Foras is the thirty-first spirit of the Ars Goetia, a president with twenty-nine legions. He appears as a strong man in human shape. The catalogue credits him with knowledge of herbs and precious stones and with teaching logic and ethics.[1][2]
A learned human figure#
The simple human appearance is conspicuous among the catalogue's hybrid animals. Foras's offices likewise stress learned subjects. Logic and ethics receive explicit mention, giving his entry a more particular intellectual profile than a general promise to teach all sciences.
The description also includes eloquence, longevity, finding treasure, and recovering lost things. These offices join practical benefits to instruction. The source's promise of long life belongs to its magical repertoire; it is not evidence for a means of extending a person's lifespan.[2]
A disputed word#
Some editions describe Foras as making people invisible. The manuscript tradition and earlier Latin wording raise a textual question around this reading. Peterson's notes record the comparison, showing why a repeated modern list can preserve an uncertain translation as though it were unproblematic.[1]
Marbas concerns mechanical arts, Morax astronomy, and Furcas several branches of learning and divination. Foras adds logic and ethics to that company. The individual subject lists let a reader see the older arrangement of knowledge embedded in the grimoire, rather than assuming that every teaching spirit has exactly the same office.
See also#
References
- Lemegeton, Goetia: Foras, Sloane 3825 transcription · Joseph H. Peterson edition of the historical grimoire, with manuscript readings. (accessed 2026-10-01) ↩
- S. L. MacGregor Mathers and Aleister Crowley, The Goetia (1904), spirit 31 · Public-domain edition. Offices and appearances are statements in this catalogue. (accessed 2026-10-01) ↩