Hello Kitty Tarot-The Devil

Here's the thing: As soon as the farmer realized which little brick building we'd seen, his face just went white. It looked like he'd been slapped. Grandpa asked him what was the matter.  The farmer whispered something to him and Grandpa told us to go wait in the car. We did. When Grandpa came back, he looked very shaken. 

While some may joke that Ohio is hell on Earth, local lore suggests that the Devil may have once taken up residence in the Buckeye state. If this really is the Devil's stomping grounds, it looks like hell has finally frozen over.

Did the Prince of Darkness once reside in northwest Ohio? If local history has anything to say about it, there might be a strong case for that claim. Although you won’t find Lucifer’s exact street address in the local telephone book nowadays, there are a few historical speculations that he might have had a swamp settlement.

Before Ohio became a state in 1803, the northwestern part of the state was completely covered by a low, wet swamp, later referred to by white settlers as The Great Black Swamp, due to the dark murky waters. The area, 40 miles wide by 120 miles long, was made 20,000 years ago by a migrating glacier and was a true hassle for the early pioneers. Living in the area was impossible, and traveling through the area was extremely risky for those brave enough to face wolves, snakes, and biting flies that carried cholera, typhoid and malaria. Even local Ottawa and Shawnee Indians did not even reside in the swamp and only used it to hunt. Although no human could tolerate the swamps deadly elements, it might have been the dreadful yet ideal place for the likes of Satan.

According to the Pioneer Scrap-book of Wood County Ohio, originally printed in 1910, an area of swamp known as the "Devil’s Hole" was the suspected location of these mysterious happenings. In 1811, as General and later president William Henry Harrison and his troops made their way from Sandusky to Ft. Meigs in what is now the present town of Perrysburg, they were stopped in their tracks near present day Bowling Green Ohio by the impassible swamp. Harrison, very aware of the dangers of getting stuck in the swamp, sent an unnamed scout to survey as much as he could and report back to him. The scout then set out and after a few hours became lost in the swamp. After a full day of fearfully struggling through this "man-trap", he eventually found his way back to his original trail. When asked of his whereabouts, the fearful scout said he had got lost in the "Devil’s Hole". Although the name was born, the legend of Devil's Hole was far from finished.

In 1859, the Ohio General Assembly passed a law that required citizens of Northwest Ohio to participate in draining this great swamp of standing, disease-infested water. However, with the Civil War looming in the southern states, little progress came to draining this deadly area. It wasn’t until the late 1860s that Northern civil war soldiers were commissioned to survey the area and find the most sensible routes to create crude wood plank roads to aid in the massive overhaul expected for the landscape.

According to local lore, a survey team of six men was commissioned to survey and document an area 11 miles north of Bowling Green, Ohio presently known as "Devils Hole Road". The men were adequately prepared for the uncertain journey with compasses, tents, and survival equipment and the best medicine for the swamp’s many diseases. However after what should have been a 3-day round trip journey, the men were never heard from again. Obviously very concerned for the survey team, the general in charge commissioned another smaller team to find the whereabouts of the first survey team. The second team was dealt the same fate. Gone, without a trace. Could both teams have got stuck in the "Devil’s Hole" and were unable to escape?

Another incident of the mysterious area appeared in the September 1872 issue of Bowling Green’s Sentinel newspaper. According to the article, a group of marauders on the run from the law might have hid out near Devil's Hole. The article says that "Buried in the heart of the dense woods some miles to the northwest of this place, known as 'Devil’s Hole', two men recently discovered a small, low built shanty, covered with bark and entirely obscure from the vision of man or beast by the dense undergrowth, at no greater distance than ten paces. It is off from any road and there is a single path leading to and from it. Just behind it, a hole had been dug for water, and near it are troughs cut in a log as if for the purpose of feeding horses." "…Everything about it denotes that the utmost precautions of secrecy have been taken. From its location and other circumstances, persons living nearest the locality are suspicious that it is a rendezvous or stopping place for horse thieves." However, no human was ever found to be actually living there. Was it simply a horse thief drop spot or a drainage ditch to hell?

Finally, in the fall of 1992, I was driving home one early evening from my freshman classes at Bowling Green State University to Perrysburg, when I spontaneously decided to take the alternative to I-75 and drive down Route 199. The drive was going just fine until I reached the intersection of Route 199 and Devil's Hole Road. Suddenly without any warning, a quick flash and a loud bang in front of me made me jump out of my seat. I almost flipped the jeep into the 15-foot deep drainage ditch next to the road. I brought the Jeep to a stop and got out to investigate. I was amazed at what I saw. A piston from my engine had actually shot through the hood of the car and went flying into the deep ditch beside me. The Jeep engine was smoking and the car was completely ruined. It took a good 10 minutes before a passerby stopped and promised to notify someone to come out with a tow truck and rescue my car and me. Was this the work of a crummy mechanic that helped me work on my Jeep, or was it something much more evil?

Coincidence? Maybe. Regardless, Devil's Hole Road might be noted as the Great Black Swamp’s version of the Bermuda Triangle. Even local history professors at B.G.S.U were unaware of any history of Devil's Hole Road. Tina Amos, secretary of the History Department, said that although the professors are unaware of any stories about Devil's Hole Road, it is a bit noteworthy. "The only thing I know about Devil's Hole Road is that they have a very difficult time keeping the road signs up -- they're a popular item for dorm rooms, etc. Apparently they have now painted the name onto the bridge abutments," she said. Needless to say, Devil's Hole Road still remains a local legend niched in local history as an unexplained phenomenon.

The Devil Burned Me
About four months ago, I was down in Devon (my mates live in Devon). We were really bored, so I told them how to make a Ouija board. None of us - my mates Charlotte, James and I - had ever played before. We tried it and met a spirit named VGTI. (I think he was a bit confused when he said that.) He said he was from New Zealand. We met many other spirits who told us their names were Dee, Benji, Amber, Kevin, Viper, Charlotte and Upton. They were all someone's guardian angel: Dee is James's, Benji is mine, Amber is Emily's, Kevin is Erin's, Viper is James's, Charlotte is Charlotte's (ironically!) I forgot who Upton is guarding. According to them, we are all the god of something: Erin, Marvin and James are the gods of creation; I'm the god of the mind; James is also the god of spirit love; Loran is the god of love; and Charlotte is the god of words.

We were talking to Upton one night (he's kind of a joker who tries to freak everyone out.) We were just talking when all of a sudden it sharply said: DJID. We asked what that meant and he denied saying it. I asked who did and he said, SATIN. (Not Satan, but Satin with an "i".) We asked if we could talk to it and Upton said: IT'S EVIL And then Charlotte said, "Oh, Satin, as in the devil." He pointed to YES. Satin kept interrupting and repeating DJID.

Then I got pissed off and said, "Just die, Satin." I know white magic, so we decided to do a spell that condemned evil spirits. We found a candle, but couldn't find the lighter. We asked if Upton would somehow help us find the lighter. We looked for a bit, then James (who wasn't playing; he was just playing PlayStation2) fell off the bed and got a really bad headache. He put his hand under a duvet and pulled out the lighter. Suddenly his head stopped hurting and he gave us the lighter. I tried to light the candle and the flame jumped and burned me - a damn good burn at that. We managed to light the candle and perform the spell - and it worked. We asked if it was Satin that burned me and it said: YES.

Zozo, Hest and Others

I read some of the stories about people playing with Ouija boards posted at the site and one of them caught my eye. It was the one about the entity named "Zozo." I too spoke with an entity on a Ouija board with the same name. I also spoke with one named "Hest." This is not a joke. The events lasted for about two months or so. We actually spoke with an entity who referred to himself as "Satan," but since we do not believe in Satan, I can only assume that it was using an identity that I could relate to the way that it wanted me to. This was not too good. This particular entity was the most powerful we ever spoke with, and when i say "spoke" I mean we really had conversations and interviews. The planchette (the little plastic thing) was very forcefully thrown all over the board very aggressively. I am getting goose bumps even writing about it. I can not go on about it right now and about how we made the fires light and then go out.

I didn't think it would make me feel this way right now, so I am not continuing on about it. At the time, I actually called a psychiatrist about it. We were all incredibly scared. We also spoke with several other entities. One time, we spoke with a young girl who died in the same town that we are in and we wanted to prove or disprove the details, so we went to the local schools to dig up information; however, we were unable to get past the front office. We went back home after that and the house had a rotten egg smell all through the place. We later learned, from spirits on "the board" that the disembodied spirits are breaking some sort of "cosmic/spiritual' law by speaking with us. Of course, we don't know how true this is, except for the fact that after we got back on the Ouija board and made our apologies for coaxing the entities into speaking with us, the entire house became engulfed in the smell of roses right before our very noses! We never located a source for any of the odors

The first order in the third sphere is the thrones. They are the companion angels of the planets. As you learn about the history of Angels, it is important for you to be aware of the particular throne, the Earth Angel, who is guardian of this world.

The highest order of the highest hierarchy are the Seraphim - the celestial beings said to surround the throne of God, singing the music of the spheres, and regulating the movement of the heavens as it emanates from God.

* First Sphere (Old Testament sources)
o Seraphim
o Cherubim
o Thrones (Gr. thronos) (New Testament sources)

* Second Sphere (New Testament sources)
o Dominions (Gr. kuriotes)
o Virtues (Gr. dunamis)
o Powers (Gr. exousia)

* Third Sphere
o Principalities (Gr. arche)
o Archangels
o Angels





CHERUBINS
Beyond the thrones are the Cherubim. They are the guardians of light, and of the stars. Remote from this plane of reality, still their light touches your lives, the divine light that they filter down from Heaven. Lucifer (Satan/Devil) was known as the 'angel of light, whom God's light shown through' -- before his 'sin against God'



OPHANIM
Also known as the Thrones, these Angels serve the primary function of being God's chariot. They are also noted as being the dispensers of God's judgment, acting with impartialness and humility to bring about the desires of the Lord. They are described as great wheels, covered with many eyes and glowing with light. One explanation given for this is that they mark the end of the first Choir, where the emanations of God begin to take on more material forms and as such exist in a state of transition. Bring God's justice to us. They are sometimes called wheels and in the Jewish Kabbalah, CHARIOTS or the MERKABAH. The occult book, the Zohar, ranks wheels above seraphim, but other sources place them as cherubim, the whole thing being confused. The ruling prince is Oriphiel or Zabkiel or Zaphiel.

