-DJINN & TONIC-
In every culture the human imagination has populated the world with extra-dimensional denizens (EDDs) and created myths about the dangers of dealing with them. Peter Coleman offers this meditation on the similarity between modern alien abductors and the fairies, angels, demons and elementals of older mythologies.
21ST CENTURY NO STRANGER TO DJINN'S ALLURE!
One of the most popular new watering holes for the young and relatively affluent residents of India’s capital, Delhi, is called ‘Djinns’. Ironically, it is designed as an all-American bar and fast food restaurant. It is called Djinns, a regular informed me as I sipped my gin and tonic at the bar, because “all the little devils like me come here.” When William Dalrymple entitled his book about Delhi City of Djinns, he was thinking of a much older and altogether different tradition.
According to the Encyclopædia Britannica, a djinn (jinni or genie) is “in Arabic mythology, a supernatural spirit below the level of angels and devils. Ghul (treacherous spirits of changing shape), ifrit (diabolic, evil spirits), and sila (treacherous spirits of invariable form), constitute classes of djinn. They delight in punishing humans for any harm done them, intentionally or unintentionally, and are said to be responsible for many diseases and all kinds of accidents; however, those human beings knowing the proper magical procedure can exploit the djinn to their advantage.”
Djinn feature heavily in the classic ancient story anthology collectively known as The Arabian Nights or Thousand and One Nights. The Rev George Fyler Townsend, in his notes to a Victorian edition, tells us that: “These tales are furnished throughout with a certain imaginary machinery. They have, as their foundation, the perpetual intervention of certain fantastic beings, in most cases superior to man, but yet subordinate to the authority of certain favoured individuals. These beings may, for our purpose, be generally divided into genies, whose interference is generally for evil; pens whose presence indicates favourable issues to those whom they befriend; and ghouls, which have a less direct control over man’s affairs, but represent any monster repugnant or loathsome to mankind.”
In my travels to India and Pakistan, I have come across a widespread belief amongst, in particular, the older generation of Muslims in the actual existence of djinn. Belief in the reality of the djinn is held as easily as belief in other natural forces such as light or darkness. I was talking with a well educated, highly qualified friend in Islamabad; he expressed great surprise in my own surprise that a graduate from Lahore could believe in a hidden race of beings existing alongside us. Asking for evidence was, of course, a hopeless request, eliciting the standard response of citing other intangible things, like being surrounded by radio and television waves, or the impossibility of photographing the wind.
As to how they came to co-exist with mankind, this was, I was told in a matter-of-fact way, simply another strand of evolution. The existence of transparent sea creatures at great depths or an animal like the chameleon that can render itself ‘invisible’ was, he said, regarded as commonplace. If evolution could produce such a diverse population of known creatures on this planet, why should there not be more? A belief in God as the original creator of life was somehow mixed into this philosophy as an explanation for the hierarchy of devils, angels and the hordes of others that share our world.
It occurred to me that the natural belief in djinn was not unlike my own conviction, as a child and young man, of the existence of a guardian angel. Given that I was repeatedly taught (indoctrinated may be closer to the mark) by Catholic priests about the existence of my very own guardian angel, I held it to be so without question. Even to this day, long after I have reasoned my way out of this belief, I sometimes sense myself accompanied by another; this is surely a measure of the potency of early instruction. In the West, we have our own version of djinn and pens et al. Here, too, the belief system is fed to the child as early as possible – “The fairy lore they sucked in with their mothers milk, and held, not by conviction, for they had never reasoned on it, but quite naturally, as part and parcel of themselves.”
In his 1691 book The Secret Commonwealth of Elves, Fauns and Fairies, the Reverend Robert Kirk – see below– gives us specific information about the Little Folk that so occupied him until, it is said, he joined them. In Kirk’s words. their resemblance to djinn and to our modern goblin, the so called alien, is startling – “ever readiest to go on hurtful errands but seldom will be the messengers of great good to men.” Renowned for their predilection for abduction – “Catching our children away... which never return” – their character as described is quite unlike a flower fairy and much more like the djinn, being occupied with “Envy, spite, hypocrisy, lying and dissimulation.”
