#an encyclopedia of occultism

[archivist-dragonfly]

Book 409

An Encyclopaedia of Occultism

Lewis Spence

Dover Publications 2003

Originally published in 1920 with the unwieldy subtitle “A Compendium of Information on the Occult Sciences, Occult Personalities, Psychic Science, Magic, Demonology, Spiritualism, and Mysticism,” this book is a wealth of occult information. Compiled by Scottish folklorist and writer Lewis Spence (1874-1955) and with over 2,500 entries, this book encompasses everything from “abracadabra” and “poltergeist” to more arcane topics such as “Shelta Thari” and “Martian language” as well as numerous profiles of occult figures.

[basicallyanotherwitchesthing]

The Occult, An Encyclopedia of the Supernatural, Vol. 1, Orbis House, 1975

[officialurban]

The Women's Encyclopedia of Myths & Secrets - Barbara G. Walker

Table of Contents

Table of Contents organized with links to the various sections and a download link for the full PDF

[hello-dear-listener]

Why do I actually want to expand on this now. My lore centers of the brain going brrr.

Grouchy rant/Audio roleplay pet peeve: I lose it when a character's description based on exposotion/backstory doesn't actually align with their actual on-screen actions. This is especially bad with Listener characters because a lot of VAs/writers just don't know how to write Listener action, or neglect to let Listener characters interact with anyone other than their love interest.

It's so aggravating. A character will be like "This is my fiance, Demon-Stomper 9000 (but I call her Pookie). She's stomped a hundred demons and she's gonna stomp a hundred more. Sometimes I've gotta be like 'woah Pookie, you've gotta stop stomping so many demons, you might hurt yourself'."

Then when a demon is actually on screen Pookie is just like 🧍‍♀️

On my soul, give the Listener some *flavor* and let them DO SOMETHING. On screen! It doesn't even have to be in action scenes, like just for fucks sake show don't tell for once. It's very much possible within the realm of audio roleplay, it just takes a little bit of thinking and a couple of sound effects. Trust me, you'll accomplish more characterization with five minutes of them actually doing something than you would with a hundred hours of expositional backstory.

This happens with speaker characters too, and it's awful. The title of the series will be like "Mafia Boss: Criminal Chronicle [Strangers to Lovers]" then in the actual audios the mafia boss never actually commits any crimes or involves himself in anything illegal and doesn't even talk about crime. He just wears expensive suits and has a really deep voice.

Quick rule: if the audience could listen to the full length of a mafia audio and not be able to tell that the character was in a criminal organization, you didn't make a mafia audio. You just didn't, idgaf what the title says. Image watching a whole episode of the Sopranos without crime being mentioned even once. It would suck. Same with werewolves, vampires, or whatever other trope is getting abused this week.

IDK why this is such a problem in the audio roleplay medium compared to every other medium ever. We've got mafia bosses that don't commit crimes, we've got werewolves who don't turn into wolves, we've got pirate captains who don't commit piracy, we've got vampires who don't drink blood, and we've got yanderes who don't, uh, yander. It's out of control. Just commit to the character type you said you would write in the first place.

This was way longer than I intended it to be so TL;DR: Show don't tell still applies in audios, Listener characters can and should take an active role in the story, and please PLEASE stop marketing your characters around tropes that you neglet to actually write into your audios.

[anneapocalypse]

What is "the occult" in FFXIV?

Ever since I first laid eyes on the EE3 bit about Urianger's parents I have been noodling on one thing in particular. Encyclopedia Eorzea volume 3 refers to "the occult" as Urianger's parents' field of study (and the reason they were so absent from his life). Every since that discovery, I have been curious what that actually means. What is "the occult" in a universe where magic is real, measurable, and a highly legitimate and prestigious field of study?

So, where else is "the occult" referenced in the game?

Thanks to this invaluable searchable transcript, I've found a few other references in MSQ.

The first use of the term "occult" in MSQ that I've found is way back in the Gridania starter quests when some Ixali "Occultists" are trying to summon Garuda at the Guardian Tree. In isolation I'd take this one with a grain of salt since it's very early in ARR, but I think it's consistent with other usages. The description for Whorleater Extreme also uses the term, referencing "the occult knowledge of the Ascians," so from the start there is an association of the occult with Ascian magicks and specifically with summoning.

The only other mention in MSQ comes from Alphinaud in Endwalker, where he and Krile are giving us the tour of Sharlayan, and specifically Phenomenon:

Alphinaud: As the center of what would later become the Studium, it was established to promote the study of aetherological phenomena, hence the name. Alphinaud: Though with aether being a fundamental aspect of nature, its scope expanded to include every conceivable facet of life and even the universe itself. Alphinaud: And then, in the four hundred and thirty-second year of the Sixth Astral Era, Phenomenon was decreed complete and the Studium officially opened as a place of learning. Alphinaud: With a long and storied history, it is without question the world's leading authority in aetherology, the arcane, the occult, astromancy, and countless other fields, standing proud as─ Alisaie and Krile: ...Sharlayan's foremost educational institute!

