I think this would be an interesting discussion for magicians to discuss what they believe the nature of demons is. I think that this would be related to how we work with the so-called infernal spirits.

In Demonolatry(as practiced by the late First Temple of Demonolatry, discussed on the former site Tezrian's Vault, the book Modern Demonolatry, etc.), there is a difference between evoking a demon and invoking a demon. We believe that the so-called demons of today(related to the Judeo-Christian systems) were actually gods and goddesses of pre-Christian religions. The goddess Astarte is now Ashtaroth. The demon Belial is related to Baal, etc. We therefore do not evoke the demons. To evoke is usually to summon or call without, usually into a triangle or mirror or other method. To invoke is to call within the circle, sometimes within oneself. By using set invocations in the Daemonic Language, we can invoke the demons for various purposes, experiencing their energies. There is no need to evoke them, and we see this as a disrespectful way to treat gods.

Now, many wonder, if you shouldn't evoke demons, then when a mage successfully evokes Vassago or another demon from the Goetia, who is it that they call? Many Demonolators believe that these are actually god-forms that have gained power throughout the years that the Goetia has been in use. This is a perfectly fine thing to think, as many magicians know that god-forms are powerful(the Necronomicon comes to mind). Also, some believe that the Christian God is a god-form that has power, though that's subject to debate. Some Demonolators also believe that the demons ARE actually answering, b/c they've gotten used to this method of contact, though it isn't what they desire. However, it usually is the case that the Lucifer Demonolators experience is different from the Lucifer that various mages summon. Therefore, it seems as if we are truly working with different demons.

Anyone else have thoughts on this? What is the nature of the Demons?