The Devil's Pact

I saw an interesting question posted on the boards, it went something along the lines of 'what should I give to a demon in order for it to do my bidding'. The initial reaction of any lower grade magician would be to say, 'anything! Everything! My soul, my life, my best friend even my blood.' But is that what they really want?

The question arises, are the demons serving us or are we serving them. There is no 'give to get' mentality in black magic. They are here to serve us. Therefore apart from a little something to arouse their curiosity sufficiently to bring them to the circle, they require no further offering. If your magic is strong enough they are trapped and bound by that ceremony and must do your bidding.

However, this is not an immediate process. Some time is required for mage and demon to assimilate. The mage must acquire a certain mindset that will allow his demon to roam amongst his other thoughts and thus create an output.

Some material must be readily to hand to absorb this outpouring when it occurs. Crowley was ready for Aiwass' dictation with his trusty pen. We may prepare the way also by digital means, readying with an art package or blog.

The thorny issue of 'hidden treasure' is worth a mention here. It may seem obvious but demons are not concerned with monetary gain like we are. One coin is very much like another to them and a simple ceremony to 'unearth hidden gold' may only result in that chain you lost from a pendant surfacing after many fruitless searches. In the world of the spiritual, hidden treasure means the sourcing of that unfathomable well we call the subconscious. A successful ritual should result in your mind becoming much more fertile and your art increasing.

The ultimate aim of many magicians throughout the centuries has been the calling of the Devil, whether that be Satan (Shaitan) or Lucifer with the blood pact. While lesser demons are willing to provide, the greater entities seem to escape the circle. You have to ask yourself what do you want the demon to do? Lucifer, while legendary for his fall from grace has little to offer the student except perhaps the lesson that sometimes you shouldn't send a boy to do a man's job. While minor deities spill out art and poetry the arch demons are the ones who will fight your corner when real adversity strikes.

Do your research, read up on demonology. These entities are your allies. But most of all listen when they speak, record it and play it back. One day it will make sense but not immediately, not for some time.

Image: The Codex Gigas (English: Giant Book) is the largest extant medieval manuscript in the world. It was created in the early 13th century in the Benedictine monastery of Podlažice in Bohemia, and is now preserved at the National Library of Sweden in Stockholm, where two librarians are needed to lift it. It is also known as the Devil's Bible due to a large illustration of the devil on the inside.