Demonic Emanation Theory

Dorian Dremaira
Jun 8
8 min read

Demonic Emanation Theory is a recent area of my research into demonic hierarchies and how they operate and evolve. What I present in this blog post is a summary of the research so far. It’s intended for future use and extrapolation within the Vesperian religious framework, and (if it has any validity) will undoubtedly influence the Vesperian cosmology once it’s fully fleshed out and studied.

Observation: The Ba’al Problem

This trail of research began when I was trying to determine the role of Beelzebuth in Vesperian cosmology. As many of you know, Beelzebuth (originally Beelzebub) is a linguistic derivative of Ba’al-Zephon (again, a version of Ba’al-Hadad). Of course, the meaning of Ba’al-Zephon is “Lord of the Exalted Abode” which was twisted by the Hebrews into “Beelzebub” — a linguistic play on words that meant “Lord of the Flies”. An insult that implied the consumption of feces. Basically, “your god eats shit.”

Now, moving into the grimoire tradition, we find many demons with clear ties to Ba’al, including Bael, Belial, Berith, Balam, and even Mammon. Now, an easy explanation for this would be that all of these demons are or were Ba’al, but this doesn’t make sense in nuance.

The demon Belial, for example, has a complex backstory within Abrahamic theology and folklore, often placing him as an ex-angel who fell alongside Lucifer, the father of the Antichrist, a demon within the cardinal domain of King Paimon, etc. Of course, you could choose to believe he is Ba’al and all of these stories are derivative and fictitious, but this would completely erase Belial as a valid deity—one we know is well documented within demonolatry and other occult circles as being one of the most significant figures in satanic folklore, with correspondences and symbolic attachments that make him a distinct and separate entity from Ba’al entirely.

So, how do we explain demons like Belial and Mammon? How do we reconcile these varied origin stories without compromising the scriptural research or taking too many liberties? The answer could be in old Kabbalistic and rabbinical writings.

Emanating Consciousness

The Vesperian cosmological tradition often draws from Kabbalistic and Qliphothic mysticism to explain the mystical mechanics of creation. Central to this is the concept of emanation—a foundational idea shared across Kabbalistic, Gnostic, and Neoplatonic systems—which explains how spiritual realities unfold from a singular Source. In Vesperian understanding, this Source Consciousness (a primordial spark of self-aware anima) serves as the primal foundation of the universe, from which all spiritual entities and forces ultimately emanate.

That said, Kabbalistic teachings describe this source consciousness as Ein Sof (אין סוף), the Infinite. Ein Sof is not the "first something" from "nothing," but rather the unmanifest, boundless potential that precedes all existence. From Ein Sof emanates the Ohr Ein Sof—the “Light of the Infinite.” This primordial light is the first expression of divine presence.

As it flows into the created void through a measured transmutative process, it eventually becomes Ohr HaKodesh, the “Holy Light” which gives rise to the Sefirot on the Tree of Life—structured vessels through which divine will manifests. These vessels govern the cosmos under the Demiurge’s design—orderly, limited, and bound by hierarchy.

Imagine pouring water into a cup. Eventually the cup fills up and spills over, warranting the use of another cup to catch the overflow. The second cup fills up, spills over, and then a third cup enters the chain, and so on. This is the process of Kabbalistic emanation.

This is similar to the process of emanation. In Gnosticism, the “Monad” is the term used for source consciousness. The archetypal entity known as Barbelo comes into being when the Monad has its first “thought” and overflows with itself.

The creative light flows down into a series of vessels (kelim) meant to contain and direct this divine light. But there was a problem—-the creative and divine light was too intense, causing the vessels to shatter. This is often called the Breaking of the Vessels (or Shevirat HaKelim) within Lurianic Kabbalah.

When the vessels broke, some of the light returned to the source (like steam rising back into the air), yet some light became trapped in the broken shards. These shards fell into the Abyss (also known as the Sitra Achra, the “Other Side” which is a shadowy reflection of creation) and became distorted. They are thereafter called kelipot or “husks.” The Holy Light within them also becomes assimilated into their opposite: The Ohr HaTumah or “Light of Impurity.” This light exists as a reflection of the Holy Light and resides primarily in the Sitra Achra. It is emitted by Samael as the Black God of the Abyss. More on the Light of Impurity in a moment.

EDITORIAL NOTE:

Ohr HaTumah, meaning "Light of Impurity", is not a common term in classical Kabbalistic literature but is a conceptually valid construction based on the mystical frameworks of Lurianic Kabbalah and later Kabbalists. It is used occasionally in modern Kabbalistic and Hasidic commentaries to refer to the perverted or misdirected light—divine energy that flows into realms of impurity (tumah) and sustains forces opposed to holiness.

The Hypostasis of the Black Light

Over time, the kelipot sank deep into the Sitra Achra, evolving and coagulating into more structured distortions. Eventually, they reassembled into a kind of inverted Tree—what is called the Qliphoth, the dark mirror of the Sefirot. These ten Qliphothic spheres form the Tree of Death, the spiritual structure of disorder, imbalance, and resistance. Where the Sefirot express divine will in balance, the Qliphoth embody the same energies in corrupted, excessive, or deficient forms.

