Someone came to me inquiring about Exorcisms. Alas the subject is broad and expansive and there is no simple and easy straightforward description.
!!This is going to be a long post!!
While this is not an entirely complete post, it will cover some of the basics and the nuances as well as the backgrounds of the idea and performances of Exorcisms.
This document will cover a lot of different cultural and spiritual backgrounds. It is important to approach this subject with an open mind and to shed any lens of preconceived ideas that you may already have that television and pop culture has put into your understanding of the subject. I will also be including my own personal background and teachings as well as some of my methods and workings on this subject.
What is an Exorcism?
An Exorcism is when an individual Exorcises a Force from a Person, Place, or Object.
Exorcise: Derived from the compound word in Greek “exorkizein”: ἐξορκίζω which is εξ + ορκίζω.
The word itself means to adjure or administer an oath. Which is, in practise, to Force a Being or another Force to present itself and what or who it is and to be “compelled” by another Force to behave as demanded.
The Principle, in theory, is that you are, in short, using interrogation methods to command a Force under a penalty of another Force should they not comply with the demands of the exorcist.
In a “simplified” way, An exorcism is commanding or compelling a Force up and out of a person, place or object.
Exorcism is an umbrella term and falls under the same class and category as a Banishment. However, sometimes a Force cannot be easily removed due to anchors or roots in a person, place, or thing. This is where an Exorcism may be important. They are deeper and more intense and often can be damaging if not done properly.
The principle that makes an Exorcism unique to other Banishments is the Faith and Command of another Higher Being or Power that the Exorcist is a conduit for. Through the Exorcist, a Divine Power that has power over the situation exerts its will.
The Recipe for an Exorcism is:
A Person, Place, or Object that is Harbouring an unwanted Force.
A Divine Force to whom the Exorcist is well connected to. That Exorcists “God”.
The Exorcist conducting the Exorcism.
Exorcisms are not strictly something that exists in Christian Beliefs. This is your basic layout and it is far over simplified. However, this document is meant to be a soft overview and more of an introduction than a hard in depth essay.
Mind you, I use the term “Force” rather than “Spirit” or “Demon”. With our base recipe down, we now know what we need to use and when.
Exorcisms, I feel, are a last resort choice when it comes to Banishment and Cleansings.
I begin with a cleansing first. If that does not work, I move onto a Banishment ritual. If a Banishment such as the LBRP or Adjacent styles do not work, then I move onto a Greater Banishment Ritual and then I follow up with a Cleansing and then Warding. I try to be mindful of how rituals and ceremonies impact the energies and the natural energetic ecosystem of the location I am performing the workings in. This is important to me as a Folk practitioner. I do not wish to upset the balance of other Forces in the area. So I try to work with what I have going on as much as I can.
What is important above anything else is to know exactly what you are dealing with. Investigation is very important to determine what you are treating. Like all workings that include the removal of a Force from a person, place or object, you must identify what you are working with to find the best treatment for the intention at hand. There is no perfect catchall for the removal of Forces. It is better to know what you are dealing with to perform your removal with a clever and acute and well educated mind and hand. Expertise over nuking everything in a messy and sloppy way. The less extra energy you are throwing around the better. It is far more effective to have a lethal and keen accuracy to your work than to just nuke everything and hope for the best. Cleanliness and efficiency is far more impactful. There Is a time and a place for nuking things during an Exorcism. However, it is not always necessary and you should always start off with accuracy and attention to details first before resorting to “the big guns”. For example, if I know for a fact I am dealing with a wraith, I will not be performing an exorcism on a location but the object that is the taglock of that Wraith. By extension I must be aware of the situation specific to the wraith to use the proper ingredients and the proper resources.
Another critical thing to understand is that not all of the Forces you are removing are “Evil”. I detest such a narrow minded way of thinking. There are Forces that have a right to be there just as much as anything else does. Sometimes this means not performing an exorcism and instead encouraging people to make peace and find balance and harmony and learn to share with Forces in their area.
Sometimes a spirit is lost, confused, agitated, or uncertain and there is no real clear path to bringing clarity and cleansing to a space or an individual spirit and an exorcism is needed.
Sometimes there are indeed malicious, parasitic and predatory spirits and beings that intend harm or are trying to lay claim to a place or a person.
I am going to jump quickly into the subject of Possession. While it does happen, it is not common. There are many details that go into possession. For simplicity Sakes, I will be copy-pasting some details about Possession that I have written about in other communities.
