Beleth alone arrives on a pale horse, preceded by trumpets and all manner of music, and he is the only Great King described as raging at first appearance.

The seventeenth-century magician and bibliophile Johann Weyer, in his Pseudomonarchia Daemonum (1577), records that Beleth’s initial fury is not malevolence but protocol. He resents being summoned. The operator must manage this anger before any work can begin. None of the other Great Kings share this detail. Bael answers directly. Paimon requires respect but not appeasement. Asmodeus is described as dangerous but not petulant. Beleth’s character is defined by his resistance to the summoning itself.

That history explains why the grimoires prescribe a specific ritual response to Beleth. What follows is what the text actually says.

The Evocation of Beleth: Why the Operator Must Carry a Hazel Wand

The Evocation of Beleth Why the Operator Must Carry a Hazel Wand

The Ars Goetia gives unusually precise instructions for Beleth. The operator must draw a triangle outside the circle, then draw a second circle within the first. Beleth is to be received in the left hand, not the right. And the magician must carry a hazel wand, striking toward the south and east, forcing Beleth into submission.

This is unique. No other Goetic spirit receives this treatment. Bael is summoned with a simple circular diagram. Paimon requires a triangle and a south-facing position, but no hazel wand. Asmodeus requires a square of black silk and a copper plate inscribed with his seal, but no violent gesture.

The hazel wand is the key. In Irish and British folk magic, hazel is the tree of wisdom and poetic inspiration, associated with the salmon of knowledge. The grimoire tradition repurposes it as a weapon of command. The operator does not negotiate with Beleth. They beat him into compliance.

The Goetia states: “When he appears, he is very furious and terrible, but the magician must be bold and strike him with the hazel wand in the left hand.” The demon must then be forced to kneel and answer truthfully.

We once asked a practicing ceremonialist why Beleth required this violence. He said the other kings answer because they respect authority. Beleth answers because he respects strength. The distinction is theological. Bael, Paimon, and Asmodeus are fallen angels who acknowledge Solomonic authority. Beleth is a fallen angel who acknowledges only power.

Beleth vs. Vassago and Gusion: The Love Question

Beleth’s primary function is to make men and women love each other. He is one of three Goetic spirits who govern love. Vassago (the third spirit) declares things past, present, and future and can also find lost things. Gusion (the 11th spirit) reconciles enemies and causes men and women to love each other. The overlap is deliberate.

The difference is method. Gusion works through reconciliation. He removes obstacles between people, creating the conditions for love. Vassago reveals information about the beloved. Beleth forces attraction directly. The grimoires do not specify whether this attraction is voluntary. The operator summons Beleth when a specific person must fall in love, not when two people need to be brought together.

This distinction matters because it determines the ethical weight of the working. Gusion’s method leaves free will intact. Beleth’s method does not. The Ars Goetia does not comment on morality, but the implication is clear. Beleth is the weapon you use when gentler spirits have failed.

There is a practical reason for this. Beleth commands 85 legions. Gusion commands 40. Vassago commands 26. By the logic of the grimoire, a larger legion count corresponds to greater power. Love magic of the coercive kind requires force. Beleth provides it.

Beleth and the Element of Fire: A Planetary Difference

Most Goetic spirits are associated with planets, elements, or zodiac signs. The Ars Goetia does not always name these associations, but later commentators like Aleister Crowley (in his 1904 edition of the Goetia) and Stephen Skinner (in his 2011 critical edition) map each spirit to a planetary sphere.

Beleth is associated with Mercury and Air. This is counterintuitive for a spirit whose arrival involves trumpets and music, which one might expect to fall under Venus. But Mercury rules communication, commerce, and the binding of opposites. Love magic, in the Goetic framework, is a form of binding. Air rules the intellect and the spoken word. Beleth’s evocation requires the operator to speak the conjuration with force and precision.

Compare this to Bael, who is solar (associated with the Sun, rule and kingship) and ruled by Fire. Paimon is also solar but ruled by Water. Asmodeus is associated with Mars and Fire. The element matters because it determines how the spirit manifests. Bael’s fire makes him direct and destructive if mishandled. Asmodeus’s fire makes him violent but honest. Beleth’s air makes him mutable, changeable, capable of persuasion but also of deception.

