“Demons are explicitly christian” Only the ones wearing the priest robes, mitres, and attending church or mass. All other demons are free to pursue whatever faiths they wish.

the word “daemon” existed in Greek way before Christianity existed, so.

Christians got their ideas about ‘demons’ from the ancient Greek, then Roman, spirits called Daemons/Daimons.  But in actuality, ‘Daemon’ was an umbrella term that could encompass mischievous spirits, nature spirits, household spirits, and ghosts.

When the New testament was Translated from Hebrew into Greek, the word ‘Daimon’ was used in place of an intrinsically Jewish concepts of shedim and se’irim in order to allow Greek-speakers to comprehend it.  Thus, like MOST facets of modern Christianity, the concept of ‘demons’ can be traced back to a translation error and widespread cherry-picking appropriation of Jewish beliefs without actually understanding them.

i dont know about “intrinsically jewish” -- jews scraped a lot of our demonology from assyria and babylonia, as well as a host of other surrounding cultures over time. shedim even is a mutation of the akkadian deity shedu/lamassu, & Lilith of the assyrian storm deity Lilitu. demons/non-angelic spirits in early jewish mythos were considered, among other things, to be the causes of illness, which is a direct descendant of sumerian/assyrian/babylonian beliefs (but again mutated from “deities” to “spirits” so that it meshed with the whole monotheism thing). in fact, when jewish scholars actually started to give these spirits names, many of those names were just straight up already mesopotamian deities.

here’s a solid history of jewish demonology from the jewish virtual library (link)

& while definitely the history of christian antisemitism, oppression & exploitation is a rich one, imbuing concepts like cross-cultural mutation with value-loaded words like “appropriation” or spreading misinformation (the christian greek bible was never translated from hebrew) ultimately doesn’t help anyone -- i doubt you’d find very many people who’d be willing to write off jewish demonology as simply “appropriating the babylonians,” bc the history of the world & human interaction is more complex than that.

last thing but fun fact: there’s also a long legacy of jewish folklore from northern europe that demonstrates a jewish adoption of some particularly christian beliefs, like a fiery hell-like world ruled by demons & angels who punish sinners. the collection “Lilith’s Cave” by Howard Schwartz (archive.org link) is a great anthology of some of those stories.

“It is difficult for the isolated individual to work himself out of the immaturity which has become almost natural for him. He has even become fond of it and for the time being is incapable of employing his own intelligence, because he has never been allowed to make the attempt.” - Immanuel Kant, What is Enlightenment?

A Crash Course in Warding

Let’s just start a series of crash courses in witchcraft, since sometimes we need to learn things the quick and dirty way. Today, let’s talk about wards.

What are wards? Wards are protective energy barriers. They keep things out. You can place them around your home, certain rooms, even on certain objects. With practice and clear intentions, you can focus the wards to block out everything or only certain things. We’ll get to that in a bit.

Why should I ward my space and my things? Wards can keep out all sorts of things you don’t want in your home. They can block out negative entities, wayward spirits, mischievous entities, demons, and (if you’re really good at what you’re doing) even gods. Some people ward their divination tools so they know there are no spirits tampering with the results.

So what do I need to do first? Cleanse. This is very important. Wards are kind of like walls, or perhaps more accurately, bubbles. If you don’t clean the space first, you might trap things inside your ward bubble. You do not want that. There are lots of methods of cleansing, from burning sage to spritzing oil-infused water. Find a method you’re comfortable with and cleanse everything you’re going to be warding.

I’ve cleansed my home/item. Now what? Now we ward. I’m going to give you a couple methods. Let’s start with my favorite, incense warding.

Incense warding can also be done with spritzes of water/essential oil blends or herb-infused water if you can’t have smoke in your space. Whichever you’re using, you want to have a blend of protective herbs. Bay leaves, cinnamon, ginger, mustard seed, and salt are some great options that you can find in the grocery store, no fancy witch shop necessary. If you’re using incense, make sure you’re using natural incense and not super cheap stuff that’s artificially scented. The magic is in the herbs, and you won’t get that from fake scents.

