Okay, so I was just pondering something and thought I should post it. I was thinking about how in most cultures the Angels are good beings and the Daemons are bad. I've never read Ars Goetia or any Grimoire, as of yet. But those of you who have, can you enlighten me? What is really the difference between Angels vs. Daemons/Demons? How do you or would you use Daemons/Demons in spellwork or any form of magic if they are inherently evil. I know Wikipedia is not much of a scholarly source, but in reading about the Shemhamphorae, it listed the Angels with their Demon "counterpart" I guess you would say . . . [Link Here] So, how do you view Angels and Daemons/Demons and how do you incorporate them into your practices?
I've never used the Goetia but judging from what I've read I doubt demons fit the traditional Christian conception of them. In Christianity, demons are supposed to be angels who rebelled against God yet the grimoires advocate constraining and compelling them with divine names. If Dr. Joseph Lisewski is right, a successful demonic evocation requires the temporary theosis (absorption into the Godhead) of the magus. Why would rebel angels respect the divine names or obey someone acting with God's authority? They sound more like angels to me. Of course, the Goetia's explanation for this inconsistancy is that the demons rebelled against God, but later repented, and so they must now serve humans as a form of penance. However, this doesn't explain grimiores like The Red Dragon & The Grand Grimoire which clearly deal with unrepentant arch-devils like Lucifuge Rofocel. As for angelic evocations, I know of only one grimoire that deals with it and that's Dee's Heptarchia Mystica. However, unlike 'demons', angels will not materialize themselves on the physical plane. This being the case, evoking them requires the assistance of a seer who can see and communicate with them.
