- Definition: what the seal of Naberius is
- History and origins: from the Lemegeton manuscripts to modern practice
- Symbolism and meaning: what the lines say
- Practices and traditions: how the seal is used in evocation
- Comparisons: Naberius’s seal against other goetic seals
- Common misconceptions about the seal of Naberius
When Johann Weyer first catalogued the seventy-two spirits in his 1583 Pseudomonarchia Daemonum, he gave each a name and a description but no seal. The seals were added later, in the seventeenth-century manuscripts of the Lemegeton. Naberius’s seal is one of the simplest: a circle, a cross, and a few lines that take a practiced eye to read. Yet simplicity carries meaning. The seal of Naberius is the magical diagram used in goetic evocation to constrain and command the spirit Naberius, a marquis of hell who teaches rhetoric and restores lost dignities. It is a binding device, a key, and a contract all at once.
The circle encloses a central cross. The lower arm of the cross drops into a half-circle that curves upward, and two straight lines angle inward from the left and right edges. That is the whole composition. No Hebrew letters, no planetary signs, no elaborate knots. The seal is the 24th in the Goetic sequence, corresponding to a spirit who is said to appear as a crow or as a warrior in crown and armor, and whose office is to make a man cunning in arts and sciences, especially rhetoric. The seal is the tool through which that office is accessed.
Definition: what the seal of Naberius is
The seal of Naberius is a talismanic diagram assigned to the spirit Naberius in the Ars Goetia, the first book of the Lemegeton of Solomon. It is drawn on parchment or metal and placed within the triangle of art during evocation. Its purpose is to compel the spirit to appear visibly and to answer true questions. The seal functions as a lock and key: the circle bounds the spirit’s power, the cross asserts the evoker’s authority. Without the seal, the evocation cannot proceed according to the traditional method outlined in the Goetia.
History and origins: from the Lemegeton manuscripts to modern practice
The earliest known manuscript of the Lemegeton dates to the late 1600s, though the material it contains is older. The seals of the seventy-two spirits were drawn by scribes who copied earlier sources now lost. Naberius’s seal appears in these manuscripts with minor variations: sometimes the cross is a simple Latin cross, sometimes the lower line splits into a Y shape. The standard version that later printers adopted comes from the edition produced by Samuel Liddell MacGregor Mathers and Aleister Crowley in 1904, which used the Sloane manuscripts from the British Library.
The historical name “Naberius” likely derives from the Latin nebulae (clouds) or from the Greek Naberis, perhaps connected to the god of death. Weyer called him “Naberus” and described him as a marquis who appears as a crow and makes a man witty in all arts. The conflation with Cerberus, the three-headed hound of Hades, is common in later texts but unsupported by the early manuscripts. The seal itself has no canine imagery.
For the people who first drew these seals, the act was not symbolic. It was a practical step in a rite that demanded exact materials and timing. The Lemegeton instructs the practitioner to make the seals on virgin parchment or engraved on a metal plate (gold, silver, or copper), with the planet and hour appropriate to the spirit. Naberius falls under the planetary hierarchy of Mars, according to some systems, but the Goetia does not specify a planet for each spirit; practitioners supply that correspondence.
Symbolism and meaning: what the lines say
The seal’s geometry carries meaning that the practitioner reads as a set of constraints. The double circle (in most versions) represents the boundary between the material world and the spirit realm. The cross inside is a symbol of authority, borrowed from Christian talismanic magic: it asserts the name of the God of Abraham over the spirit. But the cross is not the same as a crucifix. It is a solar cross, an equal-armed shape, which in the goetic tradition signifies the intersection of spirit and matter, the point where invocation becomes evocation.
The two inward lines from the sides: these are sometimes interpreted as the gates of perception, or as the “roads” by which the spirit enters the triangle. In the Goetia of Solomon translation by Peterson, the seal is described as having “two lines that curve inward like arms.” That gesture of openness suggests Naberius’s special office: rhetoric is about making the unseen heard, turning thought into persuasive speech. The seal mirrors that function.
The half-circle at the bottom of the cross is a crescent, often associated with the moon. Naberius is a shape-shifter, appearing as a crow, and the crescent symbolizes transformation. Taken together, the seal is a microcosm of the spirit’s nature: bound in authority (the circle), authorized by divine mandate (the cross), and capable of shifting form (the crescent).
