your daily demon: zagan

This sixty-first infernal king and president is also known by the name Dagon, possibly inspired by the ancient Mesopotamian deity interpreted as a fish-god or merman, but presents as a bull with griffin wings. When invoked, Zagan’s virtue is in making men witty, the alchemy of any base metal into valuable specie and can turn wine into water, blood into wine, wine into blood and also water into wine. Governing from this cusp day through the twenty-fourth of January, Zagan’s position is in the first degrees of Aquarius. Ruling thirty-three legions, Zagan is opposed by the angel Umahel.

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temptation of saint anthony

Venerated on this day, itinerant and chief amongst the Desert Fathers, Saint Anthony of Alexandria, has had his enduring supernatural visitation during his sojourn through the wilderness of eastern Egypt depicted in many forms, giving way to lurid and bizarrely embellished interpretations beginning in medieval times up to the present day with greater emphasis on the mental states of individuals over demonic temptation.
One of the most iconic portrayals, aligned with the fantastic and nightmarish landscapes of Hieronymus Bosch (previously) is the 1650 work by Flemish painter Joos van Craesbeeck of Brabant, who had produced many a quick and circumspect study of the dissolute and down-and-out with his cautionary tavern scenes. A colossal screaming head—that resembles Craesbeecck’s self-portraits, spews forth an allegory of obscenities, the meanings lost to the ages and the symbolism subject to guesswork whilst Anthony calmly is seen on shore trying to keep his sanity.

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your daily demon: vapula

This infernal duke and sixtieth spirit of the demonic calendar occupies the zodiacal position between 25° and 29° of Capricorn—corresponding to this day until 19 January—presents as a fierce lion with the wings of a griffin and specialises in teaching crafts and handiwork. Ruling thirty-six legions, Vapula is countered by the archangel Mitzrael under the leadership of Michael.

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your daily demon: orias

Ruling from the 20° to 24° of Capricorn—corresponding from this day until 15 January, this infernal marquis presents as a lion a gee with the tail of a dread serpent and clutching two snakes in his paws—this presenting this sigil will compel him, like all the other spirits, to appear as a man.

According to the Ars Goetia and other sources, Orias’ strength is in astrological readings and can forecast the trajectory of an individual’s life and career with precise intelligence on the hour and place of their birth. Able to curry favour with both friend and enemy, he can also transform humans into any shape desired. This fifty-ninth entry on the Demonic Calendar is opposed by the Archangel Harael.

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7x7

forty winks: this Pokémon Gengar sleeping companion 

flair: the outsized legacy of a 1950 graphic design magazine  

per my previous tweet: Trump silent on continued damage and defacement of federal monuments 

nangajo: ushering in the Year of the Metal Ox with this blended Japanese New Year’s tradition—previously  

👍: anti-social media removes ‘like’ feature (see also) from public-facing sites—via Slashdot

r/obscuremedia: enjoy this soothing VHS tape from 1984 “Escape to Nature’s Beauty” 

witchfinder general: King James’ other book—Demonology

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your daily demon: amy

Also known as a Hanni, this demon with the rank of President—corroborated and conflicted depending on one’s sources—initially presents as a flame (as seen in the sigil) until called upon by the summoner and knowledge in astronomy and the liberal arts and reveal hidden treasures, ruling the fifth quartile of Capricorn corresponding with this day, Epiphany, through the tenth of the month. Opposed by the angel called Ieialel, this fifty-eighth spirit in the calendar of demonology reportedly harbours the believe that he and his legion can reclaim the throne of the Seventh Heaven after twelve centuries have passed.

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your daily demon: ose

This Great President of Hell presents as a leopard who gradually assumes human form controls three legions of spirits and governs the third quartile of Capricorn, the first of the year through the fifth of January. At the summoner’s bidding, Ose can engender delusions of grandeur and believe themselves kings among men and alternately transform people into animals without their knowledge that they have been turned. These spells are temporary and expire after one hour. This fifty-seventh demon is paired with the archangel Nemamiah.

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your daily demon: gemory

Though reportedly male as all the fallen angels, this fifty-sixth Goetic demon presents as a beautiful woman wearing a crown, usually astride a camel, and has the office to discharge prophetic pronouncements concerning events past and future. Ruling the second quartile of Capricorn, from 27 December until Saint Silvester’s Day (31 December), some sources ascribe to Gemory the power to procure the love of women but others call Gemory an ally and companion. Paired with the Principality Poiel, this duchess of the night rules twenty-six legions.

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especially important is the warning to avoid conversations with the demon

For the anniversary of the film’s 1973 debut in American cinemas, we return to this retrospective appreciation of William Peter Blatty’s (*1928 – †2017) The Exorcist and its cultural moment from Open Culture and Mental Floss. For a movie about the Church’s dogmatic approach to demonic possession it really had lasting cache for terrified audiences, the film retaining the title as the biggest grossing R-rated horror production until being dethroned by the remake of It in 2017. With The Omen, Burnt Offerings, Poltergeist and The Amityville Horror to follow, the success of The Exorcist established the speculative, supernatural genre impressing and priming audiences for more, much as 2001: A Space Odyssey (previously) had done for science fiction and consequent revival of the Space Opera. See more at the link above.

