Communicating With Spirits
Communicating with Spirits
On this blog, we’ve talked about why witches might want to work with spirits, types of spirits they might work with, and the proper etiquette for establishing a relationship with a spirit. What we haven’t yet talked about is one of the most important, but sometimes most frustrating, elements of spirit work: communication.
There are several methods you can use to communicate with spirits, depending on your skills, preferences, and comfort level.
Signs and Synchronicity
The most organic way to receive messages from spirits is to wait for physical signs in your environment.
The concept of synchronicity was first introduced by Carl Jung. A synchronicity is a “meaningful coincidence” — a seemingly random event that feels meaningful to the individual. For example: crows have a lot of spiritual significance to me, and whenever I see or hear one it has a very specific meaning for me.
Another way a spirit might send you a sign is by surrounding you with physical reminders of them. I’ve most often experienced this with deities. If a new deity is reaching out to me, I’ll see images of them in places I wouldn’t expect to and may hear their name mentioned over and over again around me.
In her book The Angel Code, Chantel Lysette encourages readers to ask for physical signs when they connect with spirits, as a way to confirm that this is a genuine spiritual experience. This is something that has really stuck with me, and has become common practice in my spirit work. It can be very powerful to see signs in your mundane life that validate your spiritual experiences.
Divination
One easy way to communicate with spirits is to use your favorite divination method. (I’ve already done a whole post on divination, so I’m not going to spend much time on it here.) When using divination to communicate with a spirit, address your questions to them by name. From there, proceed as you normally would.
One thing to keep in mind when using divination to communicate with spirits is that the communication will be limited by the divination method you use. If you’re using a pendulum, you can only ask yes or no questions. If you’re using a tarot or oracle deck, the spirit will be limited to the cards in that deck when they’re trying to answer. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but it is something to keep in mind.
Automatic Writing or Channeled Writing
This is a little bit different than other divination methods, because in this case you’re actually connecting directly with the spirit in order to write down messages from them. Automatic writing is the act of allowing your hand to write out a message without focusing on the words — the idea is that your hand will be guided by the spirits in order to write down their message for you. Some people believe that you should use your non-dominant hand for automatic writing, as this is your “receptive” hand. Channeled writing is the act of receiving a message through your psychic senses, which you then write down. Automatic writing is a type of channeling, but not all channeling is automatic writing.
I personally prefer channeled writing, simply because I find it more comfortable. Some witches prefer automatic writing because it bypasses your conscious mind, thus making it less likely that you’ll unknowingly “edit” the message. However, automatic writing can be a little bit harder to learn, so I’m going to focus on channeling here.
To channel a message from a spirit, you will need something to write with — a notebook and pen/pencil works, but so does a laptop with a word processor or even the notebook app on a smart phone. You will also need to enter a light trance state (this is the same state of consciousness experienced in meditation), so you might choose to use trance triggers like incense, shamanic drumming, or binaural beats. Begin by creating a protective space around yourself. (This is just to make sure only one spirit comes through at a time.) Invite the spirit you want to receive a message from into your space. Enter a trance and open yourself up to whatever it is they have to say. Don’t think about the words that come to you — simply write them down. You can analyze the message later, after your trance has ended.
Meditation
If you have a specific question you need an answer to, you can receive an answer to that question in a meditation. Likewise, if you want to connect with a certain spirit, you can do so through meditation.
This is fairly straightforward. Prepare for meditation in the way you normally do — light incense or candles and play music if you’d like, and make sure you have a comfortable place to sit or lay down. Before you begin to meditate, speak your intention out loud. This could be as simple as saying, “My intention for this meditation is to connect with [insert spirit’s name],” or “My intention for this meditation is to receive an answer from [insert spirit’s name] about [insert topic here],” or it could be an elaborate prayer.
From there, meditate as you normally would. Focus on the spirit you’re trying to connect with or, if you have a specific question, focus on that question. Whenever I do this, I often receive an answer in a sudden information download — suddenly the answer to my question is clear and obvious.
Pathworking
A pathworking is a specific type of meditation where you go on a psychic journey, usually with a specific goal in mind. I like to think of pathworking as the halfway point between meditation and astral travel. With pathworking, you are still anchored to your physical body, but your consciousness is able to make a journey into the astral world.