Okay, so "the occult" clearly falls within the general field of aetherological phenomena and magic, though that we could have guessed already. Something that catches my eye is how in more than one place, "occult" is contrasted with or referenced as distinct from "arcane." This is the case in Alphinaud's speech above, as well as in the Blue Mage quest "Everybody Was Fukumen Fighting," wherein Bluehood says, "No occult tricks or arcane incantations can contend with the all-surpassing might of blue wizardry!"

In the Loporrit Allied Society quests, we also get this odd little quest "Hare-Raising Thrills," in which we're asked to make "Occult Paraphernalia" for a Loporrit called Thrillingway. Depending on crafting job, dialogue with Keepingway will elaborate thus:

"It seems he requires a pair of shears─but not just any pair. No, he desires blades sharp enough to carve fur clean off!"

"He wants a sturdy coil of rope suitable for binding all four limbs of…a 'friend,' allegedly."

"Seems he wants a highly acidic gel for some dubious purpose I did not have the heart to inquire about. Honestly, I think it's best if we don't know."

Which. I mean. Okay. lol. Do what you will with that.

But probably most illuminating is the use of the word "occult" in a couple of Red Mage quests, and in the Sky Pirate raid quests.

In "The Weeping City," Cait Sith says, "Thus did the Mhachi magi construct an occult device that would more securely bind the voidsent to their will..."

And in the Red Mage quests "With Heart and Steel" and "Traced in Blood" we have, respectively:

"The tomes with passages pertaining to the voidsent Lilith are all forbidden occult works..."

and

"...the secrets behind Lambard's occult transformation."

In both contexts, "occult" seems to be connected to voidsent, specifically to Lilith in the case of the Red Mage quests.

And this ties back to the references in ARR as well, since from the beginning Ascians have been connected with the Void, even before we knew what the Void actually was. So it's safe to say at this point, I think, that "occult" can refer to magicks connected to the Void and to Ascians.

There's just one more reference I found that flummoxed me a bit, and that's this description of the Arcanist class, which refers to arcanist weapons as "occult grimoires." I found it odd initially because in most other contexts "occult" seems to refer to magicks seen as illicit, as opposed to the socially acceptable "arcane." But it does make a kind of sense, given that it is from Arcanist that we get Summoner. If summoning of primals is occult, then by extension so is summoning in the arcanist sense, even if it's not truly the same thing. This would seem to be the exception to "arcane" and "occult" being distinct categories, which leads me to believe that the distinction is more cultural than ontological.

So I think from the above, we can consider "occult" to be a fairly broad term that may be used in several distinct but overlapping senses:

Magic related to the summoning of primals.

Magic related to the Void, voidsent, and Ascians.

Magic which is taboo, forbidden, or otherwise outside of that which is socially accepted.

As a footnote, I think this is particularly interesting in the context of Urianger being introduced as our resident expert on primals, despite the fact that that's... really not specifically his field of study but merely adjacent to it. Urianger's primary interest is prophecy, and certainly plenty of prophecy seems to reference primals and Ascians and that's where we see him doing a lot of his research, but it's not the same field, merely overlapping.

Without more information we can't know for certain what his parents were actually studying. Maybe they were interested in primals, or Ascians, or the Void. Maybe they were studying Void-related magics. It's also possibly they were simply arcanists particularly interested in the summoner side and we shouldn't read much more than that into the reference to "the occult." Who knows.

But nonetheless, several of these interpretations would mean that in a way, Urianger has followed in their footsteps despite their making apparently little effort to guide him that way, which I find to be an interesting angle to his character and also profoundly sad in its own way--not that he found his own interests in those areas, but that the Augurelts had a child so naturally inclined toward their own interests and still took so little interest in him.

[coinandcandle]

Coin's Resources for Research

Here's a list of my personal favorite resources for researching witchcraft, magic, and the occult!

Websites

Sacred Texts - This site is a collection of electronic texts about religion, mythology, legends and folklore, and occult and esoteric topics. Almost all of it is in the English language (translated) and when possible they give the original language (which is quite often)!

Jstor - Home to thousands of scholarly content. While there are limitations to the open and free content on the site, they still have quite a lot to offer! If you can afford the paid version I highly suggest you do so.

Wikipedia - I don't care what your high school lit teacher told you, Wikipedia is a great resource and a wonderful way to find where to start when you're learning a new topic. 

Encyclopedia Britannica - A fact-checked online encyclopedia with hundreds of thousands of objective articles, biographies, videos, and more.

Hoopla - A digital library where you can borrow books, audio books, and more! It's connected to your local library so make sure you get a library card!

Libby - Same situation as Hoopla.

Worldcat - A website that helps you track down reliable sources that you can only find in libraries.

PDFDrive - A website with thousands of free pdfs. It doesn't always have what I'm looking for but it's always worth a shot to check!

Youtube

Esoterica - Run by Dr. Justin Sledge, Esoterica is a channel that discusses the arcane in history, philosophy, and religion.

Angela's Symposium - Dr. Angela Puca's channel where she covers peer-reviewed research and scholarship on magic, witches, esoteric traditions, the occult, Paganism, shamanism and related currents.

ReligionForBreakfast - Dr. Andrew M. Henry's channel that discusses--you guessed it--religion! His goal is to improve the public's religious literacy by exploring humanity's beliefs and rituals through an anthropological, sociological, and archaeological lens. 

