What Are Runes?

Things for beginners to know before starting demonolatry or demonology practices

1. The classifications of demons were written by humans, not demons.

Different occult schools of thought will have different understandings of the Hierarchies of Hell, whether Hell even exists, and what attributes are associated with each demon. In some sects Lucifer reigns supreme Emperor of Hell, in others it is Sammael, Moloch, or Baal. It all depends on the perspective of the practitioner. All of these models are equally correct and incorrect. Documentation of de(a)mons were often written by right hand practitioners who saw them as evil, therefore their negative attitudes are emphasized. Other times devotees have documented the same entity as being very kind and affectionate. It is incredibly important to take into account who is speaking whenever you read about demons. No single book or author can deliver to you the most **objective** facts about these demons or the model of reality, if they claim to, they’re lying to you. You as the practitioner must discover and decide what reins true in your reality. Teachers and gurus may influence you but ultimately you must make the decision for yourself.

2. Assume all spirits are multi dimensional

Lucifer, the light bringer, is also the spirit of darkness. He is the sweet prince and the adversary, he is a devil and an angel. It is extremely rare that you will encounter a spirit that is only one thing. There is a little bit of truth to everyone’s interactions. To a Luciferian, Lucifer is a guide, a companion, and a positive presence. To a Christian he is an adversary, a tempter, liar and bringer of evil ; and there is an entire rainbow of other experiences that contribute to the understanding of “Lucifer”. Demons are not all good nor are they all bad, trying to paint them in only one light will only lead to disappointment and confusion. It is just as foolish to assume that a so called angel will always be pleasant and nice, as it is to assume a so called demon will be terrible and mean. Every energy interacts with every person uniquely.

3. Scary and intimidating doesn’t automatically mean “evil”

Nice and pleasing doesn’t automatically mean “good”

If you’re interacting with demons or spirits associated with death, it shouldn’t be very surprising that they’re dark, mysterious, or have a frightening appearance. If you’re dealing with demons or spirits of sex and lust, it shouldn’t be very surprising that they’re alluring, attractive, or beautiful. This doesn’t mean that the scary demon is going to kill you, and this doesn’t mean that the sexy demon is going to fuck you. There are very likely going to be times when your demons will scare you. This doesn’t mean that they’re going to hurt you or possess you (they shouldn’t be frightening you to the point of constant paranoia, but seeing some “disturbing” or strange imagery isn’t out of the norm when you’re contacting a de(a)mon).

If you enter a deep dark cave looking for a bear, don’t be surprised when you see sharp teeth. Demons of violence may summon gory imagery. Demons of death my feel cold and distant. A large part of demonolatry is understanding your fear and overcoming it.

4. Yeah, it’s intense.

Okay. This is hard for me to explain. Infernal spirits and angels alike are entities that force you to confront your innermost self and change. It’s not always spooky and scary and whimsical. Sometimes it’s losing your dead end job, having a serious breakup, losing toxic friends, or having a personal epiphany. When I say it’s intense, I don’t mean that I’m levitating and seeing gnarly gory shit and summoning demons while covered in blood all the time. I have dreams and experiences of course, but seeing a demon work is not about the theatrics. Are you ready to confront the things you rrrrreeaaaaalllly don’t want to think about? Your trauma, the lies you tell yourself to get through the day, and the toxic cycles you comfort yourself with?

Lord Lucifer has made me cry many MANY times. But it was never because he hurt or scared me. I’ve seen many demonolaters refer to Lucifer as a therapist and I couldn’t agree more. He not only changes your understanding of yourself, but others and the world. Through this understanding you can change yourself, and others, and the world.

