A grimoire keeper in 17th-century London copied a circle onto parchment with a crow quill, working by candlelight because the instructions said the ink must dry before dawn. He was not drawing. He was binding. The Lesser Key of Solomon sigils are structured symbols that function as spiritual keys, each one linked to a specific spirit, angel, or demon whose name and office are recorded in the grimoire. The sigil is not a decoration. It is the address.
The Lesser Key of Solomon sigils are structured symbols that function as spiritual keys, each one linked to a specific spirit, angel, or demon whose name and office are recorded in the grimoire. The sigil is not a decoration. It is the address.
What the Lesser Key of Solomon Actually Contains
The Lemegeton Clavicula Salomonis, known in English as the Lesser Key of Solomon, is a 17th-century grimoire compiled from earlier manuscripts. The earliest known copy dates to around 1640, held in the British Library as Sloane MS 273. The book is divided into five parts: Ars Goetia (72 demons), Ars Theurgia Goetia (31 aerial spirits), Ars Paulina (spirits of the hours and zodiacal signs), Ars Almadel (20 spirits of the four altars), and Ars Notoria (prayers for memory and knowledge).
Each spirit in the Goetia has a seal, a sigil, and a description of its appearance, office, and the number of legions it commands. The sigils are drawn inside a double circle, often with the spirit’s name written in Hebrew, Latin, or an angelic script around the perimeter. The operator is instructed to trace the sigil onto virgin parchment or engraved metal, depending on the spirit’s rank.
The sigils are not arbitrary. They are constructed from a grid of letters, numbers, and geometric forms that correspond to the spirit’s planetary hour, its rank in the infernal hierarchy, and the angelic name that binds it. The system is a closed logic. Change one line and the spirit does not answer.
Where the Sigils Come From: A Brief History
The sigils in the Lesser Key draw from several older traditions. The Ars Notoria section contains prayers attributed to Apollonius of Tyana, a 1st-century Greek philosopher. The Ars Goetia borrows heavily from the Pseudomonarchia Daemonum (1577) by Johann Weyer, a German physician who catalogued demons as a way to expose what he considered fraudulent magic. Weyer himself took his list from the Liber Officiorum Spirituum, a 15th-century manuscript that no longer survives.
The most famous manuscript of the Lesser Key is Sloane MS 273, but it is not the only one. Harley MS 6483 (18th century) and Additional MS 36674 (19th century) contain variant sigils. The sigils in the Goetia section differ between manuscripts. Some are drawn with straight lines only. Others include curves. The differences matter to practitioners who insist on a single authoritative source.
The grimoire was first printed in English in 1904 by Samuel Liddell MacGregor Mathers, a co-founder of the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn. Mathers worked from several manuscripts held in the British Museum. His edition, published by the Redway Company, included the sigils as woodcuts. That edition remains the most widely reproduced version, though later editors like Aleister Crowley (who published the Goetia in 1904 as part of his Book of the Goetia of Solomon the King) added his own commentary and modified some of the seals.
How the Sigils Work: The Logic Behind the Lines
Every sigil in the Lesser Key is a composite of three elements: the spirit’s name written in a cipher, the planetary seal of the spirit’s ruling planet, and the geometric figure that corresponds to the spirit’s rank. The name is encoded using a substitution cipher called the Celestial Alphabet or the Passing of the River, a script attributed to the angelic realm.
The operator draws the sigil inside a circle that has been consecrated with the names of God, the archangels, and the hours of the day. The circle is not a barrier. It is a stage. The sigil sits at the center, and the spirit is evoked into the triangle of art outside the circle. The sigil is the point of contact. Without it, the spirit has no fixed location to appear.
The triangle of art is a separate figure drawn outside the circle, usually on the floor or on a black cloth. The spirit is commanded to appear within the triangle, and the sigil is held or placed there as a focal point. The operator does not step into the triangle. The operator stays inside the circle. The sigil bridges the two spaces.
How to Use a Lesser Key Sigil: The Practical Method
The grimoire gives precise instructions for each spirit. The general method is consistent across the Goetia section.
