To: Christian Magick Elist (FiatLVX) From: tyagi mordred nagasiva Subject: Demons/Daemons, Dakinis and Djinns Date: Thu, 10 Nov 94 12:39:39 CST Quoting: |>tyagi |Anonymous # American Heritage Dictionary, Second College Edition Kali Yuga 49941110 |> I just wanted to say that for *some* Christians 'sorcery' and 'dealing |> with demons' constitutes a large part of our practice. That it is |> taboo for some Christians is true without a doubt, though I think that |> this constitutes more of a problem than a virtue. |...please define 'demon' as you're using it here. # demon... n. 1. An evil being; devil. 2. A persistently tormenting # person, force or passion. 3. Also _daemon_ or _daimon_... *Gk. Myth.* # an inferior divinity, such as a deified hero. 4. Also _daemon_ or # _daimon_.... An attendant spirit; genius. 5. One who is extremely # zealous, skillful, or engrossed in a given activity. [ME < LLat. # *daemon* < Lat., spirit < Gk. *daimon*, divine power.] What I found - it appears that there is here too (as with 'sorcery') a dual-aspected nature. It at once appears to be a thing of 'the devil', something considered 'evil' and, at least by the Greeks, a 'divine power' or 'genius' (see the Arabic 'djinn' for more). Not only that but in secular society it approaches the meaning of 'wizard' or 'guru' when it is used to describe technical activity. What I have heard - that demons are servants of the Devil who dwell 'below the Earth' in Hell; that demons are tormentors and torturers; that daemons are elemental spirits or those of other type who may be helpful and/or harmful just as any natural being; that one has an 'inner genius' or 'inner daemon' which can be awakened in the pursuit of the Great Work; that daemons (in associated with djinns) can be great sources of power and wealth, of knowledge and wisdom, and that at times they enjoy being worshipped or serving endlessly, again depending upon their nature. What I have experienced - I am married to the Queen of Demons as I know Her. By 'demons' I mean the equivalent of what is in the East called 'dakinis'. I am as yet unsure whether this also covers the djinn, but I suspect that it does. Dakinis are earth-energies who present sometimes painful lessons of challenge and transformation. As the lesson is engaged and learned, so does the aspirant as well as the dakini change and grow. The psychological equivalent of the demon/dakini is the repressed emotion, sometimes attendant with repressed ideas/memories. I have met, sometimes wrestled with and sometimes submitted to these beings/feelings and I have found them to reveal a great deal about myself and God as I know Hir. I find them always to be serving a purpose which conforms to our mutual discipline and while some of them appear to require me to continually resist them, I cannot say that any are 'evil' in the absolute sense. What I imagine - that the fact that there is a dualism of value surrounding them is no accident; that this is liable to be found with all elements of the religious life which have been condemned as 'heresy' by the Roman Catholic Church and other nominally Christian establishments; that these 'heresies' are spiritual paths which are seen as 'competing', when they may simply be too powerful or dangerous to the establishment or to those within it; that demons/daemons are incredible allies in the resolution of the integrity of the spirit; that ignoring them leads to the ruin not only of ourselves but of those beings around us, through our ignorance and neglect. I use the term 'demon' because I consider it sad that people 'demonize' things at all and I wish to demonstrate my association with such misunder- stood energies. My experience is that the mythos about Heaven and Hell as separate nonlocal realms wherein dwell angels and demons is a fantasy built upon paranoia and an ignorance of the natural world. I gather that within several other traditions (notably some Jewish, Hindu and Muslim) the same sorts of beings are treated with more respect and seen in less fearful ways. I associate demons with emotions, the feminine, and with the earth generally and I notice that those religious who maintain beliefs which include these simplistic dualisms tend to be less ecological, less feminist and less likely to appreciate a wide range of emotional experience as valid and valuable in their lives. |...if I use the term 'demon', I just mean 'a non-physical or semi-physical |entity with malicious intent towards humanity in general.' My experience is that no demon exists purely for the pleasure of malicious activity. Each of those who would assault or harm us is hurt deeply and with some time, understanding, patience and strength, will become our ally, adding to our empowerment. If you like you may enjoy thinking of demons as fractured elements of our mind, spirit or soul. tyagi@houseofkaos.abyss.com