A 19th-century French aristocrat compiled a grimoire that would become one of the most reprinted occult texts in the English-speaking world. The Book of Black Magic and of Pacts by Arthur Edward Waite (1898) is not a single grimoire but a critical anthology of medieval and Renaissance magical texts, with Waite’s commentary framing them as “black magic” while preserving their instructions. The book contains the Ars Goetia, the Ars Almadel, the Ars Paulina, and the Ars Theurgia-Goetia, alongside the Grimorium Verum, the Grand Grimoire, and the Clavicula Salomonis — all presented through Waite’s skeptical Anglican lens.
What most readers do not realize: Waite wrote the book to discredit ceremonial magic, yet his anthology became the primary source through which English readers encountered these texts for decades.
What exactly is The Book of Black Magic and of Pacts?
The book is a collection of translated and excerpted grimoires, bound together with Waite’s introductions and footnotes. It runs roughly 350 pages in its standard edition. Waite divided the work into two parts: first, a historical survey of magical literature (which he called “The Literature of Black Magic”), and second, the actual texts with his commentary (“The Complete Grimoire of Black Magic”).
The contents include:
- The Key of Solomon (Clavicula Salomonis) in excerpted form
- The Lemegeton (Lesser Key of Solomon), containing the Ars Goetia, Ars Theurgia-Goetia, Ars Paulina, and Ars Almadel
- The Grimorium Verum
- The Grand Grimoire
- The Red Dragon (Le Dragon Rouge)
- The Enchiridion of Pope Leo III
- The Heptameron of Pietro d’Abano
- Various “Black Pullets” and “Cabbalistic” texts
Waite did not translate these from original manuscripts. He worked from French editions published in the 18th and 19th centuries, particularly those from the Bibliothèque Bleue tradition — cheap chapbooks sold at French fairs.
Why did Waite compile this book?
Arthur Edward Waite (1857–1942) was a British occultist and co-creator of the Rider-Waite tarot deck. He joined the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn in 1891 but grew skeptical of ceremonial magic’s claims. By 1898, when The Book of Black Magic and of Pacts appeared, Waite had already published The Real History of the Rosicrucians and The Hidden Church of the Holy Grail. He positioned himself as a critical historian of occultism, not a practitioner.
Waite’s stated purpose was to expose what he considered the “degraded” and “superstitious” elements of ceremonial magic. He wrote in the preface: “The present work is an attempt to exhibit the literature of Black Magic in its completeness, and to show that it is a thing of the past.” He believed that true spiritual development came through mystical Christianity, not through conjuring spirits.
The irony is thick. Waite’s book became the standard reference for English-speaking occultists who wanted to practice the very magic he condemned. Aleister Crowley, who worked with Waite in the Golden Dawn, later published his own edition of the Goetia in 1904, directly competing with Waite’s version.
What texts appear in the book?
The Lemegeton (Lesser Key of Solomon)
This is the largest single component. Waite included the four books of the Lemegeton:
Ars Goetia: The most famous section. It lists 72 demons — their names, seals, ranks, and the methods for conjuring them. Each spirit has a specific function: Buer teaches herbal medicine, Paimon reveals hidden knowledge, Astaroth answers questions about the past and future. The conjurations require a circle, a triangle of manifestation, a wand, and a ring. Waite reproduced the demonic seals from a 17th-century manuscript.
Ars Theurgia-Goetia: This section deals with aerial spirits, beings that occupy the air between earth and the celestial spheres. They are less malevolent than the Goetic demons but still require binding. The text describes 31 chief spirits and their numerous subordinates.
Ars Paulina: Named after the Apostle Paul (referencing his “third heaven” experience in 2 Corinthians), this book assigns spirits to the hours of the day and night, and to the zodiacal signs. It claims to reveal the angels who govern time itself.
Ars Almadel: The shortest book. It describes a wax tablet (the Almadel) inscribed with names of God and used to contact angels of the four celestial quarters. The Almadel itself is a square of white wax, about four inches across, marked with specific sigils.
The Grimorium Verum
Waite included this 18th-century French grimoire, which claims to be translated from Hebrew. It contains instructions for conjuring spirits through a “triangle of art” and a “circle of protection.” The Grimorium Verum is notable for its emphasis on practical results: love spells, invisibility, finding treasure. It lists spirits by name and provides their seals, but the text is shorter and more direct than the Lemegeton.
