Nature of Spirits - Angels and Demons

Frater Rufus Opus recently wrote that demons are elementals, or that they have elemental qualities. This is in his article about demonic agendas, and you can find it here. While some might think that this is a neat and tidy way of defining the nature of these spirits, I have to disagree with what he has written. (I also hope that I have understood exactly what he has written, too.) It really has to do with the nature of Angels and Demons, and whether either can be considered as nothing more than simple, mindless intermediaries of the Godhead, or as the Greeks would call them, the Daimones.

I employ the term “mindless” because it is a defining adjective that I have used when talking about elementals. Even if one is using the supposed “Hermetic model” to define the natures of demons, my own personal experience (and that of many of my associates) has shown me that these supposed infernal spirits are quite intelligent. So, it would seem that either elementals are keenly intelligent (contrary to my experience) or demons are quite limited and dumb. That is, if there are any congruence between them at all. Allow me to explain my point.

Now just because some authors (or grimoires) have given an order to the Infernal Hierarchy that is elemental doesn’t equate those spirits identically with “elemental forces.” It is an ordering structure, and like all ordering structures (or maps, for that matter), the order is not to be confused with the identities that are being so ordered. These ordering structures are a kind of analogy, not an actual physically based taxonomic ranking. You could also organize the Goetic demons according to the astrological decans (which I have done), and probably would learn more about them (from an astrological perspective) than you would by assigning them an elemental hierarchy. Of course, this is just my opinion. Needless to say, however they are organized it doesn’t mean that the organizing structure is synonymous with that which is being organized. It is just a matrix or model structure that human minds use to understand the complexity of the spiritual world, which can’t really be intellectually grasped in the first place.

So, what are demonic spirits? For that matter, what are angelic spirits? Using the most simplistic perspective we should see them as embodying a force as well as a highly evolved intelligence. They are ultimately emissaries of the One that has no attributes or even a name, but more directly, the agents of various Godhead attributes, or what some would call the Gods. Like a living and activated symbol, they can be focused to a single point, multiple points simultaneously or effused into an overall general attribute of the Godhead. Actually, they exist as all three of these qualities simultaneously as well as other mysterious qualities, some of which might be altogether unknown to human nature. This is why a magician might summon one of them into appearance and then fully engage with that entity, even though what has been summoned is just an active link or a single (fractional) instantiation of the overall symbolic being. This whole matter is a profound paradox, as are all things that reside wholly within the world of spirit.

What I have stated above is true of both angels and demons; they are analogous beings to each other. The difference between them has to do with their specific loci, although that is not a particularly useful term when talking about the world of the spirit. We can project onto the world of the spirit the structures that we find in our own world, namely, the threefold domains of celestial spheres, the geographic structures of the earth, and the chthonic underworld. All of these domains are actually a kind of symbolic topology, which should be viewed as similes or analogies and not actual physical locations. The locus for angels are the celestial spheres, the locus for earth spirits (not to be confused with elementals, I might add) is the geographic domain of material place, and the locus of the demons is the chthonic underworld. Each of these loci have their own qualities, but neither should be given the value of good or evil (or any other limiting quality), since they are actually beyond both good and evil. All of these structures are just mental models to help us differentiate and distinguish what is, in reality, a formless unity known as the One.

Since many demonic names have within them the corrupted names of ancient pagan deities, then we can consider them to be demi-gods, and in some African Traditions, they are seen exactly in that light. Additionally, elemental spirits are below the influence of the planetary intelligences, while higher spirits, such as angels, demons, and sect-based intermediaries have the aspect of intelligence to crown their beings. I have joking referred to elementals as “dumb” or “mindless” because they operate below the level of intelligence and function as animated forces to be imprinted and directed by the magician and then allowed to operate on the simple goal to which they have been applied. They are incapable of thinking about that directive or mitigating it if something changes. They will therefore either hit their mark or miss it entirely. Elementals represent the emotional and passionate energies that all higher creatures are subjected to, but without any of the guiding forces of rational thought or intellect that can direct and control them. That controlling attribute is represented by the will and the assumed godhead of the magician.

(A useful analogy of the basic four-fold Elemental Spirits can be found in the court cards of the Tarot. There are 16 cards within the matrix of an element base being qualified by an element crown. However, there are other elemental systems, such as the 64 Hexagrams of the I-Ching, or what I call Elemental Gateways. If one were to apply the concept of broken and solid lines (like the I-Ching) to Geomancy, then 256 individual Octagrams would be produced. Anyway, you get the idea - elementals consist of the four elements and nothing else.)