There are two important elements to a pathworking: a clear entrance/exit point and a way to retrace your steps. Pathworking journeys are typically cyclical — there is both a journey out and a return where you go back the way you came. This makes it easier to fully return your consciousness to your body, and failing to do so can cause you to feel disoriented upon the return.
A very common entrance/exit point is a door or gate which you use to enter and exit the astral realm. Sometimes it’s more of a home base — for example, my entry point is a rocky beach. I’ve also heard of people using a tree, or even The World Tree, as their entry point. Whatever imagery you choose, make sure you’re able to find your way back to it. If you’re worried about getting lost, author Thea Sabin recommends using “the Theseus trick.” Like in the myth of Theseus and the Minotaur, you can tie a golden thread or rope to your entry point and the other end to your astral body. If you get lost, you can follow the thread back.
If you want to try pathworking, make a rough “road map” of your journey beforehand. This doesn’t have to be super specific, but it should contain the following: a goal for the pathworking (such as to connect with a certain spirit), an entry/exit point, and a general idea for the route you’re going to take.
Astral Travel/Spirit Flight
Perhaps the most direct route, astral travel (also called “spirit flight,” “soul flight,” or “hedge riding”) involves sending your spirit or consciousness into the astral realm/spirit world. Astral travel is not a beginner technique. This method should only be used by witches who have experience with meditation, pathworking, and other altered states of consciousness. The major advantage of astral travel is that you’re visiting the spirits on their own turf, which means you can communicate with them much more clearly and directly.
I’ll talk about both pathworking and astral travel at length in my next post. In the meantime, know that it is an option but that I only recommend it for intermediate to experienced witches, and even then only after some serious research into how to do it safely.
Some Basic Precautions
No matter which method you use, here are some basic rules to keep you safe and comfortable during your communication.
Cleanse before you begin. The best way to make sure you’re talking to the spirit you want is to clear out any other nasties before you begin. There are lots of ways to cleanse your space, from incense to sound baths to sweeping with a ritual broom. Use your favorite method to energetically tidy up before you try to contact anybody.
Use protection. A few safety precautions never hurt anyone, and they’re a good idea if you’re going to attempt one of the more involved methods of communication, like channeled writing or astral travel. The salt circle is an oldie but a goodie — once you’ve set it up, only spirits you invite can enter the circle. (But please don’t sprinkle salt on the ground outdoors — this hurts plant life! Use another protective substance, like rosemary, to form the circle instead.)
Know who you’re talking to. It may not be in your best interest to chat it up with whoever presents themselves. Not every spirit has good intentions. I speak from experience when I say that opening the lines of communication to whoever is around is not the best idea. Be clear and specific with which spirits you invite into your space, and don’t open the door to spirits who make you uncomfortable. This is part of the reason that having an established relationship with spirits that you know and trust is important.
Don’t take things at face value. Something that doesn’t get brought up enough in the New Age community is the fact that spirits can and do lie. They can also be wrong, and may give you false information in good faith. Just because a spirit tells you something doesn’t make it true. Always do your own fact-checking outside of spirit work.
Don’t be the idiot in a horror movie. Use common sense when working with spirits. Use safety precautions (see previous notes about cleansing and protection). Don’t intentionally contact negative entities — don’t be that guy who buys a Ouija board so he can talk to Jack the Ripper’s ghost. If a spirit gives you bad vibes, tell them politely but firmly to leave. When in doubt ask yourself, “Would a character in a horror movie do this?” If the answer is yes, don’t do it. You’re smarter than that.
Resources:
The Angel Code by Chantel Lysette
Wicca for Beginners by Thea Sabin
Southern Cunning: Folkloric Witchcraft in the American South by Aaron Oberon
New World Witchery podcast (several episodes, including “Episode 164 — Irish Folklore and Magic,” “Episode 161 — Practicing Safe Hex,” and “Episode 152 — Honoring Ancestors”)
“My Goddesses: How and Why I Work with Mary and Hel” by Kelly-Ann Maddox
More Posts from Forsakensnakeskin and Others
Types of water and their uses
A lot of witches use different types of water in their practices. Here are a few. And remember intention is very important.
