Other names: Beards; Rank: President; Specialties: Questions, Health, Future; Tarot Card: 4 of Wands; Candle color: Orange; Incense: Lavender; Mercury planet; Metal: Mercury; Hours: Any time of the day, with the exception of night and twilight, unless its kings are evoked; Zodiac Position: 20-24 degrees of Aries • April 09-14; Great Ruler: Amaymon (Oriens); Element: Air; Direction: East; Enn/mantra: Ren-ich tah-sa ubur-ak-a buy-ass-a ick-r Mar-bas; Enn pronunciation: Renich tasa uberace biasa icar Marbas;
DEMONOLOGY DICTIONARY
Barbas, Marbas: (One of the 72 Demons of Solomon) A demon of mechanics according to some hierarchies.
Marbas correctly answers all questions about hidden or secret things and can also reveal hidden spells. He heals and causes disease, bestows great wisdom and knowledge in Mechanical Arts. It can change people’s shape in the sense of physical shape like making the individual beautiful and/or slender. Marbas is one of the daemons used in spiritual works to cure diseases and spells that help to improve health problems. Marbas, or Barbas, is a great President, who first manifests himself in the form of a great lion, but later, at the master’s request, he takes human form. He rules 36 legions of spirits.
MARBAS Illnesses Marbas is a president, who appears in the form of a large lion, answering about hidden or secret things. He causes diseases and cures them, and bestows wisdom in the mechanical arts, and can also change the form of men. He rules 36 legions of spirits.
ANALYSIS Marbas is an entity with characteristics very close to those of the Egyptian nethers Maahes and Sekhmet. Maahes or Mihos is said to be the devourer of the guilty and protector of the innocent, and he fought the serpent Apep to protect the Sun, Ra. Other epithets for Maahes are Lord of Slaughter and Lord Scarlet, being associated with wars. Sekhmet, mother of Maahes, is a symbol of Ra’s punishment, and associated with justice, but also with healing, representing medicine. Joining the attributes of Maahes and Sekhmet, we have Marbas as a Daemon related to curing and causing disease, in addition to mechanical teachings (for war mechanisms). The name Helleborus is also that of a plant, which has medicinal qualities in low concentration, but in high concentration it can cause problems in the nervous system, in addition to depression and death. In ancient Greece and Rome, it was used in a diluted form to treat paralysis and insanity, as well as other ailments. Therefore, the character of causing or curing diseases is observed, depending on the amount ingested. The gematria of the name Marbas gives the value 204, related to the duality of 2 (healing/disease), and also to the material plane of 4, both in terms of physical health and in terms of mechanical abilities. The value reduces to 6, which would be the manifestation of a spirit in a physical form, forming an animated body. The aspect of molding the physical body, regenerating the soul, is clearly presented. The association with the Kether-Binah connection is due to the fact that Marbas has a character very close to royalty (another aspect of the Lion), with a focus on Severity, delivered to men in Binah in the form of divine understanding and justice.
ABSTRACT NUMBER 5; NAME: Marbas; OTHER NAMES: Margas, Barba, Helleborus; ELEMENTS: Diseases; MEANING: Mahes, “lion” in ancient Egyptian; HIERARCHY: President; LEGIONS: 36; APPEARANCE: A large lion POWERS Cause and cure disease, teach mechanics, transmutation of humans; ISOPSEFIA: In modern language, 30+1+80+2+1+90=204=6; TAROT: 6 of DIAMONDS; ASTROLOGY: Mercury in Aries; DECANARY: 10th-20th Taurus (day); MUL.APIN d.Marduk / bLeo ANGEL: Mahasiah; ENTITY: Maahes; OTHERS: Apedemak, Lions in the bible, Sekhmet, Xapanã (orixá);
Step into the labyrinth of demonology and one name is sure to catch your eye: Marbas. Known in various sources as Barbas, Marbas, or Barbasus, this spirit is as puzzling as he is powerful. His dominion stretches across healing, disease, shape-shifting, hidden knowledge, and even mechanical invention. That unusual combination makes him one of the most fascinating figures in the Goetia.
Whether you’re a seasoned occultist, an armchair explorer of esoterica, or simply curious, Marbas offers plenty to unravel. Let’s walk through who he is, what he represents, and why his presence continues to resonate centuries after his first appearance in the grimoires.
Who is Marbas?
Marbas is listed among the 72 spirits of the Ars Goetia, the first section of the Lesser Key of Solomon. He is typically ranked as the 5th demon, holding the title of President of Hell and commanding 36 legions of spirits.
