A student once brought a photocopied Ars Goetia to a working library and asked which parts were safe to read aloud. The librarian did not answer immediately. She asked which edition. That question is the difference between the two texts. The Lesser Key of Solomon is a 17th-century grimoire. The Ars Goetia is its first section, a catalog of 72 spirits with seals, ranks, and instructions for summoning. The two terms are often used interchangeably. They should not be. One is the whole book. The other is a part of it. Meta description: The Lesser Key of Solomon contains five books of ritual magic. The Ars Goetia is the first and most famous. Here is how they differ, historically and practically. ---
What is the Lesser Key of Solomon?
The Lesser Key of Solomon, also called the Lemegeton Clavicula Salomonis, is a compiled grimoire from the mid-17th century. The earliest known manuscript, Sloane MS 3825, dates to around 1640 and is held in the British Library. The text claims to be a translation of older Hebrew works attributed to King Solomon, but no Hebrew source manuscript survives. Scholars treat it as a European synthesis of earlier Solomonic magic, medieval demonology, and Renaissance occult philosophy. The book is divided into five parts. The Ars Goetia is the first. The others are the Ars Theurgia Goetia, the Ars Paulina, the Ars Almadel, and the Ars Notoria. Each section governs a different class of spirits and a different method of working. The Ars Goetia gets the most attention because it contains the 72 spirits that popular occultism has made famous. But the Lesser Key is not only a demon list. It is a complete system of ceremonial magic. ---
What is the Ars Goetia?
The Ars Goetia is the first book of the Lesser Key of Solomon. Its title translates roughly to “the art of goetia,” from the Greek goeteia, meaning sorcery or witchcraft. In the grimoire tradition, goetia specifically refers to the evocation of spirits considered malevolent or dangerous. The Ars Goetia lists 72 spirits, each with a name, a rank (king, prince, duke, marquis, count, president, or knight), a seal, and a description of its appearance and powers. The spirits include well-known figures such as Bael, Paimon, Astaroth, and Asmodeus. Each entry also specifies how many legions of lesser spirits serve under it. The text provides instructions for drawing the magic circle, the triangle of conjuration, and the protective tools required. It assumes the operator is a trained magician working within a Christian framework. The spirits are not worshipped. They are commanded in the name of God and the Solomonic seals. ---
How the Two Texts Differ in Structure
The Lesser Key of Solomon contains five books. The Ars Goetia is only one of them. Here is the full structure: - Ars Goetia: 72 spirits, their seals, and evocation instructions.
- Ars Theurgia Goetia: 31 spirits, primarily aerial and wandering, with a different hierarchy.
- Ars Paulina: Spirits of the hours of the day and night, plus spirits of the zodiac and planetary hours. This section claims to be based on the writings of the Apostle Paul.
- Ars Almadel: A wax tablet with 20 squares, used to contact spirits of the four directions.
- Ars Notoria: Prayers and orations for acquiring knowledge and memory, derived from a medieval tradition of “notary” art. The Ars Goetia is the most aggressive in tone. The later books are more meditative and petitionary. A reader who works only from the Ars Goetia misses the full system. ---
Historical Origins and Key Figures
The Lesser Key of Solomon has no single author. It is a compilation, assembled from earlier manuscripts. The most important figure in its transmission is Samuel Liddell MacGregor Mathers (1854–1918), a co-founder of the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn. Mathers translated and edited the Lesser Key from several manuscripts, publishing it in 1904 as The Book of the Sacred Magic of Abra-Melin the Mage is sometimes confused with it, but that is a separate text. Mathers’ edition was not the first printed version. That distinction belongs to Johann Weyer (1515–1588), a Dutch physician and occultist who included a list of 69 demons in his Pseudomonarchia Daemonum (1577). Weyer’s list is a clear precursor to the Ars Goetia, though it lacks the seals and detailed instructions. Weyer himself was a student of Heinrich Cornelius Agrippa (1486–1535), whose Three Books of Occult Philosophy shaped the theoretical framework of the Lesser Key. The Ars Goetia as we know it was popularized in the 20th century by Aleister Crowley (1875–1947), who published an edition in 1904 under the title The Goetia: The Lesser Key of Solomon the King. Crowley added his own commentary and a preliminary invocation. His edition remains the most widely used in English. ---
Symbolism and Meaning
