Since the earliest texts of the Solomonic tradition, there has been little agreement on both the structure and participants of its hierarchies. Here perhaps is where an important distinction between religion and systems of magic is made obvious, with the latter being the result of individual experimentation and/or purely theoretical interpretations and transcriptions, and therefore less authoritative.
A common aspect in its recipes for spiritworking is the idea of spirits ruling a specific cardinal direction, be they angels and/or demons. The chain of custody of an operation is held by them and at times by other spirits ruling the day and hour in which it takes place. Though this model hasn’t remained a constant, it reemerges in spells even in volumes that don’t employ the formula directly for evocation.
Hierarchies provide the skeleton for all systems of the corpus, which makes understanding them the most crucial (and most difficult) part of the endeavour since everything else hangs off of how the spirits are organised and what their roles are. They explain, even if at times obscurely, the purpose behind much of the regalia that is to be found. Another excellent reason for modern practitioners to be acquainted with the topic is it’s essential for constructing informed variations, whenever necessary.
Kings, servants, and geography
Demonic cardinal rulerships are fundamental to nearly all Solomonic systems, and comprehending their role is essential both for grasping the world view the rituals are built upon and for adequately informing less dualistic practices, lest our heresies be misinformed.
The basic method which the cardinal kings are operated is by invoking them to compel subordinate spirits to obey. The schema dictates that a king in the East will be able to compel spirits originated from the same direction, and so on. Typically, in traditional texts an address to the kings is given in the name of either angels deemed capable of binding them, and/or names of God, so essentially a top to bottom ritual progression. Uses of hierarchy also manifest in the form of inscriptions on magical regalia, the instruments then imbued with the authority the names represent and thus rendered capable of controlling other inferior spirits in a specific way. Names of superior spirits inscribed around magical circles follow a similar principle in that the evoked cannot transgress their boundaries for the same reason.
This is likely to be old news, but demons were seen as beings capable of manifesting material changes, or enablers. What is less discussed is the extensive corroboration that can be found. One such instance is the mythical address of King Solomon to his son Rehoboam, as replicated in the Hygromanteia, made evident in the following:
The Sun rules on the first hour. Invoke its angels in order to subdue and submit the demons of this hour to you.
And soon after (emphasis mine):
When you want to do something that is related to the Sun, invoke the names of the angels, in order to subdue the aforementioned demons to you. Do the same for the rest of the planets; that is to say, name their angels and demons.
The phrasing in both instances imply that the agency of demons is a necessity for affecting change, their existence in the system then justified by the specific role they play, a product of the tradition’s cosmology and incidentally revealing of the contemporary naïveté that is dismissing their role on moralistic grounds. Regardless of later philosophic and religious developments, their role as begetter of changes, although not exclusive, is a constant. To put it another way: there has been ample opportunity for the genre to do away with demons entirely (as some systems do), and yet, I believe the simplest explanation for why that hasn’t happened is likely founded on this understanding rather than a heresy.
The list that follows is by no means, as the title implies, exhaustive. It aims instead to provide examples of influential works that address the points here made.
Hygromanteia
The Magical Treatise of Solomon, known as the Hygromanteia, outlines the need for invoking the ruling angels of the day so that these can constrain the corresponding demons. This is an interesting aspect that disappeared in subsequent manuscripts of the tradition, one that likely finds its roots in the Greek Magical Papyri in the form of ruling gods of the day, their custody deemed essential for the success of the operation.
There is not one but two methods outlined in the various manuscripts of the collection, and the magician is told to choose that which they prefer. The information we’re looking for is then scattered. What is seen in one form or another is an address to the kings of the four quarters, Loutzipher (Lucifer), Astaroth, Beelzeboul, and Asmedai, all compelled under various name of God, and in the second method the kings names are given along with a string of other names starting with the king of the respective direction, which in turn indicates that the complete rulership of a quarter was done by a collective rather than a single entity.
The operation succeeding, a regiment of demons presents itself to the magician, who is then to ask who their king is, and from here proceeds the formulae proper for obtaining love or riches, all consisting of conjurations to be recited at the spirits currently manifest outside the circle for the specific end.
