A practitioner sits at a worktable, two drawings before them. One is a complex geometric figure from a seventeenth-century manuscript, its lines precise and angular. The other is a later rendering, softer, with curves and a central eye. Both claim to represent Vassago, the third spirit of the Ars Goetia. The difference between the Seal and Emblem of Vassago is that the seal is the historical sigil from the Lesser Key of Solomon, used for commanding the spirit in evocation, while the emblem is a later interpretive symbol, often employed for meditation, talismanic work, or personal attunement. One binds; the other invites.
What the Seal and Emblem Actually Are
The seal of Vassago is a specific diagram found in the Ars Goetia, the first book of the Lesser Key of Solomon (compiled circa 1640, with earlier manuscript traditions). It consists of a central cross within a circle, flanked by two smaller crosses, and surrounded by characters and names of God. This seal is the spirit’s “signature” — the symbol that, when drawn correctly on virgin parchment, compels Vassago to appear within the triangle of art.
The emblem of Vassago has no single authoritative source. It appears in modern grimoires and online occult communities, often as a circular design featuring a stylized eye, crescent moons, or planetary glyphs. Some versions incorporate the name “Vassago” in Enochian or Hebrew letters. Unlike the seal, the emblem was not used in traditional Solomonic evocation. It emerged from the ceremonial magic revival of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, particularly through the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn and later writers such as Aleister Crowley and Israel Regardie.
Where the Seal Comes From: A Dated History
The earliest known depiction of Vassago’s seal appears in manuscript Sloane 3825 (circa 1640), held at the British Library. This manuscript, part of the Lemegeton tradition, lists Vassago as the third spirit, a “mighty Prince” who governs 26 legions of spirits. The seal is drawn alongside the spirit’s description: “He telleth all things Past and to Come, and discovereth all things that are hidden.”
The seal’s design follows the Solomonic convention: a central geometric figure (here a cross) surrounded by divine names — often Tetragrammaton (YHWH) and Elohim — written in Hebrew or Latin script. The cross itself is not Christian in function but a binding device, a “seal of constraint” that forces the spirit to obey the magician’s will.
Later editions, such as Samuel Liddell MacGregor Mathers’s The Book of the Sacred Magic of Abramelin the Mage (1898) and Crowley’s The Goetia: The Lesser Key of Solomon (1904), reproduced the seal with minor variations. Crowley’s version, published in his Equinox series, remains the most widely copied today.
How the Emblem Entered the Tradition
The emblem of Vassago has no equivalent in the primary Solomonic texts. Its earliest traceable appearance is in the works of the Golden Dawn, where members such as William Wynn Westcott and Florence Farr experimented with “spirit emblems”, symbols designed not to command but to harmonize with a spirit’s energy. These emblems often incorporated astrological correspondences: for Vassago, the planet Mercury (communication, divination) and the element of Air.
By the mid-twentieth century, occult authors like Franz Bardon (The Practice of Magical Evocation, 1956) and later Donald Tyson (The New Magus, 1988) included emblems for the Goetic spirits. Tyson’s emblem for Vassago features a central triangle (representing the spirit’s trinity of powers: past, present, future) surrounded by a serpent eating its own tail, the ouroboros, symbol of cyclical time.
The emblem’s function is not to bind but to attract. Practitioners wear it as a pendant, place it on an altar during meditation, or trace it in the air with a wand to establish a “sympathetic current” with Vassago. It is a tool of relationship, not control.
Symbolism: What Each Figure Means
The seal is a statement of authority. Its crosses and divine names assert the magician’s place within a hierarchy, God above, the spirit below, the operator as intermediary. The central cross, often drawn with a single continuous line, represents the axis mundi, the point where the material and spiritual worlds intersect. The two smaller crosses flanking it are sometimes interpreted as the two pillars of Solomon’s Temple (Jachin and Boaz), reinforcing the seal’s temple-construction symbolism.
The emblem is a statement of resonance. Its circular form suggests wholeness and the cyclical nature of time, fitting for a spirit who reveals past and future. The eye at the center is the “Eye of Providence,” but also the inner sight of the practitioner, the third eye that opens to prophecy. Crescent moons (often one waxing, one waning) represent the lunar cycles that govern divination. The ouroboros, when present, ties the emblem to the alchemical opus, the work of self-transformation.
The seal says “I command.” The emblem says “I invite.”
Practices: How You Use Each
In traditional Solomonic evocation, the seal is drawn on a square of virgin parchment (from a lamb or kid) using a quill pen and black ink mixed with holy water. The magician holds the seal in the hand while reciting the conjuration. After the spirit departs, the seal is either burned or stored in a black silk cloth. It is never reused for a different spirit.
The emblem, by contrast, is often engraved on a metal disk (copper for Mercury, silver for the moon) or printed on paper and laminated. It is charged during a planetary hour of Mercury (Wednesday, dawn) and then kept on the altar or worn as a talisman. Some practitioners use it as a focus for scrying: they gaze at the emblem’s center until the eye seems to move, then speak the questions they want Vassago to answer.
We light ours in a fireproof bowl on the balcony, but only after the work is complete. The seal is burned; the emblem is kept.
Comparisons: Other Spirits with Dual Symbols
Vassago is not alone in having both a seal and an emblem. Bune (the twenty-sixth spirit) has a seal of three interlocking rings in the Ars Goetia and a later emblem of a dragon coiled around a treasure chest. Paimon’s seal is a crowned man on a dromedary; his emblem, popularized by the Golden Dawn, is a pentagram with a flame at each point.
The pattern is consistent: the seal belongs to the historical tradition of evocation, the emblem to the modern tradition of spirit work. The seal is fixed; the emblem evolves with each practitioner’s interpretation.
Common Misconceptions
“The seal and emblem are interchangeable.” They are not. Using the emblem in place of the seal during evocation will not compel the spirit to appear. Conversely, using the seal as a meditation focus can feel harsh or confrontational, it is designed to command, not to invite.
“The emblem is a modern invention and therefore invalid.” Validity depends on the tradition. For a Solomonic purist, only the seal matters. For a chaos magician or a neo-Golden Dawn practitioner, the emblem is a legitimate tool. The two serve different purposes in different contexts.
“Vassago’s seal contains hidden Christian symbolism.” The crosses are binding devices, not religious symbols. They derive from the Solomonic tradition’s use of the “seal of Solomon”, a hexagram, and the “seal of God”, a cross-like figure. The intent is magical, not devotional.
FAQ
Can I use the emblem to summon Vassago? No. The emblem is for meditation and attunement, not for evocation. Use the seal from the Ars Goetia if you intend to call the spirit into visible appearance.
Where can I find an authentic copy of Vassago’s seal? The most reliable source is Crowley’s The Goetia (1904), available in facsimile. Compare it against the Sloane 3825 manuscript to check for variations.
Do I need both the seal and the emblem? Not necessarily. If your practice is strictly Solomonic, the seal alone suffices. If you work with spirits through meditation or talismanic magic, the emblem may be more appropriate.
Why do some modern grimoires show a different emblem? Emblems are often personal creations. There is no canonical emblem for Vassago. Each author or tradition may produce a different design based on their correspondences.
Closing
The seal and emblem of Vassago are not rivals. They are two keys to the same door, cut from different metals. One opens the lock with authority; the other turns the bolt with sympathy. Knowing which to use, and when, is the mark of a practitioner who understands that a spirit’s symbol is not just a drawing. It is a relationship. For more on Goetic seals and their uses, explore our guide to the Ars Goetia seals and the broader demonology and Goetia hub. You may also find our glossary of Goetic symbols helpful for distinguishing other spirit seals from their later emblems.