A Prince among Spirits

by

Jake Stratton-Kent

A Prince among Spirits Copyright © Jake Stratton-Kent 2016.

Cover Image © Paul Huson. Used with permission.

All Rights Reserved.

Guides to the Underworld

Published by Hadean Press.

www.hadeanpress.com

Introduction

Recently I have been composing a new work on the identities of the spirits in various grimoires, resolving aliases and such. In one particular case the material has proven phenomenally extensive, covering a huge historic field, becoming a primary exemplar of the need for such a comparative study. Thus the need for a new spirit pamphlet became evident, the material being more than sufficient. However, while there is no shortage of material, one difficulty remained. The spirit concerned appears under a variety of names in numerous grimoires, the common identity of his various aliases unsuspected. His name differs from one grimoire to another, so that readers of one will not necessarily be familiar with another. Accordingly, what to call this booklet in order to announce his singular multifaceted presence within it has been a major concern.

In the grimoires the spirit to be discussed here has been variously known as Foras, alias Forcas; as Furcas, Parcas, Forcase and Lewteffar aka Falcas. He may also rightly be called Abarak, and appears in the Grimorium Verum as Surgat. The hierarchical details of this grimoire as they relate to him are worthy of delineation. Verum has three chiefs, Lucifer, Belzebuth, and Astaroth, each of whom has two deputies, who in turn has three subordinates. These subordinates may well be emanations of the upper ranks. One of the deputies of Astaroth is Sargatanas, and Surgat is accounted his subordinate; the two names are obviously similar.

Under the name Surgat, among others, he is prominent in the Grimoire of Honorius. This grimoire deals entirely with chiefs; subordinates are only mentioned in passing. Thus Surgat’s presence there is highly significant for understanding his true status among the spirits. Therein he is also known as Acquiot and Aquiel, the latter also known from Faustian grimoires and The 6th & 7th Books of Moses as Aciel and Aziel. This is an important link as Aziel’s name appears far & wide; as for instance in the little cited Florentine ms. Plut. 89 Sup. 38. This presents a quite distinct spirit catalogue from Weyer’s, which nonetheless mentions many important superior spirits, illustrative of their wide distribution in the genre; therein Aziel appears again. His sigil therein bears a more than passing resemblance to that of Surgatha in Lansdowne 1202.

Sigil of Aziel

Sigil of Surgatha

In fact, from this particular alter ego of our Prince the trail leads into yet deeper waters, to the apocalyptic literature of ancient Jewry, and to the earliest known Solomonic text, the Testament of Solomon; grandfather of them all. My listing is not intended to be exhaustive; important appearances elsewhere include the Three Books of Occult Philosophy and numerous others. This ubiquity is not in question; the significance of this universality and the common identity of the figure behind these names is what requires underlining.

His appearance in the grimoires

To begin with the better known appearances of the spirit, if not the most revealing, he appears twice in the Goetia of Solomon. This is not exceptional in itself; at least one other spirit therein has two entries. His first appearance is as Foras, ‘the 31st spirit in order’; here I give the appropriate text as it appeared in Scot’s Discoverie of Witchcraft, preceding the composition of the grimoire.

Foras, aliàs Forcas, is a great President, and is seen in the form of a strong Man, and in humane shape, he understandeth the virtue of hearbs and pretious stones; he teacheth fully Logick, Ethicks, and their parts; he maketh a man Invisible, Witty, Eloquent, and to live long; he recovereth things lost, and discovereth treasures, and is Lord over Twenty nine Legions.

Seal of Foras from the Goetia

Later in the same catalogue he appears again, the repetition disguised by an apparent difference of rank, and different powers. I suggest that ‘strong’ and ‘cruel’ are essentially similar in context:

Furcas, is [appears as] a Knight, and cometh forth in the similitude of a cruel Man, with a long beard and a hoary head; he sitteth on a pale horse, carrying in his hand a sharp weapon; he perfectly teacheth practick Philosophy, Rhetorick, Logick, Astronomy, Chiromancy, Pyromancy, and their parts: there obey him Twenty Legions.

