Are spirits dangerous

It is a common question that many have while working with spirits whether Divine spirits or mortal spirits. For many, this fear originates from their upbringing in a society that is predominantly Christain as well as those who grew up hearing ghost stories. But the question still remains, are spirits dangerous?

## The answer

Well, yes, honestly, sometimes; but not in the way that many fear and imagine. An old aphorism suggests that the word *fear* is an acronym for "false evidence appearing real." Much of what so many fear about spirits derives from thousands of years of false evidence, motivated mainly by two reasons:

* Some people want to discourage other people from independently working with spirits (usually so that contact is maintained only by an official hierarchy).
* Scary stories are more fun, suspenseful, and interesting than happy testimonials and so are more frequently told (and embellished to become even *more* interesting!)

Spirits aren't lapdogs. They're not pets or machines or imaginary superheroes. They are being of immense, even unspeakable, power. That's why people venerate and seek to work with them. That power is why they are able to perform miracles and remove miracles. Toy Fairies, absolutely incapable of harm, are available in gift stores. The real ones, the ones with the capacity to bless and protect, not only possess that unspeakable power but also the ability to choose how to use it or not.

The following are the most common, yet unfounded, fears regarding spirits:

* Spirits seek to ensnare your souls.
* Spirits inevitably lead you down a path of doom and damnation.
* All spirits are evil.

The short, blunt response is that these accusations are false, but to dispel fear, it is important to understand *why* these allegations even exist. (This is crucial: those who approach with love and respect may never encounter a negative spirit while those who reek of fear may attract the most malignant.)

Spirits, in general, get along with each other. Exceptions exist: Oshun and Oya have a long-running feud. What this means in practical terms is that they shouldn't be venerated side by side. If you seek relations with both, maintain separate but equal altars. (And people do and it's fine.)

Why? Two reasons: First, because otherwise, havoc may ensue, major or minor. Classic example: a person simultaneously purchased glass-sheathed candles dedicated to each of these West African spirits and attempted to carry them home in the same small shopping bag. Needless to say, violence erupted: the bag (and candles) spontaneously and explosively broke before arriving home. The two warrior goddesses couldn't stand being that close to each other.

A potentially larger problem is that close proximity distracts them. Feuding spirits may compete with each other rather than dedicating themselves to helping you. *However*, even if these spirits prefer to avoid each other, they do not attempt to eliminate each other, nor do they paint each other as evil.

Other potentially competitive pairs include Artemis and Aphrodite, Ares and Athena, Hera and Leto, Ogun and Shango, Pele and Poliahu, Garuda and the Nagas:

* Don't stand their statues side by side.
* Don't make the same appeal to both simultaneously.
* Don't attempt to play them against each other; it backfires.

Spirits can coexist; it's people who won't. When one nation conquers another or when aggressive missionaries proselytize, the status of preexisting local spirits inevitably become an issue. Typically one or more of the following scenarios results:

* Pantheons compromise, merge, or at least cooperate with each other, comfortably or not. Greek mythology provides the most famous example: Zeus, who arrived in Greece with Indo-European invaders, married the indigenous goddess Hera, representing a merger of what were once two traditions.
* Sometimes one pantheon is coerced to serve another, as in Tibet where many indigenous Bon spirits now protect Tibetan Buddhism. Likewise in Myanmar, indigenous Nat spirits (or at least the thirty-seven most cooperative) also guard the Dharma.
* Older, indigenous, or officially out-of-favour spirits are demonized. Witness the Jewish Bible whose prophets railed against popular veneration of Asherah and Ba'al (Although cooperation exists here, too: annually Azazel gets his goat.) See individual entries for further details.

Christianity demonized *all* spirits, no compromises allowed. To be a Christian meant to deny other competing spirits; to fail to do so was a sin; the price: burning in Hell. As Christianity became a world power, this doctrine was carried all over Earth. People were taught that spirits whom they had previously venerated had, in fact, tricked and fooled them. The church didn't deny that spirits delivered favours but interpreted these gifts as containing deceptive hidden costs: hellfire and damnation

Spirits it was officially explained, only offered gifts because they secretly wished to ensnare your one true immortal soul and send it straight to Hell, regardless of whether the particular spirits in question acknowledged the existence of Hell, single souls, or even the value of a human soul. (Many spirits, extremely ego-driven, put greater value on altars, shrines, and public testimonials than on acquiring anyone's soul. Offering your soul isn't necessarily perceived as a good deal from their perspective.)

