Category: agares

What Are The Goetia?

Introduction To The Goetia

For those of you unfamiliar with the famous 17-Century Grimoire, The Lesser Key of Solomon or Clavicula Salomonis Regis, the word “Goetia” may seem very alien and unfamiliar. The word itself is derived from the Greek word for sorcery. In The Lesser Key of Solomon, the reader is introduced to seventy-two Spirits, more commonly referred to as Demons, which were supposedly summoned via evocation magick and confined to a brass vessel by the legendary figure of King Solomon himself. According to the legend, the brass vessel was cast into a river, but was broken open erroneously by treasure-seekers, releasing the Demons trapped within. Quite simply, “Goetia” has become an all-encompassing term for the seventy-two Demons cataloged within the Grimoire of The Lesser Key of Solomon.

The Goetia are classified according to Their ranks in “Hell”. There are as follows:

9 Kings
23 Dukes
7 Princes and Prelates
15 Marquises
14 Presidents
10 Earls
1 Knight

*Some of the Goetia possess two ranks, such as Earl and President.

Along with Their ranks, each Demon’s corresponding seal or sigil is provided.

Goetic Magick & Ceremonial Evocation

Now that I have introduced you to what the Goetia are, I will introduce you to who They are.

Each Demon is described in the Grimoire as it supposedly manifests Itself to the conjurer. However, it should be noted that some of Them never manifest in such a way or, alternately, manifest as something completely different. By “manifest”, I do not mean that They appear in a cloud of smoke before the conjurer, but that this is the form which They may or may not choose to present Themselves as by means of visualization, dream or Otherwordly journey.

Each Demon is also described as possessing the power to aid the Magician in certain tasks such as finding treasure or in matters of love. Of course, as The Lesser Key of Solomon was a 17th-Century Grimoire (and drawing much of its information from even more antiquated sources), many of the powers of the Demons are obviously rather dated. During the time that much of the information was compiled, Man was only just learning the intricacies of Science such as Astrology and Astronomy. A common learned man would have studied these Sciences along with other forms of Art and Writing and Arithmetic. “Buried treasure” was quite a real concept during the days of old, and you may notice a propensity for many of the Demons to possess the abilities to aid the Magician in tasks related to such.

In modern-day Demonolatry (the worship of Demons), the Goetia are worked with in much the same manner as many Gods and Goddesses of various cultural pantheons are worked with by Neo-Pagans. For instance, if the Magician wished to counterbalance a tendency within himself to be too passive, he would be wise to select a Demon associated with battle, aggression and action such as Marchosias to work with. Likewise, if one wished to enhance his understanding of science, he would be wise to select any of the Demons who specialize in teaching the sciences.

However, Demons are not to be approached with naivety. Like any being of Spirit, They are unpredictable and Their true nature is far beyond our mere mortal comprehension. They should be treated with respect and dignity at all times. Demonolators universally agree that the methods outlined in The Lesser Key of Solomon for “conjuring” the Goetia (also known as “Ceremonial Evocation”) is a sure-fire way to earn a Demon’s contempt and quickly. Some Ceremonialists work successfully with the Goetia by means of Ceremonial Evocation, but given half a chance, the Demons would likely leap at the opportunity to dish them out a little “payback”.

The point of the above paragraph is to strongly caution anyone who is inexperienced in either Ceremonial Magic or Demonolatry against working directly with Demons in absence of a mentor.

The Goetia:

The following is a listing of the seventy-two Demons of the Goetia. I have summarized their descriptions as correspondence listings to simplify the presentation and to provide ease-of-reading.

