Re: Have you ever talked to a demon?
That depends on the Demon. For the most part They want energy, just like most deities. Devotional practices, prayer, emotion, offerings, direct energy exchange, belief, acknowledgement, respect... those things all impart energy to the deity that you are working with, and in my experience it's some variation of these things that most deities desire when they are working with people. Different devotional practices have different energetic kicks, and some deities have specific tastes or requirements. Some may ask that specific tasks are carried out or offerings made to organisations or spirits in this world.
It also depends on the relationship that you have. Many Demons have Divine Answering Machines just like other deities, though they are often set more to 'ignore' or 'piss off and leave me alone' than 'give the applicant a token energy boost'. I think that accounts for the negativity that some people feel when they approach Demons from a fearful or 'demons are malevolent' standpoint. You have to remember that many of these entities have been abused and treated badly by humans for thousands of years... particularly by ceremonial magicians who attempt to forcibly conjure and bind Them.
Just like for most deities, those transitory, temporary relationships 'for this spell only' often get an automatic energy exchange that happens and not much else... an 'accept the offering, send some energy for the working, continue doing my more important things' sort of response. But if you have an ongoing relationship with a Demon, or have a Demon as a patron/matron/teacher/whatever you want to call it then there may be other things involved. They may require you to learn certain skills so that you can perform work that They would like to have carried out in this world. Or if you are a shamanist and can journey then They may have tasks for you in the Otherworlds. Or you may be asked to run communications or interference or deliver messages or perform healings or whatever. It all depends on who you are dealing with... Glasya-Labolas will likely ask different things to Astaroth, for example. Just like Ares would ask for different things than Apollo might.
I am sworn to Skuld, who is not a Demon but a Jotnar goddess of the Northern pantheons. I do work with certain Demons on a semi-regular basis though, and they are generally happy to accept my standard payment of devotional artwork along with the initial energy exchange. They also work with me on the condition that I have a certain attitude and respect... if I thought that Demons were all evil malevolent spirits who must be forcibly conjured and bound by medieval symbols then obviously I wouldn't get much help from them. They seem to be a bit more cliquey too... in terms of banding together and protecting the interests of the other Demons in their pantheon. There seems to be less in-fighting and politics between them. Barbatos is the Demon that I work with the most, and we connect via my work with animal spirits and as a veterinary nurse. He appreciates emotion and passion for my patients and wards... I generally end up in tears when I work with Him, with an enormous sense of love and care for the animal that I am seeking help with. He drinks that up. On the other hand, Demons like Glasya-Labolas and Halphas couldn't care less what I feel or what my motivations are... it's all business with Them... accept Their help, make the payment, depart amicably with the understanding that if I need help again I know who to turn to.
Originally posted by SilentMentalist
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It also depends on the relationship that you have. Many Demons have Divine Answering Machines just like other deities, though they are often set more to 'ignore' or 'piss off and leave me alone' than 'give the applicant a token energy boost'. I think that accounts for the negativity that some people feel when they approach Demons from a fearful or 'demons are malevolent' standpoint. You have to remember that many of these entities have been abused and treated badly by humans for thousands of years... particularly by ceremonial magicians who attempt to forcibly conjure and bind Them.
Just like for most deities, those transitory, temporary relationships 'for this spell only' often get an automatic energy exchange that happens and not much else... an 'accept the offering, send some energy for the working, continue doing my more important things' sort of response. But if you have an ongoing relationship with a Demon, or have a Demon as a patron/matron/teacher/whatever you want to call it then there may be other things involved. They may require you to learn certain skills so that you can perform work that They would like to have carried out in this world. Or if you are a shamanist and can journey then They may have tasks for you in the Otherworlds. Or you may be asked to run communications or interference or deliver messages or perform healings or whatever. It all depends on who you are dealing with... Glasya-Labolas will likely ask different things to Astaroth, for example. Just like Ares would ask for different things than Apollo might.
I am sworn to Skuld, who is not a Demon but a Jotnar goddess of the Northern pantheons. I do work with certain Demons on a semi-regular basis though, and they are generally happy to accept my standard payment of devotional artwork along with the initial energy exchange. They also work with me on the condition that I have a certain attitude and respect... if I thought that Demons were all evil malevolent spirits who must be forcibly conjured and bound by medieval symbols then obviously I wouldn't get much help from them. They seem to be a bit more cliquey too... in terms of banding together and protecting the interests of the other Demons in their pantheon. There seems to be less in-fighting and politics between them. Barbatos is the Demon that I work with the most, and we connect via my work with animal spirits and as a veterinary nurse. He appreciates emotion and passion for my patients and wards... I generally end up in tears when I work with Him, with an enormous sense of love and care for the animal that I am seeking help with. He drinks that up. On the other hand, Demons like Glasya-Labolas and Halphas couldn't care less what I feel or what my motivations are... it's all business with Them... accept Their help, make the payment, depart amicably with the understanding that if I need help again I know who to turn to.
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