The demon Decarabia appears in the Ars Goetia as a marquis of Hell who commands thirty legions and manifests as a five-pointed star. The Seal of Decarabia is a ritual instrument for securing material prosperity, business success, and the recovery of lost or stolen goods. Unlike many goetic spirits who demand complex conjurations, Decarabia can be approached directly by practitioners who prepare the seal correctly and observe the planetary hours ruled by Mercury and the Sun.
What does the Seal of Decarabia actually do?
The seal represents the spirit’s authority and functions as a focal point for focused petition. In the Lemegeton Clavicula Salomonis (the Lesser Key of Solomon), compiled from manuscripts dating to the 17th century, The Goetia lists Decarabia as the 69th spirit. The seal is described as necessary for any serious work: without it, the practitioner has no anchor for the spirit’s attention.
Decarabia grants knowledge of the properties of herbs and precious stones, transforms men into birds (a symbolic transformation of perspective), and provides practical answers for material gain. Early modern grimoires, including the Pseudomonarchia Daemonum of Johann Weyer (1563), confirm these functions. Weyer’s list predates the Lemegeton and is one of the earliest printed sources for goetic hierarchies.
How did the Seal of Decarabia enter grimoire tradition?
The earliest known descriptions of Decarabia appear in Weyer’s De Praestigiis Daemonum. Weyer was a Dutch physician and occultist who studied under Heinrich Cornelius Agrippa. He compiled lists of demons from medieval magic manuscripts, some of which he considered dangerous, but he preserved them for scholarly reference.
Decarabia does not appear in earlier Solomonic texts like the Clavicula Salomonis (the Key of Solomon, 14th-15th century manuscripts) or the Almadel of Solomon. The spirit entered the Western tradition through Weyer’s work and was later incorporated into the Lemegeton, which organized the 72 demons into kings, dukes, princes, marquises, presidents, and earls.
The hierarchy assigned Decarabia to the rank of marquis. In goetic magic, marquises are powerful but not supreme. They respond to conjuration within their specific domains. Decarabia’s domain includes knowledge of nature and material increase, which explains why practitioners seeking prosperity prefer this seal over more aggressive spirits like Bune or Clauneck.
Why does Decarabia appear as a star?
Decarabia first shows itself “like a star in a pentacle, but afterward it takes the form of a man.” This description means the initial manifestation is a five-pointed star, which then shifts into human shape. The star is not the spirit itself but its initial signature.
The five-pointed star in Western occultism represents the microcosm: the human form with limbs extended, the five senses, and the four elements governed by spirit. Decarabia appearing first as a star suggests that material prosperity must be grounded in balance. You do not ask for wealth without considering what holds it.
The seal itself often incorporates a star motif, either as a hexagram or a pentagram, depending on the manuscript. The Lemegeton illustrations from the Sloane manuscripts (British Library, Sloane MSS 2731-2735, late 17th century) show a seal with intersecting lines and astrological symbols. The star imagery is not decorative. It is the calling card.
The seal is a geometric design typically drawn within a double circle. Most reproductions show an eight-pointed star or a complex figure with intersecting straight lines. The outer ring contains names, characters, or abbreviated invocations. The inner space holds the central symbol that corresponds to Decarabia’s unique number.
The seal differs from others in the 72 because it emphasizes radial symmetry. Spirits like Buer use concentric circles. Decarabia uses rays extending from a center point. This geometry represents expansion: wealth radiating outward from a single source.
Historically, seals were inscribed on virgin parchment or engraved on metal. The Key of Solomon specifies copper for planetary spirits and lead for Saturnine spirits. Decarabia falls under the influence of Mercury (communication, commerce, speed) and the Sun (success, authority, visibility). Copper and gold are the traditional materials, though parchment works for temporary seals that will be destroyed after the ritual.
Practices for prosperity with the Seal of Decarabia
The hour and day matter
Decarabia responds best during the planetary hours of Mercury (Wednesday) and the Sun (Sunday). Calculate the planetary hour for your specific location and time zone, not a generic clock hour. The first hour after sunrise on Wednesday belongs to Mercury. The eighth hour of Sunday belongs to the Sun.
A practitioner in the 19th century would have used tables in Agrippa’s Three Books of Occult Philosophy (1533). Modern practitioners can use digital calculators, but the principle remains: you work with the tide, not against it.
