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{ Review } ~ Filipino Tattoos: Ancient to Modern by Lane Wilcken

Today’s review is away from makeup (for now at least ha), and into Pilipin@ related books. Now I actually bought this book a few years back and I bought it along with Way of the Ancient Healer: Sacred Teaching From the Philippine Ancestral Traditions by Virgil Mayor Apostol. These two were the first Pilipin@ cultural books I bought and what helped me in my own self discovery of who I am as a Pilipina-American. 

I talked a little bit on the book on my blog post when I first received it. However this will be an in depth review of the book meant for those who have been looking into buying the book and what to expect.

There are 8 chapters in the book, with endnotes, a glossary, forewords, testimonials, acknowledgements, and of course an introduction to the book and of tattooing in the Philippines. The 8 chapters are:

Chapter 1: Early Accounts and Fragments of Philippine Tattoo Culture Chapter 2: The Tattoo Process and Tools Chapter 3: Reasons for Tattooing Chapter 4: Facial Tattooing Chapter 5: Spiritual Aspects of Tattooing Chapter 6: Shared Tattooing Motifs with Pacific Isles Chapter 7: A Selection of Filipino Tattooing Motifs Chapter 8: Modern Filipino Tattooing

First thing that I liked about the book was the many rich color photos in the book to give the reader a more eye catching experience especially for those of us who are more of a visual reader. The author provides many photos and illustrations to showcase the tattoos along with his explanations of them.

Illustrations depicting the Pintados aka the Bisayans from the Boxer Codex, circa 1590 (left) and of a Bisayan warrior from Francisco Alcina’s Historia de las Islas e Indios de Bisayas, 1668. (right)

In chapter one Lane briefly discusses what we have of the early accounts and records of the tattooing traditions of the Philippines from the early Spaniards. One of the most remarkable depiction of early tattooing is of the illustration in the Boxer Codex c. 1590 of the Bisayans, or who the Spaniards called, the Pintados, or the “Painted Ones”. The name was associated with the Bisayans for their bold and elaborate tattoos that both fascinated and placed fear the Spaniards. He mentions the Ilokanos tattooing based on records from Francisco Colin in his book, Labor Evangelica 1663 and how more than likely the Ilokano abel (weaving) patterns were once patterns used in their tattooing before it was discontinued. He then goes into a man name Jeoly, or Prince Giolo, who was bought as a slave with his mother by English privateer, William Dampier for the intention to be used a human display for profit in exhibitions for his tattoos. He however sadly died of smallpox after a few appearances, a result of Europe’s sick human circuses, especially of the people they colonized. Jeoly was from the island of Miangas, a small island about 75 miles east of the Sarangani Islands of the Philippines. He is included in our tattoo history however as even though Miangas now belongs to Indonesia it was originally a part of the Philippines prior to the Spanish-American War.

In chapter two is information on the tattooing process and tools used. Most of this is info from the Cordillera such as the Kalinga and Bontoc. He discusses how the ink is prepared with the variations of names and how the people across the Pacific have a similar way preparing their ink and tools. He provides images and illustrations of the tools and ink and also talks about the method of tattooing by Apo Whang Od.

Chapter 3 is one of my favorite chapters as it goes into why we tattoo and the reasons of getting one. He describes an Isneg legend of the origin of tattooing which I found very interesting. He talks about how men earned their tattoos for honor and prestige and a way to showcase their manhood and of being a strong warrior. How getting your first tattoo was a rite of passage and were like badges to tell people how brave you were. In the chapter are information and photos of a few mummies discovered in the Philippines showcasing ancestors who are covered in beautiful, intricate tattoos that have been preserved on their skin. He then goes on to the tattoo’s of women and how they earned their tattoo’s. Unlike men, women didn’t have to kill to earn their tattoo’s but were a symbol and marks of beauty, to ward of evil spirits, who reached puberty, and who were ready for marriage.

He mentions how some specific tattoo motifs represent the fertility of the land and of women. One part I particularly liked was this passage in the book.

Facial tattooing is written about next and here we see comparisons of the facial tattooing of the Philippines and across the Pacific. It’s a very short chapter but Lane gives a good illustration of a Bisayan langi face tattoo that was described by Francisco Colin in his Labor Evangelica 1663.

A long with the description by Colin is the actual word langi described by the Spanish as meaning “gaping like a crocodile or bird of prey. Where as “bangut” meant muzzle or halter. He ends off the chapter with how the face and head was the most sacred part of the body and how a great deal of respect and acknowledgement was given to those who were able to receive facial tattoos as not only did these facial tattoos prove that they were one of the strongest but because the head was the location of the spirit and our connection with the ancestors.

The last few sentences of chapter 4 leads us up to chapter 5 of the spiritual aspects of tattooing. As someone who practices our old precolonial, indigenous beliefs prior to the arrival of the Spaniards and Christianity, I found this chapter all the more appealing. He talks about how tattoos were an important rite of passage not just in ones everyday life but as a passage to the afterlife. If one wasn’t tattooed their ancestors would not recognize them when they passed away and wouldn’t accept them. Some tattoo motifs represent symbols of the afterlife and connection with the ancestors such as water, pythons, and crocodiles. He talks a bit of the importance of these symbols and their connections and why they were represented in tattoos across the Philippines. He also discusses the anito, the ancestral spirits and how our ancestors worshiped them and payed their tributes to them through offerings and rituals. The placement of some tattoos also held great spiritual importance which Lane discusses in great detail.

Chapter 6 discusses the motifs shared throughout the Pacific and how we shares motifs that though they may be the same design, they either have the same meaning or some with slightly different meanings. He talks about the various bird, centipede, crab, canoe, and other motifs shared throughout the Pacific and their meanings within the groups of the Philippines and others from Samoa to Tonga.

Next up is motifs specifically found within the Philippines.  These motifs include motifs depicting the aso (dog), snake tongues, those representing the mountains, rivers, hawk, lightning, scorpion, human figures representing the ancestors, and others. Some of these motifs are only to be worn be doing a specific deed and as such must not be tattooed just because you want it.

Then we have our final chapter discussing modern Pilipin@ tattooing with the typical Philippines flag design, 3 stars and the sun, and recently the incorporation of Baybayin tattoo’s. Another popular symbol that is tattooed is the lingling-o tattoo which I personally have on my left wrist, to symbolize fertility especially among women.

