A seventeenth-century magician once drew two circles on the floor of a London garret. The first he inscribed with the seal of Prince Sitri. The second, larger and reinforced with iron nails, he reserved for King Asmodeus. The difference in preparation was not superstition. It was protocol.
Sitri is a Great Prince of Hell who appears with a leopard’s head and griffin’s wings, revealing hidden treasures and compelling romantic attraction. Asmodeus is a King of Hell who commands seventy-two legions, teaches mathematics and geomancy, and has been documented in Jewish, Christian, and Islamic traditions for over two thousand years. The two demons share the Goetic hierarchy but differ fundamentally in rank, domain, and the nature of their power.
What the Ars Goetia Actually Says About Each
The primary source for both figures is the Lemegeton Clavicula Salomonis (The Lesser Key of Solomon), a grimoire compiled in the mid-seventeenth century, though its material draws from earlier manuscripts. The text lists seventy-two spirits, each with a rank, a seal, a description, and a set of powers.
Sitri appears as the twelfth spirit. His rank is Prince. He manifests “with a leopard’s head and griffin’s wings” but, when commanded, takes human form. His declared powers are two: he “causeth men and women to love one another” and he “revealeth treasures hidden.” That is the entirety of his function in the source text. He commands sixty legions of spirits.
Asmodeus appears as the thirty-second spirit. His rank is King, and he is attended by three subordinate kings: Amaymon, Magoth, and Araziel. He appears “with three heads, the first like a bull, the second like a man, the third like a ram. He hath a serpent’s tail, and from his mouth proceed flames of fire.” His declared powers include teaching “mathematics, astronomy, geometry, and all handicrafts,” making the magician invisible, revealing hidden treasures, and giving “the ring of virtues.” He commands seventy-two legions.
The difference in rank is not ceremonial. In the Goetic hierarchy, a King commands more legions and requires more elaborate conjuration. The magician must stand within a protective circle and show the King’s seal with greater authority. Sitri, as a Prince, is approached with less formality but still demands respect.
Where Asmodeus Appears Before the Lemegeton
Asmodeus predates the Ars Goetia by centuries. He appears in the Book of Tobit, a Jewish text from the third or second century BCE, preserved in the Catholic and Orthodox canons. In Tobit, Asmodeus is the demon who kills seven successive husbands of a woman named Sarah on their wedding nights. The angel Raphael instructs Tobias to burn a fish’s heart and liver, the smoke of which drives Asmodeus to flee to “the remotest parts of Egypt,” where Raphael binds him.
The name Asmodeus likely derives from the Avestan Aēšma-daēva, meaning “demon of wrath,” a figure in Zoroastrian tradition. Early Jewish writers adapted the name for a demon associated with lust and destruction. The Testament of Solomon, a Greek text from the first to third centuries CE, describes Asmodeus as a demon who plots against newlyweds and reveals his own weakness: he is thwarted by the angel Raphael and by the smell of a fish’s liver.
This history matters because it establishes Asmodeus as a figure with a continuous textual tradition. He is not a grimoire invention. He appears in scripture, in apocrypha, and in medieval demonological treatises such as the Pseudomonarchia Daemonum (1577) by Johann Weyer, which directly influenced the Lemegeton.
Sitri has no such pre-Goetic history. He appears in Weyer’s list and in the Lemegeton, but no earlier Jewish, Christian, or Islamic source mentions him by name. Some scholars suggest his name may derive from the Hebrew seter (secret or hidden), which aligns with his function of revealing hidden treasures. But the evidence is speculative.
How You Spoke to Each: Conjuration and Protocol
The practical difference between the two is not academic. It determined how a magician prepared.
For Asmodeus, the conjuration required a king’s seal drawn on virgin parchment with a brass stylus. The magician stood inside a circle inscribed with the names of God and the angel Raphael, because Asmodeus’s weakness is Raphael’s power. The operation was performed on a Tuesday, the day of Mars, during the hour of Mars. The magician recited the conjuration three times, each time with increasing force, and if Asmodeus did not appear, the magician used the “Conjuration of the Fire” to compel obedience.
For Sitri, the preparation was simpler. His seal was drawn on parchment or engraved on a copper plate. The magician could work on any day, though Wednesday (Mercury) was preferred for matters of love. The circle required the names of God but no specific angelic binding. Sitri was summoned with a single conjuration, and if he resisted, the magician used the “Conjuration of the Spirit” rather than the fire.
The difference reflects their ranks. A King requires a king’s protocol. A Prince requires a prince’s. The magician who confused the two risked either insufficient authority or wasted effort.
