#eldritch witch

This is a topic that can get very confusing for those starting out. There are lots of interchanging terminology, beliefs, and constructs that not everyone sees fit to agree on. This can often create misunderstandings and propagate the misuse of certian energies making navigation for newcomers more than just problematic. In this blog, I will attempt to systematize some of the complexities enough to deliver a more organized path for beginners to follow and build upon.

Keep in mind, however, that while there are some definite rules to thoughtforms there is also a well of UPG around this topic. The knowledge surrounding thoughtforms changes quite considerably with the beliefs of the individuals that practice it. So take from this blog what you will.

The Basics

So I bet some of you are asking, what exactly is a thoughtform? Well, that’s a being created from our beliefs and thoughts. They are made up of energy and can be utilized in magickal workings. Now there is some confusion among some members of the community here. Sometimes the term is not seen as the umbrella term it really is and instead becomes a varying type all on its own. However, to fully understand where this name fits we need only break it down in its simple meaning. "A being formed by the power of thought." This clearly describes a variety of different beings, not just a singular one, hence why it's more traditionally used as an umbrella term.

⚜️ Creation ⚜️

A thoughtform’s creation will ultimately depend on the witch but essentially most agree it starts with finding a purpose. From there you can build it up starting with a name. A name binds the thing into existence so this is most often agreed upon to be a very important step. From this most people use that name to create a sigil. Others make a symbol on their own and bind it to the name afterward. Either way, it’s often seen as an essential step in the process. A sigil gives the thoughtform a physical foundation to draw energy from and affect the real world. Some witches in turn will then place that sigil on a vessel for their thoughtform to connect to, while others draw it in the air with energy.

Finally comes the fun part, designing. You can skip this process altogether but many enjoy deciding how this being is going to look. This is also a great opportunity to build more symbolism around it. Tie its appearance to its purpose and allow this to strengthen it. Once that’s done it’s time to begin the actual ritual. Now, many like to write out everything on a petition and/or draw a picture of the being. In my experience, this isn’t really needed but it helps quite a bit if you’re doing a more complex being (this will be discussed later in another section). It’s also good to decide on the finer details. Not just what you want your thoughtform to do, but what type it is, and what it’s not allowed to do as well.

Once the written portion has been completed (and drawing if you choose to use that), set it up in a place of power. Most people use their altar but you can also create a sacred space specially for this part. The ritual itself will essentially involve you going into meditative gnosis and forming the energy with your mind. (Visualization helps with this. Some people choose to picture a light forming into the being or a large cosmic egg. But that too is based on a user's preference.) This part takes focus so make sure there aren’t any distractions nearby. Once you’re finished greet your thoughtform and continue with any other magick you wish.

As for how long this is going to take, nobody can truly say. We each are different and how our energy works will ultimately decide how long things will take. However, in my own experience, I would say that most thoughtform creations vary based on complexity. The simpler the being the shorter amount of time it will need. For longer amounts of time, you may need to visit your uncreated thoughtform once a day. giving it energy each time to ensure its continued gestation.

⚜️ Feeding ⚜️

Think of your thoughtform as a computer. It’s programmed to function a certain way by the user and to keep it going you need to give it a battery or plug it into a port. In short, it needs something to draw energy from to work properly. How you feed your thoughtform will depend on its type, but for most people, they set their thoughtform's ability to feed during its creation process. Either going to it regularly to meditatively give it energy, to offerings, or even to preprogrammed sustainability, a thoughtform needs something to ensure its success.

⚜️ Setting A Time Limit ⚜️

Certain thoughtforms will need a time limit of some sort. This is usually predetermined by the creator and set during the creation process or a kill switch is kept in place for whenever the practitioner deems it necessary. (Like burning or tearing up the paper vessel or petition with the thoughtforms sigil). Now depending on who you ask, What thoughtforms should get a time limit will inevitably change. Some believe that all thoughtforms need a limit and thus rarely venture past the simple variety. While others believe that there are many more varieties that don’t need such a limit. I will cover this in further detail in later sections.