How to Incense/Spritz Ward an Item

How to Incense/Spritz Ward Your Space

So why do we go to the right? Is that important? Kind of. Going to the right is like going clockwise. It’s about making things and progression, where going to the left or counter-clockwise is about deconstruction or reversal. [I read this idea in a witchy book a long time ago and will try to find a source when I can. If you honestly don’t feel it makes a difference, do whatever you’re comfortable with.]

Can I place wards that keep out certain things but not others? Sure. When you’re going around your space/warding your item, your intent is what’s important. I like to ward out entities that mean harm - it’s nice and general and doesn’t keep the fae out. Some people might want certain spirits and not others. Have your intentions clear in your mind as you place your wards.

That’s neat and all, but what are some other ways to ward? Let’s list a few.

Symbol/Sigil Wards

Energy Bubbles (if you have control over your energy)

Vocal Wards

I’ve heard wards can “fade” over time. True or false? Wards are just energy. Like all energies, they can disperse and weaken over time, or if something particularly nasty puts effort into destroying them. Redo your wards every so often (I do mine every few months, but it’s up to you), and especially before spiritual interactions. I also like to do mine after I’ve had lots of company, to kind of clear out family’s lingering energies and reinforce what I don’t want in my house.

In general, the intent of your wards is the most important part. Know what you want to keep out. This concludes our crash course on warding. Now go forth and protect some stuff!

No offense and I like what you posts.  However this effort seems like it takes a great deal of energy and has a perspective of paranoia. 

I realize that I may not get it but I also realize that positive energy creates positive results and this does not appear to have anything but negative energy.

Help me understand what I am missing here.

I think maybe you misinterpreted some things I said here, so let me try to clarify a little.

I don’t feel it takes a great deal of energy because I’m using the energies of the tools I use (mostly incense in my case) more than I am using my own personal energy. My apartment I lived in at the time I used this was HUGE, and I never felt especially drained after warding the entire place. I also start at my altar and draw energy from my candles and my charged worship space.

When I ground at my altar, I think of protection, safety, clean, clear space, and home. I keep the fae in mind and my housemates and pets in an effort to make it a space that they can be in without consequence.

I do not consider pushing negative things away to be a negative energy thing, but maybe if that’s your perspective, that’s how your magic will work. Magic is a very personal thing, and no one way will work for everyone or have the same results.

I think of it more as “This is our space and nothing can hurt us here” rather than “No ghosts no demons no icky stuff no monsters.” I don’t feel I’m being paranoid to want to keep my space protected, especially when I live with someone who permanently carries around some sort of demonic energy and is a magnet for spirits that have tried to harm people in my household.

Now, if the method of warding is “I will maim anything that gets too close,” I would absolutely say it was using negative energy, but I would say that even in that circumstance, there are people attuned to those energies that could pull it off without issues. As I said, magic is personal and I’ve seen a lot of people use a lot of different kinds of magic. I just hope I was able to clear up some stuff!

Creature Profile - Faerie Dogs

The faerie dogs come from English Mythology, although are also seen in Scottish and Irish folklore, and are also known as the Cù Sìth. In some tales they are the guardians to crossroads which are a door to the world of the faeries. They have green fur and are roughly the size of a large calf, although some tales describe them as being bull sized. If encountered, they will bark once or twice as a warning, yet if they bark a third time the listener is doomed to die. Link to the drawing here: http://www.deviantart.com/art/Cu-Sith-306844474

Folk Divination Practices I Grew Up With.

Learning and experiencing the power of divination at a young age was such a rewarding experience. I am so thankful for my family, spiritual elders and the wisdom that they have instilled in me throughout my life. It is because of their teachings that I am the proud diviner that I am today. I learned early on to embrace the power of my roots and the lineage of my ancestral line with respect and humility. While chatting with my mother and father over the weekend, we were discussing some of the divinatory practices and teachings they learned as kids and what they taught me as a child. We began to discuss how some of our practices evolved and others stayed the same over time. This inspired me to share some of the folk divination practices I grew up with. As always, I share this post with an open heart and I ask that you please be respectful of these folk divination practices.