1. Bael:

Manifests as: cat, toad, man (or all at once) with a hoarse voice
Rules: 66 Legions
Powers: Invisibility

2. Agares:

Manifests as: Old fair man riding a crocodile holding a goshawk
Rules: 31 Legions
Powers: Spurring others into action, returning runaways to the home, languages, destruction of dignities, earthquakes

3. Vassago:

Manifests as: NA
Rules: 26 Legions
Powers: Divination, revelations

4. Samigina (Gamigin):

Manifests as: Small horse or ass/human with a hoarse voice
Rules: 30 Legions
Powers: Liberal sciences, Necromancy

5. Marbas:

Manifests as: Lion/human
Rules: 36 Legions
Powers: Truth, divination, revelation, can cause and cure disease, mechanics, shape-shifting

6. Valefor:

Manifests as: Lion with the head of a braying ass
Rules: 10 Legions
Powers: May be called upon to serve the Magician as a familiar, theft

7. Amon:

Manifests as: Flame-breathing wolf with a serpent’s tail; fanged raven-headed man
Rules: 40 Legions
Powers: Divination, prophecy, feuds, reconciliations

8. Barbatos:

Manifests as: Human, accompanied by four Kings and a host of troops
Rules: 30 Legions
Powers: Understanding the languages of animals, accessing hidden and enchanted treasures, divination, reconciliations, friendships, favor with those in positions of power

*My wife is a veterinary nurse and we have often worked with Barbatos in matters regarding the health and safety of pets and animal life. He seems to be particularly fond of all creatures of the Earth and is willing to lend His aid when possible to help a suffering animal.

9. Paimon:

Manifests as: Man riding upon a dromedary and accompanied by a glorious host; has a great voice which roars at first meeting
Rules: 200 Legions
Powers: Arts and sciences, hidden things, He is omniscient and knows the nature of all things, dignity, power over others, familiars

10. Buer:

Manifests as: An archer
Rules: 50 Legions
Powers: Philosophy, logic, herbalism, healing, familiars

11. Gusion:

Manifests as: Xenopilus (strange-headed creature)
Rules: 40 Legions
Powers: Divination, problem-solving, friendships, reconciliations, honor, dignity

12. Sitri (Sitry):

Manifests as: Leopard-headed with the wings of a Griffin; beautiful human
Rules: 60 Legions
Powers: Love, desire, lust

*Sitri came to me during Shamanic journey. His manifestation, for me, was that of a young, thin and androgynous person with white-blonde hair and a soft voice.

13. Beleth:

Manifests as: A frightening King surrounded by a great army with trumpets blazing
Rules: 85 Legions
Powers: Versatile

14. Leraje:

Manifests as: Green-clad archer
Rules: 30 Legions
Powers: Battles, contests, competition, sports, arrows/archery, punctures

*Leraje approached me of His own accord with a desire to accompany a dear friend of mine and to aid her in a situation which she was struggling with at the time. His motives were, and still are, seemingly benevolent and He has since struck up something of a friendship between Himself and my friend. It is rare for a true Goetic Demon to act as a familiar to a human being, but it seems that Leraje is doing just this.

15. Eligos:

Manifests as: Knight carrying a lance, ensign and a serpent
Rules: 60 Legions
Powers: Hidden things, prophecy, war, soldiers, influence and favor with those in positions of power

16. Zepar:

Manifests as: Human, soldier wearing red
Rules: 26 Legions
Powers: Love, relationships, marriage, infertility

17. Botis:

Manifests as: Viper; fanged and horned man carrying a sword
Rules: 60 Legions
Powers: Divination, prophecy, communication, reconciliations

*Botis worked with me a great deal in 2008 and 2009. He is inclined towards technological devices and is fond of electronics in general. He is also willing to work with the magician in rectifying matters regarding communication methods, especially those revolving around mobile phone or computer errors.

18. Bathin (Bathim):

Manifests as: Strong man with a serpent’s tail sitting upon a pale horse
Rules: 30 Legions
Powers: Herbalism, stone lore, international travel

19. Sallos (Saleos):

Manifests as: Gallant crowned solider riding upon a crocodile
Rules: 30 Legions
Powers: Love, marriage, relationships

20. Purson:

Manifests as: Lion-faced man, holding a viper and riding upon a bear
Rules: 22 Legions
Powers: Hidden things, divination, prophecy, buried treasures, mediumship, possession, shape-shifting, omniscient, familiars

21. Marax:

Manifests as: Bull with a man’s face
Rules: 30 Legions
Powers: Astronomy, liberal sciences, familiars learned in herbalism, stone lore

22. Ipos:

Manifests as: Angel with a lion’s head, goose’s feet and the tail of a hare
Rules: 36 Legions
Powers: Divination, prophecy, instills qualities of humor and boldness

