No. 68 — King

Belial

Lord of worldly dominion and dignities—the most famous and dangerous of demons, granting power with inevitable cost.

Manifestation

Belial manifests as figure of terrible beauty. Handsome prince in golden robes or burning throne. Presence commands absolute attention. Air fills with precious spices and sulfur.

His aura radiates pure charisma and absolute power. Simultaneously exalting and diminishing. Embodies every attractive principle. Presence is intoxicating and profoundly dangerous.

Powers

Worldly Dignities

Grants positions of power and authority.

Supernatural Favors

Procures benefits from other supernatural entities.

Familiar Manifestation

Creates extraordinarily powerful familiars.

Corruption and Temptation

Specializes in deals that destroy the taker.

Rank

King

Legions

Sphere

Sun

☉

Element

Fire

South / Noon

Seal

See Grimoire

Notation Below

Powers & Dominion 3 recorded abilities

01 Dignitas Mundana

Direct elevation of worldly status and power. Doors open, obstacles remove themselves.

power status authority

02 Gratia Supernaturalis

Manipulation of supernatural forces. Makes miracles happen.

favor manipulation miracles

03 Familiares Potentissimi

Extraordinarily powerful familiars directly manifesting Belial's essence.

servants power binding

Deep Lore

Historical Origins

The emergence of Belial within the Western grimoire tradition.

Belial's etymology—derived from the Hebrew beli ya'al (without worth)—establishes him as a figure of primordial opposition in Judeo-Christian cosmology. Pre-dating the medieval grimoires by centuries, Belial appears in the Dead Sea Scrolls and the Community Rule, where he commands the Sons of Darkness in cosmic warfare. This ancient pedigree infuses the later grimoire tradition with apocalyptic weight: Belial is not merely a demon conjured for worldly gain, but an avatar of fundamental corruption and the entropy that threatens divine order.

The Pauline epistles cement his position in Christian demonology when 2 Corinthians 6:15 poses the rhetorical question of what fellowship can exist between righteousness and Belial. Medieval theologians seized upon this passage to construct elaborate hierarchies of evil, placing Belial among the highest-ranking demonic powers. By the late medieval period, his reputation as a lord of deception and temporal dominion had crystallized in grimoire circles—a demon who offers kingship and wealth precisely because he embodies the corruption inherent in worldly power itself.

His elevation to the rank of King in later grimoires reflects the gravity with which practitioners regarded him. Unlike demons associated with peripheral arts or minor compulsions, Belial commands fifty legions and grants dominion over the material world's deepest desires: reputation, wealth, authority, and carnal pleasure. This makes him simultaneously the most desirable and most dangerous of the Goetia's spirits—practitioners who sought his aid often found themselves bound by consequences far exceeding their initial bargains.

c. 200 BCE

Dead Sea Scrolls

Belial appears as the Prince of Darkness in the War Scroll and Community Rule, leading the forces of wickedness in the cosmic end-times. This textual authority anchored later magical traditions to ancient sources.

c. 50 CE

Pauline Epistles

2 Corinthians 6:15 invokes Belial as the ultimate antagonist to Christian righteousness, establishing him as a recognized demonic power in the emerging Christian theology.

1577

Pseudomonarchia Daemonum

Weyer catalogues Belial among the highest powers, granting him dominion over temporal affairs and acknowledging his role as a corruptor of human judges and magistrates.

c. 1600s

Ars Goetia

Belial is solidified as the 68th Spirit and a King commanding fifty legions, his rank reflecting the tradition's recognition of his centrality to grimoire practice and his supreme danger.

II.

Grimoire Variations

How different sources describe Belial across centuries of compilation.

Ars Goetia

Lesser Key of Solomon · c. 1600s

Belial appears as two beautiful angels sitting in a fiery chariot, speaking with a comely voice. He grants favours to those who conjure him and accepts sacrificial offerings, though he is swift to betray his conjurers if they remain inattentive to his conditions.