The Grand Grimoire
Also called Le Grand Grimoire or The Red Dragon, this text dates to the early 18th century. It contains the famous “Clavicle of Solomon” and the “Sanctum Regnum”, the method for making a pact with the demon Lucifuge Rofocale. The ritual requires a virgin goat, a black candle, and a wand of hazelwood cut at sunrise. Waite dismissed it as “a monument of human folly” but printed it anyway.
The Heptameron
Attributed to Pietro d’Abano (1250–1316), a Italian physician and philosopher. The Heptameron assigns angels and spirits to each day of the week. Monday belongs to Gabriel, Tuesday to Camael, Wednesday to Michael, and so on. The text gives prayers, conjurations, and the appropriate incense for each day. Waite included it as an example of “angelic magic” that had degenerated into superstition.
Waite’s voice is everywhere in the book. He introduces each text with a biographical sketch of its supposed author, a history of its transmission, and a judgment of its value. His footnotes correct, mock, or explain the rituals.
For example, when the Grand Grimoire instructs the magician to draw a circle with a “virgin parchment,” Waite notes that such materials were rarely available and that the instruction itself was symbolic. When the Ars Goetia demands the magician wear a crown of paper inscribed with divine names, Waite observes that this practice derives from Jewish Merkabah mysticism.
The effect is disorienting. A reader who wants to use the book must filter Waite’s skepticism from the actual instructions. Practitioners of the 20th century, from Crowley to the founders of modern chaos magic, learned to read against Waite’s grain.
Waite drew a sharp line. For him, black magic meant any ritual that attempted to compel spirits through force or deception. White magic was prayer, contemplation, and the invocation of divine names through humility. The distinction appears throughout his commentary:
- Black magic uses circles, triangles, threats, and binding names. It treats spirits as slaves.
- White magic uses altars, incense, and petitions. It treats spirits as messengers.
Waite’s categories were theological, not practical. The Key of Solomon, which many modern readers consider white magic, Waite classified as black because it commands angels rather than beseeching them. The Heptameron, which clearly commands spirits, he called “a debased form of theurgic practice.”
Most contemporary occultists reject this binary. The spirits themselves do not seem to care whether the magician uses a commanding or petitioning tone. What matters is the relationship established.
Three elements have survived in modern practice:
The Goetic seals. The 72 seals of the Ars Goetia appear in countless modern grimoires, digital repositories, and ceremonial magic circles. They are the most reproduced magical diagrams in Western occultism.
The structure of conjuration. The basic format, circle, triangle, invocation, constraint, license to depart, comes directly from the Lemegeton as Waite printed it. Modern ceremonial magicians still follow this sequence.
The concept of the pact. The Grand Grimoire’s instructions for making a pact with Lucifuge Rofocale influenced later traditions of demonic pact-making, including the Simon Necronomicon and various “left-hand path” systems.
What practitioners do not use: Waite’s commentary. His moralizing is ignored or treated as a historical curiosity.
It is not a single grimoire. Many readers assume Waite wrote the rituals himself. He did not. He compiled and translated existing texts.
It is not complete. Waite excerpted the Key of Solomon heavily. He omitted the Ars Notoria (a prayer-based system for acquiring knowledge) entirely. His version of the Lemegeton differs from manuscript versions.
It is not accurate to the originals. Waite worked from French editions, not Latin or Hebrew manuscripts. His translations contain errors, omissions, and interpretive choices that later scholars have corrected.
It is not “black magic” in any meaningful sense. The rituals are protective, not destructive. They seek knowledge, treasure, love, or healing. The “black” label comes from Waite’s theological bias, not the content.
FAQ
Is The Book of Black Magic and of Pacts dangerous to read? No. The rituals require specific materials and preparation. Reading the text without performing the rites has no effect.
Can I practice the rituals from this book? Yes, but you will need to supplement it with more accurate translations and practical guides. Waite’s version is incomplete and filtered through his skepticism.
What is the difference between this book and the Lesser Key of Solomon? The Lesser Key (Lemegeton) is one text within Waite’s anthology. His book contains multiple grimoires, not just the Lemegeton.
Why did Waite call it “black magic”? He was an Anglican mystic who believed ceremonial magic was spiritually dangerous. His title reflects his personal judgment, not the content’s nature.
Related guides
The Book of Black Magic and of Pacts remains the most accessible entry point for the grimoire tradition, but it is not the final word. For the complete text of the Lemegeton, see our guide to the Ars Goetia. For the historical context Waite omitted, read our demonology and goetia hub. And for the symbols that appear throughout these texts, consult the glossary entry on magical seals.
The fire Waite tried to extinguish is still burning. It always was.