DOMINIONS
The Dominions are the heavenly beings who govern the activities of all the Angelic groups lower than they are. Divine bureaucrats, they also serve to integrate the spiritual and the material worlds. Although they take their orders from God, and rarely contact individuals, their work is connected to your reality.



VIRTUES
Beyond the powers are another group of beings, the Virtues. They are of particular importance to you now because they are able to beam out massive levels of divine energy. As more groups learn to work with the virtues, there will be a greater infusion of spiritual energy available on this planet.

POWERS
The first order of the second sphere are those beings who have been known as Powers. They are the bearers of the conscience of all of humanity, the keepers of your collective history. The Angels of birth and death are in this category. They are able to draw down and hold the energy of the divine plan the same way trees draw down the energy of the Sun. In this way, the powers can send you a vision of a world spiritual network. Just as you have a heart, liver, kidneys, and other organs in your body, all of the worlds religions are different organs in the emerging spiritual body of this planet.

PRINCIPALITIES
Beyond the group of Archangels are the Principalities. They are the Guardian Angels of all large groups, from cities and nations to recent human creations such as multi-national corporations. These might more accurately now be called integrating Angels. There are many of these beings involved with your planet....one particular integrating Angel who carries the pattern of a unified global order in its heart.

ARCHANGELS
Beyond the Angels are the beings you are used to calling the Archangels. It is also common to call them over-lighting Angels, since they tend the larger arenas of human endeavour. These beings are from a different family from the Angels. There are many different kinds of over-lighting angels in this larger family. The four you are most likely familiar with are Gabriel, Michael, Raphael, and Uriel.

ANGELS
The Angels that you're most familiar with are those in the last order. They are the ones who are closest to humanity, the ones most concerned with human affairs. Within the category of Angels, there are many different kinds, with different functions.. ..The ones that you know best....are the Guardian Angels. Because of shifts in their functions and your consciousness, it is useful to think of these celestial beings as companion Angels. As you enter a time of increased light and love on the planet, they will not need to guard you, but rather will be your guides to greater and greater consciousness."


Jewish angelic hierarchy

Rank Angel Notes
1 Chayot Ha Kadesh
2 Ophanim
3 Erelim See Isaiah 33:7
4 Hashmallim See Ezekiel 1:4
5 Seraphim
6 Malakhim Messengers, angels
7 Elohim "Godly beings"
8 Bene Elohim "Sons of Godly beings"
9 Cherubim See Talmud Hagigah 13b
10 Ishim "manlike beings", see Daniel 10:5)


Kabbalistic angelic hierarchy



Islamic view of angels

* Jibrail (or Jibraaiyl or Jibril or Gabriel in English and the Bible). Jibra'il is the Archangel responsible for revealing the Qur'an to Muhammad, verse by verse. Jibra'il is known as the angel who communicates with (all of) the Prophets. He is mentioned specifically by name and as the Holy Spirit in the Qur'an.

* Mikail (or Mikaaiyl or Michael). Michael is often depicted as the Archangel of mercy who is responsible of bringing rain and thunder to Earth. He is also responsible for the rewards doled out to good persons in this life.

* Israfil (or Israafiyl or Raphael). According to the Hadith, Israfil is the Angel responsible for signalling the coming of Judgment Day by blowing a horn and sending out a Blast of Truth. It translates to Hebrew as Raphael. The blowing of the trumpet is described in many places in Quran. It is said that the first blow will destroy everything [Qur'an 69:13], while the second blow will bring all human beings back to life again [Qur'an 36:51].

* Izra'il (or Azrael). Izra'il is the Angel of Death who along with his helpers is responsible for parting the soul of the human from the body. The actual process of separating the soul from the body depends on the person's history or record of good or bad deeds. If the human was a bad person in life, the soul is ripped out very painfully. But if the human was a righteous person, then the soul is separated like a 'drop of water dripping from glass'. It is also noted that The Angel of Death will look like a terrifying beast or demon for the souls of bad people and will look like 'the most pleasant sight' when he comes for the souls of good people.

* Malik is the angel who is responsible for Hell.
* Ridwan is the angel who is responsible for Heaven (Paradise).
* Kiraamun kaatibeen are the angels who record the good and bad deeds of a person.
* Munkar and Nakir are the angels who interrogate a person in the grave about his good and bad deeds.
* Harut and Marut are the angels who were sent as a test to an ancient Israeli tribe. (in Babylon)

Demonology is the systematic study of demons or beliefs about demons. Insofar as it involves exegesis, demonology is an orthodox branch of theology.

Demonology is the branch of theology relating to superhuman beings who are not gods. It deals both with benevolent beings that have no circle of worshippers or so limited a circle as to be below the rank of gods, and with malevolent beings of all kinds. It may be noted that the original sense of "demon," from the time of Homer onward, was a benevolent being; but in English the name now holds connotations of malevolence. Demons, when they are regarded as spirits, may belong to either of the classes of spirits recognized by primitive animism that is to say, they may be human, or non-human, separable souls, or discarnate spirits which have never inhabited a body. A sharp distinction is often drawn between these two classes, notably by the Melanesians, the West Africans and others; the Arab djinn, for example, are not reducible to modified human souls; at the same time these classes are frequently conceived as producing identical results, e.g. diseases. Demonology, though often referred to with negative connotation, was not always seen as evil or devilish as the term would have one believe.


Classification of demons

Under the head of demons are classified only such spirits as are believed to enter into relations with the human race; the term therefore includes:

1. angels in the Judeo-Christian tradition that fell from grace,
2. human souls regarded as genii or familiars,
3. such as receive a cult (e.g., ancestor worship),
4. ghosts or other malevolent revenants.


Zoroastrian demonology
In the Zoroastrian tradition, Ahura Mazda, as the force of good Spenta Mainyu, will eventually be victorious in a cosmic battle with an evil force known as Angra Mainyu or Ahriman


Jewish demonology
While historical Judaism never "officially" recognized a rigid set of doctrines about demons, many scholars believe that its post-exilic concepts of eschatology, angelology, and demonology were influenced by Zoroastrianism
Some, however, believe that these concepts were received as part of the Kabbalistic tradition passed down from Adam, Noah, and the Hebrew patriarchs. See Sefer Yetzirah.

The Talmud declares that there are 7,405,926 demons, divided in 72 companies. Indeed, some commentators hold that Satan was a prosecutor for God in early Judaism, and a somewhat minor angel at that. While most people believe that Lucifer and Satan are different names for the same being, not all scholars subscribe to this view
There is more than one instance where demons are said to have come to be, as seen by the sins of the Watchers and the Grigori, of Lilith leaving Adam, of demons such as vampires, the demon-locusts from the Book of Revelation, impure spirits in Jewish folklore such as the dybbuk and of wicked humans that have become demons as well.


Christian demonology

Christian tradition, it is believed that a demon is an evil spirit, and can be either a fallen angel or the spirit of a condemned human, and its intention is to mislead mankind into sin using every guile imaginable.

The traditions state that the most damaging ways in which demons (or malicious spirits) can work are when they are given "ground" for their workings, i.e. when they are accepted, willingly or unwillingly, consciously or unconsciously, by the human. Acceptance often means committing sin; eg. demons gradually gain control of the eyes when the eyes sin by looking at things vile, gain control of the tongue when it is used for slander or blaspheme, and can make it slip, etc, and this can spread to other parts of the body, regardless of whether the sinner calls himself Christian or no. This is called possession. In more extreme cases of possession, the demon gains an actual entrance into the bodily frame, leading to disastrous results, often hideous and agonestic, powerful examples of which are given in the Gospels.

Some Christians believe that symptoms of demon possession include voices in one's mind or a horror of mind, especially when there are no signs of insanity or mental damage/unhealthiness, a stubbornness of mind- holding fast to a particular belief and refusing to listen to reason, a split personality as if two separate personalities share the same body. A fierce and unreasoning hatred of God is a sure sign of possession.

Another way they can be "accepted" is by believing their lies whispered into the human mind, or accepting their suggestions, subtly disguised as one's own thoughts or otherwise (typically this can be recognized when the voices heard in the head seem to come from *outside* the bodily frame, especially if there are no signs of insanity in the person).

Forbidden rituals, the study of magic (black magic worse than white magic, though both ultimately come from demons and lead to ruin) bowing down to false gods (the more evil the god, the more damage done) accepting visions received from evil spirits, (mediums and diviners) and having faith that these visions will come to pass i.e. faith in evil spirits are among the worst things one can do to allow them possession, which can lead to unimaginable pain.

Some traditions say that perhaps the worst thing of all, however, that gives ground for demonic possession, is the disbelief in spirits of evil, or the disbelief that one can (whether Christian or not) be possessed by them, some Christians believe.

These traditions also state that for protection against demon possession, faith in God is needed, an alert watchfulness, a guarding of one's own mind (i.e. analysing one's thoughts and actions often) and an aggressive, often spoken refusal of all evil spirits and all things of evil spirits over every aspect of one's being, or over specific aspects of one's being (where possession is suspected or known to be manifest) in the Name of Jesus, and done in co-operation with God. Prayer against the evil spirit or spirits, prayer to shed light on what action(s) was done or word(s) said that allowed them ground for possession so that this too can be refused are also often necessary.

There are numerous accounts of evil spirits told by different witnesses; James Gall, Dr J.L. Nevius, Sir Robert Anderson, Pastor Ernst Lohmann.

Christians also believe the same evil spirits existed in the time of Christ Jesus that exist today in everyday society.

These traditions are generally not common in the current Roman Catholic Church, nor in most other Christians denominations. Belief in these concepts is generally considered to be a Medieval belief.

Occult demonology

Practitioners of Ceremonial magic sometimes attempt to constrain and command demons to do their bidding, using methods such as the Goetia and The Book of Abramelin. The demons are often those mentioned in Christian demonology. These practitioners do not necessarily worship demons, but seek to deploy them to obtain their goals.

Other followers of the occult do worship demons, and some refer to their religion as "demonolatry."[27]. Demonolators consider methods such as the Goetia very disrespectful towards the demons, and possibly dangerous for the operator. They instead use forms of prayer, magick and ritual which petition the demons, asking for their aid rather than commanding them.

Demonolators are not identical to practitioners of Theistic Satanism. They worship other demons (such as Belial and Leviathan) either alongside, or instead of Satan
Some demonolators say that their form of demonolatry is a tradition, often familial, that is not related to the modern religious and philosophical movements collectively referred to as Satanism

Not all of the occultists who worship demons use the word "demonolator" to describe themselves, nor do all belong to the specific group mentioned above.

