Beelzebuth

Belzébuth ou Belzebub ou Beelzebuth, prince des démons, selon les Écritures; le premier en pouvoir et en crime après Satan, selon Milton; chef suprême de l’empire infernal, selon la plupart des démonographes. Son nom signifie seigneur des mouches.[i]

Ahaziah, eighth king of Israel and son of the infamous Jezebel, “fell down through a lattice in his upper chamber that was in Samaria, and was sick”[ii]. Fearful, he sent his messengers “enquire of Baalzebub the god of Ekron”[iii]. The initiative was ill-fated, as an  Yahweh angry with his infidelity cursed him to die.

Ahaziah is not the first disobedient king in the biblical narrative; in famous examples, Saul broke biblical precepts to invoke the ghost of the prophet Samuel with the help of the Witch of Endor, and Solomon, listening to his wives “went after Ashtoreth the goddess of the Zidonians, and after Milcom the abomination of the Ammonites.”[iv].

Ahaziah’s story in the first chapter of the second Book of Kings preserves the only reference to this deity in the Old Testament; in the Hebrew original the name appears as בַּעַל זְבוּב, BAAL ZEBUB. The word Baal can be, genereally, translated as Lord, and Zebub “is the collective noun for ‘flies”[v]; from there the famous interpretation of the name was formed as meaning Lord of the Flies. 

The name is commonly translated “the lord of the flies”, and the god is supposed to be so called either because as a sun god he brings the flies, though the Ba’al was probably not a sun god, or more likely because he is invoked to drive away the flies from the sacrifice, like the Zeus Apomuios, who drove them from Olympia, or the hero Myiagros in Arcadia.[vi]

However, more current analyzes have considered that in this case zebub may have been the result of a derisory word game that altered the Baal Zebul form, this one indicating something like “Baal the prince, a chthonic god able to help in cases of illness”[vii]. In this case, the transliterated form of the name Βεελζεβοὺλ (= Beelzeboul) in the Greek of the New Testament would be closer to the original name.

The Archon of the Demons

The name Beelzeboul comes into the lives of Christians thanks to the famous and controversial passage reported by Matthew (12: 24-29), Luke (11: 15-22) and Mark (3: 22-30), where he is called ἄρχοντι τῶν δαιμονίων (arkonti ton daimonion, archon of the daimones):

Then was brought unto him one possessed with a devil, blind, and dumb: and he healed him, insomuch that the blind and dumb both spake and saw. And all the people were amazed, and said, Is not this the son of David? But when the Pharisees heard it, they said, This fellow doth not cast out devils, but by Beelzebub [Βεελζεβοὺλ], the prince of the devils [ἄρχοντι τῶν δαιμονίων].[viii]

The answer given by Jesus in the Gospels can be considered to be either naive or tricky; he contradicts the Pharisees by arguing that Satan [Σατανᾶς] would not subsist if he cast out his own demons[1][ix], which in no way really refutes the charge that he used these demons to deceive people. However, what is of interest here for us is that, in answering, Jesus uses the alternative name Satan, which makes it clear that, in this first moment, Beelzeboul is just another name for the same entity.

The primacy of Beelzeboul reappears in the key text of Solomonic Magic, the Testament of Solomon, a Greek text whose composition, although debated, certainly refers to a period after the first century of the Christian era, and for which there is evidence already in the fourth century..

The demonology of the Testament not only places Βεελζεβούλ as the head of the demons, it does so using exactly the same expression that we find in the Gospels: ἄρχοντα τῶν δαιμονίων, in addition to others like τών δαιμονίων ό έξαρχος[2], the exarch of the demons, Βασιλέα (Basilea, King), like Solomon, and δεσπότης (despotes, ruler) of the spirits of the air, the earth and below the earth. When summoned by Solomon, Beelzeboul declares to him:

I am Beelzeboul, the exarch of the demons. And all the demons have their chief seats close to me. And I it is who make manifest the apparition of each demon.[3][x]

Beelzeboul promises Solomon that he will bring all impure spirits to him in chains, and further on he tells Solomon that he alone is the prince [ἄρχων] of the demons because only he is left of the ούρανίων άγγέλων (ouranion aggelon, angels from heaven) who have descended, and that he was the first angel of the first heaven and that he now controls those trapped in Tartarus; to this is added the fact that he claims to have a son to indicate the influence of the Book of Enoch on the composition of the Testament. It is in the Book of Enoch that we first encounter the concept of angels who disobey and are punished, and the cause of their downfall was love for the daughters of men, with whom they had children.

In the Testament, when questioned by Solomon, Beelzeboul declared to him:

 

I destroy kings. I ally myself with foreign tyrants. And my own demons I set on to men, in order that the later may believe in them and be lost. And the chosen servants’ of God, priests and faithful men, I excite unto desires for wicked sins, and evil heresies, and lawless deeds; and they obey me, and I bear then on to destruction. And I inspire men with envy, and desire for murder, and for wars and sodomy, and other evil things. And I will destroy the world.[xi]

The Ruler of the Goetia

The Neoplatonic philosopher Porfírio de Tiro (234-304 AD) left us with an important description of the Goetic practice, which we can see that remained true to its older descriptions from the 6th and 5th centuries BC: it was the invocation of daimones of the dead or other chthonic spirits under the authority of an appropriate deity – the same scheme narrated earlier in Homer necromancies in the 8^th century BC and Aeschylus’ in the 5^th century BC.

But it is through the opposite kind of daimones that all sorcery [γοητεία] is accomplished, for those who try to achieve bad things through sorcery [γοητεία] honour especially these daimones and in particular their chief.[xii]

According to Porphyry, these daimones help people to prepare filters and loving spells, and the chief, regent or ruler [άρχοντας, arcontas] of these maleficent daemones would be the god Serapis, that he in another passage equates with Pluto. Serapis is a syncretic deity created after Alexander the Great’s conquest of Egypt in the reign of Ptolemy I Soter; he gathers attributes of the god Osiris and the sacred bull Apis, this considered to be the son of Hathor. Serapis, Pluto and Osiris within the religious syncretism of the time refer, therefore, to a god who rules the chthonic world of the dead. Porphyry indicates the goddess Hecate as being also a ruler of these spirits.

These passages from Porphyry are relevant here because, when Bishop Eusébio de Caesarea (265-339) commented on them, he left us a perfectly clear example of how this Greek goetia metamorphosed into the Christianized goetia that we know today. In his Praeparatio Evangelica, he wrote:

And who the power presiding over them happens to be, shall be made clear by the same author again, who says that the rulers of the wicked daemons are Sarapis and Hecate; but the sacred scripture says Βεελζεβούλ (Beelzebul).[4]

Lucifer e Beelzebul

The above examples we have seen, taken from the Gospels, the Testament of Solomon and the writings of Bishop Eusébio de Caesarea, show that, until the fourth century, the name most associated with the demon leader was Beelzebul; the same biblical passages also mention the name Satan, but this was perhaps less considered because, in its origin, it was not a proper name, nor was it used only for evil beings: the angel who confronts the prophet Balaam, for example, receives this epithet, and even the Satan (הַשָּׂטָן) of the book of Job must be considered a very different figure from the Christian Devil, since he stands before God and converses with him.

But, during this period, another name began to gain popularity: Lucifer. The creation of the “Christian Lucifer” is the pathetic result of a sequence of translations and misinterpretations. This story begins with the passage from Isaiah, who compares a Babylonian king to the planet Venus using its title Helel ben Shahar (הילל בן שחר) – the brilliant, or the son of the morning. The first translation of the Old Testament into the Greek language translated the expression using the word Ἑωσφόρος (heōsphoros, bearer of dawn) and, finally, at the end of the fourth century, the Latin translation known as the Vulgate translated Helel ben Shahar as Lucifer, one of the Latin names for the morning star. As Origen of Alexandria (185-253) had apparently already suggested that the king of the Isaiah passage would be the Devil himself, the name Lucifer came to be associated with him.

The adoption of the new name brought an interesting consequence: Beelzebul, little by little, started to indicate another demon, ceasing to be one of the Devil’s names.