Seal of Furcas from the Goetia

He is duplicated again in the less well known Livre des Esperitz. On both occasions he is a prince (used in place of President throughout the text). There is no question here of his being a knight, of which rank Furcas is the sole example in the Goetia, and that likely an error of transmission:

Parcas is a great prince who makes a man subtle. He appears in a beautiful form. He knows the virtue of herbs and of precious stones and fetches them when commanded, and makes a man invisible and wise in all sciences, and makes a man become young or old, as one desires, and restores the sight when one has lost it. And conveys gold and silver which is hidden in the earth and all other things, and carries the master throughout all the world if commanded, and all others if the master so commands; and he has beneath him xxx legions.

The different number of legions should not worry us overmuch. Another form of this catalogue, The Book of Offices, hardly ever agrees with the Goetia &c in this respect, although the equivalences of persons are clear. His second appearance, though a tad shorter, is much more similar as regards his powers than with the pair in the Goetia.

Forcas is a great prince who teaches the virtue of herbs and precious stones, and makes one invisible and wise and well-spoken to all people, and will bring treasures concealed in the earth when commanded; and he has xxx legions.

Turning now to the first reference to him in The Book of Offices, this resembles the Livre version in preferring the term Prince rather than President; we should undoubtedly consider them equivalent. The tendency to give a smaller number of legions is well illustrated here:

Forcase, a great prince, he appeareth like a great man [equivalent to ‘strong man’ or ‘knight’?], and he knoweth the virtue of all herbs, and also of stones, and he giveth again the sight that was lost, and he telleth the places of treasures, and giveth true answers, and hath under him 10 legions.

In the same catalogue he makes, by my reading, a second much elaborated appearance. On this occasion as well as Falcas, Prince, he bears an alias, Lewteffar. The resemblance to Lucifer is hardly likely to be accidental. He appears in monstrous form and speaks ‘homely’ or plainly; the speech of spirits is variously described in these grimoires, later it says he laughs and speaks hoarsely. He is mounted on a fiery dragon, and has ‘starry eyes’ and significantly, the head of a devil. His tail is a viper’s, his hands of a bear and his feet of a mole. Also, ‘he speaketh of great things’ (possibly, ‘with a great voice’?). His breast is open, his breath stinks -- an apparent characteristic of particularly powerful spirits in the relevant tradition. He is crowned with a rainbow and his gaze is downward. He apparently loves music, an observation which I think likely refers to musician attendants such as attend the Kings. The same breathless passage tells us he appears in the 7th hour and has an eye in his forehead.

This wonderful portrait includes the same kind of specifics as others relating to the powers of the spirit elsewhere, though considerably elaborated as follows. He heals sickness and disease; he makes men seem mad, and rise up against another. He teaches the art of necromancy in five days. He knows ‘every part of free love’, and entices women to pride, making them love men.

Incidentally, the length and detail of the passage outlined above is only matched by ‘the Long Text Group’ in Weyer’s catalogue. This is important as those passages detail Paimon, Asmoday, Gaap, Belial, and Bileth -- all greater or lesser Kings. This too is unlikely to be accidental.

In this same passage we are told that he lies; specifically, he will not confess himself ‘to be Abarak’, an omission the text does not elucidate. He will also, moreover, claim to be one of the Four Kings. Now, regarding Abarak, Baraq in Hebrew means ‘black’ and in Arabic Al Baraq is ‘thunder’. The Phoenician Barca -- surname of famed generals of the Phoenician colony, Carthage -- is related. Give or take a drift between L & R, this is phonetically similar to various forms of this spirit’s name; Parcas/Falcas. Thus the passage apparently means he will pretend not to be himself but one of the Four Kings. This is an interesting aside, and underlines the status and power of the spirit. It is worth keeping it in mind as it has some bearing on matters arising later.

So too the text informs us that he desires sacrifice -- I suspect in the same manner as with Surgat in Honorius -- and having received it is then a good informant. Also like the spirits of Honorius, he fetches treasure and money from one place to any place desired. So too he makes a man skilled in astronomy and astrology, geomancy and the liberal sciences. He gives promotions and dignities and has 20 legions.

Talking of Surgat’s appearance in Honorius, that this is the same form of the name as employed in the first of Verum’s two catalogues is significant. So far no other spirits in that part of the latter grimoire have been shown to possess direct analogues in the Goetia, though in its second listing some have been so identified. Identifying the spirits of the grimoires with their analogues elsewhere is by no means an exact science, and some surprises undoubtedly await us in future.

