Like a guide. To be kings. is a magical image recorded in the Liber 777 correspondences for the twenty‑eighth path on the Tree of Life. The phrase condenses both the appearance and the office of a spirit: it is like a guide, and its function is to make kings. The image belongs to the column of Magical Images (Col. CLIX) and is one of a series of terse descriptions that often derive from the Goetia or related grimoires.

Position on the Tree of Life

This image is assigned to Path 28, which connects the sephirah Netzach (Victory) to Yesod (Foundation) in the standard Qabalistic arrangement. The path is governed by the Hebrew letter Tzaddi, the zodiac sign Aquarius, and the Tarot trump The Star. In the magical universe, Path 28 is a channel of revelation and spiritual guidance, making the image of a guide particularly apt.

Astrological and planetary correspondence

Path 28 is attributed to Aquarius, an air sign ruled by Saturn in traditional astrology and by Uranus in modern systems. The Star card associated with this path depicts a naked woman pouring water, symbolizing the outpouring of divine inspiration. The image “Like a guide. To be kings.” echoes this theme of leading and bestowing authority, but in a more direct, operational sense.

Historical context

The column of Magical Images in Liber 777 draws heavily on the descriptions of spirits found in the Ars Goetia, the first book of the Lemegeton. Many of the entries for other paths are direct references to Goetic spirits: “Like Agares” (Path 15), “Crowned king on dromedary” (Path 17, the spirit Paimon), and “A knight with a lance and banner, with a serpent” (Path 19, likely the spirit Buer or Marbas). The phrase “Like a guide. To be kings.” follows the same pattern. It appears to be a condensed description of a spirit whose appearance is that of a guide (perhaps a man leading others, or a figure with a staff or lantern) and whose office includes the power to confer kingship or royal dignity. In the Goetic corpus, several spirits are said to “make men kings” or “give dignities”: for example, Paimon teaches arts and makes men obedient, Balam gives good familiars and can make men go invisible, and Beleth inspires love but also bestows honors. The specific wording “Like a guide. To be kings.” does not match any single known Goetic entry verbatim, but it is consistent with the style of the Lemegeton and may derive from a now‑obscure manuscript or from Crowley’s own synthesis. The image thus stands as a terse evocation of a spirit that leads the magician toward sovereignty, both temporal and spiritual.

In the table of Liber 777, this image appears at the intersection of Path 28 and the column of Magical Images. It is one of the few entries that is phrased as a directive rather than a simple noun phrase, underscoring the active, transformational role of the path: the magician is to visualize a guide whose very purpose is to make kings.