Ava and Lilith are two young witches who share a deep interest in performing magical rituals. They both believe in the power of magic and enjoy exploring different spells and enchantments. One of their favorite rituals is a simple protection spell that they cast before embarking on any new endeavor. This spell involves burning dried herbs and reciting a specific incantation that invokes the energy of protection. The girls feel a sense of peace and security after performing this ritual, as if they are surrounded by a shield of positive energy. Another magical ritual that Ava and Lilith enjoy is drawing sigils.
Trained in anthropology and a variety of magical traditions, Lilith Dorsey has been a Voodoo Priestess for nearly 30 years. Dorsey has initiations in Santeria (or Lucumi), Haitian Vodou, and New Orleans Voodoo and they are also the author of the bestselling book Orishas, Goddesses, and Voodoo Queens , which seamlessly blends folklore and mythology with practical spellwork.
Rabbi Isaac formulated the myth of the evil worlds which were destroyed before this world was created, a myth which became a central motif in the kabbalah. More particularly the women who are called Kadishtu, means sinless, stainless and lily , had monopolized agricultural economics, services of the temple of the Goddess and scholarly traditions.
Another magical ritual that Ava and Lilith enjoy is drawing sigils. Sigils are powerful symbols that are believed to bring about specific desires or intentions. The girls spend hours researching and creating their own unique sigils, carefully drawing them on paper and charging them with their energy.
Samael, Lilith, and the Concept of Evil in Early Kabbalah
The description of the divine world as a mythical struggle between good and evil is one of the basic symbols of the kabbalah, and a detailed mythology based on it is found in the Zohar late in the thirteenth century. The main source of the Zohar on this subject is a treatise by Rabbi Isaac ha-Kohen, called “On the Emanation on the Left,” written in Spain at the beginning of the second half of the thirteenth century, a generation before the Zohar. The problem studied here is: What were the sources of Rabbi Isaac's myth of evil?
Rabbi Isaac described Samael and Lilith as a pair, being the central powers in the Emanation on the Left. It seems that the literary development which brought forth this formula began with the myth of Lilith as presented in the satirical Pseudo-Ben Sira (tenth century?) and later revisions of that work which were known in Europe in the eleventh century and included a description of a sexual relationship between Lilith and a “Great Demon,” who was later identified as Samael. Both Lilith and Samael in these stories are not principles of evil; this transformation probably occurred only in the work of Rabbi Isaac.
When describing the levels of the spiritual world, Rabbi Isaac discussed a sphere he called “third air” which is the source of both prophetic visions and “use” of demons. This concept seems to be derived from the writings of Rabbi Judah the Pious and Rabbi Eleazar of Worms, the Ashkenazi Hasidim, early in the thirteenth century. In their works, however, there are no dualistic or mythical elements; these were probably added by Rabbi Isaac.
Rabbi Isaac formulated the myth of the evil worlds which were destroyed before this world was created, a myth which became a central motif in the kabbalah. It seems that this too is derived from the works of the Ashkenazi Hasidim, though it was Rabbi Isaac who added the mythology and the dualism. It should be noted that among such additions and elaborations by Rabbi Isaac we also find a detailed messianic myth which was rare if not absent among previous kabbalists.
It has been considered that Lilith derived from Sumerian language origin ‘líl’ means “air, wind”, and was transferred to Akkadian language as lilītu. Lilith name is firstly encountered in Epic of Gılgamesh as a wrapped snake around Huluppu Tree of The Great Mother Goddess Inanna. As is seen in this epic, in early ancient times, Lilith is a female demon in snake form. Therefore, she has been identified with Lamashtu and Lamia which are snake forms in most cultures of Mesopotamia and Levant. It has been known that both are infanticides. Because of this identification Lilith has been described as “infanticide” until today. On the other hand, in the ancient times, Lilith has not accepted only as a demon. Her position in the eye of community always straddled the line between godlikeness and wickedness. Because in the period of Sumerian-Babylonian, in which Inanna (Ishtar) is glorified by name “Queen of Heavens and Earth”, the belief predominated that the Goddess is a resource of all kinds of beauties and abundance as well as warfare and destruction. By means of this high prestige of the Goddess, it has been known that the religion of the Goddess had emancipated to women especially in her capital Uruk and in most city-states. More particularly the women who are called Kadishtu, means “sinless, stainless and lily”, had monopolized agricultural economics, services of the temple of the Goddess and scholarly traditions. This position exhibits the superior social status which could be bestowed on a woman in those times. In this period, Lilith has continued her demonic character. On the other side, she has been identified with Inanna (Ishtar) and she has symbolized the harlotry of the temple. On that secondary sense Lilith has become to represent the negative sides of the Goddess with her characteristics such as sexuality, aggression and