Thoptius is a spirit name drawn from the Renaissance angelological and astrological corpus, specifically the lists of servient intelligences governing the succedent houses of the zodiac. The name appears in the column of Succedent spirits in Aleister Crowley’s Liber 777, where it is assigned to the 20th path of the Tree of Life. Its etymology is obscure; the root Thop- may echo the Egyptian Thoth (the god of wisdom and writing) or derive from a Hebrew or Greek theurgical source, but no direct translation survives.

Position on the Tree of Life

Thoptius corresponds to the 20th path (scale step 20) on the Qabalistic Tree of Life. This path is attributed to the Hebrew letter Yod and the zodiacal sign Virgo. In the standard Golden Dawn arrangement, the 20th path connects the sephiroth Hod (Splendor) and Netzach (Victory), representing the intellectual and analytical qualities of Virgo—discrimination, service, and the refinement of form. As a spirit of this path, Thoptius embodies the discerning, orderly, and sometimes critical energies of the Virgin sign.

Astrological and Planetary Correspondence

The 20th path’s astrological attribution is Virgo, an earth sign ruled by Mercury. The succedent houses (2nd, 5th, 8th, 11th) are those of fixed quality, and Thoptius as a succedent spirit partakes of this stability and resourcefulness. In the context of the path, the spirit’s influence is tied to the Mercurial and earthy nature of Virgo: practical, meticulous, and concerned with the details of manifestation. The planetary hour or day of Mercury would traditionally be used to invoke such a spirit.

Historical Context

Thoptius appears in Liber 777 (1909) as part of the table “As Col. CXVIII (Succendent),” which Crowley compiled from earlier grimoires. The most likely source is the Steganographia of Johannes Trithemius (1462–1516), a work that lists spirits for each planetary hour, many of which bear names similar to those in the Succedent column (e.g., Lencher, Virvaso, Verasua, Syth, Sitlacer, Aterechinis, Tepiseuth, Sagen, Epima, Astiro, Thopibui). Trithemius’s spirits were later incorporated into the Heptameron and other Renaissance magical manuals. In these traditions, the succedent spirits are considered intermediate intelligences, serving under the greater planetary archangels and governing the fixed astrological houses. Thoptius is thus a specific name from a well‑defined hierarchy, not a generic invention.

In Liber 777, Thoptius is listed in the row for the 20th path, alongside other correspondences such as the Hebrew letter Yod, the Tarot trump The Hermit, and the perfume of the path. The name is not further glossed by Crowley, but its placement indicates that it is the appropriate spirit to invoke when working with the energies of the 20th path, particularly in operations involving the succedent houses or the Virgoan qualities of analysis and service.

Thoptius appears in the table of Liber 777 at scale step 20, within the column headed “As Col. CXVIII (Succendent).” It is one of a series of spirit names assigned to the paths, each corresponding to a specific astrological and Qabalistic force. The name is given without additional commentary, serving as a direct reference for the practicing magician or student of correspondences.