Lucifer-Personal experiences & general questions

[Nocturnum]

I have experienced a lot of things I don't always have a explanation for so I wanted people's opinion about what I have experienced so it would help me to determine the difference between intuition, anxiety and if anything that is interacting with me is possibly a trickster or parasitic type of spirit trying to trick me.
I understand the concept of personal gnosis-over time and through experience, you develop your own personal gnosis.

I've always felt drawn to demons and they resonate with me, practicing darker aspects of witchcraft, specific types of magick resonate with me, specific Deities, spirits, entities, beings, Demons resonate with me.
I have specifically asked Lucifer to manifest their energy/presence on more than one occasion.
I felt a very strong, intense masculine energy around me, (I specifically asked Lucifer to hold me in his arms and wrap his wings around me & protect me)
I felt the strong, intense masculine energy, around me cradling me, but the second time it happened, I felt something lick my ear and I was being kissed and bitten, the energy felt like a combination of light and airy/warm, comforting energy.
His energy feels fatherly, protective, comforting, lustful, this is what his energy feels like to me, I am sensitive to energy.
I have offered a candle to Lucifer in the past, for a few days I kept feeling demonic energy (it felt like very intense, warm energy, it made my skin feel like it is on fire, but it was comforting to me) something was interacting with me in a sexual context.

I am Clairsentient, Clairaudient, Clairvoyant, a empath, i'm sensitive to energy and I usually physically feel different types of energy, I feel the energy/presence of spirits and other types of entities, beings (i'm not trying to be boastful, or to brag but I have experienced this since I was a teenager)
I heard spirits and other beings, entities talking to me, I smell phantom smells, I have vivid visions, vivid dreams. A friend said I have the potential to be a medium.

Based on what I have described does this sound like the energy/presence of Lucifer and other demons or entities?
I don't always understand why I feel drawn to demons, why I want to have sex with demons but they resonate with me for a reason.
During meditation I hear a masculine voice tell me that I am special, I am a oracle, a seer and I am given messages from the divine.
Various Satanists have said I am chosen, marked by Satan, that I have some type of preordained purpose, but i'm not sure of the exact context of that.
I am interested in Theistic Satanism and Luciferianism, but I also want to work with the Greek and Norse Deities.
I started reading the book Apotheosis-Michael W. Ford

Some of my encounters with entities or demons have been creepy, or it wasn't consensual during a abusive relationship that involved BDSM and Satanism/black magick.
Sometimes my abusive ex invoked specific deons to interact with me in a sexual context, but a the time I didn't meet him in person (due to unemployment/poverty) so it was a long distance/mostly online relationships that was spiritual.
Unfortunately I have dated a few abusive Satanists and a abusive Wiccan. I won't go into detail, I don't want to trigger or upset anyone.

If you read this far, I would appreciate anyone's opinion, advice on how I can establish a connection with Lucifer & other Deities, spirits, entities, beings.

 

[Roma]

How will you activate your own inner planes authority?

 

[Nocturnum]

How will you activate your own inner planes authority?

I don't understand what you mean.

 

[KjEno186]

There is a book in the WF library section of the forum called Lucifer and the Hidden Demons.

Book – PDF - Lucifer and The Hidden Demons: A Practical Grimoire from The Order of Unveiled Faces – Theodore Rose

Where there was effort, there will be ease. Where there was fear, there will be control. Where there was lack, there will be wealth. If you fear evil, know that there is no evil in this grimoire other than the evil that you bring. Be at ease with your desires, and you will not falter. The...

wizardforums.com

I would be curious to know what you might find if you performed the pathworking to Lucifer as instructed in that book.

 

[Nocturnum]

Thanks

 

[Roma]

I don't understand what you mean.

Who/what is in charge of your life?

 

[Nocturnum]

I am, but my circumstances financially are unfortunately outside of my control, no matter what I do to try to change or improve it.
My life isn't simple or easy.

 

[Roma]

During meditation I hear a masculine voice tell me that I am special, I am a oracle, a seer and I am given messages from the divine.

Some believe what they are told. Personally I like to test every proposition

 

[Nocturnum]

I understand.

 

[darangal]

This seems to me to be a general inquiry on how to perform ritual summoning, evocation, invocation, and pacts.

