Not like there isn't a longstanding tradition of this or anything.
Swords clash, steel ringing through the clouds. Whether the light in the sky is lightning or the sparks flying from each blow, no one can tell. A mist of red mixes with the clouds' grey-white vapor as each strike of a warrior's sword finds its mark. And somewhere, far down below, a child looks up at the stormy sky and wonders if it's snow he sees drifting towards him—or feathers.
The war of Heaven, the battle between the angels of God and the angels of Lucifer, is a deeply embedded idea in our psyche. When Lucifer (allegedly) wanted to become God and take over Heaven to sit on God's throne himself, he rallied a bunch of like-minded angels and led an assault on Heaven's gates, where Michael, Ariel, and Zadkiel led the defense, eventually driving these rebellious angels out and casting them down to rule the twisted, horrifying realm of hell by God's decree. Even as kings of the infernal realms, however, Lucifer—or Satan—still couldn't move without God's permission, couldn't tempt souls unless trading bets with God on whether the soul would triumph over Satan's advances or fall victim to them.
Knowing this mythology, commonly pushed by the Church and the many narratives written about it, like John Milton's epic poem, Paradise Lost, one might think that angels and demons (be they actually fallen angels, enemy deities that opposed God at some point, etc.) could never get along or work in the same space. If you choose to work with one, that's it—you can never again work with the other. In fact, the other will become hostile to you.
Right?
Well, as someone who has successfully had Archangel Michael and Lucifer in my space at the same time, and seen how they interact with each other... no. Not at all.
So let's talk about it.
The Origin of Working with Angels and Demons: Solomonic Magic
Ironically, when it comes to working with angels and demons, everyone knows of the Ars Goetia, but not as many know of the Ars Notoria—the list of 72 angels that correspond with the 72 demons of the former. Why are there exactly 72 of each? And why is one associated with the other in any way when they're clearly on opposite teams, angels and demons?
This is where a working knowledge of Solomonic magic comes into play. Named after the legendary King Solomon of the Jewish Bible, this magic is something that has been written about not just in the apocryphal texts and folklore of Judaism, but by other Jewish apologists, like Jewish-Roman historian and military leader Flavius Josephus. In fact, it's because of Josephus that we have any knowledge of how King Solomon's magic worked, especially in regards to exorcism. In his Antiquities of the Jews, Josephus says:
God also enabled him to learn that skill which expels demons, which is a science useful and sanative to men. He composed such incantations also by which distempers are alleviated. And he left behind him the manner of using exorcisms, by which they drive away demons, so that they never return; and this method of cure is of great force unto this day; for I have seen a certain man of my own country, whose name was Eleazar, releasing people that were demoniacal in the presence of Vespasian, and his sons, and his captains, and the whole multitude of his soldiers.
Josephus also mentions a ring with a special root that, when held under the nose of the afflicted person, drives the demon out of them. How fascinating.
But not only did King Solomon exorcise demons; he was also able to command them, per the tools and mysteries revealed to him by God. In fact, in his many legends, it's said he was able to make use of the demon King Asmodeus to build one of God's temples!
So naturally, as Jewish and Christian mysticism and occultism continued to grow, there came an extrapolated form form of this magic based on these many incredible legends and tales of King Solomon's mastery of magic arts. In the Renaissance era, especially, the many grimoires being written in the name of King Solomon had quite the impact on the mystical theory these occultists developed, and that included a way of commanding and controlling demons just as King Solomon had.
What we got was a system that involved invocation of angels and evocation of demons. These words look similar, but they mean very different things; invocation invites an entity's presence or being to meld with yours, almost as if you're wearing a mask shaped like that entity, to invoke their authority and power. Evocation holds an entity at arm's length, often times outside of a magical circle of protection, so that one can engage with an entity without risking any harm or adverse affects of their presence.
If you notice that picture, you'll notice the black circle is where the demon would go because it's outside the main circle, which is where the practitioner would stand. In Solomonic magic, therefore, a practitioner will evoke a demon, holding it in its own protective circle and, if really dedicated, some kind of brass closed vessel, then invoke an angel to guard them and brow beat the demon a bit into complying with the practitioner's demands. Separate, secure, and safe—that's the name of the game.