I am a Necromancer. I work with the spirits of the dead and I have a family of the Dead of which I use often in my work. I have personal spirits and I have had many years of training in the field of possession through the Spiritual Culture of our Traditions. I come from a background of Family Traditions both in Death Work and Demonic Traditions. So my experiences are going to vary from others.
These are some notes I have written on the subject that are just pasted here.
Note One:
“Movie possession as per depicted in most cult horror movies ≠ any of the possession you will hear about or see here.
Possession can go horribly wrong. But this is exceptionally rare and uncommon. There is a vast amount of other important details that go into it.
Spirits cannot really just.... take over your body malevolently for long periods of time and cause havoc. And they don't. For a variety of reasons.
That is called mental illness and the possessions depicted in most western media / movies is a disgusting display of the negligence of people who need serious medical attention either from seizures or other mental health concerns which have quite commonly resulted in their death.”
Note Two:
“I'm also not certain if this is true for everyone or if it's just something from me and / or my practise and traditions. But bodily possession is a trained thing in our traditions. Mostly because we sort of understand how intense it is on a spirit to inhabit someone's body. It takes two.
It takes both parties making an effort in some way to sort of... "work that up" / make it work. Either through trance work, inductions, or other methods. But it's difficult and requires some effort on both ends to properly be able to do it.
Even if it's not the spirit of a deceased person, and it's the spirit of a Divine Being or a more Powerful Spirit, it's not meant to be there. It's not meant to be in your body like that. Even fragments and fractions that are split off and possess parts of you or even wholes of you, it's not meant to be there and it requires tuning, attuning, and effort to work that up.”
Note Three:
“As a whole, when you are possessed, it does not get rid of or mend your ailments.
When you are possessed (and there are varying "Levels of Possession" by the way), your body is under more stress and strain.
Additionally, the individual that is possessing that body will therein experience the pain and discomfort of your corporeal form. While the way that the spirit possessing you may perceive and experience those discomforts may vary, it is important to remember that not all spirits experience those pains or symptoms.
This may cause an extreme crippling of their sensory capabilities. Your nerves and functions are going to be 100% foreign to the spirit possessing your body. Even if it is partial possession. Even if that spirit is also human. Your body is going to not only be under more strain and stress. But it is stressful for the individual possessing you as well.”
Note Four:
“Sensory differences. Physical differences. Hormonal differences. Eyesight, sense of touch, smell, taste... It's all vastly and intensely different.
Bodily Limitations / Limits of Corporeal forms.
Experiences of being corporeal? They're all vastly different.
In my experience, the worst feelings that spirits have dealt with having possessed me off and on (just a thing I do of course) is I am told the worst of is:
Having the feeling of needing to use the bathroom in either respect. But needing to pee is painful and uncomfortable in the worst ways possible.
Feeling Hungry. Hunger and Thirst are way different in a physical body than in spirit. Even from Grau's perspective and he's Human.
Fatigue. Spirits usually lack physical or emotional and mental fatigue in the way ways we do in a body. They get "tired" in different / similar ways but when occupying a physical body, it's utterly draining and exhausting. Grau had to really really work up being able to inhabit me for long periods of time simply because moving a body is just utterly draining. Even just writing had him wanting to pass out. He hated it. And he's "considerably strong" for what he is.
Body Aches and Stiffness is apparently such a horrible experience from the perspective of a spirit.
The Taste of the Mouth. Being able to taste the inside of someone else's mouth is apparently just the fucking worst. it's nauseating and uncomfortable. And eating is apparently not a good experience at first. “
Note Five:
“Something that I think most people forget is that an entity possessing a corporeal body is not actually an enjoyable thing for the most part
Even if it's the spirit of someone who was once dead and now has been living more in spirit than physically. It's not a good time.
They don't usually really want that.
Spirits do not possess people and have a grande time with it and think it's fun or just do it on a whim or for fuck-all.
When people claim possession a la spirits, I'm usually raising very big eyebrows.”
Note Six: (Written by Grau, a Personal Spirit of Mine)
“Things To Keep In Mind With Possession Via Deceased (From a Deceased)
Full Body possession? Don’t start with that. Don’t. Do something small. And for a couple minutes at a time. Eyes are great. Start with eyes.
