This book shows that all our answers that we look for can be found in the Bible.  It also shows that curses and demons can affect all areas of your life.

                Prayers That Rout Demons And Break Curses is broken up into two books.  The first part or first book is about getting out the demons that enter our daily lives.

                The second helps identify the curses that have been set on our lives and prayers to use against them.  You will also learn the different kinds of spirits and demons that are in charge of tempting us to do evil things.

                I think that this is a good book for Christians to own and read.  It could help with dealing with your own personal demons.

                Please check out William Swafford’s author website.

Charles Winter is 49. He is your average gentleman who leads a very normal life – apart from the fact he believes he is possessed by a demon.

For Charles, life couldn’t have become so frustrating and damaging. Apart from a few complaints of regular headaches, the plumber says his physical health is relatively good for his age. He plays squash, takes long walks and visits his local swimming pool a couple of times a week. All in the name of keeping a fit body and a fit mind.

But his mind is not fit – at least according to friends close to Charles who worry for his mental state. So much so that now one or two are questioning whether Charles does in fact harbour a demon spirit.

“My life has turned upside down,” claims Charles. “Before I was an active gentleman who would trust people and help folk who need help. But now I am angry, paranoid and I have become reclusive.”

So much so that Charles only emerges to travel to work. As a self-employed plumber and heating engineer, Charles believes that if he worked in a factory or office he would have been fired long ago because of his mistrust and anger problems.

“Working as a self employed plumber helps immensely with my situation,” he says. “I believe people are always out to lie to me and will tell me anything to try and make me insane. I would hate to be surrounded by people in a work establishment. I would freak out.”

Charles believes his paranoia came one night whilst returning home from work to his wife and son. He believes that whilst sleeping he became possessed by a demonic spirit. 

“I woke up the next morning feeling a little different,” he tells reporters. “My wife sensed I was acting strangely and I would look at her as if she was telling me lies. I became so mistrusting.”

The mistrust was that appalling that Charles accused his wife of having numerous affairs. It became so strained that his wife left him several months later. According to friends close to Charles, his ex-wife was even accused of having an affair with a local Priest.

“Charles thought his wife was snooping around and sleeping behind his back,” says one concerned friend. “He thought his wife was having sex with different men and even convinced himself that she was sleeping with our local Priest. It became too much and she left with their son.”

Charles moved on and for several years he tried counselling, psycho-dynamic counselling, anger management training and even sought out hypnosis to quell his paranoia.

Demon reveals itself

But it was the hypnosis that brought the demon to the surface. Charles claims that whilst being hypnotised, the demon calling itself “Mirage”, challenged the hypnotist and ridiculed him. Foul language and even an attack with a nearby coal poker almost resulted in the hypnotist being injured.

“The poor man quickly snapped me out of my hypnotic state so the demon disappeared,” says Charles. “He really did fear for his life and told me to seek out the Church.”

Charles says he fought every night with the demon. According to him the demon took control of his emotions and mental state “whenever it suited it”. At times, Charles claims being in public places became embarrassing as he frowned upon anyone who tried to be happy – especially to him.

“I would question anyone’s motives who even remotely tried to be civilised with me,” he goes on to mention. “Girls were definitely out the question as I would not even trust them when they smiled – let alone anything else.”

Charles says the demon has took control of his life and now friends have rallied round to convince him to seek out exorcism – or at the very least to talk to the Church about his condition.

“We hold out hope for Charles,” says one friend. “The Church is the only place that holds the key – and power – to getting Charles free of this demon. It is horrible for people close to him and it must be awful for him to suffer like this.”

Charles is now seeking help of paranormal investigators and has opened a dialogue with a member of the Catholic Church.