The ancient practice of bargaining and negotiating with spirits was reinterpreted as selling one's soul, Doctor Faust style. Those who argued or attempted to maintain traditional pre-Christain practices were accused of heresy, witchcraft, or devil worship and eliminated or frightened into submission.

After almost two thousand years, this Christain vision has permeated popular Western culture. It shows up *constantly* in media depictions of spirits, especially on television. Spirit hunter/exorcist/vampire slayer characters who display no other indications of religiosity and who may not even be Christain brandishing Christain emblems (crosses, Holy Water) and exorcise in Latin because the concept that Christianity and its symbols trump evil spirits is so totally ingrained.

Implicit in this assumption is that no other tradition ever had to remove recalcitrant spirits or is capable of doing so, as if thousands of years of worldwide shamanism had never existed. The alternative subliminal message is that Christianity not only overpowers spirits but other spiritual traditions, too.

After the equivalent of an almost two-thousand-year-old ad campaign, even those who intellectually recognize propaganda may still be afraid. Ironically, this potentially creates a self-fulfilling prophecy: fear attracts the scariest and most malevolent spirits.

People tend to be far scarier and less predictable than spirits, but ultimately it makes no difference what I or anyone else writes, says, or advises. What is significant is what *you* believe, know, and fear. (And if you're really afraid, you may already have had a bad experience with spirits; it's a vicious cycle.)

So then, exactly how are spirits dangerous? In what ways?

In some way, spirits are not all that different from people, just on a grander, heightened scale. Most people are generally good-hearted, although we all have a bad day once in a while when we exhibit crankier and more irritable behaviour than usual.

Some people are calm, serene, and even-tempered, easy to please. Some are moody, crotchety, or short-tempered, but it is the rare individual, the exception to the rule, who can be described as truly and thoroughly wicked. The same goes for spirits.

Just as one can't deny the existence of the occasional "bad seed" among humans, so some bloodthirsty, malevolent spirits certainly do exist. Some are described on this wiki so that they may be identified and avoided. *Any spirit who encourages harmful behaviour is by definition a malevolent spirit and should be avoided or banished.*

Malevolent, bloodthirsty, corrupting spirits crave negative human emotions. That's their food. If they find no food, they will ultimately leave, seeking it elsewhere. What attracts them is intense violence, hatred, anguish, jealousy, and most especially, terror. The scent of fear to a malevolent spirit is like the scent of honey to a bear.

Love, kindness, and serenity repel malevolent spirits and are the best measure one can take to avoid them. The presence of positive, benevolent spirits also keeps the malevolent far away. Nature abhors a vacuum. Evil spirits are not unlike those super-germs who appear when benign bacteria are banished. Keep powerful, protective spirits close, and there will be no room for the malignant.

However, it is important to distinguish between those very few spirits who may truly be wicked (determined by a history of their actions) as opposed to the many who are slandered. Just because a spirit has been labelled "evil" or "monstrous" doesn't necessarily mean that this is true. Always establish who has been doing the labelling. Spirits labelled "evil" or "dangerous" tend to fall into several categories. (Some belong to more than one.)

### **Guardian spirits are often categorized as dangerous demons.**

   Spirits charged with the task of protecting something (wild nature, animals, or Earth's hidden treasures) are often categorized as dangerous demons. That's because what they're usually protecting Earth from is *us*. They obstruct someone's desire to take or exploit something, hence frustrated people label them evil, and the label sticks Examples include guardians of mines like the Knockers or snake spirits like Nagas, Klu, and the many dragons whose sacred functions include protecting sources of freshwater.