5. You as the practitioner need to be able to withstand the symptoms of your demonic relationships

Being in a relationship with Lilith or Asmoday is not an excuse to develop a porn addiction. Being in a relationship with Lucifer does not give you the right to psychoanalyze all of your friends, being in a relationship with Eligos is not an excuse to destroy all of your relationships or be cruel towards others. Demons represent energies and concepts that are unfavourable to the masses. When working with Astaroth I will feel more lustful, just by being in her proximity. That is not justification to cheat on my partner or force myself onto him. As much as demons like Lucifer for example can inspire us to be wise and sharp, he can also influence us to be vein and narcissistic. We must always be aware of these effects and resist them, working with demons and shadows does not mean becoming the worst version of ourselves, quite the contrary. Interacting with these negative aspects is meant to show you how to overcome them.

6. Demons cannot and will not replace your relationships with humans

I am very pro godspousing and having friendly and affectionate relationships with demons and spirits. Having said that, as much as our spirits may love us and care for us, they will not be the ones to text you good morning. They will not make you soup when you’re sick, or buy you flowers after a hard day. Demons are guides and companions, but they are not people. Trying to use demons to solve your loneliness will only lead to heart ache. You very much can have a sincere relationship with a demon or other spirit, but be aware that that relationship will not mimic your relationships with humans, and it shouldn’t. Gods and demons are not humans, therefore your relationships with them will not feel human.

7. There’s always more to learn

Devotion to any spirit is an endeavour that can take years or even a lifetime. Your work is not done because you read 3 books and browsed the Occult Wiki for an hour and a half. Become very dedicated to learning about your demons of interest and the culture that surrounds them. Yes, this means boring, tedious research.

8. No, ______ is not mad at you. Please talk to them

You will at some point inevitably do something wrong, especially if you are freshly initiated. Demons understand that we are human, we make mistakes. Instead of becoming paranoid and avoiding your demon out of fear of consequences, put on your big boy pants and confront them directly. Understand what you did wrong and learn from your mistake. There may or may not be consequences, every demon is different. But making yourself sick thinking they’re going to smite you down doesn’t make anything better. I guarantee you that talking to them about it will serve you a million times better than running away.

9. You need to know your boundaries BEFORE you reach out

As important as it is to research your demons, it is equally important to research yourself. You need to have strict boundaries that you will not negotiate. These boundaries should be outlined in your contract if you have one. If blood magic is uncomfortable for you, don’t allow any demon or spirit to coerce you into giving it until you are ready. If you’re a minor you’re more than allowed to not do sex magic. This relationship belongs to you as much as it does your demon(s). If it doesn’t serve you, simply refuse it.

10. On that note, demons can and will reject you. You can and will reject them as well.

On many occasions I have approached spirits who did not want to work with me at the moment. Sometimes they end up showing up later in my life, other times they never do. Oftentimes this is because of an incongruency on an alchemical level, we just aren’t meant for each other. It doesn’t necessarily mean you’re doing anything wrong. Sometimes you are, but your demon or deity will usually make that clear to you in some way. Don’t force it. If I’m already terribly preoccupied with life or other spiritual relationships, I’m within my right to reject another demon trying to enter my circle. That isn’t a rude thing to do. I’m within my right to deny a ritual I don’t have the energy or resources for. We can put it on the back burner for now.

Likewise, if a demon or spirit is repeatedly overstepping my boundaries or harming me in any way, I can (and should) leave that demon. If I’m not doing enough or causing insult, that demon can leave me. As binding as devotional contracts can be, we are not trapped with each other if we choose not to be.

11. Protection shouldn’t only be against spirits. Be very aware of your surroundings and the people around you

Learn the power of secrecy. As a Luciferian living in an extremely conservative area, I have to be extremely careful about when my pendants are visible. I have to be careful when entering certain places because I don’t want to be hate crimed or harassed. Yes, being out and proud of my demonic relationships is very important to me, but it is not worth risking real danger from bigots, or risking my employment. When I go to work, I have to leave my Lucifer ring at home, not because my work is discriminatory, but because I don’t know when I’m speaking to a christofascist grandma who would make a complaint to my boss because she saw my devotional ring. I don’t know which of my coworkers would make my life more difficult if they knew about my practice. If you are visible, people will approach you and make comments. Now, there are those of us who don’t give a fuck, and on most days I don’t. But for those of us who are vulnerable to that kind of discrimination, please be aware.

