Pagans of all kinds set lofty goals at this time of year. Some will aim for the stars and end up with a handful of glitter instead. That’s not necessarily a bad thing. Despite what Master Yoda says, there’s value in effort alone. A magician who screws up a ritual is far more powerful than one who never leaves the couch.
Fear of failure can make it hard to pry your ass from the seat cushions, though, especially if you’ve never meditated or practiced magick before. Perhaps that’s why so many new Daemonolaters worry they will “do it wrong.” Truthfully, experienced practitioners worry that too, including me. In my case, perhaps it’s a holdover from being raised in a Christian household, and I’m secretly afraid a little red man with horns and a pitchfork will pop out of the ground to claim my soul. More likely I’m frightened I won’t be able to understand all the old grimoires on my 2017 reading list. For the first time in forever, I feel like a newbie. I understand even better now why daemonic sigils and enns can seem confusing and overwhelming at first.
So what can a new Daemonolater do to ease into daily practice slowly? How can you start fresh with your practice in the New Year?
Try getting in touch with Daemonic Divine through these suggestions.
Appreciate
- Keep a gratitude journal. Not a wordsmith? Say thank you with a daily doodle or a photograph snapped on your phone. Do specific events or objects remind you of the blessings of particular daemons? If appropriate, say a prayer of make an offering in thanks.
- Salt and spice your food with thanks to Belial and Verrine for their gifts.
- Say grace. If you feel uncomfortable saying it at the table, try saying as you fill a pet’s bowl or when you fill the birdfeeder.
- Eat an everyday food or do a day-to-day chore as mindfully as possible, using all your senses, while you dedicate the task to a daemon. How did your awareness of the task change? Could you sense the daemon’s presence?
Beautify
- Create art that expresses your emotions, a problem that you want to overcome, or how you feel about the Daemonic Divine. Draw, paint, write, sing, knit, make jewelry or incense, sculpt…The possibilities are endless.
- If you don’t feel that your art is good enough, remember that some of the first recorded spiritual art—cave paintings—were little more than stick figures, and they were more than good enough for the gods!
- If you don’t know what to do with your arts and crafts when you are done with them, remember that some charities will accept art crafts as donations. Homeless shelters always need warm scarfs, hats, mittens, etc. Also, consider sacrificing any crafts you have made to the Daemonic Divine if it is safe for you to do so and you cannot donate them. Of course, the truly amazing artists among you could open Etsy stores!
Cleanse
- Mindfully cleanse your hands, face, or body with Leviathan’s help. Focus on your physical grime.
- Use creative visualization, repetitive sounds, and pleasing scents to relieve the tension of the day. Focus on your mental grime while running the light of the daemons you feel closest to through your body if you can picture it. If not, pray at this time.
- Straighten your living environment while concentrating on sending negative emotions out the door! Ask Amducius to drive all obstacles from your path and Verrine to bring health to your home!
Dedicate
Purposefully plan to do at least one act in a daemon’s name each day:
- Learn something new for Ronove.
- Light a candle for Flereous.
- Read Tarot cards for Delepitore.
- Observe the moon for Unsere.
Did it change the activity or give it special meaning? Could you sense the daemon’s energy?
Educate
- Read about your faith, its history, and its traditions. You don’t have to read full books if you don’t have time. Short articles on the internet can be a wonderful starting point if make sure to check the facts you find. Question facts in the name of Lucifer!
- Try to include material written by those outside your faith to broaden your perspective. Read about other faiths for the same reason, including those you would never consider joining. Be curious.
- Watch television shows and movies that feature characters of your faith and characters of other faiths. Do you think these portrayals are accurate, based on what you read?
- Look into attending spiritual get-togethers or joining online forums to engage in discussions with others. Be respectful of group culture while being aware that not all groups truly want to get together to discuss spirituality and magick. Some groups are for coffee hook-ups only, while others want meeting leaders just want to sell you something. Be cautious but open-minded.