Beelzebul in the Literature of Grimoires

In one of the manuscript versions of the Treatise of Solomon, or Hygromanteia, MS Harleianus 5596, this distinction is already clear: Loutzipher is the demon of the East, and shares the demonic empire with Asmodai in the North, Astaroth in the West and Berzeboul in the South. Each of the main demons has a retinue of subordinate spirits; in this case:

O you spirits and demons of the South, Berzeboul, Arkanel, Akhonioth, Zirtheouel, Ephlakh, Ephipta, Meltos, Kariter, Hypopalt, Listitho, Kaliouth, Boidonatekan, Malekapon, Liskax, Belioukh, Pelgiab, Gaabon, Eisgonel, Rhendipon, Khameloul, Digmason, Hyperikphimas, Oukaslabitan, Ptethama, Bebykis, Ourti, Kethapson, come, come, come,

from wherever you may be, quickly, at once. [xiii]

A similar system appears in the Book of Abramelin [xiv]:

In the Livre des Esperitz, a grimoire that survives in a sixteenth-century French copy, and which relates in its catalog to the Pseudomonarchia Daemonum and, by extension, to the Ars Goetia of the Lemegeton, Bezlebuth shares the supreme demonic power with only Lucifer and Satan – and this is the oldest example I know of where the names Lucifer and Satan come to refer to different beings. The Livre des Esperitz thus describes Bezlebuth:

Gay, great and evil spirit, is called Bezlebuth, and was called before the time of Solomon of Anthaon, and is the greatest of hell after Lucifer, and it must be known that he reigns in the parts of the east, and whoever calls him he must have his view towards the east and he appears to him in a beautiful figure and appearance. He teaches all sciences and gives gold and silver to anyone who compels him to come, and gives a true answer to what is demanded of him, and reveals the secrets of Hell if he demands it, and truly teaches the things kept on

land and at sea, and manifests all the treasures that are at rest on earth, and protects from other spirits, and must be called in good time.[5]

Finally, giving yet another example, Belzebuth shares with Lucifer and Astaroth the head of the hierarchy of the Grimorium Verum, a late example of 18^th century grimoire literature. Here, he has the obedience of the spirits that inhabit Africa, and his direct subordinates are Tarchimache and and Fleruty. The Grimorium Verum so describes him:

Beelzebuth sometimes appears in monstrous4 forms, such as the shape of a monstrous calf, or a billy goat with a long tail, and yet most often he appears in the shape of a fly of an extremely large size. When angry he vomits flames, and howls like a wolf.[xv]

Beelzebuth in the Quimbanda

With the publication of the works of Aluízio Fontenelle (1913-1952) on Umbanda and Quimbanda, between 1950 and 1952, Beelzebuth and the other spirits of the Grimorium Verum acquired great importance in Brazilian occultism. Fontenelle syncretized the spirits of this grimoire with the most well-known exus of his time, also preserving the triadic arrangement of superior spirits; thus, Beelzebuth will be the Exú-Mór, who “it presents itself in various forms or aspects, almost never intermingling with incarnated beings, due to the fact that, having great honors, he is in charge of command over an incalculable legion of Exus[xvi].

Interestingly, in Quimbanda’s iconography, the image of “Exu Beelzebub” was inspired by the famous illustration of Eliphas Levi’s Baphomet.

Note: this article incorporates excerpts from my book Goetia: History & Practice (forthcoming).

[1] “Se Satanás expulsa Satanás, está dividido contra ele próprio. Como poderá então subsistir o seu reino?”. Mt. 12:26.

[2] The Testament of Solomon: Edited from Manuscripts at Mount Athos, Bologna, Holkham Hall, Jerusalem, London, Milan, Paris and Vienna, Chester Charlton McCown.

[3] The Testament of Solomon, translated by F. C. Conybeare.

[4] Eusebius of Caesarea Praeparatio Evangelica (Preparation for the Gospel), Tr. E. H. Gifford (1903).

[5] Les who’s who démonologiques de la Renaissance et leurs ancêtres médiévaux, Jean-Patrice Boudet.

[i] Dictionnaire Infernal: Répertoire Universel, par J. Collin De Plancy. Sixième Édition, 1863.

[ii] 2 Kings 1:2, King James Bible.

[iii] 2 Kings 1:2, , King James Bible.

[iv] 1 Kings 11:5 , King James Bible.

[v] Dictionary of Deities and Demons in The Bible, Karel van der Toorn, Bob Becking and Pieter W. van der Horst.

[vi] Beelzebub, Encyclopedia Catholica. https://www.newadvent.org/cathen/02388c.htm

[vii] Beelzebub, Dictionary of Deities and Demons in the Bible, Karel van der Toorn, Bob Beking. Pieter W. van der Horst.

[viii] , King James Bible, Mt. 12:22-24.

[ix] “And if Satan cast out Satan, he is divided against himself; how shall then his kingdom stand?”. Mt. 12:26.

[x] The Testament of Solomon, translated by F. C. Conybeare.

[xi] The Testament of Solomon, translated by F. C. Conybeare.

[xii] Porphyry: On Abstinence from Killing Animals, Translated by Gillian Clark.

[xiii] The Magical Treatise of Solomon or Hygromanteia, translated & edited by Ioannis Marathakis

[xiv] The Book of Abramelin: A New Translation, by Abraham Von Worms (Author), Georg Dehn (Editor).

[xv] Grimorium Verum, A handbook of Black Magic, Edited and Translated by Joseph H. Peterson.

[xvi] Exu, Aluizio Fontenelle.

The post The Great Lord of the Flies appeared first on Occult-Study.

This page serves as a map to the articles about angelology and the archangels, in order to better follow our presentations.

Angelic Hierarchies by Rufus Opus

Angelic Hierarchies by Asterion

1. The Holy Living Ones: Chayyot Ha-Qadosh by Asterion

2. Ophanim by Asterion

3.Erelim by Asterion (in progress)

4. Hashmallim by Asterion (in progress)

5. Seraphim by Asterion (in progress)

6. Malakim by Asterion (in progress)

7. Elohim by Asterion (in progress)

8. Bene Elohim by Asterion (in progress)

9. Cherubim by Asterion (in progress)

10. Ishim by Asterion (in progress)

ARCHANGELS

The first ten archangels are those associated with theh ten Sephiroth of the Tree of Life:

1. Kether: Archangel Metatron by Asterion

2. Chokmah: Archangel Raziel by Asterion

3. Binah: Archangel Tzafkiel by Asterion

4. Chesed: Archangel Zadkiel by Asterion

5. Geburah: Archangel Samael by Asterion

6. Tiphereth: Archangel Rafael by Asterion

7. Netsach: Archangel Haniel by Asterion

8. Hod: Archangel Michael by Asterion

9. Yesod: Archangel Gabriel by Asterion

10. Malkuth: Archangel Sandalphon by Asterion

The following archangels don’t necessarily stick to the arrangement of the Tree of Life and the Planetary Spheres, though there are connections:

11. Archangel Uriel by Asterion

12. Archangel Nuriel by Asterion

13. Archangel Suriel by Asterion

14. Archangel Yofiel by Asterion

15. Archangel Seraphiel by Asterion

16. Archangels Barachiel and Barkiel by Asterion

17. Archangel Orifiel by Asterion

18. Archangel Yechudiel by Asterion

19. Archangel Raguel by Asterion

20. Archangel Chasdiel by Asterion

The post Angelology appeared first on Occult-Study.

The Interpretatio Christiana

of Saint Augustine

Πάντες οί θεοί τών έθνών δαιμόνια

Aurelius Augustinus, born in the North African city of Tagaste in 354, lived to the ripe age of 76 to become one of the two most influent Christian thinkers, only to be outshined eight centuries later by Saint Thomas Aquinas. Canonized as Saint Augustine, his work is a watershed between the first theological speculations and what would become the canon of the Church. We can have a good idea of his importance from the quote below:

To the Catholics of his own day St. Augustine was the great champion of the church against the Manichees, the Donatists, the Pelagians. To the Catholic of a day fifteen hundred years later he is still the doctor of Grace and Ecclesiology, the builder who set on the stocks every single one of the later treatises of systematic theology. But to Catholics of the thousand years which followed his death he was more even than all this. He was almost the whole intellectual patrimony of medieval Catholicism, a mine of thought and erudition which the earlier Middle Ages, for all its delving, never came near to exhausting.[1]

Augustine’s writings were decisive to the establishment of the orthodox view about demons. The first centuries of Christian development were aptly defined as “an age that was constantly speaking and writing of demons”[2]. The main reason for that was the identification of the Pagan gods as being fallen angels in disguise, a very offensive interpretation that gave (and still gives) an excuse for the persecution of every non-Christian religion. We find the identification already in Justin Martyr (100 – 165), who supported his ideas both in the Books of Enoch as in the Septuagint. The Books of Enoch introduced the idea of the fallen angel, and the Septuagint, the first Greek translation of the Old Testament, used the word δαιμόν to indicate the gods of the nations and other despised cultic figures[3].  The Books of Enoch developed his narrative after Genesis 6:1–4, interpreting the “sons of God” as a group of angels who fell in love with women and generated a progeny with them. By the time of Augustine, the Books of Enoch were mostly rejected by both Christians and Jews, but were still in circulation. In fact, it was left to Augustine to put the final stone upon their use; referring to them, he wrote:

Let us omit, then, the fables of those scriptures which are called apocryphal, because their obscure origin was unknown to the fathers from whom the authority of the true Scriptures has been transmitted to us by a most certain and well-ascertained succession. For though there is some truth in these apocryphal writings, yet they contain so many false statements, that they have no canonical authority.[4]

Augustine, to strength his argument, also let us know that in his time the Jews had already also rejected these books; in fact, it is known that the Jewish rejection of the Books of Enoch weighted heavily in their fall from grace among Christians.

