Possession - A Master Post
I've been wanting to synthesize a comprehensive post specifically on deity possession and the concept and practice of "Vessel-Hood" as I have come to understand it. This post will provide some texts to reference from- spanning overviews to more advanced and specific concepts.
What is Vessel-Hood?
In my own words I would describe "vessel-hood" as an initiatory relationship between a devotee and a deity where spiritual knowledge (gnosis) is obtained through bodily possession. Contrary to the popular Catholic interpretation, this mode of Possession as it has been practiced by various cults around the world (known through terms like "aspecting", "drawing down", "embodiment", "assuming the god-form" "divine mania (in regard to Dionysian rites) etc...) is an intimate form of consensual union performed in the primary pursuit of connection, divine ecstasy, and self discovery on the behalf of the vessel and the deity. Different traditions embody differing degrees of "True Possession", some only minorly aspecting, while others are totally horsed. While intense and often overwhelming, (sometimes leading to tremors, fainting, hysteric laughter or tears) possession in this context is not forceful, coercive, nor does it decimate the original ego of the vessel. Vessel-hood is the perfection of the unity between the mortal and the divine.
Some fundamental concepts:
Tuning & Channeling: The meticulous act of attuning oneself to the possessing deity. This phase is usually the bulk portion of the "possession ritual" and is of the utmost importance to assure harmony between the body and spirit. Classical tuning methods include guided meditation, the use of bells, tones, and ritual chanting/drumming, prayer etc.
Active Possession: The active state achieved when the spirit is currently indwelling or manifesting within the vessel. Distinct from passive possession/occupation. Active possession is an incredibly intense, ego blurring, divine event that requires full attunement and ritual sanctity. Acts of supernatural strength, scribing (the act of recording prophecy, instructions, or wisdom from the spirit), glossolalia (divine speech), ecstatic dance, and miracles, occur during active possession.
Passive Possession/Occupation: The state that is sustained by the vessel between active possession rituals. The spirit lingers and dwells within the spiritual and physical body of the vessel in a dormant state, allowing the vessel to take back primary control over motor functions and ordinary thinking.
Possession Cycle: For adept vessels, these are multi day- sometimes week or month long states of sustained passive possession that occur after a primary intense Active Possession ("filling") ritual. Possession cycles are often cyclical and may be dependent on the spirit's astronomical or seasonal movements and behaviors.
Filling/Charging: The act of being actively possessed for the primary reason of lengthening/sustaining a possession cycle rather than for divinational work (like scribing). It is essentially a renewal of divine indwelling, the act of increasing the potency or "dosage" of the spirit within the vessel.
Draining/Waning: When the spirit retracts or wanes in influence within the vessel- usually occurs when the deity goes into a more dormant state- (Sun deities during the winter, Lunar Gods depending on the phase). Can often involve a feeling of dissonance, discomfort, or depression within the vessel (this is widely considered to be normal, comparable to "sub drop").
Baking/Sealing: A term for when a deity envelopes their vessel in their energetic current to reinforce the possession. A primary aspect of an active possession's peaceful transition into a possession cycle.
Banishments/Banishment Periods: I think I'll make a whole post about Banishments in detail, but essentially, the act of cleansing/emptying the vessel prior to possession.
Nectar/Seeding: It is common for the deity to provide a type of nectar, essence, or "seed" for the vessel to consume or absorb into themselves which strengthens the resonance between them. This is sometimes framed as paternalistic nourishment (divine milk), or a form of theophagy.
Riding/Horsing, Being Mounted: Originating from African Traditional Religions, to be mounted, horsed, or ridden is basically exactly what it sounds like. Vessels train their spiritual bodies to be capable of holding their "rider", who will pilot their body as a jockey pilots a horse. Occurs during active possession.
Henosis and Theurgy: Proper Greek names for the concepts of mystical union/oneness (Henosis) and divine-work (Theurgy). Neoplatonic practices aimed at achieving direct, experiential union with the divine. Possession in this context is a somatic form of these two concepts.