Sigil of Surgat from Grimorium Verum

Meanwhile, the status of this spirit has already been underlined. However, the listings in The Book of Offices also include a strikingly similar spirit under a different name, who is earlier identified as one of the presidential counsellor spirits to the Four Kings. This is the variously spelled Annobath, therein called a Lord and Governor, which from contextual indicators it is relatively simple to deduce has the same meaning as President elsewhere. His appearance is as a knight on a pale horse, he wears a double crown (corona) which I suspect is elsewhere read as double horned (cornu) – like Lewteffar with the head of a devil. He bears a spear in his hand. Like Forcas and the other aliases, he teaches necromancy, geomancy and chiromancy, and the art of magic. He tells who guards these secrets, and how they may be obtained. Like Falcas, he gives true answers. As a major spirit Annoboth/Anaboth also appears in Offices’ second listing. There too he appears as a knight who gives expertise in necromancy, shows where treasure is hidden and who guards it. If the guardian is a spirit of the North, he can drive them away. He can tell of ‘wonderful strange things’. While Partas (as rendered in the Book of Oberon), is under Amaymon in the South, Annobath is very specifically under Egin in the North. As will be seen, this matches various other indicators regarding our Prince.

As mentioned already, Surgat appears also in the Grimoire of Pope Honorius; he is indeed a key figure in the subtext of several grimoires:

For Sunday, to Surgat.

This experience is performed at night from eleven to one o’clock. He will demand a hair of your head, but give him one of a fox, and see that he takes it. His office is to discover & transport all treasures, and perform anything that you may will. Write in his circle: Tetragrammaton (x3). Ismael, Adonay, Ilma (or Ihua). And in a second circle: Come, Surgat! (x3).

Conjuration.

I conjure thee, O Surgat, by all the names which are written in this book, to present thyself here before me, promptly and without delay, being ready to obey me in all things, or failing this, to despatch me a Spirit with a stone which shall make me invisible to everyone whensoever I carry it! And I conjure thee to be submitted in thine own person, or in the person of him or of those whom thou shalt send me, to do & accomplish my will, and all that I shall command, without harm to me or to any one, so soon as I make known my intent.

There are various significant features of relevance here. The connection with stones and invisibility is obviously a recurrent theme, of which more anon. In the meantime, the matter of aliases is considerably extended by the various forms of the Honorius text. In the Honorius text dated 1800 the spirit of Sunday is named as Aquiel, while the 1760 version calls him Surgat, in common with the Italian Verum. In the version dated 1670 he bears the name Acquiot. In all versions the same powers are described, and the ritual does not differ, strengthening the assumption that these are aliases rather than distinct spirits.

Aquiel appears in the Heptameron among the northern angels ruling the air on Sunday. This is not only the same name, but the same direction and the same day as various alter egos. He is also undoubtedly identical with Aciel and Aziel, associated with Sunday in some Faustian grimoires.

Aciel: The mightiest among those who serve men. He manifests in pleasing human form about three feet high. He must be invoked three times before he will come forth into the circle prepared for him. He will furnish riches and will instantly fetch things from a great distance, according to the will of the magician. He is as swift as human thought.

This Faustian equivalence hints at connections far beyond the Heptameron which supplied some of the conjurations &c in the Honorius grimoire, as it did the Goetia of Solomon. Meanwhile, a similar attribution of demons to days appears in the 6th & 7th Books of Moses. There Aziel is described somewhat differently, retaining however the interest in treasure apparent with the grimoires attributed to Honorius and Faust:

AZIEL is a very prompt treasure-spirit of the earth and of the sea. He appears in the form of a wild ox.

Incidentally another difference in bestial appearance is offered by the Clavis Inferni, where Azael appears as a bear (agreeing at least with the hands of Lewteffar, aka Falcas, above). Thus while the spirit catalogues converge at points, detailed equivalences between the operating systems should not be assumed. Another point regarding Aquiel/Aciel points to possible convergence with the geographical associations of Verum spirits. In the highly composite Wellcome MS – which includes a syncretic Honorius -- a spirit called Achel is mentioned separately as the spirit that ‘rules and governs France’. This likely indicates a dovetailing of spirits of the week (including the three Verum chiefs, etc.) with mundane rulership of continents and individual countries. France is traditionally ruled by Leo, the Sign of the Sun, suggesting that this ‘Achel’ and Aquiel the Sunday demon are at the very least related.

