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Lucifer: Praxis
Praxis is a profound and original study of spiritual power in the western magical tradition, explored through the evolution of the figure of Lucifer – as the archetype of rebellion, liberation and, ultimately, transformation and renewal. The work continues the trajectory of Princeps, Grey’s meticulous study of the origins of the figure of the light-bringer and the myth of the rebel angels at the root of our occult tradition.
In this volume, Grey traces the development of magic as praxis, through a critical engagement with the Christian vision of the spiritual world and its heritage of compulsion, binding and exorcism. Grey rejects the post-Christian materialist dismissal of spiritual encounters, and instead advocates for a counter-tradition of spiritual antinomianism and intercourse. Praxis presents magic as a dynamic pact with spirits, whilst recognising that authority requires the exercise of power.
Opening with ‘The Angelic Principate,’ Grey examines the twenty named angels of 1 Enoch, giving their genealogies and functions, and revealing them as tutelary spirits and teachers, elemental forces and sublunary epiphanies of wind and storm, immanent in starlight, stone, flora and fauna. Grey emphasises the power of storytelling, place and ritual to evoke and commune with these spirits, and gives oaths, initiations and protocols.
Subsequent chapters examine magical authority and practice through such figures as St Paul and Simon Magus, as the daimonic is actively demonised and exorcism becomes a tool of eschatology and conquest. Proposing a Luciferian praxis, Grey provides rituals for engaging with spirits at different time depths, patterned on the Graeco-Egyptian magical papyri and the Solomonic grimoires. Particular attention is given to the Ars Goetia, the Livre des Esperitz and the Red Dragon, with revised conjurations for those who wish to operate outside the dominant Christian paradigm.
Lucifer enters the modern era through the line of prophecy as revolution shakes England, Europe and America. The archetype transforms from the rebel against God into the scourge of tyrants. William Blake’s visionary assault on John Milton’s sublime Paradise Lost gives permission to the Romantic poets to invoke Lucifer as illuminator and liberator.
Praxis is both a scholarly and poetic guide, offering a framework for magical practice that is rooted in historic precedent yet contemporary; an innovative fusion of Enochic lore, the line of prophecy, and contemporary ritual craft. Grey charts the emergence of a new Luciferianism which blooms from the ritual texts and revolutionary fire that have shaped our world.
In this volume, Grey traces the development of magic as praxis, through a critical engagement with the Christian vision of the spiritual world and its heritage of compulsion, binding and exorcism. Grey rejects the post-Christian materialist dismissal of spiritual encounters, and instead advocates for a counter-tradition of spiritual antinomianism and intercourse. Praxis presents magic as a dynamic pact with spirits, whilst recognising that authority requires the exercise of power.
Opening with ‘The Angelic Principate,’ Grey examines the twenty named angels of 1 Enoch, giving their genealogies and functions, and revealing them as tutelary spirits and teachers, elemental forces and sublunary epiphanies of wind and storm, immanent in starlight, stone, flora and fauna. Grey emphasises the power of storytelling, place and ritual to evoke and commune with these spirits, and gives oaths, initiations and protocols.
Subsequent chapters examine magical authority and practice through such figures as St Paul and Simon Magus, as the daimonic is actively demonised and exorcism becomes a tool of eschatology and conquest. Proposing a Luciferian praxis, Grey provides rituals for engaging with spirits at different time depths, patterned on the Graeco-Egyptian magical papyri and the Solomonic grimoires. Particular attention is given to the Ars Goetia, the Livre des Esperitz and the Red Dragon, with revised conjurations for those who wish to operate outside the dominant Christian paradigm.
Lucifer enters the modern era through the line of prophecy as revolution shakes England, Europe and America. The archetype transforms from the rebel against God into the scourge of tyrants. William Blake’s visionary assault on John Milton’s sublime Paradise Lost gives permission to the Romantic poets to invoke Lucifer as illuminator and liberator.
Praxis is both a scholarly and poetic guide, offering a framework for magical practice that is rooted in historic precedent yet contemporary; an innovative fusion of Enochic lore, the line of prophecy, and contemporary ritual craft. Grey charts the emergence of a new Luciferianism which blooms from the ritual texts and revolutionary fire that have shaped our world.
337 pages, Kindle Edition
Published November 21, 2025
11 people are currently reading
19 people want to read
About the author
Peter Grey
62 books111 followersPeter Grey is the co-founder of Scarlet Imprint with Alkistis Dimech. He is a devotee of Babalon and the author of The Red Goddess, which has become the standard work on the Goddess of Revelation. A deliberately provocative telling of her story, this has become essential reading for many.
His controversial Apocalyptic Witchcraft has been called the most important modern book on Witchcraft, placing it in the context of the Sabbat and in a landscape suffering climate and ecological collapse. It stands in the tradition of the work done by Peter Redgrove, Ted Hughes and Robert Graves. His latest work is Lucifer: Princeps, a study of the origins of the figure of Lucifer. Further essays can be found in Howlings, Devoted, At the Crossroads and XVI. His work has also appeared in numerous small journals and collections, such as The Fenris Wolf, as well as online, though most of his work is now published through Scarlet Imprint.