These three main religions are Abrahamic Religions. Why these people believe in such things that doesn’t exist? I will give all the proof in the end of this topic that demons actually don’t go inside us, they have no shapes, they are not invisible and they have no names. They are actually our bad thoughts which is develop in our brain. But anyway, let me give you more wrong concepts about other religions concerning Exorcism.
Hindus also Believe in Exorcism. In their language, it is known as Mantra. And according to my limited sources, mantra concern with the word Of Magic.  Of the four Vedas(The holy book of Hindus), the Athvara Vedas is said to contain secrets and magic. They also believe in Ghosts. Hindus use these Mantra to evict Ghosts or evil forces, from a place and  a  person. They use this process by burning incense during their prayer or sprinkling water from the holy rivers and other effective prayers.
Buddhism has a clear view about Exorcism. They believe Exorcism as  nothing but just the thoughts which effect our minds.
Certain Buddhists believe in blessings rather than exorcisms to rid themselves or property of negative thoughts and/or negative spirits.
Scientist also reject this view. They don’t believe in Exorcism. They believe that when man acts more than normal behavior, it concern with his mental illness not with demons or Satan. Sometimes a man act like another man. Science tells us that this property is known as Multiple Personality Disorder. Its just like a disease, but it does not mean that a man has been possessed by Ghosts, Jinn, , Demons and those other things which never ever existed in the world.
The Christian demonology. Lets take one of their So called demons and unlock the mystery. Take Baal. Christians believe that Baal is the seven princes of Hell. Baal is a demon in Christian demonology. His name has come many times in old testament . The meaning of his name in Holy books is the master or the owner. And holy books also predicts that he is the owner or master of the east and the whole world. Now read and think carefully.
Freemasons.  They are ruling over the whole east  and the whole world.  The term Baal is used  in the Hebrew bible  has a possible link with this society. They have evil minds. They do evil or bad work.  this society was developed in Moses (as) Era. And Lo, Hebrew bible is pointing out them. But Christians and Roman Catholic church believes that he has  some kind of shape and  he appears in different disguises. The Baal word is clearly pointing the Freemasons Society. Their thoughts and their work are not less than a devil. Hebrew Bible also states that the demon Baal worship  to Pagan God (Idols). If you read the history of free masons then you will find out that this society also worshiped to a Pagan God. As I have told in the Chapter Free masons, that they have  more than one God. Or we can say they have gods. If you want more proof that the demons or evil (Satan) are actually our bad thoughts, then here you are.
 King Solomon(May God Bless Him), he wrote a book about the magicians. He wrote many books. In his book , he had drawn pyramids and some code language. He point about the dangerous magician and evil persons in his book. Pyramids are the sign of Freemasons society , and Solomon actually drawn their symbols in his book to tell the people that they are very horrible type magicians. But people took it wrong. They think that he discussed about the demons. If he does, then he is right. Free masons are the demons.
For example, There is a gang. Their leader is the mastermind criminal. And  other criminals work under him. This is how I take demons and Satan.  Mastermind criminal is our thought and our actions are working under it.
Take Lucifer. The word Lucifer means Pride and everybody knows that pride is not right for us. Its an evil act. We can also take pride in positive manner, that is a product of praise and independent  self reflection. Now religious people like, Catholic Church in Rome, believe Lucifer as a demon. Well, They are absolutely right. Pride is Demon. But they are wrong about giving it a shape and concerning it with unbelievable able myths . Its not always free masons who do evil work. We also do bad things and we think that Evil is forcing us  to do this.
About Ghosts , they don’t exist. The biggest Ghost is our  conscious     mind. And I have already given you  the proof about Jinn in Islam. They exist but not in the sense of invisible creatures or supernatural forces. Buddhism is the only religion, which understand the concept of Exorcism and Demons. These are our thoughts which influence and God call these thoughts and negative emotion as Satan. Don’t try to bring the ancient tradition in this modern world. If you do , then you wont understand the real story. That’s what the priests and MOLVIS do, they try to understand their religion according to the past but not to the present world. That’s why they wont understand. They will take me wrong but I don’t care just like they don’t care about people. This whole process , Exorcism, Ruqya, Mantra and other verses of God to evict demons are all in vain. I  guarantee that these people will suffer a lot. Don’t follow their Concepts and Knowledge but if you want to no one can stop you. Not even God.

Forget the exorcism of a famous horror movie The Exorcist. When in Colombia look at the poor possessed covered with mud and surrounded by fire during the ritual, which leads mystical brother Hermes, you will find that the scene has little to do with any traditional religious or spiritual ceremony.

In the mud and flames
But these bizarre scenes fall between twenty-year tradition of exorcism components brother Hermes, who says that the ritual deprives people of evil spirits. Colombian exorcist first people to wear white robes and then lay on the ground in the shape of a cross between the red and yellow marker posts.

Fifty spiritual leader, whose civil name is Hermes Cifuentes, ritual participants also rubs from head to toe in black mud, forcing the state during the ceremony in the deep holes in the ground.Possessed people must show strong faith at work and do penance spiritual leader by lying in the mud surrounded by flames.

Blind Faith
Many participants also have a ritual eyes covered with bandages and blackened bodies along the tangled green and white ribbons connecting the wooden cross. To cap a bizarre scene remains to mention fruit and placing candles around the obsessive and eggs on his head. Only then will the proper connection with the mystical healer, who then performs an exorcism or healing by placing your hands close to the body and the head man in a religious trance.

Whether Hermes methods actually deliver the desired results, it is very difficult to say, but about an exorcist must do something right, judging by the high demand for its services. In his residence at La Cumbre each week replace about ten people who come for advice, or directly ask some of the curative or exorcist rituals

-Unnatural perversions and fetishes
-Irrational fears, phobias, anxiety
-Low self image
-Temptations to commit suicide, self harm
-Disregard for physical appearance
-Lack of self control
-Conflicts with authority figures
-Deep depression
-Obsession with violence, homicidal thoughts
-Seeing only damnation and punishment in the bible
-Multiple-Personalities, schizophrenia, and hearing voices
-Disturbed reaction to the name of Jesus Christ
-Horrible dreams causing fear
-Sleep paralysis
-Seeing UFOs, Aliens
-Unexplained foul smells
-Pain, acute without reason
-Disappearance of items, hunting’s
-Eating Disorders
-Seizures
-Drug abuse and hallucinations

.