23. Aim:

Manifests as: Man with the heads of a serpent, a man with two stars upon his brow and a calf; He rides upon a viper and carries a firebrand
Rules: 26 Legions
Powers: Arson, instills qualities of humor, revelations

24. Naberius:

Manifests as: A black crane speaking with a hoarse voice
Rules: 19 Legions
Powers: Arts, sciences, rhetoric, restores dignity and honor

25. Glasya-Labolas (Caarcrinolas):

Manifests as: Dog with the wings of a Griffin
Rules: 36 Legions
Powers: Arts, sciences, cursing, bloodshed, manslaughter, divination, prophecy, reonciliations, love, friendship, invisibility

*Glasya-Labolas is my personal Guardian. He has been with me since I first began my journey and was the third Demon to appear to me. He manifests in my work with Him as a large, black Doberman-like canine. His wings are not evident from my experience, but they may be simply obscured. My offerings to Him are physical and emotional suffering (my own); this was pre-arranged and was a specific request from Him. He benefits from the unique energetic signature of the emotion behind physical and emotional pain. There is not necessarily malevolent motivations in His desire for this exchange of energy, but rather it is simply a need of His which I have agreed to meet so long as He fulfills His purposes for my needs and as long as His requests for energy are within reason.

26. Bune (Bime):

Manifests as: Dragon with the heads of a dog, a Griffin and a man
Rules: 30 Legions
Powers: Necromancy, riches, wisdom, eloquence, truth, answers

27. Ronove (Ronwe):

Manifests as: A monster
Rules: 19 Legions
Powers: Rhetoric, knowledge, book-learning, familiars, languages, favors from friends and those in positions of power

*Ronove, amongst most Demonolators, is regarded as the Demon of Knowledge and Intellect. He is often seen as a muse-like figure and delights in the intricacies of the written word.

28. Berith:

Manifests as: Solider dressed in all-red clothing and adorned with a golden crown, sitting upon a red horse
Rules: 26 Legions
Powers: Truth, divination, prophecy, dignities, lies

29. Astaroth:

Manifests as: Angel riding upon an infernal beast and carrying a viper in His left hand
Rules: 40 Legions
Powers: Secrets, divination, prophecy, revelation, truth, knowledge of other Demons, liberal sciences

*Astaroth is commonly viewed as being identical to the goddess, Astarte, even though He is depicted within most Demonological texts as being male in gender. This is potentially due to the fact that Demons are innately genderless and instead possess a mixture of “male” and “female” energies. This explains why They often manifest as somewhat androgynous human beings.

30. Forneus:

Manifests as: Sea monster
Rules: 29 Legions
Powers: Rhetoric, good reputations, languages, amicability, friendships, popularity

31. Foras:

Manifests as: Strong man
Rules: 29 Legions
Powers: Logic, ethics, invisibility, longevity, wealth, treasures, the recovery of lost items

32. Asmoday (Asmodeus):

Manifests as: Fire-breathing man with the heads of a bull, ram and man with the tail of a serpent and webbed feet; rides upon a dragon and holds a lance and a banner
Rules: 72 Legions
Powers: Arithmetic, Astronomy, lust, Geometry, handicrafts, truth, invincibility, treasures, wealth

*Asmodeus is the Demon of sexuality. In the many conversations I have had with other Demonolators who have worked with Him, He is almost always deeply concerned with all aspects of human sexuality and requires libation of sexual energy.

33. Gaap:

Manifests as: Man in the role of a guide, leading four Kings
Rules: 66 Legions
Powers: Insensibility, ignorance, philosophy, liberal sciences, love, hatred, consecrations in the name of Amaymon, theft of familiars form other Magicians, truth, divination, prophecy, travel

34. Furfur:

Manifests as: A hart with a fiery tail; angel with a hoarse voice
Rules: 26 Legions
Powers: Deception, love, desire, attraction, lightning and thunder, storms, truth

35. Marchosias:

Manifests as: Fire-breathing wolf with the wings of a Griffin and the tail of a serpent; human
Rules: 30 Legions
Powers: Strength, will, courage, battle

36. Stolas:

Manifests as: Raven; human
Rules: 26 Legions
Powers: Astronomy, herbalism, stone lore

37. Phenex (Phoenix):

Manifests as: Phoenix with the voice of a child
Rules: 20 Legions
Powers: Sciences, poetry, favors

38. Halphas:

Manifests as: Stock dove with a hoarse voice
Rules: 26 Legions
Powers: War, weaponry, armory, fortresses

*Halphas and Malphas are sometimes considered to be brothers or otherwise kin.

