[Help] What are your tips for making a pact with a spirit?

[Zander]

I'm considering making a pact, with a goetia demon to be specific, but I figured the process should be the same in broad strokes with other kinds of spirits so I'm hoping this can become a reference thread for future seekers of occult knowledge.

Looking for advice, warnings, preferred books, videos, recipes for simple magickal ink, and even short tutorials if you feel like it. I'm just looking for as much knowledge as I can get so I can prepare and do it properly.

 

[Keldan]

I’ve entered into a lot of contracts, and my advice to anyone considering one is do not agree to a contract unless you have the ability to see current first. If you can’t see current, you will miss hidden conditions and influences you won’t detect.

Another thing is if you cannot identify the being interacting with you on your own, and if you cannot tell whether they’re being truthful or lying to you directly, then you have no business making a contract at all.

Without the ability to see current and verify who you’re dealing with, you cannot know what is actually in the contract. You can only rely on the terms you assume you agreed to, while the real risks sit in what you didn’t see.

The majority of people don’t need contracts. Unless your practice is very intensive with the spiritual. And your work spans multiple hours a day, every day with the spiritual, then a contract is unnecessary. In most cases, it’s better to request help and offer something in return without binding yourself to a contract.

 

[Reizo]

Personally, I would highly recommend Secrets of the Magickal Grimoires, By Aaron Leitch, which describes how to create a "Liber Spirituum" which would function as your 'contract' so to speak. The book also describes, IMO, very well how to fully understand & work with texts such as the Ars Goetia and the Key of Solomon in a traditional manner. Consecrating the tools, including the writing implements are covered as well as ritual preparations. Check it out~

 

[Morell]

Good advices here.

I would advice, beyond anything else, honesty with yourself as well as with the spirit you are dealing with. Ask for things that are good for you and for your improvement/evolution. Offer in exchange what you can offer. If the spirit demands something you cannot or do not want to give, then don't. You have right to refuse the demand... and so does the spirit.

If you seek help, keep in mind that spiritual help is support. You need to do your part. Without it, the spirit might not be able to do anything for you. Depends on what you want, sure, but if you want to become for example good writer, you need to write. |If you want a job, you have to seek it... etc.

Keep your word once you give it, no matter if written or spoken. Be a man of your word, that makes you honorable and more trustworthy, both in magic as well as in mundane life. So, respect the agreement you made the best you can.

Don't hurry. If you need to negotiate with spirit on conditions, then after they are stated, take time to think it through one more time so that when you accept or not, you know well enough, why... and to have alternatives to offer, if needed. You can even set more phases of this ritual, like first meeting to familiarize, goof to offer something small for welcome. Meet more times if needed. Meet for the discussion about the agreement that you seek. The agreement itself should be the goal. No problem if it takes more time, even if more than one day.

 

[saber]

There's also a lot of different kinds of pacts, and different things you might want to get out of a pact. A long-term pact for spiritual guidance is going to look a lot different than a short-term pact to help you get a job.

If there's payment that has to occur for the pact, make sure it's something that's reasonable for you and that you negotiate it upfront. Important to establish your own boundaries!

Since books were mentioned, I highly recommend "A Spirit Work Primer: a Beginner's Guide to Streamlined Spirit Work" by Naag Loki Shivanath. It's not a long read, but it has a lot of useful information that I wished that I had when I first started doing spirit work.

 

[MorganBlack]

You don't have to make an explicit pact, but the Grim Verum suggests, in spirt work, you're always making a pact, even you intend to or not. So you might was well take it seriously. Half-assing something never gets anyone very far. In the GV protocols it's meant to be the beginning of a deep journey and friendship. There are benefits to this approach I leave for people to discover.

Just to help put to rest some of Hollywood horror movie fears, a excellent introduction to the pact-based grims, from Secrets of Solomon, edited by Joseph Peterson, an early proto-GV:

“The spirits are certain hidden forces, who will not willingly serve unless you make an alliance and unite with the strength of an agreement (or pact), by means of a certain specific character from Sigambach, or his secretary Rabidmadar with the intention spelled out. Nevertheless this character is nothing else but an emblem, in order that friends can be distinguished from enemies; so great indeed are they, that the spirits will not aid you unless they can distinguish and discern by some sign, that it is one of his friends calling for help. Moreover, they will not aid unless you have shown some kind of conspicuous declaration beforehand, such as an agreement or pact that was entered into between you and itself - clearly indicating you as his friend, and you should show a suitable offering. Understand, a trusted friend is one whom the spirit himself has willingly accepted mastery.”

Another paragraph in the GV tell us how to work with the spirits:

”The spirits, who are powerful and exalted, serve only their confidants and intimate friends, or if a pact has been entered into, or their service can be acquired by means of certain characters at the will of Singambuth, or his secretary.”

This is more about friendship than formal alliances than "selling your soul" - if anything you are offering to make available , as a freind, your time and attention. (and a little bit of access to your Logos-insipired divine creativity. ) I will add here the pact is two-way street. As much as you can summon them, they can summon you as well.