- What is the Lesser Key of Solomon? The Definition and the Problem
- The Manuscripts: What Survives and What Differs
- How the Printed Edition Changed the Text
- The Symbolism: What the Manuscripts Reveal About the Tradition
- The Historical Context: Who Wrote the Lemegeton?
- Common Misconceptions About the Lesser Key of Solomon
- Closing
A German scholar in 1898 opened a seventeenth-century manuscript bound in vellum and found something unexpected. The text claimed to be the work of King Solomon, but the margins held annotations in a hand that belonged to a Victorian occultist named Samuel Liddell MacGregor Mathers. The book was not one thing. It was a palimpsest of centuries. The Lesser Key of Solomon, also called the Lemegeton, is a seventeenth-century grimoire that survives in at least seven manuscript copies, none of which match the printed version most readers know today.
The printed edition published by Aleister Crowley in 1904 under the title The Goetia: The Lesser Key of Solomon is the version that shaped modern ceremonial magic. But it is not the original. The manuscripts differ in structure, spirit lists, seals, and even the number of demons. Understanding those differences is not academic trivia. It changes how a practitioner reads the text. ---
What is the Lesser Key of Solomon? The Definition and the Problem
The Lesser Key of Solomon (Latin Lemegeton Clavicula Salomonis) is a seventeenth-century English grimoire that compiles five books of ritual magic: Goetia (72 demons), Theurgia Goetia (31 aerial spirits), Ars Paulina (spirits of the hours and zodiac), Ars Almadel (20 spirits of the celestial spheres), and Ars Notoria (prayers for knowledge and memory). The title distinguishes it from the older Greater Key of Solomon, a medieval text focused on planetary magic and talismans. The problem begins with the word “original.” No autograph manuscript survives. The earliest known copies date to the 1640s, but the text itself claims to be a translation from Hebrew originals that Solomon himself wrote. No scholar accepts that claim. The Lemegeton is a compilation of earlier magical traditions, some traceable to medieval Arabic texts, others to Renaissance occultists like Heinrich Cornelius Agrippa. ---
The Manuscripts: What Survives and What Differs
Seven major manuscripts of the Lemegeton survive from the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. Each one tells a different story.
Sloane MS 273 (British Library, c. 1680)
The most complete early manuscript. It contains all five books in order, with spirit seals drawn in ink and occasional watercolor washes. The Goetia lists 72 demons with their sigils, ranks, and functions. This manuscript became the basis for most modern editions.
Sloane MS 3825 (British Library, c. 1640)
The oldest dated copy. It lacks the Ars Notoria entirely and rearranges the order of the other books. The spirit names show variant spellings: Buer appears as “Buer” here but “Buer” in Sloane 273. Small differences, but they matter to anyone trying to invoke a specific entity.
Harley MS 6483 (British Library, c. 1700)
A late copy with elaborate illustrations. The demon seals are drawn inside decorative borders, and the text includes prayers not found in other manuscripts. Some scholars argue these additions came from a separate tradition of Solomonic magic.
Additional MS 36674 (British Library, c. 1700)
This manuscript contains only the Goetia and the Ars Paulina. It omits the Theurgia Goetia, the Ars Almadel, and the Ars Notoria. A reader using this copy would have no idea the full Lemegeton contained five books.
Wellcome MS 3202 (Wellcome Library, c. 1700)
A peculiar copy that combines the Lemegeton with alchemical recipes. The spirit seals are drawn in red ink, and the demon names are given in what appears to be a coded cipher. The text includes marginal notes in Latin that curse anyone who reads the book without proper consecration.
Rawlinson MS D. 1063 (Bodleian Library, c. 1700)
A fragment. It contains only the Goetia and the first few pages of the Theurgia Goetia. The rest of the manuscript was lost or never copied.
King’s MS 288 (British Library, c. 1720)
The latest of the major manuscripts. It shows signs of heavy use: worn edges, stained pages, and annotations in two different hands. One annotator corrected the spirit names against a copy of Agrippa’s Three Books of Occult Philosophy. ---
How the Printed Edition Changed the Text
When Aleister Crowley published The Goetia: The Lesser Key of Solomon in 1904, he did not reproduce any single manuscript. He worked from Sloane MS 273 but made changes.
The Missing Books
Crowley published only the Goetia. He omitted the Theurgia Goetia, Ars Paulina, Ars Almadel, and Ars Notoria. The title page of his edition reads “The Goetia,” not “The Lesser Key of Solomon.” For decades, readers assumed the two were the same. They are not. The Lemegeton is five books. Crowley gave them one.
The Invocation System
Crowley added his own commentary and a new method of invocation based on the Enochian system of John Dee. The manuscripts prescribe a circle, a triangle, and the recitation of specific conjurations. Crowley replaced those with a system of “assumption of godforms” drawn from the Golden Dawn. A practitioner using Crowley’s method is not doing the same ritual as a seventeenth-century magician.
