Paimon

PAIMON

Paimon is a demon of intellect and revelation, a King who teaches all arts and sciences and unveils what is concealed. He is a king, not a servant.

Who Paimon is to practitioners today

Paimon is the ninth spirit of the Goetia, the crowned King who rides a dromedary to the sound of trumpets and cymbals, and for the people who work with him today he is above all a teacher: patient, brilliant, generous with knowledge and fond of anything made by hand. Demonolaters describe him as one of the easiest of the great Kings to approach. He answers through sudden thoughts that do not feel like your own, through dreams and through music, and the offering he is said to love most is not gold but something you created yourself: a song, a poem, a painting, a page of study. Since the 2018 film Hereditary, many more people have come looking for him, and a good number are surprised to find a gentle, scholarly King rather than a horror villain. This page starts with how people actually work with him now, the prayers they use and the questions they ask, and ends with what the old books say.

Why people work with Paimon

People search for the right spirit for the right purpose. These are the reasons practitioners come to Paimon, from the oldest and best-known to what people actually ask him for today.

Classic reasons

• Knowledge of every kind: the arts, the sciences, philosophy and “secret things”
• Answers: questions about the earth, the mind and anything else the seeker wishes to know
• Dignity and rank: honors, titles and the confirmation of them
• Familiars: helper spirits who can teach
• Influence: bringing others round to the magician’s will
• Revelation: uncovering what is hidden, past, present or future

Modern reasons

• Study and exams: students pray to Paimon before revision sessions for focus, memory and understanding
• Music and performance: singers and musicians work with Paimon for skill, confidence on stage and a voice that carries
• Creative block: writers, painters and crafters call on him when the work has stalled
• Occult learning: many summon Paimon as a tutor in magick itself, from divination to spirit communication
• Career skills: people cast spells with Paimon to master a new job, a trade or a difficult subject
• Money and debt: practitioners report bringing him financial worries and seeing new work and opportunities appear
• Remembering: some ask him to show them what they have forgotten, and describe old memories returning vividly
• Clarity in decisions: asking him through tarot or pendulum which way to go
• Charisma and persuasion: petitions for being heard and taken seriously in meetings, interviews and negotiations
• Reconnecting with the divine feminine: people who experience Paimon as a Queen work with her on beauty, self-worth and sensuality
• A first Goetic King: beginners choose him because so many practitioners describe him as patient and hard to offend
• Opening the West: in demonolatry he is called to guard the western quarter in ritual

Traditional, for reference

What the old grimoires and demonologies assign him. This is historical background, not modern practice.

• Ars Goetia: ninth spirit, a Great King “very obedient unto Lucifer,” teaching all arts and sciences, giving dignity and good familiars, observed towards the West
• Pseudomonarchia Daemonum (Weyer): as Paymon, more obedient to Lucifer than other kings, with an effeminate face, looking towards the northwest
• Book of Abramelin: one of the eight sub-princes under the four superior princes (Mathers’ translation)
• Solomonic tradition generally: one of the four Kings of the cardinal directions, ruling the West
• Dictionnaire Infernal: a fallen dominion, crowned and seated on a camel, preceded by musicians

Paimon at a glance

• Other names: Paymon, Paimonia, Poymon
• Rank: King, the ninth of the seventy-two spirits of the Goetia
• Rules: two hundred legions in the Goetia; some texts give one hundred, and twenty-five when he comes with his two attendant Kings
• Attendant Kings: Labal and Abali in the Goetia; Beball and Abalam in Weyer
• Appearance: a crowned man, or a man with a woman’s face, riding a dromedary, preceded by spirits playing trumpets and cymbals; a great, roaring voice
• Direction: West (northwest in Weyer)
• Enn: Linan tasa jedan Paimon, pronounced Lin-an tah-sa yay-den Pay-eh-mon (see our demonic enns page)

Correspondences

Used in Black Witch Coven (from our own practice):