Jewish demonology and its implications

From here the trail enters some very recondite areas. Aciel aka Azael, Asiel, or Asael is a very major figure of Jewish demonology, appearing in the Book of Enoch, the Zohar and elsewhere.

And Asael taught men to make swords of iron and breastplates of bronze and every weapon for war; and he showed them the metals of the earth, how to make gold, to fashion adornments and about silver, to make bracelets for women; and he instructed them about antimony, and eye-shadow, and all manner of precious stones and dyes and varieties of adornments; and the children of men fashioned for themselves and for their daughters and transgressed; and there arose much impiety on the earth, and they committed fornication and went astray, and corrupted their ways.

I Enoch 8

As an angel name Azael or Asiel has been translated ‘whom God (El) strengthens’ or ‘Strong God’; possibly better is Asael, ‘who God made’. The Zohar mentions him in company with Aza as two fallen angels who cohabited with Naamah; other forms of the myth are not uncommon. This daughter of Lamech is herself prominent in traditional demonology, a Lamia figure also bearing the name Nahema. The Zoharic tradition gives the origin of the Sedim (satyr-like spirits of Mesopotamia) as resulting from their amours. The Midrash Petirat Mosheh gives a related story where he descends from heaven with Ouza (compare Aza) and is corrupted. The same tradition makes him humanity’s first instructor in witchcraft, by which art the Sun, Moon & Stars were brought closer for purposes of idolatry. To cut a long story short, in Jewish lore leadership of the angelic rebellion can be credited to Azael (Asael), Azazel, or Semjaza, figures who are sometimes identified, sometimes distinguished. (See, in particular, Peter Grey’s Lucifer: Princeps). Thus ‘Falcas’ of Oberon/Offices has good reason to insist his status has been underestimated.

Agrippa and others list Azael among the four evil angels of the elements. These spirits are distinct from the Four Kings Oriens, Paymon, Amaymon, and Egyn, and are occasionally represented as their emanations. (eg. Clavis Inferni; Magical Calendar &c). Being originally the leader among the Fallen Angels, it is not surprising if this secondary distinction occasionally becomes tenuous. In all probability the reference in the Book of Oberon to him denying his given identity and claiming to be one of the Four Kings derives from this circumstance.

Four corners of the world

East

West

North

South

Four Princes of Spirits, upon the four angles of the world

Oriens

Paymon

Egyn

Amaymon

Four Princes of Devils, offensive in the elements

Samael

(Fire)

Azazel

(Air)

Azael

(Water)

Mahazael

(Earth)

Table showing relation of Kings, directions & elements, following Agrippa &c

The first of the Solomonic grimoires and the only one with any claims to Jewish origins is the Testament of Solomon. There too we find Azael, as the “thwarting angel” commanding the spirit Lix Tetrax aka Tephras. This appearance is full of significance and is dealt with at length in my Testament of Cyprian the Mage. Suffice it to say here that Azael’s role therein fatally undermines the supposed ‘celestial’ status of the thwarting angels. He is the primary exemplar of an ‘angel’ acting as superior demon in conjuration processes.

Etymology, Kimbanda, Astrology

Some other points regarding Surgat require discussion before turning to another aspect of the subject. The name appears to be from the Latin, Surgo: rise, get up, stand up, arise, spring up, grow. Like Abarak – black, thunder – it could well be a title; there is in any case no historical reason why a spirit should not have many names.

As Surgat he appears in the Grimorium Verum, as well as variant MS versions of the Veritable Key of Solomon. His powers are described thus in the various editions:

Surgat, called also Surgatha, has the power to open anything that is shut or locked. Also said: opens every kind of lock. Also said: imparts the skill to open locks and locked places to discover that which be within.

This power to open doors should be compared with the invisibility power mentioned frequently elsewhere. Both concern making entry undetected. Elsewhere in these texts the manner of making the Stone of Invisibility is given; in fact Surgat occurs in several spells in this literature, as will be shown shortly. Also concerning the Grimorium Verum, many of its spirits have been syncretised within the Brazilian cult of Kimbanda. Surgat is among them, and therein he is associated with Exu das Sete Portas, Exu of the Seven Doors; there is another related Exu, called Exu Sete Porteiras, much more powerful.