Being alive after being dead? Super painful! All over the body. Everything hurts. Everything is alive. It is miserable. Senses are awful. Touch is worse. Air is a thing you can feel on your skin again. Not counting clothing. Sounds? Taste. What the mouth tastes like? Fucking horrible. Vomiting ensues. You have to grasp dimensions and vertigo usually hits like a ton of bricks. There’s everything touching you all at once and you are experiencing everything on full blast.
Operating legs and arms is like trying to figure out quantum mechanics. What the fuck are even muscles? What are they? What the fuck.
Cold food and hot food is miserable. Teeth are a thing. Expect the inside of the mouth to be bitten a lot. And I mean a lot. Especially the tongue.
The stomach is a thing again. Not pleasant. Not at first. Feeling hunger and feeling full are some of the worst experiences imaginable after being dead for a while. You are acutely aware of all of the bodily functions. Acutely. It sucks. Having to pee? Fucking hurts.
“Food is going to smell just like I remember it!” WRONG. And it’ll make you want to vomit. Until you’re used to it again. Chewing, in my opinion? Fucking sublime.
You’re going to get the body hurt. A lot. A LOT. You’re going to fall over, hit yourself. Stab yourself. Trip. Bonk into things. Depth perception will be deceiving at first.
What the fuck is swallowing? How do you swallow? Good luck. Just stick to water to retrain how you feel with throat muscles and the way things feel going down. Little sips.
You’re like a fucking toddler re-leaning motor skills. It is frustrating. Painful. And it really doesn’t seem like it is worth it.
Other spirits of the dead can and know you’re dead. They can’t really do much about it. This includes other people possessing bodies. And the same goes for you. Be smart about this. Also sometimes strangers at the coffee shop that are energy sensitive or active practitioners can see you. So if you have a glamour or something you wear that makes you look… Not like how I look. Then wear it. Make sure that you’re at least “presentable”. Not everyone reacts well to desiccated corpses.
A skilled necromancer or death worker can push and pull you in and out of their body like they’re shuffling cards. This feels as terrible as it sounds. But it can be an important skill.
You both can occupy the body at the same time. Usually one of you is in “stasis” which is a rest-mode. This rest mode can be incredibly helpful to replenish energy. It also is beneficial if you have chosen the altruistic path of getting the Host body home or to safety and then the Host spirit can just… curl up in the back seat.”
End of Notes.
While these are my personal experiences, take them with the salt and seasonings you wish or are comfortable with.
With that out of the way, I would like to cover that, for as long as there are Priests, Shamans, or Religious Figures in a culture or people, there have been Individuals that are dedicated to removing other Spirits and Forces. Exorcisms are not unique to Christianity and exclusive to “Priests of the Christian God”. There are a great many other cultures and peoples as well as Gods and Beliefs that have this “act” or ritual in place for when those needs arise and the circumstances call for it.
The methods can vary per Spiritual Culture and belief system. From Christian methods taught by the Church to Pagan Spiritual Cultures to other Ethno Indigenous Cultures and Beliefs. The Variety of Exorcism is broad and intensely so. There is a lot that can go into it and even be adapted to your current methods and personal Spiritual Culture. If the formula above is followed, you’re set up for a proper Exorcism.
My Patron is Lucifer. I also work with the Demonic. The Divine I work with the most in Exorcisms is Duke Murmur and Duke Bune.
In a basic setup, the “Divine Force” I use is Lucifer. Under Penalty of Lucifer’s Divine Power, I perform Exorcisms. I call upon Murmur and Bune when the situation is needed. For protection at times or to provide support and cleansing, guidance and awareness to the situation. In the Exorcism I had performed recently, I did not use excessive Force.
There were spirits of the Dead. They lingered. Confused and uncertain. Lost and displaced. They needed to be guided out and lead freely. What needed to be exorcised was not an Entity but an Energy. A Force. A structure that was causing the issues at hand. So I guided the dead out and let them be free. Then, through Lord Lucifer, I went forwards and I exorcised that room of the Force that had been causing this unwanted Malady. It was potent. Stagnant. Thickly coated in this space like a miasmic tar. It required excessive force. No amount of shouting or screaming at it or flinging of Holy Water (Not unique to Christianity by the by), would change that. It’s a naturally occurring ecosystem. It’s a Force that grows naturally. It does not know that it is unwanted or it necessarily is harmful. It exists in its own right and its own ways. However, the environment in which is it in is causing harm to those that reside there.
