sorcery – Infernal Dialogues

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.

Understanding The Qliphoth

Most practitioners familiar with Left-Hand Paths will most assuredly have been exposed to the concept of the Qliphoth. Like Kabbalah itself, the Qliphoth have often played a central role in many of the practices of Occultists and Ceremonial Magicians. The Qliphoth Itself, if it can even be justly referred to as one ‘thing’, can be a confounding topic and for this reason many new to Ceremonial practices are rather keen to avoid It altogether. However it must be understood that the Qliphoth can mean many different things depending upon context and the inclinations of the Magician.

It would be impossible to discuss the Qliphoth without also including Kabbalah as a whole. If you are not familiar with the basic concepts behind Kabbalah, I suggest that you consider undertaking Magicka School’s exceptional course, “Introduction to the Magician’s Kabbalah” by Marcus Katz. Additionally, there are specialised forums within the boards which deal exclusively with discussions pertaining to the Kabbalah. Further information can be sought online or through books such as my personal favourite, David Ariel’s Kabbalah: The Mystic Quest in Judaism.

To understand the Qliphoth is to first understand the Kabbalah. The problem with this arises due to the numerous interpretations of what the Kabbalah and the Tree of Life actually are. There are many variations of Kabbalistic study—one of the most popular within the magickal community is commonly referred to as the Esoteric Kabbalah. Within some magickal circles, the Esoteric Kabbalah is less favoured in comparison with the other traditional interpretations of the Kabbalah and aspects of Jewish mysticism such as Merkabah. Because of these differences in interpretations, there is rarely little consensus within Occultism as to exactly what the Qliphoth is, how It originated and what It means to the magician.

There are several accounts of how the Qliphoth originated. Some portray the Qliphoth as the ‘shells’ or ‘husks’ of God’s first aborted attempt at creation. In this account, the Qliphoth is the realm of dark energies which some consider to be evil or demonic in nature. In other accounts, the Qliphoth are the ‘reflection’ of the Sephiroth upon the waters of the Abyss. Still others consider the Qliphoth to be the nightime or reverse side of the Tree of Life, opposite but still connected to the realm of Light by Da’ath. In most of these accounts however a common theme is present—the Qliphoth is essentially the ‘dark half’ of the Tree of Life, sometimes referred to as the Tree of Death.

While such a generalisation is by far an inaccurate and unjust summation of the Qliphoth, it is a viable introduction to the concept of the polarity which exists between the Qliphoth and the Sephiroth. The Tree of Life consists of ten ‘emanations’ or ‘numerations’ which are known as Sephiroth (Sephirah in the singular). Each of these numerations essentially represents a different aspect of God’s creative process. Many magicians view the Sephiroth as literal realms while others consider Them to be allegorical, comparable to states of mind. Whatever the case may be, most practitioners who choose to work with the Qliphoth regard It as a collection of the flawed or severe expressions of creation.

The word Qliphoth, like the word Sephiroth, is plural. In the Hebrew language, Sephiroth roughly translates as ‘numerations’ whereas Qliphoth (Qliphah in the singular) translates as ‘peels’ or ‘husks’. Generally the Qliphoth is referred to as a single entity, an area of study—however the Qliphoth in the truest sense consists of ten essential ‘husks’ which mirror the ten numerations of the Tree of Life.

Within some practices, magicians imply that the Sephiroth are present in all things and yet are removed from the earthly realm of Man. Because of the seemingly contradictory nature of Kabbalistic theory, many students are intimidated and resistant to undertaking the study of the Tree of Life. While it is visible from the aforementioned example that Kabbalistic theory can be quite complex, it is again dependent upon the individual interpretations and convictions of the individual as to what the Sephiroth, and Qliphoth, mean to that individual.

