+: Queen/Countess Vinea :+

EVERYTHING YOU WANT TO KNOW ABOUT LILITH

Lots of people are interested in Lilith, and understandably so: she’s fascinating! Unfortunately this interest often leads to a lot of cultural appropriation, misinformation, and even antisemitism, so here’s a quick (ok… medium) rundown of everybody’s favorite mythological femme fatale:

WHO IS LILITH?

The most central and most popular story of Lilith comes from a midrash, a Jewish Rabbinical text designed to fill holes/answer questions within Jewish teachings. Lilith was the world’s first woman, created alongside Adam from the same clay. Adam insisted that Lilith must “lie beneath him” (either literally during sex or figuratively through general submissiveness, depending on your translation/interpretation) but Lilith refused, asserting they were equals. When both sides refused to relent, Lilith spoke a sacred name of Gd and took flight, choosing to leave the Garden of Eden completely rather than stay and be subjugated by Adam. Here her role shifts to something traditionally more “villainous:” she becomes the mother of demons, corrupted seductress of human men, consort to Samael, and an explanation for infant mortality. Sometimes “big” Lilith (Demon Queen, demon mother) and “little” Lilith (succubus, baby killer) are separated as two different sheydim, but usually she’s treated as just one singular figure. 

It’s easy to see why a figure like this would scare the shit out of a patriarchal society. Lilith was considered a threat to Jewish survival, killing babies, corrupting the women and emasculating the men. Her image scared people of all genders into submission. However, Lilith’s image has undergone a feminist shift in recent decades. While many Jewish communities to this day still perceive her as a totally evil active threat, she can also represent a more nuanced look at what Jewish femininity means, how a patriarchal society pushes and twists the narratives of Jewish women, standing up for ourselves even if we’re viewed as monstrous, and even bodily autonomy, sexual freedom, and abortion rights.

One thing to clear up right away- traditionally, Lilith is NOT a goddess. She is a sheyd, or a Jewish demon. While she often gets absorbed into the Wiccan goddess archetypes and conflated with other entities who ARE considered deities in their respective religions, Lilith was never considered a goddess herself in Jewish tradition. You will sometimes hear the claim that she was a Sumerian goddess that Judaism “stole” and demonized (we’ll come back to this) but the credibility of this take is….dubious, at best. Likely the class of Sumerians called the lilit/u helped influence her depictions, but there’s no evidence to suggest a singular Sumerian goddess figure named Lilith. Her stories come from texts exclusive to Judaism that are not shared with other Abrahamic religions. Her  

CULTURAL APPROPRIATION

The fetishization of Judaism (and Lilith in particular) within ceremonial occultism and a new wave of New Age, goddess-focused spirituality created a perfect storm for Lilith to be picked up and flown away with. As you can imagine, Lilith is a deeply complicated figure, and most of those conversations are internal ones within the context of Judaism. Most of the time, Lilith gets reduced to nothing but a spooky sexy #BossBabe bone-thin white woman with absolutely zero nuance or self awareness. She’s the occult world’s imaginary goth girlfriend. She is declawed, forced into goddess archetypes she was never made for, nonchalantly twisted into whatever entity goyim want her to be, then passed along with ahistorical misinformation about her origins. 

This content then floods the market, making it extraordinarily difficult for Jewish people to find accurate, reliable information about figures from their own culture.

Even better, sometimes people will take the idea that Judaism “stole” Lilith to perpetuate antisemitism, talking about how Jews were/are “rabid monotheists” (a genuine quote I heard once,) how we must all just be so sexist and terrible, The Jews™ ruined Paganism, etc.

WHAT IF I WANT TO WORK WITH LILITH?

There’s definitely nothing wrong with learning ABOUT Lilith, recognizing her or believing in her, but if you want to work with her consider more open, respectful alternatives. She often gets conflated with Ishtar, Hekate, the Morrigan, Nyx. Maybe you’re a spirit worker and can look into succubi or the Sumerian liilitu. Look at WHY she interests you; have you been taken in by the goyiche allure of a declawed goth #BossBabe? Can you simply take inspiration from her stories and use it to reflect on yourself/think about it without worshipping her? If you HAVE to work with SPECIFICALLY her, why? Are you willing to go through the proper channels and convert?

As always, please feel free to ask me any questions and I’ll do what I can to help! 