In an example of regalia as a hierarchical imprint, the third and most potent conjuration in one of the treatise’s manuscripts (MS Harleianus 5596) directs the magician to touch a lamen inscribed with several holy names while pointing the finger at the locus where the spirits are to appear, as various magical names are recited.
Key of Solomon
It’s important to clarify that whenever referring to a Key of Solomon, that there isn’t a single canonical text recognised as such. The more popular synthesis-abridgement is the one done by S. L. Mathers, who despite breaking important ground, had an agenda that led him to omit certain texts and excerpts deemed by him to be black magic. For brevity, I’ll address his Key and mention other manuscripts that are relevant separately.
Similarly to its predecessor, the Hygromanteia, the KoS gives a list of horary rulerships by angels, but treats this a lot more simplistically, not connected to a need for binding horary demons. Another similarity is the idea that upon the call to the spirits being issued, the expectation is that several spirits are to appear. This is unlike the way this sort of operation is described in later texts where it’s usually aimed at a specific entity at a time.
For the operation of evocation, the KoS provides a prayer for the protection of the magician followed by a very simple conjuration consisting of bringing attention to the regalia (another example of what was mentioned earlier) inscribed with names of God. Conspicuously, this conjuration is to be recited once at each cardinal direction:
Behold the symbols and names of the creator, which give unto ye forever terror and fear. Obey then, by the virtue of these holy names, and by these Mysteries of Mysteries.
In the stronger and more potent conjuration, it is given as so:
Here be the symbols of secret things, the standards, the ensigns, and the banners, of God the conqueror; and the arms of the almighty One, to compel the aerial potencies. I command ye absolutely by their power and virtue that ye come near unto us, into our presence, from whatsoever part of the world ye may be in […]
A mention of four cardinal kings is made in an experiment of image making for obtaining love, which was omitted by Mathers in his translation but restored by Joseph Peterson:
O Oriens, distinguished king who reigns and rules in the East, whose rule and kingdom had its beginning in the century, and will last until the end of the century.
O Paymon, mighty king who rules in the western part of the sky.
O Egym, strong king, whose kingdom and rule extends to the icy North.
O Amaymon, most noble king whose domain is in the South.
I powerfully invoke and arduously implore you, through him who spoke, and it was done, and who with a word alone created all […]
This particular conjuration is considered by Jake Stratton-Kent to be highly adaptable in his Testament of Cyprian the Mage Vol. 2, and is a crucial part of my own process.
Two manuscripts in Italian not taken into consideration by Mathers in his translation are Aubrey 24, and Sloane 1307. The former features the names of four demon kings in one its circles (in the outermost ring): Asmodel in the East, Amaymon in the South, Paymon in the West, and Aegym in the North, of which all except Asmodel (Asmodai) are consistent with many other volumes. The latter employs a conjuration addressed to these same four kings, though with slightly different spellings, in addition to a conjuration for preparing the magician for the operation.
The Sworn Book of Honorius (Liber Juratus Honorii)
Juratus stands as a complex religious work of magic split in four books, starting from the top of the hierarchy (God) and the angels closest to him, then planetary angels and demons, spirits of the air, and finally, spirits of the earth. The book is eminently Christian and the operations are intended to be performed by a priest, and therefore largely a work of angel magic. To be clear, in the case of Juratus at least, this doesn’t mean an exclusive predisposition of the entities to do good, and the description of the angels of Mars alludes to that fact:
Others are of Mars and are these: Samuel, Satchel, Yturahihel, Amabiel and their nature is to provoke wars, murder, destruction, and mortality of people, and all earthly things[…]
Rather than offering a single system and a pantheon to be worked through it, it designates different operations in each of its treatises. The planetary angels are three to four for each planet, who in turn rule over a group of three to five demons, one king and the remaining ministers, servants to this king. The rulership over these same demons is also attributed to spirits of the four winds (cardinal directions), each direction having four or five spirits. These seem to be offered as alternatives to binding the angels directly.
