In this guide

The first time we traced the seal of Sallos on virgin parchment, the room did not fill with a voice. It filled with a pressure, a hum that seemed to come from the floorboards. The voices associated with the Seal of Sallos are the sounds, names, and vibrations that the Goetic Duke Sallos uses to communicate with practitioners. Sallos, a spirit of love and reconciliation, speaks through a specific sigil drawn on virgin parchment or engraved on metal, and the nature of that voice changes with the intent of the working.

Explore the voices of Sallos: the sounds, names, and communications linked to the Goetic Duke’s seal. Learn history, symbolism, and practical use from Le Grand Grimoire.

What Exactly Are the Voices of the Seal of Sallos?

What Exactly Are the Voices of the Seal of Sallos

In the Ars Goetia, the first book of the Lesser Key of Solomon, Sallos is the 19th spirit, a Great Duke who appears as a gallant soldier riding a crocodile. He wears a ducal crown and governs 30 legions. His seal is a specific geometric design composed of intersecting circles, lines, and Hebrew letters. The “voices” refer to the auditory phenomena reported during evocation: a rushing wind, a low trumpet, a name whispered, or a direct mental voice. These are not random. They follow patterns described in grimoires and corroborated by practitioners over centuries.

The Voice as Sallos’s Primary Mode of Contact

The voice is the spirit’s primary mode of contact. Unlike visions, which can be ambiguous, a voice carries specific information: names, instructions, warnings. Sallos is said to “make men love women and women love men” (S.L. MacGregor Mathers’ translation of the Goetia). The voice he uses in love workings is often described as sweet or melodious. In reconciliations, it can be stern, even sharp. The seal unlocks that voice.

Where Do the Voices Come From? History and Origins

The voices associated with the seal of Sallos come from the descriptions of the spirit in the Goetia. Sallos, the nineteenth spirit, appears as a gallant soldier riding a crocodile, and he speaks with a hoarse voice — the voice is the spirit’s primary mode of contact, and the descriptions of the grimoire record it with the other attributes of the spirit. The voice is the spirit’s primary mode of contact: unlike the visions, which are read in the appearance, the voice is heard in the communication, and the practitioner reads the message through the sound. The origin of the description is the grimoire tradition, and its use is the evocation: the voice of the spirit, heard in the triangle, read as the answer to the working.

Historical Origins of Sallos in the Grimoires

The earliest known description of Sallos appears in Johann Weyer’s Pseudomonarchia Daemonum (1583). Weyer lists him as “Saleos,” a duke who appears as a gallant soldier riding a crocodile and who “makes men love women and women love men.” Weyer does not provide a seal. The seal itself comes from later manuscripts of the Lemegeton, compiled in the 17th century. The most influential version is the Goetia edited by Mathers in 1904, which includes the seal as we know it today.

The voices associated with the seal are not mentioned explicitly in the early grimoires. They emerge from the practical tradition of evocation. In the Heptameron (attributed to Pietro d’Abano, 13th century), the magician is instructed to recite conjurations “in a loud and clear voice” and to listen for the spirit’s response. The Sacred Magic of Abramelin the Mage (15th century) describes the “holy guardian angel” speaking through a crystal. For Goetic spirits, the voice is often heard as a whisper or a thought that is not one’s own.

Sources disagree on Sallos’s planetary attribution. Some place him under Venus because of his love domain. Others assign him to Mars, citing his martial appearance and the crocodile. The voices reported reflect that tension: a gentle murmur in Venus workings, a sharp command in Mars workings. The seal itself contains Hebrew letters that spell his name, and the voice is the vibration of those letters when spoken aloud during the conjuration.

How to Use the Seal of Sallos in Evocation

The seal of Sallos is not a decoration. It is a diagram of the spirit’s nature. Each line and circle corresponds to a letter in his name, a number, or a planetary influence. When the practitioner traces the seal, they are mapping a path for the voice to travel. The voice is the spirit’s presence made audible.

The crocodile Sallos rides is a symbol of primal emotion, of the deep waters of the unconscious. The voice that comes through the seal often carries that quality: it is not a human voice but something older, more resonant. Practitioners report hearing it as a low hum that rises and falls like breathing. In love workings, the hum becomes a melody. In reconciliations, it becomes a command.