.

Causes for Demonic Influence

-Pornographic and Obscene Materials
-Sexual immorality
-Repressed childhood memories of sexual molestation
-Mind-altering Drugs
-Preoccupation with UFO phenomena; attempts to contact extraterrestrial beings
-Escapism, through tv, internet or some other addicting activity
-Participation in false religions or cults
-Godless Rock music
-Rejection of what is known and understood to be true
-Interest in the occult, psychic phenomena
-Possession of (known or unknown) occultic games, books, etc this includes the Ouija Board
-Rebellion against authority
-Relationships or close friends with demon possessed people
-Persistent jealousy, bitterness
-Anger against God and others

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Cover via Amazon

These entities, depending on the beliefs of those involved, can be demons, evil spirits, witches, etc.

The object of possession can be a person or animal, objects and even places like villages or houses (Poltergeist).

Possession may be total (the entity takes over the functions of the possessed, can move, talk, etc, through the victim) or partial (in which the body uses the possessed to any particular activity, such as Incubus or succubi who have sex with the victim while she sleeps).

Exorcism is present in most major religions, including Christianity, Judaism and Islam.

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Exorcism has been to the cinema, in films like The Exorcist (William Friedkin, 1973), based on the novel by William Peter Blatty and Constantine (Francis Lawrence, 2008), based on the comic book “Hellblazer” by Jamie Delano Garth Ennis.

Another movie is The Exorcism of Emily Rose based on a real case of exorcism of a possessed girl, in which it has just died, his parents and priests participants tried and convicted of malpractice.

Catholic exorcist:

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The Catholic exorcism ritual, including the continuous repetition of sentences and deportation orders, and the use of objects that can repel the body, in this case a demon, as crucifixes, holy water, relics, among others.

Exorcism in the Catholic theology is based on the Gospel texts which tell of the release and expulsion of demons that Jesus did as the possessed of Gadara (Matt. 8.28 ss) to a young man (Mark 9.21 ) mentioning for example that some demons to beat required practice of fasting and prayer (Matt. 17:19) even had a power that his disciples (Luke 10.17). Seven specific cases of possession told in the Gospels.

In the early centuries there were no precise formulas to exorcise, although the charisma to cast out demons, which was used by Christian apologists to show the divinity of Christianity, such as Tertullian (Apología. 23) and Minucius Felix (Octavius ​​27 .)

The first book with formulas of exorcism is the status Ecclesiae Latinae in late 500, and a literature exorcist comes to books like the Malleus Maleficarum in 1494 (J. Sprengurus) the Flagellum Daemonum of 1606 (V. Polidorus), Manuale Exorcistarum ( C. Brognolus) 1720.

Main criterion for correct discernment of demonic possession according to the new ritual

Having been ruled a mental disorder, whether pathological or paranormal, are often considered signs of demonic possession: vehement aversion to God, the Virgin, the Saints, the cross and sagradas.Además images, depending on good or harmful purpose for which employs, was able to discern whether the following productions of the person under investigation, are gifts from God, or signs of possession:

Speaking with many tongues words or things present or distant entenderlas.Hacer escondidas.Demostrar normal.Para harder than the practice of exorcism is the authorization of the bishop, who can be granted once a time for each specific case or general and permanent priest who exercises the ministry of exorcist in the diocese

It should be pointed out that the power to expel demons was given by Jesus Christ Himself to His disciples, and therefore the bishop has no power to deprive a priest of this power. The rule does not exorcise without permission of the bishop was established in recent times, to avoid exorcised without the assurance that there possession.

The priests of the Catholic Church to perform the exorcism do so under the terms of the Rituale Romanum. Today should be used as approved by the Pope in January 1999.

The first I knew that something was amiss was when we bought a kitten after about two years there. I sat playing with her on the stairs when I heard a child’s voice come out of nowhere, ” Wow, a kitten! ” I was alone in the house apart from the two cats and dogs so I was surprised to say the least. I shrugged it off as imagination. I told the family and we all had a good laugh about it.

Things were fairly quiet after that but I did gradually start to feel uneasy about going into our bathroom. It was freshly decorated in pale colours and had a new suite. It did feel as though there was already somebody in there and so it was most uncomfortable having a bath or a shower. Later on my eldest son said that he felt uneasy in there too. At the same time the phone would often ring just once for no apparent reason and the number was (according to the automated voice on 1471) not recorded.  Lights began to flicker on and off and although we had an electrician round to check the wiring he could not find anything wrong.

Time went on and on occasion I could hear laughter or conversation just for a couple of seconds when there was nobody but me at home. I kept putting it down to my imagination, being far too busy to think about such things. I had an open mind about ghosts and hauntings but if they did exist they happened to someone else in old, scary houses and castles. We were a very ordinary family so why should it happen here in our house especially as it had only ever been inhabited by happy families such as ourselves?

