In Part 1 of this three part blog series on working with the spirits of the Goetia, I provided a brief discussion on who these spirits are, discussed what is known about the history of these spirits (although I don’t think humans can really know for sure exactly where they came from), and briefly discussed the topic of “paying” these spirits for their services. In Part 2, I introduced five of these spirits in more detail (King Paimon, President Botis, Prince Ipos, Duke Sallos, and Prince Sitri). In this post, the last in this series, I provide a brief introduction to actually working with these spirits, and also point to additional resources that will help you to develop a successful practice working with spirits.
As mentioned in Part 1, this blog series takes a demonolatry approach to working with these spirits (despite the fact that I don’t like to call these spirits “demons” because of the pejorative cultural connotation of this word, and I would not say I exactly “worship” these spirits, although I hold them in very high regard). There is not one single “right” way to work with these spirits. However, there are some established traditions relating to how to interact with these spirits, and it is likely that some or most of these traditions originated from instructions from the spirits themselves. For example, it is generally accepted that the origin of the sigils for each of the spirits were given to people by the spirits themselves, likely in the form automatic writing, or as a vision in the third eye, or in a dream, or something to that effect. A spirit’s sigil acts as his/her signature, and also provide a direct link that people can use to connect with him/her. That being said, each person has their own set of abilities, and the relationship each person has with these spirits will be unique. Additionally, if you chose to work with these spirits, your practice belongs to you and you alone. If you have a productive relationship with one or more of these spirits, who is anyone else to tell you that you are "doing it wrong"? Part of what is fun about magick and occultism is the freedom to experiment, and to find what works for you. And, at least in my case, a major part of what led me to occultism (and eventually to demonolatry) was my desire for a spiritual path that could allow me to connect with the spiritual nature of “reality” without having to subject myself to dogma.
Brief Description of how I Communicate With Spirits
Before I go any further, I would like to briefly discuss the way I tend to communicate with Goetic spirits. When doing an “invocation” (I will discuss this term in a little more detail later), I can directly connect with a spirit and feel his or her energy signature. How strongly I feel the presence when I do the invocation depends heavily on how deep of a meditative/trance state I can enter. I believe it also depends on less obvious variables, such as how many correspondences I used (which will affect how deep a trance state I am able to enter), and, very importantly, how eager the spirit is to connect with me. Once I have connected to a spirit’s energy, it becomes easier to communicate with the spirits in the future. My best friend is more skilled as a medium than I am, but I can nonetheless receive simple messages from Goetic spirits when they have something they want to say to me. Often, this type of communication comes in the form of an idea for a course of action related to the goals I am trying to achieve that I would not normally have thought of, along with a strong feeling that the message is coming from a specific spirit. Other times, when I have a question for a spirit, I have an intuitive feeling of what the spirit’s answer is.
However, as I just mentioned, my best friend is more skilled as a medium than I am. For this reason, if I feel that a spirit is trying to give me a specific message or is advising me to take a certain course of action or is answering a specific question, I ask my friend to confirm these impressions. He can usually do so, but he needs to be in the right frame of mind to do so. When I have more complex questions for the spirits, I often ask my friend to consult the spirits for me. He is able to get messages from the spirits in the form of what he describes as words written in smoke appearing in his third eye when his two physical eyes are closed.
Related to my friend’s development as a medium is his ability to become temporarily possessed by spirits so that they can communicate with me in a very direct way. These possessions typically only happen in a ritual context or when I have a specific question for the spirits, so these possessions are distinct from mental illness. During these possessions, one of the spirits that we work with takes full control of my friend’s body, and speaks using his voice, vocabulary, and verbal patterns; but it is obvious that a dramatic change in personality has occurred. There are no theatrics, my friend’s eyes don’t start to glow or anything. But during these possessions I am able to speak with the spirits as I would speak with another human being. I don’t think any of these possessions have lasted much longer than half an hour. Usually after about twenty minutes (if the possession even lasts that long), the spirit informs me that he or she needs to return my friend’s body soon, and wants to wrap up the conversation (the spirits we work with are aware that not returning control of my friend’s body within a reasonable amount of time would be a huge violation).
After the possession ends, my friend never remembers any of what was said during the possession and I have to fill him in. He typically feels like he had dozed off and is waking up from a nap after the possession has ended. I have asked the spirits if I could record these possessions, but they will not allow it, because, ask King Paimon explained to me, as intellectually curious as my friend may be about what happens during these possessions, it would be psychologically damaging for my friend to see another entity in control of his body and speaking through his voice. There is a lot more to my practice than what I have described here, but I wanted to give you an idea of what I mean when I say that a certain spirit said something to me.
Can Anybody Work With These Spirits?
