Capturing An Entity, How would one trap an entity in an object Options

Lets say there is an entity that haunts a house,and you want to trap it into a object like a crystal,prepared vessel for the purpose,or any other object.How would one proceed? And does anyone have direct experiences with attempts to trap an entity in an object.

That's interesting. I tend to take a one-size-fits-all approach, which might be due to my skepticism: I'm not sure if it is psychological or not, and if it is, something with the grandeur of a "Goetiac" ritual would probably (so I reasoned) work. If it is not purely mental, I also assumed that all magic and magical systems flow from a common source, and are only different ways of manipulating this source.

That's interesting. I tend to take a one-size-fits-all approach, which might be due to my skepticism: I'm not sure if it is psychological or not, and if it is, something with the grandeur of a "Goetiac" ritual would probably (so I reasoned) work. If it is not purely mental, I also assumed that all magic and magical systems flow from a common source, and are only different ways of manipulating this source.

Well, even looking at the wording of the conjurations and curses themselves - they are built for the goetic system, and not for anything else; they include threatening the spirit using its name and seal, and in the book itself it even admonishes the practitioner to be protected by wearing the belt, lamen, mitre/cap, have a sword/stave handy, etc.

Without knowing the name and seal of the spirit - and it's all together possible that the seals of the goetic spirits are more appropriately seals they were bound to rather than anything with universal precedent - you don't fulfill the requirements set down in the conjurations themselves.

It is all together possible that with the right incantation and the appropriate leverage to call it into manifestation, this spirit could be bound in a vessel similarly constructed and under similar rules and effects - but there doesn't appear to be any information here that would identify the entity one way or another. One could try flashing a more universal symbol around the entity - I believe one of the seals or talismans of solomon's Lemegeton is supposed to 'make all spirits obey' but if I recall they are typically all spirits of a particular sphere rather than anything so universal as to guarantee that this spirit will respond at all, much less be forced to obey.

If the spirit is a disincarnate human, then there are necromantic approaches that would effectively bind the spirit. If it is natural, then there are natural venues by which it's service or at least it's capture or exorcism can be accomplished. If it is something more associated with local folklore, then there is also probably some folklore regarding the warding off or befriending of the spirit. If it is a demon then it is subject to certain rules, classically speaking, and one can bind it according to those rules, most chiefly being to sick its boss on it, who can be bullied either by one of the classical grimoires that applies to that king/duke/etc. (though this would require more information on the part of the spirit in question than our original poster may have at their disposal), or by the appropriate angel. That again, of course, assumes the poster has such magical resources to apply. If it is another person assaulting the place - either currently, or the leftovers from something in the past - then it's a matter of undoing what was done, which is only as complicated as the lack of information makes it, and besides that there are various methods by which an area can simply be warded or exorcised of such effects.

In my own experience, one size does not fit all, or perhaps more aptly: if one has only one size in which things can fit, then that size is probably limited whether the individual realizes it or not. It's only when we come up against some problem we cannot solve with the tools that we have that we either find new tools, or chalk up the failure to some kind of divine providence and move along. In the past, if I have not been able to solve a problem that needed magical intervention using one method of magic, I tried another rather than assuming I was executing the first method wrong, and this has happened many times. Different kinds of magic are just good, or at least better for, different areas of effect.

If magic is purely psychological and a matter of brain changes, then it is still a matter of engendering the correct changes for the associated situation. If magic is drawn from one source (I do not feel personally that the two are mutually exclusive) in some more concrete and truly 'supernatural' (I prefer supernormal really), then there is still a matter of using the right tool for the right job.

Witchcraft of the classic 'natural magic' sort tends to work best for me when used in situations where some element of 'chance' appears to be the key to solving the problem. Talismanic magic is appropriate for ongoing effects like warding a home, drawing clients to a business, protecting the person from some danger or sickness, etc. Spirits tend to carry out specific tasks and so engendering their aid often fits will with other magical approaches, or alone in the cases where that specific task (acquire this and such, assure that I get to this or that place, make it rain on sunday, etc). What I've come to call direct magic though I believe psionics to be essentially the same thing, is good for immediate primarily mind affecting purposes, or minor direction of elemental energies - shifting the energy of a room, enhancing or depressing one or another element in a healing session, programming the inner consciousness, etc. Sigils are often seen as a kind of catch all, but personally I have the best successes with internally directed sigil magic designed to make some specific alteration/enhancement to my own psyche. High magic is frequently of greatest use in situations like these, but that can be tricky as it relies heavily on the appropriate symbolism, the appropriate entities who have the right authority. Dealing with spirits classed as Angels and Demons can frequently be a lot like a political engagement, playing various authorities to get things done in different 'branches' of the created world.

This is why in my own estimation, information is paramount to success - the more you know, the more you can be sure what method to apply to maximum effectiveness. Information affords efficiency, and there are situations where once assaulted a spirit's presence can become a great deal more aggressive and even destructive, hindering further attempts.

peace