When summoned, Marbas first appears as a great lion before taking human form at the conjurer’s request. The lion imagery isn’t just decorative. Lions embody both nobility and ferocity — a fitting reflection of Marbas’ paradoxical nature as both healer and afflicter, surgeon and destroyer.
What Does Marbas Represent?
Marbas’ powers cover a wide spectrum, and they touch directly on human concerns: health, invention, and transformation.
1. Healing and Disease
At the core of his reputation is his dual role in matters of health. He can reveal the cause of an illness and grant the knowledge to cure it — making him invaluable to seekers of medical or metaphysical wisdom. But just as easily, he can inflict disease. Marbas embodies both sides of the coin, offering profound help or severe warning depending on how he is approached.
2. Mechanical and Technological Wisdom
Unlike many demons of the Goetia, Marbas is tied not only to healing but also to craftsmanship and invention. Historically, this referred to metallurgy, construction, or automata. Today, his influence is sometimes extended to modern fields like engineering, robotics, and even AI — remarkable for a spirit first chronicled in the 1600s.
3. Shape-Shifting and Transformation
Marbas himself is a shapeshifter, and he offers the gift of transformation to those who work with him. This can mean literal shape-shifting in magical traditions, or more symbolically: the power to change circumstances, identity, or fate itself. He reminds us that reality isn’t fixed — it can be reshaped.
Correspondences of Marbas
When working with spirits, practitioners often rely on correspondences to form a symbolic link. Here are the main associations for Marbas:
Rank: President
Legions Controlled: 36
Element: Fire (with Air tendencies)
Planetary Association: Mars
Metal: Iron
Colours: Red, Black
Animal Form: Lion
Day for Summoning: Tuesday
Direction: South
Incense: Dragon’s Blood, Myrrh
Tarot Card: 5 of Wands
Zodiac Signs: Aries or Scorpio (depending on tradition)
Mars: The Warrior’s Planet
The Mars connection is telling. Mars governs iron, blood, conflict, and vitality — themes tied to both destruction and healing. Much like a surgeon cutting with a scalpel, Marbas embodies the controlled violence sometimes required to restore balance.
Myths and Legends
Marbas’ name appears in several grimoires beyond the Lesser Key, including Pseudomonarchia Daemonum and the Dictionnaire Infernal. His depictions are consistent: lion-faced, wise, and deeply entangled in matters of health and fate.
The Architect of Machines – Some legends suggest he inspired early inventors in medieval Europe, offering knowledge that shaped advanced machines, perhaps even automata.
The Curer of Kings – Stories also describe Marbas as an unseen adviser to monarchs struck with mysterious illnesses, sometimes curing and sometimes cursing, depending on the moral fiber of the ruler or the intent of the summoner.
Working with Marbas
Summoning Marbas isn’t for the faint-hearted. He respects discipline and clarity but despises ignorance.
Common practices include:
Casting a protective circle
Preparing his sigil
Burning dragon’s blood or myrrh
Offering iron tools or red candles
Meditating and asking clear, direct questions
His guidance is often precise but layered in symbolism, requiring careful interpretation.
Marbas in Modern Occultism
Despite being centuries old, Marbas still appeals to modern practitioners. Chaos magicians, Luciferians, and techno-pagans alike see him as a bridge between old-world wisdom and present-day innovation. Some even regard him as an occult patron of coders and hackers, continuing his legacy as a keeper of hidden knowledge — now extending into the digital realm.
Cautionary Tales
Approach Marbas lightly, and the results can be unpleasant. Accounts tell of summoners who, unprepared, faced sudden illness, night terrors, or intense psychological unrest after calling on him. Whether coincidence or consequence, the lesson is clear: respect is non-negotiable when working with Marbas.
Marbas: Friend or Foe?
Marbas resists easy labels. To some, he is a healer and teacher. To others, he is a tormentor. His lessons demand discipline, humility, and self-mastery. He is best approached not as a servant but as a professor — one who teaches through difficult tests and transformative riddles.
Closing Thoughts
Marbas stands as one of the Goetia’s most paradoxical figures: lion and man, healer and destroyer, ancient yet strangely modern. In a world grappling with medical mysteries and technological revolutions, his presence feels more relevant than ever.
Whether you view him as archetype, projection, or independent entity, Marbas challenges us to question what we know, to stretch the limits of transformation, and to accept that true change is never without cost.
For those at a crossroads — seeking healing, knowledge, or reinvention — Marbas may be the spirit to turn to. But as always in the occult: be careful what you ask fo