Being able to sense and understand spiritual entities is a skill that anybody can learn. Some people are naturally able to do it without any training, and some people are able to learn quickly, but for others it will take more time and effort. The bare minimum requirement is the ability to enter into a trance state. I believe the reason why this is necessary is because most of the time our brains filter out psychic or spiritual perceptions, but this filter is temporarily suspended during a trance state. We all spontaneously slip into trance states at times; one example of this is the hypnagogic state we experience in the moments before we fall asleep. The trick is learning to enter a trance state on demand. In addition to being able to enter a trance state, it will also be helpful if you work to develop your astral senses and intuitive abilities. In the next subsection of this blog post, I will provide some basic exercises that can help you develop these skills, and will also recommend additional resources that will help you develop the skills needed to successfully work with Goetic spirits. It should also be noted that some of the Goetic spirits can help beginners develop these skills. King Paimon in specific is known for being patient with beginners, and for aiding in the development of the skills needed for working with spirits.
A Note on Trance States, Astral Senses, and Intuitive Ability
The importance of being able to enter a trance state cannot be overstated when attempting to work with spirits. In fact, the ability to access trance states is necessary to be effective in most types of magick. Shamanic traditions (traditions in which people learn to connect with nature on a spiritual level) throughout history and around the world have utilized, and continue to utilize a wide range of tools to achieve altered states of consciousness, including (but not limited to) a variety of breathing methods, chanting, drumming, dancing, different types of meditation, and dream work.
It would be intellectually dishonest to deny the role mind altering chemicals have played, and continue to play, in diverse shamanic traditions. However, for the purpose of this blog post, I would like to note that using mind altering substances to achieve trance states poses unique risks not present with other methods, including legal risks and risks to either physical health or mental health (or both). Furthermore, while it would be intellectually dishonest to not acknowledge that mind altering substances can allow the user to achieve deep trance states, it is also true that if people use only chemical methods of altering their states of consciousness without also training their minds, they ultimately will not develop their skills to their full potential. Because of this, I strongly encourage you to focus on approaches such as breathing and meditation. If you decide to use mind altering chemicals in your practice, please realize that you are doing so at your own risk; and also please do your research in order to reduce the risks to your body, mind, and [legal] freedom.
Developing your astral senses and your intuition is closely related to your ability to enter into a trance state. In fact, exercises to improve astral senses often involve deep states of concentration, and thus will also aid in the ability to enter trance states. Although describing in detail a number of exercises that will allow you to develop your ability to enter a trance state at will and allow you to develop your astral senses and intuition would take up too much space to include in this blog post, I would at least like to briefly discuss a few methods that you can use as a starting point.
The first exercise I would like to introduce is a form of yoga known as Trataka, and can also be referred to as candle gazing meditation. The purpose of this exercise is both to train yourself to enter into a trance state, and also to help open your third eye (which will profoundly improve your astral senses). This exercise is easiest to do in a dark room. Light a candle and place it between two and six feet in front of where you will be sitting, approximately at the same level as your eyes will be when seated. Once you are seated comfortably, you can begin the meditation. Simply focus your eyes on the candle, breath deeply, and clear your mind. Every time you catch your mind beginning to wander, simply let your thought slip away, and return your focus to the flame. Once you have been gazing at the flame for some time, try closing your eyes, and see how long you can hold the afterimage of the flame in your mind’s eye. I personally find this exercise easier if I have some relaxing music playing softly in the background. One advantage this exercise has over other forms of meditation is that the flame seems to make it easier to clear my mind of distractions. Something about gazing at a candle is deeply relaxing, which makes it easier to continue this exercise for a prolonged period of time than other forms of meditation.
This next exercise is designed specifically to help open the third eye, but it will also put you in a trance state. The third eye, or brow chakra, is located between and just above the two physical eyes, and is an important center for psychic perception. To practice this exercise, find a comfortable place to sit or lay down. Start by taking a deep breath in through your nose (make sure you are practicing diaphragmatic breathing, where your belly expands more than your chest when you are inhaling). When you exhale, you will physically do so through your nose, but you will imagine that you are breathing out through a mouth in the center of your forehead, just above your physical eyes. In other words, you will imagine that you are exhaling through your third eye. Over time, this will help increase the activity of your third eye, thus improving your psychic perceptions. Again, a key part of this exercise is clearing your mind. Try to focus all your attention on your breath and on the sensations in your third eye, and if other thoughts arise avoid engaging with them and simply le them them drift away.