But it is not without reason that these writings have no place in that canon of Scripture which was preserved in the temple of the Hebrew people by the diligence of successive priests; for their antiquity brought them under suspicion, and it was impossible to ascertain whether these were his genuine writings, and they were not brought forward as genuine by the persons who were found to have carefully preserved the canonical books by a successive transmission.[5]

Matters of Angelology influenced these decisions. Judaism rejected the very idea that angels could fall; the Talmud, for instance, see demons as a different category from the angels[6]. Christianity kept the idea of fallen angels, but with Augustine rejected entirely the notion that angels could have sexual intercourse and generate progeny with women. In fact, Augustine dedicated a whole chapter in his The City of God to the subject; Chapter 23 in Book 15 has the title “Whether We are to Believe that Angels, Who are of a Spiritual Substance, Fell in Love with the Beauty of Women, and Sought Them in Marriage, and that from This Connection Giants Were Born”[7], and there he concludes that “certainly I could by no means believe that God’s holy angels could at that time have so fallen”[8]. The definitive interpretation of Genesis 6:1–4 then identified the “sons of God” with the descendants of Seth who married into the bloodline of Cain.

Demonic Gods

We see that the identification of the Pagan gods with the fallen angels became very popular amongst Christians before Saint Augustine when we check, for instance, works written outside the more serious apologetic endeavors of the Church Fathers. The Confession of Saint Cyprian, usually attributed to the first half of the same century that saw Augustine being born, for instance, describe several of the most important Pagan gods as being subsidiary demons that the young μάγος had to invoke to approach their true leader:

Young men I buried in honor of Hades, and to please Hecate I decapitated many foreigners who were my guests. The blood of virgins I offered to Pallas, and to Ares and Kronos I sacrificed adult men. All these things I did to appease the demons and get near to the Devil himself.[9]

The idea of the angelic leader of the fallen spirits also goes back to the Books of Enoch. There we find him referred by the name of “Samyaza”; the latter Book of Jubilees named him “Mastema“. These angels were not properly rebelling against God: they just disobeyed because they could not ignore the beauty of the daughters of men. But,  inspired by these tales, Christianity invented a far more dangerous adversary:

In the organization of the spirit world of demons, Lactantius like the other Christian writers differs very greatly from the non-Christian expressions on the subject. These early apologists group the entire demon world about the one leader Satan. Satan or the Demoniarch, as he is sometimes called, rules this kingdom like a despot, the other spirits are his servants and satellites.[10]

This is the interpretation we find in Saint Augustine. Here the Devil’s sin is not Lust anymore, but first Pride in relation to God, and then Envy towards Men. Pride drove him to establish his rule over the world, and Envy guided his actions against humanity.

But after that proud and therefore envious angel preferring to rule with a kind of pomp of empire rather than to be another’s subject, fell from the spiritual Paradise, and essaying to insinuate his persuasive guile into the mind of man, whose unfallen condition provoked him to envy now that himself was fallen, he chose the serpent as his mouthpiece in that bodily Paradise in which it and all the other earthly animals were living with those two human beings, the man and his wife, subject to them, and harmless; and he chose the serpent because, being slippery, and moving in tortuous windings, it was suitable for his purpose.[11]

The Christians from the first centuries can then be credited for having created one of the most durable “conspiracy theories”, where the Devil with his demons created the Pagan religions to achieve his double purpose of ruling the world and deceiving humans. To add insult to injury, they conflated Pagan Religion with Magic, the latter being already a category of accusation.

Goetia, Magic and Theurgy

We had already seen a hint of this conflation in the quote from the Confession of Saint Cyprian, where sacrifice to the gods was presented as a preliminary to the invocation of the Devil. By doing this Christians achieved two things: defend themselves from the accusation of being magicians and, at the same time, they denigrated Pagan practices. Augustine’s theory of how Magic works ties all these together, when he says that magical ceremonies are just a method of communication established between humans and demons: there is no intrinsic power in the symbols and materials used. Magicians enter “into fellowship with devils by means of leagues and covenants about signs”[12], or as the original Latin says, “cum daemonibus initam societatem per quarumdam significationum quasi quaedam pacta atque convent”. Augustine uses the Latin word “pacta” several times when describing the agreements between humans and demons, as we can see in his repudiation of the divinatory arts:

All arts of this sort, therefore, are either nullities, or are part of a guilty superstition, springing out of a baleful fellowship between men and devils [pestifera societate hominum et daemonum], and are to be utterly repudiated and avoided by the Christian as the covenants [pacta] of a false and treacherous friendship [infidelis et dolosae amicitiae]. “Not as if the idol were anything,” says the apostle; “but because the things which they sacrifice they sacrifice to devils and not to God; and I would not that ye should have fellowship with devils”.[13]

Divination was an area where Augustine could bring closer Pagan religion and magic, as Greeks and Romans had a long standing tradition of official oracles like the Oracle of Delphi. When he mentions the oracles attributed to Hecate about Jesus Christ, he says that they “were either composed by a clever man with a strong animus against the Christians, or were uttered as responses by impure demons with a similar design” – so implying that the pagan oracles could only be frauds or operate through demonic agency. In the same fashion, Augustine also denies any kind of manifestation to the dead: the dead are just another demonic disguise:

For Numa himself also, to whom no prophet of God, no holy angel was sent, was driven to have recourse to hydromancy, that he might see the images of the gods in the water (or, rather, appearances whereby the demons made sport of him), and might learn from them what he ought to ordain and observe in the sacred rites. This kind of divination, says Varro, was introduced from the Persians, and was used by Numa himself, and at an after time by the philosopher Pythagoras. In this divination, he says, they also inquire at the inhabitants of the nether world, and make use of blood; and this the Greeks call νεκρομαντείαν. But whether it be called necromancy or hydromancy it is the same thing, for in either case the dead are supposed to foretell future things.[14]

(The Hague, MMW, 10 A 11, detail of fol. 353v (‘Numa Pompilius and Pythagoras by mystification of the devils resort to hydromancy; devils in hell’). Augustine, La Cité de Dieu (Vol. I). Translation from the Latin by Raoul de Presles. Paris; c. 1475 (c.) c. 1478-1480 – Source)

Augustine here makes hydromancy and necromancy the same thing not just because they both operate as a communication channel with demons, but because he thinks that the Pagan gods were created or modeled after notable persons from a now forgotten past:

Wherefore the things which are written in those books were either abominations of demons, so foul and noxious as to render that whole civil theology execrable even in the eyes of such men as those senators, who had accepted so many shameful things in the sacred rites themselves, or they were nothing else than the accounts of dead men, whom, through the lapse of ages, almost all the Gentile nations had come to believe to be immortal gods; whilst those same demons were delighted even with such rites, having presented themselves to receive worship under pretense of being those very dead men whom they had caused to be thought immortal gods by certain fallacious miracles, performed in order to establish that belief.[15]

The same reasoning is behind Augustine’s evaluation of the magical arts of his time: there is nothing about them but pacts and conventions by which man and demon communicate their desires and intentions. The next quote from Augustine is also interesting because it testifies to different categorizations being employed at the time by some practitioners, where goeteia occupies the lowest position in opposition to theurgy. It was important for Augustine to attack theurgy because Iamblichus defense of the theurgic rites also served as a philosophical justification for the practices of the Pagan religion.

These miracles, and many others of the same nature, which it were tedious to mention, were wrought for  the  purpose  of  commending  the  worship of  the  one  true  God, and  prohibiting  the  worship of a multitude of false  gods.  Moreover, they  were wrought by simple  faith and godly confidence, not by the  incantations  and charms composed under the  influence of a criminal tampering with the unseen world, of an art which they call either magic [magian], or by the more abominable title necromancy [goetian], or the more honorable designation theurgy [theurgian]; for they  wish  to  discriminate  between  those  whom  the  people  call  magicians,  who  practice necromancy, and are addicted to illicit arts and condemned, and those others who seem to them  to  be worthy of praise for  their  practice of theurgy,—the  truth,  however, being that both classes are the slaves of the deceitful rites of the demons whom they invoke under the names of angels.[16]

 

(Augustine, City of God. Paris, Maïtre François (illuminator); c. 1475; 1478-1480. The Hague, RMMW, 10 A 11, f.422v. “Charity admonishes demons representing ‘knowledge without love’ which does no good, but ‘inflates man with an empty windiness’.” – Source)

Demonic Power

The power that demons can manifest are derived from the nature of their bodies; Augustine seems to have first advocated an ethereal body to demons in his treatise The Divination of Demons[17], but later in the City of God he considers their bodies to be aerial due to their fallen state[18]. In the Divination he says that the demonic ethereal body is superior to earthly bodies (human and animal) in terms of sensitivity and speed, what allows them to “predict or announce many events known to them in advance”. Demons also surpass humans due to the experience they acquired from their larger life span.

