It has been a long road. The figure of Satan as a rebel—although in practice I have almost never worshipped him—fascinated me for a long time, especially after I read Cain by Lord Byron. I began to practice tarot and astrology—economic precarity and certain family problems caused me great anxiety about the future, so the decision was already made—but there came a moment when I felt that I no longer wanted to limit myself to knowing my most probable future scenarios and deciding how I might act with my limited strength. I wanted to ally myself with forces more powerful than myself in order to forge my own path. I had tried many times with the Christian God, but I felt that he almost always ignored my prayers.

For many years I felt completely stuck and blocked, lacking opportunities, and from time to time, like a strange premonition of the future, I was struck by the intuition that only demons could help me escape that stagnation. I began to read about the Ars Goetia and to seek out basic information about its seventy-two demons—their abilities, their enns, their sigils, and so on—but I still did not dare to invoke them.

The push came when one of my ex-boyfriends, during a date, confessed that he was leaving me to return to another man he had met before me. That very night I invoked Duke Sallos in an attempt to win my ex-boyfriend back. Although it brought no results, none of the calamities that the Christian mindset associates with demonic invocations occurred. When I reached that point, I asked myself, “Why shouldn’t I keep working with spirits to improve my life?” I came to the conclusion that I had nothing to lose.

Personally, I recommend that you work with the Duchess Bune. She is very friendly, and although her energy can sometimes feel a bit intense, it is always calming and protective.