Of the better known demon names, Bileth appears as a servant demon of the West, Maymon as a king of spirits of the air in the North. The last section describes the spirits of the earth as animalistic and evil, which fits with the many description of demons. Among the host the names of Mulcifer (noted by Peterson that in a separate manuscript the name is Lucifer) appears, as well as Asmodeus as an assistant of a prince.
The Book of Abramelin
The Abramelin is a peculiar text in that it eschews all the usual procedures favouring exclusively what is obtained through the Holy Guardian Angel. It’s rather fanatic in that the cautions it issues are related to the perils of damnation and deceit by demons, purportedly hidden in symbols and ritual procedures commonly found in other magical texts. To whoever this comes as a shock, I recommend a sobering read through.
Operationally, the book is of no use without first contact being attained, as the bringing forth of spirits is, per the book’s own words, to done through the agency of the HGA who will instruct the operator to call forth the superior spirits and offer their subordination (and by extent the service of their own subordinates). If nothing else, this should make one skeptic towards those making spurious claims of having successfully completed this operation, yet they either know nothing about the demonic kings and/or are strangely still pursuing other systems of magic for the purpose of evoking spirits of this same pantheon/group.
The hierarchy cites Lucifer, Leviathan, Satan, and Belial as sovereign rulers of Hell (its equivalent to the four kings), ruling over eight sub princes: Astaroth, Magoth, Asmodai, Beelzebub, Oriens, Paymon, Ariton, Amaymon. These names are all quite common and are seen in different roles in other grimoires, notably the last four ones which later occupy the role of kings, with Egyn replacing Ariton on occasion, in a number of them. Various other names are cited as being servient to the princes, though none of them is presented in the usual emphatic manner with offices and such, and by the system’s own logic could well have been omitted. This is qualified in the nineteenth chapter immediately after the names of the ruled spirits are given:
Infinite be the spirits which I could have here set down, but in order not to make any confusion, I have thought fit to put only those whom I have myself employed
Grimoire of Honorius
This late grimoire features conjurations to four kings: Magoa (East), Egym (South), Baymon (West), Amaymon (North), although the weekday demon experiments that follow it don’t address the kings as part of the rites, choosing instead names of God for compelling the spirits.
The address to the kings is the more open-ended part of the book, where each conjuration compels a king to send forth one of a choice of spirits or to appear themselves and perform any office whatsoever:
I conjure and invoke thee, 0 powerful King of the East Magoa, by my holy labour, by all the names of Divinity, by the name of the All-Powerful: I command thee to obey, and to come to me, or that failing, forthwith and immediately to send unto me Massayel, Ariel, Satiel, Arduel, Acorib, to respond concerning all that I would know and to fulfil all that I shall command
Grimorium Verum
The illustrious Verum is worth a mention for various reasons. It presents three ruling chiefs: Lucifer, Belzebuth and Astaroth. These in turn rule over two deputies each, who in turn rule over a larger group of dukes.
The approach is done through an intermediary spirit named Scirlin, thus after the initial preparations the operation proper begins with the tracing of his sigil and his invocation. It’s slightly ambiguous how exactly this spirit is said to manifest, as the wording is “This invocation causes the intermediary Scirlin to come”, which could mean anything from an appearance to a more subtle presence:
It is Scirlin who bringeth all the others to your conversation, for from this sigil depend all the others and it can constrain them to appear in spite of themselves as he has the power of the Emperor and is ready to serve him who giveth a sacrifice […]
Note then how, despite employing names of God in both regalia and conjurations, as is characteristic of the genre, the formula is centred around approaching the emperor (by proxy). This is one of the elements that give the Verum and other titles of the Bibliotèque Bleue a dark reputation. In addition, the grimoire offers three more conjurations composed seemingly of strings of names, dedicated to each chief. After listing the conjurations, the instructions describe them as a form of compelling:
After having said seven times the conjuration addressed to superior spirits, you will see the spirit at once appear, to do whatever you desire. When you have seen the Spirit, being satisfied, you can dismiss him by saying this […]
Cardinal rulerships are completely absent from it. The engraving of sigils of specific demons in regalia is another notable feature, though not completely unseen as in some earlier works, strings of divine magical names feature names of demonic kings among the cited.