It works, I won't lie to you. But it works at a cost of, you know, diplomatic relations with the Infernal Divine (and also diplomatic relations with the Jewish community, because I don't know if you noticed, but there's a lot of Hebrew just thrown around on there that you know a lot of Western practitioners don't know how to read or don't care to learn how to read; there's a lot of appropriation of Jewish culture and religion and mysticism embedded in it because it stems from the Christian magicians that nabbed it from Jewish Kabbalah).
But in terms of the demons themselves, well, if you don't intend to be nice to them, I guess this form of ritual magic will still work—but this screams Hollywood to me, because I feel like it's this type of magic that most "occult" people do (and then get screwed over for halfway through the movie).
We also got many a list and legend for the different demons and angels that were running around. The 72 angels, for instance, come to us from the thoughts of Johann Reuchlin (1455–1522), a Christian mystic involved in Kabbalistic learnings that said that each angel name is a piece of God's aspect or will, and that from the 72 names that make up the Shem HaMephorash—the "True and Explicit Name of God"—we find these angels by tacking on an -el or a -yah sound to them. (So Omemiah, Lecabel, etc.). On the other hand, Johann Weyer's Pseudomonarchia Daemonum gives us a pretty extensive list of demons that would go on to inform the Ars Goetia. The equal number of angels and demons represents something important, though, that I'm sure you picked up:
Equilibrium and Balance.
Working with Angels: The How and Why
It was Henry Cornelius Agrippa that put forward the idea that when we invoke angels, we are not calling them down to us, but rather we are raising our consciousness to get up to the realm of angels and meet them there.
Angels are a pretty difficult bunch if you aren't used to them. When you consider that these 72 angel names are coming from the 72 names of God—and therefore are essentially aspects of God, with Sitael meaning "God of Hope," Michael meaning "He Who is Like God," Samael meaning "the Venom of God," and so on—you need to consider that this is the reason for their difficulty: in their names, they wear the many facets or masks of God.
As a Christian Witch, I can tell you: God can be extremely difficult to work with, because God is not interested in playing favorites. He does not care to bless you overwhelmingly while forgetting about everyone else. He doesn't care to curse you overwhelmingly while blessing everyone else. (Unless He takes a bet with HaShatan, as He did with the story of poor Job).
But God is interested in balance. From Him, all things stemmed—including the angels still in Heaven and the angels no longer in Heaven. As such, while writers like Damien Echols note that you can work with angels like Archangel Uriel or Archangel Sachiel (an alter of Zadkiel) to increase your wealth, they aren't so much interested in that. They're more interested in helping you develop the resilience and peace of mind required to navigate the flow of the cosmos and the world around you. As Jesus says in Matthew 5:45:
But I say to you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.
Can you bear a world so frighteningly neutral? And the God that made it so? If not, you may enjoy working with angels. They strip you of your quailing and your venom, pulling you out of the "woe is me" mud, out of the "it's not fair" thickets, and help you find the peace that the world cannot take from you: the peace that comes from deep within your soul. They turn you away from the physical and material world and point you back to the direction of the Divine, reminding you of what matters more than all the things that we worry about on the day to day.
Of course, this doesn't mean working with angels is for the faint of heart. They aren't exactly like the pretty people on New Age tarot decks like Doreen Virtue's, and they aren't all love and light like many New Age sources tell you. They are warriors, and workers, and organizers; they will help you, but by God, you better listen when they tell you what to do. They do not suffer fools. This is because angels have perfect knowledge and know exactly what steps must be taken for success, and like their Creator, they're of the opinion that if you're not going to do what they recommend you to do, then they'd rather you not come ask their advice to begin with. They also have no problem letting you face the consequences of not doing what they recommend, because to be crystal clear: they do not work for you. They work for God. If God says no, they can't work with you, then you are shit outta luck, my friend.
