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Spirit Character

To: alt.magick.tyagi,alt.magick.goetia,alt.christnet.demonology,alt.paranormal.spells.hexes.magic,alt.pagan.magick
From: Roberta Davies 
Subject: Re: Spirit Character (was To Summon a Demon Helper)
Date: Tue, 07 Aug 2001 11:33:08 +0100

nocTifer wrote:

[lots of interesting stuff snipped for reasons of space]

> do spirits always somehow approximate human characters (i.e. "former" sex,
> etc.)? is it possible they can be alien single-sex beings, or ghosts of
> some asexual or bisexual plant or animal? what about Slug Goddesses? what
> really are the limitations for spirits?

For what it's worth, here's my take on the subject.

"Shades" are the ghosts or spirits of dead people.  It is possible that
they are automata, without any true consciousness; i.e. just hollow
shells.  If this is the case, then the longer they are dead the more
they will dissipate and cease to have any form.  I might be able to hold
a reasonable conversation with the shade of my mother, dead only a few
years; but I'd be lucky to get hold of any fragment of the shade of
Shakespeare, for example.  On the other hand, it is possible that shades
retain some sort of consciousness, or that some do and some don't,
depending on the person's individual life force and will.  It is
possible that non-human creatures leave shades when they die, or at
least those few species that have a sense of self.  I would think that
some sense of self is necessary to maintain a ghostly self after death.

"Spirits" are beings that have evolved to a higher spiritual level than
humanity.  Most are concerned with their own affairs, of which we know
nothing.  Some are concerned with humans and will help and guide those
who seek their aid.  Having evolved beyond physical bodies, they are
strictly speaking sexless, but individual spirits may have distinct
masculine or feminine qualities.  My own guardian spirit, for instance,
is somewhat masculine, and I have communicated with a very friendly and
helpful spirit who was distinctly feminine in nature.

"Elementals" are beings which are on a lower spiritual level than
humanity.  A few enlightened ones may seek help to evolve, and they seek
humans as their guides, in the same way that some enlightened humans
seek spirits.  Fairies, leprechauns, wood spirits, and the like might
fall into this category as well.  Elementals are neither good nor evil,
more like neutral forces of nature.

"Demons" and "devils" are evil, at least in the sense that they seek
destruction, often by subtle means.  I hesitate to equate them with
spirits, or call them spirits with a different sort of purpose, but this
is possible.  I would use the term "demon" to mean a lesser evil being,
perhaps equivalent to a spirit, and "devil" to mean a greater evil
being, perhaps equivalent to a god.

Robbie



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