⚜️ Involuntary Creation ⚜️

This can happen sometimes, especially if there are lots of emotions around a certain belief. Things can manifest against our will and they can be both negative or positive depending on what energy was used to create them.

Servitors

Also called simple thoughtforms and simple servitors, they are the most common form of thoughtform and by far the easiest to create. They have no sentience to speak of and are driven only to complete their task. The purpose for their creation. It is everything to a servitor which is why many believe it’s the type of thoughtform that MUST have an end after that task is finished. To allow a servitor to exist without a purpose would be like a living hell to such a creature. It would be cruel and compared to torture some believe.

Now let’s say you did decide to let it remain. What exactly would happen? Well, there’s a variety of things really. One, if left unfed the servitor could simply vanish one day, but it would be a slow death. However, if you’re unlucky enough, it may just evolve sentience. When this sort of thing happens in such a situation the servitor is often already driven to madness and will become something akin to a parasite. Recklessly feeding off their creator to sustain themselves. This can cause exhaustion, dizziness, clumsiness, and in some more severe cases illness to the practitioner. And those who suffer from other forms of mental illness like depression and anxiety have often reported their symptoms getting worse. The best course of action for these sorts of beings is to extinguish them completely. They have no hope of being reasoned with.

Now let’s say you do feed your servitor, but you never give it a purpose. Then what happens? Well, they can still go mad as the life without a purpose is demeaning and arduous for such a creature. This is why some people like to give them new purposes. The problem is, a simple servitor isn’t made to properly sustain things like this. It would be like uploading a new program onto an older computer that isn’t equipped to properly run it. So while it may work for a little while, it will never be up to par like it was before, and eventually, you’ll have to accept that. You’ll be forced to get a newer model anyway. Problem is, that even these beings can still grow in sentience. And while they may not be as crazed as the ones mentioned before, because they’re not in a state of starvation, they may still express the dislike of such an existence. Some people report that once sentient, some servitors have simply run away or completely withdrew in their own depressive state. Ultimately wasting away because they wouldn’t eat. This is why it’s generally agreed upon that a simple servitor works its best when a time limit is in place.

Sentient Servitors

Also called complex servitors or complex thoughtforms, consider these beings a step up from your average servitors. Most often they are created with sentience or at the very least created with the intent to obtain sentience by growing into it as they do their job and experience the world around them. This type seems to have become more popular in recent years and has garnered its own subcategories in turn. These generally tend to be something concerning their purpose and will vary by practitioner. Some of the most popular is a familiar, home guardians, or personal protectors.

For the most part these beings are created without the intent to destroy them. This is because what they are needed for what generally takes regular upkeep as well as a mind that can analyze and learn just like we do so it can grow alongside you and learn different ways to cope with its overall objective. But that isn’t to say people don’t exist that give them time limits. However, that can bring up more controversy depending on who you talk to because now you’re destroying something that may not actually want to be destroyed. Something that wants to continue on and experience existence. When a thoughtform reaches this stage and they realize you may want to destroy them, they often start looking for a way out. A way to feed without the help of the witch. That way they can simply go off on their own. In lots of cases, a witch may gift their thoughtform with this ability so that when their task is done they can go ahead and make the way out.

Poltergeists

Now some of you may be surprised to see this category on this list but it really is a thoughtform. Looking into how some paranormal experts define these entities reveals that they are entities created from the negative energy accumulated in a certain place or around a certain individual, and that’s exactly what a thoughtform is. A poltergeist is always an involuntary creation, however, and is almost always negative as well. It’s known for throwing objects and making strange noises. Hence why their name means “noisy ghost” in German.

Egregores

These thoughtforms are created by a group of individuals instead of just a single person. They can be voluntary or involuntary, sentient or otherwise, it all depends on the conditions for their creation. For instance, some covens create an egregore for their personal group typically of the non-sentient variety, while other individual people may believe in something so much that the beings form involuntarily from that belief. Many use this way of thinking to explain how deity came to be. Declaring that all gods and goddesses as we know them are simply egregores believed into existence. Not everyone agrees with this sentiment, however, nor does everyone utilize the egregore label exactly the same.

