Today we’re talking with Davezilla; an accomplished magical practitioner, a tarot deck designer and author, and most importantly, the man working to make teenage Rebecca’s cyberpunk magic dreams come true.
1. Your new book, “Magical AI Grimoire”, discusses using generative AI as a tool for magic. For readers who may not understand, what is generative AI?
Generative AI is a misnomer. We do not have actual AI. Yet. We have large language models (LLMs) and visual models. Marketers jumped on using the term AI because it’s catchy and sounds futuristic. Generative AI means any of these LLMs and visual models that can produce (generate) text or images based on what you ask them to do. They require a human to start them with a prompt. They cannot just act on their own without a human’s idea or prompt.
2. What inspired you to look at these kinds of programs as tools for magic?
I was working with RebrandX, a nonpro*t that helps underprivileged small businesses owners and minorities get a leg up in the business world. One of the ways we do that is by teaching them how to build “agents” that act as virtual employees.
While I was teaching, I noticed that many of the magical communities were using AI to create images of their deities, Oríṣàs, spirit guides, etc. And some were using ChatGPT to imitate say, Aleister Crowley or Sybil Leek, to create spells in their tone of voice.
I approached Weiser Books with the idea of cataloging what was happening and also creating a how-to guide for tech-forward witches and mages who want to incorporate AI into their practices.
I had no idea that two years later, several dozen tech covens would contact me and let me know they use my book as their coven Grimoire. I guess I started something.
3. How did you learn to effectively use ChatGPT? Your book is loaded with great general usage advice.
Yeah, of course it’s already becoming dated. I learned from RebrandX. They jumped on the bandwagon early in 2022. Mostly, I learned from trial and error. Like with any tool, playing with it and trying to break it is the best way to see what is possible.
4, In “Magical AI Grimoire” you suggest using ChatGPT and Midjourney (for images). Have your thoughts on that changed given the constant stream of generative AIs that keep popping up?
Oh yes. Midjourney is still really really good, but they have fallen behind. It’s a good tool for creating dreamy imagery, but most people have practical needs (like removing someone from a photo, changing a room’s interior, cleaning up a bad yard to give better curb appeal, etc. Unfortunately, with the increase in realism came better deep fakes. In 2018, I predicted that we would soon have deep fakes so realistic, that a world leader could be deposed and it could take a year or more before anyone realized they were actually gone.
5. Given the environmental concerns, such as the volume of water required to cool data centers and large energy consumption required to train and use AI, do you feel it’s okay to use the technology for things magic users have done for themselves in the past? For example, writing spells and rituals?
So that’s one of those things where the average person has zero context for what is “so much water and energy.” Currently the US (and globally, it’s a similar number), we are using 3.6% of our power and water on AI. Basically, typing in 100 decent-length prompts into ChatGPT uses about a teaspoon of water.
By contrast, a making a single pair of jeans requires 6,000 gallons of water. The textile and paper industries are each using over 11% of our water. The chemical and pharmaceutical industries use even more.
But no one wants to have that talk.
Now, I am not saying it’s not a problem. It is, and the usage is growing exponentially. I was asked this same question last year and the percentage for AI was 1.4%. So it’s doubled since 2025. OpenAI just demanded five more data centers. The good news is, the really big AI systems are already working on solving this problem. These are the same systems that are helping cure diseases and create complex cultural strategies. And they will solve it.
6. What part of a magical practice can benefit the most from Promptcraft?
I think the best thing is for new witches who might not have a solid background in materia, AI can be a good resource for letting you know what items can be swapped out if you don’t have access to the ones in the spell you want to cast.
What it is not good for, is astrology and herbalism. These are language and imaging models, not math models. If you want software to cast your chart, use a dedicated astrology app—not ChatGPT. It cannot cast the houses properly and that means your entire chart is useless. Better yet, use a real astrologer. They can gestalt the entire chart and that is something LLMs can-not do. As JP Morgan once said, “Millionaires don’t use astrologers. Billionaires do.”
Crystals and stones? Sure. But herbalism. Hells no. People die from eating the wrong mushrooms all the time. There’s even a meme out now about AI telling someone that a mushroom was perfectly edible and in the next panel, the AI Bot is apologizing to the person’s grave that perhaps they were wrong about that fungus.
7. In your book you discuss sigil software. Can you give my readers a brief explanation of what sigils are and how they can benefit from sigil software?
Sigils are symbols that you design for a purpose, like say a protection symbol that you wear or put above your door. In the 19th Century, the great occult artist, Austin Osman Spare invented a system of sigil making that has become the standard for sigils. There are many variations of sigil-making but the common method is to write out your petition.
Let’s say it’s “I need a new car by the end of summer.” Not the best example, but it will work for this. Now remove all repeating letters (for example there are three Ns, two Ms, six Es, etc.). Now you have “I ned a nw cr by th of sum.” Now you have “NW CR B TH F SM.” Now find a way to artistically arrange those letters into a single symbol. You might get something like this.
8. Hackers, Strange Days, or Johnny Mnemonic?
The Matrix, with Hackers as a close second.
9. What’s next? Do you have any upcoming projects that my readers should be aware of?
I am currently working on my second tarot deck. I do not use generative AI to create my images. It’s all Adobe Illustrator: an app I’ve been using since 1988. This deck is called the Feral Path Tarot and features dozens of famous witches and magicians. Names you’d know, like Mat Auryn, Laura Tempest-Zakroff, Ivo Dominquez, Jr., Nathan King, Lisa Morris, Devin Hunter, Mambo Fredericka, and many others.
10. Parting Shot! Ask us at The Magical Buffet any one question.
Have you tried any of the spells or image creations from the Grimoire?
This is embarassing. I haven’t. I am such a slow adopter of new technologies. I was dragged kicking and screaming to just about every social media app (Except for BlueSay. Twitter without Elon Musk was an easy sell.). I have used Google Gemini a few times to help me with some questions at my day job.
About Davezilla:
Davezilla is a longtime magical practitioner with over 45 years as an initiated witch in three traditions, 20 years as an Olocha (Santero) in Lukumí, and practices chaos magic and Discordianism. As the illustrator and creator of “Tarot of the Unexplained”, Davezilla crafted a deck that Fox Mulder (X-Files) would have used. Inspired by cryptids, ghosts, UFOs, paranormal events, and the high weirdness of Fortean phenomena, this isn’t your standard archetypal fare. Weird times call for weird tools. Davezilla’s current project is the “Feral Path Tarot”.
Get your own copy of “Magical AI Grimoire” here. (This is an affiliate link to my Bookshop, which supports independent bookstores throughout the United States. If you use this link to purchase the book, I will make a small commission at no additional cost to you.)
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