- What is demonolatry?
Demonolatry is the worship of demons in simple terms. ‘Worship’, however, should not be construed in the same way that God is worshipped in the Abrahamic religions. It can be worship in the sense that demonolatry practitioners revere, respect and hold certain demons in high esteem – but it’s not worship in the sense that we get down and grovel (or anything similar).
In more detailed terms, it can also involve close occult practice with demons. This is, in essence, working with or using the aid of demons when undertaking magical work. Occult practice can range in complexity – from ceremonial magic, contracts, rites, spells and even to simple praying.
It can also be practised using different hierarchies, ‘denominations’ of demonolatry or can be your own personal path/understanding (within reason).
What makes it ‘demonolatry’ is the help of and reverence towards demons/infernals.
2. What is a demon?
A demon a spirit, but at the level of a god or deity. They are ancient beings who have often gone by other names throughout history and in different cultures.
Many demons were once ancient gods that were worshipped and then later demonised by Abrahamic religions – largely a conflict between the rising monotheistic Abrahamic religions and their polytheistic/pagan predecessors. This is key to understanding demons – they are not evil entities, many of them were once worshipped in their own right prior to being labelled ‘demons’.
Today, we can refer to the demonic/infernal pantheon as inclusive of the Goetia, Lucifer, Lilith and a few not explicitly mentioned in Goetic grimoires. Through personal experience, although they may not often be collectively referred to grimoires – they do seem to share their own distinct culture when comparing them to say, the culture of the Hellenic gods, the Nordic gods or the Hindu gods for example.
They are not malicious, most are very kind and if you treat them with respect – they will respect you back. So there is no need to be afraid of them or demonolatry, just be sensible and kind!
3. What is it like working with demons?
It will vary as each demon/infernal has their own personalities, ways of working and preferences. Overall though, they’re responsive, patient and very wise (although their advice will also vary).
In the early days, it looks like the odd sign here or there. Hearing their name a lot occurs for a lot of people. You start getting a feel for their presence – which can feel overwhelming, warm, ‘scary’ or you might even hear their voices if your clairaudience is super.
As you build your relationship with them, they start to become a part of your daily life – either through prayer or by simply feeling their support during times of needs.
After a while of practising, you will have your own routines, rites or modes of working with them established. You’ll be able to ascertain exactly which demon has entered the room by the ‘vibes’ alone. They won’t always visit strictly on business and they will often pop in seemingly randomly at times.
Your life will change for the better – either because of their guidance, their ‘meddling’ or simply through the support of their presence if you don’t have a great support system in your life. Some can really teach you what unconditional love looks like, while others can show you how to stand up for yourself, how to navigate issues or even how to simply be more content with yourself. You learn a lot simply by getting to know them. I certainly find many of them inspiring enough to evaluate what kind of person I’d like to be.
4. How do I get started in demonolatry?
If you’ve never worked with demons/infernals before – I’d start with some research so you can better understand demons, the goetia etc. You don’t have to be a subject matter expert nor do you have to go out and try to read every single grimoire out there. Find a few good books or webpages and see what resonates with you – see what demons you feel drawn to.
Even social media is a good place to start, just make sure you take a critical ear to everything and top if off with your own personal research.
Once you feel like you have a good grasp of what demons are, who they are and what demonolatry practice can look like – start thinking about what demons you would like to reach out to. They won’t all offer to start working relationships with you, but there is likely to be at least 1 or 2 that will be happy to get you started at least.
Also make sure (if you are new to magic/the occult in general), that you have a good understanding of protection magic and trickster spirits. This is really important when starting out and especially until you find a true and trusted ‘patron/matron’ demon.
Once you’re ready to meet the demon / have your protection in place – you can choose a method of communication. For beginners, tarot is often a good starting place or it could be as simple as praying to the demon and asking them to send you back confirmatory signs. You could also ask the infernals to send you signs that will give you clues of which demon wants to work with you (this is also particularly helpful if the tarot reading was vague). Responses can look like odd occurrences, seeing strange animals, hearing their names or even getting visits/signs in dreams. It really varies but I’ve found they often don’t leave room for interpretation! (especially patron/matrons)
From there, let your relationship(s) naturally develop.
If want some suggestions for resources or a good point to start with any of these elements – leave a comment or DM me and I’ll be happy to help.
I will likely add more FAQs as we go along, but I hope this is a useful starting points for newbies out there. 🙂