Preparing the seal
Draw the seal by hand. Printed images lack the personal energy required for goetic work. Use black ink on clean white paper, or engrave on a copper disc. The act of drawing is itself a meditation: you trace the lines while reciting the spirit’s name.
Some grimoires require virgin parchment from an unborn animal. This is impractical for most modern practitioners. A clean piece of cotton paper consecrated with salt water works. The essential point is that the seal has not been used for any other purpose.
The petition
Write your request on a separate piece of paper, not on the seal. Be specific. “Increase my income by May 2026” is better than “make me rich.” Decarabia responds to clarity. Vague requests produce vague results.
Burn a yellow or green candle on the seal while reading your petition aloud. Green corresponds to growth and money. Yellow corresponds to Mercury and swift success. The flame is the medium through which the spoken word reaches the spirit.
The offering
Goetic spirits traditionally receive offerings of blood, wine, or incense. For prosperity work, a few drops of red wine and frankincense resin burning on a charcoal disc suffice. The smoke carries the petition upward. The wine establishes a contract.
Do not leave the offering on the seal overnight. Thank the spirit, close the ritual, and dispose of the offering outdoors or pour the wine into the ground.
Decarabia compared to other prosperity spirits
Six goetic spirits specifically govern material wealth: Bune, Clauneck, Balam, Gremory, Vapula, and Decarabia. Each operates through a different mechanism.
Bune (duke, 30 legions) changes the places of the dead and makes men rich. Bune works through inheritance and sudden windfalls. Clauneck (president, 36 legions) gives wealth through hidden knowledge. Clauneck teaches the alchemy by which base metals become gold, both literally and symbolically.
Decarabia differs from both. This spirit does not produce sudden riches or alchemical transmutation. Decarabia reveals knowledge of herbs, stones, and natural properties. Prosperity comes through applying that knowledge. If you seek to start a business based on natural remedies or gemstones, Decarabia is your spirit. If you need immediate cash, Bune serves better.
The distinction matters because practitioners who approach the wrong spirit for their specific need often fail. The seals are not interchangeable.
Common misconceptions about the Seal of Decarabia
You do not need to summon Decarabia into a triangle. Goetic spirits do not require the infamous triangle of Solomon for every working. The triangle is used for evocation when the spirit must appear visibly. For petitionary magic, the seal alone suffices. You call the spirit’s attention, not its full manifestation.
The seal is not a talisman. A talisman carries protective or attracting energy over time. The seal of a goetic spirit works only within the ritual. Once the ritual ends, the seal goes into storage or is disposed of. You do not wear it as jewelry or carry it in your wallet.
Decarabia does not grant wishes. No goetic spirit does. The spirits operate within the framework of natural law and their own hierarchical obligations. Decarabia teaches and reveals. The practitioner does the work.
Prosperity may not arrive as cash. Decarabia provides knowledge that leads to wealth. That knowledge could come as a business idea, a book you happen to read, or a conversation with a stranger. The practitioner must recognize the opportunity when it appears.
FAQ
Do I need to use the full conjuration from the Lesser Key of Solomon? For simple prosperity work, a shorter invocation works. Recite the spirit’s name, show the seal, state your petition, and close with thanks. The full conjuration is for evocation, not petition.
Can I use the seal during any moon phase? Waxing moon is preferred for increase. The new moon works for new ventures. Avoid the waning moon and the void-of-course moon for prosperity magic.
Do I need to be initiated into a tradition to use this seal? No. Goetic seals are tools, not initiatory secrets. Any practitioner who can draw the seal and observe the planetary hours may use them. Respect the spirit, but do not fear it.
What if I see the star moving during the ritual? This is normal. Decarabia’s initial manifestation in the grimoires is a star that moves and then resolves into a human figure. If you see movement in the candle flame or the drawn star, the spirit is present.
The Seal of Decarabia provides a direct route to prosperity through knowledge of the natural world. It requires preparation, clarity, and follow-through. The seal does not do the work for you. It opens a door you must walk through.
For a complete overview of the 72 spirits and their seals, see our vertical hub on goetic demonology. The Seal of Decarabia symbol in our glossary includes manuscript illustrations from the Sloane collection. For working with multiple spirits in sequence, read our guide on combining goetic seals for material results.