Misc

Ronald Hutton - Hutton is an invaluable resource and a fantastic historian. He writes the facts without being pretentious and is often quite funny too! 

Wiki's List of Occult Writers

Wiki's List of Occult Terms

[eldritchboop]

The Definitive Demonology Book Collection

The Lost Book Project is charging $13 for this collection. If you've found this roundup useful, please consider donating to the Internet Archive instead.

Other roundups here

Three Books of Occult Philosophy by Agrippa (1531)

The Encyclopedia of Witchcraft & Demonology by Rossell Hope Robbins (1959)

The History of Witchcraft and Demonology by Montague Summers (1926)

Biblical Demonology by Merrill F. Unger (1952) Ed note: This book is still in copyright; this is rental

The Goetia: The Lesser Key of Solomon the King (1904)

The Magus, Celestial Intelligencer: A Complete System of Occult Philosophy (1801)

Pseudomonarchia Daemonum by Johann Weyer (1577)

The Grand Grimoire by Unknown (1521)

Daemonologie by King I James (1597)

Satanism and Witchcraft: The Classic Study of Medieval Superstition (1862)

Demoniality: Incubi and Succubi: A Book of Demonology (1869)

An Encyclopaedia of Occultism - L. Spence (1920)

Devils, Gods, and Spirits of the Dictionnaire Infernal (1863) Ed note: The original book is in French; the translation is still in copyright.

White Stains by Aleister Crowley (1898)

The Fourth Book of Occult Philosophy: The Companion to Three Books of Occult Philosophy (1959)

The Biography of Satan (1921)

Begone Satan - A Soul Stirring Account of Diabolical Possession - C. Vogl (1936)

Letters on Demonology and Witchcraft by Walter Scott (1830)

[pinkgy]

72 DEVILS LIST

Since I’ve got a lot of free time, here’s a list of all the 72 devils from the Ars Goetia, and if they have been introduced to the game or not.

Got the information from the most trustworthy source of information ever, Wikipedia, and a page called Occult Encyclopedia.

1. Paimon: Available Noble of Gehenna.

2. Bael: Available Noble of Abyssos

3. Belial: Available Noble of Gehenna

4. Agares: Available Noble/Former King of Niflheim

5. Vassago: Available Noble of Niflheim

6. Valac: Unavailable N/A

7. Marbas: Available Noble of Paradise Lost

8. Valefor: Available Noble of Tartaros

9. Amon: Available Noble of Abyssos

10. Barbatos: Available Noble of Hades

11. Buer: Available Noble of Paradise Lost

12. Guison: Available Nomble of Niflheim

13. Sitri: Available Noble of Gehenna

14. Leraye: Available Noble of Gehenna

15. Beleth: Available Noble of Niflheim

16. Eligos: Available Noble of Tartaros

17. Zepar: Unavailable N/A

18. Botis: Unavailable N/A

19. Purson: Unavailable N/A

20. Asmodeus (?): Unavailable N/A

21. Vine: Unavailable N/A

22. Balam: Unavailable N/A

23. Zagan: Available Noble of Gehenna

24. Amdusias: Unavailable N/A

25. Bathin: Available Noble of Niflheim

26. Saleos: Unavailable N/A

27. Aim: Unavailable N/A

28. Buné: Unavailable N/A

29. Berith: Unavailable N/A

30. Astaroth: Available Noble of Gehenna

31. Focalor: Unavailable N/A

32. Vepar: Unavailable N/A

33. Vual: Unavailable N/A

34. Crocell: Unavailable N/A

35. Allocer: Unavailable N/A

36. Murmur: Unavailable N/A

37. Gremory: Unavailable N/A

38. Vapula: Unavailable N/A

39. Flauros: Unavailable N/A

40. Dantalian: Available Noble of Abaddon

41. Ipos: Unavailable N/A

42. Gaap: Unavailable N/A

43. Stolas: Available Noble of Abyssos

44. Orobas: Unavailable N/A

45. Seir: Unavailable N/A (But he appeared on the game)

46. Gamigin: Available Noble of Paradise Lost

47. Naberius: Available Noble of Abyssos

48.  Ronové: Available Noble of Abaddon

49. Forneus: Unavailable N/A

50. Marchosias: Unavailable N/A

51. Phenix: Available Noble of Abaddon

52. Sabnock: Unavailable N/A

53. Shax: Unavailable N/A

54. Orias: Available Noble of Hades

55. Andras: Unavailable N/A

56. Andrealphus: Available Noble of Niflheim

57. Kimaris: Unavailable N/A

58. Decarabia: Unavailable N/A

59. Furfur: Unavailable N/A

60. Malthus: Unavailable N/A

61. Raum: Unavailable N/A

62. Bifrons: Unavailable N/A

63. Andromallus: Unavailable N/A

64. Furcas: Unavailable N/A

65. Morax: Available Noble of Paradise Lost

66. Glasyalabolas: Available Noble of Hades

67. Foras: Available Noble of Hades

68. Malphas: Unavailable N/A

69. Haagenti: Unavailable N/A

70. Camio: Unavailable N/A

71. Amy: Unavailable N/A

72. Ose: Unavailable N/A

If the game decides to include in the game all of the 72 devils, which I highly doubt, we already know 29 of them.

