Lemegeton: The Lesser Key of Solomon
The Lemegeton, also known as the Lesser Key of Solomon, is one of the most famous and infamous magical texts of the seventeenth century. It is a complete compendium of ceremonial magic as understood within the Solomonic tradition, containing detailed instructions for the conjuration, command, and control of spirits.
For many students of the occult, the Lemegeton is considered one of the primary source works for goetic evocation. Its power lies not only in its lists of spirits, but in the ritual structure, divine names, seals, conjurations, and magical worldview it preserves.
The text is deeply connected to the medieval and early modern belief that the biblical King Solomon was granted authority over demons. According to this tradition, Solomon used that power to command infernal beings and compel them to assist in the construction of his great temple.
Most surviving copies of the Lemegeton date to the seventeenth century and are drawn from manuscript traditions such as Sloane 3825 and Sloane 2731, held in the British Museum collection. However, the magical tradition behind the Lemegeton is much older. Many of its spirits also appear in earlier works, including the Pseudomonarchia Daemonum, compiled by Johannes Wierus in 1563, and the fifteenth-century Munich Handbook, a necromancer’s manual later translated by scholar Richard Kieckhefer.
The Five Books of the Lemegeton
The Lemegeton is traditionally divided into five books:
The Goetia deals with spirits commonly identified as demonic or infernal. This is the most famous section of the Lemegeton and contains the well-known seventy-two spirits of Solomon.
The Ars Theurgia concerns spirits tied to the directions and points of the compass. These spirits are often described in more complex directional hierarchies, including emperors, kings, princes, dukes, and ministering spirits.
The Pauline Art focuses on angels connected with the hours of the day and night, as well as angels associated with the zodiac.
The Almadel concerns angelic invocation connected with the four quarters.
The Ars Notoria, or Notary Art of Solomon, is a book of images and orations intended to magically enhance wisdom, memory, learning, and communication. Some scholars and occultists have suggested that the Ars Notoria was not originally part of the Lesser Key, but was later appended to the collection.
The Lemegeton as we know it is not a single book written by one author from beginning to end. It is a compilation of related magical manuscripts gathered into one larger Solomonic work. Different sections come from different periods, sources, and traditions.
The Almadel dates internally to 1641, while the similarities between the Goetic demons and the spirits of the Pseudomonarchia Daemonum suggest that the Goetia preserves older material. Behind these texts stands the much earlier Testament of Solomon, likely composed in the first centuries of the Christian era, which helped shape the idea of Solomon as a master of spirits.
A Foundational Text of Grimoire Magic
The Lemegeton remains one of the most important grimoires for anyone studying demonology, ceremonial magic, spirit hierarchies, Solomonic ritual, angelic invocation, or goetic evocation. It is not merely a list of spirits. It is a window into a complete magical system in which divine authority, ritual space, seals, conjurations, timing, and spiritual hierarchy all work together.
For serious students of the occult, the Lemegeton is essential reading. It stands at the crossroads of demonology, angelology, medieval magic, Renaissance occultism, and the living tradition of grimoire study.
The Lemegeton Has Moved to the Occult World Skool Community
The Lemegeton is no longer available here as a direct download. The book has now moved to the library of the Occult World Skool Community.
Inside the community, members can access the Lemegeton and study it alongside other powerful occult material. You can explore the Demonology course, the Black Magick course, the old grimoires, spirit hierarchies, Solomonic magic, goetic evocation, and the deeper systems behind texts such as the Lesser Key of Solomon.
If you want to go beyond short demon entries and truly understand the grimoires, the Occult World Skool Community is where the deeper study begins. There you can read, learn, ask questions, and meet fellow occultists who are walking the same path.
Join the Occult World Skool Community and step into the library, where the Lemegeton, demonology, black magick, and the old grimoires are waiting to be studied.
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