72 Goetic Spirits Explained

Goetic Spirits: What They Are, How They Work & Why You May Already Know One

The word "demon" stops most people before they can think clearly. It triggers fear, dismissal or ridicule — none of which are useful responses to a 400-year-old system of documented psychological and spiritual archetypes.

The 72 Goetic spirits of the Ars Goetia are not the horned creatures of horror films. They are named, ranked, catalogued influences — forces that the Western esoteric tradition has spent centuries trying to understand, identify and work with.

You almost certainly have experienced at least one of them. You probably just didn't have a name for it.

What Is the Ars Goetia?

The Ars Goetia is the first book of the Lesser Key of Solomon, a grimoire compiled in the 17th century drawing on much older material. It describes 72 spirits, each with a name, rank, seal, and set of powers or influences.

The spirits range from Bael — a King of Hell associated with invisibility and cunning — to Andromalius, an Earl said to return stolen goods and punish thieves. Between them are spirits linked to love, war, knowledge, disease, eloquence, dreams, music, transformation and dozens of other aspects of human experience.

What distinguishes this system from folk superstition is its precision. Each spirit is documented with specific associations, planetary correspondence, element, and the number of legions it commands. This is not mythology — it is a taxonomy.

How Goetic Spirits Actually Work

In the Kabbalistic and Hermetic understanding, Goetic spirits are not independent supernatural beings waiting to be summoned in a ritual circle. They are better understood as archetypal forces — patterns of energy or influence that can amplify certain states of consciousness, emotion or circumstance.

When you experience persistent, unexplained rage that feels disproportionate to your circumstances, that quality of feeling has a name in the Goetic system. When you feel a thick, inexplicable fog of lethargy that no amount of sleep resolves, that too is documented. When obsessive thoughts circle your mind without resolution, there is a specific spirit associated with that pattern.

This is not superstition. It is pattern recognition applied to inner experience — the same impulse that led Carl Jung to develop his theory of archetypes.

The 72 Spirits and Their Influences

Each of the 72 Goetic spirits has a primary sphere of influence. Some of the most commonly encountered include:

Paimon — confusion and dependency. King Paimon commands knowledge of arts and sciences but also creates states of mental overwhelm and dependency on external validation. People under this influence often feel mentally scattered and incapable of independent decision-making.

Asmoday — obsession and compulsion. Asmoday is associated with mathematics and hidden things — but also with cycles of compulsive behaviour and jealousy. People experiencing Asmoday influence often feel locked in repetitive emotional or behavioural patterns they cannot break.

Belial — nihilism and moral corruption. Belial is associated with dignity and presentation — but its shadow influence manifests as nihilism, the sense that nothing matters and no action is worth taking. Common in states of deep depression and spiritual emptiness.

Sitri — inappropriate desire and obsession. Sitri governs love and lust but in its shadow aspect creates obsessive attachment, inappropriate attraction and the inability to see people clearly. Sitri influence often underlies relationship patterns that cause repeated harm.

The Counter: Shem HaMephorash Angels

Every one of the 72 Goetic spirits has a direct opposing force in the Shem HaMephorash — the 72 angels derived from Exodus 14:19–21. This pairing was documented by Thomas Rudd in the 1640s and forms the basis of the INFLUANCE system.

Each angel's name is derived from a three-letter combination of Hebrew characters from three consecutive verses of Exodus — each verse containing exactly 72 letters. The resulting names, with the suffix El (God) or Yah (Lord), give you angels like Vehuiah (will and new beginnings), Asaliah (divine justice) and Mumiah (endings and rebirth).

To work with the counter to any Goetic spirit, you first need to identify which spirit is active. That is exactly what INFLUANCE does.

How to Identify Your Goetic Influence

The INFLUANCE tool at thecopperglowshop.co.uk/influance.html guides you through this process. Select the emotional or spiritual state you are currently experiencing, and the system will identify the corresponding Goetic spirit, its opposing Shem angel, and the crystal most aligned with that angelic energy.

The free tier covers the ten most common states. Donating unlocks all 72 — giving you access to the complete diagnostic system any time you need it.

For further guidance on spiritual states and the crystals that address them, browse our crystal database or visit us in person at Peckham Crystals, 48 Rye Lane, SE15 5BY.