A bowstring taut but never released. An arrow aimed but never fired. That is how Leraje appears in the grimoires: a hunter whose work is done the moment the arrow is seen. Leraje is the 14th spirit of the Ars Goetia, a marquis who appears as a green-clad archer carrying a bow and quiver. He governs the decay of love, the rotting of attachments, and the breaking of bonds. He commands 30 legions of spirits.
Definition: What Is Leraje?
Leraje (also spelled Leraie, Loray, Oray, or Leraikha) is a Goetic spirit listed in the first book of The Lesser Key of Solomon (the Lemegeton), a grimoire compiled in the 17th century. He is a marquis, a rank that places him below a duke but above a count. He appears as a handsome archer dressed in green, with a bow and a quiver full of arrows. His primary office is to cause the rotting and decay of love, the dissolution of friendships, and the destruction of attachments. He also stirs up great battles and disputes. The text says he is “very quiet” in demeanor, which contrasts with the violence of his effects.
History and Origins: Where Does Leraje Come From?
The earliest known appearance of Leraje is in Johann Weyer’s Pseudomonarchia Daemonum (1563), a catalog of demons that served as a source for the later Lemegeton. Weyer lists him as “Leraie” and describes him as a marquis who “causeth great battles and disputes, and also the rotting of love.” Weyer’s work was itself a distillation of earlier grimoires and magical manuscripts, including the Steganographia of Johannes Trithemius and the Heptameron of Pietro d’Abano.
In the Lemegeton (circa 1640–1660), Leraje appears as the 14th spirit. The text gives his sigil, his appearance, and his powers. The name is likely derived from the Hebrew root lere’ah (לרעה), meaning “to rot” or “to decay,” or from Leraie, an Old French word for “to make rotten.” Some scholars connect him to the Canaanite god Resheph, a deity of plague and war who is also depicted with a bow and arrows. The connection is plausible but not proven. What is certain is that Leraje’s domain is the slow, organic decomposition of bonds, not the sudden violence of a battlefield.
For Renaissance magicians, summoning Leraje was a serious act. He could be called upon to break a toxic marriage, dissolve a harmful friendship, or end a feud by rotting the hatred itself. But the same power could destroy a healthy relationship if the magician was careless. The grimoires warn that the spirit must be constrained within a triangle and addressed with respect, or he will turn his arrows on the summoner.
Symbolism and Meaning: The Green Archer
The green of Leraje’s clothing is not the green of spring growth. It is the green of mold on bread, of stagnant water, of vegetation that has begun to rot. In medieval color symbolism, green was the color of envy, decay, and the transient nature of earthly things. Leraje wears it as a uniform.
His bow is never drawn in the illustrations. It is held ready, but the arrow is not released. This is because Leraje’s power is not in the act of striking but in the threat of it. The mere sight of the arrow causes love to begin rotting. The decay is slow, almost imperceptible at first, then inevitable. A friendship that was once warm grows cold. A marriage that seemed solid begins to crack. The process is natural, like the decay of a fallen apple. Leraje does not force the rot; he accelerates what is already there.
The arrows themselves are not tipped with poison. They are tipped with time. Each arrow represents a bond that will eventually dissolve. The quiver holds many, because Leraje’s work is never finished. There is always another attachment to be unmade.
Practices and Traditions: How Leraje Is Summoned and Worked
The Ars Goetia provides a standard method for summoning any of the 72 spirits. The magician draws a circle, a triangle of art, and the spirit’s sigil. For Leraje, the sigil is a complex geometric figure: a circle crossed by a vertical line, with two arcs on either side and a small cross at the top. It is drawn on parchment made from the skin of a deer (or, failing that, on virgin parchment). The ink is a mixture of myrrh and the magician’s own blood, though some practitioners substitute dragon’s blood resin.