In order to improve your intuitive ability, which will help you to better understand spirits once you begin to work with them, I highly recommend learning a divination skill such as Tarot. Learning with a good Tarot deck will not only improve your intuitive abilities, it will also help you become familiar with symbolic systems that will be useful in any magickal or spiritual practice. I personally recommend Aleister Crowley and Frieda Harris’ Thoth Tarot deck (if you buy this deck, I would highly recommend getting the edition that comes in the green box rather than the edition that comes in the blue box because the cards that come in the green box are of much higher quality, and it is also much easier to see subtle details with symbolic significance on the edition that comes in the green box). Crowley and Harris’ Thoth deck is arguably the Tarot deck with the most in depth symbolism, and also has breathtakingly beautiful artwork. To learn to use the Thoth Tarot deck, I suggest you read Lon Milo DuQuette’s book Understanding Aleister Crowley’s Thoth Tarot, as it far easier to read than Aleister Crowley’s The Book of Thoth (the book written by Crowley as a manual to the Thoth deck), but still goes into a great amount of detail about kabbalistic, astrological, alchemical, and Thelemic symbolism in the cards. DuQuette’s book goes far beyond simply describing interpretations for each of the cards, and almost half of the book is devoted to providing the reader with the background needed for a deep understanding of the Thoth deck (and to a lesser extent Tarot in general). Simply by learning how Tarot works as an esoteric system will go a long way in helping you develop skills in magick, mysticism, and occultism.
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Developing the ability to enter deep trance along with astral senses and intuitive abilities can be a lifelong effort. No matter how good you are you can always get better. While the simple exercises listed above are a starting point, if you are at an early stage in your development, it would be to you benefit to read books written by others and practice the exercises presented in the books. There are three books in particular that I would like to recommend. These books are not specifically about working with spirits (although all three of these books touch on spirit work in some form or another).
The first book I would like to recommend is Initiation Into Hermetics by Franz Bardon. This book is incredibly dense, and also focuses far more on practice than on theory. To be honest, mastering all the techniques and practices in the book would be a lifelong endeavor for most people. Despite this fact, even if you focus only on the exercises in the first few "chapters" (or "steps", as Bardon describes the subdivisions in this book), your psychic and magickal abilities will improve dramatically and you will be at a level where it is possible to begin working with Goetic spirits. Some of the language in Initiation Into Hermetics reads as a bit archaic, and Bardon was influenced rather heavily by Christianity, but the depth of this book still makes it worth reading. Initiation into Hermetics takes a very balanced approach to developing magickal and psychic skills, emphasizing the importance of developing as a complete person. The book is divided into progressively more advanced “steps”, and each “step” is broken down into “physical”, “astral”, and “mental” exercises to ensure the reader remains balanced as he or she progresses as a magician.
The second book I recommend for development of magickal and psychic skills (i.e. skills that will ultimately aid in effectively working with spirits) is Liber Null and Psychonaut by Peter Carroll. This book is actually a compilation of two separate books by Carroll that were originally meant as training texts for the magickal order known as The Illuminates of Thanoteros. Peter Carroll is now known as one of the founders of the approach to magick known as “Chaos Magick”, which emphasizes finding techniques that produce results rather than strict adherence to any single magickal system. Liber Null and Psychonaut provides a balance between theory and practice. Special attention is given both to a variety of methods for achieving trance states and exercises that will enhance astral senses and intuitive skills. In addition to developing these skills, the reader will also learn some practical magickal approaches that will allow him or her to bring about real change in his or her life. This book does contain some rather dark material, and covers things like curses (something that I do not condone). Even if some of this material is disturbing and related to methods that I would not use, I still find the discussion about rather dark magickal topics informative and would recommend reading this material even if it makes you uncomfortable, as it will ultimately serve to give you a deeper understanding of how magick works.
The final book I want to recommend is Hands-On Chaos Magic by Andrieh Vitimus (notice that in this book “magic” is spelled without the “k” at the end, as not everyone uses the alternative spelling “magick” when discussing occult practices). This book may ultimately be the most useful of the three for those looking to develop the skills needed to work with spirits. Having been published in 2009, Hands-On Chaos Magic uses more modern sounding language than either Initiation into Hermetics or Liber Null and Psychonaut. Additionally, the book is written specifically to be accessible to those new to the study of occultism. Like Initiation Into Hermetics, Hands-On Chaos Magic focuses heavily on exercises. In addition to learning about various methods of achieving trance states, the reader will also learn a variety of advanced sorcery methods (even among people who practice various forms of witchcraft, sorcery sometimes has a dark reputation; it is up to you to decide what uses of sorcery you consider to be morally acceptable). This book also has several chapters dedicated to working with spirits. Vitimus explores various frameworks for interacting with spirits ranging from a traditional Solomanic-like approach and an approach more akin to what would be considered demonolatry. Some of the methods Vitimus explores for interacting with spirits could be seen as disrespectful. Again, it is up to you to decide what you are comfortable with.
