Like in other areas of magic, a substitution does not necessarily do the same thing as the original piece, but it might accomplish the same goal in a different way. These ways might be related or unrelated. The substitution can possibly adjust the over all course of what you’re doing. For example, I can vanilla frosting by mixing powdered sugar, shortening, and vanilla, or I can mix powdered sugar, butter and vanilla. The consistency and the flavor will be a little different between the two but I will still have a sweet vanilla flavored icing for my cake. The shortening and the butter will do similar things but they aren’t quite the same. They’ll each serve the same purpose in the recipe, but accomplish the goal with their own style.
The same logic applies in magic. If we know why a tool, or a rite is present, sometimes we can substitute something that accomplishes the same need by doing something similar. They won’t be the same. Diverge too much and you might get something recognizably different. Sometimes you just change the tone, or the way the connection comes through. Sometimes you might change the approach enough to direct the work in an altogether different direction as far as what sorts of spirits are being reached. Sometimes, but probably not most times, you might break the thing altogether and need to go back to the drawing board.
With Luminarium you could change out pieces because they don’t connect with you. For instance, if you don’t connect with your ancestors through a Greek influenced lens like the one that I present in the book you could substitute a rite which does similar things in so far as drawing your ancestors to be present and empowering them to work with you in the world. This probably wouldn’t change much of the over all ritual, but it could have some effect depending upon how your ancestors are encountered.
Alternatively, you could make changes built around working with different sorts of spirits through this structure. In our previous post we talked about recontextualizing to focus on building your space with nature spirits. Today we’ll talk about conjuring demons.
The book presents options for conjuring angels and aerial spirits, but there is no reason you can’t…and no reason you shouldn’t, use this for work with devils, the dead, and the fair folk as well. Each might need its own tweaks or additions, but it’s designed to accommodate that.
In the case of working with demons or devils we don’t need to change the ritual so much as add to it. The book already presents the option to conjure an angel and then conjure an aerial spirit under the authority of that angel. We can do the same with demons.
Now if we’re conjuring the demons under the authority of an angel, how do we know under which angel we should work?
There are a few ways to answer this, but none of them are definitive. You can try various options.
If you decide to go with the Testament of Solomon as your Liber Spirituum the demons provided Solomon with the names of the angels who “thwart” them. Beelzebul describes this process as being adjured by the oath. We often take the thwarting angel concept of one in which the angel is called to smite the demon, but Beelzebul’s description is one in which the angel is the power by which the demon is conjured. When working with the Testament of Solomon it provides the names of the powers by which the demons are bound in conjuration.
If you go with the text now called The Book of Oberon, a section of the Book of the Offices of Spirits describes several demons under the rulership of the Kings of the Four Directions. If working with that spirit list you could call upon the angel related to that king.
If not working with that text, you can take the same approach if you find some other means by which to accord the demonic hierarchy under the four kings.
Another option would be to look at the powers and appearance of the spirit, or the direction from which it comes if that is listed and try and determine a planetary association for the spirit. Once you have a planetary association you could call it under the angel associated therewith. If you work with spirits from the Hygromanteia planetary correspondences will already be available for many of them.
Once the angel is conjured you will instruct it to help retrieve the King and the demon and to aid in ensuring your safety and the safety of any of your concerns while the demon does its work. Then conjure the King, and then request that the King give access to the spirit and that the King or his messenger retrieve the demon in question and aid in its conjuration.
Then conjure, constrain, and bind the demon. If there any offerings or gifts to be given to the demon this would be done now along with any questioning and bargaining. Once this is done license it to depart.
You can obtain all the needed additions pretty easily, but we’ll provide some here as well.
Once you’ve picked your demon, and the angel you intend to call the next step is to select a conjuration for the appropriate king. Here are examples.
