Edit/Update** NICE. She didn’t use ‘the peacock angels’ name. That’s why I didn’t see it. She just called him ‘The Peacock Angel’.
I have so much respect for this author now!
And now I must express my disappointment. Not just with a book in particular which I am reading, but also with the pagan community at large. I’m noticing a repeat pattern and I have to admit it’s a tad insulting.
Background on this post. The latest volume I’ve picked up to add to my library is The Encyclopedia of Spirits, by Judika Illes. Now, let me say; so far, I’m a fan. Not only has Miss Illes, in both her previous works and in this latest one I happened to have picked up, mentioned the idea of Godspouses in actual decent length, all of her work, based on what research I’ve been able to do, seems to have solid foundation, either in tradition itself, or with every bit of correspondence and elemental line-ups that I’ve been familiar with over the years. I’ve come to enjoy her work a lot. She’s easy to read, speaks pleasantly, and there is a treasure trove of information in what she publishes. Before this afternoon? I had not one complaint.
Until, of course, I caught her in the act. What act, you say? This author has fallen into the same pitfall that so many other pagans before her have. I noticed, on flipping through the volume of these ‘spirits’, that they did not contain one. single. mention. of. Lucifer.
And I’m not just talking the name Lucifer. No no-even though I certainly don’t think it’s right, I’ve come to expect the phobia the larger magical community seems to have about His Infernal Highness, and seldom to I expect more than a blip of a mention of him in any of the books at all-if anything. So I was a little disheartened to see that I was proven right-again, but just out of the sake of curiosity, I went hunting to see if I could turn up any of his other epithets in this book. As The Peacock Angel, or The Morningstar, or even Eosphoros. Did anything come up at all?
Nada.
Not even anything *resembling* him, or his myth. Not his corresponding Greek “Twin”, not his Yezidi persona. . . nothing. It almost seems to me that the author of the book nearly went out of their WAY to eliminate “the devil” from their book of spirits. And I was a tad sickened by it.
It happens, as I’ve mentioned, often enough. All over the tags and headings in various pagan and neo-wiccan communities, you see it. “Witchcraft is not Satanism!” the banners proudly proclaim. Almost as if to include the subheading. . . ‘those durn Satanists, with their goat heads and their pigs blood and their dying chickens in the kitchen sink’ (This is satire, we don’t actually do this). Never to mention that not all Luciferians identify as Satanists anyway-but since some people would ironically say, ‘eh, apples and oranges’, we’ll set aside that particular argument for another day. Lets talk erasure, here.
Of course, Lucifer isn’t surprised. And the second I complained to him about what I’d found (or hadn’t found, I should say) out loud, his response was only to raise the proverbial eyebrow at me, as if to say, ‘what did you expect’? Nothing less, of course, for an entity who is so vilified. But maybe it’s more ironic that, even moreso that Judeo-Christian paradigms, Lucifer seems to experience a level of phobia and ‘not touchin’ that’ attitude that would make mention in a church seems like a picnic. Why is that?
I’m sure there would be finger pointing all around. Anything the Christians didn’t like back in the day, they demonized. So a lot of gods were made into the opposition of Christianity’s God, and nearly everybody was an agent of satan. Now that the smoke of those fires (do pardon-pun not intended) have cleared a bit, and people are starting to take their gods back from the hands of vilification, they seem to be taking elaborate steps to say, ‘satan? satan who? Nah that guy doesn’t exist’.
Rude.
And as his wife, it’s almost worse than having a stigma attached. There is one, obviously. Call yourself a Luciferian in public and see how that goes down. I’ve heard the Lokeans don’t exactly have a cup of tea waiting for them when they do the same thing in some Heathenry circles. That being said, at least he’s there. Which is not to play the ‘this stinks more than THIS stinks’ game-that’s not the point. But it does get rather tiresome when people are constantly, in many communities, having discussion about “canon” and myth and lore and interactions with those same gods. . . and it seems at the same time, if you are a devotee of Lucifer, you spend a lot of the time just expending the energy to keep from getting swept under the rug.
Lucifer is a god. Funny how spirits like Michael, Gabriel, Raphael, Uriel, Ariel are mentioned in the books of entities to work with. Lucifer? Almost never. Interestingly enough, I did see mention of Ba’al as an ancient Sumerian deity, and Beelzebub also. So was Azazel. And Lillith, of course, albeit the Jewish accounting of her myth completely erased. The question I have to ask is, what are pagans so afraid of with these deities. . . . and their worshipers?
Is it so unthinkable to some of them (you?) that these entities might HAVE followers? Devotees? Oracles? Spouses? If so, why? This is a question I am challenging all of my followers to ask themselves, and discuss. Why the need to delete us and our gods from the books? Is it because we’re too “dark” for you? Do you fashion us evil? Is there blame on our shoulders for the actions of the Judeo-Christian clergy?
What seems to be the problem? I ask you.
14 comments
January 3, 2014 at 4:12 pm
ladyimbrium
I can’t really say that I’m surprised. I tend to gravitate toward beings and aspects and parts of cycles (just to be vague enough to include as many of mine as possible, here) that are generally considered “dark” and catch (by comparison) minimal amounts of crap. Minimal. I have seen and continue to see that you and others who are drawn specifically to Lucifer catch almost obscene amounts of crap. I fail to understand why the one should be so much worse. If some parts of the world make a person uncomfortable then, well, that happens. I’m not going to force you to interact with something that gives you the heebie jeebies. Much. Often. OK, sometimes I will. However, actively obscuring this particular face is just… wrong. I can imagine that it’s personally offensive to you but even I find it to be at best off balance. Denial isn’t healthy, and all that.
