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The Synoptic Grimoires

A review of Jake Stratton-Kent’s PANDEMONIUM (Hadean Press 2017)

In PANDEMONIUM Jake Stratton-Kent offers a comparative study of the spirits of Le Livre des Esperitz, the Grand Grimoire, the Book of Offices, the German Honorius, Weyer’s Pseudomonarchia Daemonum, the Goetia of Solomon, Scot’s Discoverie of Witchcraft and in this synoptic undertaking Jake has given a sort of key to the grimoires with the Spirit Catalogue that emerges from his comparative research.

It is a meticulous work he has been undertaking in discussing discrepancies between the main grimoires and then arriving towards a synthesis that for sure will be a reference manual for many.

For any student of the magical grammars this book is a must as it both clarifies, suggest and drive the grimoire tradition forward in the spirit of meeting these ‘demons’ head on and forge dynamic and personal liaisons with them.  This because Jake is also in the wealth of material presented allowing a classic format to emerge, namely how he is expanding on the daily conjurations from The Sworn Book of Honorius that will give depth and substance to the demons of each day of the week and their astrological correlation that together with the Trinitas and the Four Kings would suggest key points in successful daemonic and goetic operations…

Pandemonium is a book that offers clarity and in the clarity offered it also lights a torch so we can see further ahead in the subterranean labyrinths of the Demon Kings and in this how new layers can be unravelled as understanding and connection deepens. And as clarity descends it also opens up for further explorations because PANDEMONIUM is not a concordant sum of all, rather it is a well-drawn map that makes it easy for us to not only find our way in these realms, but it also invites in the spirit of adventure as the book also moves one to want to have a look at what is beyond the end of the map…    


It is an important book that should find itself in every library. It can be ordered directly from Hadean Press by a click on the link.

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