Monday, October 5th, 2009

Goetia #63 Andras

The Greek name "Andreas" (strong) is probably related to the name of the spirit Andras, which I am now
convinced is identical to the Celtic goddess Andraste, whose name is commonly translated as
"invincible."

With a few of the other spirits, it was somewhat difficult to positively identify the spirit as its counterpart
in mythology of the ancient world. Egyptian deities like Amon and Horus, who would be presumably
more easily marked, are somewhat different in character than their equivalents in Goetia. The
differences are probably a result of many thousands of years' passage from the time of their worship to
the present. The deities at one time had a widespread religion and a vital role in their native cultures,
into which a large and diverse output of human work and thought was directed. To the ancients, the
living gods of those lost empires were vividly known and probably possessed a much more intriguing
character than anything an archeologist could conjure through limited relics and scarce scriptures.

This spirit, Andras, was unquestionably the obscure goddess of ancient England known as "Andraste."

So far as I am aware, there are only a handful of references to this deity, and these are poor at best. In
the Goetia, the spirit Andras is identified as a man with a raven's head, riding a wolf and carrying a
sword. When the spirit appeared, immediately following the constraint, it was riding on a gigantic wolf.
The animal was huge, like a bear, but utterly black and with thick fur and a high arched back. The rider,
however, was not a man with a raven's head but a woman.

She was an older woman, perhaps sixty, with a cruel pale face and a small slender frame. Her pointed
chin protruded, her nose was slim and pointed, and he eyes were anything but pleasant. She had long
black hair, and a heavy silver coronet of maybe twenty rhomboidal plates, each bearing figures I could
not discern in the dim light. Her clothing was tied here and there with cords, and she carried a slim
sword the style of which I could not place. It was most definitely not one of the leaf-bladed items so
often associated with Celts, but a long thin blade with a stiletto point.

Before I could react in the least way, she spoke, almost hissing:

"I came to you because I was curious."

The spirit went on to say something else, which I do not remember, although it had something to do
with why I am inconsequential. I made no effort to remedy the situation with civility, but gave the
Address to the Spirit. Having encountered similar insinuations from spirits before, I am not inclined to
give them an audience, especially if such an engagement would require a break in protocol. I am
dismayed at the work of reputable exorcists who, when presented with difficult accusations from the
spirits, they would prefer to dispute than to proceed with the ceremony of exorcism. Whether this is an
effort to throw the exorcist off-guard, to disrupt the ceremony and thereby relieve the bindings, or
merely an insult, I find it best to proceed according to plan and ignore all attempts to depart from the
traditional order of constraints.

The spirit made some further remark that I found demeaning, but all the same gave the welcome. It was
insistent that it had come of its own volition, and would stay according to its whim, though throughout
the exchange this appeared increasingly unlikely. I bid the spirit Welcome and gave incense to the coal.
The spirit demanded to know my purpose in calling it.

The spirit has but one office, to sow discord, and it is ascribed the power to kill the conjuror and all his
companions if he "have not a care." Since there are no other prescriptions made in the Goetia for
anyone else in the ceremonies, it may be inferred that the spirit is liable to cause harm to others known
to the conjuror whether they are involved in the ceremony or not. This in itself is intimidating. It may be
taken for granted that to "have not a care" means something more like carelessness than
permissiveness, and it might be easy for one to enter danger when causing discord without concern for
safety. There is no mention of the spirit causing random discord, but even a small argument could
become dangerous if it were carried out too close to home.

I made my request to the spirit, which may or may not become apparent to me when completed. The
spirit bid me clarify the request, specifically asking whether I wanted to negate the work of others. I was
hesitant, for it was unclear to me whether it would be in my interest to negate anything. It might be that
in permitting the spirit to act in this way, it could put me at a disadvantage. On the other hand, refusing
might limit the scope of its activity. Making an effort to "have a care," I simply repeated my
request,adding that it should be completed according to my interest.

The spirit then demanded sacrifices from me. "Blood of the strong!" it requested. Clearly I was not in a
position to make human sacrifices, and not inclined to offer anything at all, most especially blood of
anyone or anything. I said plainly that it would have none, and the spirit instructed me to "choose one
known, from among your own," indicating that it would take that one as the sacrifice. More resolved
than before, I spoke in a direct manner:

"None. You are bound to fulfill my commands according to the ancient covenant, and I request further
that you permit no strife to afflict my companions, my family, and those with whom I am cooperating to
fulfill my goals. You may not harm us or seek our harm in any way."

The spirit was not apparently pleased with this reply. "Who are yo to come to me in this manner? Not an
emperor or even a meager prince, but a male child lost in pride."

My reply was, again, insistence rather than engagement: "By the covenant you are bound, and by the
covenant I have called. You are bound by the same covenant to fulfill my desires insofar as you are able.
Tell me wherein you are unable if that is your dispute."

The spirit replied to this with further conditions, albeit a few steps back from human sacrifices: "You
must commit yourself against these things [discord], seeking not to interfere. I am not the agent of
unjustified retribution and spoiler of infantile pleasures, to be commanded by a delinquent male child."

I was becoming somewhat annoyed at this point, since the spirit had not refused my task so much as
made demands that I did not intend to fulfill. In my haste, I made a minor mistake: "I will not bargain
with you. This is your command and you are bound by a righteous covenant."

Probably the word righteous was not the proper term, as it seemed to give the spirit some satisfaction
upon which it began to build. In its agreement to my terms, the spirit took on a different character which
was more menacing than before, and a different mode of speaking. I do not recall the specific words
used as they were in an archaic tone, but something to the effect of the following was appended to the
speech: "You will be hard tried in all ways of vengeance and fail in your weakness. If you make but one
step from the path of righteousness I will have you in my power. You will be undone by one who knows
the darkness far more than ever you would. Bid me now to go, for I am finished with you."

I held the sword out before me, saying, "You know well that you are forbidden from contrivances against
me, and with this very sword I will bind you in the abyss if ever you seek my ruin. I will give you license to
depart..."

In the time since this conjuration I have witnessed an inordinate amount of hostility (of an amazing
variety) among strangers, which I take to be a sign of intervention by the spirit. Though it did not forbid
me to involve myself against others for my own interests, it apparently wanted to encourage me to "rock
the boat" against others who probably deserve it. There are indeed some awful people in the world, but
it is not my business to make the world free from them, and not my place to strike them down except
wherein they stand in the way of my own work. It is amusing that this spirit, which had been so
degrading, is so confident in my magnanimity and considers this a weakness. Apparently it desires to test
my resolve, and in so doing provide itself a means of avoiding the task appointed. Should I choose to
take vengeance against those whose crimes having no direct effect on my life, the spirit assures me that I
will suffer an obscure but undoubtedly dire fate.