It would be wise, before one begins the study of these creatures, to curtail one’s desires and consider simply the nature of the beast. It is said that a Diabolical gains power from and over the summoner if the summoner cannot maintain sufficient control over themselves. This vicious circle of hegemony and servitude is then the main point at which any serious study should begin, for it is this vicious circle that forms the basis of control and determines whether or not the summoner has placed themselves in a position of safety or danger. It must therefore be emphasised before we undertake any motion forward in the development of this art that the utmost care should be taken, and by care we mean caution and patience. For those that exercise caution and patience, those that understand the notion that many grains of dust a mountain makes will go far, whilst those that do not heed this advice will find themselves on a precipitous trail.

There is, and always has been, much discussion regarding the nature of Diabolicals, and their relationship to the aetheric medium. The phenomenological experience suggests that these entities exist almost behind the curtain of the aether, so to speak, and can be accessed, and communicated with, by pulling the aetheric fabric aside, but the author maintains categorically that this is not the case. Firstly it is absolutely imperative that the aether is maintained, for there are greater dangers than Diabolicals that exist beyond this fabric. No, it would be more accurate to maintain that the entities of diabolical nature exist within the aetheric medium, or may be discovered within the aetheric medium, should one know how to look.

That they exist within the aetheric medium may suggest that they are made from the aetheric medium and thus it is this nature and constitution which allows for their usefulness for the generation of insight and knowledge into the manipulation of the aether itself. Moreover, as the Novice slowly grows into the Master one will begin to perceive how existence within the aetheric environment tempers the perception of these entities and gives rise to a new and different vision of the real, which in turn determines a different means of interaction - a means which again should be slowly embraced and deliberately studied in a manner similar to the art of summoning.

That the Diabolicals exist within and are causatively maintained by the aether suggests that they should be considered more as forces than material. It is for this reason that they are often referred to as ‘inorganic’ in that they have no basis within the material world and yet, when manifested, clearly take on the ‘clothing’ of matter. In maintaining this outfit, a Diabolical seemingly has only one mode of sustenance, that being blood. The why’s and whatevers of this dependency are purely speculative and the author does not wish to conjecture at this moment as to the reasons for this, but, suffice to say, whatever it is that blood contains, the sustenance of a Diabolical depends upon it, and the desperation caused by a Diabolical’s hunger significantly increases its violence and ferocity. As we will go on to mention, there is a hierarchy within the structure of Diabolical taxonomy with lesser and greater entities constructing this hierarchy, and within this hierarchy clear divisions can be observed with regard to feeding and nourishment. Some of the lesser entities can exist and maintain themselves quite easily on the blood of animals and in some unusual circumstances even fish, however it is clear that, as the rank of the Diabolical increases, their ability to maintain themselves on anything other than human blood decreases. It is for this reason that one unfamiliar with the study of Diabolicals may at some point, as familiarity blossoms, wish to reconsider the phrase: ‘Curiosity killed the cat,’ but we will leave the reader to ponder this aside for the moment.

This being said, therefore, it should be evident and imperative that a Diabolical, once summoned, is kept chained and bound at all moments, for to unleash it upon, and within, the real, is to unleash upon nature a consuming force of death. That they wish to maintain themselves within the real is actually a surprising and interesting basis for the beginning of theoretical study for it hints at a desire contained within themselves - a desire of desire if you will. That an entity brought forth from the aether - its natural environment so to speak - would not wish to return to its natural state is quite surprising. That they wish to maintain themselves within this plane and actively attempt to stay, more surprising still. Why would such a thing occur? What is the benefit to such a creature? Again we run the risk of idle speculation but it is of the author’s opinion that such a sojourn in the realm of the real permits an evolution within the Diabolical hierarchy and represents effectively a will and means to power and thus, if this is the case, then it may be perceived, should the will of the summoned and the the will of the summoner be in alignment, that, for want of a better word, a ‘harmony’ can theoretically be achieved between them. In instances where this harmony arises, the usual means of binding and restriction can surprisingly be completely done away with, but these instances are, although documented, incredibly rare.

As mentioned previously the means of discovering Diabolicals is determined by the way in which one ‘looks’, and it is for this reason that many consider the summoning of Diabolicals to be a branch of magic which is impure, for it relies not just on the manipulation of the aether, but also on the implementation of material, namely mirrors. It also, perhaps, for this reason - for this branch of magic, although considered impure, is, by the authors consideration, one of the oldest - that we get the meaning of the word: occult, perhaps more of an ironic pun. The notion of an occlusion is something that prevents one’s view and is thus that used to maintain a secret - the magic arts being described as such. This itself derives from oculus meaning ‘the hole through which one spies to see’, the original notion of a window. That mirrors provide a window into the aether and a means of seeing the ‘secret’ realm of Diabolicals is perhaps why certain mirrors, particular larger ones, are sometimes referred to as oculi. One may, for example, upon studying the histories, come across references to the Oculi of Pemeni a collection of distorted and curved mirrors that legend has it created the different races and provided for a variety of other mythic instances, but we digress.

In researching many of the old texts one may find reference to ‘the running of water upon a mirrors surfaces’ in order to generate the effect of Diabolical vision, but the author believes this to be simply a metaphor for the aetheric currents, and is not considered a necessity in a mirror’s usage for summoning. That being said, the author has not fully investigated this phenomena and it may turn out to be a means of achieving an effective summoning without aetheric manipulation, however, as stated quite clearly at the beginning of this treatise, it is wise to proceed cautiously and if one has an effective pathway which is time trusted and safe, it may be considered a stupidity to approach a goal by any other means.

Again, it may be unwise to conjecture upon the nature of certain aspects and things, as conjecture can be the father of one’s undoing. Sometimes, however, truthful and honest conjecture can lead to insights or at least the threads of potential insights which if tugged and teased can occasionally reveal something closer to a truth. Why then the use of mirrors?

Anyone versed in the manipulation and phenomena of the aetherial will be cognisant of the manner in which the aetheric threads ‘flow’. It matters not how one orientates oneself, the threads flow onwards and outwards as if one is standing in a river always facing the sea. It is as if one can never look behind oneself but must always gaze forward. With the presence of a suitably sized mirror, one will begin to notice, as the size increases, how the threads are affected by its presence, and if one continues this examination, how within this mirror, the threads’ direction although seemingly the same is in actuality reversed. This reversal of the aetheric medium provides therefore a means of gazing ‘backwards’ and as a first and important step, this is the point at which true practical study of the art of summoning begins. Why it is that access to the realm of Diaboicals, and via a reciprocity, access to ours from theirs, is permitted only by this reversal is, as stated, a matter for conjecture, but it may, if considered, provide insight into further development. To summarise, as the poet and magus, Xan-Demos wrote

Rocks in the river, turbulence provides

Throwing from its depths, things that it hides.