Tantra/Tantric Possession: Tantra is a broad ancient Indian esoteric spiritual tradition (Hindu, Buddhist, Jain) that focuses on expanding consciousness and achieving liberation while engaging with the world rather than renouncing it. It views the body as a divine vehicle, using rituals, yoga, mantras, and energy work (Kundalini) to transform everyday experiences into spiritual insights. Tantric possession, or āveśa, is the intentional, ritualistic or spontaneous infiltration of a practitioner's body and consciousness by a spirit, used to attain liberation (moksha), worldly power (bhoga), or oracular insights.
Shamanic Possession: Shamanic possession is a trance state where a spirit or ancestor temporarily inhabits a shaman's body, replacing their consciousness to act, speak, or perform miracles. The shaman becomes the "mouthpiece" of the spirit, often showing intense emotional states, superhuman strength, or altered behavior. It is used for healing, divination, and navigating the spiritual world to solve human problems in certain tribes. While sometimes confused with mediumship, true shamanic possession often involves a trained, active control over when the spirit enters, distinct from passive, chaotic, or unwanted possession.
Aspecting/ Drawing Down: A form of voluntary, temporary spirit possession where a practitioner invites the deity into their own body to speak otr act on its behalf. It is considered a form of "community service" in rituals, most famously in the "Drawing Down the Moon" rite, allowing participants to receive direct wisdom, blessings, or counsel from the divine. According to Judy Harrow and others, there are different degrees of this experience:
Enhancement: The lightest level; senses are intensified, but the person is in full control.
Inspiration: The person feels something coming through, allowing them to speak or act with knowledge they didn't previously have.
Integration (Actual Aspecting): The person speaks as the deity, feeling their personality step aside to share space.
Full Trance Possession: The deepest level; the person may have no conscious memory of the event and may exhibit unusual strength or abilities.
Aspecting is considered high-level, intense work and is not recommended for beginners or done without proper training. It is highly recommended to have someone present to support, guide, and help the person return to their normal state (a "tender" or High Priest).
Ecstasy: Simply put, the primary reason why we do this. The state of perfection and infinite love that occurs when the spirit embraces the flesh.
It is extremely difficult to find literature about the phenomenon of "possession" specifically without running into Christian exorcism and witch hunting territory. Within historical, archeological, occult and religious text, the broader phenomenon of "possession" is not usually directly stated as "possession". The following texts are a small reading list I have composed and been consuming during my vessel-hood training. They explore various concepts from ecstatic states to deity summoning, ritual preparation, mediumship, divine marriage, etc.
Ecstatic Witchcraft: Magic, Philosophy, and Trance in the Shamanic Craft by Fio Gede Parma Directly explores shamanic trance, ecstatic states, and possessory/oracular work in witchcraft. It frames deities entering the practitioner for connection, ecstasy, and self-transformation. Precisely explores the concept of “the living and the divine meeting in the middle” through co-habitation and resonance. Strong on ritual preparation and first-person practitioner insights. A personal favorite of mine.
Lifting the Veil: A Witches’ Guide to Trance-Prophesy, Drawing Down the Moon, and Ecstatic Ritual by Janet Farrar & Gavin Bone Fills a specific gap in neo-pagan/Wiccan literature on deity-possession, mediumship, trance-prophecy, and ecstatic rites including sexual/sensual elements. Very UPG based (as vessel-hood often is) but also includes practical techniques for becoming a vessel, preparation, and the intimate fulfillment of divine union developed from the authors’ extensive personal experience.
Drawing Down the Spirits: The Traditions and Techniques of Spirit Possession by Kenaz Filan & Raven Kaldera A practical manual for consensual deity possession in shamanic, neo-pagan, and Vodou-influenced Western practice. Covers ritual preparation, tuning the vessel, safety/abort protocols, benefits, and the full spectrum from partial to complete co-habitation.
The Essential Guide to Possession, Depossession, and Divine Relationships by Diana L. Paxson (companion to Trance-Portation: Learning to Navigate the Inner World) A neopagan guide to becoming a vessel for deities/spirits through trance, building intimate divine relationships, and navigating possession states. Explores consent, preparation, ethical co-habitation, and the transformative/ecstatic meeting of mortal and divine. Includes experiential techniques and devotee perspectives.