I work with angels to develop my mental, spiritual, and emotional fortitude and discipline. Sometimes this looks physical: Archangel Michael is a fantastic angel to help you develop your strength in the gym, and by extension, your strength in the mind as you weather the burn of your muscles and the fatigue that sets in. But I also work with them to develop my skills, as Archangel Gabriel, the legendary messenger, is well known to be the angel that helps creative writing along. Others, like nurses, may find Archangel Raphael a wonderful ally in learning the healing arts and gearing their minds towards helping their fellow man, and those looking to improve their divination skills actually have quite a teacher in Archangel Uriel (or even Archangel Raziel, the Keeper of Mystical Secrets).
When calling on them, it's as Agrippa says: they're not coming to you so much as you're coming to them. This is how it is for divinity in general, and I learned this after the first few rounds of interviews with different entities I've done, which you can read about in my upcoming book, Where the Gods Left Off, releasing September 20th, 2023. But because you're going up to them, and because angels are known not to partake in food and drink (as is made clear in the story of Abraham trying to feed his unknown guests, who never take a bite), you don't really have to worry about offerings. If you want to set your space, all you really need is:
A candle
The angel's sigil, if you can find it
Celestite, if you have it
Then it's as simple as asking God's permission to speak to them and calling on them. Be patient. Let them come. Let them speak.
Working with Demons: The How and Why
When it comes to working with these entities, most modern practitioners don't go the way of Solomonic magic anymore (both for safety and respect reasons—). There's nothing worse than pissing off the Infernal Divine to the point that they're coming after you, trust me—and none of the ones I've ever spoken to have particularly liked the method, even if they do acknowledge its efficacy.
Before we get more into that, though, let me tell you why you might want to work with demons. I personally didn't understand myself until I tried, because for every demon that can help you with something, surely there's an angel that can help, too, right? But what I never took into account was the difference in an angel's and demon's personality, or the different ways they approach the same problem. I also never considered that some people may need help with different aspects of dealing with the world around them.
For instance: I'm a pretty rough and tumble person. I have no problem saying no (and in fact may say it too quickly), I can be pretty mean and curt with people when they annoy me too much, and I can be a nightmare when I see people acting in a way that hurts me or other people. I've also had issues with discipline in the past that have gotten in the way of me accomplishing the things I want to do. Angels are fantastic for me, because their hard and fast teaching style, their drill-sergeant like attitudes or gentle, yet stern wisdom, and their focus on mercy, kindness, love, and upstanding behavior—playing by the rules—helps me quite a bit. I need those frameworks, that structure, to change how I deal with the world around me. Demons help me, too, but they help me explore and accept parts of myself I maybe didn't want to look at; they help me understand my personal power on a deeper level, and that I have such power at all, while the angels coach me on how and when to use it so it doesn't go to my head and cause problems.
But some people are more people-pleasing, with very poor boundaries. They're quiet, meek, and suffer at the hands of those with stronger will. They're used to being told no and being disappointed and sad about the world and its treatment of them. For these people, demons are like fire starters; they help you get a little more selfish so that you might stand up for what you want, no matter what others think about it, and they help you realize that yes, you do deserve respect and have the authority to demand it. Demons remind you that you are something fearful, too, and that yes, you do have claws and teeth and the ability to use them. They also show you horrors unimaginable, so that you never flinch again in the face of something as silly and stupid as a little haunt (or even real people); you learn to see through bullshit and call it out without fear of how people see you. You also learn how to think, because unlike angels, demons do not care to drag you in the right direction; they value more your ability to parse things for yourself and make sense of the world around you. Whether or not you get the right answer is of less consequence than you learning to find that answer yourself.
So basically, demons are the pretty dark academia teachers that try to get you to work your way through a problem with little directing questions, and angels the gym coach yelling at you for shitty volleyball form. Like cats and dogs, such different energies.
To work with demons is also different than working with angels. They are big on respect, because they know they don't need to spend their time on you. Come with gifts (especially if you want them to take you seriously); even just a bit of fruit or a glass of wine or a little incense will do. Come with humility, knowing they can ruin your life if you act like an asshole. Come with a clear purpose; don't waste their time. For any working I do with Lucifer or other demons, I try:
To give gifts of nice-smelling incense or liquor (Lucifer enjoys gin, whiskey, or sometimes Malibu rum), or if you can't get liquor, things like fruits, chocolate, or other rich and decadent things. It doesn't have to be super expensive or difficult to get, of course.
