E. A. Koetting - staticfly.net

WORKS OF
DARKNESS
Working. The same type of pact, wherein there is no contract signed in
blood or virginal sacrifice, is made with the demon the moment the
Black Magician rests his eyes on its sigil and its name and knows that
with its assistance his goals will be achieved.
The second method by which the aid of demons is thought to be
secured is the offering of gifts or sacrifices. This is a mainly predominate
view in systems of folk Magick or tribal ritual. Demons are thought to
exist in a state more enlightened than the Magician, an intermediary
between man and God. As such, they do not desire his soul, as it already
belongs to their employer. Instead, they must be appeased with
offerings and enticed with contributions to ensure the favor of these
Asuras.
These offerings are sometimes as simple as burning a candle
inscribed with the name of the demon in thanks for the work that has
been or will be accomplished, or may be as grand as a complete blood
sacrifice ritual in honor of the demon. Some Practitioners believe that
these tokens actually "feed" a specific power to the demon, on which he
may subsist and grow stronger. Others feel that these are simple acts of
remembrance, a thing that is rare and therefore prized in the demon
world. By burning candles or performing a ritual in the demon's name,
It is being honored and respected. It is remaining active in this world,
even after Its work has been completed.
This tradition is self-contradictory in that it places the demon
at a spiritual step higher than the Magician, yet at the same debases It
with the assumption that Its greatest desire is to be remembered, and,
in a way, accepted by the Magician. The Shaman is subordinate to the
demon due to his need for the demon's assistance, yet the demon is
made subject to the Shaman due to Its own social shortcomings. This
paradox is rationalized, and perhaps partially rectified by modern
Voodoo and Root Workers in pointing out that, "If you wouldn't do
something for someone without getting anything in return, why would
an astral entityr
Demons do have an agenda in assisting the Sorcerer, just as the
Sorcerer has an agenda in calling upon their help. Both are servants of
Darkness, the Sorcerer and the demon. Each is the other's ally in evil.
Both work together in bringing about their Sinister Dialectics, often
without conscious awareness of the spiritual symbiosis.
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