What Each Actually Does: Love vs. Knowledge
The domains of the two demons overlap in one area only: both can reveal hidden treasures. But their primary functions diverge sharply.
Sitri’s domain is love and attraction. He causes men and women to love one another. The grimoire does not specify whether this love is romantic, sexual, or platonic. It does not distinguish between ethical and unethical uses. The magician who summoned Sitri sought to influence the affections of another person. This is a narrow, specific, and emotionally charged operation.
Asmodeus’s domain is knowledge and craft. He teaches mathematics, astronomy, geometry, and all handicrafts. He makes the magician invisible. He gives the ring of virtues, a magical object that grants favor and protection. His domain is intellectual and practical. The magician who summoned Asmodeus sought to learn, to gain skill, or to acquire a tool.
The contrast is instructive. Sitri works on the heart. Asmodeus works on the mind. Sitri changes relationships. Asmodeus changes capabilities. A magician might summon Sitri for a specific romantic outcome. The same magician might summon Asmodeus to learn the mathematics of planetary hours or the geometry of a circle.
Common Misconceptions About Both
Misconception one: Asmodeus is a demon of lust only. This comes from the Book of Tobit, where he kills husbands out of jealousy or desire for Sarah. But the Lemegeton assigns him mathematics and handicrafts, not lust. The Asmodeus of Tobit and the Asmodeus of the Goetia are the same entity operating in different contexts. His domain is broader than his biblical reputation suggests.
Misconception two: Sitri is a lesser Asmodeus. Some modern sources treat Sitri as a “love demon” and Asmodeus as a “knowledge demon,” implying that Sitri is simply the lower-ranking version of the same type. This is false. They are different spirits with different histories, different seals, and different functions. Sitri is not a weaker Asmodeus. He is a different entity entirely.
Misconception three: Both can be summoned casually. The Goetic tradition is emphatic: summoning any spirit, Prince or King, requires preparation, protection, and purpose. The circle is not optional. The seals are not decorative. The conjurations are not suggestions. Treating either spirit as a “tool for love spells” or a “math tutor” misunderstands the gravity of the operation.
Misconception four: The ranks are arbitrary. The Goetic hierarchy is not decorative. A King commands more legions, requires more elaborate conjuration, and is more dangerous if mishandled. A Prince is less powerful but still formidable. The magician who treats a Prince as a King wastes effort. The magician who treats a King as a Prince risks failure or harm.
Which One Should You Work With?
We do not recommend either spirit for casual experimentation. But if a practitioner has a specific need, the choice is straightforward.
Choose Sitri if your goal is romantic or relational. You seek to influence attraction, to reconcile lovers, or to create affection. You are prepared to work with the ethical implications of influencing another person’s will.
Choose Asmodeus if your goal is intellectual or practical. You seek to learn mathematics, to understand planetary movements, to gain skill in a craft, or to acquire the ring of virtues. You are prepared to work with a King’s protocol and a King’s authority.
Do not choose either because you read a list of powers and found them interesting. The Goetic tradition is not a menu. It is a system of relationships with entities that predate the grimoire and will outlast the magician.
FAQ
Can Sitri and Asmodeus be summoned together? The Lemegeton does not prohibit it, but the different ranks and protocols make simultaneous conjuration impractical. Most practitioners summon one at a time.
Is Asmodeus the same as the demon in the Book of Tobit? Yes. The Asmodeus of Tobit and the Asmodeus of the Ars Goetia are the same entity, though the grimoire expands his domain beyond lust to include mathematics and handicrafts.
Does Sitri appear in any pre-Goetic sources? No. Sitri appears first in Johann Weyer’s Pseudomonarchia Daemonum (1577) and then in the Lemegeton. No earlier Jewish, Christian, or Islamic text mentions him.
Which is more dangerous to summon? Asmodeus, because of his rank and power. A King commands more legions and requires more rigorous protection. But both spirits demand respect and proper preparation.
The difference between Sitri and Asmodeus is not a matter of better or worse. It is a matter of function and rank. One works on the heart. One works on the mind. Both have been documented in the grimoire tradition for centuries, and both require the magician to approach with knowledge, preparation, and respect.
For a deeper understanding of the Goetic hierarchy and how to work with these spirits, see our complete guide to demonology and the Goetia. You may also find our glossary of Goetic terms useful for understanding the seals, ranks, and conjurations. For a focused study on Asmodeus’s role in the Book of Tobit and the Testament of Solomon, read our guide to Asmodeus in scripture and grimoire.