Have you ever been touched by the passing of someone you didn’t know personally? I was in high school when Gene Roddenberry, the creator of Star Trek, died. Although I was already a certified geek back then, Roddenberry meant little to me at the time. My friends may have been Trekkies, but phasers couldn’t stand […]
Category: William Briar
Alternate Rite to Eurynomous
It’s only the second of October, but autumn has arrived in full force where I live. Most of the trees have turned, and the leaves dance in lively orange and yellows against the dreary sky. Just a couple of weeks ago, I didn’t need a jacket in the morning. Today, I wanted gloves when I […]
Spirit of Water Meditation
Tomorrow traditional Daemonolaters celebrate the equinox Rite of Leviathan. This time of year symbolizes the turning of the seasons from summer to autumn as well as the changing of the daemonic elements. Water rules from now until the beginning of winter. It is a period of harvest and contemplation. You can use it to assess […]
When Demons Wear Masks
This week I worked with Foras, a demon who can teach us how to strengthen our minds as well as our bodies. And who wouldn’t want that? Me, apparently—or so I thought. Despite my best intentions and several attempts, I couldn’t connect with him at all. There are many reasons why my invocations might have […]
Say Goodbye to 2016!
How would you describe 2016? It’s been so bad for some of my friends that they want to stay up until midnight tonight just to watch the old year die. I’m always up for a decent death bed vigil too, but I’m also a horror writer. I’m tempted to cut off its head and drive […]
Give 2017 A Magical and Spiritual Head Start With These Easy Tips
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 […]
INTO THE ABYSS is based on a true story!
Did you catch this season’s American Horror Story? I’m not sure Roanoke flowed as well as the show’s previous years, but I blame poor writing over a faulty premise. I think films based on “true stories” can work even if the audience doesn’t believe the events portrayed in the movie occurred at all—but only if […]
Be the Hero Halloween Deserves
Witches love a good banishing. As a magician and horror writer, exorcisms fascinate me. Whenever I watch priests battle the Antichrist, I cheer for the men in collars even while I cringe at every negative stereotype those films reinforce about daemons, daemon-worshippers, and Paganism in general. I don’t need a Catholic priest—or any priest—to rescue […]
Dare We Question Our Faith?
Late last month, I attended an interfaith festival in my city where I ran a table on Daemonolatry. Although the organizers encouraged visitors to step outside their comfort zones and talk to people who might challenge their religious views, I’d estimate that less than ten people asked me anything about Daemonolatry at all. Far more […]
Let’s Be Terrible For a Moment…
One of my oldest friends has a two-year-old daughter. She’s made of sunshine and giggles, but she bursts into tears whenever a stranger pops their head in the front door. Since few people are stranger than I am, and since my schedule keeps me from visiting as often as I would like, I remain terrifying […]