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I've noticed that some sources, like the Lesser Key of Solomon, claim that the spirits of the Goetia are all male; while others show some (like Astaroth and Beleth) as being female. Why does there seem to be some confusion regarding the sexes of the Goetia?

Now, I'm no Dee scholar but I would hazard to guess that it is because the spirits are Judeo-Christian depictions of pre-Christian pagan deities; e.g., Astaroth = Astarté.

Do you know what the equivalent of Beleth is?

TheSeeker wrote:Now, I'm no Dee scholar...

John Dee has nothing to do with Goetia. John Dee's work is with Enochian. The Goetia is credited to King Solomon.

Fr. N.'. T.'.

It seems to me that early demonolaters assumed that all demons were male, which is why they are all presented as such in The Goetia. I've also come to think that those demons which are actually female disguise themselves as being male, and very aggressive, in order to intimidate the magician. It's through a respectful relationship between the magician and the demon that they can be made to assume their true image.

This is what I think.

Because the Goetia is based om Judeo-Christian demonology, and in Judeo-Christianity is very sexist. The female is view as being lesser or weaker than the masculine. So powerful spirits are regarded as 'masculine,' while weaker spirits are often viewed as feminine (consider Lilith in Judaism: even though she is strong, she is under the power of Samael...a male spirit).