A medieval conjuror once sat across from a sealed brass vessel, reciting the Lemegeton by candlelight. He believed the spirit inside could grant him a familiar, build towers in an hour, and reveal the secrets of every friend and enemy. He also believed that if his faith wavered for a single breath, the spirit would turn on him. Malphas, the 39th spirit of the Goetia, does not ask for belief in God. He asks for belief in the contract itself. That is the core of his relationship to faith: not piety, but transactional certainty.
Malphas appears as a crow, then takes human shape with a raucous voice. He builds houses, finds lost things, and delivers familiars. But every grimoire that names him also warns that the conjuror’s faith must be absolute. The spirit tests it. And if the conjuror flinches, the spirit does not obey.
Where the Goetic Spirits Came From
The 72 spirits of the Goetia appear in the Lemegeton Clavicula Salomonis, a grimoire compiled in the 17th century but drawing on earlier Jewish, Arabic, and European magical traditions. The earliest known manuscript dates to around 1640, housed in the British Library as Sloane MS 3648. The text presents itself as the work of King Solomon, who bound the spirits into a bronze vessel and sealed them with divine names.
Malphas is listed as a great president of hell, ruling 40 legions. His sigil is drawn on parchment made from a virgin lamb’s skin. The instructions for summoning him require the magician to be in a state of ritual purity, to wear specific vestments, and to speak the conjurations with unwavering conviction.
The grimoire tradition is not a theology. It is a technology. The spirits are not worshipped. They are commanded. And the only thing that makes the command hold is the operator’s faith in the authority of the names, the seals, and the ritual itself.
What Malphas Actually Demands
Malphas does not ask for moral faith. He does not test whether you believe in Christ or in the angels. He tests whether you believe that you have the right to command him.
The Lemegeton instructions are explicit: the conjuror must recite the names of God, the angels, and the spirits without hesitation. Any mistake, any doubt, any tremor in the voice, and the spirit may refuse to appear or may deceive the conjuror. This is not a test of virtue. It is a test of nerve.
In practice, this means the conjuror’s faith is placed in the ritual structure itself. The sigil, the circle, the triangle of art, the timing, the planetary hour. These are not symbols of a larger belief. They are the belief. The magician trusts that if every detail is correct, the spirit must obey.
Malphas, like many Goetic spirits, is said to be a deceiver by nature. He will lie, misdirect, and test the operator’s resolve. The only defense is absolute certainty. If the conjuror doubts the sigil’s power, the spirit knows. If the conjuror questions whether the names are correct, the spirit exploits it.
The Historical Context of Ritual Faith
The Goetia emerged from a world where magic and religion were not separate. Medieval and Renaissance magicians were often clergy. They saw no contradiction between invoking spirits and attending Mass. But the faith required for the Goetia was different from the faith required for prayer.
Prayer asks. Conjuration demands.
The difference is crucial. In prayer, doubt is forgiven. In conjuration, doubt breaks the operation. The magician must believe not that God will help, but that the ritual compels. This is a faith in mechanics, not in mercy.
Heinrich Cornelius Agrippa, in his Three Books of Occult Philosophy (1533), argued that the operator’s imagination and will were the real engines of magic. The ritual was a tool to focus them. Later occultists like Eliphas Levi (1810-1875) refined this into the doctrine that the spirits were not external beings but projections of the magician’s own mind. In that view, faith in the ritual becomes faith in oneself.
Malphas, then, is a mirror. The spirit shows the conjuror whether their faith is real or performative.
How the Conjuror Prepares for Malphas
The preparation for summoning Malphas is not casual. The Lemegeton requires a period of fasting, confession, and purification. The conjuror must abstain from sexual activity, alcohol, and certain foods. The purpose is not moral purity in a modern sense. It is to build the concentration and certainty that the ritual demands.
The sigil of Malphas is drawn on virgin parchment with the blood of a black hen or with consecrated ink. The circle is drawn on the ground with a consecrated sword or knife. The triangle of art is placed outside the circle, where the spirit will appear.
