The following is an unedited excerpt from Alchemy of Goetia by S. Connolly (DB Publishing), coming in 2024. It will give you an idea of the kind of information you’re in for when you buy this book. It also includes alchemical symbolism in animals and colors,and discusses how Alchemy and Goetia go hand-in-hand. You can pre-order the ebook on Amazon, and you can expect both paperbacks and hardcovers to be available around the same time. – Frank
Bael
King
Color: Yellow.
Incense: Frankincense.
Metal: Gold.
Planet: Sun
Element: Fire
The first principal spirit is a king ruling in the East, called Bael. He makes men go invisible, he rules over 66 Legions of Inferior spirits, he appears in diverse shapes, sometimes like a Cat, sometimes like a Toad, sometimes like a man, and sometimes in all these forms at once. He speaks in a hoarse voice.
The Alchemical Breakdown: While the seal seems very insect or frog-like (transformation), notice the mention of cats (transformation of hidden knowledge). Within the sigil itself we see the alchemical symbol for day, nitrum soda, gold pigment, and potentially alum, digestion, and acetum. In alchemy, the process of digestion involves applying a heat source to the material over the period of several weeks. It is one of the 12 core processes of alchemical work. It’s interesting that the symbol for digestion is contained within the seal, and invisibility is mentioned in the description for Bael. Bael appears to be an active force and can help the magician transform physical energy into creative energy with the end goal being manifestation. When we heat something slowly, especially something solid immersed in liquid, it releases the essence of the physical matter into the liquid around it. In spiritual alchemy, you might even consider this a process of emotional release. Bael is a reminder that transformation begins within the wellspring of our deepest emotions and that what we digest makes manifest our situation in the external world. If, for example, we consume nothing but negative media, we begin to feel negative and that manifests in our everyday life until life becomes negative. If we feel invisible to others and begin to see ourselves as invisible, we become invisible.