• Position: #9 Demon of the Goetia
• Zodiac: 10–14 degrees of Taurus
• Dates: April 30th–May 4th
• Tarot card: 6 of Pentacles
• Planet: Mercury
• Metal: Mercury
• Element: Earth
• Plant: Bindweed
• Candle color: Black and Dark blue
• Rank: King
• Day or night: Paimon is a Day Demon
• Legions: rules 200 legions of spirits, some of the Order of Angels and the others of the Order of Potentates
• In the Dukante hierarchy: West, with Water as the base. We make Paimon’s Oleum in a westerly direction for this reason
• Our oleum: Mullein and Yarrow; then Frankincense, Acacia, Balm of Gilead and Gum Arabic

Not all correspondences agree with the typical Goetic ones above, so do your own research and listen to what he shows you.

Also used by other practitioners:

• Day: Wednesday, the day of Mercury; Sunday for his crowned, solar side
• Second planet: Venus, for those who experience Paimon as a Queen
• Incense and resins: Frankincense, Sandalwood, Myrrh, Dragon’s blood resin
• Colors: Gold, Yellow, White
• Stones: Citrine, Amethyst, Lapis lazuli
• Metals: Gold, Copper
• Objects: a bell or small instrument, a crown, a camel figure
• Tarot cards also linked: the Emperor, the King of Cups

Working with Paimon today

The Goetia gives a ceremonial conjuration for Paimon, but most people who work with him now never use it as written. What follows is the practice that has grown up in demonolatry and Left Hand Path communities, together with how we approach him in Black Witch Coven.

Treat him as an honored guest

The advice that comes up most often is simple: welcome him the way you would welcome a learned King into your home. One practitioner who credited Paimon with getting them out of debt said that all they did was treat him as an honored guest and make art for him. Respect for his rank, a tidy altar and a gift made with your own hands open more doors than any formula.

His seal

The Goetia says Paimon’s character “must be worn as a Lamen before thee.” Many modern practitioners keep the custom in a softer form:

• Draw it by hand on clean paper, or etch it into a small metal disc
• Anoint its edges with Paimon Oil or a drop of frankincense oil
• Place it at the center of the altar, or wear it on a cord during ritual
• Gaze at it while chanting his enn until the lines seem to move or the room shifts

The enn

Linan tasa jedan Paimon is chanted slowly and rhythmically. Many people find that chanting his name alone, over and over, works as well. There is no set number of repetitions; stop when the atmosphere changes.

The altar

Face it West, his direction. Common items:

• His seal, hand-drawn
• A gold candle for his kingship and a white one for clarity, or black and dark blue in our tradition
• A bell, chime or small instrument
• Frankincense or sandalwood incense
• A crown image or a camel figure
• Books, notebooks or the tools of whatever you are trying to learn
• A journal and pen for what he shows you

Some practitioners say candles are not essential for him at all, and a seal, a bell and an offering on a clean shelf is enough.

Offerings

• Music: playing an instrument, singing, or sharing a song you love; some compose a song for him
• Handmade art and crafts: the offering practitioners say he values most
• Poetry and writing: read aloud, then kept on the altar
• Study: a chapter mastered or a skill learned and dedicated to him
• Sweets: honey, pastries, churros and other treats
• Tea: matcha with nothing added, or vanilla tea
• Coins and jewelry: a shiny coin, a ring, a small piece of gold
• Incense: frankincense, sandalwood, myrrh, dragon’s blood resin

Practitioners stress that effort and sincerity matter far more than size or cost. A clumsy drawing made for him is said to land better than an expensive bottle bought in a hurry.

Timing

• Daytime: he is a Day Demon in our tradition
• Wednesday: the day of Mercury, popular for study and communication work
• April 30th–May 4th: his degrees of Taurus; some save larger rites for this window
• Waxing moon: for growth, learning and revelation
• Before study: many simply call on him at the start of each study or practice session
• Before sleep: for those who receive him in dreams

How he communicates

• Intrusive-feeling thoughts: the most common report, ideas that arrive fully formed and do not feel like your own
• Attention pulled: being drawn to a book, a phrase, a song or a detail you would have missed
• Dreams: a regal figure with delicate features and striking eyes, sometimes a beautiful woman, sometimes a crowned rider
• Music: hearing faint music, trumpets or bells, inwardly or at the edge of sleep
• Pressure in the ears: some feel slight ear discomfort or fullness when he arrives, which they link to his “great voice”
• Small predictions: things he showed you coming true over the following week
• Memories: old memories surfacing vividly, often with strong feeling

Tell him how you would like to receive his messages. One practitioner said it took about three months to find the channel that worked for them, and that stating it plainly to him helped.

