Arois

Arois is a spirit named in the Ars Theurgia-Goetia, the second book of the Lemegeton, or Lesser Key of Solomon. Unlike the better-known demons of the Ars Goetia, the beings described in this section of the grimoire belong to an elaborate hierarchy of aerial kings, princes, dukes and ministering spirits associated with particular regions of the heavens and points of the compass.

Duke of the Day

Arois holds the rank of duke and belongs to the daytime court of Malgaras. The grimoire presents Malgaras as the ninth principal spirit in its sequence and the first king serving beneath the Emperor of the West. He governs the western dominion and commands thirty dukes who attend him during the day, together with another thirty who serve during the night. Only the names and seals of twelve principal daytime dukes and twelve principal night-time dukes are provided for practical use. Arois appears as the last of the twelve named daytime dukes.

The distinction between day and night is essential within the structure of the Ars Theurgia. Spirits belonging to the hours of daylight are intended to be summoned during the day, while the nocturnal spirits are called during the night. Arois therefore belongs specifically to the active daylight aspect of Malgaras’s western court. Attempting to separate him from that temporal and directional setting would remove him from the ritual framework in which the grimoire places him.

The Ten Ministering Spirits

Most of Malgaras’s dukes are said to command thirty ministering spirits. Arois is one of the exceptions, possessing only ten attendants. The night duke Basiel likewise commands ten, while several other dukes possess twenty rather than thirty.

This smaller company does not necessarily imply that Arois is weak or unimportant. The Ars Theurgia organises its spirits through ranks, courts and subordinate retinues, but it does not explain why one duke receives fewer servants than another. Arois remains one of the specifically named chief dukes whose seal was considered sufficient for magical practice.

The expression “ministering spirits” refers here to subordinate beings who attend the duke and act beneath his authority. They form part of the vast spiritual household governed by Malgaras, much as servants and lesser officials might surround a ruler within a royal court.

The Western Court of Malgaras

Through his allegiance to Malgaras, Arois is connected with the western quarter. In Western ceremonial tradition, the west is often associated with sunset, water, endings, dreams and the approach of darkness. The Ars Theurgia itself, however, does not assign these later elemental or psychological meanings directly to Arois.

His identity should therefore be understood primarily through his place within the grimoire’s hierarchy. He is a daytime duke of a western king, accompanied by ten ministering spirits and approached as part of Malgaras’s court.

His Nature and Appearance

The text describes the dukes serving Malgaras as courteous spirits who appear willingly and are prepared to carry out the magician’s commands. They are said to manifest two at a time, accompanied by their servants. This description applies collectively to the court rather than giving Arois a unique physical form or personality.

No individual appearance, specialist office or particular magical power is attributed to Arois in the surviving description. He is not specifically said to cause love, reveal treasure, provide divination or teach secret knowledge. Claims assigning such powers to him go beyond what is recorded in the Ars Theurgia.

This absence of detail is common throughout the grimoire. Many spirits are preserved only through a name, rank, seal, ruling superior and number of attendants. Their precise qualities were perhaps expected to be discovered through ritual contact rather than supplied in advance by the text.

Arois and the Structure of the Ars Theurgia

Arois illustrates the highly organised spiritual universe envisioned by the Ars Theurgia. Its spirits do not appear as isolated demons acting independently. They belong to vast courts governed through rank, allegiance, direction and time.

Malgaras stands as king of the western dominion. Beneath him are dukes divided between daylight and darkness. Beneath those dukes are ministering spirits who complete the hierarchy.

Arois occupies a clearly defined place within this system. His importance lies less in a dramatic legend or elaborate list of powers than in his membership within one of the aerial courts attributed to Solomon.

Working With Historical Grimoire Spirits

Arois should not be confused with similarly named spirits from modern demonological lists. The safest foundation for studying him remains the Ars Theurgia itself, since later summaries frequently add interpretations that cannot be traced to the original material.

Anyone studying these spirits should also recognise that the grimoire presents a historical system of conjuration rather than a complete modern spiritual practice. Its procedures belong to a ceremonial tradition involving seals, formal conjurations, protective measures and carefully observed times.

Arois remains an obscure figure, but his obscurity is part of his fascination. He represents one small doorway into the immense and ordered spirit world preserved within the Lemegeton.

Explore the Spirits of the Ancient Grimoires

Arois is only one of the many mysterious dukes, kings and aerial spirits hidden within the Ars Theurgia. Understanding these beings requires more than a brief name and rank—it requires study of their courts, seals, ritual context and place within the wider Solomonic tradition.

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