Cliff notes involve:

• candles
• pentagram or some such focal point where the practitioner will position themselves
• incense
• sigil (paper sigil or something more ornate and energetically charged)
• barebones breakdown of the entity in question to determine when to perform the ritual i.e. planetary and moon phase and if any specific scents or offerings would be beneficial to the work.

Casting time will vary I'd anticipate 30 minutes to 2 hours.

Any powerful entity with more juice than the average church is going to present such a complex profile that any impression acquired is of little objective value outside of personal experience.
Having said that I want to clarify something. Spiritual connection of any kind is a deeply personal and individual experience. Due to the personal nature of spiritual connection the majority if not the entirety of the work done to understand the experience is done alone.

 

[Konsciencia]

I have experienced a lot of things I don't always have a explanation for so I wanted people's opinion about what I have experienced so it would help me to determine the difference between intuition, anxiety and if anything that is interacting with me is possibly a trickster or parasitic type of spirit trying to trick me.
I understand the concept of personal gnosis-over time and through experience, you develop your own personal gnosis.

I've always felt drawn to demons and they resonate with me, practicing darker aspects of witchcraft, specific types of magick resonate with me, specific Deities, spirits, entities, beings, Demons resonate with me.
I have specifically asked Lucifer to manifest their energy/presence on more than one occasion.
I felt a very strong, intense masculine energy around me, (I specifically asked Lucifer to hold me in his arms and wrap his wings around me & protect me)
I felt the strong, intense masculine energy, around me cradling me, but the second time it happened, I felt something lick my ear and I was being kissed and bitten, the energy felt like a combination of light and airy/warm, comforting energy.
His energy feels fatherly, protective, comforting, lustful, this is what his energy feels like to me, I am sensitive to energy.
I have offered a candle to Lucifer in the past, for a few days I kept feeling demonic energy (it felt like very intense, warm energy, it made my skin feel like it is on fire, but it was comforting to me) something was interacting with me in a sexual context.

I am Clairsentient, Clairaudient, Clairvoyant, a empath, i'm sensitive to energy and I usually physically feel different types of energy, I feel the energy/presence of spirits and other types of entities, beings (i'm not trying to be boastful, or to brag but I have experienced this since I was a teenager)
I heard spirits and other beings, entities talking to me, I smell phantom smells, I have vivid visions, vivid dreams. A friend said I have the potential to be a medium.

Based on what I have described does this sound like the energy/presence of Lucifer and other demons or entities?
I don't always understand why I feel drawn to demons, why I want to have sex with demons but they resonate with me for a reason.
During meditation I hear a masculine voice tell me that I am special, I am a oracle, a seer and I am given messages from the divine.
Various Satanists have said I am chosen, marked by Satan, that I have some type of preordained purpose, but i'm not sure of the exact context of that.
I am interested in Theistic Satanism and Luciferianism, but I also want to work with the Greek and Norse Deities.
I started reading the book Apotheosis-Michael W. Ford

Some of my encounters with entities or demons have been creepy, or it wasn't consensual during a abusive relationship that involved BDSM and Satanism/black magick.
Sometimes my abusive ex invoked specific deons to interact with me in a sexual context, but a the time I didn't meet him in person (due to unemployment/poverty) so it was a long distance/mostly online relationships that was spiritual.
Unfortunately I have dated a few abusive Satanists and a abusive Wiccan. I won't go into detail, I don't want to trigger or upset anyone.

If you read this far, I would appreciate anyone's opinion, advice on how I can establish a connection with Lucifer & other Deities, spirits, entities, beings.

Wow!! Nocturnum, that's wild I Love it.

What you have experienced is definitely Lucifer.

I had experiences with Lucifer as Baphomet. And that was powerful. And all I did for that to happened, I prayed.

 

[Telafiel]

I have experienced a lot of things I don't always have a explanation for so I wanted people's opinion about what I have experienced so it would help me to determine the difference between intuition, anxiety and if anything that is interacting with me is possibly a trickster or parasitic type of spirit trying to trick me.
I understand the concept of personal gnosis-over time and through experience, you develop your own personal gnosis.

