Daemons For Days @daemonsfordays - Tumblr Blog

We have daemons for days

Welcome to the side blog of @korya-elana! This space is specifically to talk about our varied experiences with daemonism! We have been in the daemonism community for close to two decades now ^^

Note: Not demons in any form. Think His Dark Materials.

As a DID System of 40+, our experiences with daemonism are highly varied and because it's such a massively important part of our existence and daily life, we wanted to provide resources, personal experiences and general awareness.

List of relevant alters and their daemons below the links!

Introduction to daemons and daemonism

Alters and their daemons! Note, not every alter has a daemon in our System and not every alter/daemon is very well known. Em (They/Them): -Prothomalion (Thom, He/Him): Settled yellow-throated marten. Eudaimon. Snarky and outgoing. -Elethanye (Ani, She/Her): Settled silken windhound. Sweet as honey. Mental construct. Kay (He/Him): -Kekani (Kiki, She/Her): Settled European Hare. Practical, no-nonsense. We used to see her pop up and check on us occasionally when Kay was the Gatekeeper.

Allison (She/Her): -Zephyrus (Z, He/Him). Settled luna moth. He's very quiet and introspective. -Azekia (Ziki, She/Her): Settled ball python. Ziki primarily takes her snake form, but has also learned to love the giant anteater. She's sweet and practical

"Auntie" (She/Her): -Xxyss (pronounced Chiss maybe? He/Him): I don't know "Auntie" very well. It's hard to really write down or pronounce her golden eagle daemon's name, so this is more guesswork than anything else tbh.

Jasper (They/Them): -Jemyna (She/Her): Red-Ruffed Lemur. They're not very connected or close to each other. Jasper wants to change that, though.

Kell (He/Him): -Isadora (She/Her): Jaguarundi. Kell took awhile to name her and start interacting with her but it's been beautiful to see their relationship grow as he figures out life in the System.

Eris (She/Her): -???: Purple-toned leopard gecko. I think it's a he?

Sparrow & Wren (She/Her for both): -Damian: Some kind of male griffin the size of a large house cat

Cain (He/Him): -???: Hog-nosed skunk

System Daemon: -Demippos (He/Him, referred to by our kids as Meepo): Melanistic leopard. Demippos is sort of an introject, he entered our System through a mental health app focused on daemons and he was what we got after the quiz. He usually shows up if one of us is needing extra support or serves as daemon to those who don't have one. He likes to sleep with the youngest two.

#daemonism #did osdd #did system #alters #plural daemonism #daemian #thoughtforms #plural things #alter things

herpsandbirds

Common Grackle (Quiscalus quiscula), males, family Icteridae, order Passeriformes, MI, USA

photograph by Jocelyn Anderson

daemonsfordays

@the-sour-patch-crew

amnhnyc

Here’s a critter you might not recognize: the ring-tailed vontsira (Galidia elegans)! Found in the forests of Madagascar, this small carnivore weighs up to 2 lbs (0.91 kg) and has a varied diet that includes insects, eggs, fish, and small mammals. The ring-tailed vontsira is an agile critter, an excellent climber, and is known to be playful.

Photo: sympiotr, CC BY-NC 4.0, iNaturalist

korya-elana

Well damn. Apparently we have a therapy appointment in three hours. It feels like we just met this one a few days ago. It's a testament to how cautiously optimistic the system is about them that I feel fine in showing up as myself instead of Em, who took the last one. I'm just too exhausted, between recent traumas and a long day at work, to find the energy to mask, even my accent. I suppose if I'm the other host, she ought to know me too. It's just that none of us have ever come to therapy without masking as Em. And this will be my first experience in therapy, which is odd since most of the system is more adverse. I'm sure that's the reason I feel more cautious than I should be.

Anyways, shout out to my gorgeous, wonderful wife and my wonderfully matter-of-fact daemon to allow me to feel relatively relaxed while I wait. I hope this go well. Thankfully, if it doesn't, we have more connections to try.

#daemian #daemians #daemonism #daemons #hdm blog #tdf blog #plural daemian #plural daemonism

Imagine coming into the tags if a niche community, trying to rewrite the community’s history to fit your hate-filled drama and then blocking the older members of the community when they correct you on … their own history.