(picture taken when I first got my tattoo and it was being healed)

The book is fantastic and I find it is a good beginner reference book to those who are interested in learning about the tattooing traditions of the Philippines and how it is an important cultural practice. One thing I felt was lacking however and was a bit disappointed in was the lack of info on the other tattooing traditions throughout the Philippines. I felt it focused more on the Northern, Cordillera traditions and didn’t go into the tattooing of the Bisayas and of Mindanao. I wished he covered the other tattooing traditions especially for those of us who are not Ilokano or from the Cordillera. 

The author does go into depth with the different tattoo motifs in the Philippines as well as the rest of South East Asia and Polynesia and explains the meanings and cultural ties that links the whole Austronesian-Polynesian cultures. He compares shared myths and creation stories, beliefs, tattoo motifs, etc. that are slightly different from culture to culture as the migration of the Austronesians moved downward from the aborigines of Taiwan to South East Asia to the islands in the Pacific. He also explains the spiritual beliefs of the Austronesian family, such as the belief in ancestral spirits, the connection with certain animals and the ancestors such as the snake/pythons, crocodiles, to the messengers of the ancestors such as the birds. This comparison I know some people might find annoying as it’s not just “Pilipin@ tattooing” but others. However I personally found this helpful not because it showcases the history between the people of the Philippines with those of the Pacific but how we share a tattooing culture that dates back many, many years. I find that in order to rediscover our tattooing traditions it helps to learn from those who share the same practice with similar methods, motifs, terms, etc. and see our commonality between the Austronesian cultures.

I highly recommend this book for anyone interested in learning about the tattooing traditions of the Philippines. Is it an encyclopedia of all the tattoo motifs? No and Lane doesn’t claim his book as one. But it is a stepping stone for those who are really interested and will take their research further through looking at the historical documents and going into the rural places of the Philippines where they still practice traditional tattooing. There are a few things he could have improved on in regards to information I believe however overall the book itself is an excellent read and packed with information for any tattoo enthusiast.

Where to Buy the Book?:  Amazon Pricing: $28.26 on Sale. Original Price $40.00 Rating: 

 4/5

My review for the book Filipino Tattoo’s: Ancient to Modern by Lane Wilcken on my personal blog. I have been meaning to make this review for awhile now and I finally got around to posting this. Hope this review helps for any of you who have been meaning to buy the book!

Gealdýr - Loki

What to Know Before Training in Witchcraft (part 3)

You need to learn to question everything. Learn as much as possible, yet question it all until satisfied with sufficient proof. This goes for magick spells you read in books, religions/mythology, and even your current beliefs. Your current self must be destroyed before you can be reborn, and only then will you be ready to carry the burden that this path will bring you. Do not be fooled into thinking that witchcraft is only for having fun, it is a spiritual science that will get you noticed by deities who will test you to see if you are worthy of the power you are seeking. Advancement on this path can only be gained through suffering, so if you want a simple life, this will not work out for you. As mentioned in the first post, witchcraft begins with the Spirit Death, and the death lasts for years until you finally are awoken. But when this happens, you will not be the same at all.

Crystals are talismans and amulets. There are many books on the properties of crystals and rocks, but make sure to question them and experiment for yourself. In order to use them, you either carry them with you, wear them as jewelry, or place them at a certain part of your body (if using them to heal). For example, black tourmaline placed on one’s stomach can be slowly turned in circles in order to release built up toxic energy, and carrying star sapphire allows the energy to act as a protector against malicious attacks (from people’s negative energy, such as envy or spite). If you wish to keep yourself grounded and not lose energy, carry a snowflake obsidian in your pocket, and touch it while asking for it to protect your energy. If a crystal is on a piece of jewelry, this jewelry must be ritually blessed in order for it to allow the crystal to function. 

There are no ingredients that can replace all other ingredients. Just because some people some time ago started the rumour that “white candles replace all candles” or “rosemary can replace all other herbs” does not mean that these are true. One of the greatest things to learn before training to be a witch is to think critically and not follow herds. Experiment for yourself so you can truly learn and become wise. As for these ingredients, the reason why it does not work this way is because everything has its own energy (like DNA) and it cannot be manipulated or be so complex that it represents all things (not even gods are like that). 

Invocations are powered by passion, not by the words themselves. When using invocations, it does not matter whether they rhyme or not (as popularized by media), but what matters is the passion and will you put into them. You need to actually understand how invocations work in order to use them properly; otherwise, you are simply speaking and nothing more. So in order to use this ability better, you can study ancient cultures’ magick such as Egyptian, Mesopotamian, and Aztec. Additionally, do not recite any invocation you do not understand, this can sometimes lead to trouble. 

Be cautious about the incense you offer to gods. Every scent has a different frequency, and each deity has a specific frequency that they match with. For instance, do not offer rose incense to Ares or myrrh to Set. If this is done, the deity will become offended due to your lack of effort and consideration put into this offering. Each offering is meant to be a form of sacrifice, so put thought into it and even just ask the god if what you have in mind would be acceptable. Incense may seem like a simple thing to people nowadays, but in ancient times, it was taken very seriously as an offering and that is how the gods expect it. 

Learn how to ward yourself. In order to avoid malicious entities coming up to you or receiving intakes of toxic energy from other people, you need to know how to make wards in the astral. To do this, visualize and deeply focus on a cocoon of protective energy or fire forming around you. It will take practice to perfect this, but it is well worth it. Just remember that the ward will fade over some short time, so it needs to be remade. 

Higher Selves and the Shadow. Both of these are present in every person: the higher self is the soul (or Ba, our eternal self who we become after death). In most of the population, peoples’ higher selves are human, but some others may have different entities within them (such as angelic, demonic, elven, draconic, etc). As for the Shadow, this is the accumulation of one’s trauma, negative emotions, and insecurities. It forms into its own entity in your mind and attempts to sabotage you and manipulate you into submitting into self-destruction. In order to fight against your Shadow, you must work on your will-power and the ability to analyze and understand who you are and your traumas. Just make sure that you do not interact with your Shadow, since developing a connection with them puts you in danger.

Sigils need to be created on planetary squares. Sigils are a very old practice in magick that requires the witch to use a tablet of spiritual power to numerically infuse that into a design. There are instructions on how to do this online, though make certain that you use the proper square in regards to what you are needing (ex: sigil for help strengthening psychic powers- use the square of Luna). Once the sigil is made, you need to meditate upon it without any distractions for at least 20 minutes. Then continue doing this for about a week (with more complex desires, such as developing astral abilities, the meditations should need to last a month at least). Overall, one should study planetary magick and learn to recognize the energies of each celestial sphere so you can sense which of them effect certain plants and rocks. This skill will allow you to better understand the properties of each object before utilizing it (each object is connected to more than one planet- ex: avocados are linked to both Earth and Venus).

