The Clavicula Salomonis (Key of Solomon the King) stands as the most influential grimoire in the Western magical tradition. This comprehensive manual of ceremonial magic provides detailed instructions for conjuring and commanding spirits, creating magical tools and pentacles, performing ritual operations, and achieving various worldly and spiritual goals through the invocation of divine and angelic names.
Unlike grimoires focused on demonic evocation (such as the Lemegeton or Grand Grimoire), the Key of Solomon emphasizes working with angelic forces and divine names, positioning the magician as a holy operator petitioning God and angels rather than commanding demons. This gave it greater acceptability among educated practitioners and helped it survive and proliferate despite ecclesiastical condemnation.
The attribution to King Solomon is pseudepigraphical - a common medieval practice of ascribing magical texts to biblical figures to grant them authority. The legend claims Solomon received divine wisdom to command spirits and wrote grimoires to preserve this knowledge. The actual composition history is more complex:
The Key of Solomon belongs to a family of Solomonic grimoires, each with different emphasis:
The Key of Solomon presents a model of theurgic magic - the operator as a priest-magician working through divine authority rather than personal power:
Central to the grimoire's operations are divine names in Hebrew, Greek, and invented "angelic" languages. These names constitute the actual power compelling spirits to appear:
Every operation begins with the construction of a circle of protection:
The circle serves multiple functions:
The circle is typically nine feet in diameter, inscribed with divine names, planetary symbols, and often accompanied by a triangle of manifestation outside it where spirits appear.
The grimoire provides detailed instructions for creating ritual implements, each with specific purposes:
Commands and threatens spirits; consecrated on day and hour of Mars
Black-handled knife for inscribing circles and characters; Jupiter day
Directs spiritual force; hazel or almond wood cut at sunrise
For writing characters and pentacles; special inks and new quills
Talismanic seals for various purposes; inscribed on virgin parchment or metal
White robe of linen; priestly garments for purity
Illumination representing divine light; virgin wax or olive oil
Fumigation to attract spirits; specific recipes for each operation
Each tool must be constructed according to precise specifications, blessed with prayers and fumigations, and consecrated on astrologically appropriate days and hours. The grimoire insists that tools made with improper procedure will fail.
The text includes numerous pentacles (also called seals or talismans) - circular or polygonal designs combining Hebrew letters, divine names, planetary symbols, and geometric patterns. Each pentacle has specific applications:
Purpose: Compelling spirits, revealing hidden treasures, protection from harm, striking terror in enemies, commanding demons of Saturday
Purpose: Acquiring wealth and honor, discovering hidden treasures, protection during travel, commanding spirits of air, gaining favor
Purpose: Protection in battle, overcoming enemies, causing tempests, resisting attack, victory in combat, commanding martial spirits
Purpose: Rendering invisible, commanding spirits to appear, obtaining gold, protection from evil, forcing spirits to grant wishes
Purpose: Obtaining love and grace, compelling affection, attracting friendships, commanding spirits of Venus, harmonizing relationships
Purpose: Acquiring knowledge, understanding languages, revealing secrets, commanding Mercurial spirits, success in business
Purpose: Opening locked doors, compelling truth from spirits, protection during water travel, revealing hidden things, night operations
The grimoire provides procedures for diverse magical goals:
While the Key of Solomon presents itself as "white magic" working with divine forces, it includes operations that modern ethics would question - compelling love, harming enemies, dominating wills. The text itself includes warnings that operations performed for evil purposes will rebound upon the operator. Medieval magicians debated extensively whether such practices could ever be justified, and many manuscripts omit the most problematic sections.
The first book establishes the foundation for magical practice:
The second book provides practical instructions for specific operations:
Many manuscripts include a separate section or appendix containing the 44 pentacles organized by planet, with instructions for their inscription, consecration, and use. Each pentacle includes:
The Key of Solomon became the template for ceremonial magic practice:
The grimoire profoundly shaped 19th-20th century occult revival:
Beyond operative magic, the Key of Solomon influenced:
The Key of Solomon exists in hundreds of manuscript copies across multiple languages, each with variations:
This manuscript diversity indicates a living tradition continually adapted by practitioners rather than a fixed canonical text, reflecting the experimental nature of magical practice.
The classic English translation from French manuscripts, still the most widely read version. Mathers provides introduction on Solomonic tradition and includes illustrations of pentacles and magical implements. Despite some inaccuracies, it remains influential and accessible.
Publisher: Samuel Weiser | ISBN: 978-0877289142
Translation of Italian manuscript (British Library MS Sloane 3825) titled "Clavicula di Salomone ridotta in pratie di Ptolomeo Greco." Represents a different manuscript family with unique content and interesting variations from Mathers' version.
Publisher: CreateSpace | ISBN: 978-1511902656
Scholarly edition and analysis of MS Clm 849 (Munich), containing Solomonic material along with necromantic experiments. Kieckhefer's introduction provides essential context for understanding medieval magical practice and manuscript culture.
Publisher: Penn State University Press | ISBN: 978-0271019857
Though not the Key of Solomon, this related grimoire (Liber Juratus) shares similar theurgy and provides context for the Solomonic tradition. One of the oldest surviving grimoires (13th century), showing earlier development of ceremonial magic.
Publisher: Sourceworks of Ceremonial Magic | ISBN: 978-0996990820
Translation of Italian Clavicula manuscripts presenting different material from Mathers' version. Includes extensive scholarly apparatus, manuscript comparisons, and historical analysis. Essential for serious study of the textual tradition.
Publisher: Golden Hoard Press | ISBN: 978-0954763954
17th-century English grimoire heavily based on Key of Solomon, showing how the text was adapted and used by an actual practitioner. Provides insight into how grimoires functioned as working manuals rather than merely theoretical texts.
Publisher: Avalonia | ISBN: 978-1905297474
Kabbalistic foundation for Hebrew names and letter mysticism in the Key
Astrological timing and planetary correspondences used in Solomonic magic
Hermetic philosophy underlying the magician as divine intermediary
Practical tradition descended from Solomonic grimoires
The Solomonic pentacles as archetypal talismans
Techniques of angelic and spiritual evocation
Planetary hours and astrological elections for magical timing
Sources for Hebrew names and Kabbalistic elements