A seventeenth-century scribe, copying the Lemegeton into a new folio, paused at the seal of Decarabia. He had drawn a dozen other seals that morning, but this one’s five-pointed star nested inside a circle made him check the original twice. The observation was not unique. The seal of Decarabia, the 69th spirit of the Ars Goetia, is one of the few that uses a perfect pentagram as its central motif, and that geometric clarity has led practitioners to ask whether it is more effective, or simply different, from the other 71 seals. The answer lies less in raw power than in tradition, design, and the specific relationship between the spirit and its sigil.
Comparative effectiveness in the context of Goetic seals means how reliably a given seal reproduces across manuscripts, how clearly it encodes the spirit’s nature, and how easily the operator can visualize it during evocation. Decarabia’s seal is not the most complex, nor the simplest, but its structure gives it a distinctive place in the solomonic tradition.
Where the Seal of Decarabia Comes From
The seal of Decarabia first appears in the Lemegeton Clavicula Salomonis (the Lesser Key of Solomon), a grimoire compiled in the mid-1600s from earlier medieval sources. The earliest known manuscript, Sloane 3825 (British Library, ca. 1640), contains the seal as we know it: a circle with a five-pointed star at its center, the star’s points touching the inner circumference. Later copies, including the Harley 6483 (ca. 1670) and Add MS 36674 (18th century), introduce minor variations in line thickness and the presence of small dots inside the star’s angles.
What makes the seal historically notable is its consistency. Many Goetic seals changed shape dramatically between manuscripts. The seal of Bathin, for example, lost its central character in several copies. Decarabia’s seal, by contrast, remained recognizably the same across four centuries, probably because the pentagram is a stable geometric figure that copyists found easy to reproduce. The seal’s survival tells us that the tradition valued clarity for this particular spirit.
What the Pentagram Means in Decarabia’s Seal
The five-pointed star is the spirit’s own chosen form. According to the Ars Goetia, Decarabia appears first as a star in a pentacle, and only when commanded takes the shape of a bird. The seal therefore does not represent the spirit’s name or number, but its manifestation. The circle around the star is the boundary of the evocation, the limit within which the spirit is contained. Every line in the seal reinforces that duality: the star is the spirit, the circle is the operator’s control.
Compare this to the seal of Buer, which uses a complex series of intersecting lines that resemble botanical forms, reflecting Buer’s knowledge of herbs. Or the seal of Vassago, which contains a cross and curved lines that suggest a divining rod. Each seal encodes the spirit’s domain. Decarabia’s seal encodes the spirit’s appearance. That makes it one of the few seals where the geometry directly mirrors the spirit’s primary description in the text.
How the Seal Is Used in Practice
The seal of Decarabia is drawn on virgin parchment or paper, traditionally with a compass and ruler, using black ink. The operator traces the circle first, then the star, then the small dots or lines that appear in some manuscript versions. The seal is then placed inside the triangle of evocation, or worn on the operator’s chest, depending on the ritual.
In the Goetia of Aleister Crowley (1904), the seal is reproduced with a small central dot and a line that bisects the star’s uppermost point. This version, derived from the Mathers translation of the Lemegeton, is the one most commonly used in modern practice. Some practitioners choose to draw the seal in blue ink, associating the star with the element of spirit, but the historical sources specify black.
The seal’s relative simplicity makes it ideal for beginners. The pentagram is a familiar shape, and the circle is easy to draw evenly. Seals like those of Balam or Gusion, with their multiple intersecting curves and Hebrew characters, require more skill and time to produce accurately. Misdrawing a seal is considered a serious error, so the operator’s ability to reproduce the design is a factor in its effectiveness. Decarabia’s seal is forgiving in that sense.
Decarabia’s Seal Compared to Other Goetic Seals
When comparing the seals of the 72 spirits, one can group them by complexity. Simple seals (those with fewer than ten lines) include Decarabia, Bifrons (a circle with a cross), and Morax (a circle with a triangle). Complex seals (twenty or more lines) include Balam, Agares, and Paimon. The effectiveness of a simple seal is not lower than a complex one; it is simply different. A complex seal gives the operator more visual anchors for concentration, but also more opportunities for error.
Decarabia’s seal is also notable for its lack of text. Many seals, such as Asmodeus and Astaroth, incorporate Hebrew or Latin letters. Decarabia’s seal uses only geometric shapes. This makes it more portable across cultures and languages, a point noted by the Grimorium Verum (18th century) when it borrowed Goetic seals for its own hierarchy.
Historical accounts of effectiveness are rare. The Lemegeton offers no ranking. But in the Heptameron (1496), a different tradition, the seal of the angel of the day is said to be “more powerful” if drawn with the correct planetary metal. The Goetic texts do not make such claims. The seal is a tool, not a talisman. Its effectiveness depends on the operator’s purity of intent, not the shape of the lines.
Common Misconceptions About the Seal
“Decarabia’s seal is more powerful because it uses a pentagram.”
The pentagram is a protective symbol in many traditions, but in the Goetia it is simply the spirit’s form. It does not make the seal inherently stronger. The seal of Paimon, which uses a cross and a curved line, is for a king of the Goetia, a spirit of higher rank. Rank, not seal design, determines power.
“The seal alone is enough to summon the spirit.”
No historical grimoire treats the seal as sufficient. The seal is one component of the full ritual, which includes the circle, the triangle, the incantation, and the operator’s own state. The seal without the ritual is a drawing, not a key.
“All versions of Decarabia’s seal are equally valid.”
Manuscript variations do exist. The earliest Sloane 3825 version has no dots inside the star; later versions add them. The modern practitioner should choose one stable source and adhere to it. Mixing versions is ahistorical.
“The seal must be destroyed after use.”
Some traditions require the seal to be burned or buried. Others preserve it for reuse. The Ars Goetia does not specify. The decision is left to the operator’s tradition.
FAQ
Can I use Decarabia’s seal without the full ritual?
The seal is part of a system. Using it alone may produce no result, or a confused one, because the ritual context provides the boundaries and the authority of the operator.
Is Decarabia’s seal the same in all medieval manuscripts?
No, but it is one of the most consistent. The main difference is the presence of small dots in the star’s angles. The overall shape remains a pentagram in a circle.
Which seal is considered the most complex?
The seal of Balam is often cited as the most intricate, with over twenty intersecting lines and multiple enclosed sections. The seal of Decarabia is among the simplest.
Does the seal’s color matter?
Historical sources specify black ink. Some modern practitioners use blue for the star or red for the circle, but these are personal innovations, not traditional.
Closing
The seal of Decarabia is not the most versatile or the most powerful seal in the Goetia, but it is one of the most structurally honest. It shows you exactly what the spirit is: a star contained. That clarity is a form of effectiveness. For a deeper look at how the seals are constructed and used, explore our guide to Goetic seals. To understand the spirits themselves, visit the demonology vertical. And for the definitions of key terms like sigil, pentacle, and triangle of evocation, check the glossary of sigils.