Magick is far more complex than you think. The abilities one can have through magick after decades of training can be vast and even terrifying, which is why witches were feared in the first place. An advanced witch is capable of healing illness, exorcising spirits, spirit communication, astral travel, calling upon storms, and even cursing someone to die with barely any effort. All of these and more are possible, but it takes years upon years of diligent effort, patience, humility, will-power, and study. It is a craft like any other, though perhaps one of the most difficult things to achieve. Due to this, it is highly recommended that any witch seek out an experienced and trustworthy mentor who can guide them. And if possible, it is best to also become initiated into a certain path such as Hermeticism, which will put the witch through trials of struggle in order to grant their Rebirth. 

Part 1 | Part 2

What to Know Before Training in Witchcraft (part 2)

There are parasites in the astral and pretty much everyone has them on and inside of their bodies. If you have astral sight, these parasites look like large maggots that latch onto people and feed off their energy, causing pains and in some cases, personality shifts (becoming more aggressive or sad, etc). In order to get rid of these, you need to reach in your body (or the other person’s) with your astral hand, pull it out, and burn it until it dies. As said on the previous post, healing works easier if you move your physical hand along with your astral one.

Do not call upon spirits that you do not yet understand. This is a very vital lesson that is best learnt before you endanger or simply embarrass yourself. There are countless species of spirits out there in existence, but do not assume that everything you read about some entities is true (much of it is false or partly true). This especially goes for when working with demons, as they are far different than how portrayed, but can be very dangerous if insulted as they tend to be vindictive. If you do insult a spirit, make absolute certain that you genuinely apologize, give offerings, and ask what else you can do (though many spirits may not be forgiving, especially if they were deeply angered). 

As for angering entitles, there are spirits and even plenty of gods who will curse you or even kill you if you anger them enough. You do not have to be an evil person for this to happen, as they will do this just for being deeply disrespectful towards them (even if you hadn’t meant to be disrespectful). This is why it is extremely important that you treat gods with respect (unless you are on a friendly bases and are allowed to be casual), also do not call deities by nicknames or refer to them as derogatory or infantilizing things. Not all gods are wrathful, but many are from all pantheons, so you must be cautious with what you say or do. They are not automatically your friends and need you to take them seriously. 

Not all entities are safe for you to be around. They don’t have to be malevolent to cause damage, even benevolent deities can unintentionally harm you if your energies are not compatible. For example, if a deity’s essence is too strong for you, it may cause sudden pains in your body or strange discomfort in general. If this happens, politely tell the god (or spirit) to leave so you can heal yourself. This does not mean you can never work with that entity, you just need to develop yourself so you can handle other energies; it takes time and effort as with everything else in magick. 

You need to connect with a higher power in order to have more powerful magick. Without this, you become easily drained and cannot accomplish complicated spells. So in order to connect with a higher power (be it a god, dragon, the Source, etc) you need to practically beg them to grant you this and then they will begin testing you to see if you are worthy (which will put you through many struggles that you must overcome), If you do not, then the higher power will see that you are not developed enough to handle such abilities. 

Your magick tools only augment your spells, your mind is where the true power lies. However, as beginner witches (novice-intermediary), the tools are necessary in order to help your mind develop and learn how to properly channel your magick. Once you have trained for many years and become advanced, then you will be capable enough to be independent of your tools so you can use magick just through your astral powers combined with will and focus. Though remember, without a connection to a higher power, your spells and energy will still be limited.

Jar spells are ineffective, you need to actually check to see what works. With witchcraft becoming popular in the new age, jar spells have become practically all that people try to perform. Yet this does not work due to this method not having some fundamental necessities of magick. It is basically like trying to be a chef, but all you do is take your ingredients and throw them in a pot while expecting them to turn into a gourmet meal. The ingredients themselves do not perform magick, they only help you unlock it. You need to actually utilize the herbs in ritual fashion if you want to cast a spell, and the jars aren’t even necessary. So get more creative, experiment more, and actually become truly passionate and dedicated to witchcraft. Additionally, most spells require astral work (such as healing or cursing, since you actually have to send to or pull energy from a person, which jars cannot do).

Every spell you perform has an effect against you. This is not like the “three-fold law” Wiccans talk about, it is more complicated. First, we have something called the “knockback effect” which happens for every spell; the more complex the spell, the worse the knockback. The knockback is not a punishment, but is a natural result (much like the laws of physics) which occurs when someone does something that is against the “collective reality”. For this planet, the collective reality is that magick is not real, so anyone who performs magick has to fight against this fabricated reality in order to create an effect. Yet this action has a reflected action, which causes minor to severe damage to the witch in return (though it usually isn’t something to worry about as severe effects come from very advanced magick). 

There are also negative effects given out by the universe to every wrong action and every good action- both of them receive some negative situation as a result. For the bad actions, this is done as punishment and the witch (who cursed innocents, etc) receives a load of karmic debt that they must pay off through suffering. For the one who does good, the negative experience is only once and is given as a test in order to provoke their good-will and strength of heart. This may seem unfair, and it honestly is, but the universe cares only for evolution and this law has been in place for all existence. Though this doesn’t only have to do with magick, but all actions in general.

Part 1 | Part 3

What to Know Before Training in Witchcraft (part 1)

Throughout history, humans all over the world have practiced magick; yet much information on how to perform these abilities were kept in secret from eyes of the unworthy. Due to this, the rise of monotheistic religions were easily able to wipe out much of the knowledge, making it difficult for new generations to discover how to perform this ancient spiritual art. As someone who has trained and devoted themselves to witchcraft for the past 15 years and has been initiated into the Hermetic Path, here are the main things you should know if you seek to become a witch as well:

The basics of performing magick: Every spell requires a foundation of things in order to work, these are Will-power, Intense Focus, Passion/Need for the Outcome, Visualization of Desire, and Understanding of the skills you are utilizing. Without these, the spell will not be kindled and will fall flat. Additionally, the stronger your focus, the stronger your spell will be; yet developing very strong focus requires long training in meditation. When using your focus, it is like having beams of light projected into what you are doing- if the focus is not strong enough, the light becomes scattered. Meditation also assists in visualization, as you will need to be able to hold a mental image in your mind for as long as you require and be able to manipulate its appearance or rotate it with ease. 