Islamic demonology

In Islam, the devil Iblis (Satan and/or Lucifer in Christianity) was not an angel, but of a different kind, the jinn. (Humans are created from earth, Angels from light, and jinn from fire). The jinn though, are not necessarily evil; they could be good doers or sinners just like humans. Since the jinn and humans are the only kinds of creation who have the will to choose, the followers of Iblis could be jinn or human. The angels, on the other hand, are sinless and only obey the will of God.
In the Qur'an, when God ordered those witnessing the creation of Adam to kneel before him (before Adam), Iblis refused to do so and was therefore damned for refusal to obey God's will.

Demonology in Buddhism and Hinduism

Some branches of Buddhism affirm the existence of Hells peopled by demons who torment sinners and tempt mortals to sin, or who seek to thwart their enlightenment, with a demon named Mara as chief tempter. Most of these "demons" are considered to be representations of mental obstructions. Hinduism contains traditions of combats between its gods and various adversaries, such as the combat of Indra and the asura Vritra.

There have been many attempts throughout the history of Christianity to classify demons into categories. These systems of classification of demons are a part of Christian demonology. Classification systems are based on the nature of the demon, the sin with which they tempt people, the month in which their power was strongest, the saints that were their adversaries, or other characteristics.


The Testament of Solomon

Main article: Testament of Solomon

The Testament of Solomon is an Old Testament pseudepigraphical work, purportedly written by King Solomon, in which Solomon mostly describes particular demons whom he enslaved to help build the temple, the questions he put to them about their deeds and how they could be thwarted, and their answers, which provide a kind of self-help manual against demonic activity.The date is very dubious, perhaps 1st century to 3rd century, certainly the oldest work surviving particularly concerned with individual demons.


Psellus' classification of demons

This is a classification of demons prepared by Michael Psellus in the 11th century and that undoubtedly was an inspiration for the one Francesco Maria Guazzo prepared later.

* Avoid daylight and are invisible to people
* Demons of fire, which dwell far from us...


Spina's classification of demons

Alfonso de Spina, in 1467, prepared a classification of demons based on several criteria:

* Demons of fate
* Goblins
* Incubi and succubi
* Wandering groups or armies of demons
* Familiars
* Drudes
* Demons that are born from the union of a demon with a human being.
* Liar and mischievous demons
* Demons that attack the saints
* Demons that try to induce old women to attend Sabbaths

This classification is somewhat capricious and it is difficult to find a criterion for it. It seems that Spina was inspired by several legends and stories. The drudes belong to German folklore. Familiars, goblins, and other mischievous demons belong to the folklore of most European countries.

The belief in incubi and succubae (and their ability to procreate) seem to have inspired the sixth category, but it could also have been inspired in the Talmudic legend of demons having sexual intercourse with mortal women (see also Mastema).

The visions of tempting demons that some early (and not too early) saints had, perhaps inspired the ninth category (i.e. the visions of Anthony the Great).

The idea of old women attending Sabbaths was common during the European Middle Age and Renaissance, and Spina mentioned it before the Malleus Maleficarum as it is possible to see.


Binsfeld's classification of demons

Binsfeld's classification of demons was prepared in 1589 by Peter Binsfeld. His demon classification based on the seven deadly sins, establishing that each one of the mentioned demons tempted people by means of one of those sins.

* Lucifer: arrogance (pride)
* Leviathan: envy
* Amon: wrath
* Belphegor: sloth (laziness)
* Mammon: avarice (greed)
* Beelzebub: gluttony
* Asmodeus: lust

Guazzo's classification of demons

Francesco Maria Guazzo prepared this classification of demons based on a previous work by Michael Psellus. It was published in his book Compendium Maleficarum in 1608.

* Demons of the superior layers of the air, which never establish a relationship with people.
* Demons of the inferior layers of the air, which are responsible for storms.
* Demons of earth, which dwell in fields, caves and forests.
* Demons of water, which are female demons, and destroy aquatic animals.
* Demons of the underground part of the earth, responsible of keeping hidden treasures, causing earthquakes, and causing the crumbling of houses.
* Demons of the night, which are black and evil. These demons avoid daylight.

Michaelis' classification of demons

In 1613 Sebastien Michaelis wrote a book, Admirable History, in which included a classification of demons as it was told to him by the demon Berith when he was exorcising a nun, according to the author. This classification is based in hierarchies, the sins by means of which the temptation is made, and includes the demons' adversaries (who suffered that temptation without falling).

Note that many demons' names are exclusively French or unknown in other catalogues. St. John the Baptist and St. John the Evangelist are the two St. John's to whom Michaelis refers. The other saints are cited only by their name without making clear, i.e., which Francis is (of Assisi?).

First Hierarchy

* Beelzebub: arrogance; adversary, St. Francis
* Leviathan: attacks Christian religious beliefs; adversary, St. Peter
* Asmodai: lust; adversary: St. John
* Berith: murdering and blasphemy; adversary, St. Barnabas
* Astaroth: laziness and vanity; adversary, St. Bartholomew
* Verrin: impatience; adversary, St. Dominic. See Verrine
* Gressil: impurity, uncleanness and nastiness; adversary, St. Bernard
* Sonneillon: hate; adversary, St. Stephen.

Second Hierarchy

* Lilith: first wife of Adam, succubus
* Azezel: the Angel of Death

Third Hierarchy

* Belial: arrogance; adversary, St. Francis of Paula
* Olivier: fierceness, greediness and envy; adversary, St. Lawrence
* Jouvart: sexuality; adversary, not cited.

Barrett's classification of demons

Francis Barrett, in his book The magus (1801), offered this classification of demons, making them princes of some evil attitude, person or thing:

* Mammon: seducers
* Asmodai: vile revenges
* Satan: witches and warlocks
* Pithius: liars and liar spirits
* Belial: fraud and injustice
* Merihem: pestilences and spirits that cause pestilences
* Abaddon: war, evil against good
* Astaroth: inquisitors and accusers

Classification by month

During the 16th century it was believed that each demon had more strength to accomplish his mission during a special month of the year. In this way, he and his assistants' powers would work better during that month.

* Belial in January
* Leviathan in February
* Satan in March
* Belphegor in April
* Lucifer in May
* Berith in June
* Beelzebub in July
* Astaroth in August
* Thammuz in September
* Baal in October
* Asmodai in November
* Moloch in December

The classification of demons by month seems to have astrological implications more than religious ones.

Classification by office

There were also classifications by office, like those written in several grimoires.

Le Dragon Rouge (or Grand Grimoire)

Like many works of mystical nature, Le Dragon Rouge (or the Red Dragon) claims to come from Solomon and his priests and is said to be published in 1517 by Alibeck the Egyptian. However, it was most likely written in France in the 18th century.

The grimoire details the different hosts of hell and their powers, describing how to enter a pact with them to attain the magicians' goals. The demons of hell are classified by three different tiers from Generals to Officers.

Elite, veteran members of Le Dragon Rouge bear a ring of an onyx stone with the form of Le Dragon Rouge in red enamel for official stamping of letters between members.

Pseudomonarchia Daemonum

Pseudomonarchia Daemonum, by Johann Weyer, is a grimoire that contains a list of demons and the appropriate hours and rituals to conjure them in the name of God, Jesus and the Holy Ghost (simpler than those cited by The Lesser Key of Solomon below).

This book was written around 1583, and lists sixty-eight demons. The demons Vassago, Seir, Dantalion and Andromalius are not listed in this book. Pseudomonarchia Daemonum does not attribute seals to the demons. Weyer said to have been inspired by another grimoire also attributed to King Solomon.

The Lesser Key of Solomon


The Lesser Key of Solomon or Lemegeton Clavicula Salomonis is an anonymous 17th century grimoire, and one of the most popular books of demonology. The Lesser Key of Solomon contains detailed descriptions of spirits and the conjurations needed to invoke and oblige them to do the will of the conjurer (referred to as the "exorcist"). It details the protective signs and rituals to be performed, the actions necessary to prevent the spirits from gaining control, the preparations prior to the invocations, and instructions on how to make the necessary instruments for the execution of these rituals.

In demonology, a diabolical signature (from diabolus, the Latin for devil which comes from the Greek 'diabolos' for devil) is the signature of a devil, demon or similar spirit, usually in order to sign your soul away. The most famous of these is in the story of Faust.
In the Spanish Satanic comedy film The Day of the Beast (1995), the Puerta de Europa towers of Madrid are said to be shaped in the form of the Devil's signature.
In the Spanish Satanic comedy film The Day of the Beast (1995), the Puerta de Europa towers of Madrid are said to be shaped in the form of the Devil's signature.

Demons' signatures are designed to disguise their actual names. They are usually signed in blood. If there is a mass of signatures, they are usually signed in a circle.

Some books on demonology, like Arbatel de Magia Verum and The Lesser Key of Solomon (or Lemegeton), assert that all demons have their own signature, collectively called seal of the demons, and sign the acts of diabolical pacts with them. These 'seals' (not seals in the usual sense, as they are handwritten) are imaginative lineal drawings, often complicated.

According to The Lesser Key of Solomon and the acts of some witch trials, there are demons that have more than one seal or signature.

It is notable that many of these signatures include the sign of the cross, which according to Christian tradition is opposed to demons and scares them.

There are many instances of supposed demonic signatures. These signs appeared mostly during the Renaissance, in a time in which demonology was a subject of study for many theologians, priests, alchemists, cabalists and other scientists and pseudo-scientists. One of the accusations by which the Inquisition sentenced Urbain Grandier to death was based on several of these signatures.