A simple study blessing

• Set his seal facing West with a bell and a lit candle
• Place your books, notes or instrument in front of the seal
• Ring the bell three times, then chant his enn until you feel his attention
• Name the subject or skill and ask him to open it to you
• Study or practice right there for as long as you planned
• Ring the bell once, thank him, and leave a sweet or a written line of thanks

Calling him with his Kings

The Goetia says that when Paimon is called alone, an offering must be made, and two Kings, Labal and Abali, come with him along with twenty-five legions. Some practitioners who want the full court set out a separate offering for the two attendant Kings. One reported using a bell pepper for them, with dragon’s blood resin or myrrh burning. Most people keep it simpler and approach Paimon on his own.

Pacts and deals

Most people who work with Paimon never make a formal pact. Those who do usually keep it modest:

• Written by the practitioner, naming one clear request, such as mastery of a subject or success in a creative project
• A set term, often a semester, a season or the length of a project
• A stated exchange: a song, a poem or a work of art each month, a public dedication of the finished work, or regular study in his name
• Signed in ink beside his seal, and sometimes sealed with a single drop of your own blood, since blood is life force and nearly every faith speaks of it as life itself
• Read aloud, then kept on the altar until the term ends

If you would like a pact made with an experienced guide, see our Demonic Pact with Savannah.

Prayers and invocations to Paimon

Paimon is a King and a lover of beauty, and most people who pray to him bring both respect and a little art to it. The prayers below are written by Black Witch Coven for your own use. Speak them as they are, sing them if you like, or let them show you the shape of a prayer and then use your own words.

How people pray to him

• Facing West: standing or seated, with his seal in front of you
• With a bell: three rings to open, one to close, in honor of his musical court
• Sung or chanted: many find he responds best to prayers set to a tune
• Written: a prayer or question written in your journal, with space left underneath for whatever comes
• Simply talking: plenty of devotees speak to him as they would to a favorite teacher
• Candle colors: gold for success and kingship, white for clarity, dark blue for study and depth, black for protection

Prayer and petition

A prayer keeps the relationship: thanks, admiration and attention, offered with nothing attached. A petition asks for something specific, names what you will do yourself and what you will give in return, and is often written and placed under his seal. People who pray to Paimon regularly say their petitions are answered more readily, much as a teacher gives more to the student who keeps showing up.

His enn

Linan tasa jedan Paimon

Chant it slowly on the out-breath. Begin aloud and let it fall to a murmur as the room changes. Most people chant it before a prayer or ritual to open the way.

Opening invocation for ritual

Paimon, great King of the West,
crowned rider who comes with music,
I ring the bell and I call your name.
Come with your court of trumpets and cymbals,
come with your patience and your knowing.
I stand before you with respect
and I open my mind to your teaching.
Linan tasa jedan Paimon.
Hail Paimon.

Spoken facing West after the candles are lit and the bell has been rung three times.

Prayer before study

King Paimon, teacher of all arts and sciences,
sit with me while I learn.
Open what is closed,
make plain what is tangled,
and let what I read tonight stay with me tomorrow.
I give you my effort as my offering.

Said with books open in front of his seal. Many say it at the start of every study session during exams.

Prayer for the creative work

Paimon, lord of music and of every craft,
put the next note in my hand,
the next line on my tongue,
the next stroke on the page.
Let the work flow through me without fear,
and when it is finished
I will bring it to your altar first.

Popular with musicians, painters and writers. Many play or read the finished piece to him afterward as the offering.

