#lesser keys

[jakattax]

Ars Goetia

Translated and edited by Paul Summers Young

Black Letter Press

First Edition of 333 copies

2024

[disease]

72 SEALS FROM THE LESSER KEY OF SOLOMON [2,048 × 1,519 PX.]

[profanepurity]

Belial is a priest, (technically) a vampire, and a demon. What a talented boy! Character Bio below the cut!

Belial is the 68th spirit recorded in The Lesser Key of Solomon. He is ranked as a king in command of 130 legions of demons and spirits. He was the second to have fallen after Lucifer, is a priest of the Cult of Bael, and is the head of Hell’s Vices as Lord of Iniquity. With Naamah, he sired the first creature to be conceived with a hunger for blood, making him the Father of Vampires. One of his titles, “Worthless One”, was given to him as a reminder that he has no place or value in Heaven. Having carved himself into a highly proficient killer, Belial’s reputation was built from blood and violence. He is a merciless and unyielding force, which is often attributed to his association with the element of earth. He demands commitment and dedication from those who work with him. Harsh consequences are placed on his devotees that fall short of this. Belial is a known sadist, yet his bloodshed is partially motivated by his desire to not only fortify his domain in Hell but also the coregency he is a part of. As a fallen Power, his need to defend the people that he cares for is above everything. For those that he is close to, Belial is incredibly patient and protective. He is very selective with who he allows into his circle, and seeing any vulnerability from him is a sign of trust.

[vcreatures]

It’s been a while since I’ve touched base with the lords of the Ars Goetia. Today we meet Forneus, a Great Marquis of Hell. With 29 legions under his rule he is the teacher of rhetoric, languages and can sway any enemy to friend. 

[jonsnowunemploymentera]

And remember kids, the next time someone tells you, "George R. R. Martin wouldn't make Jon Snow the typical fantasy hero because that's cliche".....

Oh yes he would!

One viewer wants to know what character would you play (on the show)? GRRM: If I could magically clap my hands and become a different person, it would be cool to play Jon Snow who's much more of the classic hero. Everybody wants to be the classic hero! ABC Interview, 2014

GRRM: And the character I’d want to be? Well who wouldn’t want to be Jon Snow — the brooding, Byronic, romantic hero whom all the girls love. Meduza Interview, 2017

In fact he already has ☺️

[ohmyfairies]

AU where Alhaitham meets Nahida just after he graduated and realised that it’s uhhhhh pretty fucked up for the sages to keep a kid isolated and imprisoned even if said kid is actually an immortal 500+ god. So he and Nahida hatch a plan and it ends up with Lesser Lord Kusanali going missing and Alhaitham ‘taking in his cousin after her parents passed away in an unfortunate but completely normal accident.’ I like to think since the sages don’t care about Nahida they probably don’t know what she exactly looks like and probably don’t check her cell often so they don’t really have anything more than a vague description of her and Alhaitham and Nahida share a similar colour palette so look just enough alike to pass as relations.

Since Nahida isn’t actually a child Alhaitham just teaches her basic skills, how to keep herself safe and then pretty much leaves her to it and she gets to run around Sumeru doing whatever catches her interest but still has a place and home to return to. No one really notices that she doesn’t age because Alhaitham doesn’t exactly tell anyone he has a kid living with him and she’s always out and often exploring outside the city so they’re not often seen together.

Anyway fast forward to Kaveh moving in and he is very shocked to see that Alhaitham has a daughter. Especially a daughter he lets run wild with no concern to her safety (“no Alhaitham it doesn’t matter that she has a vision she’s a child!!”). Since they don’t want the sages to find out Nahida and Alhaitham decide it’s probably best not to tell Kaveh that she is in fact the Dendro Archon and older than them both put together, which leads to lots of domestic shenanigans with Kaveh trying to help parent a little god who doesn’t need a parent but is rather pleased at being loved. Alhaitham thinks it’s funny but also very inconvenient. Kaveh adores his littlest roommate.

[loveisinthebat]

Captured

[demiaroacejadeharley]

I remember watching a review on a horror movie called Hereditary about this family being tortured by King Paimon, and it made me realize that the movie portrayed Paimon much better than Vivziepop did. I even saw people make art of their own depictions of Paimon, and they're more accurate than Viv's version of him.

This is what King Paimon looks like according to the Lesser Key of Solomon. He is depicted as a man riding on a dromedary. Meanwhile, Vivziepop drew him to be an owl. The only similarities between her version of Paimon and Paimon in the Ars Goetia are that they're both wearing a crown, as well as being of royalty status.

From what I've researched about Paimon, he's the most obedient to Lucifer out of the kings of Hell, due to the fact that he's also a fallen angel and fell at the same time Lucifer did. Also, I didn't find anything that states that Paimon had children in the Lesser Key of Solomon, compared to his Helluva Boss counterpart, who has multiple children besides Stolas.

It's clear that Viv didn't get herself a copy of the book and probably just googled random demons up and made shit up along the way. I'm not sure if Paimon will appear again in Helluva Boss, and if so, I'm not sure if she will add the fact that Paimon is Lucifer's most loyal devotee like how it's mention in the book. I have no hopes that Helluva Boss (and Hazbin Hotel) will ever get any redemption down the line.

[eyebrightatmidnight]

No, you should read the grimoires that are from before the 20th century actually. They're incredibly useful even if you aren't down for the demonic work in them!

You don't have to be Christian for the magic to work either.

Working with demons is far from something I'd advise especially for beginners and intermediate level practitioners. There's lots of canon about how it ultimately ruins the life of the conjurer. Hell, there's still modern cases where demons will fuck your life up!

Regardless....

👏Read👏the👏books👏

[jollmaster]

just alt!Velvette with black features and great president Ose's shadow (patron of madness and illusions)

[thycheshirecat]

SMT: Devil Summoner Stolas

That's it, that's the post.

ATLUS, BRING HIM BACK!!!!

[partikron]

Gundam Barbatos and the Occult

I recently started watching Mobile Suit Gundam: Iron Blooded Orphans, and I was giddy when the Gundam Barbatos boots up for the first time and you see this symbol:

This symbol is the sigil of the demon Barbatos, found in the Lesser Key of Solomon (Lemegeton Clavicula Salomonis), a grimoire compiled in the 17th century from much earlier occult writings going back centuries.

Barbatos himself is described as a Duke among demons that was once an angel numbered amongst the Virtues. He has a number of abilities, such as revealing hidden treasure or even allowing humans to understand the speech of animals, and can even reveal knowledge of events in the past or the future.

It's also fitting that there are 72 Gundam frames in the series, and 72 demons listed in the Ars Goetia of the Lesser Key of Solomon.

[rann-poisoncage]

[profanepurity]

Buer is the 10th spirit of the Ars Goetia. He is ranked as a president who commands fifty legions of demons. Buer not only teaches philosophy and logic but the virtues of herbs and plants as well. Starting an Ars Goetia series in no particular order!

[milwaukeemilf]

Hereditary (2018)

[crashhole]

Fans of the Goetia and the Pseudomonarchia will recognize Bael in this cameo from Nights #11!

A demon king ruling over 66 legions in the East, Bael has a hoarse voice and can make people invisible. He is said to have the face of a man, a cat, and a toad- often all 3 at once!