The magical image 'carries goshawk' depicts a figure—often a king, warrior, or divine messenger—bearing a goshawk, a bird of prey renowned for its keen sight and swift hunting. The goshawk (Accipiter gentilis) is a large hawk whose name derives from Old English gōshafoc, literally 'goose-hawk,' reflecting its historical use in falconry against waterfowl and game. In the context of Liber 777, this image condenses the symbolic essence of the path into a single, potent visual.

Position on the Tree of Life

This image belongs to Path 20, the twentieth path of the Tree of Life, which connects Chesed (Mercy, sphere of Jupiter) to Netzach (Victory, sphere of Venus). Path 20 is assigned the Hebrew letter Yod (י), whose literal meaning is 'hand'—a fitting glyph for an image centered on carrying or holding. As a path on the Middle Pillar, it mediates between the expansive force of Chesed and the receptive energy of Netzach, channeling structured, analytical awareness.

Astrological and planetary correspondence

Path 20 corresponds to the zodiac sign Virgo (♍), an earth sign ruled by Mercury. Virgo’s attributes—discernment, precision, service, and a critical eye—are mirrored in the goshawk’s nature: a predator that scans the ground from a high perch, then strikes with exacting aim. The hawk’s vision, reputedly eight times sharper than a human’s, symbolizes the Virgoan ability to perceive fine details and hidden patterns. The act of carrying the bird implies mastery over this faculty: the figure does not merely observe but directs the hawk’s focus, suggesting disciplined use of analytical power.

Historical context

The goshawk has a long history in European falconry, where it was considered the ‘bird of the yeoman’—a practical hunter for the common man, as opposed to the peregrine falcon reserved for nobility. In medieval bestiaries, the hawk (often conflated with the goshawk) symbolized the righteous man who seizes spiritual prey and rejects worldly distractions. The image of a figure carrying a goshawk appears in several grimoire traditions. In the Book of the Sacred Magic of Abramelin the Mage, the fourth familiar spirit (under the direction of the angel) is described as appearing ‘in the form of a man carrying a goshawk’—a direct antecedent to this 777 entry. The Abramelin system, influential on the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn, uses such images as keys to evoke specific spiritual forces. The goshawk there represents swift execution of will and the ability to see through illusion. In alchemical iconography, the hawk sometimes stands for the volatile principle (the ‘spirit’ of a substance), which must be fixed or ‘carried’ by the adept to achieve the Philosopher’s Stone.

In the Golden Dawn’s own teachings, the magical image for Path 20 (Yod) is described as ‘a man carrying a goshawk.’ This figure is associated with the Egyptian god Horus in his aspect as Harpocrates (the child god), but here the hawk is not a mere attribute—it is the active symbol of the path’s energy. The hawk’s flight and return to the wrist represent the cycle of projection and recollection of consciousness, a key practice in pathworking.

In Liber 777

At scale step 20 (Path 20) of column CLXV (Magical Images), the table entry reads simply ‘carries goshawk.’ This compressed phrase is the entire image: no further description is given. The practitioner is expected to visualize a figure—genderless, robed or nude, standing or striding—who bears a goshawk on a gloved fist or perched on the shoulder. The bird may be hooded or unhooded, but its presence is the focal point. The image serves as a mnemonic for the path’s qualities: the hand (Yod) that holds the hawk (Virgo’s precision) in service of a higher aim (the Chesed-Netzach axis).