Although some basic skills are needed to have a productive working relationship with Goetic spirits, these are skills anyone can learn. The exercises I provided are a good starting point, but if you are truly interested in developing these abilities to your potential, I would recommend practicing exercises from other sources, such as the books discussed above.
A Short Discussion About Terminology
Different traditions use different terms when discussing how they work with spirits. As has been a recurring point in this series of blog posts on working with Goetic spirits, there are radically different approaches to working with these spirits. The approach laid out in the Lesser Key of Solomon is typically referred to as either the “Solomonic approach” (having to do with King Solomon), or as the “Ceremonial Magic” approach [henceforth referred to as “the CM approach” for brevity]. In the CM approach, there is a clear distinction between what are known as “evocations” and “invocations”. In the context of the CM approach, Evocations have to do with calling a spirit forth and compelling them to appear in a “triangle of the art”, and invocations refer to a practitioner calling a spirit within him/herself, allowing the practitioner to feel the spirit’s energy in his or her own body.
The demonolatry approach is an entirely different paradigm for working with spirits, and also uses different terminology. I prefer the demonolatry approach not only because it is safer and more respectful (as it does not seek to coerce the spirits into serving the magician against their will), but also because it is far simpler to learn. According to S. Connolly’s The Complete Book of Demonolatry (a book which will be discussed later in this post), demonolaters do not practice evocation in the CM sense of coercing the spirits to appear and confining them in a triangle of the art so that the magician may order them to do his/her will; to do so is seen as extremely disrespectful from the demonolatry perspective. Connolly states that demonolaters typically invoke spirits instead, but argues that in the context of demonolatry, “invocation” doesn’t necessarily mean bringing the spirit within the practitioner, but rather simply refers to connecting with the energy of a spirit.
In practice, connecting with the energy of a spirit could be understood as either calling the spirit forth (without the connotation of trying to confine or coerce the spirit), or as calling the spirit within the practitioner, depending on how the experience is perceived by the magician. By definition, demonolaters do not use protective circles (protective circles would demonstrate a mistrust of the spirits from whom they are seeking advice or assistance) or triangles of the art (triangles of the art are used in the CM approach to confine and coerce spirits, thus demonolaters understand them to be disrespectful). However, I personally don’t consider it problematic if people taking a demonolatry approach chose to make a distinction between “invocation” and “evocation” based on the perception of whether the spirit is outside of him/her or whether the energy of the spirit is taken within him/her. That being said, for the purpose of this blog post, I chose to use the term “invocation” to mean connecting with the energy of a spirit.
Choosing a Spirit to Work With
Before you can begin working with a spirit, you will obviously need to decide which spirit to work with. Although I introduced five of the 72 Goetic spirits in Part 2, if you are seriously interested in working with Goetic spirits, I would recommend reading about what each of the 72 spirits has to offer. Aleister Crowley commissioned (and edited) the translation of the first book of The Lesser Key of Solomon into English. This translation is now in the public domain (and can be found here), and its contents include a list of all 72 of the Goetic spirits, a description of their abilities and natures, and the sigils of these spirits. As described in Part 1, the Lesser Key of Solomon takes a very different approach to working with these spirits than the approach that I use and recommend, but it is still the most authoritative reference on the names, abilities, and sigils of the spirits of the Goetia. A more recent manuscript that I find very helpful for the purpose of seeing what each spirit has to offer is Goetia Illustrated with Pathworkings by Carl Spartacus. In addition to providing descriptions of each of the spirits of the Goetia along with their sigils, this book also contains pictures of each of the spirits as visualized by the author. Spartacus also provides additional useful information about each spirit, such as their Enns, and which incense is best to burn as an offering (each spirit has his/her own Enn, which is a phrase in the so called “demonic language” that can be used to connect with a spirit).
When deciding which spirit to work with, I would recommend reading through a list (such as can be found in Crowley’s translation of the Lesser Key of Solomon or Carl Spartacus’ book), looking at their sigils, and deciding if you feel a connection to any of them or if their abilities correspond to your goals. One thing to keep in mind is that if you work closely with a spirit, over time your personality and behavior will be somewhat transformed. However, this transformation of personality and behavior is not simply a side effect of working with a spirit, it is also the goal. When you ask a spirit for help on a specific project or goal, the spirit typically won’t just give you what you want, what they are more likely to do is guide you on how you need to change yourself and what types of actions you will need to take in order to achieve your goal.