39. Malphas:

Manifests as: Crow; human
Rules: 40 Legions
Powers: Houses, towers, glimpses into the enemy’s plan, familiars

40. Raum:

Manifests as: Crow; human
Rules: 30 Legions
Powers: Theft (especially of treasures), destruction, divination, prophecy, love, friendship, reconciliations

41. Focalor:

Manifests as: Man with the wings of a Griffin
Rules: 30 Legions
Powers: Bloodshed, murder, drowning, shipwrecks, winds, seas, tempests

42. Vepar:

Manifests as: Mermaid
Rules: 29 Legions
Powers: Water, oceans, seas, guiding of ships, tempests

43. Sabnock (Sabnach):

Manifests as: Solider with the head of a Lion and riding upon a pale horse
Rules: 50 Legions
Powers: Building of fortresses and cities, familiars

44. Shax:

Manifests as: Stock dove with a hoarse and subtle voice
Rules: 30 Legions
Powers: Loss of vision, hearing and understanding, theft, errands, favors, hidden things, revelations, familiars

45. Vine:

Manifests as: Lion riding upon a black horse and carrying a viper in His hand
Rules: 36 Legions
Powers: Hidden things, revelations, prophecy, structures, tempests

46. Bifrons:

Manifests as: Monster; man
Rules: 6 Legions
Powers: Arts, sciences, Astrology, Geometry, stone lore, wood lore, herbalism, corpse-lights, grave-robbing

*Bifrons is a Demon of Necromancy and acts as something akin to a Psychopomp. He is a protector and guardian of the physical remains of the deceased and can assist the magician in work associated with ancestor reverence.

47. Uvall (Vual):

Manifests as: Dromedary; human (speaks some Egyptian)
Rules: 37 Legions
Powers: Female attraction and love, divination, prophecy, friendship, reconciliations

48. Haagenti:

Manifests as: Bull with the wings of a Griffin; human
Rules: 33 Legions
Powers: Wisdom, alchemy, shape-shifting

*Those familiar with the Mesopotamian depiction of the Lamassu will recognise a familiar theophany in Haagenti. The Lamassu were supposedly powerful guardian Spirits with the bodies of bulls, wings of eagles and a human or human-like head.

49. Crocell:

Manifests as: Angel
Rules: 48 Legions
Powers: Hidden things, Geometry, liberal sciences, auditory hallucinations, warm waters, natural baths and springs

50. Furcas:

Manifests as: Old long-bearded white-haired man riding upon a pale horse and wielding a sharp weapon
Rules: 20 Legions
Powers: Philosophy, Astrology, rhetoric, logic, Cheiromancy, Pyromancy, divination, prophecy

51. Balam (Balaam):

Manifests as: Man with the heads of a man, a ram and a bull with the tail of a serpent; rides upon a bear and carries a goshawk
Rules: 40 Legions
Powers: Invisibility, divination, prophecy, instills qualities of humor

*It is rather obvious that there is a similarity between the Demon, Balam, and the Biblical figure of Balaam the diviner. According to archaeologists, the historical figure of Balaam was a devotee of the goddess, Ashtar – associated with the other Goetic Demon, Astaroth. It is unclear if the Demon, Balam, is the ascended Spirit of the historical Balaam or a true Demonic entity with no relationship to the former at all.