Prayer for a voice that is heard

Paimon, whose voice roars before the court,
lend me a measure of it.
When I speak, let the room listen.
When I am questioned, let me answer clearly.
Give me dignity, and confirm it,
as the old books say you do.

Said before interviews, auditions, presentations and negotiations, with a gold candle and his seal in a pocket.

Prayer to remember

Paimon, who knows what the mind is and where it is,
show me what I have forgotten.
Bring back what was lost to me,
gently, in the order I can hold it,
and let me understand it now.

Said with a journal open. People who use it often write for a while afterward and are surprised by what comes back.

Gratitude and offering prayer

King Paimon, I thank you
for every door you opened,
for every answer that came in its own time,
for your patience with me.
I made this for you with my own hands.
Take it as you will.
Hail Paimon, King of the West.

Said as the handmade offering, song or poem is placed on or performed at the altar.

Closing and release

Paimon, great King, I thank you for your presence and your gifts.
What was asked here is sealed.
Return to your court with my respect,
and come again when I call.
This rite is ended.

Ring the bell once, then snuff the candles.

Questions people actually ask

These are the questions that come up again and again in demonolatry, Goetic and Left Hand Path communities, answered the way we would answer them.

Is Paimon the demon from Hereditary?

The film borrowed his name, his crown and the idea of a cult around him, and very little else. In the film he is a menacing force who demands a host and destroys a family. In the Goetia and in the experience of the people who work with him, he is a teacher of arts and sciences, patient and generous. A lot of people come to him because of the film and find the real King nothing like it.

Is Paimon male or female?

Both answers are common. Weyer gives him an effeminate face, and de Plancy describes a man with a woman’s face. Many modern practitioners meet Paimon as a beautiful woman or a Queen, some as a delicate-featured man, and some as both on different days. Some link a feminine Paimon with Venus and the old goddesses who rode in procession. Use whatever form and pronoun Paimon shows you; practitioners who have worked with Paimon for years often say it does not seem to matter much to Paimon.

Is Paimon good for beginners?

He is one of the spirits most often recommended to beginners. People describe him as patient, hard to anger and generous with knowledge. What helps is respect for his rank, a sincere offering and a clear, modest first question.

What should I offer him?

Something you made. Music, a poem, a drawing, a craft, a page of study. Sweets, tea, coins and frankincense are also common. Practitioners say effort counts for far more than cost.

Do I need candles?

Not necessarily. Some practitioners say candles are optional for Paimon and that a bell, his seal and an offering are enough. Others like a gold candle for his kingship. Use what helps you focus.

How will I know he is there?

Most people notice thoughts or ideas that arrive fully formed and feel like they came from outside, or find their attention pulled toward something that turns out to matter. Others feel a warm, strong presence, faint music, or pressure in the ears. Dreams are common too. Keep a journal, because the signs often only make sense when you read back a week later.

Will he really roar at me?

The Goetia says he roars at his first coming until the magician compels him to speak clearly. Very few people report that today. If his presence feels overwhelming or confusing, simply ask him to speak in a way you can understand, the same thing the old text says, only asked rather than commanded.

Can he help with money?

He is not a money spirit in the grimoires, but practitioners do report financial help from him, usually through new work, new skills or opportunities rather than windfalls. One devotee credited him with becoming debt-free after making art for him regularly. Ask him for the knowledge and opportunity to earn, and do your part.

Can I work with Paimon alongside other spirits?

Yes. As one of the four Kings of the cardinal directions in Solomonic tradition he sits naturally with Oriens, Amaymon and Ariton, and many devotees work with him alongside Lucifer, Asmodeus, Bael or Lilith. He is also a common companion for people who work with Hecate.

Why are my answers so cryptic?

His answers are often layered and unfold over time. A phrase that makes no sense today can be perfectly clear in a month. Write everything down, and ask follow-up questions through tarot or pendulum.

He went quiet. Did I offend him?

Probably not. Practitioners describe Paimon as hard to offend. Quiet periods often mean he expects you to practice what he has already shown you. Keep up a small offering and go back to the work; most people find he returns when they have digested the last lesson.