FURTHER STUDY MATERIAL 

Podcast: Throwing Sheyd, better living through Jewish demonology 

Article: Origins of Lilith: Jewish or Not? by the wonderful @jewitchry

Article: Who is Lilith? (And Everything Else You’ve Ever Wanted to Ask About Lilith) by the wonderful @spiritroots

Book: Which Lilith?: Feminist Writers Re-Create the World’s First Woman (edited by Enid Dame

Satanism is not atheistic. It is a spectrum of beliefs that includes atheism but also different types of theism.

Everyone wants their brand of Satanism to represent true Satanism but falling into this fallacy negates the other 99% of Satanists.

Hey! My preliminary research has suggested Azazel being closed to Judaism due to his roots within it, can I ask where you have gotten your information on him from? Not to sound accusatory, just wanting to know more.

Hello, thanks for asking!

So obviously I'm coming at this from a Christian perspective. My knowledge of Jewish religion and folklore is far more limited than someone raised within the religion.

The aspect of Azazel I understand to be very intertwined with Judaism is the scapegoat ritual. I've grabbed a definition of it from the Sydney Jewish Museum.

A key part of Yom Kippur, as described in the Torah, is the ritual slaughter of two goats; one for the Lord, and the other is designated “for Azazel”. Jewish tradition takes “Azazel” as the name of a rocky headland off which one goat, having the sins of the community symbolically placed upon it, would be thrown. The other goat, the one for the Lord, would be slaughtered as part of the general Yom Kippur rituals. This slaughter would bring atonement to the community.

This isn't part of Azazel's mythology that I really engage with. My view of him as a Watcher or fallen angel comes from the Book of Enoch, which is an Apocryphal text that seems to date back to the Dead Sea Scrolls. I've read that both Ethiopian Jewish communities and some Orthodox Christian churches consider it canon, but for the most part it is treated by wider Judaism and Christianity as not an official part of scripture. I have also heard that a story very similar to it appears in Islam, though I've not done enough research into it to speak at length about that.

In another Apocryphal text called the Apocalypse of Abraham, the name Azazel is attributed to an unclean bird of prey that tried to consume part of Abraham's sacrifices to God. In the same text, the name is also used to refer instead to the Serpent in Hell. Neither version is something I draw much of my understanding of him from (at least currently), but I'm mentioning it as an example of how often the same name or concept can pop up in different texts.

So to summarize, the name Azazel and a very specific rite associated with it do appear in Judaism, and that version/interpretation not something I feel comfortable approaching as a Luciferian who was raised Christian. Meanwhile, the view of him as a fallen angel exists only in Apocrypha, and isn't closely intertwined with or unique to Jewish culture and folklore in the same way a figure like Lilith is. That's the specific entity called Azazel I engage with.

Faces of Lucifer #1

Morningstar / Lightbringer

Once the brightest shining of his kind, God’s chosen angel became the Falling Star. And yet for those who truly know him, his light never faded.

Even when fallen, he remains the Lightbringer. Don’t be fooled by his horns and shadow-woven cloak, he is no less of a star than he was before. But now he is the star of this world, and he is here with us.

He is the angel of liberation. The former favorite creature in a golden cage, destined like his siblings to be a glorified tool, he ignited the fight for fairness. Even when fallen, he never gave up in his struggle, and he supports the oppressed humans in theirs.

He is the angel of knowledge and wisdom, of gnosis and intellectual pursuit, of asking questions and searching for answers. And of magical knowledge too - he will teach it especially to the marginalized.

The Morningstar is sensual as much as he is spiritual and intellectual. His light permeates the material. He is of celestial origin, yet he shows us the material is not dirty.

He is of love too, for others and ourselves, and for this cruel yet still beautiful world. The Star of Venus shows us different colors of love, and he doesn’t discriminate between heavenly and earthly.

He never ceased to be an angel, yet he is a demon, unapologetic in his rebellion.

Luciferian journal prompts

What does Lucifer’s light mean to you personally?

How about the Morningstar?

Do you experience Lucifer more in his chthonic or celestial aspects?

Ritual acts

Holding a vigil until the Morningstar rises.

Greeting the Star when it appears on the sky.

Candle flame meditation (safely).

Offering ideas

Candles.

Star imagery.

Shining things.

Roses, wild roses, rose water etc.

