Aspects of the Divided Name: Angels, Demons and the Minor Arcana

“You have us to torture for a little while; then we shall disperse among human beings again with the result that we shall be worshiped as gods because men do not know the names of the angels who rule over us.” Asmodeus – Testament of Solomon 5:5

I’ve long harboured suspicions that the astrological attributions of the Shemhamphorash Angels and the 'Day' and 'Night' aspects of the Goetic Spirits assigned by the Golden Dawn and Crowley have been essentially wrong. With The Golden Dawn’s assignment of the beginning of the Astrological year with the Fixed Star Regulus (which, due to precession was associated with Leo when the G.D. system was formulated, rather than Aries, where it was situated when the Egyptians began their year with it), anomalies occur which Crowley rightly corrected back to beginning with the sign of Cardinal Fire.

Despite changing the Spirits' astrological associations to an 'Aries first' astrological year in his edition of the Goetia, the attributions of the Shemhamephorash Angels found in 777 retain their 'Leo first' placements, which has often led to magicians who haven't done ample research overlaying the Angels and Spirits incorrectly. Consulting the excellent  'Complete Magicians Tables,' by Stephen Skinner is a good place to start remedying such issues.

If, as in the above work by Skinner, one instead chooses to follow the attribution of apportioning the Goetic Spirits rulers from the Shemhamphorash Angels in the manner attributed by Dr. Rudd, then the reasons for thinking the concept of ‘Day’ and ‘Night’ demons as a flawed one becomes more apparent. With each Angel representing one of two quinaries in each Decan, they would each rule a different demon by day than they do by night. If, instead, one splits the Decans associated with the Goetia in the same way that they are split into quinaries with the Shemhamphorash Angels, then each Spirit is ruled by a single Angel and things become more sensible. A chart of how the Angels and Spirits fit together in a chronological, zodiacal manner can be found on the Minor Arcana page of this blog.

There are, however, other factors that are worth considering. Agrippa places the order of the Shemhamephorash Angels in elemental order, as seen in the diagram from his Three Books below, in which the first row relates to Fire, the second, Water, the third Air and the fourth, Earth.

This elemental order also fits the instructions of the Key of Solomon, which state:

Thou shalt write these Names upon Thirty-six Talismans, two upon each Talisman, one on each side. Thou shalt divide these Talismans into four series of nine each, according to the number of the Letters of the Schema. Upon the first Series thou shalt engrave the Letter Yod, symbolised by the Flowering Rod of Aaron. Upon the second the Letter Hé, symbolised by the Cup of Joseph. Upon the third the Letter Vau, symbolised by the Sword of David my father. And upon the fourth the Hé final, symbolised by the Shekel of Gold. These Thirty-six Talismans will be a Book which will contain all the Secrets of Nature. And by their diverse combinations thou shalt make the Genii and Angels speak

In number, these Talismans fit the nine cards (barring the Aces, the roots of the elements) of the four suits of the Minor Arcana the Tarot, with two Angels being attributed to each of the thirty-six cards.

To add to what Agrippa and the Key of Solomon tell us, in Oedipus Aegyptiacus, Athanasius Kircher places the zodiac signs into the modal order of Cardinal, Fixed and Mutable for each element. Placing the Shemhamphorash Angels into the elemental orders given above, then placing Rudd's Goetic equivalents to those angels, the Angels and Spirits can be attributed to the Minor Arcana cards and their corresponding Zodiacal placements in the following way.