A

* Abdiel (Literature, Milton)
* Adriana (Literature, Brinkley)
* Adriel (Judeo-Christian)
* Amesha Spenta (Zoroastrianism)
* Anaelachiem (Angeology)
* Arariel (Jewish mythology)
* Archangels (Judeo-Christian)
* Azrael (Judeo-Christian-Islamic)
B

* Barachiel (Christian)
* Bene Elohim (Judeo-Christian)

C

* Cassiel (Judeo-Christian)
* Cherub/Cherubim (Judeo-Christian)
* Camael (a.k.a. Kemuel) (Judeo-Christian)

D

* Devas (Hindu mythology, Buddhist cosmology)
* Dominions (a.k.a. Kyriotetes) (Judeo-Christian)
* Dumah (Judeo-Christian)

E

* Eremiel (Judeo-Christian)

F

G

* Gagiel, Angel of Fishermen (Judeo-Christian)
* Gabriel (Judeo-Christian-Islamic)
* Grigori (a.k.a. Watchers) (Judeo-Christian)

H

* Hadraniel (Judeo-Christian)
* Haniel (Judeo-Christian)
* Harut (Islamic)
* Hesediel see also Zadkiel (Judeo-Christian)

I

* Ireul (Judeo-Christian)
* Israfel (a.k.a. Israfil) (Judeo-Christian-Islamic)
* Ithuriel (Literature, Milton)

J

* Jegudiel (Christian)
* Jehoel (Judeo-Christian)
* Jerahmeel (Judeo-Christian)
* Jophiel (Judeo-Christian)

K

* Kushiel (Judeo-Christian)

L

* Leliel (Judeo-Christian)
* Lucifer (Judeo-Christian)

M

* Malik (Islamic)
* Marut (Islamic)
* Metatron (Judeo-Christian)
* Michael (Judeo-Christian-Islamic)
* Moroni (Mormonism)
* Munkar (Islamic)
* Muriel (Judeo-Christian)

N

* Nakir (Islamic)
* Nephi (Mormonism)
* Nuriel (Jewish mythology)

O

* Ophan/Ophanim (Judeo-Christian) see also Thrones
* Orifiel (Christian)

P

* Pahaliah (Christian)
* Powers (Judeo-Christian)
* Principalities (Judeo-Christian)
* Puriel (Judeo-Christian)

Q

R

* Raguel (Judeo-Christian-Islamic)
* Raphael (Judeo-Christian)
* Raziel (Judeo-Christian)
* Remiel (Judeo-Christian)
* Ridwan (Islamic)

S

* Sachiel (Judeo-Christian)
* Sandalphon (Judeo-Christian)
* Sariel (Judeo-Christian-Islamic)
* Satan (Judeo-Christian)
* Selaphiel (Christian)
* Seraph/Seraphim (Judeo-Christian)
* Seraphiel (Judeo-Christian)
* Simiel (Christian)
* Shamsiel (Judeo-Christian)
T

* Tennin (Japanese mythology)
* Thrones (Judeo-Christian)

U

* Uriel (Judeo-Christian)

V

* Virtues (Judeo-Christian)

W

* Wormwood (Christian)

Y

Z

* Zachariel (Christian)
* Zadkiel (Judeo-Christian)
* Zeruel (Judeo-Christian)
* Zephon (Jewish mythology)
* Zophiel (Judeo-Christian)

In some Christian doctrines, a fallen angel is an angel that has been exiled or banished from Heaven. Often such banishment is a punishment for disobeying or rebelling against God. The best-known fallen angel is Lucifer. Lucifer rebelled and was cast out of Heaven and fell to Earth for his offense. According to some traditions, fallen angels will roam the Earth until Judgment Day, when they will be banished to Hell.

The origin of the term lies in the Hebrew word for "giant". The Hebrew word translated as "giants" here is nephilim, a plural, which itself derives from the root word Naphal, which means to fall. The apocryphal Book of Enoch explains that a group of rebellious angels "left their first estate" (heaven, or the sky) and came down (fell) to Earth to marry human women and have children with them. Jude makes mention of these angels in the New Testament:


The distinction of good and bad angels constantly appears in the Bible, but it is instructive to note that there is no sign of any dualism or conflict between two equal principles, one good and the other evil. The conflict depicted is rather that waged on earth between the Kingdom of God and the Kingdom of the Evil One, but the latter's inferiority is always supposed. The existence, then, of this inferior, and therefore created, spirit, has to be explained



There are a number of different beliefs regarding the origins and motivations of fallen angels. Many focus on issues of free will, lust, pride, or the incomprehensibility of the acts of God.

Consequences of free will

It is generally accepted by most Christians that the fallen angels were cast out of Heaven because of actions taken against God.[citation needed] These actions were enabled because the angels were granted free will. Generally, these actions included active rebellion, doubt in God's motives or plans, or a rejection of the system of Heaven. Pride is often involved, especially in cases where an angel believed itself to hold more authority than God. (Lucifer being the prime example among these).

Origen

Origen, a father of the early Christian Church, believed that God had created all angels to be equal and free. However, in possessing the power of free will, some of them began to move further away from God of their own volition.

Origen states metaphorically that, although some angels fell and became human or demonic, all hope is not lost. He theorizes that by practicing virtue, men and demons can again become angels. While considered an early Father of the Church, Origen was deemed a heretic as a result of some of his writings and teachings, which did not conform to accepted scripture or tradition. Mainly, his concept of Apocatastasis, the belief that all beings (human beings, fallen angels, demons, and Satan) will return to God through God's love and mercy, was deemed unacceptable at that time. His excommunication was posthumously reversed.

Lust

The following comes from a series of ancient texts referenced in the Bible called "The Three Books of Enoch", a set of books found in the Pseudepigrapha of the Old Testament.

According to these books, it is because of lust that some angels fell from Heaven. God asked the "Watchers" (Grigori), a select group of angels, to assist the Archangels in the creation of Eden. Those Grigori who descended to Earth saw the daughters of men and became enchanted with them. Consequently, the Grigori began to reveal to man some of the secrets of Heaven, such as astrology and the vanity of enhancing the face and body with perfumes and cosmetics. The Grigori then fell in love with human women. According to the text, some of the Grigori even took wives and created offspring, giants known as the Nephilim. This made God so angry that he cursed those Grigori who had betrayed Him, threw them out of Heaven, made them mortal and transformed them into demons. God sent the Great Flood to cleanse the Earth of the wanton killing and destruction perpetrated by the Nephilim. Notable angels who fell in this account are Semyazza, Samael, Azazel, and Lucifer.

Pride

This belief involves Lucifer's revolution against God, well known amongst Christians. Pride, the gravest of the seven deadly sins, eventually led to the expulsion from Heaven of certain beings, up to and including the highest orders of angels. Lucifer, who himself succumbed to pride, was the first and mightiest angel to be created. With intelligence, radiance, beauty, and power unmatched among all of the angels in Heaven, Lucifer was second in majesty only to God Himself.

Unfortunately, Lucifer became ambitious and self-centered, eventually deciding to prove his power by raising his throne to the height of God's throne. Other angels did not approve of Lucifer's plan; they did not want a lower being trying symbolically to become the equal of God. When Lucifer enacted his scheme, he was instantly hurled out of Heaven. This account of the rebellion might have come from several ancient Canaanite manuscripts that deal with Shahar, one of their own deities[citation needed].

Catholic theologians have speculated that the incarnation of Christ was revealed to the angels. The idea that all of Heaven must bow before Christ, formed in part from the lesser nature of humanity, motivated the prideful actions of Lucifer (cf. Suarez, De Angelis, lib. VII, xiii).

Modern Catholic view

According to the Catecism of the Catholic Church, Angels were all created good but some turned bad on their own. Angels don't need faith as they already have the knowledge of celestial things. Due to their angelic nature, repentance is not possible and their sins are irreversible.

Venerable Sor María de Jesús de Agreda (1602-1665+), expressed in a book titled "La Mistica Ciudad de Dios" what is the modern common Catholic interpretation. In the beginning of times, when God separated daylight from darkness, He also separated the good from the bad in the Heavens: God revealed his Trinitary nature to the Angels, He also showed them He would incarnate and all the Angels were to revere and adore Him as God and human.

Lucifer was the first angel to rebel against God (Isaiah 14) and with him he took one third of the the celestial host. Lucifer was the most beautiful angel, so beautiful indeed that he envied God and wanted to receive all His praises: he didn't accept the idea of bowing before Jesus and hated being inferior to any human, including His Holy Mother. As a punishment God didn't remove the powers from the Devil but decided to punish and humiliate him by stating that through His Holy Mother, which he failed to respect and praise, his head would be crushed and he would be defeated and anihilated.

Then came the battle related by Saint John (Apoc. 12) between St. Michael the Archangel and His Angels, and Lucifer and his angels.

Bowing to mankind

According to the Quran, when God created man, He wanted His angels and Lucifer to acknowledge man by bowing down to him, but Lucifer did not obey His mandate. Islam does not hold Lucifer to be a fallen angel because it maintains that Lucifer is one among many of Allah's creations, and that Iblis is made out of fire as are the Jinn. These Jinns are divided into two groups, one being that which follows the Islamic teachings, the other which follows Lucifer.

We created you and then formed you and then We said to the Angels, "Prostrate before Adam" and they prostrated except for Iblis. He was not among those who prostrated. God said, "What prevented you from prostrating when I commanded you?" He (iblis) replied, "I am better than him. You created me from fire and You created him from clay". God said, "Descend from heaven. It is not for you to be arrogant in it. So get out! You are one of the abased."

Surah 7 (al-A`raf), 11-13

A later mention of this idea can be found in "Vita Adae et Evae", an apocryphal text which most scholars agree was written somewhere near the end of the 10th century AD.

XIII: The devil replied, 'Adam, what dost thou tell me? It is for thy sake that I have been hurled from that place. When thou wast formed, I was hurled out of the presence of God and banished from the company of the angels. When God blew into thee the breath of life and thy face and likeness was made in the image of God, Michael also brought thee and made (us) worship thee in the sight of God; and God the Lord spake: Here is Adam. I have made thee in our image and likeness.'

XIV: And Michael went out and called all the angels saying: 'Worship the image of God as the Lord God hath commanded.' And Michael himself worshipped first; then he called me and said: 'Worship the image of God the Lord.' And I answered, 'I have no (need) to worship Adam.' And since Michael kept urging me to worship, I said to him, 'Why dost thou urge me? I will not worship an inferior and younger being. I am his senior in the Creation, before he was made was I already made. It is his duty to worship me.'

XV: When the angels who were under me heard this, they refused to worship him. And Michael saith, 'Worship the image of God, but if thou wilt not worship him, the Lord God will be wroth with thee.' And I said, 'If He be wroth with me, I will set my seat above the stars of heaven and will be like the Highest.'

Anon. Vita Adae et Evae, 13–15.
Obedience to God

There is a Sufi version of the story that states that Lucifer was the angel who loved God the most. At the time of the angels' creation, God told them to bow to no one but Him.

However, God created mankind, whom he considered superior to the angels, and commanded the angels to bow before the new figure. Lucifer refused, partly because he could not forget the first commandment, but also because he would bow to his beloved God only. The other angels saw Lucifer as insubordinate, and expelled him from Heaven.