Now I'm gonna answer some possible doubts.

Why is Asmodeus in the list of the 72 devils? I have no idea, I promise that I'm going to investigate that further and then I'll edit this post.

Why isn't the list organized? This is more of a quick list just to keep track of the demons we have available in the game and the ones we don't, I know they have an order and are even organized by rank, maybe in the future I'll make the list well, but it serves its purpose at least!

Those are not their names in the Ars Goetia! I know, i put in this list the names they used in the game (Only for the available ones) and some of them have many variations of their names, Prettybusy with some of the nobles used names that are not how some are used to call them for the game (I used the word "Name" too much in a single sentence)

Where is Bimet? Bimet is either Vine or Bune, but I'm still not sure.

I'll try to update this post as we get more of the 72 devils.

[angel-of-the-moons]

Didn't Plan On It (AKA, Your Friends Are Assholes)

Khonshu x Fem!Reader

TW/CW: NSFW, forced marriage (kinda??? You SORT OF consented to it???), hints at sexual stuff, groping, my shitty sense of humor

MINORS DNI I AM NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR CONTENT YOU CONSUME

A/N: Based on this post I got tagged in asdfghjkl (I loosely based Max off a friend of mine 💀)

You loved your friends, but hated them at the same time.

Loved them because they were quirky and weird and matched your energy...

...Hated them because they matched your energy.

A double edged sword, for certain. But at the same time, there's nobody you'd trust more to come to your aid if some creep got up into your personal space. You'd all grown up together, been through everything through thick and thin, even if some of you moved away at some point.

There was Mari, the oldest one in the group by two years. She was like the aunt of the friend group (you were the group mom) who you all could trust to suggest poisoning an ex who did you wrong.

Then, there was Elizabeth "Lizzy", she was the one in the group that alcohol hit the hardest, the lightweight who got cuddly when she was drunk. She did everyone's taxes for them (you know how to do them, she just does them better). Stabbed her ex boyfriend for cheating on her, didn't get any charges pressed (somehow).

There was the other Elizabeth, whom everyone just called "Eli" to avoid confusing her with Lizzy. (Sometimes you all call them #1 and #2) Eli was the most tomboy of the group, her fashion very much stuck in the "grunge" fashion from back in the 90s. 90% of her fashion choice is band merch, she is the one who drives everyone to concerts and manages check-ins at events to make sure everyone is accounted for.

After Mari, Lizzy, and Eli, there was Zoey. Her contact number in everyone's phone is almost always "Zoey 101". The highest IQ out of you all, she was the one who manages passports, IDs, and luggage checks when you take trips together. Has way too much knowledge on the supernatural and the occult.

After the four of them, was Kayla. Kayla was the one who always knew everything about whatever group projects you were all assigned to in school; ask her an obscure fact and she could spit out an atlas or encyclopedia on the subject. Dresses like she's a model on a runway almost every day. Owns 5,000 pairs of feetie pajamas.

And finally, there was Maxwell "Max". You all likened him to Max, Goofy's son, due to how lanky he was. A beautician by trade, always wore flawless makeup when he dressed in drag. Or, just gorgeous in general. Your team's "Gay Avenger" and he watches your drinks at parties like he is a lone sentry between him, a sniper and a platoon of soldiers in the night. Max was the one you knew the longest, you two were born only a few days apart; your parents being best friends even longer. You all made every single one of his drag shows to support him, screaming and cheering the loudest.

Right now, you were at Kayla's house. She was a successful real estate agent and made serious bank; so hosting the bachelorette party in her honor there just made sense. Cheaper, too.

You all had a private party, getting wasted, eating snacks, dressing each other up, holding Lizzy's hair when she puked into the toilet, watching old shitty rom-coms, and letting Max put his best drag looks on all of you. (That was his favorite part of the night, honestly.)

But somehow, inevitably, the occult was brought up. Not by Zoey, but by Mari. She suggested playing with a ouija board.

Kayla had slammed her hands on the table and said, "Hell. No! Not in my house! I'm white, but I'm not horror movie "let's open a magic door and summon a demon" white!"

"Yeah, let's be real. The demon would probably claim Max first." Lizzy grinned, jerking her thumb to the man in question.

Max dramatically clutched his invisible pearls, the gaudy fake tiara crooked in his poofy curls as he gasped incredulously, "Not on the first date, girl! He'd have to put a ring on it, first. I have standards."

"Oh, he'd probably put a ring on something--" Eli snorted into her drink, earning a loud round of chortling from the rest of you.

As the laughter died down, Zoey had said a loud thoughtfully, "Well... there is something I read in my forums recently. A ritual..."

Kayla squinted at her, pointing her manicured nail into her chubby little cheek. "What did I just say about demons?"

"It's not a demon!" Zoey giggled. "It's a god."

"Oh, so instead of a demon, we're gonna summon something possibly even more dangerous?" Mari sighed, raising an eyebrow. "I d'nno how a god would feel about puny mortals like us summoning him from a plane of existence we can't even fathom just to ask him to strip for us."

"Noooo!" Zoey frowned at her as everyone laughed. "It's kind of like a.... fertility rite? Or well, maybe more like some kinda ceremony that's supposed to gain the favor of the god or something. It was discovered by some sort of archaeologist recently in a scroll!"