While some say egregores can be both sentient and non-sentient, others have strong beliefs that the egregore can only be non-sentient and that once it grows to sentience it will become something else entirely. The former seems to be the most popular way of looking at it on our modern age though, so you're bound to find that this way of utilizing the egregore to be more prevalent in the ways of information.

Godforms

Also known as God Heads, this is probably the most confusing of all the types of thoughtforms simply because there are so many varying beliefs around it. More traditionally, godforms are statues or pictures portraying the image of a particular god. Through ritual, the god embodies these pieces and they become an extent of that deity. Some believers even associate people as being a part of that godform, and during those sacred ceremonies, the chosen individual becomes a direct speaker for the god they are channeling. However, in more modern times, the term has taken a considerable divergence into thoughtform territory.

It is believed by some that the godform is a type of deity, either created to be a god from the beginning or grown into one by an egregore. In more recent years, however, a godform is often depicted as being a more personalized entity. An individual's own personal god if you will. In this instance, they are created using a specific part of the practitioner's energy. Usually some part of a magical circuit like the elements, or the 8 circuits of consiousness. This entity in turn becomes heavily connected to the individual and will affect whatever cuircut or energy center they were made from. Let's say you made a god that draws from your fire energy. Therefore, your fire energy will grow and everything it affects will also grow. This entices the person to continue giving the god energy, through meditations, offerings, even an altar. It's given praises and prayers as well, just like any other deity.

Tulpa

The tulpa is often confused in our modern times as being nothing more than a servitor, but that understanding couldn't be more false. Traditionally Tulpa's are a concept from Buddhist nirmāṇakāya. It was a translated in Tibetan as sprul-pa and was the practice of creating an autonomous entity made from the individual's mind. It was manifested by a Buddha to teach and guide those who hadn't yet attained nirvana. Some have likened it to seem much like a ghost or apparition, walking between the physical and metaphysical realms. They were said to obey their master for the most part but were entirely sentient with their own thoughts and emotions.

Today, tulpamancers, often equate a tulpa to something kind of like an imaginary friend, but one that can actually manifest things. Tulpas are said to have the ability to use their creator's body, or even dwell inside of it completely. They can even operate it on their own should their creator allow it. Many, state that the tulpa often helps them out during difficult situations. They are created with the qualities that the user doesn't have so that they can take over in times when those qualities are needed. As for life span, that will definitely depend on the individual. Like regular thoughtforms, some say that the user ultimately decides if they want their tulpa to remain or vanish after they themselves have learned to obtain whatever qualities they had placed in their tulpa. Others say that the tulpa stays with you for life. Whatever the case, this thoughtform is definitely the most unique of the bunch.

Conclusion

Thoughtforms are an interestingly diverse form of magick. And while they are very prevalent within the chaos magick community, many magickal practitioners from all pathways come to utilize them within their crafts. As stated above, there are many unique beliefs surrounding them, and finding out what way is best for you can seem somewhat daunting. The best thing to do is take it slow, and practice, practice, practice. Thoughtforms are one of those things you learn best by doing. Just remember that what works for someone else may not work entirely for you. Go at your own pace, and find your own rhythm. Best of luck!

Further Reading

• Types of Ghosts (Poltergeists)

• Servitors (Chaos Magick)

• Thoughtforms

• Psychonaut Field Manual: Egregores

• Psychonaut Field Manual: Godforms

• Tulpa’s

Fall is Upon us and all Things Are Creaking.

So do come, and tell me, What Horrors are Seeking?

Before we get to the ritual, a PSA on connections and chords will be discussed. If you wanna skip, go down til you see "Ingredients" down below

Many of us end up emotionally attaching to someone with either narcissistic tendencies (note: I dont like calling people narcissists. Cause I'm not a shrink. I'll say someone has the tendencies or there either a Narc or Nacisst, as the internet language differs from real life.) or there might be someone we thought gave a shit about us and It turns out they're a piece of shit. With these kinds of people, they leech off other's energy and vibrations in order to fill the void within themselves.