A bee building her nest in your home is not malicious. The bee is important. It plays a role even if you are uncomfortable with their presence. It should not be treated with contempt but with an even mind and a steady heart. Not everything you need to exorcise must be treated as if its some sort of offensive thing that is an insult to you and the place it is found in. The things we are uncomfortable and made uneasy with aren’t abnormalities in the world we operate in. It’s incredibly important to me to distinguish the attitude and tones that we approach this work in. Less we carry and pick up malicious energies and forces ourselves, we will do well to be mindful. Again. There Is indeed a time and place for anger, fury, and raw and potent energies that we can weaponise. But sometimes it is not appropriate for that. It is up to the exorcist to determine when such things are important to use and wield. And when there is a Grace of indifference and cleansing that is needed. Through which filter the Divine is being channelled through you during your exorcism is critical to the understanding of your situation.
For me, I had put together a Cleansing Spray. I used oelums and ingredients that fit the Blessings of Lucifer and the Banishment and Cleansing qualities I needed. I went through the room. Anticlockwise. Clockwise. Anticlockwise. I cleaned. I cleansed. I called forth the Beings that I work with. I rearranged the room. I adjusted things. I invoked Lucifer. I am, within my heart and mind, a direct Conduit to Lord Lucifer. I am Their Divine Emissary. Their Priest. Their Hands in this World. Voice. Movement forwards. My Faith in my God is what executes these rituals with the impact and the intent that brings down the Exorcism I am performing. It’s a Divine Act from the Divine. Whereas there are many rituals you can perform that do not invoke the Divine, but instead you are using Evocation (calling up energy and forces within yourself and upon your own natural energy and power), Invocation is you calling up the Divine or Spirits that you are engaging with.
Sometimes Evocative Rituals are enough. But this would not constitute as an Exorcism in these ways. It is through the Rich and Powerful Invocation of your Divine Connection to a Divine Force that empowers you and holds Authority in the Ritual or Ceremony is what bridges and brings together the force of an Exorcism and its success.
These methods and the ways I conduct my work are the teachings and structures that have been developed by my tribe’s unique Spiritual Culture. There are themes and backgrounds that come from a variety of sources from which my family had pulled and was given inspiration to construct these rituals. They had been tried and tested and then taught and passed down. Written on some occasions, even. The methodology can be broad and expansive, adaptive and adjusted to your needs, beliefs, background and culture. And furthermore there is other Spiritual Cultures of other places and peoples that have rituals that are unique to them and their methods. What is important is that you feel comfortable and confident in your ability to maintain these Divine connections and beliefs.
As I said, this is just a little introductory piece that included my own take on the subject from my own education and backgrounds. From Folk to Ceremonial structures. Below I will be listing a bunch of reading materials from several locations and cultures. I hope that they help provide some additional homework.
https://books.google.com/books?id=4ZaWBgAAQBAJ&pg=PA189#v=onepage&q&f=false
https://web.archive.org/web/20190909130733/http://www.ghostvillage.com/legends/2003/legends32_11292003.shtml
https://web.archive.org/web/20190707111518if_/http://www.ewtn.com/library/prayer/roman2.txt
https://thediplomat.com/2018/06/gods-against-ghosts-the-exorcisms-of-indias-mehandipur-balaji/
https://web.archive.org/web/20170816205635/http://www.ewtn.com/library/prayer/roman2.txt
https://scholar.umw.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1557&context=student_research
https://www.tertullian.org/fathers/pagan_exorcism.htm
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9jsr_GY-lg0
https://christianity.stackexchange.com/questions/66636/non-catholic-and-more-obscure-alternatives-to-an-exorcism
http://www.jwmt.org/v1n5/vibratoryform.html
https://archive.org/details/magickintheorypr00crow
https://folklorethursday.com/folklife/the-folklore-of-exorcism/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fangxiangshi
https://archive.org/details/longdiscoursesbu00wals
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/363877415_Carpathian_Ukrainian_Folk_Demonology_Part_1_Natural_and_Domestic_Spirits_Souls_of_Deceased_People_Images-Personifications
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/233312353_Russian_Peasant_Beliefs_Concerning_the_Unclean_Dead_and_Drought_Within_the_Context_of_the_Agricultural_Year
https://www.slavorum.org/exorcisms-in-slavic-countries-from-legends-to-true-scary-stories/