Regarding Surgat’s alter ego, in Kiumbanda - A Complete Grammar of the Art of Exu (A Chadezoad Publication, 2006), Nicholaj de Mattos Frisvold has written as follows:

This Exu of the seven doors unlocks any door. He can trace hidden treasures and point one in the direction where to find objects of value. He is also a guardian of thieves and is said to be the protector of the African heritage of Kiumbanda. Whenever we are confronted with a blockage to opportunities, this Exu can be appealed to. His mysteries are vast and he can also be a teacher of the Art of Exu given his enormous knowledge of the cult. . .

Items sacred: keys, locks, chains and doorknobs.

Iconography: He is carrying a trident, wears only red trousers and is carrying a scroll marked by seven church doors.

As detailed elsewhere, Verum spirits are also associated with the lunar mansions, providing various correspondences. Surgat is attributed to the 25th mansion, from 9 to 20 degrees of Aquarius. Incidentally, in the better known attribution given by Agrippa &c, Aziel is the ‘angel’ of this mansion. Within this mansion is Neptune’s Exaltation and Pluto’s Fall degree, 19 degrees Aquarius. In solar terms, the Critical Degrees marking the mansion’s limits correspond to January 29th until February 10th. The particular mansion symbol from the Greco-Egyptian papyri is the garland of Hecate.

Spells

Surgat is among the spirits of the GV who appear in spells, an important group in itself. There is a possible linkage between such spirits and image magic with the kings in other grimoires. These spells constitute an interesting group, beginning with footprint magic, wherein Surgat works as a malefic spirit.

The Curse of the Nails

Go to a cemetery, remove nails from an old coffin, saying: ‘Nails, I take you, so that you may serve to turn aside and cause evil to all persons whom I will. In the Name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.’

When you wish to use it, you must look for a footprint of your foe and making the three figures of Guland, Surgat and Morail, fix the nail in the middle, saying:

‘Pater noster’ up to ‘in terra.’ [‘Our Father, which art in heaven, hallowed be thy name upon Earth’, possibly as some are pleased to say, ‘our Father below’]

Hit the nail with a stone, saying: cause evil to N…, until I remove thee.’

Re-cover the place with a little dust, and remember it well, because one cannot remove the evil which this causes, but by removing the nail, and saying: ‘I remove thee, so that the evil which thou hast caused to N…, shall cease. In the Name of the Father and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.’

Then take the nail out, and efface the characters: not with the same hand as you make them, but with the other. Thus it will be without danger.

Sigil of Morail

I collected the next such spell so long ago I can no longer trace the source. In this spell Morail’s place is taken by Frimost while Guland and Surgat appear as in the previous spell.

Death Spell by Magick Image

Make a wax doll representing the person you wish to destroy, slit the head, chest and stomach and insert the sigils of Frimost, Guland and Surgat. Impale the image head to foot and turn over the brazier saying: ‘It is not my hand which scorches thee, it is the hand of Frimost which scorches thee; It is not wax which I scorch, it is the head, heart and spleen of N…, that I scorch’.

Sigil of Frimost

The next example comes from the Key of Solomon manuscripts closely related to the GV. Incidentally the forms of the names of spirits are derived from the forms in the Grimorium Verum, and not, as has been suggested, the other way around. The spell is particularly interesting as Surgat is the only spirit employed therein:

To open anything that is shut or locked

Take a lodestone (literally magnet stone) and make the sign of St Andrews cross 3 times. Above the wand and around the stone make a circle, within the circle make a square and at all the angles put the sigil of Surgatha, and around the circle put 4 branches of the lunar plant, and while holding the stone say piously in a low voice these words over it: BESCHAT. SURGATHA. MENAIC. REMISCHAT. REGADAMER. AND CHIRMUTS. And afterwards cover everything with lead filings.

If you carry this lodestone on you or before you, and if you place it before all closed/locked things they will quickly open!