Wild behaviour. Reminder that this community does NOT want to be involved in syscourse. It has nothing to do with daemonism. We have been in that community for THREE TIMES as long as we’ve known there were multiple people in this head. Very close to two decades. The vast majority of the community does not consider it plural. And yes, eudaimons are still a thing. Thom of Em is one of them and it had a rich history behind it.

#daemonism #daemian #hdm #plural daemonism #tdfblog #plural daemianism #eudaimon #thoughtforms #syscourse #<- so y’all know we want none of these shenanigans

anti-endo-alterhumanity

If I remember correctly, Daemonism was a type of practice that was relatively harmless ( except for the fact that Daemon was definitely the wrong word to use as a descriptor ) and was inspired heavily by the 'His Dark Materials' novel.

Well, that was what it was until non-traumagenic "plurals" got ahold of it.

They've twisted the use of the practice to mimic the way they've appropriated the use of Tulpas, and are also using it along side terms like soulbonder/soulbound and tulpamancer/tulpa.

Originally, the word 'Daemon' was used to describe something else, hence why I mentioned that Daemon wasn't exactly the correct word to use as a descriptor.

In Hellenism ( religious & spiritual ) and Platonism ( philosophical ), "Daemon" can be often used to refer to lesser deities, but it can also have a broader meaning, signifying "the experience of divine power."

"Daemon" can also refer to a supernatural being or entity that is between man and god. Daemons were also believed to be guiding spirits assigned to individuals by Zeus.

I would honestly suggest repurposing, rebranding, and renaming "Daemonism" because it's generally a good concept that could help a lot of individuals within the Alter-human community, but now it's been turned to go hand in hand with non-traumagenic plurality like Tulpamancy has.

For reference, here's a link to the Pluralpedia definition, and links to a guide of some sort that I've come across that explains its original purpose.

https://pluralpedia.org/w/Daemonism ( Yucky! )

https://daemonism.neocities.org/ https://daemonpage.com/faq.php#7

TDLR: Daemonism was once a legitimate, personal practice until non-traumagenics got to it, because apparently, all they can do is kill our spaces like a plague.

I genuinely hope this helped a bit more.

thank you so much for this submission! i have thoroughly read through all three links that you gave me. i feel like i've learned quite a bit. truly, thank you!

the original form of daemonism seems to be an incredibly helpful resource for an alterhuman, and not at all what i had feared! it is utterly terrible that the original term had been taken from this practice. it's been so disappointing to learn just how much endos have stolen from others.

here is a copy-pasted segment from daemonpage FAQ that i believe is helpful to add for the understanding of it, with some bits i found interesting highlighted:

"30. How is dæmonism different from therianthropy, otherkin, or totems/spirit guides?

Most spiritual therians and otherkin, to put it simply, have some spiritual connection with their animal theriotype or kin, or even believe that they were this animal in a past life. Non-spiritual ones will likely tell you they identify as their theriotype or kin, up to the point of feeling that at a core level they are this animal and feel trapped in their human body. All in all therians and otherkin feel that something about them isn't quite human.

Dæmians do not believe they are the animal that they choose as their true form. Being settled as a lion doesn’t mean that one feels a connection to the wilderness of a lion, experiences life as accidentally put in the wrong body or identifies with the animal. If a dæmian says that they’re a lion, they mean it as 'a symbol of a lion describes me best'. It’s interesting to note that you can be both a dæmian and a therian or otherkin, and that a therian's theriotype and their dæmon's form are very rarely identical.

The issue of totems is simpler. Basically, totems are believed to be independent of one's mind, unlike dæmons; they are believed to be an external spiritual force aiding the human and acting in their lives. The dæmon is not an animal spirit, but a part of your own consciousness projected in a, usually, animal form. One can project their dæmon as a human or an inanimate object as well. And while totems come primarily in dreams or during meditation, your dæmon is constantly there with you and doesn't require any special trance to communicate with. You can know your dæmon whilst also having totems or spirit guides, and the species of them all don’t need to overlap."

once again, thank you dearly! we appreciate these resources and your education so much.

here are the three links from the ask (the pluralpedia link is the default color because i don't like it):

Pluralpedia - Daemonism

Neocities - Daemonism

Daemonpage - Frequently Asked Question #7

and the link to daemonpage's starting page:

Daemonpage - Getting Started

daemonsfordays

I’d bother with a debunk but imma just let my partner do it since I’m at work. We’ve both been members of the community for decades and you got the majority of this wrong.