12. Self mutilation is not demonolatry

If you choose to offer blood it should be no more than a few drops. You should be using safe tools like a lancet, and disinfecting the area you extract from. This should be done in the least harmful manner possible. Devotional markings or tattoos should be done by a professional.

13. This stuff takes time. Relax

These relationships don’t develop in 24 hours. It takes a tremendous amount of repeated effort to gain the favour of a demon or spirit. If you’re not getting the results you want, take a break, reevaluate your methods, and try again later.

What about altars?

Anything can be an altar — and you don’t necessarily need one to communicate with the Gods. If you choose to have one, it should come from love and affection for the deity, from a genuine desire to honor them.

You can use pictures, statues, or simply items that represent the deity. It’s usually placed in a quiet spot in your home, somewhere that makes you feel calm and safe.

Please read this if you practice witchcraft, especially if you're a baby witch

Everyone says "do your research!" and absolutely, but this does not just apply to making sure you're using the right crystals in the right places or not being disrespectful towards whatever forces you're working with. Do your research in the most logical, practical, basic sense so that you don't accidentally hurt (or kill - yes, some of these mistakes can be literally deadly) yourself, your pets or children, your plants, the environment you're working in, etc.. I don't just want to scream at baby witches but use some common sense. You're working with chemicals here, not just energy.

- Salt is one of the most popular things to use for cleansing rituals. Putting it on soil will destroy it. Drinking it won't kill you, but there's a reason they say not to drink salt water no matter how thirsty you are. In small amounts you'll become dehydrated. In large amounts you'll get sick and likely start vomiting.

- Not all essential oils are safe for skin use, or for inhalation in terms of children or pets.

- Not everything is safe to burn. Again, remember that you are inhaling this when you burn it.

- Not safety related, but water can harm certain crystals. And sunlight. And salt. Research your crystals.

- Herbs can and do have side effects. We often talk about the medicinal benefits, but just like there's medicine you shouldn't combine, don't combine certain herbs or medications.

- Know what chemicals you're working with and what shouldn't mix. I recently saw someone create a hex jar with bleach and urine and go "Why is it doing that?" Because that's chloramine gas and it can kill you.

- Don't attempt to bring anything into nature that could risk the safety of what lives there. Something as simple as a lit piece of paper can start a forest fire. Leaving an offering? Make sure it won't kill any animals that eat it.

(This isn't chemistry related, but I also recently, as in today, saw someone ask about cleansing a route they regularly hike on. Let's reframe this: Would you consider it rude to go into someone's home as a guest, decide you enjoy being there, and then attempt to cleanse it of the owners? Yes. Because it is rude. And you're sure to really piss off anything that's living there. And aside from that, it's useless to attempt. Whatever is living there is a lot more powerful than your smoke - you're outnumbered and overpowered.)

- All this goes to say, if you do not know for damn sure that something is safe for you and everything around you to burn, ingest, inhale, or in any way combine, don't do it.

The Wheel of Fortune. Art by Mariya Tobischek, from the Ukrainian Night Tarot.

New favorite way to cleanse my deck:

Play tarot klondike solitaire while listening to music as a creative way to sort the cards in order before reshuffling them again. 

Can also be used as divination, as source describes, for a grand total of one part game, one part cleansing, and one part divination!

The Plagues song in Prince of Egypt goes so hard

gentle curse

the most convenient way for me to stir up a little trouble for someone who needs a little push in the right direction:

- grab a small jar (or large, it doesn’t matter)

- fill it a quarter way with vinegar

- add any type of brutal pepper and salt

- write out a person’s full name on a scrap of paper

- drop the paper into the jar while stating the intentions

- seal the jar with either a lid or cloth and string

this way the person of interest drowns in their own negative energy until they learn from their mistakes

oh boy is divination exhausting :’))

devotional jewelry

the poll that i put up the other day (which i know isn't even done yet) has dictated that this post shall be about devotional jewelry/prayer beads! which honestly, i'm really excited for this, i've been meaning to get an excuse to show these off

btw i did provide image descriptions but if they're missing something or you have suggestions please don't be afraid to comment them!

