70. Seere: a prince 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.

Seere is number 70 in the catalog of 72 spirits that opens the Lesser Key of Solomon. The 1904 edition by S. L. MacGregor Mathers and Aleister Crowley calls him a prince ruling 26 legions, and the first office it gives him is this: Seere goes and comes, and brings “abundance of things to pass on a sudden.”

He is one of the four spirits with no entry in Weyer, and his offices are speed and finding. 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:

Seere, Sear, or Seir. The Seventieth Spirit is Seere, Sear, or Seir. He is a Mighty Prince, and Powerful, under Amaymon, King of the East. He appeareth in the Form of a Beautiful Man, riding upon a Winged Horse. His Office is to go and come; and to bring abundance of things to pass on a sudden, and to carry or re-carry anything whither thou wouldest have it to go, or whence thou wouldest have it from. He can pass over the whole Earth in the twinkling of an Eye. He giveth a True relation of all sorts of Theft, and of Treasure hid, and of many other things. He is of an indifferent Good Nature, and is willing to do anything which the Exorcist desireth. He governeth 26 Legions of Spirits. And this his Seal is to be worn, etc.

Seere is “a Mighty Prince, and Powerful, under Amaymon, King of the East”. He appears as “a Beautiful Man, riding upon a Winged Horse”. His office is “to go and come; and to bring abundance of things to pass on a sudden”, to carry things anywhere, and to “pass over the whole Earth in the twinkling of an Eye”. He tells of theft and hidden treasure, and is “of an indifferent Good Nature”. “Indifferent” here means moderately or fairly, not uncaring.

Appearance

Historical Seere appears “in the Form of a Beautiful Man, riding upon a Winged Horse.”

Offices in the Ars Goetia

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

• Goes and comes, and brings “abundance of things to pass on a sudden.”
• Carries or re-carries anything wherever the magician wishes.
• Can pass over the whole earth “in the twinkling of an Eye.”
• Gives a true relation of all sorts of theft, of treasure hid, and of many other things.

He “is of an indifferent Good Nature, and is willing to do anything which the Exorcist desireth.” He governs 26 legions.

Source comparison: Weyer and Scot

Historical Seere does not appear in Weyer’s catalog or Scot’s translation. He is one of the four Goetic spirits with no Weyer entry.

Historical With no Latin to compare, the nearest older witness is a manuscript. Joseph Peterson, the modern editor of the manuscripts, suggests the entry was possibly drawn from Sloane MS 3824, where a separate text calls Seere “by nature indifferent good, mild courteous and affable” and says he brings “all things to suddaine and expeditious effects”. (About Weyer and Scot.)

Name and etymology

Historical The 1904 text gives Seere, Sear and Seir. Seir is also the name of a mountain region in the Bible, but no source links it to the spirit.

Seal and images

Historical The seal above is Seere’s as printed in 1904, and by the rules of the Observations it would be made in tin, 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

Modern Like Vassago, Seere is often recommended in modern writing because of his described temperament, “indifferent Good Nature.” Modern practitioners approach him for speed and efficiency in practical matters.

Lore about Seere’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 Seere, read incense, plants and offerings.

Practical notes

Seere is a prince whose offices concern speed, transport, and finding stolen goods. None is harmful in the text, but he has no teaching office. Without a teaching office he does not meet the beginner criteria. A question about organizing your study time would be a reasonable approach.

In the directory, Seere is not among the 30 spirits that fit the beginner criteria.

Try this: one question to study

Compare the description of Seere’s nature in the 1904 text with the Sloane 3824 wording quoted above, and note what “indifferent” meant in each.

What next

To compare Seere with other spirits of his rank, read Orobas and Stolas.

Later tradition In the Golden Dawn scheme of the decans, Seere is the night spirit of the first decan of Pisces, which belongs to the Eight of Cups; the day spirit of the same decan is Furfur (spirit 34).