A seventeenth-century manuscript lists seventy-two spirits bound by King Solomon. One of them, Marchosias, appears as a wolf with griffin’s wings. His description is short: he is a marquis, commands thirty legions, and teaches the truth about combat. Those who work with him today begin not with a conjuration in Latin but with a chant. The chant is called his enn. The enn of Marchosias is a short, rhythmic invocation – “Lirach Tasa Vefa Wehlc Marchosias” – used to open communication with the spirit. It is a modern addition to the Goetic tradition, but it has become one of the most common ways to approach this spirit.
Where the enn comes from
The original grimoires do not contain enns. The Lemegeton Clavicula Salomonis (the Lesser Key of Solomon), compiled in the mid-1600s, gives Marchosias a sigil, a rank, and a long conjuration in Latin that commands the spirit to appear. The enn is a later innovation. It first appears in the early 1970s in texts associated with the Order of the Nine Angles, a British occult group that developed a system of “enns” for each of the seventy-two demons. The words themselves are drawn from Enochian, the angelic language recorded by John Dee and Edward Kelley in the sixteenth century.
The ONA’s version of the enn is “Lirach Tasa Vefa Wehlc Marchosias.” A slightly different rendering appears in the Book of the Black Serpent and in the writings of modern demonolaters such as S. Connolly, who republished the enns in her 2005 The Complete Book of Demonolatry. The exact origin of the phrase remains unconfirmed, but the practice of chanting enns spread rapidly through online forums in the early 2000s. Today it is the most common way for solitary practitioners to approach Marchosias without the full apparatus of the Solomonic circle.
What the words mean
The enn is not a random string of sounds. “Lirach Tasa Vefa Wehlc” is a modified Enochian sentence. In Enochian, “Lirach” is related to “Lira” (a verb meaning “to speak” or “to call”). “Tasa” can be interpreted as “approach” or “come.” “Vefa” is a preposition meaning “by” or “with.” “Wehlc” is harder to pin down but may be a corruption of “Veh” (to be) or a name. The entire phrase is often glossed as “I call you by the power of the Vefa Wehlc” or simply “Come, Marchosias, by the power of the Vefa Wehlc.”
This is not a translation that would satisfy a philologist. The Enochian in the enns is fragmented, reshaped, and mixed with invented syllables. What matters in practice is its effect as a vibrational key. The sound of the enn, repeated aloud, creates a resonance that the practitioner uses to shift their awareness. The words act as a bridge between the speaker and the spirit – a sonic sigil, not a petition.
How to use the Marchosias enn in practice
The enn is meant to be chanted, not read. You do not whisper it. You do not shout it. You speak it with a steady, rhythmic cadence, letting each syllable vibrate in your chest. The breath is the carrier. Inhale fully, then exhale the word “Liiiiirach” on a long, low tone, letting the voice drop in pitch. Then “Taaaaaasa,” then “Veeeeefa,” then “Weeeehlc,” then “Mar-cho-siiiiiias.” The final “s” is held, not hissed. The whole sequence is repeated three, seven, or nine times, depending on the tradition.
A concrete practice: sit in a quiet room, facing east if you use cardinal directions. Light a single candle – black, white, or red. Place the sigil of Marchosias before you, drawn on parchment or paper. Close your eyes. Breathe. When you feel ready, begin the chant. Let the voice fall into a rhythm. The syllables should feel like they are pushing against the air. After the last repetition, sit in silence. The spirit may not appear as a wolf with wings. More often, the practitioner notices a shift in the room’s temperature, a pressure at the back of the neck, or a sudden clarity of thought.
How the enn differs from traditional Goetic conjuration
The enn is not a command. It is an invitation. The Solomonic conjurations demand obedience under threat of divine names. The enn asks. This difference is fundamental to the demonolatry tradition, which treats spirits as teachers rather than servants.
