A medieval herbalist, facing a fever that had killed three families in the valley, traced a circle in the dirt with a stick of ash. He recited a name from a manuscript he had copied by candlelight. He was not asking for a miracle. He was asking for instruction.
Buer is the tenth spirit of the Ars Goetia, a President of Hell who governs fifty legions. He teaches philosophy, logic, and herbal medicine, and is said to cure all infirmities of mind and body, especially mental illness. He appears as a man with a star on his head and the legs of a goat, or sometimes as a lion with a star-shaped crown. In the hierarchy of the Goetia, he is considered one of the more approachable spirits, not because he is benevolent, but because his domain is healing rather than destruction.
Where Does Buer First Appear in the Grimoires?
The earliest known description of Buer comes from Johann Weyer’s Pseudomonarchia Daemonum (1563), a catalogue of demons that served as appendix to his larger work De Praestigiis Daemonum. Weyer, a Dutch physician and occultist, listed Buer as the tenth spirit, describing him as a “great President” who appears with a star on his head and goat’s legs. The name likely derives from the Hebrew b‛r (to burn) or possibly from the Latin buer (to purify), though scholars disagree on the etymology.
Weyer’s list was later incorporated into the Lemegeton Clavicula Salomonis (the Lesser Key of Solomon), compiled in the early seventeenth century. The Lemegeton is the primary source for the seventy-two spirits of the Goetia, and it repeats Weyer’s description almost verbatim. In that text, Buer is said to “teacheth philosophy, both moral and natural, and also the virtues of all herbs and plants.” He is also noted for curing “all distempers of the mind, especially in men.”
Some later grimoires associate Buer with the zodiac sign Sagittarius, likely because of the bow and arrow attributed to him in a few versions of the Goetia. The connection is not universal, but it appears in the Goetia of Dr. Rudd where Buer is described as “a Sagittarius, that is, a bowman, with a star on his head.” This astrological link may have been an attempt to harmonize the Goetic spirits with the planetary and zodiacal correspondences of Renaissance magic.
What Does the Star Head and Goat Legs Mean?
The star on Buer’s head is the most striking feature. In the symbolism of the grimoires, a star represents inner light, divine wisdom, and the ability to see beyond the physical. The star is often depicted with five points, a number associated with the human microcosm and the five senses. For Buer, it suggests that his teaching comes through illuminated reason, not brute force.
The goat legs are equally deliberate. The goat is an animal of the earth, stubborn, sure-footed, and able to climb rocky terrain. In demonology, goat legs are common to several spirits and are often a marker of the chthonic, the underworldly. But for Buer, the goat legs may also indicate a connection to the herbal realm: goats are browsers, eating plants that other animals avoid, and in medieval folklore, they were thought to know the medicinal properties of herbs by instinct.
Some sources describe Buer as having a lion’s mane or a lion’s head. The lion is a solar symbol, representing courage and royal authority. As a President, Buer exercises authority over fifty legions of spirits, a rank that places him below the Kings but above the Counts. The lion’s mane reinforces that he is not a lowly servant but a commander in his own right. The combination of star, goat, and lion creates a composite figure: wisdom from above, grounding from below, and the courage to act.
How Is Buer Used in Practice?
In the tradition of Goetic evocation, Buer is typically called upon for two purposes: physical healing and mental clarity. The early modern grimoires do not provide detailed instructions for working with individual spirits, but the Lemegeton gives a general method that applies to all seventy-two. The magician draws a circle, places the spirit’s sigil inside a triangle of art, and recites the appropriate conjurations.
For Buer specifically, the planetary hour of Jupiter is often chosen. Jupiter is the planet of expansion, mercy, and healing in Renaissance astrology. The sigil of Buer, which appears in the Lemegeton and in many modern editions, is a complex geometric figure composed of intersecting lines and curves. It is usually drawn on virgin parchment or paper with a consecrated pen. The incense used is often galbanum or sandalwood, both associated with purification and healing. The candle is green (for healing) or blue (for wisdom). Some practitioners place a sprig of vervain or mugwort inside the circle, herbs that Buer is said to teach about.
The actual invocation is a formal request. The magician does not command Buer as a slave but petitions him as a President. The language is respectful but firm. The spirit is asked to appear in a “mild and gentle form” and to give instruction on the properties of herbs or to cure a specific ailment. In the older texts, the spirit is bound by the names of God and the authority of Solomon. The modern practitioner may adapt this language but keeps the structure.