"A scroll." You deadpan, setting your empty glass of wine in front of you, leaning back on the couch.

"I think I know the scroll you're talking about." Kayla had piped in. "It was found in some recovered temple out in Egypt, right? By one that one world famous professor and historian?"

"Yes! So you know which god I'm talking about, and how he's not dangerous." Zoey nodded excitedly, growing more and more energized at the possibility of playing with magic with all of you.

Kayla tapped her nails on the tabletop, twisting her mouth as she mulled over her options. Deciding that, fuck it, Zoey had a point... it couldn't hurt to end the night with a bang.

"Okay, okay.... let's do it."

"Yessss!" Zoey said, jumping up and bouncing on her feet. She stopped and awkwardly cleared her throat. "Well, er... we kind of need a subject to be the centerpiece, though... the "anchor" of the spell..."

"Wait.... You said a fertility god?" Max squinted, his eyes glimmering cheekily.

"Well, healing, protection, fertility..." Zoey listed off, her voice trailing away.

"Okay okay, but let's focus on the fertility part." He replied. "So odds are.... the anchor of the spell is going to get laid."

"Well... It's a possibility."

"So, who gets to be the lucky anchor?" You asked, tilting your head.

The silence was so loud a mouse could sneeze and you all would have heard it.

And then.... their heads all turned to you, grins spreading on their faces as they all traded conspiratorial looks with one another.

"Oh fuck you." You snap, shaking your head.

"Well, babygirl..." Max leaned in, his arm over your shoulder. "I know for a fact you haven't been laid in a good long while..."

"I have an active sex life!" You retorted, your voice becoming shrill.

"Battery-operated silicone boyfriends don't count." He deadpanned, earning laughter from everyone in the room.

You slump in your seat, pouting like an angry child. "I don't need help getting laid!"

"Well, it's also..." Lizzy said slowly. "The last guy you were with was Troy... and we all know what happened with him."

Your mood soured further at the mention of your highschool sweetheart, the man of your dreams... or so it had appeared. You'd held out on him for a while, finally giving in on prom night and getting a hotel room and having sex with him.

And one day, you decided to drop by his family's house with an early birthday present. ...Only to have caught him in bed with his best friend's mother. He'd been cheating on you with her for almost the entirety of your relationship.

It was after that break-up that you just... didn't want to date. Even if you were lonely, you wouldn't give in because your sense of trust had been betrayed by the guy you were absolutely besotted with.

Eli cleared her throat, "Oh come on. Nothing's gonna happen... it's not like we're gonna sacrifice you on an altar."

"Ugh! Fine! Leave me alone! And when nothing happens you're all paying for my drinks the next time we go bar hopping!" You shouted, throwing your hands up in the air.

Zoey rubbed her hands together, grinning. "Now, then.... let's make a run to that little shop on Malden Street! They're 24 hours and have everything we need!"

You groaned as you got tugged along, Mari the designated driver because she was the only sober one.

Yeah. You hated and loved your friends.

Zoey had begun setting up the altar around the bed in the guest room, finishing it almost too quickly for your liking. Max and Kayla had dolled you all up for your "date", ensuring you looked your best when that god (never) appeared.

Dressed in one of Kayla's black nightgowns and her silk robe, Max had your hair styled "just right" and your makeup "tastefully minimal"--whatever all that meant.

Eli and Lizzy had killed the lights, while Mari cleared the rest of the bedroom for whatever else would occur.

You laid down on the bed as everyone sat in a semicircle around the bed, Zoey standing with a wax candle in hand as she read the spell screenshotted on her phone aloud as best she could in the language it was written.

You laid against the plush pillows, staring at the ceiling in boredom, listening to Zoey drone on and your other friends giggle in anticipation at the stupid middle-school antics they were perpetrating upon you.

Eventually, the room fell silent as Zoey kneeled like the others staring at you with rapt attention, her eyes glittering in excitement.

Only... nothing happened. Not even... well, you weren't sure what magic would feel like if it was cast on you.

"Hah!" You said, lifting your head to look at Zoey, pointing. "I told you nothing would happen--"

Your six friends all fell backwards with startled shouts and shrieks when, in a blur of light... you vanished.

Right in front of them!

"Oh, oh no.... Um... whoops...?" Zoey said, her voice shell shocked and tiny as a bead of sweat dripped down her brow.

Max grabbed Zoey and shook her, "What did you do! What did you do?!"

The moment that flash of light dissipated you hit whatever soft surface you were on with a gasp, almost feeling your lungs squeezed of all air before sucking in much needed oxygen.

You blinked your eyes open, and when they focused on your surroundings... You realized you weren't at Kayla's house anymore. Your friends weren't sitting in their silly ritualistic circle... Zoey wasn't staring at you like a bug under a microscope.

You were... somewhere. The bed you were on was insanely large and round, the sheets a divinely soft texture, almost like the velvet of a moths's wing. A canopy was above you, wafting in an unknown breeze. Marble pillars with beautiful scenes painted on lined the room that was very sparse, save for a table laden with food in the corner.

You swing your legs over the bed and rub your temples.

You were drunk. You were black out drunk and this is all some kind of horrible dream that will cause you migraines with your inevitable hangover in the morning.