————————– Post Notes: Please do not remove the captions. Title: Folk Divination Practices I Grew Up With Copyright: © Ivan Ambrose 2018 Deck: Playing Cards, Bone Set Disclaimer: These folk divination practices are Afro-Caribbean in nature and I have been given permission from my family to share. The symbology within these practices reflect my culture and may be different from your own culture. Please be mindful and respectful of these practices, their origin, and their spiritual significance and uses. In the effort for full disclosure, this post is not an exhaustive list and will not include or delve into all the spiritual and folk divination practices that I know of and have learned. Safe Space Tags: Long Post, Bones, Animal Parts Navigation: TOC | FAQ | Contact | Disclaimer

here is a concept that I’m still trying to flesh out: medieval science fiction. 

not, of course, aliens land during the middle ages, though I’ve read and enjoyed that, but something much more difficult to execute, if it’s possible at all: space opera (exempli gratia) as written by Bede or Gildas or Geoffrey of Monmouth.  

The challenge is, of course, that you have to get into the medieval mind (ok, I know that talking about “the” medieval mind is fallacious) and figure out what they’d keep from their world and what they’d think to change – what is the analogue to ‘50s writers giving us faster than light travel & radioactive planets & psionics and still having gender and family politics that are identical to ‘50s middle class American politics? I have a feeling it’s the Church – it’s true that there are several books with Space Popes, but it tends to be a rebirth of the Papacy. I doubt a medieval science fiction writer would have the Church decline or even guess at the Reformation. 

Also, sci-fi tech tends to be, both aesthetically and functionally, an extension of tech the society it’s from already has – does a medieval space ship look like a siege tower? How do they envision the instant communication I’m sure they’d have to have as working? Would it be through magic (which is often the case in modern sci-fi)? 

And what would the spirit of it be? I would argue that, while you can’t really generalize over an entire field, and there is certainly some bleak sci-fi, the general tenor of American sci-fi is hopeful & enamored of the human spirit. Is the point of medieval space travel to find God*? Will leaving Earth leave behind Original Sin? Are we going to convert the Martians? 

DO they need instant communication? I mean, even star wars still has people carrying thumb drives around. There could be a pigeon analogue - sleek little machines flitting between the stars carrying messages, or perhaps creatures already native to the higher spheres suited to the task. Venusian swallowtails, mercurial spirits. 

I’d love to see the heavenly spheres as a setting for this all on its own, too. What’s the first moment a traveler hears the music like? 

I could see a lot of it through the lens of knights on impossible quests - why not ascend the sky? Knights riding on bright steeds of golden fire known as comets. Knights finding allegorical realms on the various planets, like the Kingdom of Love from Capellanus’ Treatise on The Arts of Courtly Love, but set in the golden mountains of Venus, and you could have a Kingdom of War and a Kingdom of Wit and a Kingdom of Time on Mercury and Mars and Saturn. Prester John could be from Jupiter! 

I’m not sure about the ways I would expect medieval scifi to be subversive, but I might look at Marie de France for ideas, she plays a lot with expectation and obligation and the implications of gender in her Lais, in very clever ways. 

medievals didn’t have the concept of vacuum, let alone know that space doesn’t have air. everything is open ships and space sails. gravity isn’t oriented to the planet, there’s a universal ‘down’. engines are driven by people or animals or wind or water, not burning fuel; your space chariot is pulled by cloud horses or sun lions.

other planets are not other earths, they’re allegorical locations populated by allegorical creatures. angels, demons, dreamers, cannibals, a planet of all women and a planet of all men – but not for 1950′s bikini shenanigans, more as a parable about how the sexes can’t get along without each other because men’s work and women’s work are both necessary. no concept that men could do women’s work and vice-versa, or at least do it competently. the men on the men’s planet would like, grow children in their fields, but wean them on burnt bread soaked in beer because they’re terrible at milking cows and kneading dough, or something like that.