52. Alloces (Allocer):

Manifests as: Red, lion-faced soldier with flaming eyes riding upon a great horse
Rules: 36 Legions
Powers: Astronomy, liberal sciences, familiars

53. Camio (Caim):

Manifests as: Thrush; man carrying a sword
Rules: 30 Legions
Powers:Dispute, debate, understanding of the languages of animals and the waters, truth, prophecy

54. Murmur:

Manifests as: Crowned (human) warrior riding upon a Griffin, preceded by ministers and trumpets
Rules: 30 Legions
Powers: Philosophy, Necromancy

55. Orobas:

Manifests as: Horse; man
Rules: 20 Legions
Powers: Divination, prophecy, dignities, favor from friends and enemies, spiritual truths, omniscient, faithfulness, loyalty, protection

56. Gremory (Gemory):

Manifests as: Beautiful woman riding upon a camel
Rules: 26 Legions
Powers: Divination, prophecy, hidden treasures, female attraction and love

57. Ose:

Manifests as: Leopard; man
Rules: 3 Legions
Powers: Liberal sciences, spiritual and mundane truths, shape-shifting

58. Amy (Auns):

Manifests as: Blazing fire; human
Rules: 36 Legions
Powers: Astrology, Liberal Sciences, treasures, wealth, familiars

59. Oriax (Orias):

Manifests as: Lion riding upon a serpent-tailed horse, holding two hissing serpents in His right hand
Rules: 30 Legions
Powers: Astrology, transformation, change, shape-shifting, dignities and honors, promotions, favor from those in positions of power

60. Vapula:

Manifests as: Lion with the wings of a Griffin
Rules: 36 Legions
Powers: Handicrafts, employment, professions, Philosophy, sciences

61. Zagan:

Manifests as: Bull with the wings of a Griffin; human
Rules: 33 Legions
Powers: Instills qualities of humor, transformation, shape-shifting, Alchemy, wisdom

*Zagan, like Haagenti, is depicted as manifesting in a theophany very similar to that of the Mesopotamian “Demon” referred to as a Lamassu.

62. Volac:

Manifests as: Child with the wings of an angel, riding upon a two-headed dragon
Rules: 38 Legions
Powers: Serpents, snakes, truth, treasures, wealth

63. Andras:

Manifests as: Raven-headed angel, riding upon a black wolf and bearing a sword
Rules: 30 Legions
Powers: Discord, quarrels, arguments, resentment, feuds

64. Haures (Flauros):

Manifests as: Leopard; human with fiery eyes
Rules: 36 Legions
Powers:Truth, omniscient, divination, prophecy, spiritual truths, lies, deceit, destruction, revenge, retribution, loyalty, protection

65. Andrealphus:

Manifests as: Peacock; human
Rules: 30 Legions
Powers:Geometry, Astronomy, shape-shifting, birds

66. Cimejes (Cimeies):

Manifests as: Valiant (human) warrior, riding upon a black horse
Rules: 30 Legions
Powers: All things relating to Africa, grammar, logic, rhetoric, discovery of lost items, treasures

67. Amdusias:

Manifests as: Unicorn; human
Rules: 29 Legions
Powers: Environmental (especially concerning trees) manipulation, auditory hallucinations, revenge, destruction, familiars

68. Belial:

Manifests as: Two angels, seated within a chariot of fire
Rules: 80 Legions
Powers: Promotions, titles and honors, government, favor from those in positions of power, reconciliations, friendships, good reputations, familiars

*I received my one and only familiar, Maguith, from Belial.

69. Decarabia:

Manifests as: Pentacle; human
Rules: 30 Legions
Powers: Birds, precious stones, visual hallucinations, flocks of birds

70. Seere:

Manifests as: Beautiful man, riding upon a winged horse
Rules: 0 Legions
Powers: Abundance, travel, divination, theft, hidden treasure, compliance, relocation

71. Dantalion:

Manifests as: Man with shifting faces, holding a book in His right hand
Rules: 36 Legions
Powers:Secrets, glimpses into an enemy’s plan, deceit, lies, arts, sciences, mind-reading, persuasion, love, doppelgangers, illusions, shape-shifting, teleportation

72. Andromalius:

Manifests as: Man holding a serpent in His hand
Rules: 36 Legions
Powers:Theft and the holding of a thief accountable for his crime, return of stolen property, uncovering of shady-dealings and wickedness in people, punishing of criminals and wrong-doers, revenge, justice, vigilantism, treasures, wealth

You may notice that many of the Demons ‘manifest’ in almost identical forms in some cases. Why this is the case is speculative at best. It may be because the Demons manifested Themselves to the observers in forms which meshed well with the popular ideas of the time-period (such as Griffins and other mythological beasts) or it may be that the Demons never manifested in these forms at all and that these ‘descriptions’ were nothing more than inventions of the writer(s) of the various Grimoires.