Some would refer to these kinds of folk as Energy Vampires. These people purposely attach themselves to people with love bombing and then devaluing their victims, trauma bonding them into an abusive cycle of trying to "fix" the vampire.

When the victim learns what is happening and attempts to separate, it can be hard for them to stay away from the vampire (aka, the douche canoe driver) as the emotional attachment makes it difficult. Sometimes, the best thing a victim can do is move away, change numbers, run as far the fuck away as possible. But there are times when the victim cannot remove the attachment, despite doing all these things. The emotional attachment sucks them into mental torture, and destroys their heart.

This ritual might work fore you!

Ingredients:

Candle (white for cleansing, black for banishing and warding off. Either one will do, or both. Fuck it, they're an asshole anyway and you can't take to many precautions.)

Pen and paper

Lighter or whatever will give you FIYAH!

A safe place for your pryomaniacal ritual stuff, or just outside

With the pen and paper, write a letter to your person, detailing why you no longer want to be connected to them. Think of it as a goodbye letter with spite. Write what they've done, how they made you feel. As you write this, let all the emotions that they caused you rise as anger, and use that anger to fuel your letter, every stroke of your pen as a weapon of malice and vengeance. Picture all your rage and emotion being transferred on to the paper, and that it will manifest as soon as you burn it. Envision that they will feel what you have felt and understand that they are no longer allowed in your life or energy again

Fold the letter and either create a couple sigils to seal in your intentions, or you can write a poem or invocation to your person so they (finally) get the message

Take the letter, and lighter (or what ever tickles the arsonist in you) and burn that bitch. Watch as the flames consume the letter and watch as is power turns the letter to ash, a symbolic gesture of you severing the cord in the harshest way possible.

[OPTIONAL BUT VERY SUCCESSFUL IN USE] take the ash and either throw it to the winds so that it hits their soul with great speed, into a river so it bothers them longer over time, or bury it so the cord is forever cut and immediately dead. All are awesome in their efforts and add extra power to your ritual, but none are really required. Burning the letter alone will suffice.

Once this is done, no thought nor memory should entice emotional wanting for the person. If there is something that gives you the feels, its either a guilty conscious or a refusal on your part to actually sever the cord. Only perform this ritually if you want released. This is a ritual to bring YOU peace of mind, not to punish the other person.

Remember, out of sight out of mind.

Be the shadow that casts

Now it’s important to remember that Eldritch work is done from each individuals unique perspective. Thus, what I have down as a sabbat is something unique to me. My own UPG if you will. This list came from my personal understanding with the gods that I work with, so take from it What’s suits you. Feel free to add or take away as you like.

Disclaimer: be aware that this only pertains to the Lovecraftian gods that I work with. Not all of them.

• New Moon •

The new moon is cloaked in darkness symbolizing the unseen in the physical realm and the stronger pull of the metaphysical where the gods dwell. Thus this moon gives us a great time to honor all Eldritch forces. Offerings, meditative rituals, and drawing down Eldritch energies are just some of the practices performed around this time.

• Velamen •

Latin for “veil” this sabbat takes place on October 31st. Associated as the time the veil between worlds is the thinnest, thus greater connections to alternate dimensions and the realm of the dead can be made more easily at this time. Within Eldritch magick, this is the time to honor Yog Sothoth. He’s not only the deity associated as the keeper of dimensions, but also carries many Necromancer properties as well. Thus it is considered respectful to give offerings and thanks to this deity at this time.

