Demon...a word we have all heard at one point or another. A word rooted in the energy of fear, associated with evil and torment...but what if it doesn't mean what you think it does?
When you look up the definition of demon the first thing you will see is "an evil spirit or devil, especially thought to possess a person or act as a tormentor in hell"...but what if we look at the etymology? But first, what is the difference between the definition of a word and the etymology of a word? A definition explains the current meaning of a word as it is understood in the present day. While the etymology of a word explores the origin of a word, how it has evolved and been changed over the course of history and time.
The word demon originates from the Greek word daimon, which originally meant spirit or divine power, a lesser God, or a guiding spirit. The Latin word "daemon" which was derived from the Greek word "daimon" meant "spirit". No where in the origin of this word did it hold a malevolent or negative meaning. It only evolved into a negative meaning after Christian translations used the term "daimon" in the Septuagint translation of the Hebrew Bible into Greek, where it drew on the mythology of ancient Semitic religions. Christian translations also associated it with Pagan deities and its negative meaning continued to evolve.
That's a pretty stark difference from what we've been told the word demon means, wouldn't you say? A word with a once neutral meaning, evolved into something with such an extreme negative one? Have you ever challenged the meaning of the words you use to describe things in your experience? Have you looked into the deeper meanings, the origins, the "root" of the word?
If I have learned anything in my own experience, it's often the truth is stranger than fiction...that things are often not as they seem. I challenge you to look into words that hold powerful meaning to you and your experience. Do they mean what you have been taught to believe? Happy exploring, friends.