What works, what doesn’t

These patterns come from first-hand accounts on Reddit, practitioner blogs and our own coven. None of it is a rule, and accounts sometimes contradict each other.

What practitioners report works

• Handmade offerings. Art, music and writing made for him are the most praised offerings of all.
• Treating him as an honored guest. Courtesy, a clean altar and respect for his rank.
• Asking for understanding, not just answers. Requests to learn something land better than requests to be handed results.
• Telling him how you want to receive messages. Dreams, thoughts, cards or pendulum; say which.
• Calling on him at the start of study. Small, regular invitations build the bond.
• Journaling. His answers often only make sense in hindsight.
• Patience. Not forcing the contact and not rushing the practice.

What practitioners say doesn’t work or backfired

• Treating him like the film. Coming in afraid of a horror villain makes the contact confusing.
• Rushing. Demanding a sign in the first week and quitting when none comes.
• Bought offerings with no heart in them. Practitioners say he notices the difference.
• Asking without doing the work. He teaches; he does not sit the exam for you.
• Ignoring his rank. He is gentle, but he is still a King.

Common beginner mistakes

• Expecting the roaring arrival of the grimoire and missing the quiet thoughts
• Asking ten questions at once instead of one clear one
• Not writing anything down
• Making a long pact as a first act
• Confusing modern media versions of Paimon with the spirit himself
• Promising a song or painting and never delivering it

What changed when they kept going

People who have worked with Paimon for years describe him becoming less a King they summon and more a constant presence at their desk or instrument. Ideas come more easily, learning goes faster, and the line between their own inspiration and his teaching blurs. Several say their creative work itself became the devotion: every song, painting or finished essay is quietly dedicated to him, and the relationship keeps deepening through the work.

The darker work: influence and binding

The Goetia says Paimon “bindeth or maketh any man subject unto the Magician if he so desire it.” Not everyone who works with him wants that side, but some do, and we would rather explain it than pretend it is not there.

Paimon as a King of influence

In the old books, the same King who teaches all arts can bring another person round to the magician’s will. Today practitioners tend to use that power in gentler forms: being heard in a meeting, winning a committee over, bringing an audience to its feet. Some go further and bring him workings of influence aimed at one particular person, which is a different matter and is handled differently.

Familiars

Paimon is said to give “good Familiars, and such as can teach all Arts.” Some practitioners ask him for a familiar spirit to help with a particular skill or with ongoing magickal work, and describe it as a lesser spirit that stays close and assists. How that spirit is received, housed and kept is advanced work.

What the old grimoires say

The modern practice above is the living part of Paimon’s work. The old books are its background, and knowing them helps you see where today’s ideas came from.

The Ars Goetia

In Mathers’ edition (1904, with Crowley), Paimon is “a Great King, and very obedient unto Lucifer.” He appears “in the form of a Man sitting upon a Dromedary with a Crown most glorious upon his head,” preceded by a host of spirits “like Men with Trumpets and well sounding Cymbals.” He roars at his first coming. He “can teach all Arts and Sciences, and other secret things,” can reveal “what the Earth is, and what holdeth it up in the Waters; and what Mind is, and where it is,” gives dignity and confirms it, binds men to the magician, and gives good familiars. He is “to be observed towards the West,” and when called alone must be given an offering, after which Labal and Abali attend him.

The Pseudomonarchia Daemonum

Johann Weyer lists him as Paymon, more obedient to Lucifer than the other kings, with an effeminate face, looking towards the northwest. Reginald Scot’s 1584 English translation renders the offerings Paimon receives as “libations,” which has led to long discussion over what the original intended. When Paymon is called with his two Kings, Beball and Abalam, he brings only twenty-five legions.

The four Kings of the directions

Across the Solomonic tradition Paimon is one of four Kings who rule the cardinal directions: Oriens in the East, Paimon in the West, Amaymon in the South and Ariton or Egyn in the North. In Mathers’ translation of the Book of Abramelin, Paimon is one of the eight sub-princes beneath Lucifer, Leviathan, Satan and Belial.

