cyberdemon wrote:It's all in the terminology. We, as occultists, use the word Demon to describe any higher being between us and the Admin of the Universe.
From the Abrahamic religion, these higher beings are divided into angels and demons depending on their work, history, and affiliation towards "good" or "evil".
For example, the angel Astarte is also the demon Astaroth.
I really like how Cyberdemon explains things in the form of a game, as it makes things easier to put a true grasp on. These metaphors are great for this day and age, but I have some personal differences I'd like to point out.
Technically, there usually isn't one Admin. I like to use the term GM, or Game Master, to refer to what Cyber calls the "Admin." He is the grand architect, after all.
Also, I don't stray towards the use of such words as demon and angel. I use "higher" and "lesser beings". Higher entities are those he calls angels, who keep the universe working properly. I would call these creatures the developers and administrators. They come in both positive and negative forms.
Lesser beings are those sentient creatures who range anywhere from NPC to vagrant AI to virus. They come in every shape and form, and can be artificial or natural.
Then you have us, the players (or, depending on your views, *you,*
the playeR.)
I also believe that culture and society has split most entities, causing them to become less of one aspect in a particular name, and more of that aspect in the "opposite" name.
Your example of Astarte and Astaroth works well. Asarte no longer has the negative associations with him that he used to have when he and Astaroth were the same entity, and had a unified name.
This last piece is, of course, personal speculation, but from what I've gathered and learned about various entites, they are quite malleable by the collective, but very powerful and overwhelming to the individual.