Right?

Yeah. Not so lucky.

When your eyes opened once more, you were still in the strange marble room.

You groaned, standing up and shivering as your feet touched the cold stone floors, polished to a fine sheen that reflected the dim torchlight lit on various oil lamps lining the room.

You looked to your side and noticed some kind of balcony, the night sky just beyond.

You frantically ran for it, hoping that maybe you might be able to call down to the street below for help, but... no luck.

Your hands wrapped around the stone banister and your jaw dropped. You weren't met with the night scenery of some kind of city or town, or even a sprawling estate.

Chalky dust, dented with craters and rocks and boulders stretched out beyond your vision's limits. And hovering in the sky where the moon should be, was...

The Earth. A shiny blue-and-green marble that lazily hung in the void of space, one side dimly lit by the sun while the other was black, lights from the cities below dotting it with a golden hue in the shadow of the--the fucking moon.

You were on the fucking moon?!

"How the hell... what..." You said, your heart thudding in your chest as you walked back into the ornate, pale room you'd exited.

Honestly, you were the darkest thing in there, dressed in all black, the silk hanging from your body and clinging to you in all the right places...

How were you breathing? What were you breathing? How were you even alive--

"Well... this is interesting." A deep voice mused from behind you.

You could feel someone looming over you. An oppressive feeling bearing down on you like whoever this was towered beyond your height.

You spun around, swallowing the lump of fear in your chest; but whoever spoke was no longer behind you.

"It's been some time since anyone has performed that ritual." The voice said again, "Though... uour friend should have worded it more carefully. Her mistranslation may cost you more than intended."

You looked towards the balcony, the thin curtains swaying in the breeze-that-should-not-be, a tall, imposing shadow barely showing through the other side.

An impossibly large man. Or... what looked like a man... if it weren't for the silhouette of the bird skull where his head should be.

Fear spread through your body at every leap of your pulse, dreading it as the figure began walking to the edge of the fine drapery. You anticipated some kind of horror show, but... well. You got the opposite.

A man with impeccably tanned skin, dressed only in a gold bejeweled collar and bracers stepped out, his white shendyt wrapped in some sort of sheer cover, his toned waist disappearing beyond, a thin trail of dark hair trailing up to his navel as his bare feet padded silently across the polished floor. On his chest was a crescent moon that looked like it was painted in some sort of gold across his skin.

His hazel eyes glimmered at you with an inhuman inner light, his mouth quirked up in a cocky smile that stretched his beard; his long, curled black hair striped with wisps of silver as it hung low against his shoulders.

One of his hands held a long staff, topped in a golden crescent moon, like the one tattooed on his chest. His eyes trailed you up and down as he slowly made his way over to you.

You were transfixed.

You were so struck by him that you didn't flinch until his fingers tipped your chin so you would look up at him, your mouth going dry. What the hell was happening?

"Well... at least you are pleasing to look at."

You felt your ego take the punch, and your awe at his beauty was shattered. Oh. So he was a dick.

"You--"

"Do you know why you're here, little dove?" He hummed, tilting his head slightly with a coy--but knowing--smile.

"I... My friend did some stupid magic circle, that's what!" You say, twisting your head free from his grasp, stepping away to wrap the silk robe around you tighter, suddenly feeling very self conscious.

"I asked not what brought you here... but if you knew what your friend's ritual has ordained for you." He chuckled lowly at your sense of modesty.

"I..." You flounder, wishing you had been listening to the details Zoey had been spitting as she set up the circle, earlier as Max and Kayla got you ready. "Something about..."

Your body shivered at the realization.

"... something about fertility?"

The man moved towards you in a blur, suddenly behind you once again; his body heat bleeding into you like the scorching sun on a summer day, his heavy hands circling your waist and toying with the knot in the robe.

"Close." He had whispered, his lips touching the shell of your ear as your body went rigid in his embrace.

"Your friend mistranslated "offering"." The ridiculously gorgeous man hummed deeply. His lips skimmed your bare neck in appreciation; "She said "wife". Imagine my surprise, while I was overseeing my Fist's duties and I heard that incantation over the divine space. I simply had to see who performed such a ritual."

"W-wait you can't be saying that..."

"I am afraid so, little dove." He breathed, his mouth leaving a hot kiss to your leaping pulse, making heat pool low in your belly. His hands slid beneath the robe, touching the soft nightgown that covered you beneath; barely touching the undersides of your breasts.

"You belong to me, now."

You stood ramrod stiff as his hands roamed you, mapping out every dip and curve your body had; every hollow and mark in your skin, driving your body mad with desire despite the shock of your current situation.

"It is human custom to consummate a marriage after a ceremony, yes?" His mouth once again found your ear, his words hot on your skin, one of his hands slipping beneath your robe and gown to brush his thumb over one of your pebbled nipples; his other sliding down to slowly hike up the skirt of your nightwear, his hand groping and squeezing the fat of your thigh.

"It has been... overlong since I have indulged in such pleasures. But I assure you, I have a--very--good memory."

All six of them had been in a constant state of panic, frantically wondering if they should call a priest or the police. The sun was beginning to creep over the horizon, painting the sky in gorgeous colors as clouds lazily danced about the atmosphere.