Then, when we decided that we had had enough of London life and wanted to sell up and move to the country things started to escalate. We put our freshly decorated in neutral colours and decluttered house on the market. There were many viewings, much interest and a drop in price but in two years not a single offer was made. One estate agent mentioned that a potential buyer had told him the house looked nice but there was a very strange, negative atmosphere in some of the rooms. We tried to laugh it off but the thing was, we agreed with them! Then things started to disappear and appear in strange places. We all get forgetful from time to time but how could a camera for example that I had put in the drawer where it had always lived suddenly vanish? We all searched for it high and low and the drawer was checked thoroughly three times just incase I had missed it, all the papers taken out. We all accused each other of having moved the camera and things got a bit fraught as we were late to a birthday party. Then, just before leaving I despondantly checked the drawer one last time as it was “impossible” for it to have walked away by itself. Everybody else had waited downstairs as we were about to leave the house. I opened the drawer and there, at the very top was the camera in its usual place. Now, I mention this as the same scenario was repeated with numerous household objects many times. It became quite the joke, ” we must have a ghost!” Only with the voices and flickering lights it wasn’t that funny.

At night in the kitchen we felt watched. Maybe it was paranoia by this time but there was a menacing air about the place as though if you looked out of the window into the night, something horrible from your worst nightmares would look back at you. Yet the ghost had a kind side it seemed. Our old dog had severe arthritis and had to be helped upstairs. Then he would settle by our bed for the night on his blue blanket. I left him there one night to join the family for some tv but had forgotten his bowl of water. On bringing it upstairs a minute later there lay our dog with the blue blanket on top of him. It was laid neatly on top as if to keep him warm and there is no way he could have done this himself. I went downstairs and quizzed the family about the practical joke but they all looked blank.

Whenever people would come round and we would joke about our supposed ghost aka my ditsy memory and keen imagination. When we did this the tv would switch itself off and on as if to confirm the story! Another funny coincidence.

Then one day a seemingly trivial incident chaned everything. It was a simple thing, I had treated myself to three magazines which I looked forward to reading as soon as time allowed. They disappeared from their place in the living room and I started to hunt for them;how familiar this was all becoming. The phone rang and it was the estate agent with a viewing, he had the people with him and wanted to come round in fifteen minutes. I abandoned the search and together with my husband cleared the kitchen surfaces so as to present a neat house ( which we had almost given up hope of ever selling ). We put the dog on the lead and out we went, or almost as I had forgotten my key. I dashed to the kitchen to grab the keys and check everything looked in order but stopped cold. There, in the middle of an otherwise empty table lay my three missing magazines. I could not pretend anymore and phoned a spiritualist church that evening.

Bob, Laura and Jane were three very ordinary looking people who had run of the mill day jobs. In their spare time they performed house clearances or exorcisms. They sat down in the living room with cups of tea and told us not to worry as nothing dramatic would take place. They “tuned in” and one would address the spirits while the other two would be used as channels for the reply. This was done for our sake apparently so that we would know what was going on. The atmosphere became electrified and the temperature cooled a bit. There were apparently several spirits in our home, some nice and quite a few nasty. The little girl’s voice I had heard when the kitten came several years before was trapped here and scared of the nasty spirits who had one powerful ring leader. There was also an elderly couple who were equally trapped and frightened of the more powerful ones. While we were being told this Bob asked me to put my hand out to the right. I did, still thinking that this wasn’t really real and met an area of icy cold air. I was shocked but Bob told me that they knew their time was up and one of them was trying to make me cry as a parting shot. Oddly enough I had been feeling tearful before this.

The evening ended without drama as Bob, Laura and Jane finished their tea and told us casually that things would be better now and that oh yes, our house would be sold in two months time. We had to ask why on earth we had been plagued by these spirits and were told that somebody had opened a spiritual vortex in the bathroom wall. Sheepishly, our eldest son later admitted that he had prayed for spirits to come into our home when he was a teenager as he thought it would be cool to live in a haunted house! He did this for several nights and I guess he got his wish.

The atmosphere was totally different in the house after the excorcism, the light airy feeling had returned. The house was indeed sold in two months and we moved out soon after.

Please believe me that I did not want to accept the evidence of my own eyes and ears, I really did not believe what was going on around us. We did try to ignore it in the hope that it would go away but it only got worse until we had to take action or God only knows where it would have lead. The spirits were feeding off our fear and growing stronger and their motive was to have some fun with us. I find that quite chilling as their fun had a distinctly menacing quality. They did not want us to move out as we were apparently such fun targets, not believing what was going on despite all the evidence to the contrary.

I used to be a sceptic and sometimes I wish that I still was. Believe me it would have been much easier.

These demonic spirits are, as some would have it, always on the prowl,
looking for human hosts in order to ‘feed’ upon their souls and drain them
of humanity. These ‘victims’ often get feel driven to acts of unspeakable
cruelty and horror, and can only be helped by having a priest perform an
exorcism.