However, it should be noted that many people have experienced the Goetic Demons in some of these forms, so, again, much of this is truly a mystery.

agares demonolatry demons goetia lemegeton lesser key of solomon magick ritual satanism

Demon Dossier: Agares

The Motivator

Golden Dawn Zodiacal Attribute: Aries (Succedent Decan)
Solomonic Rank: Duke (Sometimes Grand Duke)
Planetary Ruler by Rank: Venus
Planetary Ruler by Decan: The Sun
Tarot Card: 3 of Wands
Holy Days: March 30 – April 8

Traditional Appearance: An old man riding upon a crocodile and carrying a goshawk

Traditional Powers & Authorities: “Maketh them to run that stand still”; “bringeth back runaways”; “teacheth all Languages or Tongues”; “power to destroy Dignities both Spiritual and Temporal”; “causeth Earthquakes”

Agares is the first Duke to be mentioned in most versions of The Lesser Key of Solomon. The Golden Dawn assigns Him to the Succedent Decan of Aries, thus insinuating that His is a Solar presence. His Nature is, indeed, very indicative of resonating with Solar Archetypes—He is a Demon of action, motivation and growth as well as being strongly representative of the importance of seeing endeavours through to completion.

It is tempting to compare the Magickal Image of Agares with that of the Hermit as found in the Tarot. Here we have a solitary figure, an old man—upon His fist He carries a goshawk, replacing the traditional element of the lantern within in the Hermit card. As the Hermit’s lantern illuminates His path, so does Agares’ ever-watchful goshawk keep a steady eye fixed upon its surroundings. However, unlike the free-standing Hermit, Agares has decided to carry Himself upon the back of a strange ally—the crocodile.

This seemingly inconceivable idea of a crocodile as a stead speaks to us of a need to see possibilities where previously we had thought none existed. It suggests that we look beyond surface appearances and shallow convictions in order to negate our self-limiting tendency to judge a book by its cover. Historically and metaphysically, crocodiles represent unbridled brute force—however, in contrast to its primitive and often violent countenance; the crocodile is capable of being a profoundly effective nurturer, demonstrative through the imagery of the mother caring for her hatchlings.

Agares’ nurturing Nature is also demonstrated by His association with the Qabbalistic Sephirah of Binah in addition to the planetary attribution of His rank, Venus. Binah is often characterised as the Great Mother figure, or Aima Elohim. It is receptive, comforting and can sometimes be seen as the inviting white shores beyond the ending of one’s life. Binah also embodies the concept of “Understanding” and great wisdom, further supporting the significance of the old man in the Magickal Image of Agares. We are also inspired to find the significance of this “Understanding” in Agares’ mastery in “teaching Languages”. Through language, we seek to be understood—and through expressing ourselves, we are able to articulate our fears, desires and perception of the world around us. Agares thus bolsters our ability to communicate with one another and with the Universe not only through His personal tutelage in the realm of language, but through His inherent connection with the Sephirah of Understanding. Like the crocodile, Binah indicates the cycle of life and death, departure and return. When we examine Agares’ affinity with “runaways”, the connection between the lessons of Binah and the crocodile become apparent.

Both the goshawk and the crocodile represent higher vision, caution and the need for vigilance. Symbolically, the old man is illustrative of wisdom through experience, perseverance and even fragility. It is quite a worrying situation in which a fragile old man has committed himself to being reliant upon the strength of the crocodile whose powerful jaws could easily rend him limb from limb; but this insinuates profound and unspoken trust on the part of the old man—even his dependence upon the sharp eyes of the goshawk leads us to conclude that, as a pinnacle of wisdom, his experience has given him reason to believe that his life and well-being are safe in the deceptively dangerous guardianship of beasts.

Although we may be inclined to associate Agares with the Hermit, He is best represented by the 3 of Wands. Although His seal is subject to variation from source to source, we can clearly see within its basic shape a pattern of three’s. There are three circles, three unattached arms of the cross and three bands at the bottom of the shield. The number three has a great deal of occult significance—examples being the triplicity of the seasons of life (birth, adulthood, death) and the threefold Nature of linear time (past, present and future).