These qualities are not lost with his later attribution of aerial bodies to the demons. This transition in Augustine thought put him in harmony both with the Pagan philosophical considerations, which placed the daimones in the sublunary air and the gods (now the angels) in the ether, as with the text of the New Testament where we have:

Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience.[19]

Demonic communication, and by extension demonic influence, seems to happen in subtle forms. If man can indicate his desire by the ceremonial signs proper to their pact, demons on the other hand can come to the magician “in marvelous ways”:

Or, even if there is such a place which is called paradise in which Adam and Eve dwelled corporeally, do we have also to understand the devil’s approach as corporeal? Of course not! [His approach was] rather spiritual, as the Apostle says, “According to the prince of the power of the air, of the spirit who now is at work in the children of disbelief.” Does he appear visibly or approach by corporeal places those in whom he is at work? Of course not. Rather he suggests in marvelous ways whatever he can by thoughts.[20]

This spiritual transmission of thoughts allowed the Augustinian demons to keep their role of teachers of magic and sorcery that the Books of Enoch attributed to them. In the chapter Of the Impiety of the Magic Art, Which is Dependent on the Assistance of Malign Spirits, Augustine says that:

But all the miracles of the magicians, who he thinks are justly deserving of condemnation, are performed according to the teaching and by the power of demons.[21]