I've always felt drawn to demons and they resonate with me, practicing darker aspects of witchcraft, specific types of magick resonate with me, specific Deities, spirits, entities, beings, Demons resonate with me.
I have specifically asked Lucifer to manifest their energy/presence on more than one occasion.
I felt a very strong, intense masculine energy around me, (I specifically asked Lucifer to hold me in his arms and wrap his wings around me & protect me)
I felt the strong, intense masculine energy, around me cradling me, but the second time it happened, I felt something lick my ear and I was being kissed and bitten, the energy felt like a combination of light and airy/warm, comforting energy.
His energy feels fatherly, protective, comforting, lustful, this is what his energy feels like to me, I am sensitive to energy.
I have offered a candle to Lucifer in the past, for a few days I kept feeling demonic energy (it felt like very intense, warm energy, it made my skin feel like it is on fire, but it was comforting to me) something was interacting with me in a sexual context.

I am Clairsentient, Clairaudient, Clairvoyant, a empath, i'm sensitive to energy and I usually physically feel different types of energy, I feel the energy/presence of spirits and other types of entities, beings (i'm not trying to be boastful, or to brag but I have experienced this since I was a teenager)
I heard spirits and other beings, entities talking to me, I smell phantom smells, I have vivid visions, vivid dreams. A friend said I have the potential to be a medium.

Based on what I have described does this sound like the energy/presence of Lucifer and other demons or entities?
I don't always understand why I feel drawn to demons, why I want to have sex with demons but they resonate with me for a reason.
During meditation I hear a masculine voice tell me that I am special, I am a oracle, a seer and I am given messages from the divine.
Various Satanists have said I am chosen, marked by Satan, that I have some type of preordained purpose, but i'm not sure of the exact context of that.
I am interested in Theistic Satanism and Luciferianism, but I also want to work with the Greek and Norse Deities.
I started reading the book Apotheosis-Michael W. Ford

Some of my encounters with entities or demons have been creepy, or it wasn't consensual during a abusive relationship that involved BDSM and Satanism/black magick.
Sometimes my abusive ex invoked specific deons to interact with me in a sexual context, but a the time I didn't meet him in person (due to unemployment/poverty) so it was a long distance/mostly online relationships that was spiritual.
Unfortunately I have dated a few abusive Satanists and a abusive Wiccan. I won't go into detail, I don't want to trigger or upset anyone.

If you read this far, I would appreciate anyone's opinion, advice on how I can establish a connection with Lucifer & other Deities, spirits, entities, beings.

Lucifer has a warm, embracing aura in most of my experiences, yet it is masculine and powerful. It gave me the vibe of a Father. He is generally caring and understanding. As a result, he can be empathetic. Your sensitivity and intimate, sensual resonance you feel towards demons can be a reason for the way you got approached. How you feel can often define how they're going to handle you. He probably approached you like this because this was the way you desired and opened to the most.

Of course, no rule protects you from being handled harshly or facing hostility, even if you were respectful and polite.

While these abilities are engraved in humans by nature, in most cases, they are fading as we are dragged out of this part of reality and existence by our environment. Like a muscle that we quit using. It'll grow smaller and weaker, as our body have no use, so why would it waste energy and resources to feed and maintain? The same goes for our other abilities.

Some people have these senses opened even after they grow up, or these senses were naturally sharper than others' without practicing. It is a gift we've received. We can use it if we want to, while there are a lot of people with similar abilities who will never step on spiritual grounds at all and these gifts remain unused.

Such as you, I am also drawn to demons sexually. Perhaps I feel this way because I want to experience and feel them more than I could via evocation, invocation, and other ways. Sex is a powerful and intense way of experiencing each other's essence, being, and engaging in an intimate energy exchange. Being empathetic and sensitive can sign that you are sexually attracted to them because you want to feel them and understand them on a new level.

Demons and other spirits - just like us, humans - can also be abusive, toxic, hostile, and dominating in sex and relationships in general, and it can cause serious consequences. It is dangerous, so you have to be careful and remain wary of events. I have my own experiences regarding this, and I can tell that it can put others in literal life-and-death situations in the worst-case scenario.

The traumas you've experienced in your relationships and life in general can be a warm breeding ground for hostile spirits with malevolent intent - and it'll always remain as such! - to use you as they please. I'm not sugarcoating. There is a chance, so don't let them close to you that easily. Take your time, and remain careful.

