On the A.’.A.’. path, it soon becomes necessary to confront the Demon. The Demon is not the Daemon. The latter is a guiding spirit given to you with your incarnation. The Demon is the core flaw around which your personal consciousness coalesced.
It is that which tempts you to restrict others and yourself in the man of Earth grade. In the Lover, it blocks you from the guidance of your Angel. It is the Dweller on the Threshold of the Abyss.
In itself, it is nothing. It is not a true entity. Rather, it personifies the peculiar distorting factor of your specific mind. It is your main flaw, what Gurdjieff called “the chief feature”. It is the primary way in which you defend your ego when you feel it is under threat.
To study your Demon, research the sign and house of the South Node of your Moon. Soon enough, you will see in your diary examples of Malkuthian blow-outs caused by that core ego-protection strategy. The harder you defend your ego, the more your Demon has you as its slave.
The Angel
You must invoke the Angel before all else. You may do this through daily banishment, prayer, and other rituals. The Angel is your True, Divine Self, the one who took this incarnation.
The Angel is the one Who offers you glimpses of your Path while you are in the man of Earth grade. In the Lover grade, you work the Lower Ruach (Hod-8, Netzach-7, Tiphareth-9) in balance to achieve the Guidance of the Holy Guardian Angel–what Aleister Crowley misleadingly termed the Knowledge and Conversation of the Holy Guardian Angel.
The real K&C refers to the direct Gnosis experienced only by those who have essayed the ordeal of the Abyss and survived with their sanity intact. It is for those who have conquered their Demon, put it fully under control so that the Angel reigns supreme.
The Angel is the external You for whom, in the Hermit grade, your body and personality serve as but an empty vessel.
To study how to be “controlled by” your Angel, research the sign and house of the North Node of your Moon. Soon enough you will recognize signs of your success.
Summary
When you have controlled your Demon (South Node traits) and become controlled by your Angel (characterized by your North Node traits), the Dragon will eat Its own tail. Know Thyself!