Greetings!

--- In solomonic@yahoogroups.com, Scarlet <lucyfyre@g...> wrote:

[...much awesome astrology information snipped...]

> It is at this point that I personally have difficulties with the
> 'actuality' of Goetic demons being independent of us. Howcome one
of the
> Major Kings of one translation turns up as an underling in
another? If
> Aaron's perspective that these Spirits are "objective" is correct,
then such
> a cross-over should not occur. Each time a demon is evoked he
should give
> the same ideas. But if these demons are of us, then they become
subjective
> to the Magician and will skip around in attribution etc. as the
Magician is
> the one creating the schema.

I don't personally see the contradiction. There are certainly
inconsistencies from one text to another- because the texts are
created by human beings attempting to describe their encounters with
spiritual realms and beings. The "spiritual realm" is not anything
like the physical. It changes and fluctuates as randomly as dreams,
and is entirely different for each individual that percieves it.

However, that doesn't make the place less "actual" or real. The
intelligences that live there aren't physical- so they don't reflect
light to your eyes, and they don't vibrate the air to make sound.
(Nor do they live in palaces and assign each other ranks from human
militaries.) Instead, they have to appear to us according to our
own assumptions, psychological filters, and the imagery we already
have in our minds. In that way, they are very subjective- skipping
around in attribution, etc.

But they are still ultimately objective to myself. The spirits and
Angels in the Solomonic texts all existed long before me, and they
will continue to exist long after I am gone.

To understand my take on all of this, you have to consider the study
of memetics and information theory. A "meme" is a packet of
information or ideas. Memes are living things- which are born, grow
and mutate, spawn new memes and sometimes even die. (Though ideas
are technically immortal, and they are damned hard to kill. They
will fight hard for survival.)

An ad-slogan is a meme. Christianity and Neopaganism are memes- or
actually large packets of memes. Mickey Mouse and Bugs Bunny are
memes. Your own personality (the software running on your brain) is
a complicated system of memes. And Haniel and Ashtaroth are also
packets of memes. *All* of these things fluctuate in attribution-
especially according to the perceptions of each individual that
encounters them. Yet all of them exist in their own objective
right, as well.

LVX
Aaron