(Augustine, City of God. Paris, Maïtre François (illuminator); c. 1475; 1478-1480. The Hague, RMMW, 10 A 11, f.401v. Demons rejoicing in the misfortunes of mankind (i.e. pointing and mocking). Source)

~~~~

Note: Psalm 96:5 LXX:   ὅτι πάντες οἱ θεοὶ τῶν ἐθνῶν δαιμόνια ὁ δὲ κύριος τοὺς οὐρανοὺς ἐποίησεν; in the King James Version: For all the gods of the heathen are devils: but the Lord made the heavens.

[1] A History Of The Church, Volume Two: The Church And The World The Church Created, Philip Hughes.

[2] Angels and Demons According to Lactantius, Emil Schneweis.

[3] For a more extensive and detailed description, I refer to my Daemonology: An introduction with a Selection of Texts, published by Hadean Press.

[4] Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers Series I, Volume 2:  St. Augustine’s City of God and Christian Doctrine, edited by Philip Schaff.

[5] Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers Series I, Volume 2:  St. Augustine’s City of God and Christian Doctrine, edited by Philip Schaff.

[6] There is a good deal about Talmudic Demonology in my Sepher ha-Maggid: The Book of Asmodeus, published by Aeon Sophia Press.

[7] Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers Series I, Volume 2:  St. Augustine’s City of God and Christian Doctrine, edited by Philip Schaff.

[8] Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers Series I, Volume 2:  St. Augustine’s City of God and Christian Doctrine, edited by Philip Schaff.

[9] Confession of Saint Cyprian. In The Book Of Saint Cyprian: The Great Book of True Magick, Humberto Maggi.

[10] Angels and Demons According to Lactantius, Emil Schneweis.

[11] On Christian Doctrine, Book XIV, Chapter 11. In Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers Series I, Volume 2:  St. Augustine’s City of God and Christian Doctrine, edited by Philip Schaff.

[12] On Christian Doctrine, Book II, Chapter 39.

[13] On Christian Doctrine, Book II, Chapter 23 (Why We Repudiate Arts of Divination).

[14] The City of god, Book VII, Chapter 35.

[15] The City of God, Book VII, Chapter 35: Concerning the Hydromancy Through Which Numa Was Befooled by Certain Images of Demons Seen in the Water.

[16] The City of God, Book X Chapter 9.

[17] I provided a translation for this text in mine Daemonology: An introduction with a Selection of Texts, published by Hadean Press.

[18] Several authors I consulted refer to an aerial body also in the Divination of Demons; I will later try to check the Latin text to clarify this point.

[19] Ephesians 2:2 King James Version (KJV).

[20] On Genesis Two Books on Genesis Against the Manichees and On the Literal Interpretation of Genesis: An Unfinished Book , Saint Augustine (translated by Roland J. Teske, S.J.)

[21] City of God, Book VIII. Chapter 19.

The post Deities, Dead and Demons: The Interpretatio Christiana of Saint Augustine appeared first on Occult-Study.

Lilith: Queen of the Night, Mother of Demons, First Wife of Adam, and one of my own patron Goddesses. Unfortunately, I have found that modern authors often leave much to be desired on the subject of Lilith. Modern interpretations of Her nature are presented as historical, and the historical facts themselves are regularly misrepresented. Does She originate in ancient Sumeria, a maiden connected to the Temple of Inanna? Was She once a benevolent Mother Goddess Herself, later demonized by patriarchal religious leaders? Is it female strength She embodies, or has She persecuted women for centuries via birth complications and crib death? Was she actually deleted from the story of Eden? These are some of the questions, myths, facts, and errors that will be covered in this essay- hopefully laying to rest the many misconceptions that surround this ancient and powerful figure.

I do not feel that any God or Goddess can be divorced from Their sacred mythologies. As I have stated elsewhere, a mythology is the soul of the God(s) it depicts. For instance, you and I both know today that the Gods did not build the city of Babylon with Their own hands. Yet, if one were to call upon the great Marduk, He would gladly share with us his full memory of constructing the city. Likewise, we know that Adam and Eve did not exist as the “first humans.” Yet, Lilith has full memory of Eden, the Fall, and every other event depicted in Genesis and the various Judeo-Christian legends. It is thus that Lilith, though She is not now the vile and disgusting archdemon envisioned by the early Judaic peoples, is nevertheless affected by these conceptions of Her. Her darker aspects, even the nastiest ones, are a part of Her regardless of modern attempts to “liberate” Her from unpleasantness. Lilith was, in fact, not originally a benevolent Goddess who was raped by the patriarchy. However, I move slightly ahead of myself here. Therefore, I will begin at the beginning:

The Historical Origin of Lilith

The first myth I wish to dispel is that Lilith was originally found in the ancient land of Sumeria. Her roots do certainly extend that far, but Lilith Herself is not to be found among that massive pantheon of Gods and demons. In order to explain how both of these particulars can be true at once, we must begin with some basic lessons in ancient Sumerian language- specifically the development of one word in particular:

In Sumerian, the word “Lil” means “Air.” Enlil, for instance, was the Sumerian Lord (En) of Air (Lil). The oldest known term which we might suggest relates to Lilith would be the plural word “Lili” (feminine “Lilitu”), which was simply the same in Sumeria as our modern generic word “spirits.” In fact, it was quite common in ancient languages for the same word for “air” or “breath” to be used for “spirit,” as the breath was thought to be the evidence of life; the spirit of the person. Disembodied spirits, therefore, were themselves composed of the same substance. The very word “spiritus” is one such example- Latin for “to breath.” The Hebrew “ruach” is another identical example. This suggests, therefore, that the Sumerian Lilitu were either a specific type of demon, or were simply “spirits” in general.

Lilith is often described as having been a Sumerian succubus. And, in fact, there were such creatures in Sumer-Babylonia who surely had their part in the Hebrew conception of Lilith. These beings were known as the “Ardat Lili.” “Ardatu” was a term that described a young woman of marrying age. Thus, the Ardat Lili were sexually active female spirits- the succubi. It was believed that these night demonesses were the cause erotic dreams, by which they robbed the male of semen and spiritual vitality. Of course, there is also a male version of this entity- the incubus- but we need not address this creature here.

It is also interesting to note that the Sumerian word for “wantonness” was “Lulu.” The word for “luxuriousness” was “Lalu.” Also, the very word for “evil” was “Limnu.” This has an obvious relation to the word Lili (and Ardat Lili specifically); not just in the similarity of pronunciation and spelling, but also in the very definition of the words. Keep in mind that these ancient languages did not possess the specific definition of our modern words. A single word would indicate any one of a number of related concepts.

This does not exhaust the etymology of Lilith. However, the word-play does not continue until the Hebrew Captivity in Babylon (600 BCE), and I do not wish to jump ahead just yet. Still concerning Sumer, there are two instances that are generally seen as proof of Lilith’s existence there.

One is a legend, contained in the Gilgamesh Epic, in which a female demon takes residence within the Goddess Inanna’s sacred Tree of Life- thus effectively stunting the Tree’s growth and production. This demoness is supposed to be Lilith Herself, whom the hero Gilgamesh finally forces out of the Tree and into the desert.

However, it turns out that there is no basis for assuming this creature is Lilith, or even an Ardat Lili, after all. Apparently, the misunderstanding arises from a mistake in translation made by the historian and scholar Samuel Kramer. In the Epic, the demoness in the Tree is described as “ki-sikil-lil-la-ke,” which Kramer suggested meant “Lila’s maiden, beloved, companion, or maid.” (I assume this is also the origin of Merlin Stone’s mistaken suggestion that Lilith was the “maiden” of Inanna.) While the word for air/spirit is obviously present, there is no indication of a Lilith- anymore than the presence of the word “ki” (Earth) indicates the Earth Goddess Ki. Perhaps Kramer was concentrating on the two syllables “lil-la.”

The second instance is the famous Sumerian plaque which depicts a woman with owl talons and wings, standing upon two lions, with two owls flanking her on either side. It has been assumed that this figure is Lilith specifically because of the above (mis)translation by Kramer (see bibliography) More specifically, the assumption was made first, and Kramer’s work was provided as proof of Lilith’s existence in ancient Sumeria. Of course, as the demoness of the Tree is not Lilith, than surely neither is the woman depicted in the sculpture.

(The famous Burney Relief, currently located at the British Museum is usually thought to depict Lilith, an idea which is still in debate. However, Lilith didn’t exist in Sumeria and this figure is wearing Ishtar’s crown, carrying her rings and disks, and standing on her lions. Sandra Tabatha Cicero suggested that “The Horned Cap of divinity, the Rod and Ring of justice, and the lion are all symbols of Ishtar/Inanna who was often shown winged and naked. It is supposed to be a sexual or underworld aspect of the goddess.” It is also suggested to be a depiction of Ereshkigal. – Source)

Jumping ahead just a bit to a related point: In the Torah, there is said to be one reference to Lilith- Isaiah 34:14. The verse supposedly speaks of a screech owl, and this is said to indicate Lilith by way of the above-mentioned plaque (and the owls depicted thereon). This instance is even used to argue that Lilith’s name is derived from the Hebrew term for “to screech.” However, this is probably not the case. Instead, the Biblical reference seems to come directly from the term “Lilitu.” It may very well be a direct reference to Lilith, however the spelling must be noted: In the Biblical passage the word is L I L I Th, while the name of Lilith is properly spelled “L I L O Th” (which is actually a plural, and will be covered later).

However, these are not the only indications of Her mistaken identity. For instance, the female on the Sumerian plaque holds not one, but two sets of Ring and Rod- the Sumer-Babylonian signs of authority. Inanna Herself is shown with these instruments when She moves to conquer the Underworld. Also, note the presence of Lions, which are signs of power and authority, as well as fertility. These also happen to be symbols associated with Inanna. It is most unlikely that the lowly demon driven away by Gilgamesh would be depicted among these holy symbols. Of course, others may argue that owls are a principal motif in the image as well- and owls were animals of bad omen and evil in Sumer-Babylonia. Thus, the plaque is surely a mystery, but in any case there is no hard evidence to support its identity as Lilith. One begins to wonder if this is not Inanna Herself as associated with the Underworld…

Before I go on, I wish to insert some modern insight on this subject. This plaque has been accepted as Lilith for quite a while now. And, surely this will not cease for quite some time (sadly, occultists are not always the first to research history from a scholarly perspective). Even I can not glance at this image without Lilith entering my mind, and I even interpret part of Her mythos by way of this owl-taloned figure. The modern association of Lilith with this image has given it its own validity (the same must also be said of the relation of Lilith with “to screech”), and therefore does not need to be cast aside for practical purposes. However, the historical facts should at least be understood and noted.

And so Lilith is not derived from the above two instances (the plaque or the Epic of Gilgamesh) after all. Instead, She most likely traces her roots strictly to the Lilitu and Ardat Lili- borrowed by the Hebrews from the Babylonians during the captivity in about 600 BCE. However, it must be kept in mind that Ardat Lili simply meant succubus, without indicating any specific being. This, then, brings me to another often overlooked point: the name Lilith itself is, in fact, an improper transliteration of the Hebrew. The Hebrew lettering is Lamed (L), Yod (I), Lamed (L), Vav (O), Tau (Th). The “-ith” should be spelled “-oth,” which is the Hebrew feminine plural suffix. It may be that the earliest Hebrew references were not to “Lilith,” but to “the liloth” (the spirits)- a curious cross of a Sumer-Babylonian word with a Hebrew suffix. More specifically, it referred to female spirits, and thus was probably little more than the Hebrew version of the Sumerian term Lilitu.

