The Goetia is THE grimoire par excellence, an essential reference in the study of ritual magic. It constitutes the first part of the Lemegeton, an anonymous treatise on ritual magic written in English in the 17th century. The main manuscripts of this work are kept at the British Library in London. The Goetia details the 72 demons associated with the 72 astrological groups of five, as well as the specific procedures to summon them.
The famous British mage Aleister Crowley, an iconic figure of modern occultism, published an edition in 1904. This French edition is the first translation of this fundamental work. The preface, written by Hymenæus Beta, current leader of the Ordo Templi Orientis (OTO), provides essential historical insight that allows a full understanding of the scope and importance of this text for any serious student of the occult sciences.
This edition stands out by including Crowley’s handwritten annotations on his own copy, as well as those of his disciple Gerald Yorke, offering unique perspectives and clarifications on the described rituals. Moreover, it is enriched by the engravings of Louis Breton, taken from the sixth edition of Collin de Plancy’s Dictionnaire Infernal, which illustrate the magical representations of some of the Goetia demons.
The work concludes with "The Brazen Head," a little-known ritual developed by Crowley in the 1920s to summon the demon Belial. This ritual adds an additional dimension to the richness of this grimoire. By bringing these elements together, this edition marks an important milestone in the revival of French-speaking magic at the beginning of the twenty-first century, offering practitioners and researchers an invaluable and deeply enriching resource.
