I’m (very) new to the practice of demonolatry. There wasn’t any demonolatry community on Lemmy that I could find. I’m hoping that’s not because there’s no interest in it. Hopefully this can be a thriving community.
Could you explain your core tenets/beliefs and experiences?
I’m interested from a scientific viewpoint and already research a lot of esoterica.
I don’t speak for all demonolaters, etc.
I don’t think beliefs matter much in religious practice, despite what a minority of religions say. If you were raised Christian, you probably remember John 3:16. It’s “whosoever believeth in Him” who gets everlasting life. “Belief” is the crucial ingredient according to New Testament.
That’s not how all religions work. A lot of Zen Buddhist masters would never mention “beliefs” at all.
So what do I think really matters then? I’m afraid I can’t answer that. I believe what all religions (all endeavors, even) are trying to get at is ineffable. Not to say they don’t give it names, but in so doing, they miss the mark. Some label it “God” but God cannot be named. This is part of why many Orthodox Jews don’t speak or write the “name” of God, instead writing “G-d” or some such. No image can capture it. This is part of why Muslims never depict Allah in images. I’ve heard Zen Teachers dedicate significant parts of the beginning of Dharma talks stating why they really shouldn’t be giving that Dharma talk at all. No one can speak of “it” (whatever “it” is… or isn’t.) And by trying, they’re only leading people away from it. This is part of why many Zen Buddhists insist that “it is not a thing.” Even calling it “it” is problematic.
Perhaps (perhaps) the closest one can come to what really matters is through direct experience. Even this approach requires caution. It’s possible for experiences to lead one astray as well.
So, why do I practice demonolatry? Because of the experiences it affords. At least at this point in my life, my experience lately has been that I’ve found more “power” in communing with demons than in with the God of the Judeo-Christian family of religions or the Dharmakaya or Brahman of eastern religions. I put “power” in quotes there because I’m not speaking of influence or ability in consensus reality here. I’m speaking of potential to move that direct experience needle. To have deep and profound experiences. Perhaps demonolatry won’t do that for me forever. Perhaps some day I’ll move on to something else. But for now, it works. I’m a pragmatist.
But, here I am still dancing around your question. Since I’ve put so much emphases on direct experience, and since you asked directly, it probably makes sense for me to describe my experiences.
I think part of the draw of demonolatry specifically is the variety of experiences it affords. Christianity is about praying “to God.” I suppose Catholics who pray to Mary or saints may be an exception here. Zen Buddhists often insist on many hours of zazen many hours a day for decades. But for demonolaters, the experience of a rite to commune with Belial might differ greatly from a rite communing with Lilith.
Recently I performed a rite with Buer. My experience of him was of a searing, but not uncomfortable, heat, burning away many undesirable elements present in my psyche at the time. Azazel feels more terrestrial, as if he takes on a “friendlier” form to commune with me. Lucifer is cold and aloof, but offers some mind-blowing, ineffable experiences.
To circle back to your question once again, you asked about “tenets.” I doubt honestly that if you asked any two demonolaters what they believe that you’d get much commonality in their answers. (Unlike many Christians who tend to hold to the Nicene Creed.) As such, I doubt an answer to the question of “what are the tenets of demonolatry” would be satisfying. I think it’s fair to say that most demonolaters would agree that “communing with demons offers experiences I’ve found positive,” but probably not much beyond that. Some dislike the term “demonolatry,” objecting that they don’t “worship” demons. Many of such people use the term “demonosophy” instead. Some who practice incorporate their demonolatry/demonosophy practice into a wider pagan practice of “black magic” but many do not.
But what about me? What do I personally believe about the demons I work with. Do they exist? Am I actually communicating with real entities? Do they affect consensus reality in supernatural or paranormal ways?
Personally, I believe there is an infinite number of copies of this (and every other conceivable) universe. And in some of them, demons are real and supplication can result in what might be called “supernatural” or “paranormal” effects in consensus reality. And in some of them demons aren’t real and I’m playing a fun little solitaire game with myself when I burn demon sigils drawings with my blood on them. In some, demons exist and can hear, but cannot or will not affect consensus reality. I suppose there must even be some universes in which I practice demonolatry without having any profound experiences and revisionistically misremember the rites after the fact as powerfully impactful. In some universes demons exist and the “host of heaven” described in Christian tenets do not. In others, God and the angels exist but not the demons. In ones where both exist, sometimes the demons are the “good guys” and heaven is the “bad guys.” In others, vice versa. And I believe the question “am I one of the 'me’s who exists in a universe where there’s something to this demonolatry stuff or am I one of the 'me’s in a more mundane universe?” is a meaningless one. All the mundane-universe and supernatural-universe "me"s are having the exact same experiences. One consciousness unites them. And thus “I” am all of them simultaneously.
Hopefully this all answers your question.
Ave Satanas.
Thank you for taking your time to write out your thoughts and views! I myself ascribe to at least some of your tenets, if I can call them that. I, too, believe that “belief” is or can be an extremely powerful force, powerful enough to influence consensus reality if only because of the placebo effect. To that effect, I have attempted communion with the ancient classical aspects that were already worshipped by the Greeks & Romans. After all, they were worshipped and honored by hundreds of millions over a span of almost a millennium - there is power in that, even if they aren’t “popular” today. I can’t say I’ve had as intense experiences as you describe, but I do feel as if the general ideas of their core values is somewhat transfered to me after a sacrifice (these sacrifices are mostly written votives in Latin, together with a libation of wine, oil or grain, which are then burned).
Funny thing is, my SO is a practising Roman Catholic so what I’m doing is essentially idolatry from their perspective. Then again, my views on Christianity aren’t exactly too mainstream either. I firmly believe that the early Gnostics and the later Cathars were very close to what could be interpreted as the “truth”, which is exactly why they were persecuted into extinction.
In short, if God exists, he is Evil, even if he himself doesn’t realize it. Which is why I’ve always had a problem with worshipping “creator-gods”. That’s why the separate aspects of pagan religions are so much more interesting from both a societal and religious viewpoint than mainstream religion.
Cura ut valeas!