The magician's central preoccupation is with the exercise of power, but his use of his powers is as various as his methods. From a tremendous ceremony in which he displays his mastery of all the forces of the universe, he may turn to something as trivial as afflicting an enemy with boils. At one moment weltering in the graveyard procedures of necromancy, at the next he is slyly turning people into animals. (Aleister Crowley could do this and once turned the poet Victor Neuburg into a camel.) 

The grimoire called the Lernegeton lists the names and powers of seventy-two devils and an analysis of their functions - most of them have more than one - gives an interesting picture of the magician's uses of power. The Lemegeton's major interest is in the gaining of knowledge. More than half the devils listed include teaching as one of their functions. They teach the magician sciences, arts, philosophy, mathematics, logic, languages, astronomy and astrology, the occult powers of herbs and jewels. One of them teaches handicrafts, one grammar, one the languages of animals and birds, and one, rather surprisingly, ethics. In addition, many of the demons reveal secrets or show the events of the past, present and future, and some find things which have been lost or stolen. This emphasis on knowledge and secrets reflects the tradition that the rebel angels who lusted after the daughters of men taught them all arts and crafts. It is also a reflection of the occult importance of knowledge rather than virtue as the key to spiritual progress and the belief that knowledge of the universe is synonymous with its control. 

A second group of devils cause death, destruction and hatred. They bring murder, war and bloodshed or they stir up storms and earth-quakes. Two torment people with putrefying sores and one brings an agonized death in three days from festering wounds. Two destroy the victim's sight, hearing or intelligence and two rob important people of high position and status. Several change people into other shapes, animal and human. 

The next group are concerned with the magician's own wealth and status. They provide him with riches and treasure, give him the friendship and favour of other people, bring him high worldly position, a good reputation, cunning, courage, wit and eloquence. Three of them turm base metals into gold or money.