The Goetia emphasizes his deceptive beauty and the necessity of absolute contractual precision when engaging him.

Pseudomonarchia Daemonum

Johann Weyer · 1577

Weyer describes Belial as a particularly dangerous spirit who will lie elaborately about his nature and powers. He grants dominion over magistrates and judges, corrupting institutions of law from within. Offerings and flattery are required to secure his cooperation.

Weyer's account emphasizes Belial's proclivity for institutional corruption and the necessity of carefully managed contracts to prevent betrayal.

Dictionnaire Infernal

Collin de Plancy · 1818 / 1863

De Plancy situates Belial as the demon of profligacy and license, granting access to illicit pleasures and temporal power at the price of one's spiritual foundations. He is described as a master of disguise, capable of appearing in forms calculated to tempt the conjurer.

The 19th-century compilation reframes Belial as a demon of progressive moral corruption, whose gifts are inseparable from spiritual degradation.

III.

Cultural Legacy

Belial in art, literature, and the modern imagination.

Grimoire Tradition

The Devil's Advocate of Dominion

Belial represents the primordial principle of worldly temptation, granting the practitioner access to wealth, influence, and carnal satisfaction. His correspondences—the Sun, gold, and the fire element—mark him as a spirit of manifest power and imperial authority, yet one fundamentally bound to material corruption and entropy.

POWER

RUIN

Modern Practice

The Bargain of Consequences

Contemporary practitioners approach Belial with both reverence and caution, recognizing him as a spirit who demands absolute clarity of intention and unwavering commitment. He is often invoked for confidence, charisma, and the ability to navigate corrupt systems—but always with the understanding that his gifts carry inevitable karmic taxation.

Games & Media

The Demon of Desire Made Manifest

From Milton's Paradise Lost to contemporary fantasy and gaming, Belial persists as the archetypal demon of ambition and corruption. He appears across role-playing games and occult fiction as the embodiment of worldly temptation, a figure whose presence signals moral peril and the price of unchecked desire.

CROWN

IV.

Ritual Traditions

Historical and modern approaches to working with Belial.

Solomonic Ceremonial

The conjurer must trace Belial's sigil in gold leaf upon parchment, invoking him at solar noon or at dusk when worldly power casts long shadows. The offering must demonstrate commitment: wine, incense of myrrh, and a written declaration of one's desired dominion, burned in the circle's eastern point.

Grimoire Purist

The Ars Goetia protocol requires absolute adherence to the circle's strictures and the explicit naming of Belial's 50 legions. A written contract stipulating the precise nature of the favour sought, the term of service, and the dismissal clause must be prepared beforehand—deviation opens fatal loopholes.

Psychological Model

Contemporary practitioners working in the archetypal framework view Belial as the shadow aspect of ambition and self-assertion. Meditation on his figure becomes an exploration of one's deepest drives toward power, acceptance, and material satisfaction—integration rather than external petition.

Modern Devotional

Some practitioners approach Belial with regular devotional practice, building long-term relationship through offerings of creativity and intention. This model emphasizes mutual respect and clarity of boundaries, treating Belial as a powerful ally rather than a force to be commanded or feared.

Regardless of method, the irreducible correspondences remain: the seal is central, the element is fire, the planet is the Sun, the metal is gold, and the day is Sunday. These form the signal beneath the noise of varying approaches.

Classification

RankKing — sovereign authority

Legions50 — spirits under direct command

PlanetSun — ☉

MetalGold — Au

ElementFire

SummoningSunday

SealRequired — inscribed on lamen or parchment

Invocation

Belial, king of worldly power and grace,
Elevate us to a high and honored place,
Grant us favor, dominion, and command,
But shield our souls from thy corrupting hand.

EXTREME CAUTION: Belial grants exactly what requested then destroys through hidden costs. Historical records document countless ruined conjurors. Nearly immediate response with inevitable price.