In publishing "The Goetia of Dr. Rudd" Skinner and Rankine have provided to the community of operative magicians an entrance way into traditional Medieval and Renaissance magical practices that until now had only been partially opened. While many books have been written about goetia, it is here, in this book, that we get insight into the actual workings of a magician who was a direct connection to Dee circle, and part of the continued transmission of those ideas in OPERATIVE form into the post-Renaissance period. The first section of the book is a general introduction into the world of magic, and an important foundation for understanding the significant differences between modern and traditional practices. There is also a discussion of 'why another book on goetia' and the significant details that sets this one apart from others - its being part of an operative diary of the work, as well as the inclusion of materials not previously seen with goetia, such as the Heptameron, suggesting a direct link between the two. While of interest to the armchair magician and academic occultist, it is practical magicians that will benefit the most from this work, as well as the previous two vols in the series - Practical Angel Magic of Dr. Dee's Enochian Tables, and Keys to the Gateway of Magic: Summoning the Solomonic Archangels and Demon Princes, also a rare Rudd manuscript. I cannot speak highly enough of these works and am indebted to the editors for making them available and look forward to future additions to the series.

The first question that comes to mind when one sees yet another "Goetia" on the market, is obviously, "Why should I consider this edition?"
In this case the answer is a little too complex to sum up in a single tag-line.

The first thing I want to make clear is, this isn't just the Goetia, as the title would suggest, but rather the entire Lemegeton! Further, it is based on the previously unpublished manuscript version compiled by Dr. Thomas Rudd. (Harley MS 6483)

While Joseph Peterson's Lemegeton is clearly the definitive version, Skinner and Rankine use this book as an operating table on which to discect how this material was used by actual working magicians of the 16th and 17th centuries. The process, according to the authors, is one of dualism, where the magician controls base entities by use of their matching divine counterparts. That is a concept that is alluded to, but never fleshed out in the Lemegeton itself. This volume goes into a great deal of detail on the use of the 72 Names of the Shemhamphorash to bind and control the 72 "demons" of the Goetia. This concept is not only spelled out, there are illustrated in these pages, the actual double-sided seals as employed by Dr. Rudd and presumably his contemporaries.

Other details that have not been previously published such as the proper use of the brass vessle and the breastplate, will be enough to get even armchair Goetic theorists off the fence, to make this purchase.

Enochian magicians may be interested in seeing Dr. Rudd's verion of Dee's Tabula Sancta cum Tabulis Enochi.

This massive 448 page work is heavily footnoted, and the student of Solomonic Magick will enjoy the ample back matter.

The contents are broken down as follows:

Front matter - 14 pages, including the introduction.

History and origins - 43 pages of it.

Evocation Methods - 24 pages exploring bindings, names, adversarial angels, invocations, equipment, and ceremony.

The Manuscripts - 241 page treatment of Dr. Rudd's full Lemegeton, which he himself called the Goetia for reasons that escape me. It should be understood that in actuality the Goetia is just one of the books of the full Lemegeton.

Appendices are broken up as follows:

Appendix 1 - Theugia-Goetia in Sloane 3824

Appendix 2 - Tables of demons from the Lemegeton (24 pages of tables!)This is a dream work of comparitive study on the Goetic entities, and their rank. Also included are Hebrew spellings of the names, alternate spellings, what if any stead ridden, other qualities, ruling angel, number of legions, planet (based on the metal associated with the spirit's rank) evoked appearance, and attributed powers.

Appendix 3 - Thomas Rudd's synthesis of Goetia and Enochia

Appendix 4 - Rudd describes 61 demons.

Appendix 5 - Sources for the material in the Lemegeton.

Appendix 6 - Seals from Sibley's Goetia.

Appendix 7 - Shem ha-Mephorash Angels

Appendix 8 - Ecclesiastical Planetary Hours

Appendix 9 - This is an odd piece but it really speaks to the 16th century mindset of Goetia and self justification. It is an explanation of names used in the Goetia, with some other random Kabalah thrown in. But if you ever need say, the consecrating prayer of Venus, well, there you go.

Appendix 10 - A study of some of the words used in evocation. This section is a Greek and Hebrew list of derivations of words used in Goetic evocations.

Appendix 11 - Narrative of Dr. Rudd, Sir John Heydon and a spirit "How a man may have the continual Society of a Guardian Genius"

Appendix 12 - Variant forms of Heptameron style circles.

Appendix 13 - Observations of metals and times of bindings.

Appendix 14 - Equipment diagrams. I was hoping for more here, but it serves its purpose.

Appendix 15 - Scot's form of commanding spirits


If you want to have a complete curriculum of Solomonic study, I suggest that you purchase this volume along with Joseph Peterson's Lemegeton. The Peterson edition is a scholerly comparitive work, while the present work is a snapshot of Solomonic Magick being put to practical work. These two volumes not only complement each other, but they are both equally vital to building an accurate picture of the scope and impact of this cycle of magick.

Mr. Skinner and I have discussed the theory of Goetic workings in the past. It should be noted that the authors not only report the dualistic model of Goetic workings, they champion the theory behind it. I myself have a different view, seeing the Lemegeton as a "Book of the Dead" for the living, moving High Shamanism into 16th century Europe (not to mention 21st Century Americas). Consider how many of these beings start out as a spirit-animal, only putting on a comely human form after a battle of wills with the exorcist of the Art. Never the less, I could hardly put this volume down. There are many pearls in these pages for any student of Solomon.

On a final note, the author pulls back the veil a bit on why there are no Goetic spirits associated with Mars, and raises the question as to there being a single demon attributed to Saturn. I had made a similar comment in my review of Runyon's reworking of the Goetia some time ago.