This word comes from two Greek words – ‘ek’ and ‘horkizo’ – which basically
mean putting an evil spirit under ‘oath’ to behave itself. It seems
strange, if this ritual is indeed as superfluous as scientists claim, that
all the world’s major religions feature some sort of exorcism ritual. In
Judaism, the evil spirit is called a ‘dybbuk’ and ten pious men or rabbis
are needed to combat it, expelling the demon through the feet of the
possessed person and sending it back to the underworld.

Hindu priests use the smoke of dried animal dung, rock salt and some of the
possessed’s hair, along with specially prepared mantras. These Shamans claim
that their own spirits leaves their bodies as they journey to other
dimensions in order to properly engage the demonic powers.

Roman Catholic priests arm themselves only with the cross and holy water,
though there is always an extra, junior priest and a specialist also in
attendance. They perform the Roman exorcism known as The Rituale Romanum,
though this is approved by church authorities only after lengthy
psychological and physical testing of the ‘possessed’ person by specialists
in the field.

Some psychological ailments can imitate ‘possession’, such as epilepsy,
schizophrenia and Tourette’s Syndrome, so exorcists need to be completely
certain before they will perform an exorcism. It seems that the movie ‘The
Exorcist’, which horrified spellbound viewers, was actually taken from real
life – when a boy became possessed after messing with a ouija board.

One of he world’s greatest authorities on exorcism was the late Jesuit
priest Malachi Martin. This Vatican office holder performed many rituals
during his long career, and wrote the most definitive book on the subject -
Hostage to the Devil – in which are included the case files of five living
Americans that he had to help. It makes for compulsive reading.

He believes that many possessions begin in childhood or adolescence, when
the young person involved becomes obsessed with certain elements of black
magic, and developing ‘invisible’ friends. It is so easy for the gullible
to accept that they can genuinely bargain with their souls, for better
lives, because the devil can make things happen for them.

OK, you are sceptical about all of this, but there is no doubt at all that
you will have demons of your own. They may be more benign, never overcoming
your good conscience, but all the same they will be lurking there, waiting
for moments of weakness on your part. It isn’t hard to see how a weak
personality could be easily swayed into believing almost anything, and the
acts that follow can be monstrous.

Witchcraft can also be a power for good, and paganism is a wonderfully
earthy way of believing in all things natural, but there is a very fine line
between good and evil intentions. You need to be careful, all the time, that
you aren’t tempted to cross it, because whilst having personal demons is
something we all have to live with, banishing those demons is much harder
than you might think.

1. Serpent and the Rainbow

In this outstanding 1988 Wes Craven adaptation of Wade Davis’s Voodoo-horror novel of the same name, Harvard researcher (Bill Pullman) travels to Haiti to procure an alleged secret “zombie” powder said to place people in a state of simulated death. His investigation, however, takes him much deeper into the world of Haitian Voodoo and black magic than he’d ever anticipated, finally leading him to the critical point in the film where he gasps the well-known movie tag: “Don’t bury me . . . I’m not dead!” What makes this film especially worthwhile is the attention Craven pays to portraying Haitian society, (filming in Haiti and the Dominican Republic), and the attention to detail in depicting the all-pervasive role Voodoo plays in Haitian culture. This is an excellent primer for anyone who has never witnessed the practice of alchemy or Voodoo ritual, and is a pretty damn exciting thriller even if you have.

In this 1999 mystery-thriller directed by Roman Polanski, a rare book broker named Dean Corso (Johnny Depp), who makes his living tracking down valuable books for wealthy collectors, is hired by Boris Balkan (Frank Langella), a New York millionaire with a vast collection of occult literature. Balkan wants Corso to locate and authenticate the two remaining copies of a book called, The Nine Gates to the Kingdom of Shadows, a book said to have been co-written by Satan himself in the 17th century. As Corso goes in search of the remaining copies, facing a half dozen close calls and supernatural encounters, he learns that the books contain clues to a puzzle that when pieced together formulate a ritual that can summon the Devil. While this film provides plenty of the suspense and supernatural drama classic-horror lovers relish, it’s the attention to the age-old practice of conveying esoteric knowledge in writing and engravings involving encryption and cipher systems that is the most important element for the student of the occult. Additionally, the final scenes where Balkan gets his ultimate wish–to summon Satan–the ritual enactment is among the most authentic ever presented on film. Pay close attention!

