Schisms

There exists a matter of rather grave curiosity which warrants deeper consideration. It concerns the widespread phenomenon wherein individuals call upon “well-known” entities, believing they are reaching the true and original presence, while in truth, they merely touch the echo, the schism, the hollowed-out simulacrum: the thoughtform variant. They do not engage the actual being, but instead the collective mask fashioned from centuries of projection, distortion, and misunderstanding.

Allow us to elaborate.

Across the ages, and especially in the modern era of easy access and rampant misinformation, many entities have suffered the fate of misrepresentation. Through endless repetition of flawed interpretations, misguided mythologies, and shallow appropriation, a kind of spiritual effigy is formed—a thoughtform. This schism-entity, birthed from belief and sustained through repetition, is fed not by its own essence but by the unknowing minds of those who revere, fear, or fantasize about it. Over time, this thoughtform accrues its own presence, its own reactive power, even its own spiritual "charge"—but make no mistake: it is not the authentic being. It is an echo—an aberrant offshoot—a thing crafted by consensus belief, not by truth.

This occurs with nearly every being whose name has gained enough traction to cross into mainstream magick and Occultism. And so, a split is formed—a schism. A divergence from essence into image. This "false" being is not fictional in the ordinary sense; it has been sustained through years, even centuries, of emotional investment, ritual entanglement and religious appropriation and misinterpretation. It is real in the sense that a mirage is real—it is there, it can be perceived, it can even affect the mind and spirit—but it is not the source. It is a St. Elmo’s Fire of the occult: luminous, reactive, and deceiving. It illuminates, but it is not lightning. It seems true, but it is not true. And so, the question of perception becomes central. To see clearly, one must first train the eye, else one risks worshiping shadows.

Tragically, many practitioners will pass through their entire spiritual journeys without ever realizing this disjunction. They will swear loyalty, offer sacrifices, dedicate years of work—not to the original being, but to its distorted reflection. And worse still, they will defend that reflection as if it were the original, not knowing the difference. This is not merely an error of ritual—it is an error of essence.

Among the most commonly fragmented are names like Lucifer, Samael, Lilith—and, in bitter irony, nearly all beings that populate Infernal and chthonic paradigms. These names have been so heavily laden with projection that their authentic natures are almost unrecoverable in the public mind. Lilith, in her primordial form, is not the lascivious demoness of feminist folklore; Samael is not a pitiful, third-tier devil; and Lucifer—true Lucifer—is not the emo caricature imagined by modern storytellers. Yet their schisms are all of these things, and they thrive because people believe them to be so.

Now the pressing question: can one work with these schisms? Yes. Without a doubt. They function, they respond, and they possess power. But you must ask yourself—do you wish to work with a creature sculpted by centuries of ignorance, mass fantasy, and tabloid mysticism? Or would you rather strip back the veil and reach for the authentic current—the true intelligence beneath the name? The former is easier, more accessible, more flattering to the ego. The latter is demanding, often unsettling, and far less forgiving of illusion.

One must proceed with utmost caution when engaging any well-known entity. Fame in the occult is not a virtue; it is often a curse. For with notoriety comes projection, and with projection comes the risk of entangling oneself not with the being as it is, but with the being as it is believed to be. You may, through the lens of your own ignorance, inexperience or wishful thinking, mistake the shadow for the source. And this is not merely a metaphysical concern—it is a spiritual misstep with consequences.

And what of the final risk? That you do not reach any external entity at all, but merely stimulate the recesses of your own subconscious—mistaking your inner monologue for revelation, your suppressed desires for spirit voices. This, too, is common. More common than most will admit.

Therefore, if you are to call upon the hidden ones, let it be with trained perception, refined discernment, and a willingness to question the image that responds. For it may not be the one you sought.

It may only be the one you expected.

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