2018 3/30

ASMODAY.--The Thirty-second Spirit is Asmoday, or Asmodai. He is a Great King, Strong, and Powerful. He appeareth with Three Heads, whereof the first is like a Bull, the second like a Man, and the third like a Ram; he bath also the tail of a Serpent, and from his mouth issue Flames of Fire. His Feet are webbed like those of a Goose. He sitteth upon an Infernal Dragon, and beareth in his hand a Lance with a Banner. He is first and choicest under the Power of AMAYMON, he goeth before all other. When the Exorcist bath a mind to call him, let it be abroad, and let him stand on his feet all the time of action, with his Cap or Headdress off; for if it be on, AMAYMON will deceive him and call all his actions to be bewrayed. But as soon as the Exorcist seeth Asmoday in the shape aforesaid, he shall call him by his Name, saying: "Art thou Asmoday?" and he will not deny it, and by-and-by he will bow down unto the ground. He giveth the Ring of Virtues; he teacheth the Arts of Arithmetic, Astronomy, Geometry, and all handicrafts absolutely. He giveth true and full answers unto thy demands. He maketh one Invincible. He showeth the place where Treasures lie, and guardeth it. He, amongst the Legions of AMAYMON governeth 72 Legions of Spirits Inferior. His Seal is this which thou must wear as a Lamen upon thy breast, etc.

We stood on the rooftop, bedsheets flapping around us

a chalked circle, white pillar candles

the town of Athens, Ohio

laid out below us, with it’s haunted graveyards

secret tunnels, it’s hangman’s tree

The angels of the hours laid out on paper cards
around the names of god

the pentacles, the mirrors

the shoplifted incense cones smouldering away

drunken kids on court street howled at the moon

the townies chanted Enochian, Latin, Greek

drank stolen wine, smoked shake

ate speed, read Barret, and Crowley and Cavendish

called out Aeshma Daeva, Asmodeus, Asmoday

The demon of the book of Tobit

that haunts the marriage bed

is driven from the home by the smell of burning fish

nodded in the candlelight, his chimera heads

flickering in the candles

ram and bull horned

he stood in the triangle of evocation

spirit of the wounding spear,

that sword salve, that tendril of unholy desire

to wrap around my heart

the broken tip of a spear, the unhealing

wound of my sickness,

of never-enough love,

grail-king riddled with poison, magus

dead thing on a throne

in a room of hoarded things

worm in my core