The Spirit Seals
The seals in Crowley’s edition were redrawn by his colleague J.F.C. Fuller. They differ from the manuscript versions in line weight, proportion, and sometimes in the number of strokes. The seal of Bael in Sloane 273 has three distinct curves. Fuller’s version has four. Small differences, but in ceremonial magic, the seal is the spirit’s signature. A wrong line is a wrong address. ---
The Symbolism: What the Manuscripts Reveal About the Tradition
The differences between the manuscripts are not random. They reveal how the Lemegeton was actually used.
The Order of the Books
In Sloane MS 273, the books appear in this order: Goetia, Theurgia Goetia, Ars Paulina, Ars Almadel, Ars Notoria. In Sloane MS 3825, the Ars Paulina comes before the Theurgia Goetia. In Harley MS 6483, the Ars Notoria is placed first. These are not scribal errors. They reflect different theories about which spirits should be contacted first. A magician who started with the Ars Notoria was seeking knowledge before power. One who started with the Goetia was seeking power before knowledge.
The Spirit Hierarchies
The manuscripts disagree on the ranks of the 72 demons. In Sloane 273, Paimon is a king. In Harley 6483, he is a prince. In Rawlinson D. 1063, he is both. The confusion suggests that the Lemegeton was compiled from multiple sources that used different ranking systems. A practitioner who wants to invoke Paimon as a king must decide which manuscript to follow.
The Protective Circles
The manuscripts include diagrams of the circle and triangle used in evocation. No two are identical. Sloane 273 shows a circle with four pentagrams and the names of God written in Hebrew. Harley 6483 adds the names of the four archangels. Wellcome 3202 includes alchemical symbols alongside the divine names. The circle was not a fixed template. It was adapted to the magician’s tradition. ---
The Historical Context: Who Wrote the Lemegeton?
The Lemegeton was compiled in England during the seventeenth century, a period when magic was illegal but widely practiced. The Witchcraft Act of 1604 made conjuring spirits a capital offense. The manuscripts were copied in secret, often by clergymen who had access to Latin and Hebrew texts.
The Role of the Clergy
Many of the earliest owners of Lemegeton manuscripts were Anglican priests. Sloane MS 273 bears the signature of a Reverend John Dee (no relation to the Elizabethan magician). Harley MS 6483 was owned by a chaplain at Oxford. These men were not rebels. They were scholars who believed that Solomonic magic was a legitimate branch of natural philosophy, distinct from witchcraft.
The Influence of Agrippa
The Lemegeton draws heavily on Heinrich Cornelius Agrippa’s Three Books of Occult Philosophy (1533). The spirit names, the planetary hours, the use of Hebrew divine names, and the structure of the conjurations all show Agrippa’s influence. But the Lemegeton is not a copy of Agrippa. It simplifies his system. Agrippa gave complex instructions for preparing the magician’s tools. The Lemegeton assumes the reader already has them.
The Connection to the Key of Solomon
The Lemegeton is often confused with the Greater Key of Solomon, but they are different texts. The Greater Key is a medieval grimoire focused on planetary magic, talismans, and the purification of the magician. The Lemegeton is a later compilation focused on spirit evocation. The two texts share some material, but they belong to different traditions. The Greater Key is a book of operations. The Lemegeton is a book of spirits. ---
Common Misconceptions About the Lesser Key of Solomon
Misconception: The Lemegeton is a single, fixed text.
It is not. The manuscripts differ in content, order, and spirit lists. The printed edition by Crowley is a selection, not the whole.
Misconception: The 72 demons are the same in every version.
They are not. Some manuscripts include additional spirits. Sloane 273 lists 72. Harley 6483 lists 74. The extra two are named “Orobas” and “Vapula,” but they appear in different positions in the hierarchy.
Misconception: The seals are universal.
They are not. The seals vary between manuscripts, and some are drawn incorrectly. A practitioner who uses a seal from a modern reprint may be working with a corrupted version.
Misconception: The Lemegeton is a medieval text.
It is not. The earliest manuscripts date to the 1640s, which is the early modern period. The text draws on medieval sources, but it is a product of the seventeenth century. ---
FAQ
Which manuscript should I use for practice?
Sloane MS 273 is the most complete and reliable. It is the basis for most modern editions and contains all five books.
Are the spirits in the Lemegeton dangerous?
The text itself warns that improper use can harm the magician. The spirits are described as hostile to humans, and the conjurations are designed to compel obedience through divine authority.
Can I use Crowley’s edition for serious work?
Yes, but you should be aware that it is incomplete. Crowley omitted four of the five books and changed the invocation method. A serious practitioner should consult the manuscripts.
Why are the spirit names spelled differently?
The manuscripts were copied by hand, and scribes made errors. Some variations are phonetic, others are the result of misreading Latin or Hebrew characters. ---
Closing
The Lesser Key of Solomon is not a single book. It is a family of manuscripts, each with its own emphasis, errors, and secrets. The printed edition that most readers know is a fragment of a larger tradition. For those who want to work with the spirits of the Goetia, the manuscripts offer a more complete and historically grounded path. They also remind us that a grimoire is never finished. Every copy is a conversation between the text and the person who holds it. For a deeper look at the spirits themselves, see our guide to the Goetic demons. To understand the symbols that bind them, visit the glossary of magical seals. And for the full history of Solomonic magic, read our guide to the Key of Solomon.