@old-daemon-farts

30 Daemonism Questions - Kay and Kekani 4/6

16. How did you discover daemonism? The HDM books, the online communities, the Golden Compass film, or the BBC show? I was formed with Kiki. When I formed as a brain-made alter, Kiki was formed alongside me. Some of us are like that and we just form with a daemon, even some of our fictives. Em had read the books beforehand, so I'm sure that had something to do with it.

17. An extension of the previous question: was it challenging to begin communicating with your dae, and is it easier now? I feel as though I was born with Kiki. It feels as if I've known her for my whole life even though I'm older than the body's age (I'm in my mid-late 40s despite the body being in the early 30s).

18. Are there any forms you and-or your dae absolutely loathe? You'll find most daemons in this system fight violently against any ape or monkey form, including humans. It doesn't feel natural to them. But as for Kiki, she's only ever taken mammalian or avian forms and I doubt that is ever going to change. Even her avian form is very situation-specific.

19. A question for your dae: what is your favorite place in the headspace or the physical world?Anywhere Kay is. I'm very traditional and do not have much ambition of where I want beyond where he is. I'm content as long as we are together. Although I do love the desert and the plains.

20. A question for your dae: Are you satisfied with your place in life? You know, I am. I'm not easily disturbed and I love the life I lead with Kay and the life the body leads as a whole. I think we're doin' good.

#daemonism #daemian #daemons #hdm #plural daemonism #tdfblog #his dark materials #tdf blog #plural daemianism

daemonism-101

Daemonism Flag

Meaning under cut

#This is my favourite

encyclope-dae-a

One thing I think is important for understanding the daemian community – especially if you're coming from an alterhuman perspective – is that daemonism is not a word for a shared experience, nor a shared identity.

Daemonism is a practice. The concept of it can be used by anyone: alterhuman or not, plural or not. It can be pure playfulness. It can be imaginary, and that's okay! That's a beautiful experience in its own respect!

There's no universal daemian experience because we accept and embrace that our minds, and our experiences, are ours alone.

The community isn't built on a shared experience – just a shared idea which we all create unique versions of.

Some people stick closer to the basic idea we started with. Some just take what they like from it and throw out the rest. Some only take vague inspiration from it. Some people adapt it more than others, sometimes due to being neurodivergent, plural, and/or alterhuman.

It's still daemonism because daemonism isn't defined by us all "doing the same thing" or "having the same experience".

Daemonism is, for the most part, defined by a person deciding that they want to call what they are doing or experiencing daemonism.

And a large part of that is often in connection to the community, whether directly or in a peripheral way, by taking inspiration from the practice, making use of the community's writings, and so on.

This is why I think daemonism is often misunderstood in an alterhuman context. Daemonism is not an experience, it's not an identity – it's just an idea we each take and make our own. And that's what it should be. That's the beauty of it!

Anyone could be a daemian if they want to. There's no requirements. A lot of people get started with daemonism purely because it sounds fun! A lot of people start with only their imagination, and many people remain so.

For others, it might become something else in time, or they might discover there was something underlying their imaginings all along. It's no more or less a practice of daemonism, either way.

A lot of alterhuman concepts don't apply to daemonism because of this. Fact is, there's plenty of daemians who are orthohumans too, and plenty of people who specifically see their daemonism as an orthohuman practice.

I see it get included under the alterhuman umbrella a lot, and I feel like it gives the wrong first impression to come at it from that angle by default.

Really, it's more comparable with being a furry. For some people, it is a deep, impactful, life-altering experience, and the people who feel that way are a vital part of the community. But equally, for some it is an exercise in whimsy, playfulness, or creativity – and those people are no less members of the community for it.

We're not united by being plural, or having thoughtforms, or being alterhuman. We're united by being a bunch of people who were inspired by some books (or a film or TV show) to play around with the idea of daemons, and ended up sticking with it for one reason or another.

While the individual experience can be very deep indeed, that isn't what makes daemonism what it is.

30 Daemonism Questions - Kay and Kekani 3/6

11) Do you own any items that remind you of or directly represent your dae? My wife gave me a gift that I still hold dear. It's a silver coin that is created based off a specific scene in The Golden Compass book. My name is on one side, and Kiki's name and form is carved on the back. I still keep it close to this day

12) What is your best memory involving your dae? I hated being a gatekeeper. It was so stressful, I was always at odds with others and it was just such a burden. But Kiki often traveled outside of me to check on the other members of the system and report back to me about them to keep my burden to a minimum. I haven't been a gatekeeper for a long time, but I'm still extremely grateful to Kiki for doing that on my behalf.