― To your question about how to maintain relationship (in a nutshell):
Stay attentive, open minded, read about them, hear about them, talk to them, let them be a part of your life, give them who you are, and let them gift to you what they have. You also want to make sure that you are not addicted to sex only. It can be misleading and toxic. A proper, well-maintained relationship is not only about sex!
Mutual respect, acceptance, and honesty are the essence of every relationship, be it a human or a spirit, demon, angel etc.

 

[Roma]

let them be a part of your life, give them who you are

Are there any dangers in letting down all defenses?

 

[pixel_fortune]

Are there any dangers in letting down all defenses?

Is that a sincere question that you're asking because you don't know the answer? If yes, hopefully someone with more experience than me will be able to help you out

You quoted Telafiel, but they made pretty clear that they think it's dangerous to let down all your defences - maybe they can expand on that if there was something you wanted specific advice on

Demons [...] can also be abusive, toxic, hostile, and dominating in sex and relationships in general, and it can cause serious consequences. It is dangerous, so you have to be careful and remain wary of events. [...] It can put others in literal life-and-death situations in the worst-case scenario.

[...] don't let them close to you that easily. Take your time, and remain careful.

 

[Diluculo_DelFuego]

Meh. That's all I feel on this question. I had an experience, but I wouldnt exactly call it wonderful .. at all.

 

[Roma]

Is that a sincere question

Sometimes I cannot understand how trusting humans can be when dealing with largely unseen and unmeasured entities

 

[Nocturnum]

Lucifer has a warm, embracing aura in most of my experiences, yet it is masculine and powerful. It gave me the vibe of a Father. He is generally caring and understanding. As a result, he can be empathetic. Your sensitivity and intimate, sensual resonance you feel towards demons can be a reason for the way you got approached. How you feel can often define how they're going to handle you. He probably approached you like this because this was the way you desired and opened to the most.

Of course, no rule protects you from being handled harshly or facing hostility, even if you were respectful and polite.

While these abilities are engraved in humans by nature, in most cases, they are fading as we are dragged out of this part of reality and existence by our environment. Like a muscle that we quit using. It'll grow smaller and weaker, as our body have no use, so why would it waste energy and resources to feed and maintain? The same goes for our other abilities.

Some people have these senses opened even after they grow up, or these senses were naturally sharper than others' without practicing. It is a gift we've received. We can use it if we want to, while there are a lot of people with similar abilities who will never step on spiritual grounds at all and these gifts remain unused.

Such as you, I am also drawn to demons sexually. Perhaps I feel this way because I want to experience and feel them more than I could via evocation, invocation, and other ways. Sex is a powerful and intense way of experiencing each other's essence, being, and engaging in an intimate energy exchange. Being empathetic and sensitive can sign that you are sexually attracted to them because you want to feel them and understand them on a new level.

Demons and other spirits - just like us, humans - can also be abusive, toxic, hostile, and dominating in sex and relationships in general, and it can cause serious consequences. It is dangerous, so you have to be careful and remain wary of events. I have my own experiences regarding this, and I can tell that it can put others in literal life-and-death situations in the worst-case scenario.

The traumas you've experienced in your relationships and life in general can be a warm breeding ground for hostile spirits with malevolent intent - and it'll always remain as such! - to use you as they please. I'm not sugarcoating. There is a chance, so don't let them close to you that easily. Take your time, and remain careful.

― To your question about how to maintain relationship (in a nutshell):
Stay attentive, open minded, read about them, hear about them, talk to them, let them be a part of your life, give them who you are, and let them gift to you what they have. You also want to make sure that you are not addicted to sex only. It can be misleading and toxic. A proper, well-maintained relationship is not only about sex!
Mutual respect, acceptance, and honesty are the essence of every relationship, be it a human or a spirit, demon, angel etc.

