A priest of the Goetic tradition once told us that the Seal of Aim is the only sigil he draws from memory, even after forty years. The others he checks against the book. This one he knows by hand. The Seal of Aim is the personal sigil of the thirty-second spirit of the Ars Goetia, a great duke who appears as a handsome man with three heads (serpent, man, and cat) and commands twenty-six legions of spirits. The seal is not decoration. It is the key that binds the spirit to the circle and gives the operator authority over the working. Learn to draw the Seal of Aim for ceremonial use: materials, geometry, common errors, and the meaning behind each line.
What Is the Seal of Aim?
The Seal of Aim is a geometric diagram composed of intersecting curves, straight lines, and specific angles that represent the spirit’s rank, office, and planetary correspondence. In the Lemegeton manuscripts (the earliest surviving copies date to the 17th century, though the tradition is older), each of the 72 Goetic spirits has a unique seal. These seals are not arbitrary. They encode the spirit’s nature through their shape, the number of lines, and the angles formed at each intersection. Aim (also spelled Aym or Aini) rules over the element of fire and is associated with the planet Mars. His seal reflects this: sharp angles, a central cross-like structure, and curves that echo the serpent’s head he bears. The seal is drawn on parchment made from the skin of a virgin animal (traditionally calf or goat) using the blood of a bat or the operator’s own blood, though modern practitioners often substitute red ink or dragon’s blood ink. ---
Where Does the Seal of Aim Come From?
The earliest known appearance of Aim’s seal is in the Lemegeton Clavicula Salomonis, commonly called the Lesser Key of Solomon. The oldest surviving manuscript, Sloane MS 3825, dates to approximately 1640 and is held at the British Library. The seal appears again in the Dictionnaire Infernal (1818) by Jacques Collin de Plancy, where Aim is illustrated with his three heads and the seal is reproduced in the margins. The tradition of spirit seals predates the Goetia by centuries. The Picatrix (a 10th-century Arabic grimoire translated into Latin in 1256) contains similar geometric talismans for planetary spirits. The Clavicula Salomonis (14th-15th century) formalized the practice of drawing seals on specific materials at specific planetary hours. Aim’s seal inherits this older tradition of planetary magic, adapted for the Goetic framework. The seal’s geometry is not decorative. Each line corresponds to a specific invocation. The central cross anchors the spirit to the material plane. The curved lines represent the three heads and the spirit’s ability to move between realms. The angles (all acute, no right angles) reflect Mars’ influence: sharp, aggressive, quick to act. ---
What Does the Seal of Aim Mean?
The seal operates on three levels simultaneously. First, it is a signature. In the Goetic system, the spirit cannot refuse a summons made with its own seal. The seal is the spirit’s name written in geometry, a language that predates human speech. Drawing it correctly is the equivalent of addressing a duke by his full title and lineage. Second, the seal is a map. The lines trace the path the spirit must follow from its station (the sphere of Mars) to the operator’s circle. The central cross is the point of arrival. The curves are the spirit’s trajectory. The angles are the gates it passes through. A seal drawn with incorrect angles will misdirect the spirit or fail to summon it entirely. Third, the seal is a binding. Once the spirit enters the triangle of art (the protective triangle placed outside the circle), the seal is placed beneath the triangle’s apex. The spirit cannot leave until the seal is removed or destroyed. This is why the seal is drawn on a separate piece of parchment, not on the circle itself. The operator controls the spirit’s release. ---
How to Draw the Seal of Aim: The Method
The seal consists of seven distinct elements: a central cross, two curved lines that form a figure-eight pattern, two straight lines at 45-degree angles, and two small circles at specific intersections. The total number of strokes is eleven. Each stroke must be drawn in one continuous motion. Lifting the pen breaks the seal.
Materials
The Ars Goetia specifies the following materials for drawing any Goetic seal: - Parchment: virgin calf or goat skin. Modern practitioners use paper made from cotton or linen, never wood pulp. The surface must be smooth and unbleached.
- Ink: bat’s blood or the operator’s blood. Dragon’s blood resin dissolved in alcohol is the standard substitute. Red ink (cinnabar or vermilion) is acceptable if consecrated.
- Pen: a quill from a crow or raven, or a steel nib that has never been used for mundane writing. The pen must be consecrated before use.
- Tool: a compass for the curves, a straightedge for the lines. The compass must be brass or iron, never plastic.
The Planetary Hour
Aim is a Martian spirit. The seal must be drawn during the planetary hour of Mars on a Tuesday (Mars’ day) or during the hour of Mars on any day. The planetary hours change daily. A table of planetary hours is found in any grimoire or calculated online. Drawing the seal at the wrong hour weakens its power. Drawing it during the hour of Venus or the Moon may attract the wrong spirit entirely.