Other relevant works
The are several other texts of import which mention cardinal rulerships in passing, though they don’t directly employ the spirits’ names in conjuration, such as Agrippa’s Three Books of Occult Philosophy, Francis Barrett’s Magus (derived from Agrippa), Reginald Scot’s Discoverie of Witchcraft, and the Ars Goetia, to name a few. Agrippa’s description of the kings is clear regarding their role as relevant:
[…] And every one of them rules over many legions; and after the same manner amongst evil spirits, there are four which as most potent Kings are set over the rest, according to the four parts of the world, whose names are these, viz. Urieus, King of the East; Amaymon, King of the South; Paymon, King of the West; Egin, King of the North, which the Hebrew Doctors perhaps call more rightly thus, Samuel, Azazel, Azael, Mahazuel, under whom many other rule as princes of legions, and rulers;
This quartet is the one seen more often, with few substitutions, and thus given more credit by a few contemporaries.
Barrett’s instructions for constructing the scrying table involve inscribing the kings’ names onto it, in what is likely another example of hierarchy being featured in regalia (there’d be no other reason for the names to be there). The Discoverie goes as far as mentioning appropriate times for binding its four kings, but the Ars Goetia, a descendant text, makes a more direct reference as to their role:
[…] are under the power of Amaymon, Corson, Ziminiar, & Goap [Gaap] which are kings ruling in ye 4 quarters East, West, North, & South, and are not to be called forth except it be upon great occasions but Invoked & commanded to send such & such spirit as are is under their rule and power, as is shewed in ye following Invocations, or [rather] conjurations &c.
Although a contemporary book of magic, we find in Paul Huson’s Mastering Witchcraft an interesting reference to the use of decans in evocation. The decans were originally a calendrical system and they are a common topic in the study of astrology. Descriptions for their visible appearances similar to what is found in the Western grimoires is given in the Picatrix. I have suggested elsewhere that a restoration of the decans to their intended format is more appropriate than Huson’s reliance on Crowley’s Liber 777 for correspondences between them and the 72 spirits of the Ars Goetia.
The Black Dragon borrows heavily from the Grimoire of Honorius, and it offers no differences relevant to the topic here. I have thus left it out of the list and enumerated it here simply as another volume that works those kings in a similar manner.
Jake Stratton-Kent in his True Grimoire proposes a theoretical structure where the Verum’s Three Chiefs (Lucifer, Belzebuth, Astaroth) rule other four cardinal kings (Oriens, Amaymon, Paymon, Ariton), the kings then as rulers of the catalogue found in Weyer’s Pseudomonarchia Daemonum (with amendments), the same seen later in Scot’s Discoverie and the Ars Goetia. What’s interesting about it is what this system makes possible. As proposed in his Goetic Liturgy, the ruling chiefs can be used as a supreme ruling trinity, and with this the idea of operating systems in magic is introduced in the volume and a few possibilities are opened.
Conclusions
While it’s tempting to rationalise away the need for any order, facing the differences, my thinking is we can either take the atavistic route of seeing earlier texts as more correct and everything that came after them as less so, or understand the notion as prescriptive, fitting the systems and interpretations they propose rather than failures in relation to an authoritative source whose existence cannot (so far, at least) be confirmed. Praxis, in my experience, tends to make the latter evident and this shouldn’t be seen as a hindrance.
What lends credence to this is every one of these instances in which the early structures weren’t strictly followed and yet they still refer to the same spirits. From technical point of view, what different/related models seem to propose is that insofar as compelling servants goes, alternative arrangements can be effective as long as they retain key elements and players. We’re thus looking at different dialects, all bearing the same essence, with some more effective than others at making certain statements.
Credits
Many thanks to Eric Purdue for assistance in matters of Agrippa, and Tomas Beaujean for making the excellent point that I shouldn’t leave out Liber Juratus, as well as other valuable feedback.
Occult Aspects 