69. Decarabia: a marquis 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.

Decarabia is spirit 69 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 a marquis ruling 30 legions, and the first office it gives him is this: Decarabia discovers the virtues of birds and precious stones.

He appears as a star in a pentacle, the only spirit in the catalog whose first form is a geometric sign. Each part below carries a label for its layer, explained in how to read a spirit page.

At a glance

The 1904 entry

Historical The full entry from the 1904 edition, with footnote numbers and the dash after the heading left out and the heading set in ordinary type:

Decarabia. The Sixty-ninth Spirit is Decarabia. He appeareth in the Form of a Star in a Pentacle, at first; but after, at the command of the Exorcist, he putteth on the Image of a Man. His Office is to discover the Virtues of Birds and Precious Stones, and to make the Similitude of all kinds of Birds to fly before the Exorcist, singing and drinking as natural Birds do. He governeth 30 Legions of Spirits, being himself a Great Marquis. And this is his Seal, which is to be worn, etc.

Decarabia “appeareth in the Form of a Star in a Pentacle, at first”; the 1904 text prints the figure itself in the line. His office is “to discover the Virtues of Birds and Precious Stones, and to make the Similitude of all kinds of Birds to fly before the Exorcist, singing and drinking as natural Birds do”. “Similitude” means likeness: the birds are images, not real ones. Only at the end does the text add his rank, “being himself a Great Marquis”.

Appearance

Historical Decarabia “appeareth in the Form of a Star in a Pentacle, at first; but after, at the command of the Exorcist, he putteth on the image of a Man.”

Offices in the Ars Goetia

Historical The offices of Decarabia, in the order the 1904 text gives them:

• Discovers the virtues of birds and precious stones.
• Makes “the Similitude of all kinds of Birds to fly before the Exorcist, singing and drinking as natural Birds do.”

He governs 30 legions, “being himself a Great Marquis.”

Source comparison: Weyer and Scot

Historical Scot’s translation of Weyer gives “Decarabia or Carabia,” who “commeth like a” star (the printed text uses a star symbol), knows “the force of herbes and pretious stones,” and makes “all birds flie before the exorcist, and to tarrie with him, as though they were tame.”

Scot gives no rank; the Goetia makes him a marquis. Weyer has herbs, the Goetia birds. Both give 30 legions.

Historical Weyer’s Latin calls him “magnus Rex & Comes”, a great king and earl, a rank Scot omits. He “venit similis ☆”, comes like a star, the sign printed in the Latin. His knowledge is of “herbarum & lapidum pretiosorum”, herbs and precious stones, where the 1904 text has birds; Sloane 3825, in Peterson’s edition, also reads herbs. Weyer’s birds are real ones that stay “velut familiares ac domesticæ”, like tame household birds, and drink and sing “suo more”, in their own way. (About Weyer and Scot.)

Name and etymology

Historical Weyer and Scot give Decarabia or Carabia. No meaning is known.

Seal and images

Historical The seal above is Decarabia’s as printed in 1904, and by the rules of the Observations it would be made in silver, the metal of his rank. Why seals were worn, why editions draw them differently and how to study one are explained in seals, circle and triangle.

Later tradition and modern practice

Later tradition Decarabia’s star form is unique in the catalog.

Modern Modern writers connect him with birdwatching and the study of gems.

Lore about Decarabia’s personality, likes or chosen people is modern, not grimoire material; modern approaches explains where such claims come from.

Beginner’s quick reference

Before you burn or handle anything listed for Decarabia, read incense, plants and offerings.

Practical notes

Decarabia fits the beginner criteria well. He is a marquis whose offices concern birds and stones, with no office of harm. A question about bird study would suit a first contact. Real birds are best watched from a respectful distance, without feeding them unsuitable food.

In the directory, Decarabia is one of the 30 spirits that fit the beginner criteria.

Try this: one question to study

Weyer’s Decarabia knows herbs and stones; the 1904 text has birds and stones. Decide whether the change came from the bird office later in the same sentence.

What next

To compare Decarabia with other spirits of his rank, read Cimejes and Andrealphus.

Later tradition In the Golden Dawn scheme of the decans, Decarabia is the night spirit of the third decan of Aquarius, which belongs to the Seven of Swords; the day spirit of the same decan is Gaap (spirit 33).