Raum

 

Raum

“… Raum is a Great Earl of Hell, ruling thirty legions of demons. He is depicted as a crow which adopts human form at the request of the conjurer. Raum steals treasures out of kings’ houses, carrying them where he wishes, and destroys cities and dignities of men (he is said to have great dispraise for dignities). Raum can also tell things past, present and future, reconcile friends and foes, and invoke love.”

Source: Wikipedia

 

Demon Raum: The Destroyer of Dignities

 

I have personally given Raum the 7 of Swords due to its interpretation as making a break for it. However, to stay consistent with the Occult Tarot deck I will grant him the 3 of Swords. As with every other article in this thread, the aim is to choose one card per day in order to provide daily guidance and wisdom. The hope is also that one of our beloved demons can respond to my efforts and offer more insight for practice.

The Suit of Swords corresponds to the element of air. This is a masculine element which is associated with unseen and underlying strength – despite air being an intangible phenomenon it is commonly accepted as a potent and destructive force within nature. Additionally, the tapering shape of swords is phallic and perhaps indicates the penetrative force which air has. As a result, there are several interpretations of this element and suit that are both positive and negative.

Air Archetypes are associated with courage, strong wills, fortitude, power, authority, or even force. This group is thought to have strength which is not immediately visible upon observation – air similarly has underlying strength which can prove very potent if need be. Thus, Air Archetypes are expected to summon their inner strength in order to face the challenges that come with life. This is the same for the 3 of Swords which is associated with strife.

The 3 of Swords belongs to the Minor Arcana deck of tarot cards. When upright, this card is read as heartbreak, emotional pain, grief, sorrow, or hurt – it is noteworthy that these are attributes associated with the element of air. When it is reversed it means optimism, forgiveness, releasing pain, or negative self-talk. I refer to this card as the “Pain Card” because it is associated with a lot of the negative aspects of the human experience.

The 3 of Swords shows a heart being pierced by three swords. In the background, there are dark clouds gathering over the pierced heart. The swords are indicative of the pain and strife which a person faces in the course of their lifetime. The clouds and their dissipating nature perhaps imply that the situation of hurt or pain is not permanent and will disappear just like the manner that clouds evaporate from the sky.

 

The Demon

 

Raum is a fallen angel and one of the demons that were ensnared by King Solomon during the days of antiquity. He is listed as the 40^th of the 72 spirits of King Solomon in the Ars Goetia. He is ranked as a Great Earl within the hellish realm. Raum has dominion over 30 legions of lesser demons that do his bidding. Not much else is known about this demon as consistent with the running theme for the majority of these beings.

Like many of the demons in the Ars Goetia, the origins of Raum are difficult to trace. Perhaps most notable is the fact that he belonged to the order of thrones prior to his fall from heaven. This demon is otherwise not mentioned in ancient Graeco-Roman or early Middle Eastern mythologies. He can only be said to have Jewish or Abrahamic origins by virtue of his listing within the Ars Goetia.

Raum appears as a crow with some humanoid attributes. There is nothing decidedly monstrous about the demon’s appearance. The demon is however capable of assuming a human shape upon the request of the conjuror. It is also unknown whether this demon is evil, benign, or indifferent towards human beings. Among the prominent grimoires that make mention of this demon are the Pseudomonarchia Daemonum and the Dictionnaire Infernal.

 

Note – despite there being no mentions of this demon’s nature, his tendency to hate people in dignified positions perhaps indicates a sense of malevolence on his part. Novice conjurors should therefore steer clear of Raum.

 

The Message

 

Should I expect adversity in the near future? Is my optimism misguided?

 

It is my belief that Raum is a demon who can prove to be very useful within the practice of magic. Several of his offices have direct benefits to the conjuror such as his ability to steal treasures from lofty places and grant them to the conjuror. He is also capable of telling things past, present, and future while also reconciling feuds among friends and foes. Each of these offices is obviously able to help one to get ahead in life.

 

If my reading was upright, I will take steps to guard myself from any impending pain or suffering through engaging in activities such as meditation. In this way, I can build up my mental fortitude to deal with the challenges that life will throw at my doorstep. If it was reversed, I will do my best to check my activities so that I am not blindly optimistic. I usually try to curb my expectations and urges in order to minimize the impact of disappointments.

 

Within a week or two, I should begin to experience the outcomes of the readings. In the first instance, I can expect some emotional strife usually within my relationships with other people who are close affiliates. In the second, I usually anticipate that I may become disappointed with the final outcome of one of my projects or activities. In either case, I can draw upon the strength of the demon and the underlying potency of the element of air to overcome.

 

Tell us what you think of Raum and the 3 of Swords in the comment section below. We would love to hear from you.

 

References

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Raum

https://occult-world.com/raum/

https://www.biddytarot.com/tarot-card-meanings/minor-arcana/suit-of-swords/three-of-swords/