Aleister Crowley's Illustrated Goetia: Sexual Evocation

According to tradition, the Goetia is the first book in the Lemegaton attributed to Solomon the King, though likely compiled by a host of authors. Goetic evocation deals with the summoning of the seventy-two lesser spirits and demons. In this edition, based on Crowley's Goetia, DuQuette and Hyatt strip away all unnecessary trappings and cut through most of the `fooltraps' designed to dissuade less astute practitioners.

Traditionally, Goetic evocation calls for strict observance of many details, such as the correct ritual hours, lengthy calls, and an inordinate amount of ceremonial trappings. The authors tell the reader what one can safely do away with, and what can be altered as preference dictates. However, there are some items that the authors do believe are required for the successful (and safer) evocation of the Goetic spirits, including a list of `must haves' with detailed explanations and personal anecdotes as to why they are necessary. Noting `that there is absolutely no necessity (nor particular advantage) to blindly conforming with the Conjuration scripts of the ancient texts. The Spirits are no more impressed of you say "thee" and "thine" than they are if you say "you" and "yours".' (pg 45)

Goetic spirits `will work for anyone who knows how to use them. This is one of the horrors people attribute to Goetic workings. You "don't have to be respectable" for Goetia to work for you. Unlike other magical workings there is no implication that the operator has to be "good" and "holy" to achieve results. This idea in itself violates our model of "right" and "wrong", "just" and "unjust". In the Goetic world like in the real world the "bad" can and do prosper. Thus our belief in the moral orders of the Universe appears violated by the simple existence of Spirits who will do the bidding of anyone.' (pg 14)

Though they will work for anyone, the authors caution that one `must be completely convinced that your demands are absolutely justified. (And don't think we are invoking the great demon "morality" here. An unnecessary motive is an unworthy motive - pure and simple). When you are truly justified in your demands then you have the momentum of the entire universe behind you.' (pg 37)

Further cautioning and confirming that `yes, they are dangerous,' DuQuette and Hyatt explain that `while they remain unmastered they can surface unbidden and wreak all havoc modern psychology blames on "things hidden in the subconscious mind".' (pg 24) As well as a few delightfully thrilling personal anecdotes.

There are a few changes, namely the elimination of lengthy calls in preference for Thelemic invocations from Liber Samech by Crowley, Enochian calls, etc. As well, `for the convenience of the modern reader' the authors have translated information regarding each of the seventy-two Goetic spirits into modern understanding and Crowleyan associations, and `where obvious, returned certain Spirits to their original gender.' (pg 43)

Sketches accompany each of the seventy-two spirits, illustrated by artist-clairvoyant David P. Wilson, a practicing Goetic magickian. `Over a period of 15 years, he has evoked each of the Spirits at least once...But it is very important for you to remember that, because no two people have the same visual-emotional "vocabulary", the images of the Goetic universe will be unique to each of us.' The authors caution the reader not to `think that these sketches are what you must see when evoking any particular Spirit,' instead explaining that `they are intended to serve only as springboards to your imagination.' (pg 72)

Though with such a short section on sex magick, I don't know that it really deserves the `Sexual Evocation' subtitle as there are really only a few pages on it at the rear of the text.

Aimed at those actually interested in actually practicing magick rather than simply reading about it, it gives unambiguous description of what tools are required and the methods of evocation and, briefly, of sexual invocation, cutting through the superfluous and get right to what is necessary. An excellent introduction to Goetic magick as Crowley practiced it.


CROWLEY-DUQUETTE-HYATT, an Unholy Trinity   January 11, 2002
Renus Hyena
27 out of 30 found this review helpful

Aleister Crowley was called a black magician and the "wickedest man in the world." He was also called a holy-man, prophet, and Logos of the Aeon. In either case, he was the most brilliant and prolific philosopher magicians of the 20th Century. His greatest failing (if you can call it a failing) was the fact that he wrote as if he expected his readers were as educated, brilliant, and insightful as he. (He also mistakenly thought they could all figure out when he was kidding.)