Those who believe in this version do not consider Lucifer or the fallen angels to be demons, since they did not rebel against God by refusing his mandate, but rather believed that creatures should bow before only God, and no one else.

Some people believe that the Seraphim (Lucifer, Belial, Leviathan and Satan) were the only Fallen Angels, and those who believed and joined their cause became the first demons.

Fallen angels by rank

Some of the fallen were supposedly members of more than one rank, but this list will only list the primary rank, or the rank that is most well-known, of each apostate angel. For more information, see the articles of the various entities.

First Sphere
Seraphim Cherubim Thrones

* Lucifer/Satan
* Leviathan
* Belial



* Azazel
* Beelzebub
* Berith
* Lauviah
* Gadriel
* Marou
* Salikotal



* Focalor
* Forneus
* Gressil
* Mammon
* Murmur
* Nelchael
* Phenex
* Purson
* Raum
* Sonneillon
* Sytri
* Verrine

Second Sphere
Dominions Virtues Powers

* Balam
* Marchosias
* Nilaihah
* Oeillet
* Paimon
* Rosier



* Agares
* Ariel
* Barbatos
* Belial
* Ielaliah
* Purson
* Sealiah
* Senciner
* Uzziel



* Amy
* Beleth
* Carnivean
* Carreau
* Crocell
* Gaap
* Lehahiah
* Uvall

Third Sphere
Principalities Archangels Angels

* Belphegor
* Imamiah
* Ian[┼]
* Nisroch
* Nithael
* Verrier



* Adramelech
* Ananael
* Basasael
* Dagon
* Mephistopheles
* Moloch
* Rimmon
* Rumjal
* Sarfael
* Thammuz
* Zagiel



* Arakiba
* Arakiel
* Araxiel
* Arioch
* Armans
* Asael
* Asbeel
* Astoreth
* Caim
* Iuvart

Others

* Abigor
* Adirael
* Aldebaran
* Amazarak
* Anane[┼]
* Antares
* Armers/Armaros[†]
* Asbeel
* Atarculphegh
* Asael/Azazel
* Azaradel
* Akibeel/Azibeel[†]
* Azkeel
* Azza
* Badariel
* Baraqel
* Batarel
* Batraal/Batarjal[†]
* Busasejal
* Chobaliel
* Danel/Daniel[†]
* Ertael/Ertrael[†]
* Exael
* Ezequeel
* Fomalhaut
* Gadreel/Gadriel
* Gurson
* Hakael
* Hananel
* Haures
* Hosampsich
* Iomuel
* Jeqon
* Jetrel
* Jove
* Kasdaye
* Kasbeel
* Kathazel
* Kokabel
* Meresin
* Mulciber
* Naamah
* Nithael
* Omiel
* Orus
* Penemue
* Ramuel[†]
* Regent
* Regulus
* Rugziel
* Rumjal
* Samathael
* Sameveel
* Samsaveel[†]
* Saraknyal[†]
* Sariel
* Seriel
* Shaftiel
* Simapesiel
* Tabaet
* Tamiel
* Temeluchus
* Thausael
* Tiril
* Tumael
* Turael[†]
* Urakabarameel[†]
* Uzza
* Xaphan
* Yomyael[†]
* Zavebe[†]

[†] the Book of Enoch, which lists a large number of "the fallen".

Devil’s Bridge is a term applied to two or three dozen ancient bridges, found primarily in Europe. Most of these bridges are stone or masonry arch bridges and represent a significant technological achievement. Local lore often wrongly attributes these bridges to the Roman era, but in fact many of them are medieval, having been built between 1000 and 1600 AD.

The bridges that fall into the Devil’s Bridge category are so numerous that the legends about them form a special category in the Aarne-Thompson classification system for folktales (Number 1191). Some of the legends have elements of related folktale categories, for example Deceiving the Devil (AT #1196), The Devil's Contract (AT #756B), and The Master Builder legends.
Teufelsbrücke of St. Gotthard Pass, Switzerland.
Teufelsbrücke of St. Gotthard Pass, Switzerland.

One version of the tale presents the bridge builder and the Devil as adversaries. This reflects the fact that in many cases—such as the Teufelsbrücke[1] at the St. Gotthard Pass, pictured left—these bridges were built under such challenging conditions that successful completion of the bridge required a heroic effort on the part of the builders and the community, ensuring its legendary status.

Other versions of the legend feature an old lady or a simple herder who makes a pact with the Devil. In this version the devil agrees to build the bridge, and in return he will receive the first soul to cross it. After building the bridge (often overnight) the devil is outwitted by his adversary and is last seen descending into the water, bringing peace to the community. Each of the bridges that have received the Devil's Bridge appellation is remarkable in some regard; most often for the technological hurdles surpassed in building the bridge, but on occasion also for its aesthetic grace, or for its economic or strategic importance to the community it serves.


Partial list of Devil's Bridges

France

* Pont du Diable - Aniane (Gorges de l'Herault, Languedoc-Roussillon)
* Pont du Diable - Villemagne-l'Argentière (Herault, Languedoc-Roussillon)
* Pont du Diable - Beaugency
* Pont du Diable - Céret
* Pont du Diable - Foix
* Pont du Diable - Olargues
* Pont du Diable - Valentré

Italy

* Ponte del Diavolo - Ascoli Piceno, Marche
* Ponte del Diavolo - Blera, Lazio
* Ponte del Diavolo (officially Ponte Vecchio, also Ponte Gobbo) - Bobbio, Emilia Romagna
* Ponte del Diavolo (or Ponte della Maddalena) - Borgo a Mozzano, Tuscany
* Ponte del Diavolo - Cavallara (a frazione of Gualdo Cattaneo, Umbria)
* Ponte del Diavolo - Cividale, Friuli
* Ponte del Diavolo - Dronero, Province of Cuneo, Piedmont
* Ponte del Diavolo - Lanzo Torinese, Piedmont
* Ponticello del Diavolo (‘the Devil’s little bridge’) - Torcello, Veneto

United Kingdom

* Devil's Bridge - Devil's Bridge (Pontarfynach), Ceredigion
* Devil's Bridge - Kirkby Lonsdale, Cumbria
* Devil's Bridge - Horace Farm, Pennington Parish, Cumbria

Other countries

* Ponte do Diabo - Vila Nova, Portugal
* Ponte do Diabo - Misarela, Portugal
* Puente del Diablo - Martorell, Spain
* Teufelsbrücke - St. Gotthard Pass, Switzerland
* Tüfelsbrugg - Commune of Egg, Switzerland, Switzerland
* Dyavolski most (Дяволски мост) - near Ardino, Bulgaria
* Hudičev most - Bohinj, Slovenia
* Duivelsbrug - Breda, Netherlands
* Moara Dracului - Câmpulung Moldovenesc, Romania

Comfort
Arch Angel Azrael


I am with you in your time of need helping your heart heal

Additional Message:
Even the strongest person experiences upsetting situations and there's no shame in taking time to heal
your heart. This is a good time for quiet reflections upon your true feelings. Write them down and then call upom me to bring comfort to your heart and mind. I can help you sleep better at night and put your mind at ease.

working with this Angel:

Azrael's aura is a beautiful shade of vanilla creme. a very pale yellow tone he surrounds greiving and dying persons with the loving light ti bring them comfort...When Azrael is around tou may see an eggshelled colored twinkling light in the room. The crystal creamy yellow low calcite is calibrated to Azrael's energy so holding or wearing this crystal may lend additional comfort.

A man named Anton S. LaVey introduced Satan worship into the United States culture in 1966. He first started a group called the Magic Circle in San Francisco, California where people participated in eating human body parts. This shocking ideology grew in popularity leading Mr. LaVey to start the Church of Satan that boasted over 10,000 members at one time. Satanism is recognized as a legitimate religion by the government protected by the U.S. Constitution. Crimes arising from the practice of this religion have caused lawmakers in 24 States to write a special bill of rights for survivors of this religion. Satan worship entails nudity, perverted sexual acts, homosexuality, and torture of animals and humans.

Teens are known to develop their own ideological rituals in a form of Satan worship called Ad hoc groups. These teens prey upon other teens that battle low self-esteem, having no friends. The initial signs of a teen’s involvement in Satan worship include a drastic drop of grades, unusual angry outbursts, dying hair color to black, wearing bangs over the left eye, moodiness, severe depression, bazaar drawings in journals, and obsessions with death.

Satan Worship – The Proof
Satan worship involves ritual practices as part of their ceremonial precepts. The ideology of Satanists is to do everything that is opposite the concepts of the Christian God. God is pure in truth where the goals of Satan worship deal with all that is considered bad and perverted. Indulging in what makes them feel good is a must no matter what the consequences are to someone else. If society considers something good, to them it is bad. It is better to do bad things to other people. These practices lead to ritual abuses in children and adults with detrimental outcomes. Injuries from these practices overrun emergency rooms during satanic holidays. Legal court documents prove that successful prosecution of these perpetrators gives a sense of justification for what was done to the victims.

Satan Worship - Symptoms That Are Found and Defined In Ritual Abuse
Ritual abuse may be defined as abuse, which occurs frequently in a systematic manner. The most severe abuses are rape, sexual assault and torture, human/animal sacrifices or being buried alive in graves. Symptoms arise in the victims of ritualistic abuse. Children will act out what has been done to them by harming animals or other children in the same way. They will perform sexual acts and self-mutilation scarring. It is not uncommon to see the victim rock back and forth chanting or banging their heads. The children may be troubled with night terrors and have trouble staying awake during the day after late night rituals. Parents can identify the days of sleepiness in children around the same time as Christian holidays and solstices, because satanic rituals are conducted at these times. One or two of these symptoms does not necessarily warrant a child as being ritually abused, but a number of these symptoms coupled with other signs should be heeded by seeking professional help for treatment.

Satan Worship - What Can We Do To Help?
There is hope and healing for the survivors of ritualistic satanic abuse. Don’t be discouraged when people disbelieve your story as you start to tell someone. Seek Christian counseling for treatment. Ask God to send you to the ones who will lovingly help you out of the darkness. Parents and childless couples can become more involved with the children and teens in their neighborhood. Befriending the loners and creating an environment in which they feel comfortable with no judgment is conducive for growth in the self-worth that God sees in them. The slightest amount of good attention will make a difference in that child’s well being and eternity. This type of attentiveness from compassionate people will give the teens the power they need to avoid activities presented by Satan worship.

