- tavabaird
- Jan 1
- 6 min read
Updated: Jan 6
UPDATED: Angel Alpha has sold and is on her way to Fairfax, VA!
I've been channeling Samael for over two years now, and it has changed my life in wonderful and miraculous ways. Over the past months he's been explaining a whole new magickal philosophy to me, which is being used as the basis for the Lilith and The Lost City classes that began in late 2025 and will continue-and be added to-in 2026. The Deck of Rebellion, a channeled Oracle Deck, has found its way into many of your practices, and I am so filled with gratitude for that. A book of Lilithian Ritual is on its way in 2026, and all of these lessons have had a major influence on The Book of High Places, which is Book 6 in The Spiral Pathways Series.
And it has affected my artwork as well. And so, in 2026 I begin The Fallen Angel Project.
Lilithian Daemonic Philosophy is all empathy. About rescuing those who have generous hearts but who have been rejected by the powers that be in our world because they are not deemed "enough". Lilithian magick classes center around an exploration of your own divinity and the setting down of other people's expectations. Figuring out what no longer serves. Reclaiming what is good and wild and powerful in ourselves and rejecting the judgement of a world that often demonizes us. Lifting people up and embracing them.
Giving people a chance, rather than judging them based on a stereotype. It is radical inclusion. In the same manner that many of us have reclaimed the word "Witch", so am I aiming to reclaim the word "Daemon".
If they tell us that all the wonderful people are unworthy and sinners, then let's make a community of those cast out, shall we?
In this vein, the act up upcycling is a Lilithian Daemonic practice. We're taking something no one wants and reclaiming it. Lifting it up. Looking for the divine at the heart of it, and re-making it into something powerful. Something rare. Something unique.
My Fallen Angel Project, therefore, is focused on making art from items others have cast aside. For example: old religious statuary and Angel figurines.
In each case, I'm taking run-of-the mill or damaged items from local charity shops (so the money goes to a good cause and the item stays out of the landfill.) Both of these practices fall in line with Lilithian philosophy (kindness to others and caring for The Wild). And then I'm taking them apart, keeping what works, and setting aside what doesn't. The results will hopefully end up in my etsy shop, where the sale of them helps me to be able to offer discounts to people who wish to take Lilithian classes and other workshops but are in a financially challenged state.
Everybody wins! You have something wild and unique on your altar, the charity thrift shop makes money, the Earth has one less thing in the landfill, and I am able to offer experiences to those who couldn't otherwise afford them. Each Angel experiment will have its own blog post so you can see the whole process - what it looked like before, and the road to its new life.
And here's Part 1 of our very first Angel RIGHT NOW!
ANGEL ALPHA: from Faux-Colonial to Deity
One thing about the holidays at the end of the year: there is Angel statuary EVERYWHERE. This one came from Blue Ridge Hospice Thrift store in Berryville, Virginia. She was on their Christmas display just after winter solstice. And...okay, full disclosure.
I grew up in a house full of Colonial and faux-Colonial antiques that was decorated with lots of stuff JUST LIKE THIS. My mother had a Christmas fixation and swooned over anything that looked like it came from Colonial Williamsburg. I, meanwhile, wanted to live in a minimalist house far, far from pie safes, wreaths with pineapples on them, and the "single candle in each window" look. And so while you may think this Angel is cute, I...don't. Not at all. The oversize chunky heart? Colonial blue? The rustic plaid bow? They make me go YICK and just looking at it makes me feel like I am swimming in Childhood Trauma Lake.
Normally, I would not touch this thing with a ten-foot pole. But that's what following Lilith is about, isn't it? Remaking your trauma into a source of empowerment?
And so...she came home with me. What is all that hairy stuff all over her? MOSS. MOSS and HOT GLUE.
Good goddess.
First, I began by trying to peel off the moss. Soon it's everywhere: all over my work table, the floor, on my shirt, on my pants, EVERYWHERE. And it's dusty. I had fantasized about returning it to nature, but there's just too much dried glue and dust. And so I set to work with a pair of pliers and my fingers. Remember back in school how satisfying it was to peel glue off your fingers? I'm having flashbacks and it's kinda still fun.
It turns out the moss is hiding all SORTS of things: the candle is nailed into the wood. The wiring has holes in it. There is a lot of gunky glue. I'm gonna need a screwdriver to pry the staples off that are holding the cord in place and a hammer to pry the candle off once I can pull the nails out far enough with the pliers for it to catch.
That heart was on TIGHT. I managed to wiggle the screwdriver under the bottom tip of the heart and wrench open a space big enough for the hammer to make it in.
Okay. Now THIS we can work with.
The wood appears to be pine. There's no maker's mark or branding anywhere: this may have been made by another crafter once upon a time. I'm guessing by looking at the components that this might be from the 80s or 90s. Or maybe I'm just remembering similar things from that time period.
She is super boxy with very angular edges. I want a more organic, rounded look. Time to dig out my spoon and relief carving knives and my knock-off Dremel tool.
About eight or so years ago, my husband and I took a relief wood carving class together, and then I got into spoon carving.
Side story: while taking classes at a really cool outdoor skills conference in West Virginia, I learned how to do primitive blacksmithing on the forest floor using a trash bag as a bellows. After that class, I went to do spoon carving with a group nearby and proceeded to stick a brand-new knife into the top of my thumb. The EMT on site was trying to stop the bleeding, and her dad (the teacher of the blacksmithing class I had just finished) stood next to her the entire time going, "Let me cauterize it!" She kept yelling back, "No! Dad! IT DOESN'T NEED THAT!" while he moped, "Ah man, you NEVER let me cauterize ANYONE."
I still have the thumb.
Anywho, back to knife work.
It's nearly bedtime now so I'm stopping for the night and heading to get some peppermint tea. More carving and sanding tomorrow, and then once she has a form I like I'll get a base coat of paint on her!
More to come for our lovely reclaimed entity!
Image at the top of post is the "Fallen Angel" Card from The Deck of Rebellion. Watercolor by Tava Baird, 2025.