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January 3, 2014 at 4:21 pm
Sulphur Blue
That’s really what it boils down to. It’s not about making people actively pay *respects* to that deity-IE with worship or praise or whatever. . . . but you can at least acknowledge that they exist, both in the books and in the community. Because in doing so you’re also at least acknowledging that that particular god also has devotees/followers/worshipers.
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January 3, 2014 at 4:15 am
galacticlighthouse9
Hmmm, when I read this entry, the author Konstantinos comes to mind. In one of his books, I think it’s “Summoning Spirits: The Art of Magical Evocation”. He written he talked to Lucifer and various angels. He has written working with death energy of the dark gods. Maybe you should read books about dark paganism? I know there some good ones out there.
I know of a pagan who has work with Lucifer (and the goddess Inari!) as patron dieties, but her website fox-moon.com was gone a long time ago. If it still up, I would have shown you much earlier. I only managed to print her pages about using dragons in magical rituals. I can remember she written that Lucifer has a Venus aspect and is related to lightening and light-bringer, but that’s it. (Last time I visit it, it was 2009 e_e).
I think these authors don’t have a godphone or spiritual contacts with our gods (or angels), so much of their research is built from known texts written by those who demonized him or just simply misguided. Also, these books are being heavily screened by the editors who published these books, so in their minds, they have to put into consideration what should be acceptable for public reading and viewing, so much of the drafts of these books do get deleted and rewritten. For the most part, I think people are afraid. Afraid of a fear that is simply groundless.
Personally, I wanted to write about my gnosis Lucifer too, but ahh, I’m afraid my view of him isn’t what you call popular. In my meditations when I connect to him, he feels so…distant and far reaching, but he knows power in a way the power over many dimensions and realms, and he has a Hades energy. He made me feel like he’s an archangel too, and his wings are massive. I think I read somewhere he was a seraphim, but I forgot my source. So, we’re not exactly close, but he did enjoy company (with cups of tea). I offered him cups of tea before, and the feeling I always get from him is being stiffly polite and being so Victorian and proper. When he speaks, it’s always curt like, “Yes. Thank you.” A little sarcastic too. :|
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January 3, 2014 at 6:09 am
Sulphur Blue
I’ve actually read Konstantinos? I wasn’t really all that imrpessed. But then, I’m not by a lot of those book-shelf authors.
But yes, you’re right. It’s easy for me to be so hard on them because a lot of them don’t have the perspective I do.
Though speaking of perspective. For someone who says they’ve only picked up on Lu from a distance, you sure nailed him down to a tee! :D
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January 3, 2014 at 1:23 am
briarrose44
I have a question: what would be a good way to talk about Paganism (if I’m ever asked) without erasing Satanists and Luciferians?
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January 3, 2014 at 1:43 am
Sulphur Blue
Well. Basically, it seems to me, it would just be about not erasing them. Don’t exclude Lucifer or any of the other named ‘satan’ entities (Samael, Belial, Baal, Baphoment, Azazel, Lucifer, ect) from “god” lists. Don’t reblog posts that say things like ‘witches don’t worship satan” (Witchcraft is a secular practice. Now, *wiccans* and most *neo-wiccans*, that is to say, wiccans not formally inducted in a coven don’t, but ‘pagan’ is a very broad umbrella), ect. Also when people try to do the above mentioned things, politely* and respectfully* instruct them otherwise.
Knowledge is power, and all that rot. Also if you run into a situation where there is ever any grey area, refer the person with the questions *to * a Luciferian or a Satanist. We can explain too. :3
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January 3, 2014 at 4:26 pm
briarrose44
Thank you!
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January 3, 2014 at 12:50 am
Brandie Flowers
Reblogged this on Thorrdóttir's thoughts on her spritiual Bloodline and commented:
Another who needs to be reclaimed and not vilified.
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January 3, 2014 at 12:49 am
Brandie Flowers
I do not understand this either. It is annoying. All deserve to be reclaimed, not just some- all. If I understood Him better I’d write about Him myself but I do not know Him well at all.
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January 3, 2014 at 12:51 am
Sulphur Blue
Well, and I’m working on my devotional just for that reason. And that’s what that blog is here for.
Still, I encourage everyone. . .if you see the behavior, call it! :3
(Politely, of course)
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January 4, 2014 at 12:04 am
Brandie Flowers
I have to be polite? You mean I cannot take a hammer to them and bash them into the ground? I need to work on my words than. :)
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January 4, 2014 at 12:14 am
Sulphur Blue
If there’s one thing Lucifer has taught me over all these years it’s that flattery will win you everything and you catch more flies with honey than with vinegar. ;)
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January 4, 2014 at 10:14 pm
Brandie Flowers
I know, Loki is trying to teach me the value of words. I am to much my Father Thor’s child. When words do not get across what is needed I want to resort to the smash.
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January 5, 2014 at 12:21 am
Sulphur Blue
*chuckles* I’m the exact opposite. Lu says I’m too passive and I keep trying to build bridges when I should tear down walls. Apt, so I sorta relate. :3
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