### **Guardian spirits also protect shrines, buildings, and sacred areas.**

These spirits are only dangerous to those they perceive (rightfully or wrongfully) as threatening or harming whatever it is they protect. They may, in fact, inflict punishment, but there is nothing random about it. (They are potentially kind and very helpful to others.) If such a guardian has been activated or offended, sincere rituals of propitiation may be in order. Active efforts to protect whatever it is they guard may also calm them down.

### **Some spirits demonstrate love aggressively.**

They are perceived as dangerous because they possess aggressively protective inclinations. They are not dangerous toward those they love but may react strongly toward a devotee's enemies or those perceived as harmful or obstructing their devotees. The equivalent of sacred bodyguards, these are often among the most desired spirit allies. It is not unknown for people (the aforementioned devotees) to exploit or manipulate a spirit's protective nature.

Some spirits are similar in nature to guard dogs but on an extremely heightened scale. Can this possibly lead to trouble and tragedy? Sure. If such a spirit is your ally, it is crucial to maintain good communication, letting them know when you are truly bothered and when you are not. Many Djinn fall into this category, especially those who despise humanity in general but really adore a few select individuals.

### **Many so-called dangerous spirits are aggressively Pagan.**

They are confrontational, not collaborative or meek. In the face of new religions from which they were excluded and/or vilified, these spirits did not go quietly into the night, hence lengthy propaganda campaigns against them. For example, the Russian spirit called the Leshii is frequently described as a "dangerous devil," sometimes even identified with *the* devil. Stories about the Leshii refusing to assist people unless they remove their pendant crosses and stamp on them are told with the intention of making him appear evil and un-Christain. In fact, the Leshii is *not* Christain. He is, however, not evil, unless, by definition, not being Christain is evil.

Many spirits will work with you, regardless of your spiritual commitments. Not the Leshii: he is an uncompromising as any strict Christain. In addition to serving as guardian of forest trees and animals (potentially bringing conflict with people), he is irritated by those secretly requesting his assistance while publicly renouncing Paganism.

### **Many so-called dangerous spirits are actually what are known as volatile spirits.**

These spirits fly off the handle easily. Volatile spirits, like volatile people, must be handled with care. They are not evil, but they are temperamental. Fail to treat them with respect and courtesy and they may lash out. Some take offence easily. Djinn are famously volatile, as are many Fairies. It doesn't take much for them to perceive a slight. However, if approached humbly with love, many volatile spirits are beings of supreme generosity. Examples: Hera, Lilith, Pele, and Maria Padilha.

Whether a volatile spirit demonstrates temperamental behaviour may have a lot to do with you. Be honest with yourself. How are your social skills? Are you the only one in the office able to pacify and get along with a temperamental boss? If you are intuitive and diplomatic and normally put effort into pleasing and getting along with others, volatile spirits may not pose a problem for you.

On the other hand, if you are constantly accused of being disrespectful and having a bad attitude - even if you don't perceive it to be so - it may be wise to give volatile spirits a wider berth. Similarly, if giving orders is second nature to you, as opposed to being of service, why not stick to the many patient, placid, good-natured spirits?

### **Some spirits' sacred function involves administering justice.**

This justice is often on behalf of those unable to claim retribution otherwise. Those in positions of powers and privilege, who thought they could get away with something until these spirits intervened (frequently sexual transgressions), are quick to label them "evil."

These spirits are the equivalent of undercover morality police. Many are protectors of women. Thus, on this wiki, you will find a fairly substantial number of beautiful female spirits accused of seducing human men as a prelude to scaring, harming, or killing them. (These seductions inevitably occur in lonely, deserted places at night; the men usually begin as willing victims or may, in fact, aggressively initiate the encounter.)

The part of this story that's generally omitted, perhaps it makes the legend less salacious, is that targets tend not to be random (at least in the original versions; horror movie depictions don't necessarily stick to tradition). Many are targeted in response to transgressions committed against human women. A classic example are the Vila, famed for publishing men who abandoned women at the altar or who impregnated women, then deserted them, which in conservative societies, effectively destroyed the lives of these women and their children, sometimes literally.

### **Some spirits are amoral and open to bribery.**

They will fulfil *any* human request, providing payment is sufficient. It is not that this spirit is evil, per se; it will, however, not rebuff the request of angry, jealous, or evil people and so can be dangerous.