Max had yanked at his curls, "I'm to gay and gorgeous to go to jail!"

"It was magic not murder, you drama queen!" Mari shouted, shaking Max's arm frantically.

"Who the fuck should we call?!" Lizzy shrieked, waving her arms over her head. "The fuckin' Winchester brothers?! Fucking Constantine?!"

Zoey practically sobbed, emotionally raw and scared. She hadn't expected anything to happen with this! After all, none of her other dabblings caused something like... like this! What if she mistranslated in the wrong language and accidentally sent you to Cthulhu? What if she cursed you to one of the circles of hell? Did she say something wrong?!

"I'm sorry!" She sniffled as Eli rubbed her back, trying desperately to stay calm. "I didn't know!"

"Well, we are not ever doing goddamn magic ever again!" Kayla hyperventilated, fanning herself desperately with her hand, the other holding her long hair up in a bunch to get it off of her sweaty neck. "God damn it, this shit always happens in horror movies! Me and my big mouth--"

They were all almost knocked to the ground again, when, in a bright flash of light... you were dropped onto the plush mattress once again. Only this time, your appearance was far more disheveled.

Your makeup ran down your cheeks, mascara tracking down your face from dried tears, your lipstick smeared and hair messy; your clothes haphazardly askew in several places.

You blinked, your eyes not entirely focused as you sat up and looked at your friends. You zeroed in on Zoey. You didn't seem... hurt? Mad at her?

Instead, your usual coping mechanism kicked in. Humor.

"Scully.... You're not gonna believe this..."

[archivist-dragonfly]

Book 430

The Encyclopedia of Ghosts and Spirts, third edition

Rosemary Ellen Guiley

Checkmark Books 2007

This is a surprisingly useful book to me. It’s just about the only book I have that has post-its in it to mark certain entries. It has particularly good summations of specific hauntings and ghosts. For example: the late 19th century Amherst Haunting, or the Chaffin Will Case from the early 20th century, or the well-documented 1977 Enfield Poltergeist. With over 600 entries, on everything from haunted places to famous mediums, this is an excellent reference.

[basicallyanotherwitchesthing]

Man, Myth & Magic, N. 25, Purnell Inc, 1971

[officialurban]

The Works of Albert G. Mackey

Masonic Encyclopedias, History, and Complete Accounts

Various Freemasonic Encyclopedias, Complete Historical Accounts, Symbolism, and more. Albert Mackey was a 33rd Degree Freemason who wrote extensively on the craft during the early 1900s. Some of the best and most complete accounts of the TRUE DOCTRINES of FREEMASONRY.

[stagkingswife]

Hello I’m very interested in witchcraft and want to get into it I have some crystals and stuff but I’m not sure wear to start

I'm probably one of the worst people you could ask about where to start, because I got my start as a child in what some would consider the deep end, namely spirit work. Many people say "start with cleansing!" or "start with protection!" my best advice is start with what you're into. Nothing will kill an interest faster than having to jump through hoops and fulfill prerequisites like you're taking a college 300 level course. You have some crystals? Great! If crystals and magic that you can do with them is something that your interested in start there. Follow some blogs that talk about crystal magic, find some books about crystal magic (though I'm afraid I don't really have any recs beyond the classic Cunningham's Encyclopedia - I have my problems with Cunningham, but his encyclopedias are pretty solid). If you don't know what you're into, that's okay too. Start with listening, learning, and research. Tumblr has a great occult, magical, and spiritual community with all sorts of people representing all kinds of different practices. Start exploring the tags and see who you find and what they're talking about, and if any of it sounds like something you would want to learn. Then you can research that specific topic more in depth. Do be sure to read critically and keep your bullshit detector on though, people do just come onto the internet and lie, and sometimes people promise things that are too good to be true. Feel free to circle back if you have more questions, or if you want specific blog or book recs!

[anneapocalypse]

I have now found one place Urianger's family is mentioned, Encyclopedia Eorzea vol. 3, and only because the fandom wiki references it:

When he was young, Urianger's parents were deeply engrossed in their research into the occult, leaving Urianger often unattended. His neighbor, Bloewyda Uwilsyngwyn, couldn't bear the sight of the young child being alone, and so offered to raise him in his parents' stead. Urianger's parents thanked Boewyda profusely before leaving for parts unknown, and so it was that Urianger was welcomed into the family of Bloewyda, her husband Wilfsunn, and their daughter Moenbryda.

(Quote is from the wiki, not the book, and it might be a paraphrase, but that's what I've got at the moment.)

And Jesus Christ, this is just... heartbreaking to me. You would think that a pair of scholars would be thrilled to raise a kid like Urianger and share their knowledge with him and encourage him in his own education. The fact that vol. 1 references Moenbryda as helping him enter the Studium always needled me because like? Knowing who Urianger is today and extrapolating backwards, I would have needed exactly zero explanation for why and how he entered the Studium and became an archon. If there's any character who doesn't require an explanation for that, it's Urianger! "Scholar" is his entire character concept. You could tell us he was born an archon and we'd probably half believe it. So Moenbryda being mentioned in that way always seemed Significant, for that reason and for the unspoken question, Where were his parents in this? Did they not care about their kid's education? Like I was on the verge of concluding that his parents were gleaners or laborers or otherwise not scholars themselves, and that's why they were so absent from his life.