Goetia discussions on Paimon

Paimon is a demon in the Order of the Dominions, and one of the demonic princes overseeing the four cardinal directions, with the West as his domain. All sources seem to agree that of all the Goetic spirits, Paimon has some of the strongest loyalties to Lucifer. The Goetia of Dr Rudd names Hasiel as the angel with power over him. Some texts place him among the Dominions, others among the Cherubim, and the old books say that when he appears he must be allowed to ask what he wishes and be answered, in order to obtain the same from him.

The Dictionnaire Infernal

Collin de Plancy calls him a fallen angel of the order of dominations who fell with Lucifer, crowned and seated on a camel, preceded by musicians, roaring, teaching all arts, sciences and secrets, and observed in the northwest.

Solomonic coercion and modern partnership

In the Goetia, the magician compels Paimon until he speaks clearly, and wears his lamen so that the King will obey. Modern demonolatry turns this around:

• Stance: a King and teacher approached with respect, not a servant to be bound
• Communication: asking him to speak clearly rather than commanding it
• Exchange: art, music and study instead of threats
• Aim: a lasting relationship of learning, not a single extraction

Many people blend the two, keeping the seal and the formal structure while bringing the reciprocity of demonolatry into them.

Black Witch Coven’s view

We find Paimon to be one of the most generous teachers among the Goetic Kings: patient with beginners, delighted by anything made with care, and endlessly willing to open a subject to those who will put in the work. He is a king, not a servant, and he should be treated as one, but he is not the villain the films have made of him. Bring him your study, your music and your art, and in our experience he answers with understanding that keeps unfolding long after the candle is out.

Work with Paimon through Black Witch Coven

• Paimon Oil: for your own altar and seal work
• Daemonic Magick for Singing or Musical Success: if you would rather have the working done for you
• Summon Wealth with This Wealthy Way Ritual: from our grimoire
• Goetia Kings Oleums: oils for the Goetic Kings
• Candle for Demonic Request: a petition to Paimon burned on our altar for you
• Monthly Demonic Praise Subscription: ongoing devotion on your behalf
• Demonic Pact with Savannah or a Demonic Pact with a Junior Coven Member: for a pact
• The Goetia Devils: a compendium of the Goetic spirits

As with all magick, results are never guaranteed.

Related spirits

• Lucifer: the Light-Bearer, to whom Paimon is said to be more obedient than any other King
• Bael: first King of the Goetia, often worked with alongside Paimon
• Asmodeus and Beleth: fellow Goetic Kings
• Belial: one of the four superior princes above Paimon in Abramelin
• Astaroth: fellow sub-prince in Abramelin
• Bune: another Goetic spirit of wisdom, eloquence and wealth
• Lilith: often worked with by those who meet Paimon as a Queen

Sources

The Goetia: The Lesser Key of Solomon the King, ed. S. L. MacGregor Mathers and A. Crowley (1904)	“The Ninth Spirit in this Order is Paimon, a Great King, and very obedient unto LUCIFER.”
Johann Weyer, Pseudomonarchia Daemonum, English trans. in Reginald Scot, The Discoverie of Witchcraft (1584)	Paymon, more obedient to Lucifer than other kings; Beball and Abalam
Dictionnaire Infernal, J. Collin de Plancy (1863 edition)	Crowned and seated on a camel, preceded by musicians; observed in the northwest
The Sacred Magic of Abramelin the Mage, trans. S. L. MacGregor Mathers (1898)	Paimon among the eight sub-princes
Stephen Skinner and David Rankine (eds.), The Goetia of Dr Rudd	Hasiel as the angel with power over Paimon

Further reading: Joseph H. Peterson (ed.), The Lesser Key of Solomon; S. Connolly, The Complete Book of Demonolatry; Goetia: The Lesser Key of Solomon: The Initiated Interpretation of Ceremonial Magic.

• Pseudomonarchia Daemonum, Esoteric Archives
• The Lesser Key of Solomon: Goetia, Esoteric Archives
• Paimon, Wikipedia
• Demon Spotlight: King Paimon, Eclectic Witchcraft