Should you perceive that such a spirit has attacked you, these spirits are countered (safely) by calling in more powerful spirits to foil and banish them or (less safely) by offering a larger bribe. They have no loyalty and will switch sides. From their perspective, there is no devotee, just a paycheck. Working with them does not lead to happy endings. Inevitably, these spirits abandon or turn on those who summoned them and so are dangerous to work with. Although they are far from the only spirits of the type, the Haitian spirits called Baka are a classic example of amoral, independent-operator spirits.

### **Some spirits operate protection rackets.**

   This is probably the most common "danger" emanating from the spirit realm. As is the nature with protection rackets once you begin working with them, it may be difficult to stop.

In practical terms, what does this mean? If you have started making small offerings (glasses of rum or water; coffee, or cigarettes; fruit, rice, or toast), on a daily, weekly, or annual basis, you should expect to do so continuously, possibly for the rest of your life.

Unlike mobsters, most spirits are reasonable. If scheduled offerings are delayed because of travel, emergency, or illness, they understand (and may be appealed to remedy situations if they want their service back.) Careless, haphazard treatment, however, may stimulate spirits to offer reminders why their services were initially sought.

Most devotees don't find this a problem: most spirits expect very minor payments in exchange for the blessings, prosperity, and miracles they bestow. (And of course, in the manner of protection rackets, should a spirit withdraw its patronage or stop producing assistance, devotees may be justified in withholding offerings.) However, tremendous pleasure and spiritual satisfaction is potentially derived from serving spirits. Often offerings continue whether or not gestures of appreciation are ever rendered.

The flip side of this is that some spirits cause trouble so that they will be paid to eliminate it. This may stem from devious motivations or because they simply lack more effective means of communication. Until the correct spirit is identified and a relationship established, havoc and heartache may prevail. Examples include Aisha Qandisha, Mami Waters, and many Zar spirits.

#### Safety Measures

Working with spirits successfully involves common sense. Children are taught to look both ways before crossing the street. New drivers are advised to signal their intention to change lanes. Just as there are basic rules of spirit safety

* Most crucially: *If you consistently approach spirits with love and respect, you will virtually never have anything to fear.*
* For utmost safety, work with named spirits, those spirits possessing extensive CVs and histories. They may be volatile or aggressive, but you will know who they are, what to expect, and what to do.
* Nobody likes an ingrate: keep your promises; fulfil your vows; pay your debts.
* Remember, you're asking them for help, not the other way around.
* Don't be greedy; don't ask for what's inappropriate. Those spirits who deliver the unethical and immoral are often the equivalent of loan sharks. Beware.)
* Don't go looking for bad company. If you habitually spend too much time with dangerous characters (spirit or human alike), you will get hurt.

### **Fear attracts negative spirits.**

They feed off fear; it's their energy source and so they seek it. It doesn't have to be specifically fear of spirits; it could be any kind of intense fear. Odds are that, once attracted, they ill try to maintain that fear or even increase it, thus making bad situations worse. Appeal to specific benevolent spirits by name to help remedy or remove you from fear-inducing situations. (In other words, actually call the spirit, articulating its name, either aloud or silently in your thoughts.)

### **Many spirits will give you what you expect.**

They are psychic and can read your heart/ If you genuinely expect them to be generous, kind, and well behaved, they are likely to demonstrate that behaviour. If your head tells you to request a miracle from Exu, the Afro-Brazilian trickster spirit, because you need it and he can provide it, but in your heart, you believe he's evil, he may, in fact, fulfil your expectations.

### **It is pointless to be dishonest with spirits.**

They know your secrets. If you have fear, acknowledge it to them. Respectfully, politely acknowledge that they make you nervous and explain why you are addressing them anyway. This provides safety from manipulation, possibly defuses pranksters prankster inclinations, and may even be the path to healing your fear. Bravery, if accompanied by modesty, tends to win favour from spirits.

### **Being honest with yourself keeps your spirit-related experiences happy and successful.**

Explore your fears; strive to face and understand them. If, deep down, you genuinely do believe that all spirits are dangerous and yet you still long to commune with them, stick with archangels and Bodhisattvas, at least for starters. You can be absolutely confident that they will not harm you. They will also keep other spirits at bay, if you ask.

