The Key of Solomon is a grimoire, or book of magic spells and rituals, attributed to King Solomon. It likely originated in the 14th or 15th century and contains instructions for conjuring spirits and performing divination and hexes. The text is divided into two books focused on white and black magic. Though supposedly written by Solomon, the work is pseudepigraphical – meaning the author is unknown but attributed it to a famous figure. The Key of Solomon draws on various occult traditions and magical practices such as astrology, Kabbalah, and Christianity. Its contents cover topics like exorcism, oaths and conjurations to summon spirits, instructions for making tools and implements like rings and pentacles, and spells for various purposes like love, health, destruction of enemies, discovering treasures, etc. The work was quite influential in European ceremonial magic. There are various versions of the Key of Solomon with over 40 manuscripts known. The original text was likely in Latin but was also translated into various languages. The Key of Solomon provided inspiration for modern occultists like Aleister Crowley and was incorporated into other magical handbooks like the Lesser Key of Solomon. However, the text is viewed as unbiblical and heretical by most Christians today. While supposedly authored by the biblical King Solomon, there is no evidence Solomon actually created this work or engaged in these magical practices. The content relies on occult mysticism contrary to biblical principles. The rituals often require magic circles, wands, knives, and other pagan paraphernalia not condoned in scripture. Attempting to conjure spirits and demons could lead to demonic oppression. In summary, the Key of Solomon is an influential grimoire of ritual magic attributed to King Solomon but likely of medieval origin. The actual authorship and origins are unknown. The work’s rituals and spells derived from occult practices are unbiblical and dangerous for Christians to engage with.
The Key of Solomon, also known as the Clavicula Salomonis or the Lesser Key of Solomon, is a well-known grimoire, or book of magic spells and rituals, that was likely compiled in the mid-14th to 15th century Renaissance Italy (Murphy 428). It is pseudepigraphically attributed to the biblical King Solomon, though he did not actually write the text. Grimoires claiming Solomonic authorship were commonplace, seeking to glean authority from the legendary wisdom and magical prowess of King Solomon described in biblical accounts like 1 Kings 4. The Key of Solomon draws on various occult and religious traditions such as Hermeticism, Jewish mysticism, the Kabbalah, astrology, and bits of Christianity. It provides detailed instructions for the practitioner to summon spirits and angels, perform divination and hexes, create magic tools and charms, cast love spells, exorcise demons, discover buried treasures, and more. The work greatly influenced magical practices in the Western world during the Renaissance and early modern periods when ceremonial magic and occultism were undergoing a revival. The famous occultist Aleister Crowley considered it “probably the most influential magician’s handbook ever published” (Regardie 3). There are also elements that later made their way into religions like Wicca. However, most modern Christians view the Key of Solomon as heretical and dangerous for promoting communication with demons masquerading as angels. Attempting to practice its rituals could open one up to demonic oppression.
The Key of Solomon is divided into two main parts, the first describing the tools, materials, rituals, and philosophy of “white magic” focused on spiritual goals like communicating with angels and heavenly beings. The second book explores “black magic” used for earthly or destructive ends like hexes, injury to enemies, discovering buried treasure, spells of love and hate, etc. (Mathers 10). It provides exacting details and instructions on fashioning magical implements like wands, daggers, rings, robes, pentacles, and the magic triangle for conjuring spirits. Meticulous instructions cover preparing materials, purification rituals, reciting lengthy conjurations word for word, and invoking angels and demons by name to accomplish the magician’s bidding. The text lays out hierarchies of spirits to summon based on the task. Angels like Michael, Gabriel, Raphael, and others are invoked for white magic dealings while demons are recruited for black magic purposes. The rituals also rely heavily on astrology and occult mysticism. The Key of Solomon gives precise instructions on drawing special occult symbols and diagrams like pentacles and magic circles to protect the summoner when calling forth spirits. Biblical figures like Adam, Abraham, and Moses are invoked in lengthy conjuring rites along with Christian-sounding prayers to lend the rituals legitimacy.
The Key of Solomon contains material from a variety of older occult sources like the Magical Treatise of Solomon, the Grimorium Verum, and the Fourth Book of Occult Philosophy falsely attributed to Agrippa (Mathers 15). The original text was likely compiled in Latin, with the oldest manuscripts dating to the 14th and 15th centuries. The oldest existing copies come from Italian libraries in Rome, Florence, and Venice which were major centers of Renaissance occultism (Kieckhefer 197). The Latin manuscripts do not actually claim Solomonic authorship but refer to the work as the Clavicula Salomonis or “Key of Solomon.” The attribution to Solomon seems to have emerged when the text was translated into Hebrew, Greek, French, and English versions. It was first translated into English by occultist Samuel Liddell MacGregor Mathers in the late 19th century. Mathers was also instrumental in founding the occult society the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn that helped revive interest in ceremonial magic (Kiesel 191). Over 40 manuscripts and grimoires have been identified as some version of the Key of Solomon with variations between texts.
