HaplessChild evokes this book for your diabolical intentions.
Written: May 16 '06 (Updated May 16 '06)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Very well done sigils, nicely collected into a single volume.
Cons: No Ars Notoria, hard to find, not everyone works with demons.
The Bottom Line: The best version of the Lemegeton that is availible.
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| HaplessChild's Full Review: Lemegeton: The Complete Lesser Key of Solomon |
First, some basic definitions:
Demonology: The study of Demons
Lesser Key Of Solomon: A book on demonology dating to the 17th century comprised of five books; The Ars (meaning "art of") Goetia, The Ars Theurgia, The Ars Paulina, The Ars Almadel, and the Ars Notoria.
Lemegeton: Another name for the Lesser Key of Solomon. Comes with a long list of people decrying that it is incorrect Latin.
Ars Goetia: King Solomon evoked seventy-two demons and trapped them in brass, and sealed them with magic symbols. The Ars Goetia is the breakdown of all of the demons and their symbols.
Ars Theurgia: King Solomon was very busy. He also confined 31 spirits of Kings, Princes, Chiefs, and Emperors. While he was at it he threw in some servants called Dukes. Each of these beings has specific talents that one can call forth. Their descriptions, symbols, means for evocation, elements, and purpose is collected in the Theurgia.
Ars Paulina: Allegedly discovered by Paul the Apostle, this book deals with Angels. It describes their seals, their servants, and everything you need to know (including the planetary alignment) to evoke them.
Ars Almadel: Is a book of arts and crafts. Kind of. It teaches you how to make a wax tablet with protective symbols and four candles on it, along with a whole lot of ritual you will need to get it right so you can invoke angels and be as smart as Solomon.
Ars Notoria (arguably called the Ars Nova): A collection of prayers and invocations.
I see you raising your eyebrows at the subject matter already, and I will be the first to admit that there aren’t a ton of people that seek out this kind of book. Not everyone is into summoning demons, but those who do are often looking for a concise, well put-together copy of the Lesser Key. After spending a lot of time looking though internet sites and other partial versions that have grainy, badly drawn sigils, I can say that this is probably the very best version of the Lemegeton that is out there for those of you who don’t wish to construct your own. If your Work involves the Goetia, this is the book to have.
Mitch Henson has edited together four books of the Lesser Key: The Ars Goetia, The Ars Theurgia, The Ars Paulina, and The Ars Almadel. According to Henson, he left out the Ars Notoria because, “There is no single standard manuscript or book bearing that title.” He introduces the book with a more thorough history of the Lemegeton and its various reproductions over the years, and attributes its popularity over other lists of spirits to Aleister Crowley. He also lets us know that if we want to see, steal, or borrow the original manuscripts from which this version came, that we need to find Sloane Ms 3825 and 2731 in the British Library. My birthday may have passed, but it is never too late for gifts.
You can find various copies of the books of the Lesser Key of Solomon on the internet, and Crowley even put out his own version in 1903. The reason this book rates so highly on the star-scale is the fully reworked sigils by Jeff Wellman. I wanted a version of the Goetia that I didn’t have to print out or try to decipher chicken scratches. Instead of looking like someone took out their finger-paint and went to town, Wellman has made no-frills representations that actually look like the work of a graphic artist. After each section describing the demon, spirit, angel, etc. and conjurations, there will be a guide with each sigil and the name of that which it represents directly under it. The sigils are clear, cleaned up, and easily copied. They are also not forced into a circle if the original text didn’t demand it, as other versions have done. Things like the Compass of Theurgia and the Table of Practice get their own page to show complete detail.
The book is trade paperback size, thin, and entirely in black and white. It comes in a little over 150 pages, so it is very light. I have no problem slipping this into my purse to take with me when I want to frighten sleazy public transit passengers. Beyond the great sigil work, new paragraphs are emphasized with large first letters that are formed with pictures of dragons, unicorns, and other nicely drawn illustrations.
Finding the book is not as easy as using the book. Sometimes it is $14.95, and at other times Amazon is selling it for $75.00. I was able to get a signed edition for only $20.00, so I suggest looking at some rare book dealers before committing to the outlandish price. This book was published in 1999 by Metatron Books, and I am hoping they will one day have a second edition printing so this book doesn’t drop into obscurity for anyone looking for it.
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
HaplessChild
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Member: Natalie
Location: Portland, OR
Reviews written: 87
Trusted by: 72 members
About Me:
Sleep well, weep well, go to the deep well.
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