This is the quixotic nature of the elemental spirits, and since I have worked extensively with them for so many years I believe that I can make some important judgements about them. They are quite useful and simple to generate. They can be assembled like building blocks, but the are not overly effective, particularly for long term workings. However, no angelic or demonic being that I have ever summoned has been quite as one-pointed and lacking in intelligence as an elemental. For this reason, I have to reject Frater R.O.’s theory that demons are elementals. If that were so, then the magician wouldn’t need to take such great care when establishing the binding agreement with demons.

However, I believe that such care should be taken no matter what spirit is being invoked. Still, this means that the magician is dealing with an entity that has quite an evolved intelligence and is able to not only reason as we do, but also deal with ambiguities quite effectively , often to our ultimate dismay. How we are able to summon such an entity has more to do with the fact that there is a Deity residing in our core, and that Godhead within us is analogous to the Absolute Deity. (Some would say that they are equivalent.) Since spirits are, by definition, emissaries of the One, they are also emissaries to each of us who has realized, however briefly, our inner Godhead. Yet to treat spiritual entities with a respectful attitude is nothing less than treating one’s own inner Godhead in a respectful manner, too.

Magicians should deal with chthonic spirits in a respectful and careful manner particularly since the underworld is the source of all material wealth and material potential. It contains the essence of transformative evolution as well as the mysteries of life and death, good health and material well-being. These qualities (provided by chthonic spirits) are even more important to life in the material world than what the celestial spirits might provide. Yet just as angels give a powerful perspective of the higher celestial domains and its visionary and prophetic potential, the demons wield the powers and wisdom of the underworld.

Magical workings that incorporate either angels or demons will produce a powerful spiritual transformation within the magician, and this should be a sign that all such spirits are an active embodiment of the One. They are agents of the challenging ordeals (demons) and ecstatic visionary insights (angels) of a magician’s progress from his or her individual nature to the ultimate reality of the final Godhead ascension. These spirits and this kind of magick is far beyond the workings of the elementals, so we can dispense with any claims that they are one and the same. I might be breaking with tradition in making these definitions and building this view of the spirit world, but it is based on many years of continued praxis and an even longer period of study.

Frater Barrabbas

Nature of Spirits That Are Invoked and Evoked

Now that I have defined invocation and evocation, I should also write an operational definition of spirits, since they are the target of an invocation or evocation. This section is extracted from an unpublished document in the archives of the Order of the Gnostic Star.


The techniques of invocation and evocation are centered around the phenomenon of the individual spiritual entity and its domain. The concept of a spirit has varied considerably over time and across cultures. However, the operational definition of a spirit is simply stated as “a being that exists in the field of consciousness without a physical body.” There is a symbolic or metaphorical quality to such a being, and therefore it can assume numerous shapes depending upon the expectations of the observer. Some occultists propose that a spirit actually has a body or field through which it acts as a collective being, and this body consists of an energy analogous to the most subtle of auric emanations, which are completely invisible to the human eye. This energy is definitely not part of the electromagnetic spectrum and therefore is not even an energy as defined by modern physics. For this reason, it’s probably better not to discuss spirits as having a physical basis in reality, but they can powerfully influence people and events in the physical world.

The guise that I typically see spirits most often assume when they manifest is an egg-shaped globe of extremely subtle light. This guise is made perceptible through the ritual process of invocation, which unites the spirit's bodiless entity with an aetheric elemental envelope (produced by the Octagon Power Elemental vortex). This means that a spirit appears to have some degree of substance to it, but that is likely an illusion. Spirits can pass through solid objects and seem not to be restricted by the limitations imposed by the physical laws operating within the four dimensions of space and time. Spirits can assume various shapes when they impact human awareness through the imagination, and they can enter an object or person and possess it.

Spirits do not exist in isolation but are part of an extensive hierarchy. Spirits also have their own place or domain that is part of what is called the Inner Planes, or the World of Spirit. The higher the evolutionary quality of consciousness that a spirit has achieved, the higher the hierarchical level in which it resides, and the more varied its symbolic domain. Magicians who are properly managing their spiritual discipline restrict their activities to spirits who are bornless and part of the Inner Plane hierarchy. This often (but not always) excludes spirits of the dead and other earth-bound entities that have not evolved to the level of the Qabbalistic World of Yetzirah, and are not part of the angelic or daemonic spiritual hierarchy. However, this does not exclude Elementals, Planetary Intelligences or ancestral spirits that are part of the magician’s spiritual family or religious system.