Inspired by the true-life experiments of Dr. John Lilly, a scientist who placed human subjects in total immersion tanks while under the influence of psychoactive drugs to test the limits of sanity in the 1960s, this 1980 film follows Harvard Professor Edward Jessup (William Hurt) as he subjects himself to extreme experiments in order to reach the inner depths of his unconscious mind. Seeking methods to produce even greater effects, Jessup ingests a concoction made from Native American sacred mushrooms and discovers that everyone who takes it has the same hallucinatory vision, which he concludes are recollections of man’s creation embedded in human cellular memory (ala Jung’s “collective unconscious”). Pushing the limits of his experiments further and further, Jessup manages to alter his mind to the point of altering his physiology, regressing into a more primitive, ape-like version of himself. In a highly climactic and thought-provoking scene, Altered States hurls its characters (along with viewers) back billions of years to the moment of creation and finds nothing there except an anguished scream of “No!” as the primal life force protests its birth. Aside from the dazzling, hallucinogenic special effects (which alone make the film worth seeing), it’s the voyage into the conscious and unconscious mind (where ritualism and perceptions of the supernatural are conceived) that makes this a must-see for students of the occult. As a bonus, you get to witness a pretty authentic reenactment of Native American ritual as well. This now forgotten film deserves “Cult Classic” status and is really much too cool to ignore on several levels.

Set in Harlem and New Orleans in 1955, this supernatural thriller is the story of private detective Harry Angel (Mickey Rourke) who is ostensibly hired by Louis Cyphre [Lucifer] (Robert De Niro), to find a long-lost big-band crooner. Angel’s investigation leads him into a nightmarish world of drugs, crime, murder, and the secret realm of Haitian Voodoo. While the main story is certainly worth the price of admission–especially Lisa Bonet’s convincing portrayal of both a sexually-promiscuous seductress, and of a powerful Voudon Mambo (priestess)–it’s the unfiltered look into Voodoo practices that makes this film special. Throughout this movie, viewers are provided little glimpses into the secret realm of Voodoo that when put together, paint an accurate picture of the African/Island perspective of the occult.

Referring to a passage from the Book of Revelation, this 1957 classic directed by Ingmar Bergman, tells the story of a 14th century knight named Antonius Block who has just returned home to Sweden after ten years fighting in the Crusades. Upon arrival, he’s met by the Grim Reaper, the personification of the Black Plague that is ravaging the countryside, who has come to claim his soul. Rather than willingly forfeit his life, Block proposes a game of chess deciding whether he will live or die. With the game continuing throughout the film, Block investigates the countryside where he discovers that the Plague has spawned extreme behavior among the villagers: a group of flagellants files past, some carrying heavy crosses, others whipping themselves in penance; group of men pass with a girl in a cage who is on her way to be burned at the stake for sleeping with the Devil–and bringing the curse of the Plague. By the end of the film, Block is confronted with having to contemplate the true meaning of life. But the beauty of this film for students of the occult is the insight it provides into mankind’s general perception of where the division lies between the natural and supernatural, and how sacred texts like the Bible reflect this understanding. (A quick review of the Book of Revelation may be called for prior to viewing.)

Considered one most shocking and terrifying horror films ever made (the first to make movie-goers vomit in the aisles), The Exorcist is also one of the first films to actually depict ritual exorcism. (Though once common in the Church, exorcism was banned and reinstated several times throughout the 20th century.) Based on the best-selling novel of the same name, this 1973 film tells the story of a 12-year-old girl named Regan, (Linda Blair), who becomes possessed by the devil. When doctors rule out psychological and physiological causes for her erratic and increasingly violent behavior, a priest is called in to provide spiritual solace. But when he becomes convinced that the girl’s needs far exceed the powers of the natural, an exorcist is called in to evoke the forces of the supernatural–which is the most valuable element of this film for serious students of the occult. Setting aside (the exorcism takes place in the girl’s bedroom), all the essential elements of High Ritual are presented here–down to the letter. Beyond the stunning special effects and heart-pounding fear-ride this film takes viewers on, this film is a lesson in magic and how the elements of ritual are universal–whether Christian, Pagan, or something in between. It’s a virtual template.

This 2004 film that combines documentary-style interviews, computer-animated graphics, and a narrative that presupposes a spiritual connection between quantum physics and consciousness, is one of the most valuable films an occultist could possibly ask for: Occultism 101 and 102. While the story line follows a deaf photographer named Amanda (Marlee Matlin) as events in her life force her to consider the idea that individual and group consciousness could influence the material world, the plot is actually just a clever vehicle to explain the science of quantum physics, and perhaps more importantly, the multi-dimensional realities of metaphysics (the realm where the human “will” can cause physical change). This film puts into common, understandable language the mechanics of magic and the practice of ritual.

This 1987 comic-horror film based on John Updike’s novel of the same name, which was billed as “a blend of gothic horror and screwball comedy,” is much more than light entertainment for the serious student of the occult. The plot focuses on Alexandra, Jane, and Sukie (Cher, Susan Sarandon, and Michelle Pfeiffer), three sexually-suppressed women who resort to witchcraft to summon the perfect man. Enter Daryl Van Horne (Jack Nicholson), the Devil personified, a suave, refined, and sexually alluring dream-man who succeeds in seducing all three. Though superficially this film offers a rather nice vehicle for the four Hollywood stars to display their considerable acting talents against Updike’s foray into metaphysics, it’s the ritual methodology demonstrated by the witches that makes it worth the price of admission (or movie rental, as the case may be). Almost incidental behind the film’s trite quirkiness, the “witches” demonstration of their knowledge of authentic sympathetic spellwork makes one wonder what exactly John Updike knows about Occult practices.