Sun water - vitality, happiness, strength, positivity
Sun water is made by cleansing your preferred jar in your preferred method, filling it with water, and putting the jar out into the sun for however long you would like.
River water - moving on, changing, letting go, cleansing
River water is made by collecting water from a river in a jar that has been cleansed. (Boil before consumption.)
Rain water - growth, change, cleansing, protection
Put a preferred jar that has been cleansed out in the rain.
Dew water - beauty, glamours, love, fertility, calmness
Dew water is made by collecting dew in a cleansed jar. (Boil before consumption)
War water - used for hexes, curses, bad luck, general negativity
War water can be tailored to what you have on hand. You just want to put nasty shit in there or things like rusty nails, dead bugs, moldy things, vinegar. Do not consume this at all.
I hope this information helps some people. You can always use methods that work for you. Happy witching my friends !!!
(this is my magic and Hellenic polytheism sideblog)
I like how the description fits both part of my situation and some of the aesthetic stuff I like lol
That said, this type of reading is quite interesting. It's like a first impression but it's your energy.
When I do an energy reading it comes across to me with an item representing each of the 5 senses. Overall it paints a picture of the persons energy
Below is the energy reading for @thirstyvampyre thank you for your patience!
SIGHT: I see a smooth road stretching off into the distance and disappearing over the horizon. There is no one around and it seems a bit unnerving.
TASTE: I can taste the sour/sweetness of a crisp granny Smith apple. The taste brings me a sense of comfort.
SMELL: I smell the scent of burning rubber. It's overwhelming in its assault of this sense.
HEAR: I can hear the low mournful sound of the wind passing through a semi enclosed space.
TOUCH: I feel emptiness. It reminds me very much of reaching out for something to steady yourself but finding nothing there and stumbling.
OVERALL: Overall I am getting the sense that there is perhaps a journey you've been contemplating but haven't embarked on yet because it's one you have to do on your own. There will be things to comfort you along the way once you start but it's very much indicating that you will have to rely on yourself
Luciferian Basics
So the bread and butter of Luciferianism falls around
- A central admired figured that represents qualities/values but are usually a character that is considered a bringer of knowledge/wisdom. They are considered revolutionary, went against the “norm,” and are sometimes even “demonized” for it.
- The core of Luciferianism falls around knowledge/wisdom. It is about always having a questioning, skeptical mind, never accepting things at face value, but also always being open to learning because learning never stops. It’s never about being stuck in beliefs/value/knowledge when its wrong (i.e. God creation theory). Science is as only good as the latest finding after all! Part of this knowledge/wisdom is also in knowing yourself which… -Being your personal best is the other leg of Luciferianism. Some people call it achieving “godhood” or “divinity” or “enlightenment”
- Rebellion or Revolutionary. If you look at the stories of the various Luciferian figures, literary works, and scripture…there is often a form of “rebellion” or “revolutionary” figure there. Iblis rebelled against God. There is a common thread of the pop culture Satan rebelling against God because God is “unjust.” There is Eve eating the fruit of the Tree of Knowledge. Jesus Christ himself was a figure that went against the current religious doctrine of the times. Mary Magdelena was important, then dismissed, but she was also an important Luciferian figure. Then there is Prometheus defying Zeus for humanity. Buddha is another figure with his revolutionary practice that was nothing the Hindu’s had seen. It was radical. So it would be safe to say that the Luciferian can be “radical.” Of course, can be both good and bad change depending upon different factors, different perspectives.
Anything I miss? This is an incredibly broad sweep and not the essay I am working on. This is just the bare bones. Luciferianism itself is like water, it has form…but it also does not. It is a personal path that one must discover for oneself.
Satanic Hub's Digital Library
This is a digital library filled with books on Satanism and adjacent topics, mainly research!
Disclaimer: There are some books present (such as books by Anton Lavey, etc.) that we do not condone the author or share their views. The books are only present to learn from and to be able to form your own understanding of what is wrong with the work, despite how influential it is. Some books may include aspects of antisemitism or appropriation, so it is important to be critical of what you read even though we try to curate this to the best of our ability. Despite this, we make sure to not include books that are outright fascist, transphobic, etc. If for some reason we do, please let us know!
Each book is accessible in pdf form here!