In revisiting the concept of the Sephiroth’s presence within the world, while aspects of the Sephiroth exist within all things, all but one of the numerations are said to wholly exist beyond the realm of Man. The tenth Sephirah, Malkuth, is also known as the Shekinah—the fundamental feminine aspect of God which is alone accessible to and knowable by humanity. Malkuth is sometimes equated with the tangible world and Universe – many adherents of modern Goddess-dominated religions have equated the Shekinah with the great Goddess archetypes such as Diana, Gaia or Isis. But deeper still than the Shekinah reside the Qliphoth.

As with the diversity found within the accounts of the creation of the Qliphoth, there is much debate pertaining to other fundamental questions surrounding Their very nature, limitations and location. Second only to the question of what the Qliphoth are is the question of where They reside. In some depictions, the Qliphoth are said to reside ‘behind’ the Tree of Life, directly ‘below’ it or ‘below and behind’ it. Regardless, many accounts of the Qliphoth depict Them as residing amongst us, within the world of Assiyah, the earthly realm itself and, in some ways, within the Shekinah.

Within a polarised perspective, the Qliphoth may then be assumed to encompass all of the negativity and evildoing of this world. While this may be a very appealing and simple explanation of the Qliphoth for some, it is not entirely accurate. The Sephirah of Geburah would in fact better fit such a description as It, not the Qliphoth, is the unrestrained element of God’s severity.

What then, one may ask, is the Qliphoth and how would understanding such forces contribute to magickal practice? Depending upon what one’s personal interpretation of the Qliphoth is, there is great potential in working with Qliphothic forces within the context of magick. Generally, many practitioners of Left-Hand Paths consider the Qliphoth to be something comparable to the ‘Satanists’ Tree of Life’. This is a very inaccurate description of the Qliphoth as it is not simply a Tree of Life for Satanists, but a container of forces which encapsulate the potential for destruction on many levels. However, Qliphothic sorcery – like aspects of any powerful magickal system, path or practice – is not intended for the casual dabbler.

Why would anyone endeavour to work with such destructive forces? Like anything within the Universe, the Qliphoth not only has the potential to destroy but also to create. While the emanative process of the Sephiroth does not function in the same manner, the Qliphoth have been employed by practitioners of many different magickal systems with favourable results. For some practitioners who are inclined towards psychological allegory within magick, the Qliphoth represent the negative states of existence. Some view the Qliphoth in a similar manner as one would view an astronomical Black Hole – perpetually drawing into Itself the Universe surrounding It.

If we were to indeed view the Qliphoth as the “anti-Sephiroth”, it would be marginally feasible that this “drawing into” aspect of Its Nature could be utilised for constructive ends. An example would be to examine each Qliphah and Its unique signature in order to harness the particular “artery” in concordance with the task at hand – for example, if one wished to counter his or her feelings of inner conflict over a decision, the artery of Thaumiel could be focused upon the aspect of his or her life in need of reparation. In this context, the individual arteries of the Qliphoth could be analogised as vacuums, drawing out accumulated energies which are no longer beneficial to the individual. This use of Qliphothic magick, however, is less akin to sorcery than it is to self-examination and self-cleansing. The Qliphoth can also be utilised for projective magick.

Some practitioners of Qliphothic Sorcery ascertain that the Qliphoth Themselves are inherently receptive – that is, as aforementioned, it is believed that the Tree of Death only draws Into Itself and therefore does not project Itself into the Universe. However, within the context of Judaic Kabbalism, this is not the case as it is believed that the Qliphoth are ever-influencing the world of Man – that it is Man, not the Qliphoth, which draws the Peels unto Himself. If this is the case, then utilising Qliphothic energies for projective magick can be rather straightforward – the invocation of a particular Qliphah may be sufficient. However, many magicians who believe that the Qliphoth are wholly receptive also believe that the key to utilising Qliphothic energy within the context of projective magick is not the Qliphoth Themselves, but the entities who govern Them. In the next article, we will explore some of the entities aligned with the Qliphoth and Their functions within.