The Key of Solomon likely emerged alongside other Solomonic grimoires during the medieval and Renaissance periods when there was intense interest in occult practices like alchemy, astrology, and ceremonial magic. Society’s negative view of magic had eased and thinkers influenced by Hermeticism sought lost ancient wisdom and magic systems supposedly stretching back through biblical figures likes Solomon to Hermes Trismegistus, the mythical founder of Hermeticism. Consequently, anonymous authors sought to lend their magic texts credibility by attributing them to Solomon. His legendary ring of power that allowed him to command demons provided inspiration. The Key of Solomon does reflect some general Solomonic legends, like riding on a cloud to a brass mountain to trap demons, but most of the specific rituals lack direct biblical correlation. Though supposedly written by the wise king, the rituals in the Key go far beyond any magic sanctioned in scripture and into occult mysticism and polytheism condemned in biblical passages like Deuteronomy 18:9-12. Nonetheless, the Solomonic attribution succeeded in providing gravitas and growing influence. The Key’s availability in print from the 16th century onward helped spread its magic system across Europe.
The Key of Solomon was a seminal work in Western ceremonial magic and influenced such later occult luminaries as Aleister Crowley, Eliphas Levi, and S.L. MacGregor Mathers. During the late nineteenth century occult revival, the Key of Solomon became a core text informing ritual magic practices of groups like the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn. The Key was incorporated into other magical handbooks like the Lesser Key of Solomon known as the Lemegeton which compiled materials from various Solomonic grimoires. The Lesser Key focuses more narrowly on demonology and demon conjuring practices. The 1902 Cosimo edition of the Key of Solomon published by Mathers became the definitive version and is still widely used today. More recently, elements of the rituals have made their way into some modern magical practices such as Wicca, which draws on Renaissance grimoires like the Key of Solomon. The famous occultist Aleister Crowley considered the Key of Solomon “probably the most influential magician’s handbook ever published” and used portions in his own Thelema system (Regardie 3). Crowley advised that aspirants first master the Key’s rituals before attempting more advanced magic in his teachings.
Though historically influential in occult circles, most contemporary Christians reject and condemn the Key of Solomon as contrary to biblical teachings. They view the text as heretical and dangerous for promoting communication and partnerships with demonic spirits masquerading as benevolent angels or saints. Attempting to actually practice the rituals could open oneself up to demonic influence and oppression. The Key’s magical philosophy sees nothing inherently wrong with conjuring and commanding spirits which scripture prohibits. Despite claims of Solomonic authorship, the rituals described using wands, daggers, pentacles, magic circles and the like have no correlation to any magic Solomon performed according to biblical accounts. The Key relies heavily on pagan and esoteric concepts from Hermetic, Neoplatonic, Kabbalistic and polytheistic sources condemned throughout scripture. While incorporating some prayers and rituals that sound Christian or Jewish, these are taken out of proper context and combined with occultism in ways contradictory to biblical teaching. The Bible condemns magic, divination, necromancy, fortune-telling, astrology and other practices promoted in the Key of Solomon as evil in the sight of the Lord. For these reasons, most Christians today reject the Key of Solomon and other grimoires as heretical man-made inventions falsely attributed to Solomonic wisdom.
In conclusion, the Key of Solomon is a medieval grimoire providing detailed instructions for practitioners of ritual magic. It was likely compiled in the 14th or 15th century Renaissance Italy, though pseudepigraphically attributed to King Solomon. The work is divided into two books describing rituals for white and black magic, focused on spirit conjuring, charms, divination, spells and occult implements like rings and pentacles. It incorporates Hermetic, Kabbalistic, astrological and Christian elements. The Key of Solomon greatly influenced the development of ceremonial magic and later Western occult movements like the Golden Dawn. However, Christians view the work as contrary to biblical teachings for promoting contact with demons and reliance on occult mysticism and esoteric philosophies. Any practitioner seeking to actually use the Key’s rituals would likely encounter spiritual harm and demonic oppression. While an influential magical text, the Key of Solomon remains heretical for followers of Jesus Christ.