• Hibernal Solstice •

The Hibernal Solstice takes place on December 21st in the Northern Hemisphere and June 21 in the Southern Hemisphere. It is the two moments during the year when the path of the Sun in the sky is farthest away making the day shorter and the night longer. This time can be dedicated to all Eldritch deity but most often can be more directly associated with both Azathoth and Cthulhu. This is because symbolism is often dedicated to aspects of dreams and dream magick in accordance with the night since it’s associated primarily with sleep. This means the connection to those dream forces is extra strong, and while all Eldritch deity reach out in dreams, both Azathoth and Cthulhu are most well known for their dream-like energies. Offerings, dream pillows, and other dreamy associated concoctions can be dedicated to the gods at this time.

• Nativitas •

From the Latin word for “birth” this marks the time of the spring equinox, March 20th, and therefore energies associated with new life and new beginnings. Shub Niggurath, the goddess of fertility is celebrated around this time. Offerings and rituals dedicated to the goddess are performed at this time.

I wanted to do a blog for this because unfortunately there isn’t a lot of free information circulating on the internet about this particular subject. Most people that practice it tend to keep to themselves, not wanting to share their craft because of the negative views some members of the community have, or they just don’t have a big enough platform to get their information out. Thus most of the information you can find has to be paid for. Not to mention most of the witchcraft community practices a more “traditional witchcraft” path, so stuff normally associated with the eldritch path often finds so much of itself draped in fantasy and rpg, that significant information on the real world witchcraft side of it can often get lost amongst the mess. For that reason, I feel this blog is a necessity.

Lovecraft

Now there’s a common misconception that Eldritch magick entails you to practice with Lovecraftian beliefs and beings. This couldn’t be more false. Lovecraftian magick also referred to Yog Sothothery is a specific branch of Eldritch magick but isn’t the whole of the practice. One does not need to work with it at all to be apart of this practice although many do. This blog has no intention of covering this subcategory any further! As I have a whole separate piece dedicated to it, Yog Sothothery

What is it?

Eldritch witchcraft, to put it simply, is the practice of witchcraft with the use of Eldritch entities. Now, Merrium Webster defines Eldritch as something strange or unnatural especially in a way that inspires fear. So you see, this practice is a wide umbrella that can encompass many kinds of beings from many places. However they are largely associated with what we may call cosmic beings. Deity and spirits from other places in the universe or other dimensions entirely. This is why they can appear “unnatural” or “strange” to us.

Alternate names for this practice include but are not limited to interdimensional witchcraft, alien witchcraft, and dimensional witchcraft.

Working the Mind

One thing to remember with Eldritch witchcraft is that the primary focus of this craft is going to be on your mind. Dream realms, astral realms, and gnosis all play a very important role within this craft and should not be over looked. I would say roughly 80% of what you do will be attached to one of these three things. This is because the beings you contact work with you predominantly in this fashion. Symbolic dreams and visions are the simplest forms of communication among the Eldritch. To ignore this puts you in a very weak position from a Magickal standpoint.

Now divination is definitely one of the things witches will use in this craft to help communicate but it can only get you so far. Most often what you get during divination coincides with the dreams, visions, and images they present to you. If this sort of thing is difficult for you to achieve, it’s recommended that you work on building up those strengths or at the very least request that the Eldritch beings you’re reaching out to assist you with that.

The Mindset

This craft comes with a particular mindset that’s imperative for execution. The acceptance that we are not alone within the cosmos. These beings can be considered extraterrestrial in many cases, but often operate through inter dimensional doorways. They are altogether “alien” to us both in physicality and mentality. They are spiritual/energy beings much like normal gods of earth but their place of origin exists far beyond the stars. To go into this with a closed mindset that we are the only life out there will only earn you disappointment.

The Entities

By now I’ve mentioned Eldritch entities quite a few times. So I bet you’re wondering what they are and how exactly do they work? Well for starters I must once again reiterate inter dimensional contact. Most Eldritch entities come from places either outside our dimension and elsewhere in the universe. Making contact means connecting to something far beyond our idea of normal. This also means you’re unfortunately never going to see them for what they truly are nor are you ever going to know their real name. Our mortality restricts us a great deal. The mortal brain can only process so much. As such, we can’t hope to be able to physically understand or see what they truly are or what they truly call themselves. So then how do they present themselves? With an alternative name, as well as an avatar or an epithet.