Here the Stone of Invisibility seen, for example, in Honorius as requested in conjurations of Surgat, is instead prepared via a material ritual, or spell, under his auspices. While a magical image does not appear in the process, the ritual has similarities to those involving the Kings Baal, Belial, as well as Nebiros &c. which do. Such ritual spells, with or without a magical image, appear sporadically in relation to Solomonic spirit catalogues. Their counterparts are recognisable in the papyri which preceded them, and they thus represent an important continuity. It is likely, considering the grimoire examples, that such processes are characteristic of high ranking entities: as Kings, Presidents &c.

Magical Instruments

Such matters of rank are underlined by the appearance of spirit sigils on magical instruments, a feature characteristic of the Grimorium Verum’s Alibeck edition. These spirits form a selection of those appearing in its spells, a group within a group. Frimost and Klepoth’s sigils are to be graven on the wands, Bechaud’s on the larger of the knives. Similarly, those of Guland & Surgat embellish the Liming Vessel used in the absolutely central part of the GV rite; the preparation of the magical parchment (see my True Grimoire) from the skin of a sacrificed animal.

Of the Virgin Parchment

(See Key of Solomon II Ch. XVII)

This can be made in many ways. Generally it is made of the skin of a goat or lamb, or other animal, which must be virgin. Remember that when you make the Sacrifice in order to obtain the Virgin Parchment from the kid, all the instruments must be on the altar. Take your goat and place it on a flat surface, so that the throat is uppermost, the better to cut it. Take your knife and cut the throat with a single stroke, while pronouncing the name of the Spirit that you wish to invoke. For example, you say:

‘I kill you in the Name and to the Honour of N [name of spirit]’.

This is to be well understood, and take care that you sever the throat at first, and do not take two strokes, but see that he dies at the first.

Then you skin him with the knife, and at the skinning make this invocation:

ADONAY, DALMAY, LAUDAY, TETRAGRAMMATON, ANERETON; and all you, Holy Angels of God, come and be here, and deign to infuse into this skin the power that it may be correctly preserved, so that all that is written upon it may become perfected’.

After the skinning, take well ground salt, and strew this upon the skin, which has been stretched, and let the salt cover the skin well. Before you use the salt it must have this benediction said over it:

Benediction of the Salt

I exorcise you, O Creature of the Salt, by the God who is living, the God of all Gods, the Lord of all Lords, that all fantasies may leave you, and that you may be suitable for the virgin parchment’.

When this is finished, let the skin with the salt upon it remain in the Sun for a full day. Then obtain a glazed pottery jar, and write upon it these characters with the Pen of the Art:

Characters of Guland and Surgat

Get quicklime and slake this with exorcised water, and put these in the jar. When it is liquid place in it your goatskin, and leave it long enough for the hairs to peel off of themselves. As soon as the hair is in such a condition as to come off with a touch, remove it from the jar and peel the hairs with a knife made from carved hazel. The knife must have these words said over it:

‘O holiest Aboezra (or Adonay) put into this wood the power to cleanse this skin, through thy holy name Agason. Amen’.

The skin when peeled may be stretched over a piece of new wood, and stones from the side of a river are laid on it so that they hold it down, say this orison over them:

Orison of the Stones:

‘O Adonay, most puissant and most powerful Lord, allow that these stones may stretch this skin, and remove from them all wickedness, so that they may possess the required power. Amen’.

The skin is allowed to dry after this, and before quitting the spot say over the parchment:

JE, AGLA, JOD, HOI, HE, EMMANUEL!

Stand guard over this parchment, in order that no spectre may take charge of it!’

When dry it is removed from its wooden frame, blessed and fumigated, then it is ready for use. It is important no woman sees it, especially in her monthly courses, lest it lose its power. Also you must be clean, pure and chaste. The operator is to say one Mass of the Nativity then, and all instruments are to be on the altar.

Another means of the same:

Take parchment or paper of good quality and conjure, asperge and fumigate it as you did the other instruments.

I have given this ritual at length as it is conceptually fundamental to the grimoire. So much so that making & collecting all the necessary equipment, even where the modern operator prefers to use the alternative paper consecration method given, is distinctly to be recommended. The traditional process deserves careful examination and its centrality appreciating. Following which an extensively mimicked process, including the sacrifice -- featuring a sheet of art paper rather than an animal -- with ritual stone placing, salting, scraping etc should be considered. In this way such a Liming Vessel -- for ritual preparation and storage of parchment, paper (or indeed papyrus) -- is seen for a conspicuous and natural feature of a Verum work space. These are the considerations underlining the significance of the association of Guland and Surgat with this vessel.