Do you have any books about Lucifer or Luciferianism that you’d recommend?
i do! i have a note doc saved of book recs for just this purpose lol. here's the ones i usually recommend first:
The Devil: A New Biography by Phillip Almond
Satanic Feminism by Per Faxneld
Satan: A Biography by Henry Ansgar Kelly
The Devil's Dozen by Gemma Gary
Poetics of Iblis (not about Lucifer but about Satan in Islam, which is worth reading if that's also a perspective you want to see)
here's some that may still be useful but id take everything with a grain of salt. (either i forget what these are about so i can't vouch much for them or i personally don't agree with a good bit of the info in these but they're worth sifting through for relevant info or for forming your own opinions on his mythos tbh):
Children of Lucifer by Ruben Luijk (focuses more on how religious Satanism came to be rather than on Lucifer himself)
The Birth of Satan by TJ Wray
Pillars of Tubal Cain by Michael Howard
The Book of Fallen Angels by Michael Howard
The Devil and Demonism in Early Modern England by Nathan Johnstone (i forget if ive even read this yet djdkdk)
Satanism 101
By popular demand, I’m giving it a shot.
I cannot define what all Satanism is. I can only define the type of Satanism that I practice.
If what you read here does not resonate with you, seek elsewhere.
This master list will be updated, hopefully frequently
WHO IS SATAN?
Lucifer
Why the Devil?
The Devil I Know
Lucifer of Clermont
Who the Devil is the Devil?
THE SATANIC FEMININE
And Is There A Mrs.…
View On WordPress
8-DUKE BARBATOS
Enn:Eveta fubin Barbatos
The Eighth Spirit is Barbatos. He is a Great Duke who appears when the Sun is in Sagittarius, He gives understandings to bird songs, and the voices of other creatures. He breaks hidden treasures open that have been enchanted by magicians. He knows all things past, and future, and reconcile friends and those that be in power. He can protect your home. He aids in divination. He rules over 30 Legions of Spirits.
Call upon Duke Barbatos for
⬩Aid in divination
⬩Hidden treasures
⬩Home protection
⬩Reconcile friends
⬩Things of past and future
⬩Understanding the voices of creatures
⬩Ask him what else he will work with you on⬩
⊱•━━━━━━⊰In Ritual⊱━━━━━•⊰
You can use
Enn:Eveta fubin Barbatos
Sigil:Posted above
Plant:Ground Ivy
Incense:Sandalwood
⬩Green candle or objects
⬩Do ask Duke Barbatos yourself what offerings he prefers⬩
⬩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.⬩
Hey do you have any information on Belphegor? I suck at finding info on demons.
Not much, but I’ll give you what I’ve got!
Belphegor is thought to have originated as the Moabite got Baal of Peor or Baal-peor, who is actually referenced rather often in the Bible. He’s also possibly referenced as Chemosh, the Moabite god of war. Here’s what I could think of off the top of my head:
Then they attached themselves to the Ba′al of Pe′or, and ate sacrifices offered to the dead; they provoked the Lord to anger with their doings, and a plague broke out among them.– Psalm 106:27-29
Like grapes in the wilderness, I found Israel. Like the first fruit on the fig tree, in its first season, I saw your fathers. But they came to Ba′al-pe′or, and consecrated themselves to Ba′al, and became detestable like the thing they loved. – Hosea 9:10
Then Solomon built a high place for Chemosh the abomination of Moab, and for Molech the abomination of the Ammonites, on the mountain east of Jerusalem. – 1 Kings 11:7
And the king defiled the high places that were east of Jerusalem, to the south of the mount of corruption, which Solomon the king of Israel had built for Ash′toreth the abomination of the Sido′nians, and for Chemosh the abomination of Moab, and for Milcom the abomination of the Ammonites. – 2 Kings 23:13
He’s also referenced in the Dictionnaire Infernal as the demon of discovery and invention, and is supposedly meant to be worshiped while on the toilet with offerings of.. well, you get the picture.
