The Goetia: The Lesser Key of Solomon the King (Clavicula Salomonis Regis) (Paperback)

~ Aleister Crowley (Author), Samuel Liddell MacGregor Mathers (Translator) "(1.) BAEL. - The First Principal Spirit is a King ruling in the East, called Bael..." (more)
Key Phrases: maketh men, move thee, curse thee, Legions of Spirits, Vessel of Brass, Liberal Sciences (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

Provides a clear and detailed account of the preparations and precautions necessary for the successful evocation of 72 spirits, which are described in detail. Mathers' introduction discusses the numerous manuscripts from which he made this translation

Language Notes

Text: English (translation)
Original Language: Hebrew

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Product Details

• Paperback: 160 pages
• Publisher: Weiser Books; 2 Sub edition (December 1, 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 087728847X
• ISBN-13: 978-0877288473
• Product Dimensions: 10 x 7 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (29 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #56,996 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

52 of 52 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Not bad!, April 2, 2005

By	Frederick L. Wagner "Vinea" (Southern United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I actually own three versions of The Lesser Key of Solomon, including this one so, I thought I'd give my opinions of them all. It might save some poor demonologist out there a few bucks.

The Henson "Lemegeton" by Metatron Books is my favorite. All of the magical symbols have been reworked and they are by far the best done of the three versions. The down side is that the fifth book, The Ars Notoria, has been left out. The editor states: "Both the content and the context of Ars Notoria show no affinity for the listings of spirits that mark the bulk of the material contained in The Lesser Key of Solomon. For this reason I have refrained from including it in this new edition." He is correct in this statement and I have not found its omission to be detrimental to the book in any way but; would it have really been that difficult for him to have included it and let us decide for ourselves if it would have been useful?

The Peterson "The Lesser Key of Solomon" by Weiser Books does include the "Ars Notoria", making it the most complete version. It is also the only one available in hard cover. Its downside is that the magical symbols have been photocopied from original texts and some of them are illegible. If they had taken the time to rework the magical symbols, as in the Henson version, this would have been the best of the three. As it is, it comes in second.

The Mathers/Crowley "The Goetia" also by Weiser Books, is actually only the first book of The Lesser Key of Solomon. It is only worth mentioning because of the fascinating illustrations by Louis Breton. The inept drawings by Aleister Crowley detract somewhat, however. If you are one of the lucky ones that picked up Trident's "Demonographia" when it was available or actually own a nineteenth century copy of the "Dictionnaire Infernal" then this book will be of no interest to you. Otherwise, It's worth getting just for the engravings.

18 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Best Extant Edition, July 18, 2002

By	Eric Shatto (Mechanicsburg PA) - See all my reviews

When Samuel Liddel MacGregor Mathers and Aleister Crowley collaborate on a work of such magnitude as the Goetia, you know you're in for something big.

Written by an unknown author in a relatively unknown time (but at some point during the Renaissance), Goetia is the first text of a series of five known as "Lemegeton", which some people have suggested was originally the name of a magician.

The idea that this books was "translated" is inaccurate, as Mathers simply transcribed the existing English manuscript which can be found in the London museum. No editions in Hebrew or Latin are known to exist.

The book contains 72 demons, which were supposedly summoned by Solomon the King (hence the title) into visible appearance, following out the instructions in the text.

Aleister Crowley does a masterful job editing the text, and his essay in the beginning of the text describing his theory on the operations of Ceremonial Magick is unusually clear and easy to read.

Mathers' transcription of the manuscript makes the whole ensemble just as simple to understand. There is also an insightful introduction written by Hymenaeus Beta, the current Frater Superior of the O.T.O. His description of the climate of the Golden Dawn, and the competitive nature of the two men Mathers and Crowley, makes for an interesting backdrop to the text itself.

The sigils are just wonderously drawn, and the reprint of the ritual in the back of the book (which includes the Enochian reading in both the Golden Dawn phonetic pronunciation and the Enochian language itself) is a nice addition.

To those who seek Solomonic grimoires, you don't have a better option than this text.

17 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Must Have for Those Lonely Nights of Re-Runs, July 20, 1999

By A Customer

Amazon Verified Purchase

Why bother with re-runs, 108 cable channels with nothing good on them and psychic hotlines that wipe out your wallet?

Go straight to the source - adopt-a-devil. It is your choice, with or without protective circle. If you use the protective circle, they will deftly affect your mind anyway (they have that in common with advertising). If you choose to go circleless and engage in a little chat time, they may never leave! But then, Taisha Abelar referred to her familiars (allies, as she terms them) as merely friendly pets, little spots of light that would occasionally follow her around. Just visitors from another dimension - the twilight zone. These _are_ twilight zone denizens, as the drawings scrawled by Crowley in his personal copies of this book, and reproduced here, prove. To really get a feel for them, the Duquette Goetia book is highly recommended as well. But be sure to have this one! Besides Crowley's drawings and notes, it is well annotated by an excellent Crowley scholar.

M

PS: This is not to be confused with black magic. Crowley used the Goetia to attain his HGA, Holy Guardian Angel, and the invocation to the HGA herein contained, and later reproduced in Regardie's groundbreaking popularization, is indispensable. Otherwise known as the "Bornless One."