Seere #70

SIUR (tour) pronounced "See - ur"
Prince commanding 26 Legions
East

This was, unfortunately, a very disappointing encounter. There were difficulties from beginning to end.

First, though, the description of the spirit. It is said to appear as a "beautiful man" riding a winged horse. Doubtless my generation immediately envisions Harry Hamlin astride Harryhausen's Pegasus. Hollywood took upon itself the more recent (14th century) motif wherein Perseus rides the winged stallion, but it is more likely the identity of that hero was Bellerophon whose story takes place around 1300 BC.

The legend of Bellerophon is rather complicated and often poorly presented in children's literature. Perhaps this lack of attention serves to highlight the heroic details (the death of the Chimera) and to downplay the horrific ones. It might be thought unusual for such a reputable hero to be found among a catalogue of demons, but there is some reason for this identification beyond the fact that the two share a famous image.

The hero Bellerophon was said to have been assigned many tasks, each requiring unusual resources beyond mere cunning, like the Golden Bridle. Each time, the hero casually accepts his task and miraculously obtains whatever is needed for its accomplishment. This is well in keeping with a spirit said to have an indifferent character with the power to obtain anything for anywhere. Furthermore the hero is said to have attempted to ride into Olympus, but was deemed unworthy and was struck down to fall at last into torment. The second task of Bellerophon was to fight against the "Solymi," identified as the Jews by Homer, which possibly accounts for his inclusion in the Goetia among the enemies of Solomon.

I spoke of nothing like this with the spirit. In fact, I found the spirit to be rather unpleasant. From the moment of its arrival to the time of its departure, I felt oppressively weak. It was as if I could barely stand or speak, so the entire dialogue was maintained by arduous effort and with minimal notes. My thoughts were not fuzzy in any way, nor my vision or my hearing, but a feather would have knocked me to the ground. There was plenty of ventilation, I had eaten reasonably well, and it was not done during any sleep period.



The spirit appeared as a man close to my own age wearing a light white tunic. He had olive skin, dark coarse hair cut very close, and muscled arms like iron beams. His white mount was small for a horse, with something like swan or eagle wings emerging from its shoulder points. I was not certain whether these were actually attached to the horse's body, or whether they were part of the elaborate girdle and bridle arranged around the chest and neck of the creature, but they certainly didn't appear sufficient for flight and were not animated in any way. The youth dismounted immediately and strode up to me in a somewhat challenging way with a fixed glare, saying "I will not step into that triangle without a gift!"

This was not what I had expected. I placed a few grains of frankincense on the coal, saying that was the limit of my generosity according to the terms of the sacred rites, and that it would be accountable to perform likewise to the limits of its office.

"I will answer all things as you wish, but bid me to go when you are done with me," it spoke in a terse manner. It went on to say that it had been called four times that day (June 26th, or 4 Tammuz), so I asked what reason it had to answer them and what it had performed for them. The spirit replied that it sought their gifts, and that it had done nothing for one and all things for none. So much for willing compliance in all things!

One thing struck me as curious in the description of the spirit. It is said specifically that this Prince will "carry and re-carry anything where you would have it or where you would have it from." This is certainly congruent to its statement that it would provide needed things, but I saw in this statement something more obscure hidden in plain sight.

It appeared to me that this spirit was ascribed a power that could be called telekinetic. If a thing were carried from here to there or back again, indifferent to the purpose or nature of the thing, that should apply to ordinary things and the immediate environment. One could, for example, have the spirit carry a chair from one side of the room to the other, or bring it over for a seat. That would be truly amazing, and it seemed to be indicated in the description of this spirit, so I asked it to do something of the sort on the spot.

The spirit denied that possibility, but I persisted, thinking there was perhaps some loop-hole that allowed it to refuse. The spirit reiterated its denials, at which point I felt frustrated either in my understanding of the grimoire or at my ability to compel the spirit. I could not determine which was the case, so I bid the spirit to swear that it could do no such thing under any condition. It was not at all reluctant to do so, and all the more was I reluctant to accept its oath, and I hesitated a moment before proceeding.

The spirit at this point seemed agitated with me, saying "You called me, now you talk."

I admitted confusion in understanding its obligations, and the apparent discrepancy in its attitude compared to that presented in the text. It replied that it would "not tarry for any cause," and that it would do its appointed work without any conditions laid on the one asking. "Say, and I will do. Say what is needed, and you will have it."

I had several things in mind, but it was not really my original intention to call this spirit for any purpose other than the possibility of apparent telekinesis, which was denied. The issue bothered me considerably though, and I had nagging doubts that its inability or unwillingness was genuine.

I asked whether it could bring people, specifically investors in one or another of my ongoing projects, in the same way a thing could be brought. I need people much more than things at present. The spirit said that this was possible if they were to be brought to a specific place and for a specific purpose, and that they would not be influenced in their decisions. I charged the spirit to do so in such matters as commit myself in a legal sense, those legitimized by formalities so that I could preserve my own security when dealing with the people thus acquired.

I asked about bringing things, and how the spirit could make them arrive, since it was apparent that I could not simply call the tea kettle over and ask it to pour a cup for me. It said that anything could be brought to anyone at any place, to use but not to own. The spirit declared that it could also show how an operation was being conducted in foreign places, and prevent others there from obtaining what they needed to use in completing those operations.

The spirit relates matters of theft, and in this I had only one question and that from another person for his own affairs. The spirit replied that the money ($50,000) was not stolen, but was foolishly and speedily gambled and thus lost by one to whom it had been begrudgingly given. Since the conjuration, now more than two weeks ago, this has been proven true.

I asked about "treasures hidden" locally, more for the sake of curiosity than greed. The spirit spoke of many things hidden around the city in places where I could not go, or did not want to go. When I mentioned this, the spirit made a distasteful comment about my demand for convenience, but said two things could be found in places well known to me. One was a piece of jewelry in a public parking lot, cleverly hidden but supposedly forgotten. The other was described as "human figures made in stone, of great age" to be found outside the city in a particular location it described. My schedule and the intolerable heat do not make the these accessible at present, but I will certainly go looking when time and weather permit me to do so.



I continue to harbor some doubt concerning the denials given by this spirit. It was not hostile in any way, but it was also not amicable. It was given a very weary License to Depart.