Preparing to Work With a Spirit
After you have decided a spirit to work with, it will be beneficial for you to do some preliminary research on your chosen entity. This can involve finding out about the spirit’s correspondences (such as Tarot card, incense, etc.), his/her Enn, and, if the information is available, the identity of the spirit in ancient Middle Eastern mythology. A simple Google search can be quite helpful when researching a spirit, although in order to get relevant results, it is better to use the spirit’s name and rank along with the word word “Goetia” in your search query(e.g. “King Paimon Goetia”, or “President Botis Goetia” etc.). If possible, read about the experiences others have had when working with the spirit you want to work with (Reddit is an excellent resource for such things, and there are plenty of YouTube videos related to these spirits; I am a bit old to be hanging out on TicTok, but I would imagine it would be another viable resource to learn about others’ experiences with these spirits). Reading the experiences others have had with the spirit you have chosen will give you a better idea of what their personality is like and how they are likely to change your life.
It is generally a good idea to know why you want to connect with your chosen spirit. Do you want to work with them to develop specific skills? Do you want help in relationship to a certain issue in your life? Do you simply want to ask a specific question or to ask for advice? Some spirits may resent you wasting their time if you call them without a specific purpose (I know this to be true from direct experience). It is also possible that in the case of certain spirits, if you come to them without a specific purpose, will choose to become involved in your life in ways you may or may not desire (remember, each spirit has his/her own personality and his/her own idea of how you need to be shaped in order to reach your potential). In some cases, you may feel very strongly drawn to a specific spirit, but not have any idea what you want to ask them. If this is the case, it is very likely that the spirit is subtly reaching out to you. If this is the case, I would recommend approaching them and asking how a relationship with them could be of benefit to you.
Once you have researched your chosen spirit and decided on why you want to contact him or her (even if your reason is that you feel that they were calling to you and you want to hear what they have to offer), you are ready for your first invocation. The minimum needed for an invocation, in my opinion, is the spirit’s sigil (either drawn, printed, or on a computer/smartphone screen). The only people who don’t need to have a copy of a spirit’s sigil are people with sufficiently developed visualization skills to hold the sigil in their mind’s eye for an extended period of time (this is not an easy task for most people, but this method has the advantage of doubling as a means of entering a trance state). In addition to having the sigil available, decide what other components to integrate into your invocation ritual. It may be useful to either memorize or write down the spirit’s Enn. Integrating incense is also useful, it can double as an offering (although you are free to give other offerings as well), and can also help you enter more deeply into a trance state. If you are going to use incense, it is ideal if you can use the incense that traditionally corresponds with your chosen spirit. Other elements that may be useful are things like an alter, candles, scrying devices (such as crystal balls and black mirrors), and magical weapons (such as wands, daggers, chalices, and pentacles), but these are optional.
Your First Invocation
In this subsection, I will provide an example of what an invocation may look like. Feel free to make your own rituals either more or less elaborate, but the two things you should keep in mind are as follows: 1) The spirit’s sigil is the absolute bare necessity (if you can hold the sigil vividly in your mind’s eye a physical copy or computer display may not be necessary) and 2) The purpose of any ritual is to put your mind into a state where you are receptive to perceptions outside of the everyday “normal”.
Step 1) Find an environment in which to do the invocation. A room should make a good environment (if possible, a relatively tidy room), but there is no reason you can’t do the whole process outdoors if you desire. And, let’s face it, some of us are neater than others. My room is a mess by I still work with spirits in my room nonetheless. You will now want to begin to set the environment for the invocation. I would recommend putting on some soothing music that will make it easier for you to fall into a trance state (although for some people silence will work better). Incense can help set the atmosphere, and if you know which incense corresponds to the spirit you are working with, you can use it as an offering as well. It is entirely up to you what sort of lighting you prefer. I would suggest keeping the light relatively dim. If you want to light the room with candles, that is a wonderful idea and will likely make it easier to enter the state of mind where you can perceive the spirit you will be working with (if working with candles, of course take proper precautions to prevent a fire).
Step 2: Perform any sort of banishing ritual using whatever techniques are most comfortable to you. While this step isn’t strictly necessary for success, it can be helpful for the purpose of clearing both your mind and your immediate environment so that there will be less “astral clutter” that could interfere with your communication with your chosen spirit. If you have no idea where to start, The Lesser Banishing Ritual of the Pentagram (which you can read about here) is pretty effective and is not all that difficult to learn. Personally I dislike how this ritual draws from the Abrahamic religions (specifically Judaism in this case), but it is none-the-less very effective, and the components relating to Judaism can be replaced with whatever symbolism you feel better reflects your beliefs.
