Mi Daemon, Ad Me Veni! – Fiction and Magic
A student wrote to me asking if I thought it was okay that they used a Latin Chant from the Mayfair Witches in their rituals and spells. I read the first three books when they first came out in the Eighties, but didn’t remember the chant from the books. It appears many times in the show though:
Mi Daemon, ad me veni! Mi Daemon, mihi labora! Mi Daemon, me libera!
This translates to “My Spirit, come to me. My spirit, work for me. My spirit, liberate me!” Its perfectly serviceable Latin and the incantation makes sense, so my answer was: “Yes! In fact, I might include it in some of my spells too. Its a pithy little charge that could be added to almost any spell or conjuration of a spirit that you have an ongoing relationship with. You know, one you are familiar with….”
The student then asked what I knew would be their follow up question “But you have said repeatedly that you don’t like fiction based magic. You actually ban its discussion in your groups. Why would this be okay?”
It’s okay because using a chant in a real language that you happen to have learned from a fictional source is not in any way “fiction based magic”. We might say its fiction inspired, but that’s not the same thing. The difference is actually quite stark when you think about it:
Its the difference between using Real Latin that you happen to have learned from a work of fiction vs calling upon Lasher, a character made up by Anne Rice as if he were real.
Its the difference between being inspired to go to New Orleans and research the magical traditions there vs pretending that you are a Mayfair.
Fiction can be an incredible source of inspiration and understanding. There are actual studies that show how reading fiction improves ones theory of mind. Writers of fiction often draw their inspiration from real things so it makes sense that one could be inspired towards magical efforts or inquiries by fiction, much the same as scientists are sometimes inspired by well-researched science fiction. There is a pretty big difference between this, and simply pretending that the fiction is real.
Now, I know that there are people who do magic with fictional characters, and who believe that basically all magic boils down to what they personally choose to invest belief in. Suffice to say I am not in that camp, and don’t care for the approach. Those that are, I leave you to it.
If you are in my camp however, and reject that sort of thing, there is no reason to throw the baby out with the bathwater and reject any idea just because it gets used in fiction.
The next time you are up for a promotion at work or want to gain someone’s favor maybe you will do a spell that involves a spirit. Something like writing your own name with the title or favor that you desire right in the blank space of Belial’s seal as if was a king in a castle. Place four candles on the round circles and trace the cross images in oil as you charge Belial by Ichtheon and Astero to send a spirit to aid you in achieving what you seek. Then go ahead and follow up up by chanting: Mi Daemon, ad me veni! Mi Daemon, mihi labora! Mi Daemon, me libera!
There would be no fiction involved.
