Which spirits suit a beginner? The three criteria

How to read the labels Historical what the old sources say. Later tradition what later writers added. Modern modern practice and my own notes.

If you have decided to try a first, quiet practice with one of the Goetia’s 72 spirits, the next question is which one. Online answers range from “start with Paimon” to “never touch any of them.” I use three simple criteria instead, drawn from the Goetia’s own descriptions. This page explains them, lists the 31 spirits that fit and explains why the kings are not first contacts.

If you are struggling right now, call your local emergency number (112 in Europe, 911 in the US and Canada) or see Getting help.

You never have to choose a spirit at all. Reading the Goetia as history is complete in itself.

The three criteria

Modern In the old text, the magician chooses a spirit by need: the one whose office matches the request. I keep that idea of choosing by office but change the purpose. A first contact is a respectful, low-stakes act of study, not a request for results. For that, choose a spirit:

1. Whose offices in the Goetia include teaching, such as the liberal sciences, languages, rhetoric, astronomy, geometry, philosophy or the virtues of herbs and stones.
2. Who is not a king. The text treats the kings as the most powerful and most demanding, with special rules and dangers.
3. Whose entry does not center on harm, deception or compulsion. Skip spirits whose main offices are causing wounds, death, storms, discord or love by compulsion, and spirits the text says will lie unless constrained.

Even spirits that fit have mixed offices in the text. Always read the whole entry on the spirit’s page.

The 31 spirits that fit

Historical The office shown is the first one the 1904 text gives. Ranks follow the 1904 edition; see ranks and offices.

Borderline cases

Five spirits sit on the edge, and it is worth knowing why:

• Botis and Seere are on the list, but neither has a teaching office. Their offices, divination and reconciliation for Botis, speed and finding stolen goods for Seere, carry no harm. They fit only partly. Frame any question about your own study or your own part in a conflict.
• Malphas is on the list for his building office, but the text says he deceives those who sacrifice to him, and his other office concerns enemies’ thoughts. He fits only partly.
• Bune and Bifrons are left off, though their teaching offices (wisdom and eloquence for Bune; astrology, geometry and stones for Bifrons) meet the criteria on paper. Both entries also give offices concerning the dead and graves. Never disturb graves or cemeteries in any way.

Why kings are not first contacts

Historical The Goetia names nine kings: Bael, Paimon, Beleth, Purson, Asmoday, Vine, Balam, Zagan and Belial. Their seals are to be made in gold, they have their own hours, and several entries attach special rules. Beleth is “very furious at his first appearance” and must be commanded into the triangle by force. Paimon and Belial are among the few spirits the text says must receive an offering. Asmoday must be called outdoors, “abroad,” with the magician standing and bareheaded, “for if it be on, Amaymon will deceive him.”

None of this means a king is “evil” and a marquis is “good.” Rank describes standing in an imagined court, not character. But a first contact is about learning how a practice affects you, and the text itself marks the kings as the most demanding. Start where the text is calmest.

What a good first question looks like

The criteria are only half of the choice. The other half is the question you bring. A first contact works best when the question is about your own learning and has no stakes for anyone else. Some examples that fit the teaching offices above:

• For a spirit of astronomy, such as Stolas or Orias: “What should I study next about the night sky?”
• For a spirit of rhetoric, such as Naberius or Forneus: “What helps me speak more clearly?”
• For a spirit of herbs and stones, such as Foras: “Which plant should I learn about first, safely?”
• For a spirit of geometry, such as Andrealphus: “How can I make my study of geometry steadier?”

Questions to leave aside: anything about money, a job outcome, a court case, your health or another person’s feelings and choices. Those belong to practical help and to the people involved.

How to choose slowly

1. Browse the spirit directory and note any spirits whose teaching offices interest you.
2. Read each one’s full page, including the offices you would never work with.
3. Write your choice in a journal with one sentence on why, and the question you would like to explore. Keep it about learning: “What should I study next about astronomy?” Never anything about another person.
4. Wait at least a day before you do anything more.

Do not choose a spirit because a video dared you to. Do not choose one to ask for anything involving another person. If simply reading about a spirit frightens you, stop; reading a name does not call a spirit. For how this fits a wider beginner approach, see modern approaches.