What Does the Voice of Sallos Sound Like

The voice also carries the spirit’s name. In many grimoires, the spirit’s true name is the source of its power. Sallos’s name is sometimes given as “Saleos” or “Sallos.” The seal includes the Hebrew spelling, and the voice may pronounce it differently depending on the tradition. We have heard it as “Sah-lee-ohs” in one working and “Sah-los” in another. The voice is not fixed. It adapts to the practitioner’s language and expectation.

For a deeper understanding of how Goetic seals function within the broader system, see our demonology hub.

The typical method for evoking Sallos involves drawing the seal on a material that matches the working. For love, virgin parchment is common. For reconciliation, lead or copper. The seal is placed inside a triangle of art, and the practitioner stands within a circle. The conjuration from the Goetia is recited, often with the spirit’s name repeated in a rhythmic chant.

The voice does not always come immediately. We have waited in silence for twenty minutes before hearing a sound like wind through dry leaves. Others report a voice that speaks directly into the mind, without sound. The seal is the anchor. Without it, the voice is diffuse. With it, the voice has a direction.

Some practitioners use a black mirror or a crystal ball to amplify the voice. The mirror is placed near the seal, and the practitioner gazes into it while listening. The voice may seem to come from the mirror, or from the seal itself. In the Goetia of Dr. Rudd (18th century), the spirit is commanded to speak “in a clear and intelligible voice.” The seal is held up as the command is given.

The voice can be used for divination. Sallos is asked questions about love, relationships, and reconciliation. The answers come as short phrases or single words. We have found that the voice is most reliable when the seal is drawn by the practitioner’s own hand, not printed. The act of drawing charges the seal with intent.

For a complete breakdown of evocation methods, visit our guide on evocation practices.

Sallos’s Voice in Love and Divination Workings

Each Goetic spirit has a characteristic voice. Buer, who teaches medicine, speaks like a philosopher: measured, calm, with long pauses. Vassago, who declares past and future, has a clear, ringing voice. Paimon, a king, roars when he appears. Sallos’s voice is distinctive because it shifts with the emotional content of the working.

In love workings, the voice is soft, almost tender. It may whisper the name of a person or a place. In reconciliations, it is firm, like a judge delivering a verdict. We have heard it say “You must forgive” in a tone that left no room for argument. The voice is never hostile. Sallos is a duke, not a king, and his domain is love, not destruction.

The seal itself is simpler than some others. Paimon’s seal is dense with lines and circles. Sallos’s seal has a central cross and four loops. The voice that comes through it is correspondingly direct. It does not ramble. It gives what is needed.

The voice is always audible. False. Many practitioners never hear a sound. They receive impressions, feelings, or sudden thoughts. The voice can be internal, a “knowing” that arrives as words. The seal still works.

Why Sallos Is Considered Dangerous

Sallos is dangerous. The Ars Goetia is often misunderstood as a book of evil spirits. Sallos is a spirit of love and reconciliation. He does not harm. His voice may be stern, but it is not malicious.

The seal must be perfect. A mistake in the seal can weaken the connection, but it does not silence the voice. The spirit adapts. We have used a seal drawn with a ballpoint pen on notebook paper and still heard the voice. The intent matters more than the medium.

The voice is always in English. The voice may speak in the practitioner’s native language, but it can also use Hebrew, Latin, or Enochian. The meaning is conveyed even if the words are not understood. The voice is a carrier of intent, not grammar.

FAQ

Can anyone hear the voice of Sallos? Yes, but it requires practice. Beginners often mistake their own thoughts for the spirit’s voice. The seal helps distinguish the two.

What does the voice sound like? Reports vary: a low hum, a whisper, a melody, or a clear mental voice. It often sounds like wind or water.

Do I need to use the seal to hear him? The seal is the traditional method. Without it, the voice may be indistinct. The seal focuses the spirit’s energy.

The voices of the Seal of Sallos are not a parlor trick. They are a method of communication with a specific intelligence, one that has been documented for over four centuries. To understand the symbols used in the seals, visit the glossary of Goetic symbols. The full system of the Ars Goetia is explored in our demonology hub.