Because His Nature is fiery, motivating and active, it makes sense to assume that His Decanal association with the Sun and Aries lend him both Solar qualities and those aligned with the Ram of the Zodiac. The Three’s of the Tarot may be viewed as being representative of commenced action—we may break this down into such thoughts as beginning something new, motivation or going forward. Agares’ interest in “making them to run that stand still” suggests that we are correct to attribute the action-based principles of His Solar-Aries assignment to those lessons of His which encompass breaking free from old ruts, rising to the challenge and persevering.

The 3 of Wands can also indicate a tendency to cling to shallow ideals such as appearance, power and wealth. Because Agares’ inspires us to look beyond what is visible on the surface, we find that His traditional powers include “power to destroy dignities” and “causeth earthquakes”. Both of these actions consist of the razing of structures, both symbolic and literal—of destroying what once was in order to return a state of being to its most basic foundations. Through the destructive power of Aries, the jaws of the crocodile, we are stripped bare—exposed to the light of the Sun and entrusted to the care of the nurturing Mother. Through the warming of the Sun’s rays we attain new growth and perspective, guided by the light of the Morning Star, Venus—the eyes of the goshawk.

Agares’ Lessons – Summary

Looking beyond the surface. Finding the “diamond in the rough”. Acknowledging that there is always a silver lining. Undiscovered talents and strengths. Thinking outside the box.

Wisdom through experience. Understanding our fellow human beings and relationship with the Universe. Communication and language.

Motivation. Endurance. Inspiration to climb out of ruts. Action. Beginning new ventures. Finishing what we have begun. Growth. Sports.

Balancing strength with fragility. Nurture, rest and recuperation. Getting back to our roots.

Being honest with ourselves and with others. Letting go of shallow concerns and interests. Starting over. Wearing our hearts on our sleeves. Acknowledging weaknesses in ourselves. Taking a back seat.

Life and death. Cycles and changes. Runaways. Running from problems.

Vigilance. Caution. Higher vision and psychism.

By examining the lessons which a particular Demon has to offer to us, we can find those lessons which relate to a specific problem in our lives and work with that Demon in order to correct any imbalance which may be present. However, just because a particular Demon “specialises” in certain areas, it does not mean that It is limited solely to such. For example, you may discover that when working with Agares, He may be interested in helping you with an issue in your life which may seem completely alien to His Nature or concerns.

The best way to work with a Demon is to begin by using meditation and visualisation to establish contact. Once you have attained a rapport with a Demon, you may begin by asking It questions relative to your specific problem and “tuning in” to receive Its messages. Demons communicate with us in many ways—usually through seemingly random thoughts or signs in our environments. They may also be worked with through Shamanic journey or a variety of divination methods.

Prompts for Exploration

1. When you are feeling distressed or alone, what comforts you? In what ways do you, in turn, comfort others who are in need?

2. Are you guilty of vanity? In what ways? What things affect your self-esteem? What things improve it? What are you unwilling to compromise on when it comes to looking or feeling your best? Why?

3. Do you judge people based on first impressions or how they appear? Have you ever been discriminated against? How did you deal with it?

4. Can you look back on your younger years and recognise things you did or behaviours in yourself that you now consider to be foolish or unwise? What life experiences led you to change these things? How does the person you were make you feel about the person you are now?

5. Are you a procrastinator? Do you often find yourself in emotional or motivational ruts? If so, how do you break free from them and get things done? Who or what are your inspirations in life?

6. Do you feel a need to control every aspect of your life? Do you ever allow others to take the reins while you trust them to do the right thing? If not, what would happen if you did?

7. Do you take responsibility for your actions? Are you a blame-shifter or do you acknowledge your flaws and mistakes?

Meditation – The Old Man & The Crocodile

Find a quiet place in which to meditate, making sure that you will not be disturbed. Either using this article or your own drawing, focus your mind on Agares’ seal. When you can visualise it without looking at it, close your eyes and sit up straight, clearing your mind of the debris and remnants of the day’s thoughts and worries. Remain focused, in your mind’s eye, on the seal. Taking a deep breath in through your nose while counting to four, exhaling through your mouth while counting to six. Feel your body relax and your consciousness shift, floating away like a leaf in the current.