We light ours in a fireproof bowl on the balcony, the sigil facing east. The smoke drifts upward, and we wait. The experience is not always visual. Many report a sudden clarity of thought, a memory of a forgotten herbal formula, or a sense of warmth spreading through the body. The healing is not instantaneous. It is a teaching, not a miracle.
How Does Buer Compare to Other Healing Spirits?
Buer is not the only healing spirit in the Goetia. Marbas, the fifth spirit, is also a President who “cures all diseases” and “gives knowledge of the virtues of herbs and precious stones.” The two are often compared. Marbas appears as a lion, then changes into a man. Buer’s appearance is more fixed. The difference is one of emphasis: Marbas is more aligned with mechanical arts and transformation, while Buer is specifically about logic and philosophy alongside medicine.
Outside the Goetia, the archangel Raphael is the celestial healer, associated with the element of air and the planet Mercury. Where Raphael works through divine grace, Buer works through natural knowledge. The medieval magician who called on Buer was not rejecting the Church. He was supplementing it. The grimoires themselves are deeply Christian, filled with invocations of God and the Trinity. The spirits are not gods. They are intermediaries, fallen but still part of the created order.
In some traditions, Buer is linked to the Greek god Apollo, who was both the god of medicine and the god of reason. The connection is speculative but suggestive. Both figures combine healing with intellectual clarity. Both are archers in some depictions. The bow and arrow, when present, symbolizes directed intention, the ability to strike a target with precision. That is the kind of thinking Buer teaches: not vague philosophy but practical, applied logic.
What Are the Common Misconceptions About Buer?
The most common error is to assume that Buer is a demon of disease. He is not. He heals disease. The confusion arises from the general Christian view that all demons are malevolent. But the Goetia does not classify spirits as good or evil. They are simply spirits, some more hostile than others. Buer is listed among the “gentler” spirits, and many grimoires note that he “will not hurt any man, nor any body, unless he be commanded to do so by the master.”
Another misconception is that Buer must be bound with threats and curses. The old texts do include threats, but those are standard formulas for any spirit. In practice, Buer is a President, and Presidents are considered less aggressive than Dukes or Kings. A firm request, backed by the authority of the magician’s own will, is usually sufficient. The modern practitioner who approaches Buer with fear will likely get nothing. The spirit responds to confidence, not terrorism.
Some people also think that Buer’s healing is only for physical ailments. The Lemegeton specifically says he cures “all distempers of the mind, especially in men.” This includes depression, anxiety, madness, and what we would now call mental illness. The grimoires were written long before modern psychology, but they recognized that the mind could be broken and that some spirits could help mend it.
FAQ
Is Buer a demon of healing?
Yes. Buer is one of the few Goetic spirits explicitly associated with curing physical and mental illness. He teaches the virtues of herbs and plants, and his domain includes logic and philosophy, which he uses to restore mental clarity.
What does Buer look like?
In the grimoires, Buer appears as a man with a star on his head and the legs of a goat. Some versions describe him as a lion with a star-shaped crown. He is sometimes depicted with a bow and arrow, linking him to the zodiac sign Sagittarius.
How do you summon Buer?
The standard method of Goetic evocation is used: a circle is drawn, the sigil of Buer is placed in a triangle, and the appropriate conjurations are recited. The planetary hour of Jupiter is often chosen, and incense such as galbanum or sandalwood is burned. The spirit is asked to appear in a mild form and to provide instruction or healing.
What is Buer’s sigil?
Buer’s sigil is a geometric figure composed of intersecting lines and curves. It is found in the Lemegeton and in most modern editions of the Goetia. The sigil is used to focus the magician’s will and to compel the spirit to appear in the triangle.
Closing
Buer is one of the most practical spirits in the Goetic hierarchy, offering direct access to the healing properties of the natural world and the clarity of logical thought. His teachings on herbs and philosophy are still studied by practitioners who work with the Ars Goetia. For a comprehensive overview of the seventy-two spirits, see our demonology and Goetia hub. To understand the symbols used in evocation, visit our glossary of Goetic sigils. For step-by-step guidance on ritual preparation, read our guide to evocation practice.