Most magick requires astral ability, spirit work, and etheric connection. The sooner you learn to astral travel, the better (it can be done through both full-projection and mental projection, which is easier). Yet, you do not need to astral project in order to manipulate the astral, you only need to understand how to use your astral limbs on command (this is done for many areas of magick such as cursing people through summoning malevolent energies, or healing by removing toxic energies from inside one’s body). If you do not learn how to operate your astral body, you will not be able to perform most of magick since magick mostly takes place on the astral plane. Remember that witchcraft is not simple in the slightest and most books on it are either false in order to gain money or too basic to be strong enough spells. Witchcraft is for those who are willing to devote their lives to seeking and perfecting it, as well as those who are wise enough to use it properly. It is not about spell jars or emoji spells (both of which are ineffective), magick is weather summoning, dream manipulation, exorcisms, energetic healing, and the ability to see your enemy’s location through astral sight so you can directly curse them. The possibilities are nearly endless. 

Witchcraft is not meant for everyone. I know that most people are wanting to be kind to eachother and be all-inclusive, but not only is this unrealistic for this advanced craft, but also a very dangerous mentality. If someone goes into magick without being prepared, it can cause severe damage or even death in some severe cases. There is a reason why ancient cultures have all had magick reserved for the shamans and priests; it is not meant to be handed out to just anyone, one must be worthy and actually capable of such power. Should you go into witchcraft or spirit work when you have a mental disability such as psychosis, major depression, etc, you are allowing your conditions to become far worse. This is due to many reasons since magick will shift your view of reality and you will also be tested by higher powers to prove your worth (neither of these are easy, but if you have a mental disability, it will hit you even harder and cause severe damage). So either get medicated and stable, or do not go into witchcraft or spirit work. As for physical health problems, do not go into spirit work if you have a condition such as heart disease, as some experiences can cause heart attacks. 

The more advanced you become, the more enemies you gain. This goes for both spiritual enemies and humans, since your power will attract malevolent entities of all kinds as well as other advancing witches. While witches can curse (or even kill) you out of envy for your power or if you angered them, malevolent spirits can do just the same usually with more ease and with greater consequences. There are a vast many types of malignant spirits but most of them are tar spirits (entities made of pure malice and look like tar). These can truly ruin someone’s life and cause severe trauma, so you need to make sure you actually know what you’re doing when going into witchcraft or you will be unprepared for such attacks. 

As a beginner (Novice-Intermediate Witch), you need to connect with a certain spiritual path (such as Kemeticism, Hermeticism, etc). This is because as beginners, we are still needing to train our minds to believe in otherworldly possibilities and begin thinking in ritually symbolic ways. Once you become more advanced, this connection is no longer necessary. It is best to study as many paths as possible in order to have a wide-range of knowledge, and especially make sure to learn about Animism, as it holds truth. Remember that there are spirits all around us- in plants, water, the winds, the planets. They also wander about and watch us; not all of them are human and in fact, most of them aren’t. There are a vast many different species of spirits, even ones that are unknown in myth or folklore. 

Imposter Spirits. If you go into spirit work without proper skills in sensing, hearing, and seeing, you are putting yourself at great risk to be manipulated by imposters. These are usually tar spirits who come and pretend to be deities, demons, and many other things just to get you to trust them. Their two main reasons for doing this are to trick a person into breeding with them in the astral (which creates many more tar spirits, which is horrible) or to simply destroy someone’s life by worsening any present mental health problems. To avoid this, you either need an experienced mentor assisting you, or you need to learn to be extremely cautious, educated in spirits, and take things very slow in this path until your senses fully develop. Remember, just because you called upon a spirit and they seemed to arrive, it does not always mean it is actually them; you need to test it.

You need to be able to cleanse yourself properly. Each day, we gather up toxic energy from people around us due to envy, hate, and many other things. Most people can feel this but pass it off as random bodily pains. In order to heal yourself and others, you need to use your astral sight to see where the toxic energy is (if it’s in your body, just feel for it) then use your astral hand to reach in and pull it out (it helps if you move your physical hand along with it). Once out, burn it in the astral by summoning fire in your hand. Then move your hand across your body where the energy was and heal it with golden light, covering any injuries if you were attacked. However, if you are just beginning magick, it is likely that you will not be able to do at least one of the things mentioned, so you will need to improvise until you are skilled enough through constant practice. 

Alternate methods of removing toxic energy are wearing jewelry of alexandrite or by placing black tourmaline on your stomach and slowly rotating it until you feel your energy become lighter. Although these crystals don’t heal everything, so it is best to learn how to use your astral abilities. For healers, you must cleanse yourself whenever possible, even by just summoning fire to move up and through your body in the astral. If you do not, you have a high chance of getting leukemia from the blocked toxins over time. As an advanced healer, you will be able to simply see inside a person’s body with your astral sight and be able to see what physical and spiritual conditions they have so you can heal them. 

The Spirit Death: One of the most important things a witch will undergo is the Spirit Death- the shedding of your Ego and current self in order to allow your rebirth. In order to properly perform magick, one needs to destroy their current limited mentality and become “less human” so that they can better absorb higher knowledge and surpass the ordinary person. This will not make you like the gods in complexity, as they are far beyond us. But it will make you vastly different as a person and far stronger. However, this Death requires you to undergo great suffering, as pain is the only way we can change and develop true wisdom. This is not something ordinary people are capable of going through, but magick requires great sacrifice. 

Even afterwards, you will have to live your life in loneliness when you realize in your higher awareness that you can no longer fit in among others. In order to undergo the Spirit Death, you only need to open yourself up to it and confess it to your gods, the Source, or your higher self. Throughout the path as a witch, especially during the beginning, you will fail. You have to learn to fail so you can see what works and what does not, then keep trying until you finally figure things out through trial and error. There is no easy way through the path of a witch. 

Part 2 | Part 3

The Three Kings of Hell and Devotion

For those who wish to join or are already part of demonolatry, you tend to already be aware of two major branches: Satanism and Luciferianism. While there are many ways to go about being a demonolater, one of the most empowering ways to be part of this is to discover which of the three High Kings you wish to be primarily devoted to. While you can choose to work with demons without doing this, proper devotion to a High King can allow you to have more recognition from the demons, as well as granting you a more structured path of demonolatry. Each of the High Kings has their own values and teachings, but one similarity is that they all support spiritual awakening. One can choose to devote themselves primarily to one High King and work with the other two as secondary, or choose only one; it’s up to you and what you personally value.