Oh great and potent spirit Oriens, King of the East, who rules the Eastern region of the world, I adjure you, I call upon you, and most powerfully and earnestly I urge you by, in, and through the virtue power and might of these efficacious and binding names, YHVH+, EHIH+, Adonai+, AGLA+, El+, Tzvot+, Elohim, of the Almighty, Immense Incomprehensible and Everliving God, the omnipotent Creator of heaven and Earth. I call you in the name of the Most High, whose name all the Celestial Angels honor and obey, and before whom all the holy Company and Choir of heaven, Incessantly sing Kadosh, Kadosh, Kadosh, and at whose Divine and inestimable name, all Knees on Earth give homage and bow, and all the aerial terrestrial and infernal spirits do fear and tremble and now by all these names I do now again powerfully adjure, call upon, constrain and urge you Oh great and Mighty spirit Oriens, King of the East, in the holy name YHVH+, within the presence of Michael+ that now immediately without further tarrying, or delay the spirit, you appear visibly, plainly, peaceably, affably in all serenity and humility here before me, and positively effectually faithfully, and fully aid me in all I request and answer all questions I ask, especially those things which accord to your office, without any delay guile or deceit or other illusions whatsoever. And I call upon you, Oh you powerful and regal spirit Oriens, by the power of YHVH+ in the presence of Michael+ to appear plainly visible before me, in pleasing form, in all mildness, peace, and friendliness, without any hurt, disturbance, or any other evil whatsoever, either to me, or this place, wherein I am, or any other place, person or creature whatsoever, but that quietly courteously and obediently you fulfill my desires and do my commandments in all things which I earnestly urge and command for you to do for me, Oh Royal and Potent spirit Oriens, in the name of YHVH+.
Oh great and potent spirit Egyn, King of the North, who rules the Northern region of the world, I adjure you, I call upon you, and most powerfully and earnestly I urge you by, in, and through the virtue power and might of these efficacious and binding names, YHVH+, EHIH+, Adonai+, AGLA+, El+, Tzvot+, Elohim+, of the Almighty, Immense Incomprehensible and Everliving God, the omnipotent Creator of heaven and Earth. I call you in the name of the Most High, whose name all the Celestial Angels honor and obey, and before whom all the holy Company and Choir of heaven, Incessantly sing Kadosh, Kadosh, Kadosh, and at whose Divine and inestimable name, all Knees on Earth give homage and bow, and all the aerial terrestrial and infernal spirits do fear and tremble and now by all these names I do now again powerfully adjure, call upon, constrain and urge you Oh great and Mighty spirit Egyn, King of the North, in the holy name Elohim+, within the presence of Gabriel+ that now immediately without further tarrying, or delay the spirit, you appear visibly, plainly, peaceably, affably in all serenity and humility here before me, and positively effectually faithfully, and fully aid me in all I request and answer all questions I ask, especially those things which accord to your office, without any delay guile or deceit or other illusions whatsoever. And I call upon you, Oh you powerful and regal spirit Egyn, by the power of Elohim+ in the presence of Gabriel+ to appear plainly visible before me, in pleasing form, in all mildness, peace, and friendliness, without any hurt, disturbance, or any other evil whatsoever, either to me, or this place, wherein I am, or any other place, person or creature whatsoever, but that quietly courteously and obediently you fulfill my desires and do my commandments in all things which I earnestly urge and command for you to do for me, Oh Royal and Potent spirit Egyn, in the name of Shaddai+.
Oh great and potent spirit Amaymon, King of the South, who rules the Southern region of the world, I adjure you, I call upon you, and most powerfully and earnestly I urge you by, in, and through the virtue power and might of these efficacious and binding names, YHVH+, EHIH+, Adonai+, AGLA+, El+, Tzvot+, Elohim+, of the Almighty, Immense Incomprehensible and Everliving God, the omnipotent Creator of heaven and Earth. I call you in the name of the Most High, whose name all the Celestial Angels honor and obey, and before whom all the holy Company and Choir of heaven, Incessantly sing Kadosh, Kadosh, Kadosh, and at whose Divine and inestimable name, all Knees on Earth give homage and bow, and all the aerial terrestrial and infernal spirits do fear and tremble and now by all these names I do now again powerfully adjure, call upon, constrain and urge you Oh great and Mighty spirit Amaymon, King of the South, in the holy name Adonai+, within the presence of Uriel+ that now immediately without further tarrying, or delay the spirit, you appear visibly, plainly, peaceably, affably in all serenity and humility here before me, and positively effectually faithfully, and fully aid me in all I request and answer all questions I ask, especially those things which accord to your office, without any delay guile or deceit or other illusions whatsoever. And I call upon you, Oh you powerful and regal spirit Amaymon+, by the power of Adonai+ in the presence of Uriel+ to appear plainly visible before me, in pleasing form, in all mildness, peace, and friendliness, without any hurt, disturbance, or any other evil whatsoever, either to me, or this place, wherein I am, or any other place, person or creature whatsoever, but that quietly courteously and obediently you fulfill my desires and do my commandments in all things which I earnestly urge and command for you to do for me, Oh Royal and Potent spirit Amaymon+, in the name of Adonai+.
