THE ARCANE ARCHIVE
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To: alt.magick,alt.magick.tyagi,alt.magick.goetia,alt.christnet.demonology,alt.satanism
From: boboroshi@satanservice.org (SOD of the CoE)
Subject: Demons

50010911 VI! om Hail Satan! Hail GIGANTE!!

> What are demons and angels?  Are these related to magick?

Contribution:
	When spirits are described in particular ways by individuals 
	with biased perspectives on the cosmos, they will divide
	the various spirits into two different factions, dependent 
	upon their relation to a presumed religious authority 
	(a God, for example, or some council of gods). When this is
	done, then the spirits aligned with their preferred authority
	are traditionally called, in English, 'angels', while those
	which are opposed to this authority are called 'demons'. 

	Usually 'our team' is presumed to be more powerful than
	'their team', and so the angels are described in fanciful,
	glorious, beautiful, and often atmospheric (bird-like,
	star-like, etc.) ways, whereas the demons are described in
	degrading, depracatory, ugly, and often cthonic (reptilian,
	monstrous, subterranean) ways. Typically the angels are
	described as protecting humans, sometimes directing them or
	providing them with fabulous authority (e.g. Muhammad's
	receipt of the Qur'an via the angel Gabriel). Demons are
	described as seeking the demise of humans, sometimes
	capturing some essential portion of their being (as in the
	legends of the magician Faustus and the loss of his soul
	to the demon Mephistopheles).

	The intersection between spirits and magic is a very old
	one, from pacts between them and humans (broadening all
	the way to marriage!) to contention for control of body 
	and mind (which a rite of exorcism is supposed to remedy). 
	The magician typically seeks to gain from the spirit in one 
	way or another, regardless of the type of spirit they may 
	be. Demons can be summoned and enslaved to one's purposes,
	extracting information such as the location of hidden
	treasures or providing an entire specialized education.
	Angels may be encountered for the purposes of spiritual
	development and religious experiences, or in search of
	a solution to some harrying malady (spiritual or physical).

	Typically the control and direction of spirits is included
	in the subject of magic called by the names 'Demonology' and
	'Angelology'. European Renaissance grimoires often contain
	extensive directories of information about these spirits,
	so that they might be called and encountered. The magician
	takes precautions consonant with the character of the
	spirit with respect to hir religious persuasion. Popular
	works of relevance to this subject in the Western Esoteric
	Tradition include the works of John Dee in his rituals
	with Edward Kelly (called 'Enochian' on account of the
	category of angels contacted), "The Sacred Magic of 
	Abramelin the Mage" (concerning the magical encounter with 
	what is called the Holy Guardian Angel (a personal tutelary 
	spirit) and "The Goetia" or "Lemegeton" ("Lesser Key (of
	Solomon the King)"). Pacts with spirits sometimes take the
	form of contracts, written out and signed by both magician
	and spirit alike. This has its apotheosis in the infamous
	Blood Pact With Satan, in which the magician barters hir
	soul (or hir entirety) to the Cosmic Adversary in exchange
	for some short-term glory (knowledge, power, fame, etc.). 

> How can I summon a demon and have it obey me?

	The summoning of demons is often a very specialized and
	technical activity, though some magicians have claimed
	they are more easily contacted and less dangerous than
	the dualistic religious would have us believe (i.e. the
	"demons" are merely antagonistic to *particular* human
	beings, inclusive of worshippers of a god they oppose).

	The faithful theurge prepares by outfitting hirself in
	protective vestments, armed with magical weapons of 
	power, and surrounded with symbols, seals, and allied 
	spirits readied for battle. A discernment is made
	betwixt the "invocation" of spirits of beneficent
	temperament (a preliminary to an encounter with a
	demon often includes the invocation of protective
	angelic beings) and the "evocation" of demonic or
	maleficent entities (often calling them into some
	kind of magical cage, receptacle, or guarded area).

	Spirits of many types are presumed to have certain
	magical sigils or seals, and the control of the
	demon's seal allows the magician, via sympathetic
	magic, to control or dominate the demon. Knowing the
	demon's name and identifying seal is therefore of
	primary importance in having it obey the magician,
	and calling and capturing it is supposed to subject 
	it more completely to the will of the forceful mage. 
	
> How do I get rid of unwanted demons?

	At times demons are described as coming to reside
	or inhabit the body of a human being, a particular
	geographic are or item. Human repulsion in response
	to these malignant spirits inspires those whom they
	are troubling to take steps to effect their removal. 

	Similar in character to the methods described as
	regards summoning and controlling demonic spirits,
	knowing about the demon and calling on the forces
	presumed to be in support of the magician and
	opposed to the nature of the demon are primary
	methods by which demons may be persuaded to
	depart. Popular legends of Jesus Christ, for
	example, describe him as capable, through his
	innate spiritual power or his relation to the
	God described as the Creator of all things, of
	driving out unwanted demonic spirits that were
	presumed to be possessing those with mental
	imbalance, diseases, and skin conditions!

	Folk magic includes the concoction of certain herbal 
	formulae for the purpose of persuading nasty spirits
	to leave one's premises (e.g. "Run Devil Run!"), and
	there are, of course, legendary magical objects which
	are described as having the power, based on their
	ingenius design and the devoutness of their fashioner,
	to compel demons to do one's bidding (e.g. the Magical 
	Ring of Solomon, whose design is provided in Solomonic 
	grimoires for use during demon summoning ceremonies).
 
blessed beast!

boboroshi@satanservice.org: Satanic Outreach Director,
Church of Euthanasia: http://www.churchofeuthanasia.org/
Satanism Archive: http://www.satanservice.org/