For those who don’t know, an avatar is another body that they inhabit. Think of a skin you upload onto your game character. While an epithet is the energy of certain characteristics and magickal traits the entity has, that’s been manifested into a separate being. As an example we can look at the goddess Hecate. She is often used with the epithets of the triple goddess or maiden, mother, and crone. All are separate forces focusing on specific energies but all are still Hecate. As for what these avatars and epithets will look like, that will be depending on you as the castor. The forms they tend to take appeal to the one they are working with as does the name they choose to share with you. Some have reported that the appearance can sometimes start as something incredibly familiar like an animal, and the name something very typical of that animal. Then, gradually alterations are made until it’s something that looks a lot closer to what this entity might actually be and sound a lot closer to its actual name. But, each one of us is different and what our minds can take will inevitably effect how these entities present themselves and how they spell with us.

So what of a hierarchy, pantheons, things normally associated with deity? Well, that’s the fun thing about Eldritch Witchcraft. It’s so vast that it’s not centered around one specific sect or pantheon for the most part. You can get 100 people all reaching out to the cosmos and each get a deity unrelated to each other. The expanse of the universe is that vast, and calling to a deity in this way is the equivalent of catching a single fish in the ocean.

Calling The Entities

When you decide to reach out to to the universe and call to an Eldritch entity I find it best to cleanse yourself first. A bath or smoke cleanse works best as does any spell for meditation that helps to open your third eye or work with your mind. Like all deities someone wanting the contact is the first step, sending a prayer or call out to the unknown is the next. Sometimes having an offering may help but these beings may be more particular about what they prefer in this sense. Sometimes you may have to call multiple times, over multiple nights. Other times you may get an answer rather quickly. Each of us is different. But one things for sure, when they do reach out for the first time it will typically be in a dream. From there you can perform additional mediations, divinary sessions, and spell work to get to know them more.

Tools & Magick

Like every practice, this as well comes with helpful tools and particular magick that the practitioner can use to better their experience. While none of these are needed they can assist and make things easier.

• Divination Tools - The most popular among Eldritch witches seemed to be oracle cards, spirit boards, and automatic writing tools, but any divinary tool may be used. It’s a good way to channel your Eldritch entity and communicate with them one on one.

• Edible Potions - it doesn’t matter if it’s tea, juice, or some other concoction. Lots of Eldritch energy can be poured into these drinks and consumed by the witch. Allowing the entity to work its magick inside them.

• Blood Magick - Eldritch deities respond well to blood magick because they can tie their magick to the individual much better. Likewise they can obtain a substantial amount of energy from that blood as well.

• Sigils - These are a great way to connect to specific energies and create a tag lock so that the Eldritch entity can not only draw energy from it but also fix a bit of themselves to the physical world making working with you easier.

• Fire - fire seams to be another great energy source for Eldritch beings. They will often flock to it when you light a candle in a ritual or hold a bonfire.

Closing

As stated above this is just a helpful base to get you started. What morals you follow, and rules you incorporate into the craft itself is entirely up to you and the entity you’re working with. Eldritch Witchcraft is extremely eclectic in that way and often is practiced as apart of chaos magick by many witches. Just remember, there is going to be many things in this universe you can’t hope to physically understand. Answers you won’t be able to receive because it exceeds past what your mortal mind is capable of knowing. Seeking these answers can drive people mad so learning patience, and acceptance of what you can not change is also a must.

Additional Reading

• Eldritch Witchcraft - Orlee Stewart

• A Universe of 10 Dimensions

• Do Paralleled Universes Exist?

Keep in mind that most of the sources of information come from other like minded experiences. Which is why this “additional links” list is so small. There isn’t much out there in the way of physical proof as we know it because things like spiritual realms, and worlds out side of our physical universe aren’t readily accessible by scientists. Instead we have only immeasurable experiences from places like the astral realm to account for it. This means you should ALWAYS take stuff like this with a grain of salt and explore the ideas yourself to see where you end up.