13) How long has your dae been in your life? For years, or less than that? Since I formed. At the time, Em was the host and didn't know about the system (neither did I), so Kiki was largely hidden. But I've been around for about a decade and so has she, since she formed. She must be the oldest daemon here outside of Thom.

14) If you are plural, how does your dae interact with your headmates? Do you consider them another headmate or as a part of yourself, making one individual together? See Question 12

15) Question for your dae: how do you interact with the world, with or without being actively projected by your other half? Some of us daemons are affected by the physics of the outer world, but I am not one of them. While I might seek warm comfort in a cold day or steal water from Kay's cup on a hot day, I ultimately know that the elements will not affect me. It's simply fun to give into the sensations.

#daemonism #daemian #daemons #plural daemonism #hdm #tdfblog #his dark materials #tdf blog #plural daemianism #kay.ke #kekani

30 Daemonism Questions - Kay and Kekani 2/6

6) How does having a dae help you, and do you do anything beneficial for your dae? Well, I used to be the system's Gatekeeper and one of Kiki's jobs was leaving me temporarily to check on different alters so I could stay informed for my role. However, I fucking hated it so when our now-current Gatekeeper came around, I shed that role and became one of the hosts. So Kiki is mostly focused on me now, helping me maintain my patience when it's hard and giving me equal amounts of advice and affectionate shit. I talk to her a lot when making hard decisions

7) What are your dae's favorite aesthetics, and how do they compare to yours? Kiki loves plains, canyons, deserts, the sun. A more western, desert vibe like my wife (completely unintentional lol). Whereas I'm more "foggy mountains, lives in a cabin in a coniferous forest, windy and blustery weather" type of aesthetics.

8) What is your relationship with your dae? Do you get along, do you fight sometimes? I can't truly remember any time where we really fought. We've definitely been snarky with each other on occasion but I really think that's it. We have a very good relationship and I can't imagine my life without her.

9) How often and how clearly do you project them onto the physical world around you? Kiki is, at the very least, in my peripheral at least 90% of the time, even if we aren't directly communicating. I see her just as I see my wife beside me, our projection ability has always been excellent and I'm very grateful for that.

10) What is your dae's voice like? Faintly Southwestern USA. Like a dry, warm breeze. Sometimes you miss it but you always know there was something you missed and it's easy to come back to it. Alto speaking/singing (which is rare) voice.

#daemonism #daemian #daemons #hdm #plural daemonism #tdfblog #his dark materials #tdf blog #kay.ke

30 Daemonism Questions - Kay and Kekani 1/6

1) Your daemon's name and meaning/origin? Her name is Kekani. She usually goes by Kiki for short. I genuinely have no idea what her name means; she came with it and it was so lovely we haven't bothered changing it. Google translate sure didn't bring anything up.

2) Do you have more than one dae, and what do you think of having more than one? I only have Kiki. But as part of a system with many daemians, some with multiple, I have no thoughts either way. Some people work best with multiple daemons and I'm happy for them with that self-discovery. But personally, I've never wanted more than my lovely hare.

3) Your daemon's favorite/personal/comfort form(s), and yours? Are they the same or not? Kiki is settled as a European Hare. We don't personally have forms other than that, but she does take personal forms for each of @the-sour-patch-crew's members that she takes as an expression of deep love for them. However, she does consider those personal and private so we won't be sharing out of respect.

4) What is your symbolic/Pullman form? If you don't follow the TDF systems, make something like art, writing, or a moodboard instead! European Hare. Hardy, patient, adaptable. Conflict avoidant, but not afraid to fight if it comes down to it. Not flashy, but big enough to make my presence known.

5) What is your analytical form? If you don't follow the TDF systems, make something like art, writing, or a moodboard instead! I'm still looking into that! I'm not rushed, so we've been taking our time. But we've definitely been looking into it as of late as a way to deepen our bond.

#kay.ke #daemonism #daemian #daemons #plural daemonism #hdm #tdfblog #the fact I'm partially sourced from tdf Lee and Hester probably doesn't help lol #Although I'm certainly not an introject and am more brain made #I think they just influenced my creation

encyclope-dae-a

Daemon forms: an introduction

Written info on daemonism is sparse overall, but one thing I've noticed is that where it comes up (especially in alterhuman circles), folks seem to mostly be familiar with one side of it and not the other.