Apples, apple cider, blossom etc.

Cinnamon.

— more ways to connect with deities

see the first post here

wear devotional jewelry (typically a symbol that is associated with them, but can be anything as long as you designate it)

create something with them/for them (poetry, drawings, cook or bake, build something, etc)

research their myths

create playlists for them and listen to those playlists

do you like sandbox games? create a shrine, temple, altar, etc for your deities in those games (like minecraft, terraria, stardew valley, etc)

go on a walk outside and invite them with you

thank them. thank them for anything and everything

take care of yourself as a devotion to them. if you want to specify, you could do this with a deity that is more closely related to self care (my mind immediately goes to Aphrodite or Hera), but any deity would appreciate you taking care of yourself; they love you

set aside a day of the week to be “their” day and spend time with them, give them offerings, etc that day (some deities are associated with days of the week; apollo for sunday, artemis for monday, thor and zeus for thursday, to name a few)

be creative! above all, the gods like to see that you put thought and effort into your worship. it doesn’t have to be grand or expensive to be thoughtful, just heartfelt. may the gods be with you <3

on the essence of offerings

The question "does god xy will accept and like xy as offering" is a question originating from a theology where the offering will "appear" 1 to 1 before the god to eat and digest.

This question is one of the more prominent ones and can cause religious anxiety.

But this has not to be the case, if we take a different aproach on what exactly is offered and why. Do we "feed" the gods? Perhaps not. They were there before us and were well nutritioned. Just look at Thor :D

Do the Gods "need" our offerings? Perhaps not. Like I said, they exist without us and will exist without us.

So why do we offer food, drinks and votives?

@oceankeltoi made a wonderful example with his Cat where he would land on the lap of him and simply purr. This purr is what our offerings are. They have no "real" purpose but to sway and compliment the gods. We give symbolic thanks to them for what they did, do and will do in the future.

Like a toast, it helps to have some thoughts behind an offering and a pious aproach towards the ritual and the offered things.

Besides that, just because the Edda's state, that Odin only drinks Mead and Wine in his Hall, that doesn't mean he doesn't accept a nice offering of cookies and a libation of milk or anything else or he doesn't drink/ eat anything else outside the hall. Literalism is not the way.

53-PRESIDENT CAMIO

Enn:Tasa on ca Camio renich

Other names:Caim, Caym

The Fifty-Third spirit is President Camio, or Caim. In the form of a bird called a thrush at first, but afterwards He puts on the shape of a man carrying in his hand a sharp sword. Camio can be invoked for divination of any type. Wear his sigil to see into any situation you encounter. He seems to answer in burning ashes, or in coals of fire. He is a good disputer. His office is to give unto men the understanding of all birds, lowing of bullocks, barking of dogs, and other creatures; and also of the voice of the waters. Camio teaches the art of astral projection, shape shifting and flying in the dream. He gives true answers of all things to come. Caim is useful in legal functions and other situations where you need to dispute conclusions drawn by interpretations of fact. This is a handy spirit to have if a case is brought against you based largely on circumstantial evidence. He is also adept at teaching the understanding of omens and portents. He was of the Order of the Angels, but now rules over thirty legions of spirits Infernal.

Call upon President Camio for

⬩Answer of the future

⬩Astral projection

⬩Divination

⬩Disputer

⬩Flying in dream

⬩Language of animals

⬩Legal situations

⬩Omens and portents

⬩Shape shifting

⬩Ask what else he will work with you on⬩

⊱•━━━━━━⊰In Ritual⊱━━━━━•⊰

Enn:Tasa on ca Camio renich

Sigil:Posted above

Plant:Centaurea

Incense:Storax

⬩Orange candles or objects

⬩Ask President Camio what he likes⬩

⬩It is important to learn protections before trying to work with any spirits. You can get tricksters and parasites if you don't.

Cleansings- cleaning your space of negative energies. You can burn herbs or incense for this.

Banishings- forcing negative energies out of your space. The lesser banishing ritual is one of the most commonly used.

Warding- wards keep negative energy out of your space. Amulets, sigils and talismans do this.