Also keep in mind that working with demons does not mean that you will automatically receive their help with everything. A beginner in demonolatry is expected by demons to prove their worth by showing diligence in practice, honouring the demons, obtaining self-mastery, having desire for wisdom, and the ability to overcome the immaturity of their ego. Through this, the practitioner will begin to earn the respect of the demons, and they will be more glad to assist, sometimes even without requiring an offering. But this is a process that requires your time and effort, as well as showing the proper respect to demons.

For those who wish to take their devotion a step further, they may choose a specific High King to honour and follow the teachings of. It is not offensive to them if you wish to honour the other High Kings as well; but it is beneficial to select a certain path of teachings in order to find the branch of demonolatry most suitable to you. Also, keep in mind that doing this does not mean you will go to Hell when you die. It is very rare for a person to be allowed into a kingdom of Hell, especially since demons usually don’t want this and because the majority of humans are unsuitable to dwell there. Being a demonolater is a path that allows empowerment and spiritual awakening for those more inclined towards the left-hand path’s teachings, but you are free to go where your higher self belongs once you die.

So to assist those seeking which High King they should mainly be devoted to, here are the general teachings and the energy of the three demonic Lords:

Lucifer: This King is the most ancient deity to be created in our universe and is the primordial Light who shines with darkness. His wife is goddess Lilith, who is equal to him in her vast complexity and wisdom. The path of Luciferianism is best suitable for those who value Illumination (spiritual transcendence), knowledge, wisdom, will-power, change, inner-strength, and are willing to embrace hardship in favour of their personal growth. Luciferians seek to acquire knowledge of all kinds, especially those that bring awakening and deeper insight, even if these cause fear or shatter personal comforts. What matters most is not comfort, but absolute devotion to Truth and self-transformation. 

The Luciferian embraces adversity and seeks to overcome it as a warrior, never backing down to challenges, for they grant us strength and wisdom. The Luciferian is an eternal student, ever dedicated to expanding their understanding of both existence and themselves. Along with this, a Luciferian must always question things and seek to belong as an outsider among the crowds. They are the ones to achieve Illumination and then distribute teachings to others. Through Illumination, one gains empowerment and transformation into something greater. If something is occurring in society that is corrupt, even in a subtle way, a Luciferian will rise against this and strategically find ways to alert others to the situation. A Luciferian will only become violent out of necessity, including revenge, otherwise they tend to act through cunning. Out of the three Kings, Lucifer is the one who values and encourages Illumination the most.

Satan: This King is an ancient god who values rebellion, aggression, and domination over enemies. His wife is the goddess Ashtoreth, who reigns over vindictiveness and law. Like Lucifer, Satan also encourages rebellion against corrupt authority, but Satan’s methods are more different. While Lucifer values strategy and subterfuge, Satan is the one who favours brute force and enflamed emotions. He encourages raging passions to swell in the hearts of others, inspiring them to charge fiercely into battle. He is the one who violently overthrows what is no longer needed and charismatically empowers his followers. Though on another side of him, Satan also encourages indulgence, but in a way that is empowering for a person rather than damaging. 

The path of Satanism is best suitable for those who seek to become full of passion, strength, and will-power; fueling themselves against their enemies so they can be in charge of their life. Satanists seek to become powerful warriors who can withstand the challenges of this world, and will immediately bring vengeance upon their enemies. They have not much care for strategy, but prefer to quickly act with intensity and domination. They also tend to value indulgence in pleasure. But despite their love for indulgence, Satan teaches his followers that indulgence must always be handled with self-mastery. One must never allow their pleasures to become addictions, for this will make the person a slave to their indulgence, which is against Satan’s teaching of empowerment. Though overall, Satan values rebellion the most and seeks to have his Satanists focus primarily on this. One must take command of their own life and act with merciless aggression towards anyone who is a tyrant or abuser.

Leviathan: This King is one of the most ancient and powerful dragons, and was one of the first Watchers. He is a serpentine-dragon who once roamed the sea. Leviathan is connected to loneliness, despair, pain, and desolation. He is one of the most withdrawn demons, hardly ever speaking to humans. In his role, Leviathan destroys everything and everyone that is no longer needed, allowing progress to flow. Though his energy is extremely depressing to be around, and is capable of weakening even the strongest of hearts; only his demons have achieved sufficient resistance to this. Leviathan both causes depression and shows how to overcome it, but of course this is no gentle task. 

The path of Leviathan is best suitable for those who seek to undergo loneliness and hardship in order to become more resistant to the pains of life. These are the people who embrace the depths of suffering and desire to master it, despite the pain required to achieve this. Of course, one can work with Leviathan without undergoing this, but this tends to be the path for his devotees. The devotees of Leviathan tend to be highly efficient with shadow work and are often very solitary. They value deep-thinking, patience, defense over offence, self-restraint, and the virtues of pain. This is often best for those who are undergoing severe hardships in life and seek to become more resistant to their torments. However, this path is not suitable for those who are sensitive and depressed, as the energy of Leviathan will greatly increase your suffering.

Related Posts: The Demons, Lucifer, Satan, Leviathan

Zelda Inspired Sigils: Din

Top: "Din's fire ignites my creativity"

Bottom: "I have the strength to pursue my passions". They can be used separately or together.

These are not charged so that's up to you! I recommend writing them in red, orange, or gold on a piece of paper, charging it in the sun, then folding it up and keeping it in your workspace (in your desk drawer, pen case, tool box, etc).

Zelda Inspired Sigils: Farore

Left: I speak freely and without fear

Right: my courage overcomes my anxiety

These sigils can be used separately or together. I recommend using them by drawing them on your throat with a roll on perfume with a scent you associate with courage or soothing, depending on your preference. (If you don't have a roll on perfume, splash water on your neck then then trace it with a finger.)

Spirits Can Eat You

& Other Ways that They Can Harm You in the Physical Realm

Mostly my UPG but I have heard similar information from others’ experiences

*Always make sure to look into medical and mundane reasons for any harm that may have occurred before ascribing the cause to spirits. *

A human walks along a craggy coast in the middle of the night. The waves violently churn and sputter beneath their feet as they hop from rock to rock. Under the surf something waits, carefully watching the human’s movements. The being has soft, gray skin and a beautiful cerulean tail whose scales reflect the moonlight, but the human lacks the ability to see this. They also don’t see when the creature darts out of the water, sinking her nails into their etheric body and pulling it into the depths. The human stops, gut wrenching, heart pounding, such weird symptoms seemingly brought on with no reason. But then they collect themselves and continue down the beach, feeling oddly different from before.