The incense for Leraje is a blend of myrrh and asafoetida. Asafoetida, also known as devil’s dung, has a pungent smell of sulfur and decay. It is chosen deliberately to match Leraje’s domain. The smoke drifts low and heavy, not rising like frankincense. We light ours in a fireproof bowl on the balcony, because the smell lingers for days.
The timing matters. Leraje is most active during the waning moon, in the hour of Saturn (the first hour after sunset on Saturday, or the planetary hour of Saturn on any day). The magician recites the conjuration from the Goetia, commanding the spirit to appear in a gentle form. Leraje is said to be “very quiet” when he arrives. He does not roar or shake the room. He stands at the edge of the triangle, bow in hand, and waits.
The request must be specific. “Cause the love between X and Y to decay” is acceptable. “Destroy all my relationships” is not. The spirit will obey the letter of the command, not the intent. If the magician asks for a friendship to rot, it will rot completely, leaving nothing but dust.
After the work, the spirit is dismissed with a license to depart. The sigil is burned, and the ashes are scattered at a crossroads. The magician washes their hands in salt water and does not look back.
Comparisons: Leraje and Other Goetic Spirits
Leraje is often compared to Andras, the 63rd spirit, who also causes discord and strife. But Andras is a violent marquis who appears with a raven’s head and a sword. He kills outright. Leraje rots slowly. Andras is a hammer; Leraje is rust.
The opposite of Leraje is Sallos (also spelled Sallos or Zaleos), the 19th spirit, a duke who causes love between a man and a woman. Where Sallos builds, Leraje dismantles. Some practitioners work them in sequence: first Sallos to create a bond, then Leraje to test its strength. This is dangerous and not recommended for beginners.
Another counterpoint is Sytry (also spelled Sitri), the 12th spirit, who inflames men with love for women. Sytry is a prince who appears with a leopard’s head and wings. He is all fire. Leraje is all damp. The two are not directly opposed, but they operate in different elements.
Leraje also shares a domain with Bune, the 26th spirit, who can change the dead and grant riches. But Bune’s power is over the material world. Leraje’s is over the emotional. They are rarely invoked together.
Common Misconceptions About Leraje
Misconception 1: Leraje is a love spirit. He is not. He causes the decay of love, not its creation. Calling him for a love spell is like calling a mortician for a birth.
Misconception 2: Leraje is evil. The Goetia does not classify spirits as good or evil. They are tools. Leraje can be used to break a harmful attachment, which is a beneficial act. The morality depends on the intent of the magician.
Misconception 3: Leraje only causes war. The text says he causes “great battles and disputes,” but his primary office is the rotting of love. The battles are a secondary effect. When love decays, conflict often follows.
Misconception 4: Leraje is the same as the angel Leraie. Some Renaissance texts confuse the names. The angel Leraie appears in the Heptameron as a spirit of the air, but he has no connection to the Goetic marquis. The similarity is coincidental.
FAQ
What is Leraje’s rank in the Ars Goetia? He is a marquis, the 14th spirit, commanding 30 legions of spirits.
What does Leraje’s sigil look like? It is a circle with a vertical line through it, two arcs on the sides, and a small cross at the top. The design is meant to represent a bow and arrow in abstract form.
Can Leraje be used for love magic? No. He destroys love, not creates it. He is appropriate for ending unwanted attachments or testing the strength of a bond.
What offerings does Leraje prefer? The original grimoires do not specify offerings. Modern practitioners often use myrrh incense, black candles, and a small offering of wine poured onto the earth. Some leave a single arrowhead at the crossroads after the ritual.
Closing
Leraje is not a spirit to be summoned lightly. His arrows do not miss, and his work is thorough. For those who need to dissolve a bond that has become a chain, he is a precise and effective tool. But the decay he brings is permanent. Once a bond is rotted, it cannot be restored. For more on the 72 spirits of the Ars Goetia, see our guide to Goetic demonology. To understand the sigils and seals used in summoning, visit the glossary of Goetic symbols. And for a complete list of spirits and their offices, read our overview of the 72 spirits.