Even animal mutilations were occurring in the 17th century and Kirk gives us the simple reason for this activity which continues to mystify us today – “They also pierce cows or other animals, usually said to be Elf-shot, whose purest substance (if they die) these subterraneans take to live on, viz. the aereal and aetherial parts, the most spiritous matter for prolonging life...”
Our relationship with the legions of creatures who are said to live among us is always a little difficult, knowing the difference between the goodies (angels, pens, nordics etc.) and baddies (demons, djinn, greys etc.) is an important starting point. The djinn are renowned for their ability to pretend to be our allies only to lead us astray – even Muhammad the Prophet originally feared that his revelations might be the work of djinn. But we are informed from many sources that humans do have the ability to control all shades of these extra-dimensional denizens (EDDs). However, from the formal notices that preface most magical tracts and grimoires to the novels of Dennis Wheatley, we have been warned about the dangers of meddling in such matters.
PORTRAIT OF ESOTERIST MACGREGOR MATHERS
Many books have come down to us detailing the practical magical procedures to take control of EDDs. One of the most renowned and allegedly powerful works is The Book of the Sacred Magic of Abra-Melin The Mage as delivered by Abraham the Jew to his son Lamech in 1458 – see below. According to its editor, SL MacGregor-Mathers (1854-1918), the basic modus operandi is that by purity and self-denial one “obtains the knowledge of and conversation with one’s Guardian Angel, so that thereby and thereafter we may obtain the right of using the Evil Spirits for our servants in all material matters.” Abraham the Jew benefited greatly from his “purity and self-denial” as he expressly states that he obtained both his wife and three million golden florins using the magical operations contained within the book.
Dealing with demons, devils and djinn is a dodgy business, as Aleister Crowley and others found to their cost, (although there are modern accounts of successful workings of The Book of the Sacred Magic). Paul Weller displays some ignorance of the subject when he suggests on his recent album that we “Lock the genie in the shed, put a pistol to his head,” as this form of capture and control is unlikely to result in the notorious three wishes.
Abraham the Jew lists four Princes and Superior Spirits – Lucifer, Leviathan, Satan and Belial – served by eight sub-Princes. There then follows a further 316 names of subservient spirits, and this only represents those that Abraham himself employed out of an infinite number. The list provides an interesting alternative to the conventional ‘name your baby’ books; how about Rukum or Magalast for a boy, or Pellipis or Sarisel for a girl?
The notion that we can conjure and create some control over the various EDDs, is common across different times and cultures, as is the idea of making a pact with them (usually involving the sale of our eternal soul in exchange for a lifetime of inestimable pleasure). Rev Kirk and others mention this basis for our relationship with the fairy kingdom, just as Paracelsus and Abramelin do for dealing with demons. The Bible and the Koran are full of references to angels, devils and djinn with a similar human connection and contract. Today, aliens allegedly have a special relationship with their human subjects with many thousands apparently engaged in a willing or unwilling contact (sometimes also reported as a contract) over many years. George Adamski’s Orthon is an archetypal angel whilst the large-eyed Greys could be viewed as demonic as they go about their surgical inspections of abducted humans.
So what is going on? Are humans shadowed by objective EDDs as real as ourselves? Of course discussion about reality immediately takes us down another road and, interesting though that journey is, let’s keep it simple for the moment. (I sense some people exchanging shallow for simple!) Emanuel Swedenborg (1688-1772), the Swedish scientist and theologian had much to say on the subject, including his personal testimony of contact with spirits. However, unlike most commentators who believe that angels are a separate, divinely-created race, Swedenborg held that all angels and spirits are people who began their life in this world and now live in the spiritual dimension after physical death. Interestingly, Swedenborg claims we each have at least two guardian angels assigned to us and that contact with them is permissible if it is for our spiritual development.
Whilst Swedenborg has the EDDs much closer to home, I think they may be closer still. To deny the objective existence of the wonderful creatures under discussion would be a major disappointment for many people. The rich and powerful stories told as myth or truth (another tricky road!) that run through the history of mankind everywhere in the world seem integral to our whole existence. Perhaps that is the clue – integral – part of us. Maybe my Pakistani friend was right and that all the fantastic creatures, good and bad, have evolved within us, providing a mechanism to enlarge our imaginations and help develop the creative skills so necessary for further adaptation.
There seems to be increasing support for the theory that life is an incredibly rare occurrence in the universe, even unique to the Earth. In seeking to find the strange and miraculous beyond ourselves, we may be denying our true importance. The real wonder of the Universe could be simply us.