Step 3: Next, determine which direction you should be facing when you try to connect to your chosen entity. For example, it is said that King Paimon should be called to the East or Northeast because that is where his house is. When you are facing the appropriate direction, place the sigil of your chosen spirit in front of you or hold it in your hand. At this point, there are a few different approaches you can take. First, you could simply gaze at it and do your best to empty your head of all thoughts, and simply allow yourself to fell the energy of the sigil. Alternatively, you can chant your spirit’s Enn while gazing at his/her sigil until you fall into a deep enough trance and feel his/her presence (chanting can also be a method of achieving an altered state of consciousness). Yet another way you can proceed is simply meditating to one of the many “Enn Chant” videos on YouTube, which display a spirit's sigil and have audio of someone chanting the spirit's Enn. You can find Enn chant videos on YouTube for every spirit of the Goetia and for many other spirits as well. For example, you can find an "Enn Chant" video for King Paimon here.
The first time you try, you may or may not feel the presence of your chosen spirit in the room. For me, one of the easiest ways to tell when the spirit has arrived is when the sigil begins to “glow” or “flash” with energy (this isn’t something you will see with your physical eyes, the sigil will just somehow look more alive with an energy that will at first seem alien to you). You may also have the feeling that another entity is in the room with you. Even if you don’t experience any of these phenomena, you should probably still assume the spirit is there. At this point, you can state your request to the spirits (please, don’t try to command the spirit). After you have said what you have to say to the spirit, sit back for a few minutes and try to clear your mind in order to be better able to receive any message the spirit may have for you. Even if you don’t receive an immediate answer, don’t get discouraged. If the spirit is interested in working with you, he/she is likely to find some way of communicating with you in the coming days (even if your psychic abilities are not yet well developed). Ways this could happen include synchronicities, dreams, or the answer to your question just popping into your mind; the possibilities are endless. After you are finished addressing and “listening to” the spirit, thank him/her for coming (I recommend doing so even if you didn't "feel" anything). In the traditional CM approach, banishing is done both before and after contacting spirits, but in the demonolatry approach the spirits typically are not banished after the invocation, as they are considered teachers.
Building a Relationship With a Spirit
Regardless of whether the invocation ritual described in the previous section was mind blowing or if you didn’t “feel” anything, the initial invocation is just an introduction. If you did not feel any definitive presence during your initial invocation, I would generally suggest you repeat the invocation until you are familiar with the distinct energy of the spirit (although, as I already mentioned, your chosen spirit may find a way to communicate with you after your first invocation, even if you didn’t “feel anything” at the time). After you have connected with a spirit once, you will have at least tasted his/her energy, and you can begin to form an opinion as to whether this spirit is someone who you would like to work with. If you for any reason get a bad feeling about a spirit, it is probably best if you break off contact (in fact, it is very possible that the spirit gave you a “bad feeling” about him/her specifically because he/she doesn’t think you are ready to work with him/her). On the other hand, as already noted, some spirits (President Botis for example) may try to scare you when you first contact them as sort of a test, but this is a different from having a “bad feeling” about a spirit. Additionally, if you approach your chosen spirit from a position of fear you are far more likely to have a negative experience. If you were raised in one of the Abrahamic religions (as I was), you may have been conditioned as a child to believe that all spirits that are not explicitly “angels” are “evil”; breaking this sort of conditioning is essential to successfully working with Goetic spirits.
On the other hand, if you successfully connect with the energy of a spirit and enjoy the energy, this could be the beginning of a beautiful friendship. Just as is the case with humans, successful relationships with spirits are based on mutual respect. It is important that you both show respect to and feel respected by your chosen spirit; if you feel disrespected by a spirit or are unable to respect them, you should break off contact. Just as every relationship between two humans is unique, every relationship between a human and a spirit is also unique. For this reason, it is impossible to tell you exactly how you should proceed in building a relationship with a spirit; but what I can do is provide some basic suggestions for the type of approach you can take.
One way of showing respect toward a spirit (and thus building a relationship) is through offering. Offerings can take many different forms, and it is possible that a spirit will request a specific type of offering from you. If you don’t know where to begin with offerings, and want something simple, burnt offerings of incense are likely to be a good way to start. On a daily basis, I dedicate and burn one incense stick to King Paimon, one to President Botis, and one to Prince Ipos. You can find out about the incense preference of each spirit in texts such as the manuscript by Carl Spartacus. Sometimes it isn’t possible to find the traditional incense associated with each spirit. For example, the traditional incense for President Botis is storax, which is impossible to find. Botis has told me that he personally likes opium incense (the incense, not the drug), so that is what I use whenever possible. Unfortunately I can’t always even get opium incense, but even if I do not have it, I use another type of incense for the purpose of my daily burnt offerings. I personally suspect it is not so much the offerings themselves as it is the thought and energy behind the offerings that spirits appreciate. And by making an offering to a spirit, you are improving your connection with the spirit because you are dedicating time and energy to your chosen entity.