Yet, Lilith may have finally become a proper noun during or right after the Captivity. This is possibly indicated in the numerous Hebrew inscriptions, painted upon bowls, dated to around that time. These inscriptions picture a particularly nasty looking demoness by the name of Lilith, and the words are for protection against Her. However, I have personally found no direct evidence to support whether these bowls referred directly to one demoness or to a group of demonesses. The etymology may suggest the latter, while the existence of the singular Lilith in Hebrew mythos may suggest the former.

(Incantation bowl with an Aramaic inscription around a demon. Nippur, Mesopotamia, sixth–seventh century. Ceramic. University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archeology and Anthropology. Photo by Marie-Lan Nguyen – Wikimedia Commons, released under CC BY 2.5. – Source)

(Jewish incantation bowl from Nippur with depiction of Lilith – Source)

(6th century CE incantation bowl. Lilith in the middle surrounded by an Aramaic prophylactic text designed to ward her off. University Museum, University of Pennsylvania – Source)

Luckily, we do appear to have a clue as to how “The Liloth” finally became “Lilith.” This tentative answer lies in the Babylonian demoness Lamashtu. This horrible creature was, among other things, held responsible for “stealing babies from their mothers.” More than likely, this indicates crib-death and perhaps still-birth- as the general concept of a demon in Babylon was more often than not an explanation for medical problems and sickness. As we know, crib death was shockingly common in the ancient world, and thus Lamashtu was one of the major, and most feared, demonic forces. She was, perhaps, a large enough cultural influence to be adopted by other peoples who had intimate contact with Babylon. People such as the Hebrews, who adopted quite a few major concepts from the Babylonian religion. Thus was Lilith’s birth- a demoness who attacked men in the night, and women and babies during and after child-birth.

And, with this, the beginning is finished- while the story is just begun. Lilith appears to have lived on in oral tradition until the Talmudic times, where the popular mythos of Lilith is first presented in response to a contradiction in the Torah. The work in question is a tenth-century folktale called “The Alphabet of Ben Sira,” where Lilith is presented as the first wife of Adam.

Male And Female, He Created Them…

Genesis 1: 27 reads- “And Elohim created Adam in His Image, in the Image of God He created him; male and female He created them.”

Genesis 2:18 and 22 read- “And Yahweh said, ‘It is not good for Adam to be alone. I will make a fitting helper for him.’ … And Yahweh fashioned the rib that He had taken from the man into a woman; and He brought her to the man.”

Today, we know that Genesis I and II are two separate Creation stories. Genesis II derives from a Sumerian story, while Genesis I is a later creation of the Hebrew Priesthood (created by the Deuteronomic School around 700 BCE). However, to a people who were quite determined to take the Scriptures as ultimate Truth, such a contradiction was not welcome at all. It demanded an explanation that reconciled both stories.

Explanation number one is perhaps the best- Qabalistically speaking. As we know, Adam was created to perfection. He was created in the perfect image of “Elohim.” Of course, God is not seen as being either male or female, but as both at once. Even the Name Elohim is a feminine word (Eloah- Goddess) with a masculine plural suffix (-im). Thus, if God is male and female, the mother and the father, then Adam (which translates as “Mankind”) must also have originally been male and female in one. To be otherwise would have been unbalanced, and thus imperfect.

Of course, Adam was created in perfection, said to be greater than even the Angels. In fact, according to this view, Adam was not a human at all- but a Cosmic Being known as Adam Qadmon. He was the Archetype upon which humans would later be based.

(Kabbalistic illustration of the androgynous Adam Kadmon/Qadmon – source)

Now, enters the passages from Genesis II. Just as the Unity of God was divided in two (the separation of the Waters by the Firmament) to create the Universe, so too was mankind created by the separation of the Archetypal Man into “its” two halves- male and female. Thus, woman was separated from man, and Adam Qadmon became an unbalanced creature- a human. This imperfection finally led to the Fall- which was the manifestation of the human race from the archetypal to the actual. The woman was called Eve, which literally translates as “Life.” Mankind was given Life, and the rest is history.

Explanation number two, though just as Qabalistically useful in its own right, is nevertheless vastly more fun- especially mythologically speaking. This is where Lilith enters the picture as the first wife of Adam. The verse from Genesis I was thus explained as a veiled hint to the entire Lilith affair. Genesis II:20 even helps back this up- “And the man gave names to all the cattle and to the birds of the sky and to all the wild beasts; but for Adam no fitting helper was found.” The animals of the Earth had been created for the strict purpose of being helpers to Adam, and Lilith was among them. But, Lilith had failed, and no other beast even came close to fulfilling the need (apparently Lilith was the only animal enough like Adam to be a candidate at all). The next scene in the Scripture is where Yahweh breaks down and decides to chance separating Adam into his two halves of male and female.

Without worrying over specific developments of the tale, I will simply relate the entire story as it came to be after all. Here, then, is the story of Lilith:

The Mythos: Lilith’s Defiance

Now Lilith was the first wife of Adam, well before the creation of Eve. She had been created along with him to be his helper, as the Torah states “Male and Female He created them.”

However, Lilith was not so suited as a companion for Adam. There was little on which they could agree. In his attempt to mate with Lilith, Adam demanded the missionary (or male-superior) position. However, Lilith refused. Some say she claimed, “We were created equal, and thus we shall make love in equal positions.” In fact, Lilith even attempted to be superior to Adam herself.

Adam replied that he, being the Image of the Elohim, would not stoop to such a level as to be subordinate to Lilith, who was simply one of the many beasts of the field. She was created as his helper, he insisted, and that is how she must remain.

Lilith, however, was far more than Adam had imagined. She went straight away to Yahweh, and used her prowess of seduction upon Him. Yahweh, known for his soft heart toward women, was finally lulled into revealing His sacred Name unto her. Thereupon Lilith pronounced the Divine Name, and flew away from the Garden and Adam forever.

She took residence within a cave upon the shores of the Red Sea, where to this day she finds Her shelter. Within, she accepted the demons of the world as her lovers, and spawned many thousands of demon children in only a short time. It is thus that the world became populated with demons, and how Lilith came to be called the Mother of Demons- wife of Asmodeus, the King of Demons. In this aspect, she was called the Younger Lilith.

Adam, meanwhile, found that he regretted wishing Lilith away. He went to Yahweh and pleaded his case for Her return. Yahweh agreed that a creature of Eden should not so easily depart that realm, and dispatched three Enforcer Angels to retrieve Her.

These three, Senoy, Sansenoy, and Semangeloph, soon found Lilith within her cave, and demanded her return unto Adam by order of Yahweh. If she refused, they informed her, they would slay one hundred of her demon children each day until she decided to return.

Lilith exclaimed that even this fate was better than returning to Eden and submission to Adam. As the Enforcers carried out their threat, Lilith also made a terrible proclamation. In return for the pain delivered upon her and her children, she would slay the children of Adam. She swore to attack children, and even their mothers, during child-birth. She also swore that all new-born children were in danger of her wrath- baby girls for twenty days after birth, and boys for eight. Not only this, but she vowed also to attack men in their sleep. She would steal their semen to give birth to more demon children, in order to replace those slain each day.

However, even Lilith was not without feeling. She also made one further promise: wherever she saw displayed the names of the three Angels who opposed her, no one in that place would be in danger from her actions.

And thus is the legend of Lilith. However, the story does not end here by any means, and I will be adding to it as this essay continues. I will go over the basic Hebraic interpretations (Folk and Religious), the later Qabalistic interpretation, the modern interpretation, and I will conclude with my own interpretation.

The Folk Interpretation

On this we need spend little time. The folk interpretation of this myth is the most literal, and sees the myth as an actual event. In this, Lilith is an actual demoness who is blamed for such things as mothers dying in child-birth, still-birth, crib-death, “night-hag syndrome,” and erotic dreams among men.

The succubus aspect of Lilith is perhaps the most complicated. As we know, the Judaic life was very strict, full of Divine Laws and hundreds of ways in which a man might break them. Even an impure thought was greatly unwanted, let alone impure actions. With sexual release being such a taboo, it is no surprise that erotic dreams were very common- and even more so were they feared. This was no case of seeing a woman and being aroused. This was (within a dream) committing the full sexual act and enjoying it the entire time! Being that it is not uncommon to dream of women one knows in waking life- other men’s wives among them- the problem became an issue of breaking the Ten Commandments. Finally, add to this the fact that the real life result of these dreams was to be cursed as one who has “spilled his seed.” Yet, this was something that could never be avoided by even the most pious men- and was thus going to be a continuing source of guilt. The relief for this guilt was to blame it on a succubus, Lilith.

(The three brides of Dracula appearing in the 1992 film “Bram Stoker’s Dracula” are a famous and excellent example of succubus attack over a pious man – source)

And what of the demon children that Lilith spawned with one’s seed? Why, upon death, these spirit children would hover around the deceased’s household, demanding their rightful inheritance from the estate (and, presumably, causing mischief when they are ignored). This dynamic may have developed in answer to the hardships often associated with death. There were even steps a family would take to ensure the illegitimate demon-children were banished from the house upon the husband’s death. Of course, Lilith was not the only possible mother for these children. Jewish folk tales are teeming with gullible men being tricked into marriages with beautiful demonesses.

Another important aspect of Lilith as succubus is called “night-hag syndrome.” When we sleep, our bodies produce a chemical which effectively causes paralysis; thus ensuring we remain motionless as we dream. It is also extremely common for this drug to work ineffectively. When too little is produced, we often have dreams of being restricted or barely able to move (the infamous “running through molasses” nightmare). This is due to the fact that your limbs are trying to move according to the dream, but are being entangled under the body and in the bedclothes. When even less of the chemical is produced, sleepwalking occurs.

On the other hand, too much of the drug might flood the body, or it might simply not stop production soon enough before one awakes. Those who have experienced this (and there are a great many of them, myself included) report feeling “something” sitting upon them and attempting to crush them. They can not move or speak, and sometimes they can’t even breath. Of course, there is no visible attacker, which makes the experience extremely frightening. Today we know that this chemical imbalance is simply caused by stress or old age; though it could still be considered Lilith (or simply a succubus) if one considers a demon an imbalanced aspect of the Self or sickness. In the old world, such things were known as rape by the succubus (or Lilith).

It was thus- from crib death to night-hag syndrome- that we have many examples of talismans against Lilith. The Hebraic bowls are the earliest examples of this. Even more recent are the talismans which bear the images of the three Angels and the Hebrew phrase: “Senoy, and Sansenoy, and Semangeloph! Adam and Eve! Out Lilith!”

(Medieval apotropaic amulet to protect from Lilith during childbirth and infancy. Technically, Lilith does does not appear in this amulet. Rather we have ‘portraits’ of the three angels who are her bane: Snoy, Snsnoy & Smnglof. Above the angel portraits, in each of the two panels, we have the names ‘Adam and Eve’ and the phrase (in smaller print) “Out Lilith!” From The Book of Raziel, Amsterdam, 1701 – Source)

