Halphas is an Earl of the Ars Goetia, ruling 26 legions of spirits.
Key facts
| Rank | Earl |
|---|---|
| Legions | 26 |
| Powers | War, Destruction |
| Enn (modern chant) | «Erato Halphas on ca secore» |
| Alternate names | Malthus |
| Sources | Ars Goetia, Pseudomonarchia |
| Seal no. | 38 / 72 |
| External IDs | Wikidata · Wikipedia |
On this page
How it appears
A wood pigeon with a hoarse voice.
What you ask of it
He builds towers and fills them with arms and munitions, and sends men of war to the appointed places.
Provenance
Halphas is in Weyer (1577) as Halphas/Malthus, with the rank of count and the hoarse voice of a bird. The Ars Goetia takes him from that tradition, preserves his military character, and places him as the 38th spirit.
The seal: printed edition and facsimile
Halphas'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 present him as a hoarse-voiced bird who builds cities or towers filled with weapons and sends men of war to the appointed place. They record for Halphas no particular hour, direction, offering, or ritual caution.
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): «Erato Halphas on ca secore»
Source: Enn of modern demonolatry (lists circulated by S. Connolly, The Complete Book of Demonolatry, 2006)
In modern usage he is often invoked for discipline, defense, or structure; those applications are not instructions from Weyer or the Goetia.
Modern experiences (personal gnosis)
In modern demonolatry, particularly according to S. Connolly in 'The Daemonolatry Goetia' (2010), contemporary practitioners seek out Halphas not for literal warfare, but for spiritual defense and the building of solid personal 'fortresses' or boundaries. His presence is typically described as an intensely protective, serious, and grounded energy, assisting the practitioner in consolidating defensive structures rather than mere destruction.
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); tradición demonólatra contemporánea.
Frequently asked questions
Who is Halphas?
Halphas 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 Earl. It is not a deity or a biblical figure: it is an entry in these historical spirit-catalogues.
What is the sigil (seal) of Halphas?
The seal image of Halphas 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 Halphas's rank in the Ars Goetia?
Halphas is a Earl, ruling 26 legions of spirits according to the Lesser Key of Solomon.
How do you summon Halphas?
According to the ancient sources (the Lemegeton, the Pseudomonarchia Daemonum), Halphas 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 Halphas do? What is it invoked for?
He builds towers and fills them with arms and munitions, and sends men of war to the appointed places.
What sources does Halphas come from?
Halphas is in Weyer (1577) as Halphas/Malthus, with the rank of count and the hoarse voice of a bird. The Ars Goetia takes him from that tradition, preserves his military character, and places him as the 38th spirit.
What is the enn (chant) of Halphas?
The enn of Halphas circulating today is «Erato Halphas on ca secore». It is a MODERN demonolatry chant (late 20th c.); it does not appear in the old grimoires.
Of the same rank · Earl
Of the same power · War
→ Where does «your demon by birthdate» come from? See how the different systems distribute the 72 spirits: Goetia Correspondences.
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