The enn is a tool for reaching a specific spirit. Marchosias is a marquis of hell, and his appearance – a wolf with griffin’s wings – suggests his domain: the intersection of ferocity and flight. He is said to breathe fire and to change shape at will. The Goetia attributes to him the power to give true knowledge of combat, to make the practitioner strong in battle, and to reveal the truth in any matter. Later sources, including the Dictionnaire Infernal (Collin de Plancy, 1818), add that he answers questions about the past and future.
The enn itself does not change based on what you ask of him. You chant the same words whether you seek courage for a confrontation or clarification on a personal conflict. The difference lies in your intention. One practitioner may chant with a clear image of a shield around them; another may chant while holding a stone that represents the question they want answered. The enn focuses the mind, and the mind focuses the spirit.
The traditional Goetic conjuration is a long, legalistic evocation. It requires a circle of art, a triangle of manifestation, a conjuration in Latin, and a strict procedure of accusation and control. The spirit is called by holy names and threatened with binding. The enn is the opposite. It is short, personal, and egalitarian. You do not need a circle. You do not need to wear a lamenskin. You do not need to recite the names of God. You only need the enn, the sigil, and a quiet space.
This shift makes the practice accessible, but it also changes the relationship. The Solomonic magician commands. The demonolater invites. The enn is the invitation. Critics argue that the enn is too loose, that it lacks the protective framework of the traditional rite. Practitioners respond that the spirit will not harm you if you approach with respect. The truth is that the enn is a modern method, and it works best for those who are comfortable with a less formal structure.
Common misconceptions
The common error is treating the enn as a spell in itself — the sounds vibrated, the result guaranteed, the spirit bound by the formula. The enn is the focus of the contact, not the source of the power: it opens the communication, and the working requires the ritual, the intention, and the operator. This shift makes the practice accessible, but it also changes the nature of the work: the traditional evocation with the circle and the triangle is a full rite, and the modern use of the enn alone is a lighter contact. The enn is the voice of the name, and the name is the key — but the key is turned by the practitioner.
Is the Marchosias enn authentic?
The enn is not from the Lemegeton. It is not medieval. It is a twentieth-century addition, and pretending otherwise is ahistorical. That does not make it invalid. Many effective magical tools are modern.
The enn is not a summoning spell. It does not force Marchosias to appear. It opens a channel. The spirit may ignore it. The practitioner may feel nothing. That is normal.
The words do not need to be pronounced perfectly. There is no single correct pronunciation. The ONA spells it one way; Connolly spells it another. The vibration matters more than the vowel. Try “LEE-rak TAH-sah VAY-fah WEH-ulk Mar-KOH-see-ahs” or “Lee-RAHCH TAH-sah VAY-fah WEHLK Mar-ko-SEE-as.” Both will work.
The enn is not dangerous. People who fear demons should not use it. People who understand that Marchosias is a complex entity, not a monster, can use it safely. The risk is not possession but disappointment if the practitioner expects immediate results.
FAQ
What is the enn of Marchosias? It is the chant “Lirach Tasa Vefa Wehlc Marchosias,” used to invoke the Goetic spirit Marchosias. It is a modern invention, not from the original grimoires.
How do you pronounce the Marchosias enn? A common pronunciation is “Lee-rak Tah-sah Vay-fah Welk Mar-ko-see-ahs.” Variations exist, and the rhythm matters more than the exact vowels.
Is the enn from the Goetia? No. The enn first appeared in the 1970s with the Order of the Nine Angles and was popularized through demonolatry texts. The original Goetia uses Latin conjurations.
What does the enn mean? The words are modified Enochian. A rough translation is “I call you by the power of the Vefa Wehlc, Marchosias.” The exact meaning is debated, but the phrase functions as a sonic key.
The enn as a tool, not a spell
The enn of Marchosias is a doorway. It costs nothing to try. Light a candle, speak the words, and sit in silence long enough to hear what answers. For a deeper exploration of the seventy-two spirits and their enns, see our comprehensive guide to demonology and the Goetia. You may also want to read the glossary entry for Goetic sigils and our guide on how to prepare for a Goetic invocation.