Most of the time, when a spirit “physically” harms you the damage will be applied to your etheric body. However, sometimes that damage can be translated over into your physical body in some form. For example, a god of cadavers once touched my arm causing a necrosis in the cells of my etheric body that expanded until my skin was a deathly black and the bone was exposed. My physical body was unharmed and showed no signs of the damage that was done to my etheric body however, I did find that the spot was less sensitive until my etheric body was healed. Even now the spot that he touched occasionally feels “off”.   

Eating

Just like humans, many entities need to eat to survive. They can eat the etheric copies of organisms and objects in the physical world as well as eating other spirits. Unlike entities, most ghosts don’t need to feed but they can if they want to. When a spirit eats it can be described as them absorbing the energy of their food and assimilating it into their energy. However, there are many different biologies and ways of feeding that might follow a different process.

Humans, physical and ghosts, are often prey for predatory species. Don’t think that just because you have the “energy of a dragon” or whatever that no one will attempt to eat you because of that. There’s always someone bigger.

When an entity eats a human they can either take out chunks of your energy or the whole damn thing. This can leave you feeling strange, empty, not fully “there”, and it can definitely affect the strength your magical workings. If you ever do get eaten, fear not! Energy with ties to the physical world (aka your meat body) will eventually reform over time although this can take up to years and can lead to long-lasting damage if a large amount of your energy was taken. So maybe fear a little.

Some entities are parasites that will hide in your etheric body and drain your energy from the inside. Parasites can also be large, regular looking entities that subtly drain you when they’re in your presence.

Entities can also feed on the ambient energies that you give off. For example, a despair demon might feed on the ambient energies of someone who is going through a depressive episode. A feeding like this isn’t directly harming you and can actually be helpful if you have a trusted entity feed on energies that you don’t want lingering around. However, it can be the opposite where an entity will try to milk these energies out of you by, for example, instigating depressive episodes and making you feel shitty.

Attacks and Abuse

Just like physical humans, spirits can punch you, kick you, sexually abuse you, etc. This harm usually takes a form similar to my example with the cadaver god. Depending on the extent of the damage sometimes this can manifest physically. Examples being feeling pain in your face after being slapped by a spirit or having scratches appear where they clawed you. They can also emotionally and psychologically abuse you.

*Always make sure to look into medical and mundane reasons for any harm that may have occurred before ascribing the cause to spirits.*

Possessions

Not as rare as everyone makes them out to be but still not as common as the others. In my experience this can come in three different forms: possession of the body, possession of the mind, and both combined. When a spirit possesses the body of a human, it can control their movements but the human’s mind is still conscious. When a spirit possesses the mind of a human, it can do things such as hack into their third eye, steal personal information from memories and the like, or even rewire their brain. Possession of the mind is usually a more gradual and subtle process than possession of the body. While this is a post about ways that spirits can harm people I figured that it might pay to mention how possessions aren’t always dangerous and can be done with the consent of the human (I loosely use the term “channeling” to describe consensual possessions).  

Influencing Auras

I mentioned earlier that humans can give off ambient energies that attract spirits, well spirits can also give off their own ambient energies. A spirit’s ambient energy is often an extension of its true energy. This energy often blankets wide areas of space, usually around where the spirit resides, and can influence the events or behaviors of organisms and other spirits that enter it. One example would be a species of spirit that I met called lunar soldiers. When they gathered together, they created an ambient energy of lunacy where those who entered it would behave erratically and often violently. Other examples could be the ambient energy of a murderer’s ghost that influences physical humans around them to commit murder and assault or the ambient energy of a forest causing people to be forgetful and get lost easier. Of course, not all entities have negative ambient energies or even ambient energies at all.

The Myths Don’t Lie

My final point is about how the myths and legends of spirits are often correct in describing the harm that spirits can do. Gorgons can turn your body to stone, vampires can feed on your blood, mermaids can drown you (or have ambient energies that make people around them more likely to drown ;D ), etc. It’s just that, most of the time, these things will happen to your etheric body and not your physical one.  

*Always make sure to look into medical and mundane reasons for any harm that may have occurred before ascribing the cause to spirits.*

Books?

Does anyone have any recommendations for good witchcraft/spirit work/energy work books? Thanks!

@lulloph @fox-sprt @hecaatia @chaosjelly @thesmoldragoness @witchtips @urbanspellcraft @dad–dragon

Robert Bruce has some great books on energy work and astral work. He teaches energy sensing without visualization in one of them (all of them? I can’t remember xD), which I know might help a lot of people. 

Raymond Buckland’s spirit communication book is a nice beginner book that has some good exercises for developing the different “clairs” of spirit sensing. 

Animism: Respecting the Living World by Graham Harvey, Is There Such a Thing as Animism? by Darryl Wilkinson, and Animism by Edward Tylor were good anthropological texts on animism if that path interests you. Harvey’s book is super good. 

Other spirit work-related books: The Encyclopedia of Spirits by Judika Illes, Fabulous Creatures, Mythical Monsters, and Animal Power Symbols by Cassandra Eason, S. Connolly’s books, Ancient Egyptian Demonology: Studies on the Boundaries between the Demonic and the Divine in Egyptian Magic (Orientalia Lovaniensia Analecta), and various grimoires like Grimoirium Verum.

For witchcraft, I really only have texts for traditional witchcraft so you’ll have to see if some of the other people focus more on modern witchcraft if that’s what you’re into. Cunning Folk and Familiar Spirits by Emma Wilby is a great starting point. But you’ve also got Mastering Witchcraft by Paul Huson, A Practical Guide of Witchcraft and Spells by Cassandra Eason, Not in Kansas Anymore by Christine Wicker, A History of Witchcraft in England from 1558 to 1718 by Wallace Notestein, Witchcraft in Tudor and Stuart England by Alan MacFarlane, The Witch’s Familiar by Raven Grimassi, and Old World Witchcraft by Raven Grimassi. I don’t have everyone’s book titles on hand so here’s just a bunch of authors that you should look into: Gemma Gary, Paul Huson, Andrew Chumbley, Daniel Schulke, Nigel Jackson, Lee Morgan, Robert Cochrane, Robert Artisson, and Michael Howard. Also basic general books on the history of witches are good for traditional witchcraft as well as testimonies from the accused and accusers, legal documents, and other historical texts about witches (Ex- Malleus Maleficarum).