Visualise the seal beginning to fade as you imagine yourself in a forest at dusk. Allow yourself to feel the warm summer wind blowing over your bare skin, hear the crickets calling in the thick ferns and marvel at the blue green hue of the trees as their branches sway lazily in the breeze. Before you, an old forest path stretches deep into the darkening woods—further down the track, you notice someone approaching very slowly, but you are unable to clearly make out the figure.

You decide to walk towards them, cautious yet unalarmed. Suddenly you stop as you realise that it is an old man—however, there is something very strange about him. You notice that he carries a goshawk upon his fist, much in the same way as falconers carry their companions. The hawk is watching you closely, peering at you with its large keen eyes and bobbing its head warily from side to side. Even stranger is that the old man appears to be sitting upon the back of a large crocodile, its breath coming heavily as it strides slowly towards you.

The crocodile stops just in front of you, seemingly operating on a telepathic command from the old man. Looking closer, you see that the old man is thin and haggard—his face is withered and a scraggly beard adorns his chin. He smiles at you and asks for your name. Feeling much more confident, you do not hesitate to tell him. In return he reveals to you that he has been searching for you. As you come to understand, he informs you that he has a task for you to complete. He tells you that he needs for you to help a small child. You agree to do what you can, and the old man points behind you. Turning around, you see that there is a door which has appeared upon the forest path. Walking towards it, you take a deep breath and open it, stepping into the darkness within.

The door closes behind you and your eyes slowly begin to adjust. You realise that you are in the bedroom of a little girl. All around you are toys, family photos and school awards, yet you hear only the weeping of the child as she lies curled into a ball on her bed. Walking to the bedside, you kneel down and stroke her hair softly, asking her why she is crying when she is surrounded by so many beautiful things. She tells you that she is afraid of growing up and of losing her family. Overwhelmed, you sit on the bed and take her into your arms, telling her all of the reasons why she should not be afraid of growing up—you tell her how important it is to enjoy each day and to look for the good in everything. You explain to her that by growing up, she will be able to do new things and to meet new friends. Slowly, she begins to relax and you dry her tears. She looks up at you and smiles and wraps her arms around you. You close your eyes and hold her tightly, but are suddenly aware that you are no longer yourself, but have taken the place of the little girl—looking up you see that, in your place, is the old man. He smiles down at you before rising and disappearing again.

You feel completely relieved and are convinced that everything will be alright. You are suddenly no longer aware of any worries and can only think about those things in your life which you are truly grateful for. Closing your eyes, you wrap yourself in the blankets and drift to sleep, bringing yourself back to normal consciousness and feeling refreshed.

Assignments

1. If you are artistically inclined, create a work of art using Agares’ seal as inspiration. You may choose to create a drawing, sculpture or piece of jewellery—alternately, you may even wish to compose a piece of music which best represents Agares as you perceive Him. Outline the symbolism of your creation—explain the meaning behind any colours you may have chosen or any materials or why your work specifically embodies the Nature of Agares. Meditate on this creation at least once a week and make note of any impressions or thoughts you may have.

2. On a sheet of paper or parchment, write down all of the things in your life which you feel impede your personal growth. They may be things such as “insecurity, low self-esteem, feeling inadequate” or “boss has it in for me, no friends, drink too much”. Contemplate these things and on a second sheet of paper, write down things you believe can counteract them. For example, where you may have written “low self-esteem” as an impediment, you can counteract this with something such as “get a new haircut”. Likewise, if you included something such as “boss has it in for me” as an impediment, a counteraction for this may be something as simple as “look for a new job”.

Once you have written your list of counteractions, crumple up the piece of paper containing the impediments and abuse it—take out all of your frustrations on it and pour all of that negative repressed energy into it. Afterwards, either burn it or bury it. Keep your list of counteractions visible and use it as a checklist—strive to accomplish at least one counteraction per month.

Infernal Dialogues

The Motivator

Agares’ Lessons – Summary

Prompts for Exploration

Meditation – The Old Man & The Crocodile

Assignments