Caring adults can start after school programs in their homes or churches for both elementary and high school students. We can pray for the worshippers of Satan to find salvation. It does happen as a true miracle of God’s forgiveness. Be alert to illegal drug activity that takes place and turn it in to police. Satan worshippers use drugs to enhance their religious ceremonies. Parents can keep track of their children’s friends and their activities. Research the subject for more knowledge.

The Bible says, “Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God (Ephesians 6:13-17).

Exorcism (from Late Latin exorcismus, from Greek exorkizein - to adjure) is the practice of evicting demons or other evil spiritual entities from a person or place which they are believed to have possessed (taken control of). The practice is quite ancient and part of the belief system of many religions.

The person performing the exorcism, known as an exorcist, is often a member of the clergy, or an individual thought to be graced with special powers or skills. The exorcist may use prayers, and religious material, such as set formulas, gestures, symbols, icons, amulets, etc.. The exorcist invokes God, Jesus and/or several different angels and archangels to intervene with the exorcism.

In general, possessed persons are not regarded as evil in themselves, nor wholly responsible for their actions. Therefore practitioners regard exorcism more as a cure than as a punishment. The mainstream rituals usually take this into account, making sure that there is no violence to the possessed, only that they be tied down if there is potential for violence


The concept of possession by evil spirits and the practice of exorcism are very ancient and were widespread, and may have originated in prehistoric Shamanistic beliefs.

The Christian New Testament includes exorcism among the miracles performed by Jesus. Because of this precedent, demonic possession was part of the belief system of Christianity since its beginning, and exorcism is still a recognized practice of Catholicism, Eastern Orthodox and some Protestant sects. The Church of England also has an official exorcist in each diocese.
After the enlightenment, the practice of exorcism has diminished in its importance to most religious groups and its use has decreased, especially in western society. Generally, in the 20th century its use was found mainly in Eastern Europe and Africa, with some cases gaining media coverage; Anneliese Michel is perhaps the most recent of these. This is due mainly to the study of psychology and the functioning and structure of the human mind. Many of the cases that in the past which were candidates for exorcism are often explained to be the products of mental illness, and are handled as such.

However in 1973 the movie The Exorcist came out, and the idea of Exorcisms became thrust into the limelight. After its release a very large response came from the public in the United States and Europe, and belief in Demon Possession and Exorcisms found a place in contemporary society. Belief in the validity of the practice became less of a radical idea, and more widespread.

Roman Catholicism


The belief in Roman Catholicism is that unlike Baptism or Confession, Exorcism is one ritual that isn't a sacrament. Unlike a sacrament, exorcism's "integrity and efficacy do not depend ... on the rigid use of an unchanging formula or on the ordered sequence of prescribed actions. Its efficacy depends on two elements: authorization from valid and licit Church authorities, and the faith of the exorcist."That being said, Catholic Exorcism is still one of the most rigid and organized of all existing exorcism rituals. Solemn exorcisms, according to the Canon law of the church, can be exercised only by an ordained priest (or higher prelate), with the express permission of the local bishop, and only after a careful medical examination to exclude the possibility of mental illness. The Catholic Encyclopedia (1908) enjoined: "Superstition ought not to be confounded with religion, however much their history may be interwoven, nor magic, however white it may be, with a legitimate religious rite." Things listed in the Roman Ritual as being indicators of possible demonic possession include: speaking foreign or ancient languages of which the possessed has no prior knowledge; supernatural abilities and strength; knowledge of hidden or remote things which the possessed has no way of knowing, an aversion to anything holy, profuse blasphemy, or sacrilege.

The Catholic Church revised the Rite of Exorcism in January 1999, although the traditional Rite of Exorcism in Latin is allowed as an option. The act of exorcism is considered to be an incredibly dangerous spiritual task; the ritual assumes that possessed persons retain their free-will, though the demon may hold control over their physical body, and involves prayers, blessings, and invocations with the use of the document Of Exorcisms and Certain Supplications. Other formulas may have been used in the past, such as the Benedictine Vade retro satana. In the modern era, the Catholic Church authorizes exorcism rarely, approaching would-be cases with the presumption that mental or physical illness is in play. In mild cases the Chaplet of Saint Michael should be used.

Anglicanism

In 1974, the Church of England set up the "Deliverance Ministry". As part of its creation every diocese in the country was equipped a team trained in both exorcism and psychiatry. According to its representatives most cases brought before it have conventional explanations and actual exorcisms are quite rare, though sometimes blessings are given to people for psychological reasons.

In The Episcopal Church the Book of Occasional Services discusses provision for exorcism; but it does not indicate any specific rite, nor does it establish an office of "exorcist".Diocesan exorcists usually continue in their role when they have retired from all other church duties. Anglican priests may not perform an exorcism without permission from the Diocesan bishop. Is not usually performed unless the bishop and his team of specialists (including a psychiatrist and physician) have approved it.

Protestant denominations

Some Protestant denominations also recognize possession and exorcism, although the practice is generally less formalized than it is in the Catholic Church. The Methodist Church also has appointed people in place for use in such circumstances While some denominations perform exorcism very sparingly and cautiously, some may perform it almost routinely, as part of regular religious services (especially Pentecostal denominations).

Psychiatrist M. Scott Peck researched exorcisms (initially in an effort to disprove demonic possession), and claims to have conducted two himself. He concluded that the Christian concept of possession was a genuine phenomenon. He derived diagnostic criteria somewhat different from those used by the Roman Catholic Church. He also claimed to see differences in exorcism procedures and progression. After his experiences and in an attempt to get his research validated he has attempted to get the psychiatric community to add the definition of "Evil" to the DSMIV

Deliverance

In the less formalized sections of Protestant denominations the ritual can take many forms and belief structures, especially in Charismatic movement. The most common of these is the Deliverance ceremony. This differs from the exorcism ceremony by the fact that the Devil may have gotten a foothold, into a persons life rather than gaining complete control if complete control has been gained a full fledged exorcism is necessary. However a "spirit filled Christian" can not be possessed based on their beliefs. Within this belief structure the reasons for the devil to get a foothold are usually explained to be some sort of deviation from theological doctrine or because of pre-conversion activities (like dealing with the occult)

The method for determining if a person needs a Deliverance is done by having someone present who has the gift of Discernments of Spirits. This is a gift of the Holy Spirit from Cor. 1:12 that allows a person to "sense" in some way an evil presence While the initial diagnosis is usually uncontested by the congregation, when many people are endowed with this gift in a single congregation results may vary.

Fr. Gabriele Amorth references these people calling them "seers and Sensitives" and uses them on many occasions. they have the ability to detect an evil presence. He notes however that "They are not always right: their "feelings" must be checked out." In his examples they are able to detect the events that caused the Demon to enter, or are able to discover the evil object that has cursed the individual. He notes that "they are always Humble."

Exorcism in Christianity

Jesus

In Christianity, Exorcisms are performed using the "power of Christ" or "In the name of Jesus." This is founded in the belief that Jesus commanded his followers to expel evil spirits in his name(Matthew 10:1,Matthew 10:8; Mark 6:7; Luke 9:110:17),(Mark 16:17). According to the Catholic Encyclopedia article on Exorcism: Jesus cast out demons as a sign of his Messiahship and empowered his disciples to do the same

The Jewish Encyclopedia article on Jesus stated that Jesus "was devoted especially to casting out demons" and also believed that he passed this on to his followers, however he was superior to them in the Exorcisms."
In the time of Jesus, non-New Testament Jewish sources report of exorcisms done by administering drugs with poisonous root extracts or other by making sacrifices. (Josephus, "B. J." vii. 6, § 3; Sanh. 65b). They do not report of Jesus being an exorcist, but do mention that exorcisms were done by the Essene branch of Judaism (Dead Sea Scrolls at Qumran).



In kabbalah and European Jewish folklore (which does not believe in possession by demons), possession takes on a different (and often much more positive) context. A person may be possessed by a spirit called a dybbuk — which is believed to be the dislocated soul of a dead person, returned from Gehenna (a Hebrew term for the in between world or purgatory that all spirits go to before entering heaven. It literally refers to the valley outside Jeruselem where the city's garbage and dead bodies were burned. The word later came to mean "the valley of dead", and became very loosely translated as "hell" by later Christian researchers). According to those beliefs, on rare occasions a soul which has not been able to fulfill its function in its lifetime is given another opportunity to do so in the form of a dybbuk. The soul then seeks out and "attaches" itself to a living person who is going through things or in a similar "life position" to what the soul was in during its lifetime.

It is believed there are good dybbuks and bad, with a good dybbuk's "attachment" performing more the role of a "spiritual guide" there to help the person through their current trials and tribulations that the soul was attracted to. These "good" possessions are usually referred to as a 'sod ha'ibbur.

In the case of a negative dybbuk, the spirit is not there to help as much as cause the same mistakes and chaos that it originally experienced during its own lifetime.

In the case of exorcism, there are generally two types - though both take on a much less negative confrontational manner than in the Christian context.

Briefly, the first involves a non-invasive approach (which generally is applied to the non-negative type of attachment but can be used in both) and involves treating the person and attached entity as a whole. Helping "him" to identify his goal or path in life (his true identity and purpose) and guiding them along it. In the case of a positive attachment, the spirit will leave when the "path" or purpose is significantly engrained and pursued. In the case of a negative, the pursuant of the "path" keeps it in check and eventually causes it to lose its connection (sometimes referred to as the "void" in the host) thereby forcing it to move on.

The second approach is a little more confrontational, but still far less than those commonly seen in Christian rites. It involves 10 people (including the rabbi) who surround the possessed individual. Each person (including the rabbi leading the ritual) represents the 10 kabbalistic sephirot. The rabbi that leads the ceremony also requires a shofar, which is interestingly used in a manner similar to the bell in Buddhist and other east Asian meditative practices. The group repeatedly recites Psalm 91 and then the rabbi proceeds to blow the shofar in a specific pattern. This "shocks" both the possessed and the possessor, causing a loosening between the two enabling the addressing of each individually. The rabbi then enters in to dialogue with the spirit to find its purpose, and the group proceeds to heal it through dialogue and prayer meant to have it feel it has accomplished its goal. This is also done for the possessed. As Rabbi Gershon Winkler puts it: "We don't drive anything out of anybody. What we want to do is to heal the soul that's possessing and heal the person. It's all about healing -- we do the ceremony on behalf of both people."


