I understand where many of the ‘rules’ regarding calling and summoning spirits come from. Things like color, time of day, incense, etc. tend to be intuitive and based on either well-founded astrological aspects or collective experience. I do not live a life as orderly and predictable as the movement of the stars, however.
What I am seeking here is balance. I think a lot of these ‘rules’, while they may not be hardline, give the practice some weight to it that would be otherwise missing in an ‘anything goes’ approach. Roman paganism works on rules and formula over blind faith- which helps a natural skeptic like me. The idea of ‘just do x and do it this way and it will work, faith can come later’ is an appetizing thought to one still not altogether certain if anything spiritual can be known. I think the structure also provides a way to separate wheat from chaff so to speak- the formality also gives a way to distinguish truth from delusion.
More important than that is respect to the spirits I am trying to call, especially in regards to time. If someone called me at 2AM to propose a deal, I would naturally be soured to them from the start based on waking me at such an hour. I would imagine it would be much the same trying to call a nocturnal demon in the morning.
Time is my biggest constraint here- the periods in which I have the spare time and the energy to rightfully give to a ritual are often all over the place. For the more experienced here I would ask- Have you found the day/night aspect of demons to be of great help? More secondarily, what are things that you have found effective in spiritual contact that aren’t usually mentioned?
I think I follow you.
Some of us, you and I as an example love a busy or chaotic life. It happens, and its unpredictable until you find a time and make use of that time.
Correspondences are great and all, but one thing I’ve found is the direction in which you summon the spirit. Some are sticklers about that.
They might be - if they say so in the instructions for the system you use, and not if it’s either not mentioned, or mentioned as optional or as an aid.
To the above point, what’s important is what system you are using, and this has nothing to do with the entity, and everything to do with the opinions infused into the energy of the tradition or current you are trying to tap into by those that created it.
Set what system you are using up front, and then you’ll know whether you want to care about the correspondences.
Personally, I never EVER pay attention to the time, I don’t care and it’s never been an issue. I use E.A.'s system which is basically evocation using a circle to focus spiritual attention on me (not a circle for protection) and the sigil, with incense as a manifestation base, plus shamanic drumming to aid the theta-gamma state.
I tend to do my workings after dark before bed - on my time and nobody else’s.
You know, if you wanted you could use the astral to time travel to the “right” time anyway. The spirits don’t care because they exist outside of it.