Despite all the hype concerning the literary license Dan Brown may or may not have taken in writing the book on which this film is based, what is insignificant about this 2006 mystery-thriller is the attention this Ron Howard film gives to the subject of occult symbolism and how it relates to the practice of magic. While the plot follows symbologist Robert Langdon (Tom Hanks) as he becomes enmeshed in a complex web of religious intrigue, ancient mythology, multi-level deceit, and the symbolism said to be hidden in Da Vinci’s master work The Last Supper (regarding the true nature of the Holy Grail), it’s actually the relationship between symbolism and Occult practices that is the valuable lesson here, which is fundamental to all forms of magic and occult practices. Watch this one once for the plot, then again for the academic, arcane knowledge.

In this one hour and fifty-five minute thrill-a-minute joyride, Dr. “Indiana” Jones (Harrison Ford) races across Europe to reach Egypt in time to procure the lost Arc of the Covenant (believed to house the Ten Commandments) before Hitler’s Nazis can get their hands on it. Based in part on Hitler’s historic search for Biblical relics which he believed would grant him supernatural power in his bid to establish world domination, this film focuses on the arc’s legendary inherent powers said to make any army victorious who carried it before them into battle. Pulling out all the technical sophistication available–and then some–this 1980 award-winning picture is a classic among adventure classics, and well worth watching–whether it’s your first of fiftieth time. But next time you watch it, pay special attention to the background information regarding the arc in its historic and Biblical context, as well as the climactic scene where the arc is finally opened. This was one of the first films ever to depict High Magic in a popular film.

   Looking for an 11th?  Check out The Ten Commandments (Charlton Heston version).  Plenty of references to the occult, ritual, and magic.

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In March 1856 Boullan assumed the spiritual direction of a young woman from Soissons, Adèle Chevalier. After being told by several doctors that there was no hope left, during a pilgrimage to Our Lady of La Salette she had been miraculously cured of blindness and pulmonary congestion.  The news was soon to spread throughout the diocese and the bishop of Soissons had delegated his Vicar General to conduct an investigation. His report was clear and precise: “After careful consideration of the circumstances which led to the recovery of sight and the healing of the lungs, I do not hesitate to believe in a supernatural intervention by the Mother of God.”

From that time, sister Chevalier was in communication with the Virgin and – inspired by a divine grace – frequently receiving revelations from a mysterious voice. The monks of La Salette asked the bishop of Grenoble permission to entrust her to the direction of abbot Boullan, whose scientific and mystic theology was well known to them. Immediately, Boullan had great faith in the supernatural qualities of the penitent. It was decided that he would travel to Rome to present the miracle to the Pope and the Sacred College.

This mission would not be the only one. Around the same time, Boullan had to deal with the case of Miss Mary Roche, who had been entrusted to him by the bishop of Rodez. She also claimed to have a divine mission and to receive heavenly inspiration of a prophetic nature. Events of the utmost gravity had been announced to her: one prophecy applied to the Pope who would meet a violent death and another to the French Emperor who, if he did not follow the orders Marie Roche gave him, would perish through the hands of his officers to make room for Henry V. Marie Roche was also taken to Rome by the abbot and presented to the Sacred College.

Claiming to have received from the Virgin a revelation in which she ordered him to found a religious Society for the Reparation of Souls, Adèle wrote down the rules of the Society which also were dictated to her in a divine manner. In his journal Les Annales de la Sainteté au XIXe Siècle Boullan later explained that he tried “to offer to God a satisfaction or reparation – by special prayers and the physical or moral sufferings Christians accepted and even sought – in order to restore the balance that was distorted by the offenses against the divine majesty, committed by sinners who were not repentant”.

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With the approval of several senior prelates, the Society was installed at Bellevue Avenue in Sèvres, in the department of Seine-et-Oise. In fact, however, the community served only to conceal the amorous relationship between the abbot and sister Adèle. Soon, bizarre practices were recorded, with which Boullan tried to heal the nuns who where attacked by strange diabolical diseases. The abbot exorcised one of the sisters who was tormented by the Devil by spitting in her mouth; another had to drink his urine mixed with that of sister Chevalier, and a third was ordered to eat poultices made of faeces. Clerics asked abbot Boullan and sister Chevalier how they could reconcile – for money – the favour of the Blessed Virgin, and finally some very worldly women consulted them in matters of conscience. In 1860 he was reputed to be responsible for the disappearance of the child that was the fruit of his forbidden love for Adèle Chevalier. Some even said the child was sacrificed upon the altar.