Step-by-Step
- Prepare the space. Clean the work surface with salt water. Light a single black candle. Place the parchment so its corners align with the cardinal directions. The operator faces east. 2. Draw the central cross. Using the straightedge, draw a vertical line from the top center to the bottom center of the parchment. Then draw a horizontal line from left center to right center, crossing the vertical line at the exact midpoint. The cross must be perfectly centered. Measure it. The arms of the cross should be equal in length. 3. Draw the upper curve. Set the compass to the width of one arm of the cross. Place the compass point at the intersection of the cross (the center). Draw a curve that begins at the top of the vertical line, arcs to the right, and ends at the right end of the horizontal line. This curve forms the upper half of the figure-eight. 4. Draw the lower curve. Without changing the compass width, place the point at the same center. Draw a curve that begins at the bottom of the vertical line, arcs to the left, and ends at the left end of the horizontal line. This completes the figure-eight. The two curves should be symmetrical. If they are not, start over. 5. Draw the left diagonal. Place the straightedge so it passes through the center of the cross and extends to the upper left corner of the parchment. Draw a straight line from the center to the edge of the parchment. This line should be the same length as one arm of the cross. 6. Draw the right diagonal. Place the straightedge so it passes through the center and extends to the lower right corner. Draw a straight line from the center to the edge. The two diagonals should form a 90-degree angle with each other. 7. Draw the small circles. Using the compass at its smallest setting, draw a small circle at the point where the upper curve meets the right end of the horizontal line. Draw a second small circle at the point where the lower curve meets the left end of the horizontal line. These circles represent the spirit’s eyes. They must be perfectly round. 8. Consecrate the seal. Hold the completed seal over the candle flame (not in it) and say: “By the power of the Most High, I consecrate this seal to the service of Aim, Duke of the Goetia. Let it be a key and a binding. So mote it be.”
Asymmetrical curves. The figure-eight must be balanced. If one curve is larger than the other, the spirit will arrive distorted or not at all. Use a compass with a lockable setting. Measure the radius before drawing. Incorrect angles. The diagonals must form a 90-degree angle. A protractor is not forbidden. Use one. The seal’s power depends on geometric precision, not artistic flair. Lifting the pen. Each stroke must be continuous. If you lift the pen, the seal is broken. Start over on a fresh piece of parchment. Do not try to fix it. A repaired seal is a dead seal. Wrong materials. Plastic compasses, wood-pulp paper, and ballpoint pens are not acceptable. The materials matter because they carry specific planetary correspondences. Plastic is a petroleum product with no astrological resonance. Wood-pulp paper decays. Ballpoint ink is synthetic. Use the traditional materials or their closest equivalent. Drawing at the wrong hour. This is the most common error. Practitioners who draw the seal during the hour of the Moon (which rules illusion and deception) report that the spirit appears but speaks falsely. Draw the seal during Mars’ hour. Check the planetary hour table twice. ---
Aim’s seal is structurally similar to the seals of other Martian spirits in the Goetia, particularly Bathin (the 18th spirit) and Balam (the 51st spirit). All three share the central cross and the figure-eight pattern. The differences are in the diagonals and the small circles. Bathin’s seal has three small circles. Balam’s has none. Aim’s two circles are unique. The seal differs sharply from the seals of Jovian spirits like Buer (the 10th spirit) or Zagan (the 61st spirit). Jovian seals use more curves and fewer straight lines. They lack the sharp angles that characterize Martian seals. A practitioner familiar with the system can identify a spirit’s planetary correspondence by looking at its seal alone. The seal also differs from the seals of the Ars Paulina (the second book of the Lemegeton), which govern the hours of the day and night. Those seals are more complex, with multiple concentric circles and Hebrew letters. Aim’s seal is comparatively simple. This is not a sign of lesser power. It is a sign of directness. Martian spirits do not require elaborate summoning. They respond to clarity and force. ---
FAQ
Can I draw the Seal of Aim on paper from a notebook? Yes, if the paper is cotton or linen-based. Most notebook paper is wood pulp and will not hold the consecration. Use paper made for calligraphy or printmaking. Do I need to use blood? No. Dragon’s blood ink is the standard substitute. The Ars Goetia specifies blood, but the tradition has always allowed substitutions for practical reasons. The intent and the consecration matter more than the exact substance. What if I make a mistake while drawing? Start over on a fresh piece of parchment. Do not correct the mistake. A seal with a corrected error is not a true seal. The spirit will recognize the flaw and may refuse to appear. Can I reuse a seal? No. Each working requires a fresh seal. The old seal must be burned after the spirit is dismissed. Reusing a seal weakens the binding and may allow the spirit to remain after the circle is closed. ---
The Seal Is Not the Spirit
The Seal of Aim is a tool, not an object of worship. Drawing it correctly is a discipline, not a magic trick. The seal opens a door. What walks through depends on the operator’s preparation, the circle’s integrity, and the hour’s precision. A well-drawn seal with a sloppy circle will fail. A perfect circle with a flawed seal will fail. The two must work together. For more on the Goetic system, see our guide to demonology and the Goetia. For the seals of related spirits, see our glossary of Goetic symbols. For the ritual framework that surrounds the seal, read our step-by-step guide to the Goetic evocation. The seal is the key. The circle is the door. The operator is the one who turns the lock.