Earlier today there was a pretty interesting discussion on Twitter about magical entities (created and natural), and about some of the language we use to describe them. @Shivian, @ChaosMagick, and several others chimed in over the course of the day. I believe @ChaosMagick is preparing a blog post comparing and contrasting the different definitions that we each held.

Talking about it of course got me thinking about it, and that very often leads to me writing about it. One of the things that was a focal point of our discussion was the authenticity, origin, or validity of our definitions/concepts of the language we’re using. I won’t deny that this can be an interesting discussion, but I have to say that I tend to get bored once a discussion turns to arguing about the correct use of a term. Not because it’s not interesting, but because it’s not important. Language exists for only one purpose, communication. It doesn’t matter if the meaning of a term I’m using is new or old so long as the person I’m talking to understands it. So when we hit definition based challenges I tend to clarify my terminology or alter it to be congruent with language of the person I’m talking to.

That said, I have been thinking a lot about the different types of created spiritual beings and how I understand, interact with, and talk with others about them. So here is my partial list of the terms we were discussing today on Twitter, along with my definitions, conceptual uses, and conceptual inter-relations.

(On a side note, I will admit that sometimes I can’t think of interesting things to write about. If you ever note a topic or idea that I gloss over, or that just interests you let me know in the comments and I may elaborate.)

There are three essential types of created magical entities as I classify them. Servitors, Golems, and Egregores. I name them in order of the amount of consciousness or free will each possesses. Please note, these are fluid concepts. Servitors may have some aspect of free will, and Egregores may not have much at all.

A servitor is one of the primary types of magic that many chaos magicians work with. It is an artificial elemental, an astral being created for a specific purpose or use. Many people compare the energy and force of a servitor to a computer program. When it is created you give it certain rules that govern its behavior. When something happens, the servitor reacts in certain ways. The complexity of these rules generally governs how lifelike the servitors behavior appears. An important thing to note is that in many complex servitors the magician who has made them does not specify or define all the specific rules, but lays out a series of principles or measurements that the servitor will obey. The more complex or loose the rule set, the less predictable the servitor will be. Most servitors are given a name that somehow reflects or is composed of their purpose for being, and they are commonly controlled via the use of a sigil created with the spirit.

A golem is similar to a servitor in that it is often created by the work of a single magician, and often for a specific purpose. However, that purpose is often of a more general nature than the severely specific purpose of a servitor. Technically, a golem is a being from Jewish lore, created in the shape of a man and given a life of its own, remaining obedient to its creator/master. (One could delve into the Yaweh/man parallels for hours if one wanted to.) Most often a golem is made of clay, but it can be made of other materials. While I don’t think it’s required, traditionally a golem must be man shaped. If it’s not man shaped it is not a true golem, but some other type of quasi-living spiritual construct. The golem, and it’s non-man-shaped kin are interesting because they almost always have a physical representation or home to which they are irrevocably bound. Some magicians will create a physical home for their servitors, but many do not. A golem, unlike a servitor, generally has a sense of personality and a concept of self (albeit often very limited). As a result their actions and behaviors can be very unpredictable, but they are also much more resourceful and useful than your average servitor. A golem is generally created to serve a specific area of functions, such as keeping a house clean, or searching for job opportunities.

An egregore is both similar and dissimilar to servitors and golems. As with servitors and golems an egregore can be created either intentionally or unintentionally by either one, or a group of magicians. Unlike either a servitor or a golem, an egregore is usually fully ensouled, and serves in a much fuller capacity. The most common example of an egregore is what we often call group-consciousness. As individuals come together and form social circles or groups aligned with similar thoughts and purposes, the effort of their thoughts and will often manifests an egregore, which over time grows to guide and nurture that group of people, or that cause. When groups disband or fall apart the egregore often falls apart with them, which is one reason so many people feel a great deal of energy loss when they leave behind any tight-knit group of people, or worse, when that group of people self-destructs for some reason. (I’m currently facing this as one group of friends I’ve had for 6 or 7 years is slowly becoming a different type of group of friends. The group-consciousness is fighting against the changes that are happening, and occasionally making us miserable in the process.) An egregore can be created by one person for a specific purpose, and there are valid reasons to do so. When the creation is intended to serve for a very long time, or to fulfill a goal that has a clear outcome but no clear path, an egregore may be the right approach, as they are fully living beings (which don’t always have a physical manifestation, but if you’re creating one yourself definitely should).

One a related note to all three of the above. As a magician we put a lot of energy into our creations. We give them love, affection, and in many cases, life. That said, it is our responsibility as creators, to end their lives when the time has come. Creating any magical construct and then releasing it into the wild when you’re done with it is generally a very bad idea. The energy that you’ve given does not merely dissipate. It was formed and shaped, and if you’ve done your work well it will continue to try and fulfill its purpose. The more free will/consciousness the entity has, the more dangerous this is. Your creations will do whatever they have to do in order to survive, much like yourself. Do not underestimate them or allow them to survive beyond their purpose or usefulness. If you don’t know how to kill your creation a general rule is to go through the creation process backwards and banish with extreme prejudice.