Agares is a Duke of the Ars Goetia, ruling 31 legions of spirits.
Key facts
| Rank | Duke |
|---|---|
| Legions | 31 |
| Powers | Languages, Divination, Destruction |
| Enn (modern chant) | «Rean ganen ayar da Agares» |
| Alternate names | Aguares |
| Sources | Ars Goetia, Pseudomonarchia |
| Seal no. | 02 / 72 |
| Cardinal king | Oriens · East (E) |
| External IDs | Wikidata · Wikipedia |
📺 Also appears in
This spirit has its own passage in the documentary series.
The Fallen Choirs · Episode 1 — The daemons who were ANGELS: the fallen choir of miracles«The first is Agares... the second spirit of the Goetia. The text says of him, literally... he was of the order of the Virtues. This is his seal. But look at what his gifts became.»On this page
How it appears
A venerable old man who rides upon a crocodile, with a goshawk or falcon perched on his fist.
What you ask of it
He teaches instantly all the languages of the world. He stops those who flee and makes fugitives return; he causes earthquakes and casts down dignities, both spiritual and temporal.
Provenance
Agares already appears in Weyer as a duke under eastern power, with the image of the old man upon a crocodile and a goshawk on his fist. The Ars Goetia adopted him as the second spirit and retained his chief offices: teaching languages, making fugitives return, casting down dignities, and causing earthquakes. Already attested in the Livre des Esperitz (15th c.) as «Agarat (f180r)» and in the Liber Officiorum Spirituum (Folger V.b.26, 16th c.) as «Acharos / Aharus (no. 32)».
The seal: printed edition and facsimile
Agares's main seal follows the printed Mathers–Crowley (1904) form; the Sloane MS 2731 manuscript facsimile is shown separately for comparison.
The main image and SVG/PNG downloads reproduce the printed form of S. L. MacGregor Mathers and Aleister Crowley's 1904 edition, using the normal vector pack documented on Wikimedia Commons (public domain/CC0). The Sloane MS 2731 facsimile remains separate for comparing manuscript variants; it is not used as the main image.
The FULL manuscript facsimile («Lemegeton, Clavicula Salomonis», Sloane MS 2731) is in our library; the original is held at the British Library (Sloane MS 2731).
How it is summoned
In antiquity
According to the Ars Goetia, the operation is the same for all 72 spirits:
- The magician draws the magic Circle and never steps out of it during the whole work.
- A few paces away he draws the Triangle of Art: there, and only there, must the spirit manifest.
- On his breast he wears the lamen bearing the demon's seal, engraved in metal.
- He recites the conjurations, calling it by its names and by the divine names.
- If the spirit resists or delays, the constraint and the 'chain of spirits' are used.
- Once the request is granted, he gives it the license to depart, and never before.
The ancient sources give his appearance, his mild character when appearing, his relation to the order of the Virtues, and his thirty-one legions. Although he is placed under the power of the East, no ritual modification proper to Agares is preserved for hour, offering, or precaution.
Source: Ars Goetia (17th c.); already in Weyer’s Pseudomonarchia Daemonum, 1577
The common Goetic operation also adds, when needed: to constrain a resisting spirit (Wellcome MS 110, c74–c78), to show it the Pentacle of Solomon once manifested (Ars Theurgia-Goetia), to work in its planetary hour and day (by rank), and finally to give it licence to depart —and never before (Wellcome MS 110, c53). Practise the full rite at The Practitioner's Table.
What is the “chain of spirits”?
Modern · not ancient
- Print or draw its seal and place it before you on a clean surface.
- Light a candle and, if you wish, some incense; still your mind and set your intention.
- Intone its enn softly and repeatedly, eyes on the seal, until you feel a shift in the air.
- State your request clearly and respectfully, not as a command.
- Give thanks, let the candle burn down a little and close; modern practice is devotional, with no coercive conjuration.
Enn (modern chant): «Rean ganen ayar da Agares»
Source: Enn of modern demonolatry (lists disseminated by S. Connolly, The Complete Book of Demonolatry, 2006)
In modern demonolatry he is used chiefly for language learning, the return of persons, or the recovery of fugitive situations.
Modern experiences (personal gnosis)
In modern demonolatry, particularly according to S. Connolly's 'The Daemonolatry Goetia' (2010), practitioners describe Agares as a firm, patient, and grounding presence. He is typically worked with today to facilitate communication and language learning, as well as to halt harmful gossip or slow down adversaries, a strategic approach also attested in the contemporary Luciferianism of M. W. Ford.
Personal gnosis (UPG): how contemporary practitioners say they experience it. This is subjective experience, not a historical source or doctrine; it does not come from the ancient grimoires and may not be real.
Source: S. Connolly, 'The Daemonolatry Goetia' (2010); Michael W. Ford, 'Luciferian Goetia' (2007).
Frequently asked questions
Who is Agares?
Agares is one of the 72 spirits catalogued in the Ars Goetia (the first book of the Lemegeton, 17th c.) and in Weyer's Pseudomonarchia Daemonum (1577); it is listed with the rank of Duke. It is not a deity or a biblical figure: it is an entry in these historical spirit-catalogues.
What is the sigil (seal) of Agares?
The seal image of Agares that we display and offer for download follows the printed Mathers–Crowley (1904) form, using the normal vector pack documented on Wikimedia Commons (public domain/CC0). The Sloane MS 2731 manuscript facsimile is provided separately because Lemegeton witnesses preserve variants.
What is Agares's rank in the Ars Goetia?
Agares is a Duke, ruling 31 legions of spirits according to the Lesser Key of Solomon.
How do you summon Agares?
According to the ancient sources (the Lemegeton, the Pseudomonarchia Daemonum), Agares is summoned with the goetic rite: the Circle and the Triangle of Art are traced, its seal is engraved and worn, the candles are lit and the conjuration is spoken by the divine names; if it delays, it is constrained, and at the end it is given the licence to depart. This is historical-documentary material, not a how-to for real summoning.
What does Agares do? What is it invoked for?
He teaches instantly all the languages of the world. He stops those who flee and makes fugitives return; he causes earthquakes and casts down dignities, both spiritual and temporal.
What sources does Agares come from?
Agares already appears in Weyer as a duke under eastern power, with the image of the old man upon a crocodile and a goshawk on his fist. The Ars Goetia adopted him as the second spirit and retained his chief offices: teaching languages, making fugitives return, casting down dignities, and causing earthquakes.
What is the enn (chant) of Agares?
The enn of Agares circulating today is «Rean ganen ayar da Agares». It is a MODERN demonolatry chant (late 20th c.); it does not appear in the old grimoires.
Of the same rank · Duke
Of the same power · Languages
→ Where does «your demon by birthdate» come from? See how the different systems distribute the 72 spirits: Goetia Correspondences.
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