Who is Marchosias?

Marchosias is a demon described in the Ars Goetia, the first section of the 17th-century grimoire The Lesser Key of Solomon (also known as Lemegeton Clavicula Salomonis). He is ranked as the 25th spirit in the hierarchy of 72 demons. According to the text, Marchosias appears as a wolf with griffin’s wings and a serpent’s tail, vomiting fire from his mouth, but he can take on a more human form at the summoner’s request. He is said to be a strong fighter, loyal to Lucifer, and was once an angel who fell during the rebellion. His powers include answering questions about divine and secret matters, providing true answers, and granting the ability to make others obey the summoner. He speaks with a “hoarse voice” and was deceived by the summoner Aleister Crowley in a vision (per Crowley’s accounts). To “summon” him means to perform a ritual evocation from this grimoire, which is framed as a command over demonic forces using Judeo-Christian symbols and incantations.

Note: These rituals are historical occult practices, not scientifically verified. They originate from medieval European demonology and are intended for experienced practitioners. Attempting them can be psychologically intense or risky; approach with caution, and consider them as cultural artifacts rather than literal instructions.

Preparation for the Ritual

The Ars Goetia outlines a structured process for evoking spirits like Marchosias. Preparation emphasizes purity, protection, and tools to bind the demon. Here’s a step-by-step breakdown based on the grimoire:

1. Purification and Fasting:
   • Fast for 9 days (or at least 3), abstaining from meat, alcohol, and sex to achieve spiritual purity. Bathe in holy water (blessed with salt and herbs like hyssop) and wear clean white linen robes.
   • Confess sins and perform a banishing ritual, such as the Lesser Banishing Ritual of the Pentagram (LBRP) from the Golden Dawn tradition, to clear negative energies.
2. Tools and Circle Setup:
   • Magic Circle: Draw a 9-foot diameter circle on the ground using chalk or flour, divided into quadrants with Hebrew names of God (e.g., Adonai, El, Elohim) inscribed around it. Inside, place a triangle of art (equilateral triangle, ~4 feet sides) pointed away from you, with the demon’s sigil inside.
   • Sigil of Marchosias: Use his specific seal (a complex geometric symbol resembling intertwined lines and crosses—reproducible from Goetia texts). Engrave it on virgin parchment or metal with virgin wax.
   • Other Items: Black-handled knife (athame), virgin wax candles (4, one per direction), incense (frankincense and myrrh), a Bible or Key of Solomon text, and a scrying tool (black mirror or crystal) in the triangle.
   • Face east, the direction of invocation.
3. Timing:
   • Perform during a waxing moon, ideally on a Tuesday (Mars day, aligning with his martial nature). Start at midnight or dawn. Avoid Fridays or full moons for volatility.

The Summoning Ritual

The evocation follows the grimoire’s conjurations, spoken with authority. Stand outside the circle; never step inside until the spirit is bound.

1. Preliminary Invocation:
   • Light candles and incense. Trace the circle and triangle with your athame while reciting: “I conjure thee, O Circle of Art, by the power of the Most High, that thou shalt contain all spirits and demons, and suffer none to pass forth until my will is done.”
2. First Conjuration:
   • Hold the sigil and intone the general call to spirits, then specify Marchosias: “I do invocate and conjure thee, O Spirit Marchosias; and being with power armed from the Supreme Majesty, I do strongly command thee, by Beralanensis, Baldachiensis, Paumachia, and Apologiae Sedes; by the most Powerful Princes, Genii, Liachidae, and Ministers of the Tartarean Abode; and by the Chief Prince of the Seat of Apologia in the Ninth Legion, I do invoke thee, and by invocating conjure thee. And being armed with power from the Supreme Majesty, I do strongly command thee, by Him Who spake and it was done, and unto whom all creatures be obedient… Appear thou now before this Circle in a fair human shape, without any deformity or tortuosity. Come thou peaceably, visibly, and affably, now and without delay, manifesting that which I shall desire.”
3. Constraint if He Delays:
   • If no appearance after 10-15 minutes, repeat with increasing intensity, adding curses or threats: “O thou wicked and disobedient Marchosias, because thou hast not obeyed nor regarded my commands… I do curse thee into the depths of the Bottomless Pit, there to remain until the Day of Doom.”
4. Appearance and Binding:
   • He may manifest visually (in the triangle), audibly, or via signs (e.g., animal sightings, dreams). Demand he take a human form and swear obedience on the sigil.
   • State your request clearly (e.g., “Marchosias, teach me the secrets of [specific knowledge]”). He must affirm with “This is my seal; by it I am bound.”
   • License to depart: “Go thou now in peace unto thy place; harm none, and be thou friendly unto me.”
5. Closing:
   • Extinguish candles counterclockwise. Erase the circle. Bury or burn the sigil. Perform LBRP again.

Additional Notes from Sources

• Duration: The spirit serves for the ritual’s length (hours to days) but must be dismissed properly to avoid backlash.
• Warnings in the Text: The Goetia stresses using divine names (e.g., Tetragrammaton) for protection; failure invites deception or harm.