Another way of creating a connection with a spirit is through the creation of a piece of artwork in his or her honor. The spirits that are most likely to appreciate such an offering are the ones who teach the arts. For certain people, their primary motivation for working with specific spirits may be for artistic inspiration. In these cases, the magician would likely be creating artwork that is both inspired by, and at times dedicated to his or her chosen spirit. Even if you are not especially artistically inclined, and are primarily working with one or more spirits for other reasons, if you feel inspired to create a piece of artwork dedicated to a spirit, the spirit will most likely appreciate the gesture (even if the artistic expression is very simple and does not require advanced skills).
It seems that many or most Goetic spirits (some almost certainly more than others) appreciate it when people help them to spread their sigils in the world. One great way to spread a spirit’s sigil in the world is to wear jewelry (or clothing for that matter) of the sigil of the spirit you wish to honor. One good thing about wearing jewelry (most likely in the form of a pendant) with a spirit’s sigil on it is that it can simultaneously deepen your connection with your chosen spirit while also setting healthy boundaries to your work with spirits. When you are wearing a pendant of a spirit’s sigil, it definitely creates a strong connection between you and the spirit. You are showing your reverence for a spirit to the public. The way I like to think about it is that my connection with the spirits who’s pendents I am wearing is strongest while I am wearing the jewelry. At times, the pendants might start to somehow feel warm (or produce some other sensation), and you may receive some sort of message (it can feel like an “answer” or idea just comes into your head; this can be a way the spirits can use the pendants to communicate with you. While you are wearing a spirit’s pendant, think of the spirit’s energy being integrated into your aura. This is, in a way, like wearing an enchanted necklace in a role-playing video game. While wearing a spirit’s pendant, your behavior is likely to subtly change, specifically shaping you behavior as to be more conducive to the goals you are working toward with your chosen spirit. For example, while wearing a pendant of Prince Ipos’ sigil, your social skills and confidence are likely to improve.
If you do decide to wear a pendant of your chosen spirit’s sigil, I would advice that you at least try to behave in a manner that would bring honor to the spirit who’s sigil you are wearing. We are only human, and will at times fail to live up to either our own standards or the standards of the spirits we may work with. The spirits are aware of our imperfections, and are likely to be understanding (although this depends on the spirit) when and if we fall short of either our own standards or the standards of the spirit you are working with. Think of it this way: If you meet someone who is wearing a Christian cross pendant who behaves like a self centered jerk (a stronger word than “jerk” could be used here, but I am trying to keep the profanity to a minimum), that does not reflect well on Christianity. If you are wearing a pendant of a spirit’s sigil but are behaving in a shameful manner, this does now show the spirit the respect he/she deserves. The good news is that while you are wearing a spirit’s sigil, the spirit is more likely to help you behave in a manner that will bring honor to him or her.
As mentioned above, in addition to helping you build a stronger connection with a spirit, wearing a spirit’s pendent as jewelry can also help you set healthy boundaries. Think of it this way, if you were to get a tattoo of a spirit’s sigil, you would be creating a similar type of link with a spirit as can be built by wearing jewelry or clothing of their sigils, but the connection will most likely be far stronger, and you would be essentially entering into an agreement with the spirit that they would play a major role in shaping you for the rest of your life (this may be appropriate and desirable if you have chosen a specific spirit as a "patron", but it is not something to take lightly). On the other hand, one way to think about wearing a spirit’ pendant is that while wearing it, you have a much more direct connection to the spirit than when you are not wearing the pendent (this is not to say your relationship with a spirit ends the moment you take the pendant off; it is simply saying that by wearing the pendent of a spirit, you are opening yourself to the spirit being more directly involved in your life. If thing start becoming too intense when wearing a spirit’s sigil as a pendent, you can consider taking the pendent off temporarily in order to slow things down. Although the Goetic spirits tend to be benevolent (for the most part), one potential danger of working with them is the possibility of becoming obsessed with a spirit (this problem is not exclusive to working with Goetic spirits, in other religions there are obsessed fundamentalists, some of whom are willing to commit violence in the name of their religion). Working under the assumption that your connection to a spirit is strongest when you are wearing their sigil offers you the opportunity to create a little bit of distance between yourself and the spirit if things start to get too intense and you need a break.
Another way of building a relationship with a spirit involves combining the wearing of pendents of their sigils with making artwork. You can make a necklace using both a spirit’s sigil along with crystal beads. I have a necklace I made with King Paimon’s sigil (I ordered the pendant) along with clear quartz, amethyst, serpentine, tiger’s eye, and citrine beads on an elastic thread. This can allow you to use your creativity while creating something impressive that you can wear to improve your connection with your chosen spirit. The gemstones seem to add to the aesthetic of the necklace, and make it feel more powerful than simply putting the pendant on a ball chain (keep in mind that crystal gemstones have powers on their own, even without a pendant).
