Demons in Pagan Practice

Unlike what some... er... non-Pagans would like to claim, Pagans and those of other nature-based beliefs do not actually believe in the Lucifer/Satan from the Bible, performing Black Mass in his honor, and sacrificing babies and eating live puppies. (In fact most Satanists and Luciferians don't even believe in the version of him depicted in the Bible, but that's a fascinating topic for a different article.) They don't summon demons in blood-painted circles and pentagrams in order to sic them on their enemies or sell their souls in exchange for Hollywood-level magickal powers and riches.

Today I want to uncover for you the truth behind demons in Pagan beliefs and practices.

History of Demons

The word "demon" and "daemon" comes from the Greek word "daimon", which referred to a wide range of spirits and entities that fell anywhere on the spectrum between humans and gods. The Greek Magical Papyri is filled with spells to summon daimons to perform tasks for the spellcaster--most of which are not harmful or "evil" spells but simply useful.

In the Greek translation of the Hebrew Bible, the words for "disease", "idol", and "gods of other nations" were all translated to "daimon" or "daimonia", and while it would make sense for "angel" to also be translated to "daimon" given the original meaning, it was not. This created a divide between angels and this grouping of things cast in a negative light and called daimonic.

In 1 Corinthians 10:20, the Apostle Paul states that Pagans make sacrifices to demons and not to God. However, when he says "demons" here, he is referring to idols or Pagan gods. (However, many Christians will use this segment of the Bible to make claims that contemporary Pagans are also working with their idea of demons, whether intentionally or due to misguidance.) In fact, many demons that are referred to in the Bible and other Christian texts by name were simply repurposed Pagan gods, many with their names only a few letters off. Over several centuries and as more religious texts that would shape Abrahamic religion were written, the new interpretation of daimons continued to take on a solid, singular definition.

Pagan Beliefs

"Pagan" is an umbrella term, covering a whole host of belief sets and religions that fall under its definition. Even those, such as myself, who consider themselves "general" or eclectic Pagans have beliefs that are so widely varied that not only do I refuse to speak for all Pagans, but it would not be possible. However, what I can say is that when it comes to Pagans in regards to involving demons in their practices, they typically fall into one of two categories: rejection or reimagining.

Rejection

There are a number of reasons that a Pagan may reject the idea of including demonic work in their practice. The main three being

1. Lack of belief - Many Pagans simply do not believe in demons at all. (Those who were not vilified Pagan gods, anyway.) For some, this comes from a rejection of any idea, myth, or entity with ties to Abrahamic religions. For others, they just... don't believe. Simple as that.

2. Lack of interest - Many--in fact, I would argue, a good majority--may believe or sit on the fence of their belief, but no further exploration of the idea of the existence of demons is required as they merely have no interest in the matter of their existence.

3. Fear - Fear may be a subcategory of "lack of interest", but for such a strong emotion, I feel it deserves its own slot. Fear of demons is a very common reason why many choose not to work with them, especially for Pagans who were raised Christian. Even if they don't particularly believe anymore, many feel there is no need to take the risk.

Reimagining

Pagans who do work with demons in any capacity, not being Christians themselves, typically reimagine demons as something other than the purely evil entities they are described as in Christianity and much of western society and then typically work with them in the same capacity as they would a spirit, ancestor, deity, or other entity with whom they have a mutually beneficial relationship. Keep in mind that there is often much overlap among the following examples as well.

1. A return to the original - As I previously mentioned, many ancient Pagan deities were repurposed by the ancient Christians and labeled "evil" and "demonic". Of course, some of them can simply be worked with or worshipped as their original god or goddess aspect. However, there are many instances where the newer demon aspect evolved over time and is preferred due to new attributes that the original didn't have while also no longer being viewed as purely evil.

2. Archetypes - Not all Pagans view deities and demons as literal, conscious beings. Many believe they are personifications of natural energies. One example of this is Lilith who, while considered a demon, is worked with and evoked by many Pagans as a representative of female empowerment. Another is Lucifer himself who may embody the pursuit of knowledge.

3. Demons are not considered pure evil - Good versus evil is typically not a dichotomy seen in Pagan beliefs. In fact, outside of Christianity, there are several interpretations nowadays of the difference between angels and demons, such as the belief that demons are simply spirits that are more involved in the affairs of the material plane than angels are. The evocation and utilization of demons is very common in western esotericism and ceremonial magicks, which some Pagans practice and some don't. (And keep in mind that many practitioners of these styles of magick are not Pagan.) This is typically done using the grimoire The Lesser Key of Solomon, in which the Ars Goetia provides a list of demons and their attributes. The list details entities which are more in line with the original meaning of daimon rather than our contemporary idea of demons, as the spirits listed all have useful skills and domains, and while some may be considered baneful many are not.

4. Chaos magicians - One practice within chaos magick is the adoption of a belief for whatever length of time the magician needs it in order to achieve their goal and then either the relinquishment of that belief or the incorporation of it into the rest of their practice. A practitioner of chaos magick, whether they are Pagan or not, who previously did not believe in demonic entities may adopt a belief in them in order to work with them to achieve a desired outcome.

I hope this article shed some light on this historically dense and media-poisoned topic. As you can see, these beings called "demons" are a lot more complex than the media or the Bible make them out to be. As is their relationship to Pagans--modern and ancient.