A medieval summoner once wrote that the worst kind of thief is the one who hides behind a mask of honesty. Andromalius, he claimed, was the answer to that thief. Andromalius is a demon of the Goetia who specializes in recovering stolen goods, exposing hidden criminals, and punishing the guilty. He appears in the Ars Goetia as the seventy-second spirit, a ranking that places him at the very end of the traditional list of seventy-two demons. His power is not destruction but revelation: he finds what is hidden and brings it back.
What Is Andromalius the Demon Of?
Andromalius governs stolen property, hidden crimes, and the unmasking of dishonest people. According to the Lemegeton Clavicula Salomonis (the Lesser Key of Solomon), compiled in the 17th century from earlier grimoire traditions, Andromalius “restoreth goods that are stolen, and discovereth all manner of wickedness and underhand dealing.” He is the demon you call when you know something has been taken but do not know who took it. He is also the demon who punishes the thief, making him confess or return what he took.
The Goetia lists him as a mighty duke under the power of the spirit Amaymon. He commands thirty-six legions of spirits. His appearance is described as a man holding a great serpent in his hand. That serpent is not a weapon. It is a symbol of the hidden truth he forces into the open.
History and Origins: Where Andromalius Comes From
The earliest known source for Andromalius is the Lemegeton Clavicula Salomonis, a grimoire that circulated in manuscript form through the 17th century. The text was first printed by the occultist S.L. MacGregor Mathers in 1904, though Mathers worked from earlier manuscripts. The Ars Goetia, the first book of the Lemegeton, contains the full list of seventy-two spirits, and Andromalius is the final entry.
The name itself is obscure. Some scholars suggest it derives from Greek roots: andros (man) and malakia (softness or weakness), though this is speculative. Others connect it to the Hebrew Andromalik, a name that appears in no known biblical or apocryphal text. The most likely origin is a corruption of an earlier demon name from medieval grimoires that were themselves translations of Arabic and Greek magical texts.
The Goetia tradition places Andromalius under the eastern direction, ruled by the spirit Amaymon. This is significant because the four directions in Goetic magic correspond to four ruling spirits: Amaymon (east), Corson (west), Zimimay (north), and Goap (south). Andromalius answers to Amaymon, meaning he is called from the east.
The 19th-century occultist Aleister Crowley included the Goetia in his edition of the Lesser Key of Solomon, published in 1904. Crowley’s version became the standard reference for modern ceremonial magicians. He retained Andromalius as the seventy-second spirit, noting his function as a recoverer of stolen goods.
Symbolism and Meaning: The Serpent and the Man
The image of Andromalius holding a serpent reveals his central symbolism. The serpent in Western occult tradition represents hidden knowledge, the coiled truth that must be unwound. Andromalius does not destroy the serpent. He holds it. He controls it. He forces it to reveal what it contains.
This is not the serpent of Genesis, the tempter. It is the serpent of Hermetic wisdom, the ouroboros that contains all secrets. Andromalius is the demon who compels that serpent to speak.
The man holding the serpent is equally significant. Andromalius appears as a man, not a beast. He is not monstrous. He is recognizable. This is because his domain is human crime: theft, fraud, betrayal. The demon who exposes human wickedness wears a human face.
His rank as a duke places him in the middle tier of Goetic hierarchy. Dukes command legions and answer to kings. Andromalius commands thirty-six legions, a number that appears in other Goetic entries and likely derives from the 36 decans of Egyptian astrology, each associated with a specific spirit.
Practices and Traditions: How Andromalius Is Called
Calling Andromalius follows the standard Goetic procedure as described in the Ars Goetia. The magician draws a circle, usually nine feet in diameter, with the names of God inscribed around the perimeter. The triangle of Solomon is drawn outside the circle, where the spirit will appear. The magician holds the ring of Solomon, a brass or silver ring with a seal engraved on it, to protect himself.
The seal of Andromalius is described in the Goetia as a specific design that must be drawn on parchment made from the skin of a young goat. Modern practitioners often use parchment paper or vellum as a substitute. The seal is placed inside the triangle.
The invocation is spoken in a commanding voice. The magician calls Andromalius by name, using the conjurations from the Goetia that compel spirits to appear. These conjurations are in English in most modern editions, though some practitioners prefer the original Latin.
Andromalius is not a demon to be called lightly. His function is punitive. He exposes criminals and punishes them. The magician who calls him must be certain that the accusation is true. Calling Andromalius on an innocent person is considered dangerous, as the demon may turn his attention on the summoner.
The practical use of Andromalius in historical magic was straightforward: if something was stolen, the magician would call Andromalius to reveal the thief and compel the return of the goods. This was not a subtle operation. The Goetia describes Andromalius as forcing the thief to confess openly and bring back what he took.
Comparisons: Andromalius and Other Goetic Spirits
Andromalius shares his function with several other Goetic spirits, but each approaches the task differently.
Bune (the twenty-sixth spirit) also recovers stolen goods, but Bune is associated with wealth and prosperity. Bune does not punish the thief. He simply returns what was taken. Andromalius punishes. He is the justice demon, not the wealth demon.
Vassago (the third spirit) declares past, present, and future and can find hidden things. But Vassago is described as “of a good nature.” He does not punish. Andromalius is not good-natured. He is the enforcer.
Gusion (the eleventh spirit) tells all past, present, and future and reconciles enemies. He can find hidden things, but his primary function is social harmony. Andromalius is not interested in harmony. He is interested in exposure.
The distinction matters. If you want your stolen property back without harming the thief, you call Bune or Vassago. If you want the thief caught and punished, you call Andromalius.
Common Misconceptions About Andromalius
Misconception: Andromalius is a demon of theft. He is not. He is a demon who recovers stolen goods and punishes thieves. He does not encourage theft. He ends it.
Misconception: Andromalius is evil. In the Goetic tradition, spirits are not classified as good or evil in the Christian sense. They are powers with specific functions. Andromalius punishes criminals. That is a function, not a moral position.
Misconception: Andromalius is the weakest demon because he is number seventy-two. The numbering in the Goetia does not indicate power. It indicates order of appearance in the text. The seventy-two spirits are not ranked by strength. Andromalius commands thirty-six legions, which is more than many higher-numbered spirits.
Misconception: Andromalius can be called to harm innocent people. The Goetia is explicit that spirits must be commanded with divine authority. Calling a spirit to harm an innocent person violates the conditions of the operation. The magician who does so is considered to have broken the covenant and may face consequences.
FAQ
Is Andromalius a demon or a devil? In the Goetic tradition, Andromalius is a demon, specifically a duke who commands legions of spirits. He is not a devil in the Christian sense of a fallen angel ruling over Hell. He is a spirit with a defined function.
Can Andromalius be called to find lost objects that were not stolen? The Goetia specifies that Andromalius recovers stolen goods. For lost objects that were not taken, other spirits like Vassago or Bune are more appropriate.
What does Andromalius look like? According to the Ars Goetia, he appears as a man holding a great serpent in his hand. Some modern sources describe him as having a dark complexion or wearing black robes, but the original text gives only the man and the serpent.
Andromalius is the demon at the end of the list, but he is not the least. He is the one you call when something has been taken and you want it back. He is the one who forces the hidden into the open. He holds the serpent, and the serpent speaks. For those who work with the Goetic spirits, Andromalius is the final answer to the oldest question: who took what is mine?
For a deeper understanding of the Goetic hierarchy and how these spirits relate to one another, see our complete guide to demonology and the Goetia. You may also want to explore the symbolism of the serpent in Western occult tradition and our guide to the seventy-two spirits of the Ars Goetia.