If you’re interested, I began with The Greater Key of Solomon and The Lesser Key of Solomon, the Daemonolatry Goetia by S. Connolly, Pseudomonarchia Daemonum by Johann Weyer, Prometheus Rising by Robert Wilson, Liber Null by Peter Carroll, Condensed Chaos by Phil Hine, The Three Books of Occult Philosophy, and Religion and Magic in Ancient Egypt by Rosalie David, Magic in Ancient Egypt by Geraldine Pinch, the Egyptian Book of the Dead and some other stuff within those three fields.

Spirit Conjuring: A Crash Course

You can read this article on our website here.

Lethe here! Before we begin, I strongly recommend you take a look at these two posts written by Acheron, which delve more deeply into discernment and how to gauge if you are really ready to conjure.

Please note that this guide is designed for spirit workers who already are capable of warding and sensing spirits. If you don’t know how to ward your space, or how to tell if it’s the wind howling or a spirit trying to get your attention, you should not be conjuring.

Before you even get started with any conjuring - have a purpose. In the beginning, it is very helpful to have a clear game-plan of what you want to do. Do you want to learn a new skill? Ask questions to a member of a species you’re very interested about? Consider this and write it down.

Take notes. Write as thorough a document as you are able to - spare no detail on the type of thing you are hoping to accomplish with your conjure. The more you write, the easier the rest of your conjure will be.

Additionally, research some banishing methods (I have included a few helpful links at the end of this post!), and prepare an offering. Please note that the offering you provide should be of equal value to the thing you are asking for. For example, if you are conjuring an entity because you want them to empower a spell, the offering you provide should be of higher value than if you are calling a spirit just to ask about their day.

MATERIALS:

STEP ONE:

Make sure you have all of your materials ready. If you are going to need to banish something, you don’t want to have to pause your ritual and run to the kitchen for salt. Make sure your divination tools and your space have both been cleansed, and that you will have at least an hour of uninterrupted time.

STEP TWO:

Please, for god’s sake - make sure your space is well-warded.

Example of a bad ward: “Only light spirits with good intentions can come in.”

Why is it a bad ward? A spirit can be light aligned, or have good intentions, and still cause you harm. Consider a light-aligned angel who sees you as “unclean”, enters your wards, and attacks you to cleanse you. According to your wards, this would be acceptable. After all, he is light aligned AND he means well.

Examples of good wards: Wards that prevent spirits from using glamours while inside them, wards that prevent malicious or dangerous parasitic entities from entering, etc. Please make sure that when creating these wards, you are clear about your definitions of ambiguous terms, such as “dangerous” or “harmful”.

STEP THREE:

With your offering in hand, state your intent (this is where having the detailed document really comes in handy!). While being fancy and poetic can really get you in the Conjuring Mood, it’s best to aim for being clear. Saying something along the lines of “I am sending out a calling for ______, I offer ________  in exchange for _______” can be a good place to start.

STEP FOUR:

Wait for the spirit to show up. Once they are with you, confirm that they are not malicious. Make sure that they agree to the terms you specify. Some points you might want to consider including are:

This is a good example of what your interaction might look like.

If they agree to the terms, then proceed with the conjure. If they do not agree with them, ask them to leave and try again. If they refuse to leave, proceed to banish, cleanse, and put new wards in place.

STEP FIVE:

Begin the interaction with the spirit. While I encourage you to be polite and respectful, avoid language that might place you in a position of “debt” with the strange spirit (no “sorry”, “thank you”, etc.).

Listen to them, but also be on the lookout for anything that feels “off”. If you get a bad feeling- trust your gut. If you catch them in a lie, if their story doesn’t add up, if they are trying to convince you to sell your soul for riches - ask them to leave. If they do not respect your wishes, then banish them.

Some things you should look out for when interacting with a spirit are:

While they might be sincere, it is important to keep a healthy level of cynicism in your interactions with a spirit. After all, they are a stranger, and while you might have met your soulmate during a random call into the astral, it is also very likely you just met an asshole. Just… make sure to keep that in mind.

STEP SIX:

Once you are done with the conjure, ask the spirit to leave. If things have been going well, you can schedule another meeting with them. Make sure they leave after you ask them to. If they don’t, then BANISH them. This may seem like an extreme measure, but they should respect your wishes. If they don’t, it’s unlikely they will for other things, too. Either way, once the spirit is gone from your space, make sure to dispose of your offering, cleanse your space, and thoroughly check your wards to see if they need any work.

STEP SEVEN:

Enjoy.

WARDING:

CLEANSING:

BANISHMENT:

SPIRITS:

Gaze Upon a Star Tarot Spread

The “Gaze Upon a Star” spread features intimate questions to help you tap into your spirit companion’s subconscious feelings and desires about their relationship with you. Learn what qualities your companion admires in you most when they gaze upon you through this tarot reading!

This 6-card spread features the following questions:

You can order this reading from our shop, Elysium Conjures, here!

Spirit Vetting Practices - By Elysium Conjures

Ask conjurers about their vetting practices and most of them will give you replies better suited for tricksters trying to entrap you into making some sort of shady deal. “It’s a trade secret”, they say, ignoring the fact that what they do or don’t do has a very tangible impact upon your well-being and safety.

But why is it that everyone is so hush-hush about something so vital in spirit work and spirit companionship? What’s the deal with that?

Today, I am going to be discussing Elysium’s vetting practices in detail, with the hopes that this post can shed some light into what vetting is like and encourage others to be more upfront and open about their own standards in vetting.

First of all- what the hell is vetting?

Vetting is the process one undergoes alongside a spirit in order to determine whether they are suitable to work with or not. It is most often (although not always) used in the context of spirit companionship- and it entails the conjurer working closely alongside the entity in a variety of ways to test whether this being is relatively safe (relatively because no entity is completely harmless) and real.

What does good vetting entail?

While I cannot speak for my conjurer compatriots- I can certainly tell you my opinion on what good vetting entails.

First of all, before you even think about conjuring an entity- you should have an iron-clad contract drawn out, and banishment methods ready.

Vetting starts from the moment a call is “put out”, and therefore you want your wording to be as specific as possible in regards to what you desire out of this entity.

Pardon the language, but fuck off with “I want a good unicorn who has never harmed humans.” You know what you’re asking for with this sort of call? You’re asking for a parasite, a thoughtform (which isn’t inherently bad, but which you wouldn’t be expecting if you were looking for an entity companion), or something harmful to step forward.

Aside from a good call, you want your wards to be well-constructed and anchored to the physical as well as the astral. Please understand that quality is better than quantity, and “I have 1000 teleporting wards that create an energetic maze” not only sounds ridiculous, it would also be impossible to maintain without you collapsing into a heap on the floor.