The conjurations could also be used if working with the King was your end game. You could use an abbreviated form if you’re conjuring the king to aid with calling another spirit, particularly if you’ve worked with the King previously.
Here is an example:
Oh great and potent spirit Paymon, King of the West, who rules the Western region of the world, I adjure you, I call upon you, and most powerfully and earnestly I urge you by, in, and through the virtue power and might of these efficacious and binding names, YHVH+, EHIH+, Adonai+, AGLA+, El+, Tzevaot+, Elohim+, of the Almighty, Immense Incomprehensible and Everliving God, the omnipotent Creator of heaven and Earth. I call you in the name of the Most High, whose name all the Celestial Angels honor and obey, and before whom all the holy Company and Choir of heaven, Incessantly sing Kadosh, Kadosh, Kadosh, and at whose Divine and inestimable name, all Knees on Earth give homage and bow, and all the aerial terrestrial and infernal spirits do fear and tremble and now by all these names I do now again powerfully adjure, call upon, constrain and urge you Oh great and Mighty spirit Paymon, King of the West that you might bring the spirit [NAME] and grant us peaceable access to his presence.
The others can be modified in this same way.
Then you would call the spirit. I will provide an example using Hoistros from the Hygromanteia. A ritual for conjuring him appeared in my book Living Spirits:
I do invoke and conjure you Hoistros by Beralanensis, by Baldachiensis, by Paumachia, and by Apologia Sedes, by the most mighty kings and powers, and the most powerful princes, genii, Liachidæ, ministers of the Tartarean seat, chief prince of the seat of Apologia, in the ninth legion, I invoke you N, and by invoking, I conjure you Hoistros and being armed with power from the supreme Majesty, I strongly command you Hoistros, by Him who spoke and it was done, and to whom all creatures are obedient; and by this ineffable name, YHVH, which being heard the elements are overthrown, the air is shaken, the sea runs back, the fire is quenched, the earth trembles, and all the host of the celestials, and terrestrials, and infernals do tremble together, and are troubled and confounded: wherefore, forthwith and without delay, shall you, Hoistros, come from all parts of the world, and make rational answers unto all things I shall ask of you; and come peaceably, visibly and affably now, Hoistros, without delay, manifesting what we desire, being conjured by the name of the living and true God, Heliorem, and fulfill our commands, and persist unto the end, and according to our intentions, visibly and affably speaking unto us with a clear voice, intelligible, and without any ambiguity.
Once the spirit arrives it must be constrained to appear in a particular spot, in a particular manner, and in a way which is not harmful to the magician:
By the seals which are present, by the Great Seal of Solomon, by the names which have been aforesaid, by the name of John the Baptist I command Hoistros that you appear in pleasing form in this bowl and answer honestly all questions and expediently provide for all requests bringing no harm upon those of us who have called you.
Finally, the magician binds the demon by whichever divine and angelic names are appropriate to the agreement which they have come to. This agreement will include what the demon is to do, and any proscriptions on how, as well as what the magician is willing to pay the spirit for this work.
You could also make these adjustments without working in the context of calling an angel. In that case the ritual would open as normal up until the point of calling the angel. If you’re working in a planetary context then you would proceed with some other prayer accorded to the day of the week, or the hour in which you are working. If not working in a planetary context and electing to work under the auspices of the chiefs and princes of Hell, then invoke the appropriate chief followed by the appropriate prince as provided in Agrippa’s table of four. Then the king and then the demon.
One of the test team for Luminarium referenced using the method given for work with a demon. The method in Luminarium was originally tried in a group ritual for conjuring a demon which provided several people with several large manifest results involving jobs, property, and money.
Have you tried using Luminarium for working with demons? Or for something other than angels? Let me know about it!
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good stuff, snuggle imp!
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