The House holds no correspondence, so this page tries to answer in advance what a thoughtful newcomer would ask. Each answer is short and points to the page where the matter is treated in full.
About Lilith
Who is Lilith, in one paragraph?
Lilith is a figure whose name comes from a class of Mesopotamian wind spirits and who entered Jewish tradition as a night spirit dangerous to infants and mothers. A medieval tale made her Adam's first wife, who claimed equality with him and left Eden. Over the last two centuries she has been reread as an archetype of independence, refusal, and the disowned self. See the Archetype.
Is Lilith a goddess or a demon?
In the historical sources she is a spirit or demon, and there is no evidence that she was ever worshipped as a goddess in the ancient world. Many modern practitioners honor her as a goddess, which is a development of the twentieth century. The House treats her as an archetype and takes no position on what kind of being, if any, stands behind it.
Is Lilith in the Bible?
Once. Isaiah 34:14 names her among the creatures of a ruined land, and many translations render the word as "screech owl" or "night creature." She does not appear in Genesis. The story of Adam's first wife comes from the medieval Alphabet of Ben Sira. See Origins and Sources.
Is Lilith evil?
The tradition that preserved her regarded her as dangerous, for reasons that deserve respect: she was the name given to the death of infants. The modern archetype is not a figure of evil. It stands for autonomy and for the parts of a person that have been pushed out of sight. The House holds both in view and thinks a reading that drops either one is incomplete.
What does the name Lilitu mean?
Lilitu is the Akkadian word for a female wind or night spirit. It comes from the Sumerian lil, meaning wind or breath. The later association with the Hebrew word for night is a folk etymology, though an old and influential one. See the glossary.
About practice
Do I have to believe Lilith is real to work with her?
No. The practices are written so that they work whether you address Lilith as a presence, as a symbol, or as a part of yourself. The keepers themselves disagree on the question and have agreed to leave it open.
Is it safe to work with the Lilith archetype?
The practices in this library involve sitting quietly, writing, speaking aloud, and looking in a mirror. None involves physical risk. The psychological material can be difficult, since shadow-work brings up what has been avoided. Go slowly, close each session properly, and do not undertake it alone during acute distress or if you have a history of trauma or psychosis. Read the cautions first.
What is shadow-work?
Shadow-work is the deliberate practice of becoming aware of the parts of yourself that you have disowned, so that they stop acting out of sight. The House sets it out in four movements: naming, meeting, hearing, and housing. It is not therapy and does not replace it. See Shadow-Work.
How do I begin?
Read the pages on the archetype and on shadow-work, get a notebook, and follow First Steps, which lays out one lunation of reading, journaling, mirror work, and a single small refusal.
Do I need an altar, a statue, or offerings?
No. The House uses a notebook, a candle, a mirror, and a doorway. Nothing needs to be bought. We publish no lists of offerings, colors, herbs, or stones, because none are traditional and the published lists contradict each other.
Is this only for women?
No. The archetype speaks to anyone who has been told that their place is beneath. The library is written for readers of any gender, and two of the five keepers are not women.
Can I combine this with my own religion?
That is for you to decide, and the Charter leaves it entirely to you. The practices can be used for self-examination alongside a religious faith, or with none. The House asks no one to leave anything.
Is House Lilitu a Satanic or devil-worshipping group?
No. The House worships nothing. It studies one figure and publishes a method of self-examination. It belongs to the broad current called the left-hand path in the sense that it places authority in the individual. See Lilith and the Left-Hand Path.
About the House
How do I join House Lilitu?
You cannot, and neither can anyone else. The House has no membership, by its first article. If you read the library and find it useful, you are as much a part of the House as anyone is.
How do I contact the keepers?
There is no way to do so. The House keeps no public address, telephone, inbox, or social media account. This is a deliberate choice, explained in A House Without Initiation. Any account or person claiming to speak for the House elsewhere does not.
Does the House offer readings, courses, or spellwork?
No. The House offers no services of any kind, paid or free, and sells no products. Everything it has to give is on this site.
May I quote or reuse what is published here?
Yes, within the terms. Short quotation with credit is welcome. The Charter and the practices may be copied and adapted for personal and group use. Please do not sell them, and do not describe the House's interpretations as ancient tradition.
Who checks the historical claims?
Every page is read by two keepers before it is published, and the Keeper of the Library is responsible for accuracy. Each claim is meant to be traceable through the source list, and readers are encouraged to check.