Daemonism is a practice with two different, equal sides to it. One is the part people seem more familiar with: finding and building a relationship with your daemon/s. The other part is looking for meaningful daemon forms to represent yourself! You can do both, or only one or the other – some folks have daemons but don't form-find, and some folks form-find but don't have daemons.

Now, I love all aspects of daemonism, but I have to say: I am specifically very, very eager about form-finding. (One of the form-finding systems, called analytic, has been one of my main special interests since I was a teen!)

Form-finding is a way of introspecting, and representing the understanding you gain from that in a way that is affirming and fun. It's like if you took personality typing, removed all the limits and rigidity and weird elitism, made the results pool functionally infinite, and then made the whole thing reward you with a cool animal instead of a combination of letters or numbers.

Or, alternately, it's kind of like if you were looking for a fursona species and went really, really deep about it.

Honestly? It's great fun! It's also, if you approach it right, really helpful for understanding yourself as a person. Form-finding affirms all people are valuable and special for being the unique individuals they are: just like how all animals are fascinating, beautiful, and deeply adapted to fit into the ecosystems in which they live. As a neurodivergent person especially, this has been very healing for me. I can see that even the things which set me apart from everyone else – even the things other people might not always like about me – are neutral, and okay, and make me the unique individual I am. And some of these things I've even come to see as my greatest strengths!

Form-finding can be casual or deep. Some folks look for a daemon form that feels nice and makes them happy; others look for something that lays them bare, warts and all. There's different form-finding systems which offer different approaches, and represent different parts of you – you can look for a fitting form in any or all of them.

A fitting form represents the person, not the daemon. This was originally based on the way daemons work in His Dark Materials – where a daemon, a shapeshifter in childhood, in time inevitably settles into a single animal form which represents the true nature of their person.

It's an aspect of daemonism, but whether a person's daemon wants to actually use their daemian's fitting forms is a personal choice! Because of how form-finding works, sometimes you end up with something entirely unexpected, and it might be that your daemon absolutely loves being a fluffy fox but isn't such a fan of your giant cichlid analytic form. :P That's okay! You can find meaning in a fitting form whether or not your daemon wants to use it (and, indeed, even if you don't have a daemon)!

Sometimes you'll see folks refer to their own settled forms. This is also inspired by His Dark Materials, but naturally, we put our own spin on it! A settled form isn't a form your daemon is stuck in forever. A settled form is any form which you feel represents you in a deep, candid, meaningful way – essentially a way of recognising the special place that form has in your self-perception or self-understanding.

What makes a form "settled" is up to the individual person, but it's worth saying that the community does treat this concept with a level of gravity and meaning; it's usually the end point of a long journey of introspection and soul-searching. It's special! There's even a tradition in the community to mark the day you settle as a form and celebrate it like a birthday.

A daemon may or may not choose to use their daemian's settled form – or they might use it sometimes and shapeshift other times. Like basically every aspect of daemonism, it's varied and mostly comes down to what daemian and daemon want to do. If a daemon doesn't want to use a person's fitting or settled form, that doesn't mean it doesn't fit! There's a lot of reasons a daemon might not want to use a person's fitting form, including their own preferences or comfort. ^^

I hope to write some more on this topic in future! Probably starting with some info on the different form-finding systems (that is: the different approaches to finding a meaningful daemon form).

The last thing I want to emphasise here is that it is definitely okay to only be interested in one side of daemonism. Having a daemon doesn't mean you have to form-find or seek out a settled form, and you can look for a meaningful fitting form whether or not you have a daemon. Both are parts of daemonism, and a daemian can do both or only one, with no pressure to engage in the other. c:

not sure where else to ask but is it rude/weird to contact your daemon with the express purpose of getting help with self esteem/self compassion issues or would that be considered rude? I'm just worried about hurting his feelings or committing a social faux pax is all

Absolutely not! In fact that kind of reassurance is a huge part of why a lot of people develop them for the purposes of improving their mental health. It's kind of like ... an extended form of an affirmation, in my mind.

Tbh there aren't really any social faux pas that I can think of within the community because each daemon-daemian relationship is SO unique. If it helps you, then go for it! If it feels weird, perhaps talking to your daemon about why it doesn't feel quite right might help you figure out why as well :)

#daemonism #daemian #daemons