Have you ever felt so desperate about achieving something that you’ve even considered selling your soul to the devil in exchange? Probably not, but we can’t deny it sounds tempting. For several centuries, the legend of Doctor Faust, the man who decides to sell his soul to the devil in order to acquire the ultimate knowledge of the universe, has been told and retold in every single media possible, and it’s probably the moral lesson at the end that makes this tale so memorable. However, as Faust, we just can’t get over this story because it boosts our thirst to know more about the occult and magic behind it. Then, what does this character teach us about how to create the best incantation spells?
If like him, you wish to delve into the occult, first you have to do a thorough research on the subject. There are countless books of spells, best known as grimoires, some DIY guides, and instructions to make your own incantations, magical talismans, and of course, deals with the devil. Grimoires and devilish pacts can be traced back to Mesopotamia, where the first tablet with spells was found. However, during the Middle Ages the fascination with the occult and past wisdom became common among scholars. Therefore, despite being considered heretical by the Church, you can find thousands of books of spells, allegedly involving both white and black magic.
Enter our guest of honor of the day, Dr. Johann Georg Faust, the fifteenth-century character that sparked the legend and many books around him. The exact date of his birth and death are unknown but there are some historical records that help us place him in history. While many believe he’s nothing more than a legend, there’s evidence suggesting he was absolutely real. So, according to the story, this philosopher, astrologer, alchemist, and magician got acquainted with the occult sciences of his time. According to his “official” story, he made a living from writing commissioned horoscopes and performing magic tricks, something that infuriated many, who weren’t precisely happy with the horoscopes they received. So these people accused him of heresy and sodomy, charges that ended up sending him to jail. During his life, he wrote many grimoires with instructions he himself followed to conjure dark entities including the demon Mephistopheles, who happened to appear in most of the tales about Faust.
According to one of the grimoires that are attributed to him, The Black Raven or also called The Threefold Coercion of Hell, these texts help you coerce all the spirits to give you whatever you want that’s available on earth. But there’s a warning, like in anything you buy at the store. I imagine this at the back of the book in a bright yellow sticker reading: “Never read me aloud without a circle, otherwise I am in great danger to you!”
So if you’re interested in following the steps of doctor Faust, you can follow the patterns of his book. Once, you’ve selected the best incantations and content of your grimoire, you must have a clear structure so that your spells can be performed in the right order. You’re playing with dark forces and, as the warning Faust adds at the beginning, anything done differently can have catastrophic consequences. The very first part must be a warning note and how to correctly follow the instructions. Then you can move to an explanation of the incantations and the spells you’re offering to your reader. Try adding something personal to make it more relatable and trustworthy. As Faust himself explains, once he followed the incantations wonderful things happened to him, but he also states that, if you don’t follow the steps as they’re marked, you can end up serving the demon you’ve conjured.
Now, you can pass to the more crafty part of the process, the DIY of how to create the perfect circle to conjure these demons. Like Faust, you should include some sketches and diagrams to make it clear to your reader. Actually, as he explains, his circle was extremely amorphous and weak, and for that reason, he ended up caught in the claws of the demon. So it’s best to be clear from the beginning. You don’t want future lawsuits. Also, a great glossary of the demons you can invoke with your spells could really come in handy. You can add where they belong and a brief history of each one of them so that the user can make an informed decision on who is the best one for their specific cause.
Also, if you want your grimoire to be as complete as Dr. Faust’s, you can include useful phrases to use when speaking with these demonic forces. You know, what they like or the definite no-no’s when addressing each of them. And always add your personal experience so they can follow and decide if that’s the best choice for them.
The story says Faust died in a terrible explosion caused by one of his experiments. Since his body was terribly damaged, people believed that the devil had finally dragged him to hell. Well, every magic comes at a price, right?
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For more on the occult, take a look at these:
Paganism And The Secret Orgies Of Carl Jung
5 Celebrities That Have Secretly Dabbled In The Occult
The Consequences Of Making A Deal With The Devil In 6 Books
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