Thread: Greater Key of Solomon spirits .... ?

I've asked this question on another site, but have yet to get any replies.


Many of the pentacle of the GKoS (maybe most) don't have spirit names in thier design. Most have angel's name, but rarely list associated spirits.
As I read that grimiors operations of conjuring and binding, its specific that a spirit is conjured, and possibly threatened and punished. Obviously that wouldn't be any
associated angel.
How do you know which spirit should be called for a particular pentacle? I don't read anything that stands out in the GKoS ?

And for pentacle with no direct angel or spirit . . . . what name does one use?

Rather confusingly, the term 'Spirit' seems to be used as an umbrella terms for all sorts of entities in the GKoS. Angels are 'Divine Spirits', demons are 'Evil Spirits', spirits of various celestial bodies are mentioned and I seem to recall something about spirits of elements.

All in all, I'm not sure that the magician is expected to know the name of each and every spirit, but would need to know the name of the relevant angel that controls/oversees them- with the angel being viewed as a type of spirit itself.

I think that angels can be constrained and punished, but it's rare for that to be needed because they are being called in the various names of God and their nature/alignment makes it unlikely that they would disobey.

In terms of working out who to call when faced with a pentacle that doesn't appear to have a name on it- since the GKoS pentacles are organised by planet a good place to start might be to look up the established entities of that planet and see if anything looks familiar- a sigil or something?

Do you have any particular pentacles in mind?

If you pay close attention to the evocations, you will find that they are directed at "spirits" not "a spirit". While the evocatory formula can be used, or adapted, for calling a specific entity, its main focus is to call all of the spirits of that planetary nature that is in the vicinity. Now that is one school of thought. The other school feels that it is best to use the Olympian spirits, or the intelligences and spirits found in the Three Books of Occult Philosophy by Agrippa, or similar source.

I have used both methods with good results, yet I do prefer the Planetary intelligence/spirit approach the best. Do make note of this however. Do not go calling up angels, as suggested above, with this formula!! We do not want to make any enemies there! Angelic magic requires a different approach all together.

Dave

Usually the pentacles found in the Greater Key of Solomon will contain the names of the angels or spirits in hebrew (it is judeo-christian, after all) or in some versions will include the signs or sigils of the spirit or angels concerned. Some versions will include scriptural references as well. A lot of these can be cross referenced in other works, and in many cases the info concerning them can expand your use of them beyond the Greater Key of Solomon itself. Remember, this was a book of someone else's experiences within a set occult framework. It is only a guide and the reader is meant to apply it and build upon it in their own experiences - not be limited by it.
Good luck.

You use main pentacle of some planet for summoning spirits (optionally with second pentacle which is designed to force them to obedience), then you give the spirit other pentacles of the planet to consecrate them. Then these plates serve as talismans, extremely powerful if done in right astrological conditions.