(SOME) EXAMPLES

japa mala: hindu. usually consists of 108 beads (separated by a larger one at the beginning/end), these are used to keep track of mantras/prayers/sacred phrases recited during meditation

mala: buddhist, most commonly tibetan. likely adapted from hinduism, these also have 108 beads (ending in a tassel or amulet), used to count mantras or direct breathing during meditation

prayer rope: eastern orthodox. usually made of 33, 100, or 300 knots ending in a cross (also made of knots) and/or a tassel. used to count repetitions of the Jesus Prayer

rosary: catholic. arranged in five decades (sets of 10 beads) each separated by a larger bead and ending in a strand with a crucifix on the end. traditionally, a person does three cycles, saying Hail Marys on the small beads and different prayers relating to the mysteries on the larger beads

misbaha/subha: islamic. three groups of beads totaling to 99, each section with a different prayer separated by imams and ending in the yad (used as a handle), used in dhikr after regular prayer

ANCIENT GREECE: as far as i can tell, prayer beads were not in use in ancient greek worship. however, jewelry was a somewhat common offering at temples, and a large part of archeological findings have depictions of deities on them. these are my favorite

(SOME OF) MY DEVOTIONAL PIECES

HADES (left) -red/gold glass beads: reminds me of pomegranate seeds

-gold: association with wealth (Plouton)

-silver: association with wealth

-snowflake obsidian: protection, associated with the underworld

-smokey quartz pendant: protection, association with the underworld

PERSEPHONE (right) -unakite: association with nature/the earth

-rhodonite: pink to remind me of spring

-flower beads: association with her Roman form Flora

-hematite: protection, association with underworld

APHRODITE (left) -pearls: association with the ocean (i venerate her strongly as an oceanic deity)

-shells: association with the ocean

-art deco style beads: opulence and beauty

-mint quartz: it's kinda a sea green, reminds me of the ocean where i live

ATHENA (right) -sodalite: intuition, complex thought (wisdom, some might even say)

-lapis lazuli: intuition (also associated with zeus)

-blue aventurine: just fit the theme lol

-obsidian: protection (like against enemies)

-sword pendant: representative of her war aspect

DIONYSUS (left) -aventurine: prosperity, fortune (similar to fertility, kinda?)

-fluorite: just fit the theme

-amethyst and pendant: bc of the story of rhea curing his madness with an amethyst

this was one of the first pieces i made, so i didn't have as big a variety of beads to work with

HEKATE (right) -garnet: associated with Persephone, a companion of Hekate

-labradorite: magic

-bloodstone: the underworld/the dead

-skull beads: underworld/the dead

-tarot cards: representative of her domain of the sky, earth, and seas, also divination/magic

-black tourmaline pendant: the underworld

i chose specifically three skulls on the short section to represent her tripartate depiction

APOLLO (left) -tree agate: nature and hunting

-wood beads: nature

-bells: music (yes they actually make noise!)

-the sun tarot card pendant: he's the god of the sun AND oracles/seers, which this kinda represents

this is one of my faves but i never wear it just bc the bells can be obnoxious in public lmfao. i know most people wear yellow or orange for him but tbh i don't really enjoy those colors and it's important to me to explore his other aspects

ARTEMIS (right) -lepidolite: aids in transitions

-moss agate: nature

-obsidian: protection (i see her as a personal protector)

-labradorite: looks like the moon

i actually went shopping for this one specifically (i had another set for her i wasn't happy with) so that's why there's so many plastic and glass beads (i got them from a craft store). the old set had howlite cause howl=wolf=lykeia and blue aventurine for the sky