The greatest risk with Beleth is not his fury. It is his subtlety. An air-aligned spirit can say something true in a way that misleads. The operator must test every answer.

The Seal of Beleth: How It Differs from Other Goetic Seals

Every Goetic spirit has a seal, drawn on parchment or virgin vellum, used to constrain and command the spirit. Beleth’s seal is a series of interlocking curves and crosses, centered on a figure that resembles a stylized crown. It is one of the simpler seals in the Ars Goetia.

Bael’s seal is more complex, with three distinct compartments corresponding to his three heads. Paimon’s seal requires intricate interwoven lines. Asmodeus’s seal includes a pentagram. Beleth’s seal can be drawn quickly, which suggests the grimoire expects the operator to work under pressure.

The seal is also unique in that it must be shown to Beleth during the evocation. The Ars Goetia instructs the operator to place the seal inside the triangle of art before Beleth appears. Paimon’s seal is worn on the breast. Bael’s is shown to the spirit but only after he has appeared. Beleth’s seal is presented in advance, as a warning.

This detail places Beleth closer to the hostile spirits of the Ars Theurgia Goetia (the second book of the Lesser Key), which govern time and are described as dangerous. The Ars Goetia proper mostly deals with spirits who are cooperative if properly summoned. Beleth is the exception who proves the rule.

Common Misconceptions About Beleth

The first misconception is that Beleth is a demon of lust. The grimoires say he causes love, not lust. The distinction is subtle but real. Love magic in the Solomonic tradition aims at marriage and commitment, not seduction. Beleth’s working is meant to produce a binding, not an affair.

The second misconception is that Beleth must be summoned with brass vessels. This error appears in several modern online sources. The Ars Goetia does not mention brass for Beleth. It mentions a brass ring for the operator’s protection, but this is standard for all evocations. Beleth’s specific requirement is the hazel wand, nothing more.

The third misconception is that Beleth is weaker than Paimon because he ranks 37th to Paimon’s 9th. The numbering of the Ars Goetia does not correspond to power. The 72 spirits are listed in the order they appear in the source material, the Lemegeton. Beleth’s 85 legions compare favorably to Paimon’s 200 legions, but legion count is also an imperfect measure. Decarabia, the 69th spirit, commands 30 legions. Furfur, the 34th, commands 26. The numbers are incongruent and should not be read as a tier list.

The fourth misconception is that Beleth can be summoned safely by a beginner. Every grimoire that mentions Beleth warns that his appearance is terrifying. Weyer calls him “very furious.” The Goetia says the operator must be bold. Beginners should start with Paimon (who is relatively calm) or Buer (who teaches natural philosophy) before attempting a King who arrives raging on horseback.

FAQ

Is Beleth a demon of love or lust?
Love. The Ars Goetia specifies that Beleth causes men and women to love each other in the context of binding and commitment, not casual attraction.

Why must Beleth be struck with a hazel wand?
The grimoires state he is furious at first appearance and must be forced to kneel by striking toward the south and east with a hazel wand held in the left hand.

Can Beleth be summoned alone?
The Ars Goetia does not prohibit solitary evocation, but Beleth’s violent arrival makes a partner advisable for safety and focus.

What carries more legions, Beleth or Bael?
Bael commands 66 legions. Beleth commands 85 legions. By that measure, Beleth is more powerful, though legion counts in the source texts are inconsistent.

Is Beleth associated with a specific planet?
Later commentators assign Beleth to Mercury and the element of Air, distinguishing him from the solar and fire-aligned kings like Bael and Asmodeus.

The hierarchy of Goetic kings is not the only distinction that matters. For a deeper understanding of how these spirits relate to one another, read our complete guide to Goetic demon hierarchy. The planetary associations of each spirit are mapped in our glossary of Goetic correspondences. And for the specific working that requires Beleth’s intervention, see love magic in the Solomonic tradition. The hazel wand is not a prop. It is the difference between commanding a King and being ignored by one.