Shax is a Marquis of the Ars Goetia, ruling 30 legions of spirits.
Key facts
| Rank | Marquis |
|---|---|
| Legions | 30 |
| Powers | Wealth & treasure, Divination, Familiars |
| Enn (modern chant) | «Ayer Avage Shax aken» |
| Alternate names | Chax, Scox |
| Sources | Ars Goetia, Pseudomonarchia |
| Seal no. | 44 / 72 |
| External IDs | Wikidata |
On this page
How it appears
A wood pigeon with a hoarse voice.
What you ask of it
He takes away sight, hearing, and understanding; steals money and returns it; discovers the hidden and concealed things; and gives good familiars.
Provenance
Shax is in Weyer's Pseudomonarchia Daemonum (1577) as Chax or Scox, with traits of a hoarse-voiced bird and a reputation as a thief. The Ars Goetia preserves him as a marquis and keeps the central warning: outside the Triangle he lies. Already attested in the Liber Officiorum Spirituum (Folger V.b.26, 16th c.) as «Skor (no. 17)».
The seal: printed edition and facsimile
Shax'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).
Documented ancient datum
How it is summoned
In antiquity
In addition to the common procedure, the source preserves: a specific ritual prescription.
Ancient operation: common procedure plus the documented detail in this entry.
- Prepare the Magic Circle, the Triangle of Art, and the lamen bearing the seal of Shax before reciting any conjuration.
- Call him by means of the Goetic conjurations, accepting no promises or answers while he remains outside the Triangle.
- When he appears as a hoarse-voiced bird, command him to enter the Triangle of Art; the source warns that outside it he is a liar.
- Only with Shax inside the Triangle ask about hidden objects, stolen money, senses taken away, or familiars.
- Check his answers with caution and do not deem what is promised reliable unless he has been compelled in the indicated ritual form.
- Close the consultation with the license to depart and end the operation while maintaining the separation of Circle and Triangle.
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): «Ayer Avage Shax aken»
Source: Enn of modern demonolatry (lists circulated by S. Connolly, The Complete Book of Demonolatry, 2006)
Contemporary demonolatry employs him in petitions concerning discoveries, concealment, or recovery; historically what is documented is his Goetic office and his danger of deceit.
Modern experiences (personal gnosis)
In modern demonolatry, practitioners describe Shax's presence as a subtle yet markedly disorienting energy, linked to his elemental correspondence of Air and his domain over confusion. Using his enn (*Ayer Avage Shax aken*), he is contemporarily sought for works of concealment, to magically 'blind' adversaries by dulling their perception, and to assist in divination by revealing hidden truths.
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); consensos de la práctica demonolátrica contemporánea.
Frequently asked questions
Who is Shax?
Shax 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 Marquis. It is not a deity or a biblical figure: it is an entry in these historical spirit-catalogues.
What is the sigil (seal) of Shax?
The seal image of Shax 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 Shax's rank in the Ars Goetia?
Shax is a Marquis, ruling 30 legions of spirits according to the Lesser Key of Solomon.
How do you summon Shax?
According to the ancient sources (the Lemegeton, the Pseudomonarchia Daemonum), Shax 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 Shax do? What is it invoked for?
He takes away sight, hearing, and understanding; steals money and returns it; discovers the hidden and concealed things; and gives good familiars.
What sources does Shax come from?
Shax is in Weyer's Pseudomonarchia Daemonum (1577) as Chax or Scox, with traits of a hoarse-voiced bird and a reputation as a thief. The Ars Goetia preserves him as a marquis and keeps the central warning: outside the Triangle he lies.
What is the enn (chant) of Shax?
The enn of Shax circulating today is «Ayer Avage Shax aken». It is a MODERN demonolatry chant (late 20th c.); it does not appear in the old grimoires.
Of the same rank · Marquis
Of the same power · Wealth & treasure
→ Where does «your demon by birthdate» come from? See how the different systems distribute the 72 spirits: Goetia Correspondences.
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