HOW TO USE THEM

personally, devotional jewelry is my first go-to when i have low spoons and need to spend the day in bed. i can wear it taking a nap, making my lunch, taking a walk, whatever! i don't always wear it though, since i try to keep it meaningful. this may differ from person to person, but that's just the way i do it

you can also use them as prayer beads and count each bead as a set prayer or phrase to your deity OR use them to help you focus on relaxing during meditation

for those who are devoted to one deity/oathbound/etc., this could also be your way of showing your faith, like you would in a romantic relationship (although you don't need to be godspoused)

they also work as a great altar decoration, you can wear it while doing prayer and put it back after

but also, at the end of the day, i got a lot more value out of the making of these than wearing them (i forget oftentimes), and it was a great devotional activity for me

HOW I MAKE THEM

for my specific pieces i used a style that's commonly seen in modern rosaries--the bead(s) on separate but connected pieces--but you can use whatever style you like

here's an example of what my friend's looks like:

and my brother's:

if you want them all on one strand like these, i say go ahead! if you want them all separate bead by bead then do that! if you want plastic, stone, wood, shell, seed, whatever, go ahead!

ultimately i make my devotional jewelry personal to me and my relationship with the deity, and i encourage you all to do the same. don't worry about what other people are doing (although im always down to provide suggestions!)

MATERIALS I USE -pre looped pins OR bead stringing wire

-a kit like this if using wire string (crimp the small beads or the vertical rectangle with the loop on top instead of tying the wire)

-just jumprings if using pre looped pins

-a round and flat pair of jewelry pliers

-a one step looper (optional)

-whatever beads and pendants i can five finger discount from stores or find at home

if you want recommendations for what crystals or colors to go with you can see my common crystals post and my altars for series. i choose crystals related to the domain of the deity, or ones that show up in their myth

techniques or materials may vary depending on what piece of jewelry you're doing. if you're doing earrings ofc you won't need the wire string and you'll need a different kit with earring backs

ALTERNATIVES

don't have the dexterity, materials, tools, or money to make your own jewelry? here are some ideas: -thrifting/buying them pre made

-thrifting beads

-using old jewelry you already own and just consecrating it for a specific deity (ill make another post about that)

-making something other than a necklace, like friendship bracelets, kandi, earrings, or even a knotted rope

but ultimately, you don't have to have or wear devotional jewelry. it isn't necessarily a vital part of my craft, i just really enjoyed making them. if you don't enjoy making them or can't, don't! you don't need to stress about forcing it into your practice

SOURCES

britannica

wikipedia on misbaha (briefly)

What does your heart line say about you? Read below to find out. The heart line is a line read in palmistry, it is the line that’s below the index finger or middle finger (depending on how long yours is) and extends to the edge of your palm underneath your little finger. Match your heart line with the one that most closely matches yours on the image. A: If your heart line begins below your middle finger, you’re more of a leader. You’re ambitious, independent, intelligent and have the skill to make decisions. You’re less sensitive and more cold to others. You enjoy spending time alone. You make a loyal and true friend, you are a very passionate person when you let people get close to you. B: If your heart line starts between the middle finger and index finger, you’re a considerate and kind person. You’re hesitant and cautious with new people and find it hard to trust but people tend to naturally trust you. You use common sense in decisions and weigh up the pros and cons before jumping into anything. You have a lot of friends from all kinds of backgrounds. C: If your heart line goes right across the hand and turns up at the end you tend to give everything to a relationship, you love with all your heart, you put your partner, your family and friends above everything else and want to make them happy. People love to be around you. You have a warmth that make people feel comfortable in your company. D: If your heart line goes across your whole hand and turns down at the end, You are a person who doesn’t fall in love easily, you want to be with someone who fulfills you heart, mind, body and soul, you won’t settle for anything less, but when you do fall in love you fall hard and deep. Your friends will often turn to you for advice.