These would be hung over wedding beds as well as delivery tables and cribs. In many cases the inscription was painted upon or over the door to the place. All of this done as per the agreement Lilith made with the three enforcer Angels.

The Religious Interpretation

At this point I will include a Christian addition to the Lilith mythos. Though it may not figure into the Hebraic views of her, it still relates. This addition concerns Lilith’s involvement with the Fall from Eden.

Perhaps the most famous version of this Christian Lilith is the Sistine Chapel paintings by Michaelangelo. In this She is shown as a half-woman half-snake, and is credited with being the very Serpent who instigated the Fall from Eden itself. Apparently, Lilith was not satisfied with her vows of revenge as they were, and decided to attack Adam where he least expected it- through his new wife Eve. Perhaps even an amount of jealousy is involved here.

(One of the most famous paintings is Michelangelo’s Temptation and Fall, found in the Sistine Chapel, Vatican. Source)

Of course, it was Satan who was said to have been the serpent in the Christian viewpoint. And, indeed, Lilith is said to be the wife of Satan (or, from the Hebrew angle, the wife of Samael). The Serpent was a joint effort between these two to take revenge upon Adam and cause the fall from grace. Lilith provided the body of the serpent, while Samael was the voice. As the wife of Samael (rather than Asmodeus), she is known as the Elder Lilith.

I have all ideas that this Serpent-Lilith was a result of the Rabbinical view of Lilith- she who seduces men from the True Path of God- thus causing them to fall from grace as did Adam.

Within the Arabic mythologies of King Solomon, we meet Lilith on a number of occasions, usually known as the Queen of Sheba. Solomon had suspicions that this queen was in fact Lilith, and thus devised a plan to know for sure. After inviting her for a visit to his palace, he had the floor altered so as to appear as a pool of ankle-deep water. When the queen arrived, she lifted her skirts to walk through the pool, and Solomon was able to just barely glimpse her overly-hairy legs.

This was the Rabbinical image of Lilith- a dark and beautiful seductress from the waist up, yet hairy and ugly from the waste down. In many cases, she is actually a male from the waste down. This, of course, is the part of the body that would most be concealed from view. Only one intimate with her would find out the horrible truth- after it was too late.

Of course, this is a metaphor. Lilith represents that which appears beautiful on the outside. She is sex, indulgence, and everything that one desires to do which breaks the Judeo-Christian “Laws of God.” She is all of the things in life which tempts and seduces the man into the ways of evil. Only after he is firmly within her grasp does she reveal her true nature of ugliness. In this, Lilith far pre-dates (and perhaps has something to do with) the Christian concept of the Pan-like Satan.

The Qabalistic Interpretation

Here we find that the plot decidedly thickens. The Qabalists created yet another chapter in the life of Lilith, which stems directly from the above Religious ideas. As Lilith had come to represent those things that God frowned upon, so too did she come to symbolize the corrupt ways of the entire world at large. She was the lifestyle of the Pagans around the Judaic Peoples, who did not frown upon sex, indulgence, and fun. She symbolized all those who would break the Torah, and she was anyone who would attack the Israelites. Most of all, she was Babylon- the enemy holding the Israelite people captive..

Before I continue, it is important to explain the principals involved. Though these concepts developed well after the Second Temple had been destroyed (in 70 AD), the Temple itself plays a large role in the mythos. Also involved are Adonai (The Lord), and His Bride the Shekinah (Hebrew for “Presence”).

This mythos is a development of earlier Pagan ideas, where the union of the male and female aspects of the universe are seen as paramount to the continued existence of all creation. This was known as the Sacred Marriage. In the Middle Eastern cultures, a newly anointed king was ritually married to the Goddess (or mother of the land), and thus to the kingdom itself. Likewise, the Qabalists depicted Adonai as a king, and the Shekinah was [the people of] Israel herself.

(Hieros Gamos, or the Holy Marriage is an ancient myth found in many cultures, but also in alchemy. This picture represents the conjunction of the King and Queen, of the Sun and the Moon, Gold and Silver. – Source)

There was one singular place where Adonai would consent to join with the Shekinah, one place holy enough to sustain the Divine Sex. That place was the Temple of Solomon. Once in the year, the Couple would join together within its walls, and the Divine Light of goodness and increase shone throughout the world.

However, the Temple had been destroyed and its treasures carried into foreign lands. With it went the perfect union of Adonai and His kingdom. He withdrew from the world, refusing to meet the Shekinah in an impure fashion. The Shekinah, who embodied the physical word and thus could not withdraw from it, followed her people into captivity by foreign nations, and was there raped by the enemy. This “rape” was symbolic of mankind’s rape of the world and of the Israelite people.

And here, once again, enters Lilith. As before stated, Lilith symbolized the very foreign people who held the Shekinah captive. Lilith embodied their evil ways- and now those evil ways were allowed to remain in power. The reason for this lay in the fact that Adonai, alas, could not be without a female partner. There could be no God without- in some sense- Goddess. Thus, in an effort to sustain a balance, Adonai took Lilith as His consort. Being what She was, Adonai felt no pity in uniting with Her in impurity. She was, quite simply, His harlot. Thus it was that one half of the Divine Force which sustained the Universe was tainted- allowing the evil of mankind to reign supreme and unstoppable. Lilith was the Dark Shekinah- the polar opposite of that Holy Goddess. She had made Her final leap from demoness to Goddess- the Wife of God.

The Qabalist felt his duty was to strive to reunite the Shekinah with Adonai, and thus cast Lilith away forever. The Sabbath was an example of this. Because of the holiness of this day, Lilith had no power to remain with Adonai, and was forced to retreat to the desert where She screamed in pain until the day came to an end. (Remember Lilith as related to the term “to screech” in Isaiah 34:14; this is exactly where this concept has its birth.) It was during this time that Adonai had the best chance of reuniting with the Shekinah- and the Qabalist did all he could to help through purity and devotional invocation. This symbolism is even hinted at in the Christian Book of Revelation, where the Whore of Babylon is supplanted in power by the Bride, the wife of the Lamb.

(Albrecht Dürer’s “Whore of Babylon”, 1498. – Source)

This was the final outcome of the legends of Lilith, and here you have Her mythos in full: First wife of Adam, wife of Asmodeus, wife of Samael, the Serpent of the Tree of Knowledge, and finally the wife of God. From here, I will briefly explain Her modern interpretation, and you will see why I disagree with most of it so strongly:

The Modern Interpretation: Feminism

Today Lilith has been adopted by the Neopagan community. Most specifically by those with a feminist angle. Their main focus is upon Lilith’s choice to fly from paradise, and even suffer the death of hundreds of Her children, rather than live under submission to Adam. In this, She represents feminine defiance and strength. Her resulting attack on men in the night is the revenge of the woman upon the men who have harmed Her.

(Source)

This, in and of itself, is worthwhile (and plays a large part in my own interpretation). However, this is not all there is to the figure of Lilith. This interpretation totally ignores a large part of Her mythos- not the least of which being Her attacks on mothers and babies. The groups which put forth this view would also have us believe that Lilith was, in fact, a great Goddess within Sumeria. The “proof” of this is the above mentioned plaque, and we have already seen how this is simply not so. It is even said that Lilith was a maiden, in service to Inanna, who stood without the Temples and invited men to enter and partake of the sacred sex with the Priestesses. For this, not one shred of archeological evidence has been offered of which I am aware.

Along with this, the myth in which Gilgamesh drives the demoness out of the Tree of Life is said to be symbolic of the Patriarchal God driving the Goddess away. This is, in my opinion, pure silliness. Anyone who puts the slightest study into Sumerian culture will find that there was hardly any degradation of women occurring there. The exact same thing can be said for the Babylonians who followed, and even the earliest Hebrews themselves. It is true that the warrior traditions and kingship of early civilization began to focus upon masculine Deities, but the idea that hatred of women came immediately with this is not founded.

Unfortunately, there is a modern trend in which the “liberation” of any evil feminine mythological character is attempted. According to this view, there were originally no male Gods among mankind in the ancient world. Likewise, this view insists, there were absolutely no evil female characters in any mythology. Once God-worship had been invented by “power-hungry war-mongers,” that is when all the mythologies were re-written to show how evil the Goddesses were.

An example often given to prove this is the Babylonian Mother Goddess Tiamat- depicted in the creation epic as the enemy of Lord Marduk. Indeed, Tiamat (demonized in the text) does seem to be a later version of the Sumerian Nammu (a benevolent Mother Goddess). The overthrow of Tiamat by Marduk is often described as warfare between Goddess religion and God religion. In reality, however, the tale is a depiction of warfare between younger Gods and older Gods. Gender does not play a specific role in the epic- and both male and female characters play roles on both sides of the battle.

Another example is the Egyptian War God Set; who was also possibly a primordial benevolent Goddess (Set literally translates as “Lady”). Therefore, the battle between Horus and Set might be depicted as male versus female, or primordial Mother versus young male usurpers. Though, once again, a review of the actual stories do not reveal such a distinction. (More than likely, the story of the battle between Horus and Set is a depiction of solar eclipse.)

When they stand alone, these can be convincing examples for the “liberation” standpoint. However, I must also remind the reader that there are also convincing examples of the existence of Atlantis, and of alien intervention in the creation of humans. Such facts are taken from history, isolated, and held as proof of the silliest concepts imaginable. In my opinion, this is comparable to isolating Bible verses in order to prove one’s religious convictions- without reading the stories in context.

However, I do wish to make something clear at this point. I am not speaking against the concept of feminism here. I do not ignore the damage done to women over the years- mostly thanks to the Deuteronomic School of the Hebrews, and the Church of the Christians. I am not speaking against interpreting mythologies in new and different ways (as my own interpretation of the Lilith mythos will show). That is, after all, what mythology is all about. What I am speaking against here is shoddy scholarship. And, more than this, the attempt to push off personal opinions, half-truths, political agendas, and even outright lies as actual history. I will gladly interpret mythologies for use in the modern world, but I also A) acknowledge the original interpretations, and B) make sure that my interpretation takes the older ones into account. Again, I point out that a God and its mythology are inseparable. If I evoke Lilith, She will not conform utterly to what I expect or wish. Yes, She will be affected by my expectations and my interpretation of Her nature, but this merely accounts for one half of the interaction between myself and the Goddess.

And with this I move on to my final goal: an interpretation of Lilith for the modern world. This is based not only on the scholarship above, but also on my own experience of this seductive beauty. And now, let us meet Lilith:

The Lilith of Today

Adam literally translates as “mankind.” He is all of us- male and female, young and old. He is, basically, civilization. Adam is the Image of the Divine; he, and all physical things, are the final result of Divine manifestation. On the Qabalistic Tree of Life, Adam is Malkuth (Kingdom), the physical world. In Qabalistic psychology, Malkuth refers to the conscious mind. Thus, Adam represents our waking consciousness, or ego. Adam is everything about us that imposes “proper behavior” within society.