Aspecting the Goddess by Jane Meredith An exploration of “aspecting” (consensual deity possession) as intimate partnership, with the author’s personal accounts of erotic/ecstatic fulfillment, self-discovery, and personal resonance. A rare focus on the emotional and sensual dimensions of vessel-hood in modern paganism.
Talking to the Spirits: Personal Gnosis in Pagan Religion by Kenaz Filan & Raven Kaldera — devotee accounts of direct communication and possession experiences.
On the Mysteries (De Mysteriis) by Iamblichus (classical text) The foundational treatise on theurgy. Includes ritual invocations for deities/daimons to enter and unite with the practitioner, with focus on meticulous preparation and ecstatic fulfillment. Explores union as a sacred co-habitation and self-realization.
Sacramental Theurgy for Witches: Advanced Liturgy Revealed by Frater Barrabbas Modern integration of godhead assumption into witchcraft liturgy. 10 levels of becoming a living temple for the divine through ritual preparation, sacraments, and ecstatic union.
Modern companions: Theurgy: Theory and Practice by P.D. Newman & Theurgy: Seven Approaches to Divine Connection edited by Jean-Louis de Biasi, Clio Ajana : Practical rituals and analysis for henosis via possession-like divine connection.
Divine Horsemen: The Living Gods of Haiti by Maya Deren Documentary and personal account of the author as vessel in Vodou possession rites.
Āveśa and Deity Possession in the Tantric Traditions of South Asia: History, Evolution, & Etiology by Vikas Malhotra The most comprehensive and targeted academic study of this concept. Traces āveśa from Vedic roots through medieval Tantric Śaiva, Śākta, and Buddhist texts, showing how it became a central, positive paradigm: the practitioner’s body as vessel for deity fusion (samāveśa), used for ecstatic enjoyment (bhoga), power, and ultimate union (mokṣa/henosis). Covers ritual preparation, erotic elements in Kaula rites, trembling/trance states, and the body as living temple. Scholarly yet devotional in tone, treats it as legitimate intimate co-habitation without any Christianized lens. Includes extensive quotes from primary tantras and firsthand historical accounts.
The Self Possessed: Deity and Spirit Possession in South Asian Literature and Civilization by Frederick M. Smith : A broad documentary survey of possession across South Asian traditions.
To Enter, to Be Entered, to Merge: The Role of Religious Experience in the Traditions of Tantric Shaivism by Christopher D. Wallis (PhD thesis) Directly explores samāveśa as the core ecstatic experience of Tantric Shaivism: full ontological immersion/possession by Śiva-consciousness or the guru/deity. Frames it as erotic, sensory, and liberatory.
Tantra Illuminated: The Philosophy, History, and Practice of a Timeless Tradition by Christopher D. Wallis Practitioner-oriented introduction that explicitly teaches āveśa/samāveśa as divine embodiment. Covers ritual preparation, śaktipāta (deity/grace entering the body), ecstatic union, and erotic dimensions of tantric union. Includes exercises for modern application, the closest to a “how-to” for consensual tantric possession without cultural appropriation.
Deity Yoga: In Action and Performance Tantra by H.H. the Dalai Lama & Jeffrey Hopkins Classic practical guide to tantric deity yoga
Spirit Marriage: Intimate Relationships with Otherworldly Beings by Megan Rose: Explores the phenomenon of the spirit spouse or spirit lover, the practice and purpose of spirit marriage around the world, and presents transcultural evidence of this form of sacred union in anthropological research, religious literature, mythology, folklore, and the oral tradition. She shares her in-depth interviews with ten contemporary practitioners of spirit marriage, including a Faery Seer, a Shakta Tantric, a West African Shrine Keeper, a New Orleans Voodoo Mambo, Haitian Vodou practitioners, and a ceremonial magician.
The next part of this post will go into simplified possession rituals based on the foundations provided in these texts and my own personal methods.