The highest level of the spiritual hierarchy is, of course, the God-head, which establishes the level of Atziluth within the Inner Planes.  But the highest level of an individual spirit is the level of Briah, and this is the domain of the spirits known as the Archangels. The consciousness of an Archangelic Spirit is vast and great when compared to the consciousness of an individual human. It’s like comparing an individual human being to a being consisting of a vast composite consciousness (egregore), which we could imagine in the form of the sentient population of an entire planet that has evolved beyond its individual physical embodiment and has become unified in all respects (our ultimate destiny). These spirits are boundless and cosmic, and this is why I refer to them as stellar intelligences, because their breadth of vision is astronomical. Of course, Archangelic entities were never born but existed as emanations from the God-head, so they are the direct mediators of the Absolute Spirit. Lesser spirits, such as those of the Yetziratic level (angelic rulers) represent smaller bases of sentience and authority, but are no less impressive when compared to even the most evolved individual human being (with exception to Avatars and other incarnations of the Godhead).

As I have stated in another document (Treatise on Angel Magick), there are also angelic beings who are tightly associated with the Godhead, and these are known as the super archangels, such as the Seraphim and the Cherubim. These spirits represent the fiery and inspirational intermediaries to the Godhead, and faithfully represent that supreme entity in its association with lesser beings. Since the Deity is completely unified, all of its components act as a unified whole. However, for the sake of simplicity, we may perceive and even use facets of the Godhead in our rituals and ceremonies, knowing that the Deity is a paradox in which the many manifestations represent both a plurality and singularity to that entity.

The primary difference between human consciousness and the consciousness of a spiritual entity is that the human egoic distinction between the self and not-self boundaries are sharply defined, based as they are on the physical body; whereas ego-less spirits do not have the same sense of distinctness and uniqueness. This is because a human being, like all living sentient physical beings, has a highly developed identity that is based upon its physical body. Human beings are only partially aware of their connection to other beings within the ocean of consciousness. The spiritual dimension of a human being resides within his or her higher self, wherein the experience of the unity of consciousness is primary. A spirit is aware of its union with all other conscious entities and uses its personal identity only as a means to focus itself so that it may temporarily function as an independent individual; otherwise it is only a participant in the undifferentiated mass of unified consciousness.

In the classical evaluation of spirits, there are three groups in which a spirit may be a member. These groups have functioned in the past as a definition of the alignment of a spirit to the Judeo-Christian God, as presented in various theological perspectives. Angels are positively aligned, while daemons are negatively aligned. Another class of spirits are nonaligned and therefore neutral (nature spirits), but usually they are classified as negative by the more zealous practitioners of the religions of monotheism.

However, a more practical method of classification defines and establishes two functional classifications; namely, the position within a spiritual hierarchy wherein the spirit resides, and the types of motivating energies that characterize it. The former method of classification identifies the familial connections and powers of authority that a spirit possesses. It is also a technique of identifying through the Qabbalah that spirit's qualities. The latter method (defining the motivating energies) develops the concept of an angel and daemon as it relates to the dualistic expression of a spirit's energies. An angel's energy pattern is linear and its mode of intelligence is expressed as pure symbolic logic. I use the term angle to more aptly describe its angular mode of cogitation.

A daemon's energy pattern is circular and its mode of intelligence is expressed as the emotionally charged symbolism of the collective unconscious mind, (i.e., issues, struggles, complexes). A daemon is not an evil entity, but it is strongly emotional, intellectually recursive and represents the nonlinear reality of what in Physics is called curved space. An angel represents the factors of the archetypal intelligences of the Absolute Spirit, while the daemons represent the factors of spiritual transformation. Thus angels symbolically represent the archetypal masculine and daemons symbolically represent the archetypal feminine aspect of the Unified Spirit. Upon closer examination, one will observe that many of the names of the daemons are distortions of the names of pagan Gods and Goddesses, (such as Ashtoreth, being actually a derivation of Astarte). In this manner, also, is the bias against the daemons for the angels, as particularly revealed in the chauvinistic patriarchal religions whose source is the Middle East (Judaism, Christianity and Islam) .

However, the concepts of good and evil are irrelevant to the super-conscious minds of spirits and also to those humans who have attained to the Qabbalistic World level of Yetzirah. From the perspective of the higher three Qabbalistic worlds there is no division perceived between individuals; for all is as one within the Absolute Spirit. Yet these concepts of good and evil are important to those who still exist at the level of Assiah, and this includes most of present humanity. Cultural ethics are necessary for those people who still exist in a state divorced from the absolute source of consciousness, and who reside in the isolated state of over developed personal identities. Thus laws and their enforcement keep the various factions of humanity from annihilating each other (or at least they try to). For the magician, culturally determined morals are useless; thus the requirement for strict individual spiritual ethics and their enforcement through a spiritual discipline.