THE SECRET COMMONWEALTH
Althoughwritten in 1691, The Secret Commonwealth does not seem to have been published until 1815 when a limited edition of 100 copies appeared. This first edition is now extremely rare and much sought after. Five hundred more copies were printed in 1893 and again (by Eneas Mackay) in 1933.
Little appears to be known about Kirk, although there has been some whimsical conjecture about him moving around his parish with one eye on his mortal flock and one on what he regarded as ‘other’ non church-going residents. He was born the seventh and youngest son of James Kirk in circa 1641. Being the seventh son may have given him the common belief in the gift of second sight and entry into elfindom. Originally Minister of Balquhidder, he transferred to Aberfoyle in 1685, wed twice with a son from each marriage and died in 1692.
His death, however, is somewhat disputed. According to his successor, the Rev Dr Grahame, Kirk was walking on a dun-shi (fairy hill) which we can assume to be the Aberfoyle hill, when he appeared to faint. According to Sir Walter Scott in his Demonology and Witchcraft (1830, p.105) after the ceremony of a seeming funeral the form of the Rev Robert Kirk appeared to a relation and commanded him to go to Grahame of Duchray. “Say to Duchray, who is my cousin as well as your own, that I am not dead, but a captive in Fairyland; and only one chance remains for my liberation. When the posthumous child, of which my wife has been delivered since my disappearance, shall be brought to baptism, I will appear in the room, when, if Duchray shall throw over my head the knife or dirk which he holds in his hand, I may be restored to society; but if this is neglected, I am lost forever.’’
Unfortunately, whilst Kirk was reported as being “visibly seen” at the appointed time, Duchray was too surprised to carry out his simple task. This is a great pity, as Kirk could no doubt have written a sequel to The Secret Commonwealth which would have revealed much.
ANGELS, ELEMENTALS & DEVILS
In his introduction to The Book of the Sacred Magic, the renowned occultist SL MacGregor-Mathers offers his view on the “three great classes of Spirits”. Whilst he divides angels into numerous orders and classes, he believes them to have common characteristics. They are entirely good and work on behalf of the Divine Will in the material world. Importantly they are responsible agents and therefore capable of falling from their perfect pedestal (with some infamous antecedents!). Angels are superior to men, spirits, elementals and devils.
Elementals are multifarious forces of nature and virtually infinite in number. They account for the various creatures described throughout the world since time immemorial, including dwarfs, elves, fairies, goblins, brownies, nymphs, gremlins, hamadryads, mermaids, satyrs, fauns, sylphs, fays, salamanders, undines, gnomes and so on. (Given hundreds of other names and their subsets, it’s a wonder we are not falling over them all the time.) Unlike angels, elementals are not entirely responsible for their actions, with some being malignant (resembling devils to the uninitiated), some generally good; while most can be described as neutral as they work irrationally. They are allegedly responsible for exciting existing human tendencies – ie. in evil people they will incite more evil, whilst good people will be encouraged to be even better. They are then, the inner voice that saints and sinners hear telling them how to behave.
Devils are far more powerful than elementals, with a strength close to that of angels although, of course, for evil. Unlike elementals that must work in their own natural current, devils can operate anywhere and act with full consciousness and deadly intent. Add to this potent mixture a wonderful facility for deception and you should be sufficiently warned to avoid the devils; the trouble is, how do you reliably tell who is who?
JINN ELOPES WITH 17-YEAR-OLD GIRL
(Pakistan)10-16 Nov 2000(21st Century Cases Exist!)
A jinn eloped with a 17 year-old girl from a closed room in Phoolnagar, according to ‘Din’. The lecherous jinn had been shadowing Tahira Anjum, of village Jambar Kalan in the vicinity of Phoolnagar, for six months. Tahira was ‘possessed’ by the jinn and would have a fit during which she would passionately scratch her face. Her family would lock her up in a room during these fits but she would miraculously escape. Many times the lock would fall apart or the door would fly open.
A few days ago, when Tahira had another fit, her family locked her up again. They opened the door a few hours later to give her her dinner but found that she had disappeared. They informed everyone that the jinn had eloped with their daughter.
__________________________________________________________
-HOMEPAGE-