The conjuror recites the conjurations from memory. No reading. No hesitation. The voice must be steady. The mind must be empty of everything except the names and the seal.
This is where faith becomes visible. A conjuror who has not prepared will stumble. A conjuror who doubts will hesitate. Malphas will see it immediately.
What Faith Means in the Goetic Tradition
The Goetia does not use the word “faith” the way a church does. It does not mean belief in the unseen or trust in a benevolent power. It means certainty in the efficacy of the operation.
This is closer to the Latin fides in its original sense: trust in a contract. The magician trusts that the names of God are powerful. The spirit trusts that the magician has the authority to use them. If either side breaks the contract, the operation fails.
Malphas is particularly associated with this transactional faith because his domain includes building, finding, and revealing. He is a spirit of practical results. He does not offer spiritual enlightenment. He offers a familiar that will serve the magician. He offers knowledge of hidden things. He offers structures built in hours.
The faith required to work with Malphas is the faith that these results are possible. That a spirit can build a tower overnight. That a familiar can be bound to serve for life. That the hidden words of friends and enemies can be known.
This is not faith in the abstract. It is faith in a specific outcome.
Malphas Compared to Other Goetic Spirits
Not all Goetic spirits demand the same kind of faith. Bael, the first spirit, appears as a king with three heads. He is commanding but not deceptive. Paimon, the ninth spirit, is described as obedient and loyal to the conjuror. Neither tests the operator’s resolve the way Malphas does.
Malphas is grouped with spirits like Raum and Balam, who are known for deception and testing. The Lemegeton warns that these spirits will lie unless the conjuror holds them to the oath. The oath is sworn on the names of God and the seals of Solomon. If the conjuror’s faith in those names is weak, the spirit will find the crack.
This is why the Goetia is not a beginner’s practice. The spirits are not friendly. They are not evil in a Christian sense, but they are not benevolent. They are forces that must be bound. And binding requires a faith that is stronger than the spirit’s resistance.
Common Misconceptions About Malphas and Faith
One common error is that the Goetia requires faith in the Christian God. It does not. The names used in the conjurations are drawn from Jewish, Christian, and Islamic traditions, but the power is in the name itself, not in the belief behind it. A Jewish magician, a Christian magician, and a pagan magician can all use the same conjurations if they speak them with certainty.
Another misconception is that Malphas is a demon who tempts the conjuror to sin. The Goetia does not frame the spirits as tempters. They are servants. The sin, if any, is in the conjuror’s intention. Malphas does not care whether the conjuror is good or evil. He cares whether the conjuror can hold the circle.
A third error is that faith in the Goetia is the same as faith in a deity. It is not. The conjuror does not pray to Malphas. The conjuror commands Malphas. The faith is in the authority to command, not in the spirit’s goodwill.
FAQ
Does working with Malphas require religious faith? No. It requires faith in the ritual structure and the operator’s own authority. Religious belief can support that faith, but it is not necessary.
Can Malphas be summoned without a grimoire? The Lemegeton provides the specific names, seals, and conjurations. Without them, the operator has no authority to command. Faith without structure is not enough.
What happens if the conjuror’s faith wavers during the summoning? The spirit may refuse to appear, may lie, or may attack. The grimoires warn that hesitation invites deception.
Is Malphas dangerous to work with? He is described as a deceiver. A conjuror who cannot hold absolute certainty should not attempt the operation. The danger is not damnation but misdirection and loss of control.
The Faith That Holds the Circle
Malphas teaches a hard lesson about faith. It is not a feeling. It is not a hope. It is a decision made before the circle is drawn and held without flinching while the spirit tests it. The crow that becomes a man does not care what you believe in your heart. He cares what you speak with your mouth and whether your hand trembles on the seal.
That is the faith the Goetia demands. And it is the only kind that works.
For a deeper understanding of the spirits Malphas commands alongside, see our complete guide to demonology and the Goetia. The sigil of Malphas and its variations are documented in our glossary of Goetic seals. For the practical steps of summoning and binding, read our guide to working with Malphas.