Understanding the qualities of a spirit’s character and its function will assist the magician in classifying it. However, the principle question that arises is: "What is the particular guiding factor that a magician uses to choose a specific spirit for invocation?" The guiding factor is, of course, determined by his or her spiritual need. Adepts have established their spiritual directives through the manifestation of the Higher Self, and these directives determine what is needed to augment their spiritual process of evolution. This directive is seldom completely known because it resides in the spiritual consciousness of one's Higher Self and is usually discovered in parts and in stages in the spiritual development of the adept.

However, a more simple method of determining whom to invoke is to discover the pure Qabbalistic derivation of one's personal God-form, as established by the Initiation for the Third Degree in the Order of the E.S.S.G. By assigning this God-form to its associated symbolic essence, you can make a comparison with the various Sephiroth of the Tree of Life and find one that most closely approximates it. You may consult with various Qabbalistic correspondences (such as those found in the book 777) to assist in this process. The resultant selected Sephirah is then examined to reveal the Spiritual Hierarchy associated with it. This hierarchy represents all the spirits which are pertinent to your spiritual requirements for growth and spiritual evolution.

Adepts, through their spiritual alignment, will invoke the Qabbalistic God-form and the associated archangel. They may also identify the Elemental Godhead and proceed to invoke the associated super archangels. Yet the process of invocation and evocation principally concerns itself with the Qabbalistic World of Yetzirah and the astral Zodiac, wherein reside the Angelic Ruling Spirits of the thirty-six decanates who possess specific qualities and who control various servitors that are the expressions of their power and authority. It is to these spirits that the process of invocation is most efficacious, and from this population adepts may choose one or more for their magickal workings. The spirit that is invoked becomes part of their personal spiritual process and therefore great care must be exercised in the selecting of a spirit for invocation and evocation.

One other method of selecting the angel of the decan is the Tarot - since the thirty-six decans are analogous to the thirty-six naib or pip cards of the Lesser Arcana (2 - 10 of each of the four suits). A re-occurring card of this class that constantly appears in a Tarot reading may be an indication that an invocation of that associated angel of the decan would be appropriate. You can also pick one of the these Tarot cards as indicative of the issues that you face and start from that point. For instance, if the affairs of love was an over-riding issue in your life, then the angel of the decan associated with the Two of Cups would be an excellent choice to assist you in resolving those issues. There are thirty-six different cards in the section of the Tarot, and each represents issues or challenges that affect the life of a human being, and these are a perfect way of categorizing life experiences and determining a supernatural remedy for them.


I hope this little section has given you some insights as to the nature of a spirit, it’s functionality and its domain or residence. Having a good definition of spirits greatly aids the ritual or ceremonial magician who seeks to either invoke or evoke them.

Frater Barrabbas

Goetic Evocation - The New Fad

A few years ago occult students and practicing magicians became enamored of the old grimoires and began to purchase newly translated and annotated copies of them. This may be due in part to published books written by Steve Savedow, Joseph C. Lisiewski and Aaron Leitch. All three authors recommended using the old grimoires in a literal fashion, and seemed to encourage the evocation of Goetic demons. Chaos magic has also lately latched on to Goetic demons, as if the faux gods of H.P. Lovecraft weren’t enough to keep them occupied. So now it’s quite stylish to use the Goetic demons in various workings and everyone seems to be getting on the bandwagon to engage in this kind of magical working.


Of course, I have no intention of engaging this new fad, since my system of magic always had the evocation of Goetic demons as an included part of its over-all strategy for magical theurgy and evocation. However, where I differ from the crowd is that I don’t work with these entities individually and in isolation. In a word, I don’t conjure anything without using a very tried and true context. This is because I believe that spirits don’t exist in a vacuum, that they have a very specific hierarchy and I use that hierarchy to work with spirits in combination. So that means that I don’t evoke Goetic demons in isolation, as seems to be the fad out there - instead I work with them as part of a hierarchy that includes the archangels of the 12 zodiacal signs, the angelic rulers of the 36 decans and the 72 angels of the ha-Shem. So if I sought to evoke one of the Goetic demons, it would only be after a series of theurgic workings that would include the archangels and angels that are part of its hierarchy.