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nittel nacht

Observed in some Jewish communities dating back as far as the late seventeen-hundreds with scholastic reinforcement in the following century, the Yiddish term (ניטל נאַכט) for Christmas Eve likely comes from natalis but may also refer to the hanged one, nitleh, an epithet for Jesus during the Middle Ages. In medieval Europe, non-observers were often forbidden from being seen in public—with Yuletide often signalling the beginning of attacks on Jewish neighbours by Christians—so this was a good excuse to staying in and specifically not studying the Torah and abstaining from enjoyment so as not to give any glory to the day, though for some, reading the Sefer Toledot Yeshu (an alternate hagiography that portrays Jesus as a womanising charlatan though possibly accounts themselves are exaggerated as another excuse to label people as blasphemers—that is, megadef) as an acceptable activity to engage in. Chess and card games became a tradition, in lieu of other pastimes, and children were apprehensive about being snatched away on this night by demon Jesus.

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your daily demon: orobas

Presenting as a horse and infernal patron of all things equine (see also), this spirit with the rank of prince rules the first segment of Capricorn, from today until 26 December and according to the Ars Goetia and other sources can be reliably invoked to suppress gossip and libellous speech and foretell the future. With an etymology possibly from a Latin word, orobias, for a sort of cedarwood incense, the demon makes an appearance in pop-culture properties including several video games and is paired with battle angel called Mehaiah under the archangel Haniel.

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your daily demon: murmur

Infernal duke and earl with thirty legions under his command, before the rebellion this fifty-fourth spirit had the name Matthias but now presents as a vulture or crowned warrior astride a griffin, and can be compelled to mediumship with the departed by invoking his seal, which looks very much like a host of astrological symbols. A master of philosophy, Murmur rules from today until the twenty-first of December and is paired with the angel Nilhael.

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your (nearly) daily demon: caim

Presenting in the form of a thrush—disturbingly with arms and hands, this fifty-third spirit has the rank of infernal president—that is the presiding officer over a convocation and gives good counsel, dispelling sophistry and reveals the language of the birds, the apparition of glowing coals appearing under his feet if compelled to answer by a rendering of his sigil. Caim’s corresponding battle angel is a Principality called Nanael, called forth by reciting a certain Psalm but no elaboration as to whether or not his feet are held to the fire, however.

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your daily demon: alloces

The fifty-second spirit in the infernal progression of the year, this lion-visaged soldier on a steed that seems to have hippocamp traits, according to various grimoires and other sources, summons familiars, advises on the liberal arts and can exact revenge in secret. Alloces rules the fifteenth to the nineteenth degree of Sagittarius, corresponding from today until 11 December. Canonical demons are paired with a member of the unfallen angelic host, and this President is twinned with the Prinicipality-ranked Imamiah—who sounds perfectly boring—and is invoked by reciting a verse from Psalms.

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krampusnacht

Later on for this Saint Nicholas Eve, the hirsute, horned devil (see previously) visits the wicked and incorrigible with a thrashing and a lump of coal, assisted by Knecht Rupert. Less discretely and less charitably in some jurisdictions, Krampus is accompanied by Nicholas himself to distribute gifts for the naughty and nice respectively.

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your daily demon: balam

The fifty-first spirit is this infernal king that rules the tenth through fourteenth degree of Sagittarius—from this day through 7 December, and is depicted, according to the Ars Goetia and other sources, as a monstrous entity with three aspects—the faces of a bull, a man and a ram with the tail of a serpent, who sits astride a ferocious bear, with a goshawk born on his forearm.

Giver of good counsel and wit, this figure probably originates (in a less fantastical form) from the magician and diviner called Balaam from Numbers 22, whom the Israelites blame for their difficulties and adjustment issues, characterising him as a charismatic sophist, when they enter into the Promised Land, enticing them into transgressive behaviours, including encouraging sacrifice performed to Baal, and thus the source of a deadly plague visited on the delivered tribes as a result.

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your daily demon: furcas

Ruling portion of the infernal progression from today until 2 December and attaining uniquely among his cohort the rank of knight, this wizened man sat agee is the fiftieth in the calendar and can be summoned to dispense knowledge on things pertaining to rhetoric, according to the Ars Goetia, as well as chiromancy and pyromancy. Named after the Greco-Roman term for sepulchre, Furcas’ invocation is said to bring peace of mind and dispels anxiety.

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¡no lupita!

Released on this date in 1959 in Mexico (in October of the following year internationally, in America markets  under the same title though sometimes distinguished as Santa Claus versus the Devil), this René Cardona and Adolfo Torres Portillo collaboration premises that Santa has a workshop in outer space and defeats a demon called Pitch who was dispatched to Earth by Lucifer to spoil Christmas by killing its spirit and cause all of humanity to do Satan’s despondent and joyless, and by defacto  evil, bidding. The movie received the Mystery Science Theatre 3000 (see previously) on Christmas Eve 1993 and one can watch the lampoon in its entirety below.

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your daily demon: crocel

Presenting generally in the form of an angel and ruling the first five degrees of Sagittarius—from today until the twenty-seventh of November, this infernal duke, summoned by the sigil here, is called upon for divining or dowsing (or more practically for plumbing matters) and is versed in the science of hydrotherapy, and can reveal springs and sources of thermal baths, according to the Ars Goetia. The forty-ninth in the calendar of demonology, Crocel commands forty-eight legions and can sew indecisiveness and confusion for one’s adversaries.

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your daily demon: haagenti

Great president of the infernal realms, forty-eighth in the calendar of demi-weeks and ruling from this date until the twenty second (the twenty-ninth degree of Scorpio, this demon whom presents as a griffin is well-versed in the alchemical arts, hermetical magic according to the Ars Goetia and other sources, and can aid in and impart wisdom regarding the transmutation of baser metals into more precious ones and water into wine and for whom cats are sacred, preferring a more feline aspect when compelled by an exorcist to assume human form. 

 

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