Agency
One of the many things to understand about occult and mystical forces is that they have Agency.
What is “Agency”?
Let us turn to Wikipedia, since everyone else does:
“….Agency is the capacity of an actor (a person or other entity, human or any living being in general, or soul-consciousness in religion) to act in any given environment.”
Demons, godforms, angels, deities, devils, genies, sprits, ghosts, leprechauns, goblins, fairies, and everything related to them have free will. They decided if they want to manifest or do your bidding. I’m assuming all of these things exist and I have only scratched the surface on all categories. Feel free to add your favorite bugbear.
It’s an important concept, because they are different from atoms, molecules, genomes, electromagnetic radiation and neutrons. These things do not have self-awareness and have no free will. They cannot choose to ignore their summoning. Water will always boil at 100 degrees centigrade at standard atmospheric conditions. There may be some variation, but you can base you next kettle of tea on it.
Our Lady Babalon, on the other hand, will manifest if she feels damn good and ready. No amount of summoning, invocation, pleading, sacrificing, or chanting will bring her to your doorstep if she doesn’t want to show up. Too bad, sucks to be you.
Here we have the basic difference between science and mysticism. This revelation hit me like unto a hammer the other day.
Just wanted to make the statement.