I'm no dummy, and it took me several years, lots of reference books, and a good deal of spiritual courage before I could begin to appreciate Crowley and his works. Helping to light my way through the dark tangles of Crowleyana were two books that were amazingly easy to understand, THE ENOCHIAN WORLD OF ALEISTER CROWLEY, and ALEISTER CROWLEY'S ILLUSTRATED GOETIA. These little gems were written with the expressed purpose of making Crowley's works on Enochian and Goetic magick comprehensible and usable.

I don't know what gods conspired to bring Lon Milo Duquette and Christopher S. Hyatt, Ph.D together as a writing team, but I thank them. Both these gentlemen are prolific authors and famous in their own right, (just search their names on Amazon.com). Together with Crowley, however, they become an Unholy Trinity of modern magick.

If you would actually like to perform magick instead of just reading about it, read both these little books now. Do I sound impressed? I am.


Very dissapointing   June 20, 2005
R. Todish (Marquette, MI)
18 out of 21 found this review helpful

I bought this book here on Amazon because of its cover and description but had I thumbed through its pages in a bookstore then I never would have bought it.

144 pages of its 236 total pages are very primitive illustrations and the seal of the individual spirit. Even those only take up half a page each. I would say that well over 60% of this book is just padding.

Other than the few pages that describe the evocation of Orobas I would say that this book stinks and that there is nothing new or useful in it for anybody who has any of the key of solomon texts.



Nothing wrong with this book.   March 8, 2007
Giles Vint
7 out of 7 found this review helpful

In response to a previous review in 2004, I'd like to make the following comments. I can appreciate the Reviewer's concerns, but the following observations may help clear these up.

Lon's account of his evocation of Orobas in this book, as he states in his My Life with the Spirits, is a les detailed version. The only apparent anomaly is that in My Life with the Spirits, he states that Mad Bob had already been in Guatemala, whereas in this earlier book he refers to Mad Bob's return to Guatemala as "off to begin his Guatemala adventure". But in effect he would be beginning the next part of his overall Guatemala adventure.

Next, as to the sigils being different from those in the Mathers/Crowley edition of the Goetia, the authors of this book took these sigils from an original source manuscript, as stated in the book. Thus they are more accurate. Although widely used, the Mathers/Crowley sigils were redrawn, and neatened up for publication. Mitch Henson did a similar tidy up job on all of the sigils in the first four books of the Lemegeton of his edition, as he states therein. Another source for authentic sigils, including those for the other books of the Lemegeton is Joseph Peterson's The Lesser Key of Solomon.

And lastly, the similar appearance of many of the Spirits in the Goetia, may be due to their place and time of origin, which culture and lands they originated in. Many are derived gods from Deities from ancient cultures, and the farther back you go either in time or state of civilization, the less human or humanoid supernatural entities become.

Lastly, an additional observation. In the second edition of this book, which has a black cover, there appears as a frontispiece, a drawing of Lucifuge Rofocale. This was absent from the first edition which had a blue cover. For some reason, this drawing of the Prime Minister of Hell was added, which originally appeared in Christopher Hyatt and S. Json Black's Pacts with the Devil. Lucifuge Rofocale has nothing to do with the Goetia or any of the Books of the Lemegeton. But rather appears as the central character in the Grimoire of Pope Honorius, a version of which appears in the previously mentioned Pacts with the Devil, which I can thoroughly recommend, as did another reviewer.

Hope all this helps.



The 70th Spirit Seere is willing to do anything for the Magician.   December 23, 2003
8 out of 9 found this review helpful

At your wits end? Need a change real bad? Try summoning Seere. "He is of an indifferent good nature (and)... is willing to do anything for the exorcist." Take his picture and speak to it. Ask him to bring you whatever it is you need since that is his function. Tell him to bring you some money or anything else tangible that you could use. Then be prepared to thank him appropriately as the authors recommend.

"Really you shouldn't have. But I'm so glad you'd mention me." -- Seere