But nope. They were apparently just so wrapped up in their own research that they functionally abandoned him with the neighbors. "...before leaving for parts unknown." The fuck. I wonder if he even knows where they are, or if they're completely estranged at this point. I wonder if he's ever angry at them, or if he's just so deeply internalized the idea that there was always something legitimately more important than him and his happiness... which he has maybe carried into his adult worldview in a big way. I can't imagine this not having massive implications for why his self-image is... the way it is. Certainly he had love and care in his childhood thanks to Moenbryda's family, but still... you don't forget something like that.

[triste-le-roy]

Photographs of Gerald B Gardner in his witchcraft/occult ritual room (unknown photographers, mid 20th century). (via The Occult Encyclopedia Wiki & Facebook/Culture Vannin)

[thrashkink-coven]

Hi all,

Welcome to the last part of my 2024 altar tour! 4/4

What a year it has been! I have learned so much and made so many new friends! My altar has always been a reflection of my psyche, seeing it’s beauty reminds me of the beauty that exists within me. :)

So this is my final little work space where I do pendulum magick and tarot readings. There is a devotional mug to Lord Lucifer which I use for our morning coffee chats. There is also Lucifer’s devotional dragon statue, as well as the dual scrying mirror for him and Faviel.

There is a normal mirror and a statue of a pharaoh’s tomb. The board which the flowers and offerings are placed on dawns Faviel’s sigil and candle. To Faviel I have offered a palm stone, flowers, an acorn, smoky quartz, some black earrings, and some grubs.

Beside him is my pendulum in a selenite charging bowl along with my pendulum mat.

The black and white image you see was a piece of art I made for Archangel Jophiel after he gifted me a vision a year or so ago. I use it whenever I’m reaching out to him.

Beneath my altar is some space for storage where I keep my larger cauldron, mortar and pestle, larger candles, etc. There is also my stand where I keep my broom, fire poker, and shovel. My witch broom is wrapped in a protective seal. I use it to sweep ash from my prayer mat.

And finally, here are a few of the books I have in my collection that have greatly greatly aided me in my craft. Remember to do your research my dears!

The Arbatel of Magick- First English edition 1633, new edition 2013, edited by Earl Marwick

Healing with Form, Energy, and Light- Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche

Gods and Goddesses- Hallam, Elizabeth

The Lesser Key of Solomon- S.L MacGregor Mathers and Aleister Crowley

The Dictionary of Alchemy- Diana Fernando

The Art of Angels- Howard Loxton

Backland’s Book of Spirit Communications- Raymond Buckland

Transcendental Magick- Éliphas Lévi

The Greater Key of Solomon- S.L MacGregor Mathers

A History of God- Karen Armstrong

A Dictionary of Angels, Including Fallen Angels- Gustav Davidson

Making Talismans- Nick Farrell

The Sixth and Seventh Books of Moses- Johann Scheibel

The Egyptian Book of the Dead

The Rise and Fall of the Nephilim- Scott Alan Roberts

Buckland’s Complete Book of Witchcraft- Raymond Buckland

Candle Burning Rituals- Raymond Buckland

The Complete Book of Black Magick and Witchcraft

Green Witchcraft, Folk Magick, Fairy Lore & Herb Craft- Ann Moura

The Book of Forbidden Knowledge, Black Magick, Superstition, Charms and Divination- First Edition 1910s Johnson Smith & co. New Edition 2016 edited by Earl Marwick

Three Books of Occult Philosophy- Henry Cornelius Agrippa

and of course, The Holy Bible- New Living Translation.

I have many other books in my collection on tarot and astrology in my living room, but these are the books that have had the greatest impact on my craft. Here are a few of those other ones:

Love Potions- Tatania Hardie

The Book of Destinies- Jane Struthers

The Crystal Bible 2- Judy Hall

The Tarot Bible- Sarah Barlett

The Wicca Bible- Ann Marie Gallagher

Cunningham’s Encyclopedia of Magical Herbs- Scott Cunningham

Magic and Medicine of Plants- Reader’s Digest

The Power of Birthdays Stars and Numbers- Saffi Crawford and Geraldine Sullivan

The Witches’ Goddess- Janet and Stewart Farrar

The Witches’ God- Janet and Stewart Farrar

•••

I wanted to end this tour off with my reading material because I want to emphasize how important it is to understand that “magick” is not just “stuff”.

I really enjoy all of my magical tools and there’s absolutely nothing wrong with having and wanting pretty things or an aesthetically pleasing altar. In fact I believe aesthetic and care are acts of love in themselves. Don’t ever let someone shame you for wanting to decorate and indulge in the aesthetics of your craft.

But please do remember that our greatest magical tool is our minds, our senses, and our experiences- our brains. Remember to read read read lots of material from many different sources. Contemplate honestly on everything you read, hear and experience. Do not take everything you believe today as a fact, do not box yourself in to anything. (Maybe that’s the Luciferian in me speaking lol)

Learn how to do magick alone, without any tools. My magick is not my stuff, although my stuff greatly aids me in my magick. Does that make sense?

Thank you so much for reading! I look forward to growing and learning so much more this year! :)

Blessed be!