Beliefs and practices pertaining to the practice of exorcism are prominently connected with the ancient Dravidians in south. Of the four Vedas (holy books of the Hindus), the Atharva Veda is said to contain the secrets related to magic and medicine. Many of the spells described in this book are for casting out demons and evil spirits. These beliefs are particularly strong and practiced in West Bengal, Orissa and southern states like Tamil Nadu and Kerala.

Basic means of exorcism are mantra and yajna used in both Vedic and Tantric traditions.

Vaishnava traditions also employ a recitation of names of Narasimha and reading scriptures (notably Bhagavata Purana) aloud. According to Gita Mahatmya of Padma Purana reading of 3rd, 7th and 8th chapter of Bhagavad Gita and mentally offering the result to departed persons helps them to get released from their ghostly situation. Kirtan, continuous playing of mantras, keeping scriptures and holy pictures (esp. of Narasimha) in the house, burning incense offered during a puja, sprinkling water of holy rivers and blowing conches used in puja are other effective practices.

Main Vedic resource on ghost- and death-related information is Garuda Purana.


Exorcism in Scientology

Scientology believes that foreign beings known as Body Thetans have clustered themselves around a person and cause them confusion. It is the goal of Scientology to remove these beings from a person.

On Scientology advanced level "OT3," "body thetans" are exorcised using a complicated technique. Body thetan exorcism, with a simpler technique, is revisited on advanced level "OT5," also known as "New Era Dianetics for Operating Thetans." after these levels (which are used to accomplish other goals as well, not just an "exorcism" for Body Thetans) you are supposed to be free from the BT's influence.

Exorcism in Islam

Possession by jinn or the Devil (Shaitan) and exorcism of those who are wicked at heart is warned about in Islam since its beginning.

It is believed that jinn can gain control only over those who do not hold true to God. According to Islamic scholars, "The Jinn enters the one seized by fits and causes him to speak incomprehensible words, unknown to himself; if the one seized by fits is struck a blow sufficient to kill a camel, he does not feel it." (ibn Taymiyyah, Majmoo al-Fatawa.)

Islamic clergy caution against the overuse of exorcism, citing that most cases are due to psychological and physical causes mistaken for possession. Real cases of possession are very rare and the faithful are warned to watch out for exorcists who encourage a diagnosis of possession too quickly, as they may merely be seeking profit.

Islamic authorities also deny the possibility of possession by souls of deceased persons, and warn that evil spirits may make this claim in order to encourage sinful behavior among the living.

Some cite this verse as proof against Muslims who deny the possibility of jinn possession.

There are also Sunnah (traditional statements that are not part of the Qur'an) about the Islamic prophet Muhammad and his followers expelling evil beings from the bodies of believers by using verses from the Qur'an and supplications to Allah.

On the nature of jinn

In Islamic belief, jinn are intelligent creatures. Much like human beings, they have free will to choose between right and wrong. While a jinni may possess a human for pure wickedness, it may also do it for other reasons. Shaikh al-Islam ibn Taymiyyah suggests that a jinni may do it in order to experience the physical world, for reasons of desire or love. In this case, a jinni may not have a malicious intent, or may be unaware of the harm it is causing. A jinni might also use possession for revenge. Jinn are said to be quick to anger, especially when they believe themselves to have been purposely harmed (since jinn are usually invisible to humans, a person can accidentally injure a jinni).


Notable exorcisms

Salvador Dali is reputed to have received an exorcism from Italian friar, Gabriele Maria Berardi, while he was in France in 1947.Dali created a sculpture of Christ on the cross which he gave the friar in thanks.

According to a New York Post article of 19 February 2002, John Paul II personally performed three exorcisms during his tenure as pope. The first exorcism was performed on a woman in 1982. His second was in September 2000 when he performed the rite on a 19-year-old woman who had become enraged in St Peter's Square. A year later, in September 2001, he performed an exorcism on a 20-year-old woman.

Anneliese Michel was a Catholic woman from Germany who was said to be possessed by six or more demons and subsequently underwent an exorcism in 1975. Two motion pictures, The Exorcism of Emily Rose and Requiem are loosely based on Anneliese's story.

A boy identified by the pseudonym "Roland Doe" was the subject of an exorcism in 1949, which became the subject of The Exorcist, a horror novel and later film written by William Peter Blatty. Blatty heard about the case while he was a student in the class of 1950 at Georgetown University. The exorcism was partially performed in both Cottage City, Maryland and Bel-Nor, Missouri by Father William S. Bowdern, S.J. and a then Jesuit scholastic Fr. Walter Halloran, S.J.

If you've seen the 1973 movie "The Exorcist," you at least have some idea of what exorcism is about. It has to do with ridding a human being of diabolic possession, it's typically associated with Roman Catholic beliefs, and if the movie is any indication, it's very, very scary. You may remember with a shudder the teenage girl whose head spun around, her body in convulsions, her voice that of a demon spewing curses and obscenities while the battered priest of "The Exorcist" fought the devil to save her soul.

This Hollywood version of an exorcism is supposedly based on a real-life exorcism performed on a Maryland boy in 1949. Priests are still performing exorcisms today.

Is exorcism real, or are the subject and the exorcist unconsciously acting out roles from a popular movie? Are there other explanations for what some people call "possession"? In this article, we'll focus on the Roman Catholic exorcism rite because of its tremendous presence in popular culture thanks to "The Exorcist" and its successors. We'll learn why a priest might perform an exorcism, find out what the ritual involves, take a look at a real-life exorcism and discuss the controversy surrounding the practice.

What is Exorcism?
The Catholic Encyclopedia defines exorcism as "the act of driving out, or warding off, demons, or evil spirits, from persons, places, or things, which are believed to be possessed or infested by them, or are liable to become victims or instruments of their malice." In short, it is a ritual performed by a Catholic priest to expel the devil from a person, place or thing.

There are several types of exorcism in the Roman Catholic Church:

* Baptismal exorcism - blessing an infant prior to baptism to cleanse it of evil resulting from original sin
* Simple exorcism - blessing a place or thing to rid it of evil influence
* Real exorcism - performing the Rite of Exorcism to rid a human being of diabolical possession

A "real exorcism" is what most of us think of when we think of exorcism. In this case, the priest-exorcist is dealing with a human being who is possessed by the devil -- the devil is inhabiting this person's body.

According to the Church, telltale signs of demonic possession include [ref]:

* Speaking or understanding languages which the person has never learned (different from "speaking in tongues," which is considered a sign of religious ecstasy, not possession)
* Knowing (and revealing) things the person has no earthly way of knowing
* Physical strength beyond the person's natural physical makeup
* A violent aversion to God, the Virgin Mary, the cross and other images of Catholic faith

If you do a Google search for the word "exorcism," you'll find ads for exorcists -- Wanda Pratnicka, for example, has "30 years experience with 25,000 successfully performed exorcisms." This makes demonic possession seem like a pretty common occurrence. But to the Roman Catholic Church, it's rare: It only finds true demonic possession in about one out of every 5,000 reported cases [ref]. So what does it take for the Church to send in an exorcist?

Exorcism in Other Religions
Exorcism is not unique to Roman Catholicism. Other Christian sects, other religions and cultures around the world all have their own way of "casting out the devil." Here are just a few examples:

* Judaism: Jewish folklore and Kabbalah teachings tell of a malevolent spirit called a dybbuk. This spirit is the soul of a dead person that has come back to address unfinished business, and it inhabits the body of a living person in order to carry out its goals. The dybbuk can be expelled through a rite of exorcism and leaves the body through the toe.

* Islam: Islamic belief tells of a jinn -- an evil spirit and servant of Satan -- that can invade the human body and cause illness, pain, torment and evil thoughts. This jinn can be expelled by the possessed person by reciting particular passages of the Qur'an.

* Hinduism: In Hinduism, the Vedas scriptures tell of an evil spirit that can not only harm humans, but can also stand in the way of the will of the gods. A traditional Hindu exorcism includes such rituals as burning pig excrement, reciting prayers and offering sweets to the Gods.

The Investigation: Possessed?
At the Highest Levels
In "My Six Popes," Cardinal Jacques Martin reports that Pope John Paul II performed an exorcism on a woman in 1982. There are also reports that Mother Teresa underwent an exorcism shortly before her death in 1997 because the Archbishop of Calcutta believed she was being assaulted by the devil.
When someone reports a possible case of possession to the Church, an investigation begins. Father Benedict Groeschel, a Franciscan priest who holds a Ph.D. in psychology from Columbia University, was the man the Archdiocese of New York called on to investigate cases of apparent possession that landed on its desk in the '70s and '80s. In "American Exorcism," he describes his experience this way (Cuneo 22):

... when cases were referred to me I usually sought the help of a laywoman in the archdiocese who possessed a gift for discerning spirits. In her view, and also mine, none of the people I brought to her were victims of possession; none of them, in other words, were in need of formal exorcism. But that doesn't mean they weren't being afflicted or oppressed in various ways by demonic presences. Demonic oppression is much less serious than full-scale possession, and it can usually be dealt with by what we refer to as a simple prayer of deliverance.

A typical investigation is essentially a process of elimination: Does the subject exhibit the telltale signs of demonic possession? Is there any other way to explain the subject's behavior besides demonic possession?

Often, the priest will consult a psychiatrist in his investigation in order to determine whether the "possessed" person's symptoms can be fully explained by mental illness. According to Michael Cuneo's "American Exorcism," there are about a dozen psychiatrists in the United States who evaluate potentially possessed subjects for the Catholic Church. The subject will also undergo a medical examination to find out if the symptoms can be attributed to a physical disorder or illness. The priest may consult a Church-approved expert on the paranormal for additional input. Another possibility the investigator must consider is plain old fraud.

If the priest is convinced of the validity of the possession and that an exorcism is the appropriate way to help this person, he will report back to his supervisor (in most cases, the diocesan bishop) that an exorcism is in order. The Church may then decide to sanction an official exorcism and appoint an exorcist to the case.

