72. Andromalius: an earl of the Ars Goetia

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

Andromalius is spirit 72 of the 72 in the Ars Goetia, the first book of the Lesser Key of Solomon. The 1904 edition by S. L. MacGregor Mathers and Aleister Crowley calls him an earl ruling 36 legions, and the first office it gives him is this: Andromalius brings back both a thief and the stolen goods.

On this page I read his entry the way I read every spirit, layer by layer. First comes what the old texts say, then what later writers added, then what modern practitioners do, each with a label so you can always tell which is which.

If you came here wondering whether Andromalius suits a beginner, the short answer is in the Practical notes below: he does not meet the three beginner criteria I use, and I explain why.

At a glance

Historical These are the facts of the entry itself, from the 1904 text and its Observations.

• Number: 72 of 72, in the 1904 order.
• Name and spellings: Andromalius in 1904; other spellings: none common.
• Rank and legions: Earl, 36 legions.
• Metal of his rank (Observations): copper and silver.
• Hours for earls (Observations): “Any hour of the Day, so it be in Woods, or in any other places whither men resort not, or where no noise is.”
• In Weyer’s catalog (1577): no. Andromalius is one of four Goetia spirits missing from Weyer; the others are Vassago, Seere and Dantalion.

The Observations also say to work only when the Moon is 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12 or 14 days old. These rules show how the Goetia imagined its spirits, as officials with office hours. You do not need them to read the entry, and the facts table above gives the short version.

The seal (1904)

Historical The seal shown above is Andromalius’s seal as printed in the 1904 edition, in a faithful vector drawing of that public-domain printing. The Observations ask for each seal to be made in the metal of the spirit’s rank, which for Andromalius means copper and silver. In the text’s world the seal identifies the spirit and protects the magician; several entries say it is worn on the breast as a lamen.

Seals differ between manuscripts and editions. The 1904 drawings follow the manuscripts as Mathers read them, and other editions, websites, jewelry and tattoos often show different versions. When you compare two seals, note which edition each comes from before deciding which is “right.”

Modern Looking at a seal does nothing on its own; it is a drawing in an old book. Modern practitioners almost always draw seals on paper rather than casting them in metal. Copying Andromalius’s seal slowly by hand is also a good study exercise, because you notice lines and circles that the eye skips.

Appearance

Historical Andromalius appears “in the Form of a Man holding a Great Serpent in his Hand.”

Offices in the Ars Goetia

Historical These are all the offices the 1904 text gives him, in the order it gives them.

• Brings back both a thief and the stolen goods.
• Discovers all wickedness and underhand dealing.
• Punishes all thieves and other wicked people. Reported as history; not taught here.
• Discovers hidden treasures.

He rules 36 legions.

Offices of harm or compulsion are part of the historical record, and reporting them is not endorsing them. For how offices work across the 72, see ranks and offices.

Source comparison: Weyer and Scot

Historical Andromalius does not appear in Weyer’s catalog or Scot’s translation.

Because Weyer’s 1577 catalog and Scot’s 1584 translation lack him, the 1904 text is the oldest printed source for this entry. More in Weyer and Scot.

Later tradition

Later tradition The entry passed into later books largely unchanged.

Modern practice and pop culture

Modern As the last spirit, Andromalius closes many modern lists. Some modern practitioners approach him for justice and for recovering stolen property.

What you will not find in any grimoire: a personality, a favorite color or food, signs that he has “chosen” you, or a birth chart that makes him your spirit. Those ideas come from modern books, forums and social media. They can be meaningful to the people who use them, but they are not history, and none of them is something you have to believe.

Beginner’s quick reference

Each line below is labeled by layer, so you can see how old each piece is.

• Rank metal and hours (Goetia): Earl: copper and silver; any hour of the day, in woods or other quiet places.
• Planet (later tradition: Golden Dawn and Crowley’s 777): Venus. This differs from 777’s usual pattern for an earl, which would give Mars. This is how the 1909 printing gives it.
• Decan and day or night spirit (later tradition: 777): Pisces, third decan (20 to 30 degrees); night spirit. 777 decan incense: “Santal Alb.”
• Commonly reported color, incense, and plant (modern UPG; sources copy each other): Color red; incense dragon’s blood; plant wormwood (reported in some sources; not verified as safe: do not burn, ingest, or handle).
• Associated symbols: Goetia image: a man holding a great serpent. 777 Magical Image: the same image. Modern Demonolatry/UPG: the seal, used as an altar image.
• Associated offerings: Modern practice, not in the Goetia manuscripts: most often listed, dragon’s blood resin; one source adds patchouli and seaweed.

Incense means smoke. If you burn any, use a stick or cone with a window open, no charcoal indoors, and none at all in a home with pet birds or anyone with asthma. A plant listed here is a correspondence, not something to eat or burn, and a plant without a warning is not automatically safe. Modern offering lists copy one another, so “most often listed” means widely copied, not confirmed. Water, light, time or a note of thanks is always enough.

Practical notes

Andromalius is an earl whose offices concern theft, wickedness, and punishment. I do not teach work to punish anyone. If you have been robbed, report it to the police. If you are interested in the history of how early modern people used magic against thieves, a common use of grimoires, Andromalius’s entry is a good starting point for study.

After the 72nd entry, the Goetia tells the story of the brass vessel (see seals, circle and triangle) and moves on to its Observations and ritual.

The beginner criteria I use have three parts: the spirit is not a king, at least one office is teaching, and the entry does not center on harm, deception or compulsion. In the directory, Andromalius is not among the 31 spirits that fit.

To compare Andromalius with other spirits of his rank, read Bifrons and Raum. Earls, or counts, are a group of ten in the 1904 Classified List, and most of them hold a second rank as well. The Observations give them two metals, copper and silver, “alike equal,” and ask that they be worked in woods or quiet places where no one goes.

How to study this entry

You can learn a great deal about Andromalius without any ritual at all. These are the steps I suggest for any spirit.

1. Read the offices above in order and write each one in your own words.
2. Read the 1904 entry next to a spirit that is in Weyer, and notice how a text with no older source differs.
3. Copy the seal by hand, slowly, and note anything you missed at first glance.
4. Keep a two-column log: what the text says on the left, and what you have read online or feel about it on the right.

Then go back to all 72 spirits and read a neighbor or two. The entries make more sense side by side than alone.