Materials needed:
- Virgin parchment or a metal plate (copper for planetary spirits, lead for infernal ones)
- A consecrated pen or stylus (often a crow quill or a needle)
- Black ink or a mixture of ink and the operator’s blood (some manuscripts specify this)
- A compass for drawing the circle
- A censer with frankincense or myrrh
- A wand or a sword for tracing the circle
The procedure:
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Choose the correct hour. Each spirit is assigned a planetary hour. The hours are not clock hours. They are calculated from sunrise to sunset, divided into twelve equal parts. A spirit of Mars is evoked in the hour of Mars on a Tuesday.
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Prepare the space. The circle is drawn on the floor with chalk or a consecrated blade. The names of God are written around the perimeter. The triangle of art is drawn outside the circle, facing east.
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Draw the sigil. The sigil is traced onto the parchment or metal at the appointed hour. The operator recites the spirit’s name and the appropriate psalm or prayer while drawing. The sigil must be continuous. A broken line breaks the connection.
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Enter the circle. The operator steps into the circle and closes it with the final name. The censer is lit. The sigil is placed in the triangle.
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Evoke the spirit. The operator reads the conjuration from the grimoire. The spirit is called by name, by its rank, and by the names of God that bind it. The sigil is shown to the spirit as proof of authority.
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Dismiss the spirit. After the working, the spirit is dismissed with a license to depart. The sigil is either destroyed or stored in a black cloth. It is not reused for a different spirit.
What the Sigils Are Not: Common Misconceptions
The sigils are not talismans. A talisman is charged with a fixed purpose and worn or carried. A Goetic sigil is a tool for evocation. It is activated in the circle and deactivated after the working. Wearing a Goetic sigil as jewelry is not traditional and carries risks that the grimoire does not address.
The sigils are not protective. The circle protects the operator. The sigil is the spirit’s point of entry. Holding a sigil without the circle is like opening a door without a frame. The grimoire warns against this explicitly.
The sigils are not interchangeable. Each sigil corresponds to one spirit. Using the sigil of Bael to evoke Paimon will not work. The sigils are specific to the spirit’s name, rank, and planetary correspondence. The manuscripts are careful about this. A single misplaced line changes the spirit.
The sigils are not dangerous in themselves. Paper and ink do not carry power. The danger comes from the operator’s intent, the state of the circle, and the respect given to the spirit. The grimoire is a manual for a specific kind of work. It is not a toy.
The Sigils and the Golden Dawn: A Different Tradition
The Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn, founded in 1888, adapted the Lesser Key sigils into their own system of ceremonial magic. Mathers and Crowley both worked with the sigils, but they interpreted them through the lens of the Qabalah and the Enochian system of John Dee.
The Golden Dawn added the Enochian calls to the evocation process, and they assigned each spirit to a specific sefirah on the Tree of Life. The sigils were redrawn to include Enochian letters and the names of the archangels. This hybrid system is what most modern practitioners encounter, not the original grimoire method.
The difference matters. The original Lesser Key does not mention the Qabalah. It does not use Enochian. It is a Christian grimoire that invokes the names of God, the Trinity, and the saints. The Golden Dawn version is a synthesis. Both are valid, but they are not the same.
FAQ
Can I use a printed copy of a sigil, or must I draw it by hand? The grimoire specifies that the sigil must be drawn by the operator at the appointed hour. A printed copy lacks the personal intent and the timing required for the working.
Do I need to be an experienced magician to use these sigils? The grimoire assumes a working knowledge of ceremonial magic, including the construction of circles, the calculation of planetary hours, and the recitation of conjurations. Beginners should study the system thoroughly before attempting evocation.
What happens if I draw a sigil incorrectly? The spirit will not appear. The sigil is a precise geometric key. A broken line, a missing letter, or an incorrect planetary seal breaks the connection. The grimoire advises starting over with fresh materials.
Are the sigils dangerous to have in my home? The sigils themselves are inert without the circle and the conjuration. Storing a sigil in a sealed container or a black cloth is standard practice. The danger is not from the sigil but from the operator’s intent.
Closing
The sigils of the Lesser Key of Solomon are a record of a specific method, not a universal system. They belong to a tradition that demands precision, discipline, and a willingness to work within the boundaries set by the grimoire. For those who want to understand the full scope of ceremonial magic, the Lesser Key is one of several foundational texts. Explore the witchcraft tools guide for a broader look at the tools and practices that support this work, and see the glossary of occult symbols for the sigils of other traditions. The guide to grimoire magic covers the history and use of the primary sources.