misandry. The fact that Lilith has begun to represent the negative sides of the Goddess has enabled the belief that the Goddess is baleful. Thus, the Goddess had become the focus of vulgarity, combativeness, immorality and all evils. For this reason, Inanna/Ishtar had been narrated as an aggressive goddess in myths more often. When Jahwism-Judaism began to settle in Levant region in terms of politics and religion, Lilith who had identified the religion of Goddess and demonic characters, has become the villain in the battle of Judaism against the religion of Goddess. She crossed into Jewish mythology with all her characteristics and here she has reached the peak of evil as the most dangerous feminine demon with her infertile and salacious character. First and only reference to Lilith in Hebrew Bible is in Isaiah 34:14. Her adventure in Jewish mythology has started with this reference. In this pasuk, Lilith has been mentioned as a metaphor of God’s wrath to people of Edom which is the greatest enemy of Israel. Accordingly, Lilith, the Virgin of ruins and wild lands, has been described as an enormous pain which would take Edom to the age of chaos before genesis. In this passage, she is a symbol of terror which the Holy One YHWH spreads to the polytheist people. In a sense, non-believers suffered the wrath of God through her. In the Rabbinic period, the scholars accepted the myth of Lilith as it was in the ancient period and adopted it to the Jewish culture. They portrayed Lilith as a dangerous feminine devil who seduces men and causes women to suffer a miscarriage. In the Midrashic literature she has been referred as the reason of all evil factors in the history of humanity and Judaism. In accordance with this belief, in the stories of people of Edom in Hebrew Bible where they suffer fatalities, Lilith has been adapted to Esau and his devil Samael. In this new picture, she is the harlot wife of Samael and the feminine devil of Esau’s lineage and people of Edom which stands against Children of Israel. In the late Midrashic period, the origin of Lilith has been traced all the way back to genesis. This once, Lilith is described as the first wife of Adam, who dissuaded Eve and caused to be expelled from the garden of Eden. By this interpretation, Jewish scholars not only have tried to clarify the paradoxical and ambiguous pasuks in Genesis, but also they have reshaped the fall of humanity. Also, they have strengthened the religious basis of patriarchal Jewish mentality. Today, the character of Lilith is influential on feminist Jewish women. Jewish women, who are alienated from the religious and social arena because of patriarchal religious Jewish idea, leap in action by means of feminist ideas. While some of them deny the religion and Holy Bible, others try to reconcile between feminist ideas and Holy Bible and pave the way for reinterpreting the religion. Particularly, for the latter, Lilith is an important symbol. She is the voice of challenging the male-dominated life style and the pioneer of the philosophical questioning.
They have found that the act of focusing their intentions and channeling their energy into the sigils often leads to the manifestation of their desires. Ava and Lilith also practice crystal magic. They have a collection of various crystals, each possessing different properties and energies. They use these crystals during their rituals, placing them around their altar or carrying them in their pockets. They believe that each crystal amplifies and focuses their intentions, helping to manifest their goals. In addition to these rituals, Ava and Lilith often perform moon rituals. They pay attention to the different phases of the moon and plan their spells accordingly. For example, during the full moon, they perform rituals that involve manifestation and self-empowerment, while during the new moon, they focus on releasing negative energy and setting new intentions. Overall, Ava and Lilith find great joy and spiritual fulfillment in performing magical rituals. They believe that these rituals not only enhance their connection to the divine and the natural world but also allow them to harness their inner power and create positive change in their lives..
Reviews for "Connecting with the Spirit World: Ava and Lilith's Supernatural Rituals"
1. Brian - 2/5 stars - I must say I was quite disappointed with "Ava and Lilith Perform Magical Rituals". The story felt underdeveloped and lacked a clear direction. It seemed like a collection of random events thrown together rather than a cohesive narrative. Additionally, the characters were one-dimensional and lacked depth. Overall, I found it difficult to engage with the story and was left unsatisfied.
2. Samantha - 3/5 stars - "Ava and Lilith Perform Magical Rituals" had an interesting premise, but unfortunately, it fell short of my expectations. The pacing was quite slow, and the plot lacked excitement. I also found the dialogue to be uninspiring and the character development to be lacking. While there were some moments that captured my attention, I couldn't help but feel like the story had potential that wasn't fully realized.
3. Michael - 2.5/5 stars - I found "Ava and Lilith Perform Magical Rituals" to be a bit mediocre. The writing style was decent, but the story itself felt disjointed and lacked a clear purpose. The author seemed to introduce various magical elements without fully developing them, leaving me confused and uninvested. The characters also felt flat and predictable. While it was an okay read, I wouldn't consider it a standout in the magical realism genre.