To use their sigil, especially if I know which demon I'll be encountering.
To surrender to whatever the hell they want to show me and not be a baby about it. (Because they've shown me some wild shit.) To be curious, not fearful.
With offerings, I'd also make sure you know a demon's element. King Paimon, for example, is of water; he enjoyed the plate of blackberries, cucumbers, and tomatoes I put out for him, as well as the water and oats for his camel. You can find this information in books like S. Connolley's The Complete Book of Demonolatry or the Ars Goetia. You can also find what they help best with in the Ars Goetia, too, like Prince Stolas and his expertise in astronomy, herbs, and crystals.
Working with the Two Together: The How and Why
Now, no doubt the most important question is one we've been waiting around to get to: how can you invite a demon and an angel into your practice, space, and life at the same time? Won't they fight? Or at least not get along? Especially if they're so different?
Well, have you ever heard of the phrase, "Good Cop, Bad Cop"?
Again, as I said earlier, angels and demons bring Equilibrium and Balance. They aren't there to fight or oppose each other; they're not there to hate or eradicate each other. They're there to show you two sides of an argument, the way a prosecutor presents a different side of a case than the defense. They're also there to give you options on how to approach the problem: Good Cop (gentle, easy, and helping you navigate your way)? Or Bad Cop (putting your nose to the grindstone and getting you to buckle down)? Each style of learning has its time and place, and if you're working on One Single Theme, then God knows the corresponding angel and demon can help you out. For instance: Omemiah the angel and Alloces the demon both work on similar themes: making coherent arguments, concentrating on the task at hand, and clearing the mind.
It's also generally understood that these pairs work well because of that balance. For instance, if you bring Lucifer and Michael into your space, you'll likely have a fine time because these energies and personalities compliment each other well. Lucifer is suave, gentle, his strength sleek and feline and hidden unless it needs to come out. Michael is bold, bright, and commanding; the authority oozes off him, and his voice is like the boom of thunder. They play off each other well and can guide you to the same ideas in different ways, adjusting you along your path—like when you're rowing a boat with two oars and need to use one oar more than the other to turn directions.
Put Michael and King Belial in the same room, though, and now you've got problems. Both of these entities are bold and rock solid and strong; they'll butt heads like hell (no pun intended). There may also be some history to them that you'd have to research to find out when it comes to why they seem a bit abrasive with each other. It's very much a "there's only room for one of us" situation with these two.
Be cognizant of things like that—and first and foremost, be cognizant of your goal and what you're trying to accomplish in the first place—and you will have no problem bringing these two worlds into the same space. They know each other. They know how they work together. They know what you need, and when they're invested in you, it's your needs that come above whatever scuffles they've had in the past. Nonetheless, never assume and keep your head on your shoulders, because with entities like these, the situation can change in the drop of a hat.
So be safe, have fun, and go forward without fear.
Where the Gods Left Off Updates:
We are so close.
We have the books.
We have the boxes, the labels.
We have the design for your one card tarot pull and dice divination for each interview.
All that's left to do is finalize the e-book format (which is due this Saturday and which we should be able to finish by tomorrow latest) and get all these books packed up and ready to go.
Can you believe it? How far we've come? So much work this summer, and it's finally coming to fruition in one short week!
If you haven't grabbed your copy, definitely do so today, because we've only got a few left of the first print. For all of you who have already ordered, thank you so much! Your support means more than you could ever know on this wild journey, and I'm so excited for you to read it.
Sara Raztresen is a Slovene-American writer, screenwriter, and Christian witch. Her fantasy works draw heavily on the wisdom she gathers from her own personal and spiritual experience, and her s
piritual practice borrows much of the whimsy and wonder that modern society has relegated to fairy-and-folktale. Her goal is to help people regain their spiritual footing and discover
God through a new (yet old) lens of mysticism.
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