Peter Grey has spoken at public events and conferences in England, Scotland, Norway and the United States as well as closed gatherings. These have included Occulture, the Occult Conference in Glastonbury, Treadwell’s Bookshop, the Esoteric Book Conference in Seattle, Here to Go in Norway, and many Pagan Federation events. A long term supporter of the Museum of Witchcraft in his native Cornwall, his work on the Witches’ Sabbat was first given at the annual Friends of the Museum gathering.
His controversial Apocalyptic Witchcraft has been called the most important modern book on Witchcraft, placing it in the context of the Sabbat and in a landscape suffering climate and ecological collapse. It stands in the tradition of the work done by Peter Redgrove, Ted Hughes and Robert Graves. His latest work is Lucifer: Princeps, a study of the origins of the figure of Lucifer. Further essays can be found in Howlings, Devoted, At the Crossroads and XVI. His work has also appeared in numerous small journals and collections, such as The Fenris Wolf, as well as online, though most of his work is now published through Scarlet Imprint.
Peter Grey has spoken at public events and conferences in England, Scotland, Norway and the United States as well as closed gatherings. These have included Occulture, the Occult Conference in Glastonbury, Treadwell’s Bookshop, the Esoteric Book Conference in Seattle, Here to Go in Norway, and many Pagan Federation events. A long term supporter of the Museum of Witchcraft in his native Cornwall, his work on the Witches’ Sabbat was first given at the annual Friends of the Museum gathering.
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December 30, 2025
I've already read through this book twice despite only being available for a couple of months. This is a fantastic follow-up to Princeps. Grey ignores all that eye-rolling juvenile "Luciferinaism" that has been developing over the past 30 years and takes it back to the time of the Romantics, when it still had its potency and ability to inspire.
The first half of the book gives ritual suggestions for working with the spirit at different time depths, from the Book of Enoch to the Blue Grimories, and probably introduces the best variation to the Ars Goetia that I've come across for those who are interested in working it through a post-christianity lens. Each of these sections of ritual practice come with a well thought out history and commentary essay for why he developed and/or adapted them the way that he does. This inclusion of the logic for these ritual constructions are very beneficial, as it allows for one to think through these lines of reason to help develop their own rituals, on top of what Grey provides.
The second half is full of essays on Milton and post-Milton Romantic interpretations of the Lucifer figure, offering engaging contemplations on the nature of rebellion. The section on the fall of the Bastille as the death of God and what Lucifer means in such a context was a particularly inspired insight, making it a novel of enough interpretation to having this book stand apart and worthwhile on that section alone.
Outside of Milton's Paradise Lost, this and Princeps should be must-reads for those interested in the myth-spirit of Lucifer and Luciferianism in general, as it avoids heavy metal dark fluff larping used by many who take up this topic, by demonstrating how the Luciferian myth evolved within the broader collective consciousness. It is also a great book for Thelemites who find the general principles of Thelema interesting but want to dispense with all that pseudo-Egyptian iconography for a mythic framework that better matches contemporary culture. For example his pairing of Babalon with Lucifer as symbols of authority in the Ars Goetia is a good example of what this kind of Thelema could look like.
I have the hardcover edition and it was up to the quality one expects from Scarlet Imprint. I would definitely recommend one to pick up that edition off of the Scarlet Imprint website if they think this work will really resonate with them. As it looks really spiffy on the bookshelf.
The first half of the book gives ritual suggestions for working with the spirit at different time depths, from the Book of Enoch to the Blue Grimories, and probably introduces the best variation to the Ars Goetia that I've come across for those who are interested in working it through a post-christianity lens. Each of these sections of ritual practice come with a well thought out history and commentary essay for why he developed and/or adapted them the way that he does. This inclusion of the logic for these ritual constructions are very beneficial, as it allows for one to think through these lines of reason to help develop their own rituals, on top of what Grey provides.
The second half is full of essays on Milton and post-Milton Romantic interpretations of the Lucifer figure, offering engaging contemplations on the nature of rebellion. The section on the fall of the Bastille as the death of God and what Lucifer means in such a context was a particularly inspired insight, making it a novel of enough interpretation to having this book stand apart and worthwhile on that section alone.
Outside of Milton's Paradise Lost, this and Princeps should be must-reads for those interested in the myth-spirit of Lucifer and Luciferianism in general, as it avoids heavy metal dark fluff larping used by many who take up this topic, by demonstrating how the Luciferian myth evolved within the broader collective consciousness. It is also a great book for Thelemites who find the general principles of Thelema interesting but want to dispense with all that pseudo-Egyptian iconography for a mythic framework that better matches contemporary culture. For example his pairing of Babalon with Lucifer as symbols of authority in the Ars Goetia is a good example of what this kind of Thelema could look like.
I have the hardcover edition and it was up to the quality one expects from Scarlet Imprint. I would definitely recommend one to pick up that edition off of the Scarlet Imprint website if they think this work will really resonate with them. As it looks really spiffy on the bookshelf.
Displaying 1 of 1 review