Long History
Possession and exorcism date back to ancient times, possibly beginning with early shamanistic beliefs in which spirits of the dead could do harm to the living. Shamans would enter a trance state to find the troublemaking soul and discover from it the way to end the victim's pain. In ancient Egyptian and Babylonian cultures, illnesses and other afflictions were regularly attributed to evil spirits that invaded the human body, and priest-healers carried out intricate ceremonies to cause the evil spirits to leave.

he Exorcist
Exorcism in the Movies

* The Exorcist (1973)
* The Amityville Horror (1979)
* Poltergeist (1982)
* Repossessed (1990)
* Stigmata (1999)
* Lost Souls (2000)
* The Exorcist: The Beginning (2004)
* The Amityville Horror (2005)
* The Exorcism of Emily Rose (2005)

If the Church decides it has a truly possessed individual on its hands -- one that requires an exorcism -- the next step is to appoint an exorcist to the case. This is often the same priest who performed the investigation, but not always.

Casting out the devil is not part of a typical priest's daily duties. Most priests have never performed an exorcism. But some have.

Official numbers are hard to come by, but "American Exorcism" reports that in 1996, the Catholic Church appointed 10 priests to the position of exorcist in the United States, bringing the total number to 11. Cuneo estimates the worldwide number at somewhere between 150 and 300, while other reports claim there are 300 to 400 official exorcists in Italy alone [ref]. There are also priests who are not official exorcists but claim to have permission from their local bishop to perform exorcisms at their discretion. The exorcism ritual has made a big comeback from being nearly extinct throughout most of the 20th century.

Traditionally, Catholic exorcists undergo very little specific training to aid them in their job. While they learn a great deal about the devil and the risks and manifestations of evil, exorcism itself is not a specialized area of study in seminary school. What they know, they know from their experience in the role of priest and from the Roman Catholic rite of exorcism, which is the official document detailing the prayers and steps of an exorcism. Things are starting to change, though. Official exorcists of the Catholic Church formed their own organization in 1992. The International Association of Exorcists holds biannual meetings in Rome and sends out a quarterly newsletter to its members. In the newsletter, exorcists tell of particularly difficult or interesting cases and swap "tricks of the trade" (Cuneo, 266). In addition, in 2005, Rome's Regina Apostolorum Pontifical Academy (a university connected to the Vatican) started offering a class on exorcism.

Once the Church appoints one of its official exorcists to perform the ritual, the next step is to get the devil to leave the person's body.

The Exorcism
I Believe!
A 2005 Gallup poll reports that 42 percent of people in the United States believe in the possibility of diabolical possession [ref].
In January 1999, the Vatican issued a revised exorcism rite to be used by Catholic priests. The directions for conducting an exorcism comprise a single section in the Roman Ritual (Rituale Romanum), one of the books describing the official rites of the Roman Catholic Church. Prior to 1999, the official exorcism rite dated back to 1614.

To perform the rite, the exorcist dresses in his surplice and purple stole. The ritual of exorcism is mostly a series of prayers, statements and appeals. These prayers are loosely broken down into the "imploring formula," in which the priest asks God to free the subject from the devil ("God, whose nature is ever merciful and forgiving, accept our prayer that this servant of yours, bound by the fetters of sin, may be pardoned by your loving kindness"), and the "imperative formula," in which the priest demands in the name of God that the devil leave the subject's body ("Depart, then, impious one, depart, accursed one, depart with all your deceits, for God has willed that man should be His temple"). To read the entire 1999 revised rite, see Catholic Doors Ministry: 1999 Rite of Exorcism.

n addition to these recitations, the priest takes certain actions at particular times during the rite: He sprinkles holy water on everyone in the room, lays his hands on the subject, makes the sign of the cross both on himself and on the subject and touches the subject with a Catholic relic (usually an object associated with a saint).

Malachi Martin, a former Jesuit priest and self-proclaimed (but not official) exorcist, offers additional information on exorcism -- information not endorsed by the Church. A controversial figure in the Catholic world, Martin reveals in the book "Hostage to the Devil" what he considers to be the typical stages of an exorcism (Cuneo 19-20):

1. Pretense - The demon is hiding its true identity.
2. Breakpoint - The demon reveals itself.
3. Clash - The exorcist and the demon fight for the soul of the possessed.
4. Expulsion - If the exorcist wins the battle, the demon leaves the body of the possessed.

"Hostage to the Devil" created quite a stir in the Church. The book details supposedly factual exorcisms that Martin claims to have performed, assisted with or witnessed. The exorcisms Martin describes are on the level with "The Exorcism" in terms of action and violence. It has been criticized by believers, who think Martin has sensationalized and therefore belittled the power of the devil. But if Martin's vivid scenes don't ring true to the Church and its supporters, what does a real exorcism look like?

A Real-life Exorcism
Free Will
According to Cardinal Medina, "[Possession] has sensational features, in which the devil in a certain way takes over the physical powers of the possessed person. However, the devil cannot control the subject's free will and thus cannot cause him to sin. Still, the physical violence the devil exerts over the [possessed] person is an inducement to sin and this is what he seeks" [ref].
In researching "American Exorcism: Expelling Demons in the Land of Plenty," Michael Cuneo, a sociology professor at Fordham University, attends all sorts of exorcisms. One official, Church-sanctioned exorcism that Cuneo sat in on involved a man he calls Warren (the possessed) and a priest-exorcist he calls Father Peter. Warren's life is painful to him -- he is a heavy drinker, regularly has sex with people he has just met and is generally depressed. He has recently begun to hear voices, see things and feel an "unbearable pressure" on his body at night. In short, Warren is tormented. His local pastor contacted Father Peter's supervisor, and with the agreement of a psychiatrist, they arranged an exorcism. The following details of a real-life, official exorcism are taken from "American Exorcism" (243-245). While Cuneo does not provide a date, this exorcism most likely took place before the 1999 revisions to the rite.

In the basement of an unremarkable building in the Midwest, Father Peter, in his surplice and purple stole, stands directly in front of Warren, who sits in a chair with his head bowed and his fists clenched. Cuneo sits off to the side. Father Peter begins the ritual:

"All-powerful God, pardon all the sins of your unworthy servant. Give me constant faith and power so that, armed with the power of Your holy strength, I can attack this cruel evil spirit in confidence and security..."

While speaking these initial words, the priest sprinkles Warren, Michael Cuneo and himself with holy water.

Father Peter moves closer to Warren, makes the sign of the cross and lays his palm on Warren's forehead. Warren sits perfectly still while Father Peter recites the prayers of the exorcism ritual. Father Peter appeals to Christ, the Virgin Mary and the saints to aid him in his endeavor to save Warren's soul. Warren remains silent.

"I exorcise you, Most Unclean Spirit! All Spirits! Every one of you! In the name of Our Lord Jesus Christ: Be uprooted and expelled from this Creature of God..."

Father Peter makes the sign of the cross on Warren's forehead, presses a relic against his chest and ultimately finishes the exorcism with:

"Go away, Seducer! The desert is your home. The serpent is your dwelling. Be humiliated and cast down. For even though you have deceived men, you cannot make a mockery of God ... He has prepared Hell for you and your angels."

Father Peter then leads Warren in a few closing prayers and additional readings. He asks Warren how he feels. Cuneo relays Warren's answer: "Peaceful, Warren said, but also a bit confused. He thought he'd felt something leaving him during the exorcism, but he wasn't sure."

It's not exactly "The Exorcist," but then, that's a pretty tough act to follow. Was Warren possessed? Did Father Peter get the devil to leave Warren's body? There are those who believe, and there are those who don't. But no one got hurt, and it may just be that Warren is better off having undergone the exorcism. So some might wonder, what's the problem?
The Controversy
Before Blaming
the Devil
Sources report that the motto of Father Pater Davide, official exorcist of the Vatican, is "seek fault in yourself" [ref].
The battle surrounding exorcisms exists mainly on two related fronts: the huge "exorcism for profit" ministries that have sprung up in the last couple of decades; and the "psychology vs. religion" debate that sprang up with the advent of psychiatry in the 1800s.

Exorcism for Profit
As soon as money enters the picture, the skeptics are going to win some ground. The rise of money-making "exorcism ministries" around the world leads many people who might otherwise reserve judgment to outright reject the validity of the Catholic view of possession and exorcism, even though the exorcisms performed by these unofficial exorcists are not in any way connected to the Catholic Church.

A particularly popular exorcism ministry in the United States, Bob Larson Ministries, televises its weekly conferences. In these mass exorcisms, for which large groups can receive a "family rate" on tickets, Mr. Larson exorcises the demons of an auditorium full of people. Financial donations on top of the ticket price are not required for his services, but they are welcome.

There are always people who will point to profit as evidence of an ulterior motive, especially when you mix profit with the paranormal.

Psychology vs. Religion
Where one person sees possession and pulls out his rite of exorcism, another sees mental illness and pulls out the DSM IV. This is probably the greatest debate surrounding the practice of exorcism: there may be earthly explanations for behavior the Church considers evidence of diabolical possession.

Several psychological disorders, including Tourette syndrome and schizophrenia, can produce the types of effects seen in "possessed" people. People with epilepsy can suddenly go into convulsions when having a seizure; Tourette syndrome causes involuntary movements and vocal outbursts; schizophrenia involves auditory and visual hallucinations, paranoia, delusions and sometimes violent behavior. Psychological issues like low self-esteem and narcissism can cause a person to act out the role of "possessed person" in order to gain attention. In a case where the subject is in fact suffering from mental illness, the Church is doing harm by labeling the person possessed if this prevents the person from seeking out the medical treatment he or she requires.

Cardinal Jorge Arturo Medina Estevez, introducing the New Rite for Exorcisms to the press in 1999, responds to the conflict this way [ref]:

... exorcism is one thing, and psychoanalysis is another. If the exorcist has any doubt about the mental health of the possessed, he should consult an expert ... It often happens that simple people confuse somatic problems with diabolical influence, but not everything can be attributed to the devil.

The ultimate question remains, "Does exorcism help people or harm people?" It is difficult to come by documentation of any outcomes of official Roman Catholic exorcisms, harmful or beneficial. This is by design: According to the official rite, exorcisms are supposed to be low-key -- not necessarily secret, but not performed in public or in front of press representatives -- so that the ritual does not become a "show." Results are not to be published, whether the exorcism is a success or a failure.

There is considerable documentation, however, of the harmful outcomes of exorcisms performed outside the Catholic Church. One widely reported incident took place in June 2005 in Tanacu, Romania. A priest and several nuns in a Romanian Orthodox convent believed that Maricia Irina Cornici, a 23-year-old nun who lived in the convent, was possessed. So they carried out an exorcism ritual: They tied her to a cross, pushed a towel into her mouth and left her alone without food and water. The intent was to drive out the demon inhabiting her body. Cornici died after three days. Officials believe the young woman had schizophrenia.