Caution: know your vulnerabilities. If you are prone to abusive relationships in general, then be as careful with spirits as with people. If you have a history of being exploited or excessively pushed around, choose your spirits carefully. Identify your vulnerabilities and then seek out spirits who will heal them.

The following spirits are safe for everyone:

* Archangels Gabriel. Michael, and Raphael
* Bodhisattvas Jozo and Kwan Yin
* Orisha Obatala
* Taoist Spirit Miao Shan

Each is a being of pure goodness and righteousness. Each lacks even the hint of an edge. They are not jealous, volatile, or acquisitive, but endlessly patient. They will not exploit nor harm you.

Worst-case scenario: malevolent spirits have appeared. Low-level spirits will likely be at least temporarily dispersed by:

* Bells and chimes
* The presence of iron
* Firecrackers and other sudden loud noises, like the shattering of pottery and plates
* Clattering metal percussion instruments: castanets, cymbals, sistrums, or tambourines. If you have no such instruments, then bang metal pots and pans.
* Peals of sincere, hearty laughter

Amulets, holy texts, and sacred music, a general aura of fun or happiness, and the presence of benevolent spirit guardians keep more powerful malevolent spirits away. Be aware, however, that spirits who appear fierce or gruff often have good intentions or come bearing welcome gifts. Treating new arrivals with courtesy and politeness is often the best policy. Some may turn into good friends; others will leave peacefully if treated with respect and kindness.

One last precaution: different people experience and encounter spirits in different ways. Some people *see* them whether in waking life, visualizations, or dreams; others receive them as bursts of inspiration or via a complex dialogue of symbols and gestures. However, some do hear voices.

It is crucial to remember, especially in a society where hearing voices or communicating with nonhumans can be considered grounds for commitment, that you are *never* obligated to obey any instructions or recommendations from spirit guides, any more than you are obligated to take advice from Dear Abbey, your best friend, or your mother.

Working with spirits does not mean surrendering your free will. You are responsible for your actions. If spirits ever suggest things you're not comfortable with, just say no; respectfully, as always, but decline. Speak firmly and politely. generally, only harmful spirits ever suggest anything truly harmful (to yourself or anyone else).

Modern humans have marginalized spirits to such an extent that danger often emerges from the misconception that spirits don't belong to real life, to daily existence: thus any communication is treated as either innately evil and to be avoided at all cost, or the opposite, something so sacred that it must be blindly obeyed. neither extreme is true.

Not all cases of hearing voices involve spirits. Sometimes it may genuinely be a sign of mental illness. (Mental illness and spirits are not mutually exclusive. This is a very complex issue; sometimes mental illness attracts harmful spirits or vice versa. Some spirits express anger by causing mental disturbance or may be invoked to heal it.)

Genuine spirit voices tend not to be constant or overwhelming but are usually brief, sudden and to the point. Spirits arrive, speak, and leave. Visitations typically stimulate a sense of euphoria but may also leave you shaken by the intensity of the experience. They do not, however, cause you to cease functioning.

A key and crucial difference between clairaudient mediumship (habitually hearing spirit voices) and mental illness is that mediums can learn to control their powers like a radio, turning it on and off as needed. Voices engage in genuine dialogue (i.e., they listen and respond reasonably to what you say, too), do not prevent functionality, and do not suggest harmful behaviour. Should the situation be otherwise, consult a qualified mental health professional immediately.

Spiritual professionals such as shamans, mediums, santeros, mambos, and houngan may also be consulted; they will not be quick to dismiss your experiences.

* Treat them with the same respect and courtesy as any other professional.
* Do not be afraid to ask for references or referrals
* Medical doctors (gifted physical healers) rarely donate their services; spiritual healers are not obligated to do so, either. Cost should be reasonable; there is probably a going rate; find out what it is.
* Expect professional behaviour.

## Information Source

Encyclopedia of Spirits: The Ultimate Guide to the Magic of Fairies, Genies, Demons, Ghosts, Gods & Goddesses by Judika Illes