I forgot to say that my ex was invoking demons to interact with me in a sexual context, he used sex magick & black magick against me on purpose, he wanted me to dedicate my soul to Satan because he respects Satan, but they way he works with deons is that he is pretty much enslaved and controlled by them which isn't the way I would work with demons.
Everyone obviously has free will but he tried to force me to love him, when I already had feelings for him at the time.
He didn't ask for my consent or permission then he cast sexual ritual to invoke a group of male demons to sexually harm me, as soon as he said about the ritual I felt warm, demonic energy and I felt demons touching me while I was asleep.
The demons were influencing, controlling and partially possessing me, at the time I didn't feel like myself, sometimes I felt like I was in a trance my personality totally changed-normally i'm shy, sexually repressed due to non consensual stuff that happened involving men, but I was a lot less sexually inhibited and I was addicted to having sex with demons, addicted to astral sex, I was more self-destructive than usual
(self-mutilation), I felt murderous rage/anger.
The more rough it was was, the more the demons liked it, I distinctly remember a demon, pulling my head back to lick my neck.
I think they fed on my energy, because the demons bit me and my energy was drained.
I felt the energy of multiple demons interacting with me and they were rough (I won't go into too much detail, but I am into BDSM, rough sex, being bitten, so I think the demons knew what I liked and what I am into)
When I couldn't sleep I saw a black moving cloud of energy above my head and the darkness in my bedroom was darkness than the natural darkness in my room, while the demons were assaulting me I heard grunting, growling and breathing, I once heard a male demons say "sacrifices had to be made" and it laughed at me.
Eventually I had enough of it, I wanted to have sex with demons but not in this context, so I started to think and believe that they had no power, control or dominion over me, my abusive ex said he sent the demons away but something is attached to me.
Obviously i've learned the hard way, to not trust people but I can be a little bit naive an too trusting of the wrong people sometimes due to how charming, manipulative, coercive they are.

I feel like I have attracted demons into my life since I was a teenager due to experiencing a lot of unnecessary pain, suffering, trauma, abuse.
When I was a teenager I already believe in witchcraft, the paranormal being real, but I was curious and wanted to prove to myself that it is real.
I don't know why I was thinking this at the time, but I wanted the devil to prove they are real by having sex with me, so while I was asleep I had sleep paralysis and I felt the weight of a incubus on me and it was touching me and it was interacting with me in a sexual context.
I have also encountered a imp, I left candles lit in my room and I was asleep and I heard a noise so I woke up, my bedroom door handle was moving by itself and then my bedroom door opened very slowly and it came into my room, it seemed small and it walked into my room and sat on my chest which was probably for a few minutes but it felt like forever.
Both experiences were really creepy, I feel like they make me feel as much anxiety as possible to make it easier to feed on my energy.
A experience I have no explanation for: I audibly heard something with claws scratch my bedroom door, I saw a vision of some type of demonic entity, it had unknown, sinister intentions, then another type of entity came into my room ut this entity had a different type of energy, it felt protective, it had light and airy energy, it stood near my bed and it was flapping it's wings and I felt energy across my face while it was flapping it's wings. I have no idea what they are because I didn't see them, I didn't see the demons either.
During meditation I have heard something breathing loudly that sounded like a Dragon.
I've had a lot of paranormal, astral projection, astral sex, psychic/intuitive experiences and occult related experiences since I was a teenager.
I manifested something negative to happen to a bully without casting any spell or ritual and the bully died I didn't feel happy about it happening but I felt relief, and I was also scared at the time because my intention was raw and intense.

 

[Tiana Silvermoon]

Curious... You're attracted to demons, yet you're scared of them. Did you try to untangle this and see why exactly are you attracted to them? I understand what you're saying about having a lot of trauma and pain, but did you consider your attraction being either something they do to you so they can use you (it being easier due to these events in your life) and/or something you do as harmful escapism and continuation of this pain?

More on topic, I believe that before going into any serious practices one needs to find inner balance so they won't become an easy prey for any kind of spirits. And it might be not my place to say this, but I believe you don't have yours at this moment. What you're describing looks to me like very unhealthy addiction and probably you need to work on your traumatic experiences first.

 

[Nocturnum]

Curious... You're attracted to demons, yet you're scared of them. Did you try to untangle this and see why exactly are you attracted to them? I understand what you're saying about having a lot of trauma and pain, but did you consider your attraction being either something they do to you so they can use you (it being easier due to these events in your life) and/or something you do as harmful escapism and continuation of this pain?

More on topic, I believe that before going into any serious practices one needs to find inner balance so they won't become an easy prey for any kind of spirits. And it might be not my place to say this, but I believe you don't have yours at this moment. What you're describing looks to me like very unhealthy addiction and probably you need to work on your traumatic experiences first.

