Aes Goetia

Pronounced Ice Go-EIGHTY-ah, the phrase means “Demons in Brass.” It is taken from the 17th-century work entitled Ars Goetia (Demon Art).

The Ars Goetia tells of how Solomon trapped 72 demons in a ‘brass vessel’ (also called a ‘ring’ and ‘Solomon’s ring’). These demons were then made to build the first temple. When Solomon threw the vessel into the sea, Babylonians retrieved it and (believing it contained treasure) inadvertently released the demons again.

At least one area of the Ars Goetia suggests that the ‘brass vessel’ was created using six ‘rings’, and I have exercised some poetic license to imagine these ‘rings’ were more accurately discs. Had Solomon placed a dozen demons on each disc, he would have indeed captured his 72 on six such discs.

You have one of these discs.

Or, to be precise, you own a piece from before the eighteenth century that attempted to recreate Solomon’s feat on one such disc.

The holy man who made this disc included the Seal of Solomon (the hexagram, or ‘Star of David’) as described in the Ars Goetia, but he also added the Christian touch of dividing it into three roughly equal parts to honor the Trinity.

He succeeded in trapping the 12 demons that the disc was meant to hold, but when he attempted the thirteenth, something went terribly, horribly wrong . . .

The Effect

After telling your story and counting out the 13 demons on the brass, you carefully turn out the AES GOETIA, face down, onto a table in order to show the inside of the plate, which is branded with a Demon Trap.

You (or a spectator) then turns over the AES GOETIA so the demons show, trapped within the Seal of Solomon. You count the 13 demons again (a bit relieved that they are still firmly in place) and place the plate face downward over the brass.

Using the holy medals and the image of Christ breaking down the gates of Hell, you call forth the temporary release of one of the demons (as Solomon once did to construct the Temple).

You (or a spectator) carefully lifts away the plate and counts the demons again. There are only 12. The spectator is invited to count again. Indeed, there are now only 12.

One demon is out and in the room.

After this demon has done your bidding, you again use the holy medals to exorcise and drive back the demon to its cell within the trap. The pieces are collected into the plate once more (by you or with the direct aid of a spectator), and the final exorcism is performed. When it is finished, the spectator counts and finds there are now the full 13 demons trapped in the brass.

You cautiously rewrap the piece and tie it firmly into its burlap bag.

This may be used as a one-off performance piece or else as a ‘gateway’ effect into a full routine.

For example, once the demon has been released, the room might erupt in chaos with bells ringing, pictures falling from walls, &c., or else you could exercise more control and conduct a séance with the demon acting as your minion to contact and call forth the dead, or you could use the released demon to assist you with another effect such as GH*ST or DarkSpell—all before conducting the exorcism that puts all back to rest (and gives you an effective closure to your show or routine).

What you receive:

1 Wooden plate (this is the wooden ‘plug’ used to disguise the AES GOETIA within the Chapel of St. Michael’s rood screen); this plate contains:

1 Two-inch (50mm) medallion depicting Christ breaking open the gates of Hell (which was the ‘front’ that once faced the sanctuary), and

1 AES GOETIA, a six-inch (152mm) brass disc divided into three sections (which was once concealed within the chapel rood screen by use of this wooden plug)

1 St. Michael medal (the archangel who ‘thrusts into hell Satan and all the evil spirits’)

1 St. Benedict medal (containing the exorcism ritual on its reverse)

1 Burlap bag (used to sneak the piece from the church)

1 Velvet cloth (also taken from the church)

1 Numbered ‘Certificate’ of Authenticity in the form of a brass Celtic Cross, etched with your unique number

NO PAINT or STAIN

Your AES GOETIA has been genuinely aged. The brass has been specially prepared with acid to tarnish and darken naturally. The cherry wood has been soaked in potassium dichromate to accelerate its natural aging process (as if it has been in a church’s rood screen for centuries).

Aes Goetia was a limited edition of 48 and will never be repeated - They do very occasionally appear on the second hand market.