Keep in mind that this advice on how to build a relationship with a spirit is just one perspective. Once you start working with one or more Goetic spirits, you will develop your own approach to building the relationship(s). These spirits are ancient, and humans have interacted with them over at least thousands of years (remember that the spirits of the Goetia were worshiped as deities in the ancient Middle East, and it is very possible that humans were interacting with them even before that time). Culture has changed enormously since the time when these spirits were worshiped as gods and goddesses, and so have the ways humans interact with them. If a spirit asks you to interact with him or her in a certain way, I suggest you listen to them (although this does not mean that you should do everything every spirit tells you to do), but in the absence of guidelines from the spirits, I suggest you do what feels right to you. Most Goetic spirits will likely appreciate any effort you take to pay homage to them and build a closer relationship so long as you do it from a position of respect.
Further Readings
This three part blog series has provided a basic introduction to working with Goetic spirits. It is my hope that the information in this series of posts will serve as a starting point for people interested in this type of spiritual work. That said, this is by no means a comprehensive guide to working with these spirits. Even if you are able to begin working with Goetic spirits with just the information that I have provided, I would strongly encourage you to seek out further information and other perspectives on this topic. Earlier in this post, I referenced books that can serve the purpose of being comprehensive lists of the 72 spirits of the Goetia (The first book of the Lesser Key of Solomon and Carl Spartacus’ Goetia Illustrated with Pathworkings). While these are useful references, neither one of them provides information about taking the demonolatry approach to working with these spirits.
One book I would highly recommend is S. Connolly’s The Complete Book of Demonolatry. Connolly’s book does not exclusively deal with the spirits of the Goetia, it also includes many other spirits with ancient Middle Eastern origin. Not only does this book provide information about many different spirits, it also explores in depth elemental correspondences for different spirits, discusses holidays when specific spirits can be honored (she connects spirit holidays to the pagan “wheel of the year”), and provides numerous ideas for rituals for various spirits and life events. Unlike myself, Connolly doesn’t take issue with the practice of calling these spirits “demons”. Another difference between Connolly's approach and my own is that while I approach the topic of demonolatry as an occult practice rather than a religion, she approaches demonolatry as a religion in its own right, and portrays demonolatry as a specific form the religion of “Theistic Satanism”. While this may be off-putting to some readers (including myself), I decided to not let her alternative perspective and use of language to prevent me from learning from this book. So even if you want nothing to do with any type of “Satanism” (as I stated in Part 1 of this series of posts, I do NOT identify as a Satanist), I would still recommend this book if you are interested in working with Goetic spirits. When studying occultism (or many other subjects), it is useful to read literature that provides perspectives different from what you are used to and takes you outside of your comfort zone.
One resource that is perhaps more valuable than any book you can find on the topic is the Demonolatry Practices subreddit. The Demonolatry Practices subreddit is a very active community of people of all experience levels dedicated to the topic of working with spirits (both from the Goetia hierarchy and others; including some with origins from parts of the world other than the Middle East). Conversation on this subreddit tends to be quite friendly and constructive. As long as you don’t have a rotten attitude, people on this forum will be more than happy to answer pretty much any question you have related to this subject.
Jason Miller's blog post Be Nice -- An approach to Goetia provides a first hand account of why it is better to approach Goetia spirits from a position of respect rather than trying to coerce them. He explains that when he began working with Goetia spirits, he took the traditional CM approach, but eventually began to take an approach more similar to the one I have presented in this blog series. He explains that while commanding spirits may have had more immediate results, the spirits clearly were not happy about being bossed around, and certainly had no loyalty to him. Once he began to treat the spirits with respect and build relationships, he had more sustainable results, and some of these spirits became powerful allies.
Finally, it is only fair to acknowledge that not everyone has the same perspective on this topic. Jonathan Rose's blog post Why Summoning Demons Is Not Child's Play argues that the approach I have taken here is incredibly irresponsible and dangerous. He argues that the CM approach needs to be employed because , if the magician does not want to be manipulated by spirits he or she must be able to assume the authority of "God" through ritual. I strongly disagree with Rose's position, but his post is still worth reading. Even though I disagree with his overall tone and conclusions, he makes some points that are at least worth considering. Remember, exposing yourself to perspectives other than your own can lead to a deeper understanding.
If you have specific questions, feel free to post them in the comments section of this page. I will try to answer your questions if I can, and if I can’t, I will try to point you to resources that can help you find the answers you seek. For those of you that made it through all three of my blog posts in this series, that you very much for taking the time to read what I had to say, and if you decide to start working with Goetic spirits, I hope it works out to be a fruitful practice to you.
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