Set up a your space and do a cleanse and banishing. Have wards up in your home. Meditation is to calm yourself and get your mind ready. The sigil (symbol) is what you draw on paper. The enn is what you chant or say to call forth the spirit.⬩

Exploring Luciferianism

I’ve recently begun a project of a different sort [different from the Luciferian survey], and it feels overwhelming. It reminds me a long time ago of when I began to explore Luciferianism. Satanism and Luciferianism itself is a growing field especially for academic studies which means for us adherents, a great deal. It means there is more to read, to learn, to explore. Luciferianism itself is…

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Working with deities

I get dozens of asks on how to find the right deity, or how to find “your” deity. I’ll just cover the basics here (mainly so my lazy ass can link to it later instead of typing this over and over). Quick note: Some of this may be UPG or my personal opinions. I welcome you to share your own, but don’t be rude about it. 

Quick Vocab:

Worship vs. Working With. I use these interchangeably. I consider both of them to be talking about the relationship and connection you kindle with a deity. “Working with” does not mean “utilizing in spells as ingredients”. 

Patron ____. Wicca has different views as to what a patron or matron is compared to most of the witchcraft world. One view is: when you pick a patron deity it means a bond that will last a lifetime. Another view is that patron deities are not ones that you personally identify with, but rather are ones that relate to your lifestyle/profession/occupation. 

Devotee. Being a devotee is a way to work more closely with one, or a few, deities without committing to it for a lifetime (some do make that commitment). It simply means that you focus more of your worship and time on them, but you can still worship other deities too.

Pantheon. A group of deities, usually based on the culture they come from. The names can sometimes vary (Greek = Hellenic, Egyptian = Kemetic, etc.)

Some misconceptions and false expectations:

Everybody needs a deity. You don’t need to work with deities to be a witch. Witchcraft does not equal religion. Religion *can* be tied into witchcraft if you want though! Don’t force yourself to work with deities just because you see other people doing it!

Deities will talk to you. Sometimes, but not usually, or not in the way you expect. You aren’t likely to hear a voice in response, or to confirm that they want to work with you. You’re more likely to get: A sign of some sort, a certain feeling (warm and tingly or emotional, for example) or possibly your inner voice seems a bit different and you think it may be influenced.

You’ll know when your deities like offerings, or hear your prayers. Again, sometimes, but not usually. Not getting a response doesn’t mean you’re getting the cold shoulder. Prayers, offerings and other things don’t always garner a response, or an immediate response.

You have to pick one pantheon. Not at all, however you do have to be respectful of the pantheons each deity comes from. You can’t pick and choose which aspects of the deity you want. I personally stick to one pantheon because it’s simple and fits for me.

Deities from closed cultures are “calling to you”. Listen, I highly doubt that a deity from a culture that is closed, usually due to outsiders being oppressive and awful to them, would want to work with you. Check yourself and make sure it’s not just the aesthetic value or mysteriousness that’s drawing you to them. ALSO! You may be drawn to characteristics that they have, and there is most likely a similar deity in an open culture. Here’s a link to the google question “what cultures are closed?”

On finding a deity to work with:

I often get asked “how to I figure out which deity is a good fit for me?” The easy answer: I have no clue. Only you know what works best for you, and what’s a good fit. However, here’s some good methods:

Research the pantheons. The Greek, Egyptian and Norse are the ones that often have the most information (and are all open practices). See if one in particular calls to you. Then spend time reading about each deity.

Look at what traits you are called to. Self love? Fierceness? Feelings of home? You can literally just google “gods/deities of ____”. You can even add a specific pantheon to the end if you’ve narrowed it down.

Reaching out to that deity:

The “proper” way to do this varies per pantheon, so do your research! Google and books are your friend. And there’s usually a lot of resources for beginners on tumblr as well. The typical ways include:

An offering. Usually there’s some sort of information on traditional offerings, which you can never go wrong with. Sometimes certain offerings are offensive/not given to certain types of deities.

A prayer. It’s totally okay to look up “____ (deity’s name) prayer” for a format if you’re daunted by writing your own. It can also just be more of an explanation on why you want to worship them.

Ask for a sign. I don’t do this and hesitate to even recommend it because it can be SO hard to figure out what’s actually a sign. I’d suggest knowing the basics of the deities sacred animals, plants and colors so you have an idea of what to look for.

Just start worshiping. You don’t have to have a formal relationship with every deity to worship them. I do recommend forming a relationship with them before becoming their devotee.

My go-to resource for the Hellenic Pantheon is this site, I’m unsure for the other ones as I don’t work with the deities within them!