The Ars Goetia operates on a cosmology where spirits are bound by divine names and seals. The operator does not bargain. The operator commands. This is the core symbolic difference from later ceremonial magic traditions that emphasize negotiation or partnership. Each of the 72 spirits has a seal, a geometric design drawn on parchment or metal. The seal is not a decoration. It is the spirit’s signature and its constraint. Without the seal, the spirit cannot be bound. With it, the spirit is forced to appear and obey. This reflects the Solomonic legend: Solomon received a ring from the archangel Michael that gave him power over demons, which he used to build the Temple. The Lesser Key as a whole symbolizes the hierarchy of creation. The Ars Goetia deals with the lowest spirits. The later books ascend through aerial spirits, planetary spirits, and finally the angelic orations of the Ars Notoria. The structure implies a ladder. Most readers stop at the first rung. ---
Practices and Traditions
Working with the Ars Goetia requires preparation. The magician must construct a circle of consecrated ground, typically nine feet in diameter, inscribed with divine names and symbols. Outside the circle, a triangle is drawn on the ground where the spirit will appear. The triangle points east. The operator wears a clean robe, often white or black, and carries a wand or sword for commanding. The seals are drawn on parchment made from virgin lamb skin or on metal plates. The evocation is spoken aloud, often in Latin or English, using the names of God and the spirit. The Ars Goetia includes specific instructions for each spirit. Some require offerings. Some appear only at certain hours. Some are violent and must be handled with care. The text warns against fear. A fearful operator gives the spirit power. The later books of the Lesser Key are less dramatic. The Ars Paulina works with planetary hours and requires the operator to be in a state of ritual purity for days beforehand. The Ars Almadel involves constructing a wax tablet with colored squares, each corresponding to a different class of spirit. The Ars Notoria is purely prayer-based, with no circle or triangle. ---
Key Differences at a Glance
| Aspect | Lesser Key of Solomon | Ars Goetia |
|---|---|---|
| Scope | Five books, one system | One book, 72 spirits |
| Spirits | Angels, aerial spirits, planetary spirits, demons | Demons and infernal spirits |
| Tone | Ranges from commanding to petitionary | Aggressively commanding |
| Tools | Circle, triangle, seals, Almadel tablet, prayers | Circle, triangle, seals |
| Primary use | Full ceremonial magic system | Evocation of specific spirits |
| Popularity | Known to scholars and practitioners | Widely known in pop culture |
The Lesser Key is the library. The Ars Goetia is the section on demonology. Reading one does not mean you know the other. ---
Common Misconceptions
The Ars Goetia is not a standalone book. It was never circulated alone in manuscript form. The 72 spirits always appeared as part of a larger work. Modern editions that print only the Ars Goetia are excerpts, not the original text. The spirits are not gods. The Ars Goetia operates within a Christian framework. The spirits are fallen angels, not deities. Worshipping them is a category error. The text commands them. It does not pray to them. The Lesser Key is not by King Solomon. No scholar accepts Solomonic authorship. The attribution is a literary convention common to grimoires, intended to lend authority. The real authors are anonymous European compilers. Crowley did not write the Ars Goetia. He edited and published it. The text itself is centuries older. Crowley’s contribution was a commentary and a new introductory invocation, which some practitioners use and others reject. The Ars Goetia is not the most dangerous book in the Lesser Key. The Ars Notoria contains prayers that some traditions consider more powerful because they invoke angelic names directly. The Ars Goetia is dramatic. It is not necessarily the most potent. ---
FAQ
Can you practice the Ars Goetia without the rest of the Lesser Key? Yes, but you are working with only the lowest tier of spirits. The later books provide context and protection that many practitioners consider essential. Are the 72 spirits real? The Ars Goetia treats them as real. Whether they are literal entities, psychological archetypes, or something else depends on your tradition. The text does not speculate. What is the difference between Goetia and Theurgy? Goetia commands spirits. Theurgy invokes divine principles. The Lesser Key contains both: the Ars Goetia is goetic, while the Ars Notoria is theurgic. Why is the Ars Goetia more popular than the other books? The 72 spirits are vivid and memorable. The seals are visually striking. Pop culture has amplified them. The later books are more abstract and less dramatic. ---
The Lesser Key of Solomon and the Ars Goetia are not the same thing. One is a complete system. The other is its most famous component. Knowing the difference changes how you read both. For a deeper look at the spirits themselves, see our guide to the 72 spirits of the Ars Goetia. For the symbols that bind them, visit the glossary of Solomonic seals. And for the full context of ritual magic, explore our demonology and goetia hub.