Demons arise within the Sitra Achra, especially in the structured distortions of the Qliphothic spheres. Some emerge directly from the broken shards; others evolve within specific spheres, acquiring personality, domain, and function.

I like to think of each demon as a mini-Qlipha/kelipot. That is, a vessel or living container of a certain spiritual essence. This makes sense for humans, as flesh vessels containing spirit, but it is unexpectedly also true for demons. They too are living vessels containing a type of energy higher/lower than themselves. In this case, demons are inhabited by the Light of Impurity I mentioned earlier. This light is rooted in the heart of Samael and contains all adversarial power in the universe. It can also be called the Thoughtless Light, as opposed to the Demiurge’s “Thoughtful Light.” It also can be called the Black Light, which is the primal form of the Black Flame.

Remember the cup analogy from earlier? The same applies here. Where the Sefirot and the entities produced thereof could be thought of as the divine “cups”, the Qliphoth and the demons and creatures produced thereof could be thought of as infernal “cups.” A demon swells with the Black Light and emanates another demon to embody the excess energy.

Demonic Emanation

At the heart of this theory is the idea that demons— especially powerful or ancient ones—can become so saturated with Ohr HaTumah (the Black Light) that their essence spills over. This overflow births new entities:

These new emanations/entities may retain characteristics of their progenitor.

Others may develop new domains, roles, or even rebel against their source.

Think of this like demonic mitosis, but metaphysically driven by the buildup of spiritual entropy or infernal power. But emanation doesn't always seem to result in a distinct, autonomous demon. Sometimes it creates:

Facets, sub-personas or avatars of the parent demon.

Masks, which may later harden into separate consciousnesses.

Mythic Drift, where different cultural names (e.g., Ba'al, Bael, Belial) may actually represent sequential emanations of a single evolving entity.

This explains why many demons share overlapping spheres or traits such as kingship, lust, rebellion, or wealth—and yet have distinct mythologies.

This theory reflects a self-replicating, non-linear cosmology. Just as the Demiurge emanated the Sefirot, the Black Flame also fractures into demonic multiplicity. Ohr HaTumah is the dark mirror of divine light— generative in its own chaotic way. The Sitra Achra is thus ever-expanding, a living Tree of Shadows, where new demons continue to emerge as the Black Flame spreads through time, thought, and power.

Demonic Lineages

So now we can understand how some demons derive themselves from other demons. This said, there’s still even more nuance. It still doesn’t resolve the problem of how a demon like Belial could be both fallen angel and an infernal variant of a pagan deity. To remedy this, we have to observe various types of emanation processes.

Intrinsic Emanation

Intrinsic Emanation, also called Ohric Emanation, is the standard form of emanation wherein a demon, overwhelmed by the saturation of the Ohr HaTumah, begins to fracture and generate new entities (be they facets of the same entity, new demons, or "masks" that later evolve into independent identities).

Descending Emanation

Descending Emanation, also called Pact-Based Emanation, is a form of emanation wherein a non-demonic entity (such as a pagan god or other spirit) willingly descends into the Abyss (Sitra Achra) and thereby is converted into an infernal being and gains the power to emanate other demons within the infernal current.

They can then mutate into a demonic identity that can carry traits of their former selves but appear completely new. This can be influenced by human action, such as the cultural demonization of a deity or through ritual acts. An entity might choose to align itself with Samael and the Sitra Achra and be assimilated into it if worship wanes or their cults/followings are destroyed. This is one way deities may achieve a form of vengeance.

By this theory, we can assume that several deities like Ba'al struct pacts with Samael when their followings began to fade, willingly descending into the Abyss and splintering themselves into many forms of demons. Ba'al likely descended and became Beelzebuth, which then emanated into various demons.

As such, these demons pass along traits previously exhibited by pagan gods. Deities like Astarte and Moloch have also made their way into the demonic host and taken on different forms. This leads us to wonder if there are several large "lineages" of demons caused by various entities integrating themselves into the mass.

This still doesn't resolve Belial's issue, however.

Hybridization

Let's use Belial as a case study. As I've mentioned, he has various Abrahamic backstories that place him at odds with Ba'al's backstory. Thus, we can conclude the following if we follow Kabbalistic logic and the trajectory of this theory.

Belial likely already existed before Ba'al descended into the Abyss, and was likely a sort of foundational demon within the infernal hosts, according to Hebrew folklore and scriptural analysis. Much of Hebrew literature places him in a role only slightly below Samael. I believe when Ba'al descended and emanated, Belial chose to integrate some of Ba'al's essence into himself, and essentially mutated as a demon. This explains why Belial has such a complex history while also retaining traits and linguistic derivatives of Ba'al.

When a demon integrates foreign essence, it mutates. We call this Demonic Hybridization. Conclusively, Belial is both an emanation of Samael while also containing the essence of Ba'al.

Conclusion

This theory is still incomplete, and subject to correction. While it does summarize my current theories (based on research) as to how demons operate, it is only a reflection of my current knowledge and is subject to change when new evidence is presented. On the chance it continues to hold weight, it could lead to fascinating new avenues of study. I encourage anyone with resources or research to add to please reach out and add to this.

May our Father Samael guide and bless you,

Ave Infernum.

Dorian Dremaira

Supreme Diavex of Temple Vesperitas