–W
Luciferian feminine - without appropriation
One of the most popular beings venerated in modern Luciferianism (as well as Satanism), besides Lucifer himself, is Lilith. That is unfortunate, as she is a being exclusive to a closed religion. People will say she is an ancient goddess and not originally Jewish - that is not true. Jewish Lilith is connected with certain other beings and classes of beings, but is not the same, and the whole story with her being the first wife of Adam and becoming wife of Samael is Jewish. As I’m not Jewish myself, I will link @will-o-the-witch ’s blog. She wrote extensively on Lilith appropriation and misconceptions surrounding her. Quite prominent Eisheth Zenunim, Agrat and Naamah are also exclusive to Judaism.
However, there are many fascinating feminine figures a Luciferian can research and potentially work with that are open. They come from various places, but all have some established connections with Lucifer and the infernal.
First of all, Eve is often contrasted with Lilith and depicted as some docile ancient tradwife archetype. And this makes totally no sense, because Eve ate the fruit, and shared it with Adam. She was the one who dared to reach for knowledge and give it to humanity, and was misogynistically reviled for it in Christianity for centuries. The story of Eden is so important in modern Luciferianism, and yet, Eve remains tragically underappreciated. People will say they want to reclaim a reviled feminine figure and that’s why they appropriate Lilith, and at the same time completely remove Eve’s agency from her story.
Speaking of Lucifer, he is not strictly male - they are a fallen angel, which makes them nonbinary. They are a very androgynous, fluid, shapeshifting being. And while masculine depictions are more prominent, there’s lots of lore with her assuming a feminine form as well. If you want to explore Luciferian feminine, I think feminine aspects of Lucifer themself are really worth looking at.
Some other demons associated with femininity are: Astaroth (connected to ancient goddess Astarte), Vepar (depicted as a mermaid) and Gremory (depicted as a beautiful woman). That said, none of them should be approached with the assumption of being women or always presenting feminine in any culture’s terms. They’re not women, they’re demons, and they are not bound to any human concepts of gender. They will do whatever they want. The same applies generally to any being of angelic origins. (Please note that while grimoires include many open spirits, they also include a lot of appropriation so check origins of things before diving into stuff. This is not just about entities - you can very much approach a non-exclusive being with techniques that are bastardized elements of Judaism.)
The goddess Diana in Aradia is depicted as Lucifer’s partner, and Aradia is their daughter who came to Earth to teach oppressed people witchcraft. While the book’s authenticity is still disputed academically, it influenced modern witchcraft greatly.* It can be particularly interesting for Luciferian witches, as well as anyone whose Luciferianism is connected to social justice.
Diana’s role in Aradia is influenced by her role as a Witch Goddess and a Fairy Queen in post-christianisation folklore. Both witches and fairies often have infernal associations in that folklore. The Fairy Queen, or various specific Fairy Queens, were sometimes connected with the Lucifer as the Folk Devil, who could be depicted as their partner and even a Fairy King himself. Interested in folkloric Luciferianism? Check out the Fairy Queen.
While I’m not aware of anything connecting her specifically with Lucifer that wouldn’t be modern, Hekate in post-antique folklore shares not only Diana’s role as a Witch Goddess, but also her connection to the fairies and infernal associations - the depiction of those two in that context is more often than not very similar. William Warner in Albion’s England describes her as Queen of Hell (not simply Greek Hades, but Hell, and possibly the fairy realms as well).
And finally, even though she comes from Thelema, not Luciferianism or Satanism, Babalon, the Whore of Babylon goddess, is quite popular among many LHP practicioners, including Luciferians and Satanism. If you’re interested in Lilith because you associate her with untamed sexuality, you can check out Babalon.
As I wanted to include many beings in that post, I don’t have experience with every single one of them, but if you have some questions about Diana or Aradia, and especially about Hekate (with whom I worked the longest) you can send asks, they are very prominent in my practice and I might be able to help.
*cw for a few myths involving sexual assault, and one passage that is antisemitic and anti-Romani. While Aradia is a historically important text for modern witchcraft, it should be questioned and should never be treated as a literal gospel.
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Salem. Agenderflux. Mix of all pronouns and terms. Sapphic aroace and polyam. Poet, horror fan, hermit. Satanist and eclectic polytheist. Azazel. Main blog is thirstyvampyre {I do NOT support racism, Nazis, cultural appropriation, terfs, queerphobia, fascism, or sexism. If I reblog anything that condones any of the above, please let me know. I do not want it on my blog.}
221 posts