No.	Shem. Angel	Goetia	Sign	Decan	Minor Arcana	Dates
1	Vehuiah	Bael	¡	5	2 Wands	Mar 21 - 26
2	Jeliel	Agares	¡	5		Mar 27 - 31
3	Sitael	Vassago	¡	Q	3 Wands	April 1 - 5
4	Elemiah	Samigina	¡	Q		April 6 - 10
5	Mahasiah	Marbas	¡	T	4 Wands	April 11 - 15
6	Lelahel	Valefor	¡	T		April 16 - 20
7	Achaiah	Amon	∞	W	5 Wands	Jul 22 - 27
8	Cahetel	Barbatos	∞	W		Jul 28 - Aug 1
9	Aziel	Paimon	∞	V	6 Wands	Aug 2 - 6
10	Aladiah	Buer	∞	V		Aug 7 - 11
11	Lauviah	Gusion	∞	5	7 Wands	Aug 12 - 16
12	Hahaiah	Sitri	∞	5		Aug 17 - 22
13	Iezalel	Beleth	ª	3	8 Wands	Nov 21 - 25
14	Mebahel	Leraje	ª	3		Nov 26 - 30
15	Hariel	Eligos	ª	R	9 Wands	Dec 1 - 5
16	Hakamiah	Zepar	ª	R		Dec 6 - 10
17	Lauviah	Botis	ª	W	10 Wands	Dec 11 - 15
18	Caliel	Bathin	ª	W		Dec 16 - 21
19	Leuviah	Sallos	¢	T	2 Cups	Jun 22 - 26
20	Pahaliah	Purson	¢	T		Jun 27 - Jul 1
21	Nelehael	Marax	¢	3	3 Cups	Jul 2 - 6
22	Ieialiel	Ipos	¢	3		Jul 7 -11
23	Melahell	Aim	¢	R	4 Cups	Jul 12 - 16
24	Hahuiah	Naberius	¢	R		Jul 17 - 22
25	Nith-haiah	Glasya-Labolas	•	5	5 Cups	Oct 23 - 27
26	Haaiah	Bune	•	5		Oct 28 - Nov 1
27	Jerathel	Ronove	•	Q	6 Cups	Nov 1 - 5
28	Seeiah	Berith	•	Q		Nov 6 - 10
29	Reiiel	Astaroth	•	T	7 Cups	Nov 11 - 15
30	Omael	Forneus	•	T		Nov 16 - 20
31	Lecabel	Foras	≠	W	8 Cups	Feb 19 - 23
32	Vasariah	Asmoday	≠	W		Feb 24 - 28
33	Iehuiah	Gaap	≠	V	9 Cups	Mar 1 - 5
34	Lehahiah	Furfur	≠	V		Mar 6 -10
35	Chevakiah	Marchosias	≠	5	10 Cups	Mar 11 - 15
36	Menadel	Stolas	≠	5		Mar 16 - 20
37	Aniel	Phenex	¶	R	2 Swords	Sep 23 - 27
38	Haamiah	Halphas	¶	R		Sep 27 - Oct 1
39	Rehael	Malphas	¶	W	3 Swords	Oct 2 - 6
40	Ieiazel	Raum	¶	W		Oct 7 - 11
41	Hahahel	Focalor	¶	V	4 Swords	Oct 12 - 16
42	Mikael	Vepar	¶	V		Oct 16 - 22
43	Veuahiah	Sabnock	–	T	5 Swords	Jan 21 - 25
44	Ielahiah	Shax	–	T		Jan 26 - 30
45	Sealiah	Vine	–	3	6 Swords	Jan 31 - Feb 4
46	Ariel	Bifrons	–	3		Feb 4 - 8
47	Asaliah	Uvall	–	R	7 Swords	Feb 9  - 13
48	Michael	Haagenti	–	R		Feb 14 - 18
49	Vehuel	Crocell	£	V	8 Swords	May 21 - 25
50	Daniel	Furcas	£	V		May 26 - 30
51	Hahasiah	Balam	£	5	9 Swords	June 1 - 5
52	Imamiah	Alloces	£	5		June 6 -  10
53	Nanael	Camio	£	Q	10 Swords	June 11 - 15
54	Nitael	Murmur	£	Q		June 16 - 21
55	Mebaiah	Orobas	º	V	2 Disks	Dec 22 - 26
56	Poiel	Gremory	º	V		Dec 27 - 31
57	Nemmamiah	Ose	º	5	3 Disks	Jan 1 - 5
58	Leialel	Aim	º	5		Jan 6 - 10
59	Harakel	Oriax	º	Q	4 Disks	Jan 11 - 15
60	Mizrael	Vapula	º	Q		Jan 16 - 20
61	Umabel	Zagan	™	3	5 Disks	Apr 21 - 25
62	Iah-hel	Volac	™	3		Apr 26 - 30
63	Anianuel	Andras	™	R	6 Disks	May 1 - 5
64	Mehiel	Haures	™	R		May 6 - 10
65	Namabiah	Andrealphus	™	W	7 Disks	May 11 - 15
66	Manakel	Cimejes	™	W		May 16 - 20
67	Etaiel	Amdusias	§	Q	8 Disks	Aug 23 - 27
68	Xabuiah	Belial	§	Q		Aug 28 - Sep 1
69	Rochel	Decarabia	§	T	9 Disks	Sep 2 - 6
70	Jabamiah	Seare or	§	T		Sep 7 - 11
71	Haiel	Dantalion	§	3	10 Disks	Sep 12 -16
72	Mumiah	Andromalius	§	3		Sep 17 - 22

A further possible correspondence with these placements comes in the form of the Ephod, the oracular garment containing the breastplate of the ancient Priests of Israel, upon which four rows of three gems were placed. Used in conjunction with a sheet of parchment on which the name of God was written, the Aurim and Thummim – Lights and Perfections – of the breastplate were consulted by using the gems as a means of Divination. Upon each gemstone, Hebrew Letters, possible relating to the names of each Tribe of Israel they were associated with, were inscribed, though Kabbalistic tradition states that there were six Hebrew letters placed on each stone. These letters spelled out the 72 letter name of God, which, in partnership with the Aurim and Thummim (note that each word begins with Aleph and Tau, the first and last Hebrew letters) and the Name of God that was slipped inside the Ephod, may give us a clue towards one of the origins of the Solomonic and Kabbalistic Talismans which eventually became the Minor Arcana.