Next comes the juicy part- the real vetting. After you have conjured a potential entity, you want to take a holistic approach towards it.

What does a holistic vetting approach mean?

It means that singular vetting methods by themselves are fallible, but when put together they create a bigger, more complete picture that will allow you to make a more informed decision in regards to whether you should keep working with an entity or not.

Take asking questions, for example. The likelihood that an entity can lie, or that you can project answers onto them, is very high. However, pairing this practice of interviewing with things such as thorough energy work, asking for physical signs of confirmation, etc. can make the results you obtain much more valid.

What are bad vetting practices then?

If you have a deity check for you- you are not only relying on your ability to accurately translate what they’re saying (which is dangerous in and of itself), you’re also relying on some magical, mysterious means (perhaps omniscience?) to ensure that the deity is capable of determining if an entity is suitable to work with. Having deities vet for you is not only lazy, but it is also incredibly dangerous and prone to fallibility.

Entities are dynamic beings- and you cannot fully understand someone unless you have spent a long time with them. While I can’t tell you that vetting an entity for two months guarantees that you will know them inside and out, I can say that one or two weeks is absolutely not enough to understand and really know them. At that point, they will be strangers both to you and to the conjurer who did the “vetting”.

Not only is this unethical as a concept- it is also likely just a goddamn lie. The process required to bind an entity and compel them, to tell the truth, is complex and requires the kind of work someone who doesn’t want to do proper vetting isn’t likely to do.

Lazy, and as problematic as deities doing your vetting.

Come on, guys! We are better than this.

How do I vet an entity?

What are the important things you should remember when vetting?

What does Elysium’s vetting constitute of?

Elysium Conjures is committed to upholding safe and ethical vetting practices.

Our vetting method is as follows:

2 weeks of interviews with wards (typically 45 minutes each)

6+ weeks of interviews without wards (typically 45 minutes each)

Now a random Q&A on vetting (courtesy of the Elysium Discord community):

What are your boundaries in vetting?

For shop vetting, my list of boundaries includes (but is not limited to):

How much do you communicate before banishing?

I do not communicate with an entity before banishing- if they have committed a banishable offense, then they are dangerous or not suited for companionship and may have been potentially misleading me in the hopes of doing something nefarious to someone else. To communicate would endanger me, my client, and just put us all in an uncomfortable situation.

How do you reconcile a hearing difference vs. “they lied”?

If it happens once, I might have misheard. If it happens multiple times, then they are shady or not strong enough to be worthwhile companions for someone (because you ideally want to work with an entity who can communicate reliably). If it happens once but then they have to backtrack and cover for their words and make up stories or otherwise twist things around for everything to fit together in a pleasant narrative, then they lied.

How do you ensure that a spirit is ready to move out of wards and interact with other spirits or humans?

I approach the entity without wards and pray. If this doesn’t go horribly wrong, I then invite them into my home and do the same. If no one in my family is disturbed, I then invite them into several unwarded places and make note of what happens. It’s just a lot of praying honestly.

At what point is an entity deemed dangerous?

It depends on the entity, what you are vetting for, their culture, their nature, etc. Generally, anyone who lies, omits, is manipulative, conniving, advantageous, etc. is dangerous. Anyone who gives me a bad feeling is dangerous. Anyone who makes me question if they might be dangerous is dangerous Anyone has the potential to be dangerous, really- it is just a matter of what you are willing to tolerate and what the purpose of your work together is.

How do you reconcile that not everything is black and white?

I have never approached things as black and white. However, I tend to be rather strong in my judgment when it comes to vetting for the shop because it is not only my safety on the line- it is someone else’s. People who have seen me vet for myself know that I am quite lenient and easy-going as I tend not to have too many boundaries to cross. People who have seen me vet for the shop know that if you even look at me ugly you’re getting banished.

Have you ever had a spirit attack someone or something? How did you deal with it?

Yes, when I was young and stupider I had them attack me. I banished them both times and after that I was okay. This taught me the importance of having your banishment ingredients on hand when you are conjuring.

What areas of your vetting process do you consider yourself “lacking in”?

I still find it difficult to convey to entities how much hard work it is (on both sides) to communicate. I don’t think either companion (human or spirit) is prepared for the arduous work that it takes to make a relationship work- especially one in which sometimes you can’t get your words all across.

Does everyone in the shop contribute to vetting?

Everyone in the shop does contribute to vetting. While I do the majority of it- both the interns and Eridanos will provide energy checks from time to time. This makes my job a little more difficult in some aspects, as admittedly vetting an entity is easier when there are more people fully involved, but it also makes the challenge very enjoyable.

How do you have the energy for all of the required vetting?

I don’t sleep much, and I am very strict about my schedule.

Have you ever been duped by an entity in vetting?

Yes, I was led to believe they were interested in companionship for “the right reasons” but they were simply seeking out potential humans who would consistently provide offerings. In this case, I banished.

How do you control for liars or “tricksters”?

I spend much more time vetting them, both because investing a long time helps me ensure they are less likely to be there for the “wrong reasons” and because it allows me to better get to know them and the baseline at which I should make assessments of them.

Are there any differences in vetting for spirits vs living entities?

I exclusively work with living entities as my paradigm is not compatible with the idea of spirits of the dead becoming companions.

What are the most common red flags you have encountered during vetting?

What has most helped you with shaping your questioning method/ or format to develop into what you use today?

Experience has really helped me find out what does and doesn’t matter in vetting- I will readily admit that my first conjures were not as good or as thoroughly planned like the ones I do now, and I hope that as the years go by, I will be able to say the same thing about my current method.

How do you consider the room for “interpretation” when it comes to the vetting process?

I use a lot of confirmation methods in order to ensure that the information I do gather from entities is reliable and valid. If the results I obtain are not replicable (by me and by other practitioners) then I consider it a failure.

What has been the most exciting thing about vetting for you?

I enjoy the challenge of getting to know someone and attempting to gauge their intentions. Every single vetting moment is one that allows me to grow as a person and better understand both the entity and, as an extension, myself.

Do you provide offerings for entities during vetting?

I provide offerings during the first ritual of conjuring, during which the veil is parted for the entity. I may also provide an offering if the manifestation requested from the entity is particularly energy-consuming- however, in general, I refrain from providing offerings for entities during vetting because this increases the chances of nurturing/feeding thoughtforms, and it crosses a line of professionalism during the process of vetting.