The magical image 'Like Agares' derives from the grimoire tradition of the Ars Goetia, the first book of the Lesser Key of Solomon. Agares is a duke of Hell who commands thirty-one legions of spirits. In the standard Goetic description, he appears as an old man riding a crocodile, carrying a goshawk on his fist—a figure of cunning, authority, and swift action. The phrase 'Like Agares' in Liber 777 instructs the magician to adopt this exact visual form as the magical image for the path in question.

Position on the Tree of Life

This image corresponds to Path 15, the fifteenth of the thirty-two paths. On the Tree of Life, Path 15 connects the sephirah Chokmah (Wisdom) to Tiphareth (Beauty), serving as a channel for the formative energies of the supernal triad into the central sphere of harmony. The path is attributed to the Hebrew letter Heh, which signifies a window or breath, and carries the astrological correspondence of the zodiac sign Aries.

Astrological and planetary correspondence

Aries, the first sign of the zodiac, is ruled by Mars and embodies initiative, aggression, and primal force. The image of Agares—an old man (wisdom) riding a crocodile (primordial power) and holding a hawk (swift perception)—mirrors these martial and assertive qualities. The crocodile, a creature of both water and land, suggests the ability to move between realms, while the hawk represents keen vision and decisive action. Together, they form a symbolic composite that aligns with the fiery, pioneering nature of Aries.

Historical context

The figure of Agares appears in multiple grimoires, most notably in the Goetia (ca. 17th century) and in earlier works such as the Pseudomonarchia Daemonum (1583) by Johann Weyer. Weyer describes Agares as a duke who "maketh them that run to stand still, and bringeth back runaways" and who teaches all languages. The image of the old man on a crocodile is consistent across these sources, though some variants mention a hawk or a goshawk. In the context of the 777 system, this image is not merely a demonic portrait but a visionary glyph for the path's specific magical current. The crocodile, sacred to the Egyptian god Sobek, also evokes the primordial waters of Nun, linking the image to the creative potential of the Abyss. The old man figure suggests the wisdom of Chokmah, while the hawk ties to the solar aspect of Tiphareth, the path's destination.

In Liber 777, column CLIX (Magical Images), the entry for Path 15 reads simply 'Like Agares,' directing the magician to evoke this traditional form as a focal point for meditation, invocation, or pathworking. The image is one of a series of such visual keys, each tailored to the energetic signature of its corresponding path.