A reason for the appearance of his sigil on the Liming Pot is the purpose of the vessel; a key component in the making of the parchment necessary to pacts. In this role it would be difficult to find a more appropriate figure than Azael, leader of Fallen Angels and original teacher of witchcraft.

Further Reading

Campbell, Colin D, (ed): A Book of the Offices of Spirits. Teitan Press. York Beach USA. 2011.

Davidson, Gustav: A Dictionary of Angels. The Free Press. New York. 1967.

Frisvold, Nicholaj de Mattos: Exu & the Quimbanda of Night and Fire. Scarlet Imprint. 2012.

Grey, Peter: Lucifer Princeps. Scarlet Imprint. UK. 2015.

Rankine, David & Barron, Paul Harry (ed): The Complete Grimoire of Pope Honorius. Avalonia. 2013.

Peterson, Joseph (ed): The Lesser Key of Solomon. Weiser. York Beach USA. 2001.

—Grimorium Verum. CreateSpace Publishing. California. USA. 2007.

—with Harms, Daniel & Clark, James R.: The Book of Oberon. Llewellyn. Minnesota. USA. 2015.

Scot, Reginald: The Discoverie of Witchcraft (various editions)

Stratton-Kent, Jake: The True Grimoire. Scarlet Imprint. 2010

—The Testament of Cyprian the Mage. Scarlet Imprint. 2014.

About the Spirit Work Series

This series of booklets is intended as an introduction to working with spirits, particularly those of the True Grimoire. This once famous Grimoire, until recently much neglected and undervalued, is one of the few surviving links in the West to an all but lost tradition. Under a thin veneer of terminology borrowed from its enemies, the Inquisition and their ilk, lurks a potent and pre-Christian system of evocation.

Unlike the Grimoires themselves, the type of magic encouraged here is thoroughly Spiritist, in common with modern African traditions and those of mixed African, Amerindian and European origin in the Americas. The view of the spirits is generally respectful, and the company of some of them is distinctly encouraged and welcomed. The existence of difficult, ‘hard’ or even hostile spirits is recognised; but others have simply been unjustly demonised in Western cultural contexts. The Grimoire, while masking itself as a handbook for controlling the former, is in reality far broader in its scope and involves both, as did its ancient predecessors prior to the demonisation of magic and the entities with which it deals.

The supposed ‘demons’ of the True Grimoire consist in reality of a wide range of spirit types, principally Elementals and Nature spirits. Nor do these in fact accord with the stereotyped picture of later Western magic, particularly in relation to Elementals. Their nature is far more in accord with the view of the late pagan philosophers, and their interpretation of the gods and spirits of the traditions with which they were in contact. Accordingly many of these spirits will be found to possess considerable intelligence. Some among them will enhance the spiritual, moral, ethical and even physical development of those who approach them. This is almost the precise reverse of some modern views of spirits, which envisage the magician binding a ‘demon’ in order to liberate some potential previously inhibited by it. By contrast, some of these spirits will often encourage personal transformations the magician is resistant to and cannot achieve unaided.

In order to get the most out of this approach to magick the operator will need to be open to new ideas, though they are in fact extremely ancient in origin. In particular it must be realised that not all approaches to magick are compatible. Many modern Western systems have little in common with the approach involved here. While a Western Grimoire underlies the family of spirits described in this series, great care should be taken in adapting Grimoire materials for use with this approach.

On the other hand, this tradition has much common ground with many traditions outside the Western milieu. As well as the Living Traditions mentioned earlier, materials from ancient Greek and Egyptian sources will be found to be particularly compatible. The relationship of these materials with the later Grimoires provides useful indications on how to adapt the latter for use with these spirits. The empathy this magick has with the late period in ancient Egypt involves another significant advantage. This period was that of the emergence of Christianity in many forms, and of Gnosticism which in some of its forms was also Christian while including philosophical, magical and astrological ideas from various sources. This magick similarly can be embraced by modern Gnostics of whatever religion, so long as the Spiritist approach is embraced in return.