Here in Pasadena, we appreciate structure. Whether it’s the carefully preserved architecture of Bungalow Heaven or the rigorous coding required in my Machine Learning studies, there is a fundamental understanding that complex systems require stability. If you remove a load-bearing wall, the roof collapses. If you feed bad data into an algorithm without guardrails, you get hallucinations.
The same logic applies—with infinitely higher stakes—to Solomonic magic.
We have been discussing the Goetia recently, and while the allure of the 72 Spirits is undeniable, engaging with them in a vacuum is spiritual recklessness. In my practice, and in the most intellectually sound traditions of ceremonial magic, we do not simply “summon” demons. We engineer a state of Angelic Balancing.
This is the system of the Shemhamephorash—the safety protocol that keeps the operator from being consumed by the very forces they seek to command.
The Inseparable Duality
To understand High Magic, one must understand that the universe operates on polarity. The 72 Spirits of the Goetia are not isolated monsters; they are the dark corollaries to the 72 Holy Angels of the Shemhamephorash (the 72-letter extended Name of God).
Think of this as a unified field theory of the cosmos. For every Goetic entity representing a specific chaotic or infernal drive, there is a corresponding Shemhamephorash Angel that embodies the divine, ordered aspect of that same frequency. They are 72 bipolar archetypes functioning within the collective and personal unconscious.
In the “Master Mandala” of the heavens, these forces are arranged in a matched progression through the Zodiac, starting at Aries. They are locked in an eternal, inseparable duality. To invoke the demon without acknowledging the angel is to grab a live wire without a ground; you are engaging with only the destructive half of the current.
The Mechanism of Control: The Dr. Rudd Method
Historically, this balancing act was emphasized by practitioners like Dr. Thomas Rudd. His manuscripts suggest that the careful operator must utilize both Goetic and Shemhamephorash sigils.
Before the Magus even begins the conjuration of the spirit, the Angelic Name and a corresponding Latin verse (often drawn from the Psalms) are recited. This is not merely religious piety; it is a tactical maneuver. By invoking the Angel first, you establish a preliminary counter-balancing safety factor. You are essentially pre-loading the ritual space with the antidote before introducing the poison.
Without this integration, the practitioner stands on spiritually dangerous ground. The Angel acts as the channel of power through which the operator constrains the rebellious spirit.
The Fortress of the Four Quarters
If the Shemhamephorash Angels are the specific counter-weights, the Four Great Archangels of the Quarters are the foundation of the entire structure.
In the systems of the Ars Almadel and Ars Paulina, the Archangels—Raphael (Air/East), Michael (Fire/South), Gabriel (Water/West), and Auriel (Earth/North)—project an impregnable sphere of protection. They personify the Tetragrammaton and the fundamental Hermetic Elements.
This creates a strict hierarchy of control:
- The Archangels (The Architects) direct the elemental forces.
- They oversee the Shemhamephorash Angels (The Managers).
- The Angels, in turn, control the Goetic Spirits (The Laborers).
A vital step in “rectifying” the system involves sorting the 72 spirits into the four elemental quadrants. For example, the Goetic King Göap commands fiery spirits of wrath in the South. In a balanced operation, Göap is not running wild; he is directly subordinate to the Archangel Michael.
This is why we perform the Archangelic Invocations before the Evocation. We are building the containment field—the “structure of the universe”—before we allow the chaotic elements to enter.
A Practical Case Study: Gremory and Poiel
To illustrate how this works in practice, let’s look at Goetic Spirit #56, Duke Gremory.
Gremory is a powerful spirit often sought for the acquisition of treasure and the love of women. However, greed and obsession are the “bugs” in this particular software. To run this operation safely, we look to his angelic counterpart: the 56th Angel, Poiel (or Poyel).
Poiel is the Angel of “Fortune and Support.” His associated verse is: “The Lord upholdeth all that fall, and raiseth up all those that be bowed down.”
By invoking Poiel, we modify the energy of the operation. We ensure that the “treasure” obtained through Gremory is sustaining rather than corrupting. The Angel provides the divine leverage to ensure the result supports the magician’s life rather than destroying it.
The Final Calculation
The difference between a sorcerer and a true Magus lies in this understanding of balance. Goetic spirits require force, threats, and the “minor magickal war” of the Will to be constrained. The Holy Angels, conversely, require only resonance and respect.
When we use the Shemhamephorash, we are not just protecting ourselves; we are acknowledging that even the darkest entities retain vestiges of their former nature (as many were once of the Order of Virtues). We are using the divine memory of what they were to control what they are.
Do not open Pandora’s Box unless you have the lid—and the Angelic codes—ready in your other hand.
Appendix: Selected Goetic-Shemhamephorash Correspondences
For those of you taking notes, I have compiled a brief table illustrating the specific counter-balancing dynamics for some of the most notorious spirits. Notice how the Angelic attribute often acts as a direct antidote or a stabilizing container for the chaotic “office” of the Goetic spirit.
View the table here: Google Sheets
or Download the PDF here:
A Note on Application: Do not simply read the Angel’s name. In the Solomonic tradition, the Angel is invoked first to consecrate the circle and the operator’s mind. You are essentially putting on the hazmat suit (The Angel) before handling the radioactive material (The Spirit).
Safe travels on the vertical plane.
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