I'm not experienced working with demons, or practicing witchcraft and I don't have privacy to practice witchcraft which is why I have had a psychic bonds and astral sex, spiritual relationships with men that I trusted but unfortunately I have a dew abusive exes, it wasn't obvious that they were abusive because they have a fake persona and pretended to be what I wanted them to be, told me what I wanted to hear etc.
I understand what you mean but i'm no longer self-destructive, I have boundaries and self-respect and self-love, i'm focusing more on what resonates with me, I want to heal any trauma I have experienced, I have zero tolerance for spiritual/sexual narcissism, coercion, emotionally and verbally abusive/exploitative attitude and behaviour, condescending, sexist, misogynistic attitude, behaviour or perception, disrespect, emotional sadism, victim mentality, love bombing and gaslighting.

Post automatically merged: Dec 19, 2023

I'm not experienced working with demons, or practicing witchcraft and I don't have privacy to practice witchcraft which is why I have had a psychic bonds and astral sex, spiritual relationships with men that I trusted but unfortunately I have a dew abusive exes, it wasn't obvious that they were abusive because they have a fake persona and pretended to be what I wanted them to be, told me what I wanted to hear etc.
I understand what you mean but i'm no longer self-destructive, I have boundaries and self-respect and self-love, i'm focusing more on what resonates with me, I want to heal any trauma I have experienced, I have zero tolerance for spiritual/sexual narcissism, coercion, emotionally and verbally abusive/exploitative attitude and behaviour, condescending, sexist, misogynistic attitude, behaviour or perception, disrespect, emotional sadism, victim mentality, love bombing and gaslighting.

I do read Esoteric books and educate myself about witchcraft and form my own opinion and pay attention to what resonates with me.

 

[Telafiel]

It seems like you're relationship with your partner was abusive and toxic in many forms. I won't dig into that, but instead, I'll let you know some things about demons in general, as I responding to your comment.​

I forgot to say that my ex was invoking demons to interact with me in a sexual context, he used sex magick & black magick against me on purpose, he wanted me to dedicate my soul to Satan because he respects Satan, but they way he works with deons is that he is pretty much enslaved and controlled by them which isn't the way I would work with demons.

I'm unsure if your boyfriend was this toxic and obsessive before demons entered his life and took their places, but it's worth mentioning that people who worship demons can become their slaves quickly, a living tool for their goals. These individuals are more vulnerable to demons' influence and will. Those around their 'tools' are also in danger precisely because of how well they can execute what the demons want them to.

Demons can be excessively obsessive, manipulative, ruthless, violent, abusive, very perverted, sadistic, and selfish. They function in a strict hierarchy. Torturing and humiliating even each other the same way as they do to humans is an "everyday" thing.
Your boyfriend shows many qualities that demons possess as well. I'm not saying that people like this can not exist without being in contact with demonic forces, but mark the fact that demons can use people to achieve their goals, and vulnerable, sensitive and easy-to-control people can turn into what they want them to be. The less they have to groom them, the better.

Therefore, a naturally violent, obsessive person who shares several traits that they have is an easily accessible 'channel' for them. They possibly used your boyfriend for their pleasures, and you were a part of it. He is a slave, after all, and you were a sextool and energy source for them.
​

I feel like I have attracted demons into my life since I was a teenager due to experiencing a lot of unnecessary pain, suffering, trauma, abuse.

Demons are low-vibrational beings. Emotions like depression, fear, the sense of pain, mourning, traumas, etc., are filled with low-vibrational energies. It is why it can attract demons (these people are often more vulnerable than the others), and the fact that you wanted them to interact with you sexually made it possible for them to get access to your energy and you. They didn't necessarily love you. They're just used to you.
​

manifested something negative to happen to a bully without casting any spell or ritual and the bully died I didn't feel happy about it happening but I felt relief, and I was also scared at the time because my intention was raw and intense.

It indicates that naturally, you would not be violent or hostile, but you may end up using your energy in a way you may regret.
This is not a game, and creating a curse is easier than most people could imagine. You have a lot of trauma and pressure piled up on you, and while your actions may be passive, energetically you may hit a boiling point. Learn to control it because it can consume you, not just others.

Ultimately, from what I've seen from you, it looks like most men and demons, in general, were using you while you allowed it to happen, and I think this is something you have to overcome by self-respect, self-love, protection, and a lot of healing. Demons won't feel pity towards you and most humans either. This is the harsh reality.

I'm in a very close and good relationship with demons, so when I say these, I want you to know I'm not protecting anyone here, not even demons. This is what I've learned. Take it as you will.​