Speaking of Demons...

Demons and Sorcery

I've been thinking lately about sorcery and demons.

According to most religions, demons are spirits who picked the wrong side in the primordial conflict, and who are now trying in their various ways to deal with their unembodied situation. Demons have always been problematic to the living. Some are relatively harmless, like one I've treated who lived long enough with its human host to absorb a moral sense and to develop a philosophical interest in its own predicament, as well as taking on components of its host’s identity. Some demons, however, are just out to do major damage to all things human, like their titular head.

The difficult thing with demonic possession is to be sure it really is OK with the host. I wouldn’t choose it myself, but hosts sometimes welcome their demons. The demonic dyad allows both human and demon to experience what neither is capable of alone: material, corporeal existence, however brief, along with shared consciousness and uninterrupted metaphysical memory from before the beginning.

Demonic possession of other living creatures is problematic as well. I know of one family whose dog made prophecies, all of which came true. Difficulties arose because the prophecies were things of interest only to a dog, such as that a troublesome cat would soon be moving into the neighborhood, or that there would shortly be a change in his brand of dog chow. The family found it disconcerting enough to get rid of the dog; with Humane Society help he was successfully (and usefully) placed with the owner of a kennel. Disembodied demons can haunt a place, and sometimes it is hard to tell if the haunting is demonic or ghostly. Ghosts won’t possess a person or anything else. They are usually just hanging around trying to get something finished before they move on to the next phase.

Demons are much scarier than ghosts. Sorcerers invoke the demonic by offering corporeality as the bait and then attempting to control the powers they call through black magic. It isn’t the only magic they use, but it is what makes them by definition sorcerers rather than simply magicians or wizards. Sorcery is extremely dangerous and unpredictable. A sorcerer might spend weeks or months calling a particular demon, only to have it, or another, respond unexpectedly. If the demon called is malevolent—and most are—sorcery lays the way open for it to enter the natural, material world and wreak havoc.

No wonder sorcery is illegal.

Another Glimpse of the Garden Faery

"What is it Like?"

Many years ago I worked at one of the few Vampire Treatment Facilities in the western US. Here is part of a transcript of a session, (with ID info removed):

"What is it like?”
“What is it like. At first it was like being a vegetarian with an insatiable appetite for red meat. You can’t believe what you’re doing, what you must do to maintain your—existence. You try not to do it. You try to find ways to minimize the damage, to do as little harm as possible... So you swear off live blood. Or you take only from the willing. But of course you do damage. It’s your nature—you are a dealer of death and destruction. You swear off blood altogether. You starve until you’re ravenous, a sick, weak animal. And then you come upon a human—even sick and starving, you’re stronger than they are—and you can’t control how you feed. You are nothing but the Thirst. Any humanity, any consciousness, is burnt away in the fever for blood.”
“The Thirst?”
“Food and drink and sex all mixed into one. And sin, and death, and hell. The certain knowledge that if you are destroyed it is the cold dark or the fire.”
“Do you know?”
“I know who I am, what I am. But if there’s anything after destruction—ask the demons.”
“God help you.”
“Don’t let me mislead you. Plenty of people envy the vampires, want to be one of the Undead. I did when I was human. There’re many volunteers. The vampires are beautiful and strong. And they have one huge advantage over humans. They’re heartless. They don’t care anymore—they have nothing to care with. They’ve moved beyond caring. They’re invincible. Nothing touches them. Nothing hurts them.”

Patently untrue, as this vampire no longer exists. But his responses to my questions still haunt me.

More Garden Faeries

With a little stealth and caution, I was able to observe a reunion between our local garden faery and other visitors. A highlight of my gardening year!

"Cure" For the Bite of a Vampire

A reader asks, after reviewing the Second Congressional Report, if there is a cure for a vampire bite before the victim is Turned. Here is an excerpt from one of the leading scholarly works on vampirism:

Between the first bite and the last is a sort of twilight phase or fugue state. These victims are under vampiric influence to a degree, without being either killed or Turned. Theoretically, this phase could continue indefinitely, perhaps long enough to justify the rumors of immortal human companions to the vampires. A person may be bitten once without apparent ill effect, but is thereafter vulnerable to influence by their attacker--and that influence, however slight, may manifest years later. The use of holy water, the holy cross, or other similar religious object may help to 'cleanse' the bite, but only if the victim believes in its efficacy. The bite and its effects disappear if at any point the attacking vampire is destroyed.

[emphasis mine] As a therapist, it is extremely difficult to consider that there is no other cure.

Common Garden Faery

To my delight, I have discovered a garden faery in our neighborhood.

Initially shy and stand-offish, and hiding from humans,

as with most faeries, encouragement, attention, gifts, and a non-threatening approach have really brought out the inner Faery Star!

Although faeries can be somewhat demanding* (and confusing) in their relationships with us mere mortals, I hope to see more of this cute little faery in our garden.

*"A mischievous fairy is the source of the curse placed on the young woman"