The 72 demons of the Goetia have their counter-part in the 72 angels of the ha-Shem, and I would never evoke one of the demons without also invoking the matching angel of the ha-Shem. In this fashion the evocation would be controlled and balanced between light and darkness, which would protect me from potential demonic obsession and allow the dark aspects of my inner self and the inner planes to be worked out through the powers and the intercession of the ha-Shem angel. Pairing Goetic demons with angels of the ha-Shem isn’t new, since we have a record of this methodology found in the book, The Goetia of Dr. Rudd. Where I part with tradition is that I choose to build a complete spiritual context using the angelic rulers of the decans and the archangels of the twelve signs as part of the hierarchy of spirits that I engage when working theurgy and goetic evocation. It’s my understanding that the Golden Dawn had proposed this kind of hierarcy, Aleister Crowley hints at it in his Book of Thoth, and Carroll “Poke” Runyon uses a variation close to what I use. So there is some precedence for this hierarchy - but it’s likely to be recent and is not to be found in the tradition of the old grimoires, as far as I can tell.

If one were to perform the evocation of Goetic demons without use of the above hierarchy, then another hierarchy would implicitly come into play, and that would be the Infernal Hierarchy of Satan and the organization of Hell. This hierarchy is also part of the tradition of the old grimoires, but the demonic hierarchy would not be approached without the power and wisdom of the Holy Guardian Angel to aid and protect the magician. One would assume that because the magicians of the previous epoch would not have attempted to invoke a demon servitor without first going through the infernal hierarchy, then we shouldn’t consider these spirits in isolation either. However, because I am not a Christian or a Satanist, I believe that the infernal hierarchy is kind of contrived and represents a dualistic spiritual philosophy, which I don’t think is workable as a witch and pagan. I also don’t have a deity in my pantheon who is like the devil, even though the Horned God does come close - except that he continually dies and is reborn, which is not a good quality for an angelic adversary. I do believe that the concept of demons does work in a pagan and wiccan spiritual environment, and I will attempt to explain this theory.

So exactly what are demons anyway? If they are merely personifications and agents of evil, why would anyone want to traffic with them? One could assume that either magicians want to control the chaotic forces in their lives and apply them in a constructive fashion or they have a perverse desire to engage in malignancy and the exaltation of their own darkness. Others who traffic with them may be doing it out of curiosity, boredom, or because they are jaded and want some kind of new kick in their lives.

I see demons as spiritually negative, but more like a natural negativity - the dark Yin to the light Yang. Angels are like the agents of control who maintain the spiritual status quo, and demons are the agents of chaos who break up the status quo and counteract the laws of nature, including, perhaps, even the physical laws of nature. Where one could see angels as a kind of masculine force, demons would be feminine. They symbolize the archetypal opposition of light and darkness in nature, but without the connotation of good and evil. Angels represent the perfect mathematics of Euclidean space and Newtonian/Einsteinian physical laws, and demons would represent the curved and distorted intricacies of Non-Euclidean space and the convolutions of Quantum mechanics. One can see by this comparison that demons are an integral part of the natural spiritual world, and that if one works with angels, one should also ultimately work with demons as well - to maintain a holistic approach to magic and spiritual mechanics.

Since demons of any kind represent the opposite quality of angels, then we could assume that they would represent chaotic, disruptive and even stochastic spiritual forces and intelligences. Obviously, we would want to engage such forces and intelligences in a very controlled environment, but conversely, such entities would be useful in breaking through old patterns and dealing with internal flaws within the psyche, or even engaging in processes that would be considered outside of the normal space time continuum. Such a controlled use would require either the assistance of the Holy Guardian Angel, a hierarchy of archangels and angels, or a combination of both.

I have used demons in the past to specifically address my spiritual dark side, to realize myself as a being of light and darkness, and to learn to harness and empower my dark side so that I might be able to master myself. I believe that this is relevant because the physical and social worlds that we live in are neither light or dark, but rather a balanced grey. Demons help me to determine my limitations, flaws and weaknesses - something that angels would not be capable of doing since they are programmed to aid and assist humanity. Sometimes things need to be broken or even destroyed in order to ensure continued spiritual growth. Magicians, like everyone else, can allow habits and limiting opinions trap them. These habits can carve deep ruts in their lives that seem almost insurmountable. Drastic measures may be required to eliminate them. I believe that demons can do this quite adequately. Similarly, demons can also allow for the incursion of the impossible, assisting one in attracting totally new and completely unrealized possibilities into one’s life.

In the magician’s search for wisdom and power, no stone should be left unturned, and this is also true for the evocation of demons. However, I maintain my argument that one should never evoke demons without also working through the hierarchy and also, hopefully, having a powerful guide such as the Holy Guardian Angel to assist.

Frater Barrabbas