A 17th-century magician sits alone in a candlelit room, a sheet of virgin parchment before him. He dips his quill into black ink mixed with his own blood and draws a circle divided by intersecting arcs, a cross anchored at its center, letters inscribed along the rim. He is not creating art. He is forging a key. That key is the seal of Vassago, the third spirit of the Ars Goetia, and the act of drawing it is the first step in summoning a being who, according to the grimoire, serves willingly and speaks truthfully of things past, present, and future.
The Seal of Vassago is a sacred diagram used in Solomonic magic to evoke the spirit Vassago, a Goetic prince who governs 26 legions of spirits and is known for revealing hidden knowledge and lost objects. Its specific geometry, letters, and orientation form a binding contract between the magician and the spirit, controlling the encounter and ensuring obedience. Without the seal, the rite is incomplete.
Where the Seal Comes From
The seal of Vassago first appears in the Ars Goetia, the first book of The Lesser Key of Solomon, a grimoire compiled around 1641 but drawing on older manuscripts. The Pseudomonarchia Daemonum (1583) by Johann Weyer lists Vassago as the third spirit but does not include seals; those were added later by editors who combined Weyer’s catalog with earlier Solomonic texts. The familiar version of the seal comes from the 1904 edition edited by Samuel Liddell MacGregor Mathers and published by Aleister Crowley under the title The Goetia: The Lesser Key of Solomon the King.
Mathers based his edition on a 17th-century English manuscript now housed in the British Library (Sloane MS 3648). That manuscript contains hand-drawn seals in red and black ink, with the seal of Vassago drawn inside a double circle. The design has remained stable across editions, though some modern versions simplify or stylize it. We know the seal because Mathers and Crowley chose to preserve it faithfully, and because subsequent occultists — particularly the members of the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn — treated it as a working tool.
What the Seal Actually Shows
The seal of Vassago consists of a series of concentric arcs, a cross-like symbol at its center, and Hebrew or pseudo-Hebrew letters placed around the perimeter. The exact arrangement varies slightly between manuscripts, but the core elements are:
- A central cross with thickened arms, often inscribed within a circle.
- Two C-shaped curves flanking the cross, one on each side, their openings facing outward.
- A horizontal line dividing the seal into upper and lower halves, sometimes with dots or small circles.
- Lettering — typically the name of the spirit or divine names, written around the outer rim.
These are not decorative. In Solomonic magic, every line and letter carries force. The circles establish boundaries; the cross invokes the power of the divine to compel obedience. The letters, whether the Tetragrammaton (YHVH) or variations of Vassago’s name, fix the spirit’s identity within a sacred framework. The seal acts as a frequency filter: it tunes the magician’s intent and the spirit’s manifestation to a single point of contact.
How the Seal Functions in Practice
Drawing the seal is not a casual act. The grimoire specifies the materials. Virgin parchment (from an unblemished animal, never used before), black ink, and a fresh quill. The seal must be drawn without interruption, in a single focused session. Some practitioners consecrate it by passing it through incense smoke (frankincense, myrrh, or sandalwood) while reciting Psalms or the conjuration from the Ars Goetia.
Once prepared, the seal serves two roles. First, it is placed inside the magic circle, often at the eastern point, to anchor the spirit’s presence. Second, it is sometimes worn or carried as a protective talisman. The 17th-century instructions say the magician should hold the seal before the triangle of manifestation when commanding Vassago to appear. The spirit then enters the triangle (a separate diagram) but the seal remains the point of authority.
We light our incense in a fireproof bowl on the floor, not on a table. The smoke must rise between the circle and the triangle. We place the seal on a silk cloth, never on bare ground. These details matter because the grimoire names them and because generations of practitioners have reported results only when the forms are followed.
Every Goetic spirit has a unique seal, and the differences are not cosmetic. Compare Vassago’s seal with that of Buer (10th spirit): Buer’s seal is dominated by five-pointed stars and curved lines suggesting a wheel. Vassago’s seal is simpler, more geometric, with the cross as the dominant figure. That cross signals willing compliance, the Ars Goetia describes Vassago as “of a Good Nature”, while Buer’s seal suggests a more martial or active summoning.
The seal of Balam (51st spirit) features complex interlacing, reflecting his three voices and bear-like form. Vassago’s seal has no animal forms or faces. It is abstract, almost calligraphic. This matches the spirit’s function: Vassago is a revealer of hidden things, not a warrior. The seal’s openness (the twin C-curves) may represent receptivity to knowledge.
Some commentators note that the seal of Vassago resembles Solomon’s Knot or other protective diagrams found in medieval amulets. That is plausible. The compilers of the Ars Goetia borrowed heavily from earlier Jewish and Arabic magical traditions, where geometric seals were used to bind angels and demons alike.
What People Get Wrong About the Seal
The most common error is believing the seal summons Vassago by itself. It does not. The seal is one component of a complex ritual that includes purification, prayer, the creation of the circle and triangle, and the spoken conjuration. Without those, the seal is an inert drawing. It is a key, not a door.
Another misconception: that the seal is inherently evil or dangerous. In Solomonic magic, the seal is a tool of command, not worship. The magician does not bow to the spirit; the spirit bows to the name of God written within the seal. The seal’s power comes from the divine names it incorporates, not from the spirit. This distinction matters for anyone who finds the imagery unsettling.
A third error: that the seal must never be touched or seen by the uninitiated. No grimoire says that. The seal is a working instrument, not a secret. What matters is the intent behind drawing it and the context in which it is used. A photograph of the seal in a book carries no ritual force.
FAQ
Can I draw the Seal of Vassago myself? Yes, but the grimoire requires it to be made on virgin parchment with black ink, drawn in a single focused session without interruption. A simple copy on paper is not considered active.
Is Vassago a demon? The Ars Goetia uses the term “spirit” or “Prince.” Vassago is described as good-natured and willing to serve. In Christian magical tradition, all Goetic spirits were considered fallen, but many modern practitioners treat them as neutral forces.
What does the seal protect against? The seal itself is not primarily a protective talisman; it is a control mechanism. However, when worn or placed in the home, some believe it wards against malicious spirits because it carries divine names.
Do I need the seal to contact Vassago? Solomonic tradition says yes. The spirit is bound by its seal and will not appear without it. Alternative systems (e.g., chaos magic) sometimes dispense with seals, but that departs from the grimoire’s method.
The seal of Vassago survives because it works within the logic of its tradition. It is a precise instrument, drawn with intention, used inside a framework that has been tested for nearly four centuries. Whether one believes the spirit is real or a projection of the subconscious, the seal remains a focal point, an object that demands concentration, respect, and skill. It is not a decoration. It is the handle of a door.
For a deeper understanding of how seals fit into the broader system of ceremonial magic, read our guide to Goetic demonology and the Ars Goetia. Explore individual seals and their meanings in our glossary of occult symbols. And for a step-by-step breakdown of the evocation ritual, see How to Perform a Goetic Evocation.