Practices and traditions: how the seal is used in evocation
We draw the seal with clear intention. The materials matter: virgin parchment (from a lamb or kid, never from a predator) or a metal plate engraved with a steel stylus. The ink we use is consecrated: a mix of dragon’s blood resin, gum arabic, and rainwater collected at the new moon. Some practitioners add a drop of their own blood, but that is a personal choice, not a requirement of the text.
The seal is placed inside the triangle of art, which sits outside the magic circle. The triangle is the place where the spirit manifests. The circle is where the practitioner stands. The seal, laid flat on the ground or placed on a small altar, acts as a beacon. The spirit is bound to appear over it.
Timing: many choose the hour of Mars (first planetary hour of the day or night of Tuesday) or the hour of the spirit’s own planetary affinity. Naberius belongs to the rank of marquis, and his seal is often employed for questions about lost objects, persuasive writing, or regaining honor. The evocation itself follows the standard Goetic formula: the Lemegeton provides a conjuration, and the seal is shown to the spirit at the climax of the rite.
One detail: in the manuscript tradition, the seal is drawn with the name of the spirit and its sigil together. Naberius’s seal does not include his name in letters, only the graphic symbol. That is unusual among the seventy-two; most have Hebrew or Latin letters inside. The absence of text suggests that the geometric form itself is the name, a pattern that resonates more directly with the spirit’s essence.
Comparisons: Naberius’s seal against other goetic seals
The seals of the three other marquises in the Goetia – Amon, Andras, and Sabnock – all use more complex shapes. Amon’s seal is a circle with a cross and multiple crescent lines. Andras’s seal has a circle with a cross and a diagonal line. Naberius’s seal is the most spare: no internal curves except the half-circle at the bottom. That simplicity aligns with his office: rhetoric values clarity over ornament.
Compared to the seals of kings (Bael, Paimon, Beleth, Purson), the marquis seals are smaller and less intricate. Kings’ seals often include multiple crosses and loops. The hierarchy matters: kings command, marquises serve. Naberius’s seal reflects that subordinate role.
The seal of Naberius is sometimes confused with the seal of Cerberus from the Grimoirium Verum, but that is a different spirit entirely. The Grimoirium Verum includes a seal for Cerberus that shows a three-headed figure. Naberius’s seal has no such imagery; the conflation is phonetic, not iconographic.
Common misconceptions about the seal of Naberius
That the seal alone is enough. The seal is an aid, not a replacement for discipline. Without the full ritual structure of the circle, the triangle, and the conjurations, the seal does nothing. It is a lock without a door.
That any paper will do. The goetic tradition insists on virgin parchment or appropriate metal. Using ordinary printer paper is considered a sign of disrespect, and practitioners report that the evocation fails or the manifestation feels weak.
That Naberius is dangerous because of the Cerberus confusion. Naberius is described as “good of nature” in the Goetia. He teaches arts and restores lost honors. He is not malevolent, though like all spirits he must be commanded with authority.
That the seal can be used for invocation (internal contact). The seal is designed for evocation (external manifestation). Some modern practitioners repurpose it for meditation, but the historical use is strictly evocation. The seal represents the spirit as an independent entity, not a part of the self.
FAQ
Do I need to draw the seal by hand, or can I print it?
By hand is traditional and preferred. The physical act of drawing focuses intent. Printed seals are used by some but are considered less effective.
What metal should I use for Naberius’s seal?
Copper is common for marquis seals. Some use silver for clarity of communication, since Naberius rules rhetoric.
Can the seal be used in a divination spread?
Not traditionally, but some eclectic practitioners place the seal on a pendulum board to obtain yes or no answers. This is modern innovation, not historical practice.
That history explains why the seal is more than a drawing. It is a protocol, a piece of a larger machinery of evocation. The circle, the cross, the crescent: each line holds a thread of the tradition that reaches back to Solomonic manuscripts and forward to anyone who draws it with seriousness.
To learn more about working with the Goetic spirits, visit our demonology and goetia hub. For the meaning of other spirit sigils, see the glossary of goetic sigils. And if you intend to draw your own seals, read our detailed guide on creating seals. For the planetary associations behind ritual timing, the planetary hours glossary explains which hours align with Mars and other influences.