Complaints were filed to the police and the bishop of Versailles, especially concerning the money Boullan made with his strange therapies. An investigation was opened against Father Boullan and sister Chevalier, who were accused of fraud and indecency. The Court of Versailles dismissed the latter, but sentenced Boullan and Chevalier to three years in prison on the first accusation, which Boullan served from 1861 to 1864 at Rouen.

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In the summer of 1869, Boullan found himself again behind prison walls – this time in Rome. An ecclesiastical trial opened before the Holy Office, due to a conflict of jurisdiction between Versailles – where Boullan had his congregation authorized – and Paris, where he resided since his release from prison. In the monastic cell which had been assigned to him while awaiting his trial, he wrote down a confession in a secret document, now known as The Pink Book. Boullan was absolved by the Holy Office and returned to Paris, but he caught the attention of the Archdiocese again by the heretical views he developed in his journal, including a theory of “mystical substitution, whereby the souls of reparation” had the mission to sin so that others would not. This concept of course opened the door to all sorts of debauchery. Moreover, and under the guise of exorcism, he taught people who were tormented by diabolical obsessions some methods of auto-suggestion and self-hypnosis to cure them, by having sex – in mind – with the saints and even with Jesus Christ. He also showed them what postures and occult methods they should adopt to enable supernatural entities – and particularly his own astral body – to visit and possess them.

When Father Boullan tried to heal an epileptic patient by using the relic of the Seamless Rob of Christ (also known as the Holy Tunic) that was preserved at Argenteuil, Cardinal Guibert prohibited his practice of exorcism. Boullan went immediately to the Vatican to protest against the disciplinary actions that were taken against him, but this time he was expelled. The Vatican had horror of the priest who dared to claim he received a mission from heaven to fight hell by a desecration of the host.

As a result of these adventures, Boullan left the Church. He came to Lyon to join the famous prophet and mystic Eugène Vintras, whom he had met in Brussels. Vintras said he was sent to earth to prepare “the Third Reign, the Age of the Paraclete and the Glorious Coming of Christ”. When Vintras in 1875 died, Boullan announced that he had been chosen to succeed him and to consult his archives and doctrines, which were very close to his own learnings – but he was not recognized by the majority of the followers of Vintras. However, as Vintras, Boullan had the gift to perform incredible miracles. He proclaimed he was a reincarnation of John the Baptist and since Vintras had the mark of a dove on his forehead, Boullan had a cabbalistic pentagram tattooed at the corner of his left eye. Using precious stones, he healed children and several women, including a Parisian lady who was most famous in the world of the fine arts, by the imposition of the consecrated host in the ovaries. 

Those who know him, describe the abbé Boullan as a cheerful little old man with eyes of fire which seem to delve into the brain, with the high forehead of the mystic – and uttering his sibylline words – but with the mighty jaws of the watchdog. He lives very withdrawn in Lyon, where he has installed his headquarters first with “Adhalnaël, pontiff Vintrasien” and then, in 1884, with an architect named Pascal Misme, “pontiff of the Divine Melchisedek”, in the Rue de La Martinière. This Mr Misme is an excellent old man who had dedicated his life to the search of the elixir of Paracelsus.

Boullan has with him two visionairies: Ms. Laura and Ms. Thibaut – who, for years, only eats bread dipped in milk and only has to raise her eyes over her glasses to see the legions of the invisible. He also is surrounded by a small circle of  “faithful”, with whom he attends the rites of the “Glory of the Sacrifice of Melchisedek” or the “Provictimal Sacrifice of Mary” and especially the ceremonies of “the Law of Sacred Redemption” and the “Union of Life”. Boullan teaches his followers that “the Fall from Grace in the Garden of Eden resulted from an illicit act of love, so the Redemption of Humanity can only be achieved through acts of love accomplished in a religious manner”. He advocated intercourse with celestial entities if an adept wanted to redeem himself, or with inferior beings if he wished to help them up “the ladder of life” out of charity. In that way, Boullan turned fornication into a liturgical practice.

But gradually he lost his prudence and he admitted to his circle a certain canon Roca, an occultist who published a anticlerical magazine and who soon left Lyon in disgust. As did Stanislas de Guaïta, who came to Lyon in 1886 as “a little child at school”, and the occultist Oswald Wirth who – after pretending more than a year to adhere to the doctrines of Boullan – broke sharply with him once he was in the possession of a written document which summarized them all.

Early 1887, Wirth and Guaita came together and set up a tribunal to judge Boullan. In May 1887, in a letter dictated by Guaita and signed by Wirth, his self-appointed judges informed Boullan that he was a condemned man. At the moment, Boullan’s house in the Rue de la Martinière is placed on a war footing, because the abbot is convinced that he has been condemned to death. He has made ready to ward off the spells and incantations he himself has taught Guaita and Wirth, and which he now believes are turned against him…

The Weird War Continues Here:

The War of the Magicians: Part Two

Read also:

Down There: A History of Satanism

Black Magic in Nineteenth Century France

The Code of the Holy Blood