Lilith, created along with him, is the Shadow Self. She is our subconscious, that part of us that is most animal like, defiant, uncivilized, passionate, and basically natural. She is sex. She is everything that our (currently corrupted) society frowns upon; a society that has been taught for thousands of years to suppress everything within that is most natural and enjoyable. She is just as described in the religious interpretation- she is Babylon (or, as Crowley spells Her Name: Babalon).

(Aleister Crowley’s Thoth Tarot card “Lust” depicting Babalon. In Crowley’s religion, Thelema, she is the Sacred Whore, the Scarlet Woman, the Great Mother. – source)

(The satanic organization Order of the Nine Angles have similar archetypes such as Baphomet, The Dark Goddess. Many similar archetypes can be found in their Sinister Tarot Deck – Source)

Eve is also our subconscious. However, she is that small part of our inner-selves over which our conscious selves have gotten full control. She has no free will of her own- being wholly a part of Adam. She is that part of ourselves that, as a civilized people, we will show to others. Eve is what has been programmed into us as “acceptable.” She is the polar opposite of Lilith. She and Lilith together form the whole of the inner Self.

(Let me point out that this interpretation of Adam and Eve/Lilith as the conscious and subconscious is a rather old one. The Lovers Card of the Tarot uses this symbolism, with the addition of an Angel who represents the Higher Self.)

Samael, meanwhile, is the Archangel of Gevurah (Severity) upon the Tree of Life. He is the embodiment of Divine Severity. He is the Prince of the Seraphim- those Fiery Serpents who, at one point, Yahweh sent to punish the Israelites (see the book of Exodus), and to purify by fire those who wished to enter the Temple (see the book of Isaiah). Samael is hardship.

Lilith’s demon spawn represent our own personal demons. They are neurosis and harmful (self-destructive or criminal) behavior. They are the imbalances in the mind that can lead to our destruction.

Such are the characters of the Lilith mythos. The above interpretations of them must be held in mind at all times through the following. If so, certain aspects of the myth begin to make a certain kind of modern sense.

For instance, Adam’s insistence that he mate with Lilith in the missionary position becomes the civilized mind’s attempt to reign in and suppress the animal within- to be superior to it. Likewise, Lilith’s own insistence on mating in a superior position is the lower will’s attempt to dominate the rational self. Lilith’s flight from Eden, and into the cave, is the banishment of our natural animal instincts to the dark recesses of our minds. Even when Adam wishes She would come back, it is too late and the damage has been done.

What damage is this? Lilith spawned thousands of demon children. These demons are born within the locked away and forgotten parts of our minds. Even though we attempt, as the Angelic Enforcers, to hunt down and slay as many of them as we can, the tide is too great to be turned. We have attempted to suppress that which can not be suppressed. Lilith, in Her darkness, has grown the Her (owl’s) talons. By nature a beautiful creature- as our natural selves are in fact beautiful- Lilith now has the means and motive to rip us to tiny shreds. She attacks us while we sleep; and with our semen- the facts and deeds of our daily lives- she spawns more and more demons. Before she is finished, she will slither her way back into our minds- as the Serpent in the Garden. Our conscious selves rarely see it coming; while we are occupied with our day to day foolishness- Lilith will be sweet-talking Eve into taking the fatal bite. She will attack us below the surface, in that part of ourselves we have long-since thought conquered. One moment we suddenly find ourselves with break-downs, outbursts, causing harm to others, and social and personal ruin. We have experienced the Fall from Grace.

This also applies on a greater social level, not simply within the mind of the individual. When viewing the myth from the wider angle, we see where Samael comes into play. What happens when the things that are natural and beautiful are suddenly labeled as wrong? They then begin to attract the dregs of society. Once there were Goddess Temples with priestesses adept in the arts of sexual magick. Now, we have prostitution, strip-clubs, and brothels which are viewed as seed-beds of physical abuse, drug abuse, and disease. The people who frequent these places are labeled as dirty and immature people with little to no social value. Individuality and self expression is now corrupted into gang activity and the anarchy of social outcasts. Children who display this individuality spend their time in the principal’s office or suffer worse punishments. They are labeled as “problem children,” and so problem children they believe they are.

Here the Rabbinical view of Lilith must be considered, where corruption is so often deceptively tempting or beautiful on the outside. The sleazy clubs, the gangs, the criminal behavior are all very seductive. The glamorous people are the rebels who break laws and harm others. Bonnie and Clyde, Billy the Kid, Al Capone- these are our heroes. Yet, if we allow Lilith to seduce us with Her beauty, she will finally show us the ugliness that lies under her dressing. This is when she rips into us with her talons. The gangster is executed, and thus ends his glory. The prostitute has her throat cut, or dies of an overdose. And the man who frequents the brothel dies a lonely old man because a real relationship was ever beyond him.

Of course, all of these are extremely corrupted and impaired views of reality. This is the marriage of Lilith to Samael. This dark Angel of strife is Lilith’s talons. He is the hairy male lower half of her body. These things which are so beautiful and natural actually BECOME dirty and harmful, merely at the insistence of those who wish them to be such. This, in turn, fuels the view that these things are harmful in and of themselves. Society literally eats itself from the inside out- and this is the marriage of Lilith to God. As in the Qabalistic interpretation, the flow of Divinity has been tainted; Samael/Lilith is in control, and what is natural has been twisted into evil. Lilith should be our ally, and yet we are pitted in combat against her. If Adam can not be forced to accept his Lilith, then Lilith will destroy him. But, those in control of our society maintain that control through the suppression of Lilith- our defiance and freewill- and they would sooner see us destroyed than to lose that control.

And here enters yet another character in the mythos: Cain. It is little known that Cain was born not of Adam and Eve but of Eve and the Serpent during the Temptation. Thus, Cain is actually the child of the interaction between Eve and Lilith/Samael. The clashing of the acceptable and non-acceptable, or the overrunning of the mind by its own neuroses. In short, Cain- full of hate, jealousy, and anger which finally explodes into murder- represents the very inhibited society thus far described. This is not a new concept, of course, as Cain has long been said to be the ancestor of the corrupt majority of the world’s population. For instance, Hebraic legend insists that it was the Cainite women who seduced the Angelic Watchers and gave birth to the Nephalim (Giant creatures, one of whom was Asmodeus Himself) (Genesis 6:1-4f).

Cain’s brother Abel, who was born of Adam and Eve proper, is the world that could have existed if not for the intervention of Cain. On the other hand there is also Seth, the third son of Eve (also fathered by Adam), who is said to be the ancestor to the pious minority of the world. The Gnostics for instance, who felt they had the Knowledge to purify themselves (of the Samael/Lilith influence), and thus return to a state of grace, described themselves as descendants (or even embodiments) of Seth. Abel, then, is the Paradise that could have been; Cain is the corruption that slew that dream, and Seth is the hope of a return to utopia.

Thank the Gods that things are not necessarily quite as bad as all of that. There are respectable brothels and men’s (and women’s!) clubs. There are those who display self-expression in childhood who, somehow through all of the abuse, still grow up to become respected artists of all kinds. There are those who understand the sacredness of sex. In short, there are those few who have refused Samael’s marriage to Lilith. Instead, they have invited Lilith to return to the Garden- promising Her that She can play mistress just as much as Adam plays master. They have attempted to join Lilith and Eve, and to return them both to their rightful place within Adam. They strive to become Adam Qadmon- that Supernal Man(kind) who is greater even than the Angels. They strive for the state of Seth.

Of course, few of us have attained that success. Though, perhaps a reconciliation will one day occur. Perhaps in that time a person could be natural, individual and even a little rebellious without being labeled a criminal for doing so. Of course, no utopia will ever exist in full. However, just as the Medieval Qabalist strove to unite God and His Shekinah, so too should we strive to unite Eve and Lilith, and both of them with Adam within ourselves. Only then will we have the power to rebuild the inner Temple, and aid the Shekinah’s return to Adonai. Only then will the “children of Seth” have a chance to reign.

This is my view of Lilith. She is the Mother of the Night, and all the dark beauty that lies within it. Lilith is the hidden mysteries which society would rather I not know. I am Adam, and I have rejected my foolish concepts of superiority over Lilith. Of course, Lilith has Her dark side. If I allow Her to rule over me, She would drain my vitality as a succubus. She would rule me to the point of being little more than a thoughtless animal, useless and perhaps harmful within a human society. Instead, I accept Lilith in equality; in both darkness and light.

Append I: The Names of Lilith

During the section on the religious interpretation of Lilith- or the Rabbinical interpretation- I indirectly hit on the Solomonic legends of Lilith (The Queen of Sheba). Here I wish to elaborate somewhat on this aspect, as it is a rather important one in getting to know Her. In the Solomonic Legends, the Queen of Sheba was a very prominent figure. Much like Asmodeus, Lilith was an adversary to Solomon. However, unlike Asmodeus- who’s wish was to dethrone Solomon- Lilith simply enjoyed testing Solomon’s wisdom. She constantly arrived in his royal court with puzzles, riddles, and specific dilemmas in unceasing attempts to find fault in his abilities to serve the throne.

This, in fact, makes Lilith one of the Satans- those dark Angels who test us and accuse us of our failures. If (the Rabbinical) Lilith could not seduce one off of the true path, then She would literally attempt to ruin one upon that path. This rings very close to the instance in the New Testament where a group of exorcists attempt to cast out demons in the names of various prophets of the past. The demons replied that they knew these Prophets, and added, “But who are you?” Unlike Solomon to the Queen of Sheba, these exorcists had no good answer- and the demons tore them apart. Solomon always had a good answer- that is to say, he always knew the solutions to Her puzzles. In fact, it would seem that Solomon accepted the true nature of Lilith, because he actually enjoyed Her visits; and the opportunity to try himself at Her puzzles. He understood the necessity of these tests to keep him polished and on his toes. But, then again, Solomon was known for his Wisdom.

Of course, it would not be fair to neglect including an example of one of the Queen of Sheba’s puzzles. Already mentioned was the meeting between the two in which Solomon tricked Her into revealing Her true nature. However, Lilith was often much more subtle. In one instance, She took the form of a prostitute and claimed motherhood to another prostitute’s baby. Eventually, the matter was brought to the court of the king. Solomon heard both sides of the story, but this solved nothing. Both women were adamant, and told wholly different stories to back their claims.

However, king Solomon was not to be outdone. Instead, he ordered a swordsman to approach the throne. Because the matter could not be otherwise resolved, he declared that the baby should be cut in half so that each woman could have an equal share. As the sword was raised, one woman shouted for him to halt. She admitted that she was not truly the mother, and that she did not wish for the baby to die on her account. Solomon immediately gave the baby to her- knowing that only the real mother would give the baby away rather than watch it die. Lilith, on the other hand, was foiled again.

Yet another Solomonic tradition is outlined in “The Testament of Solomon.” This is a work that describes Solomon’s efforts to summon a number of demons, and find out their various names, forms, actions, and (most importantly) the Angels who oppose them. Lilith was among these summoned demons. (As a note, there is a similar legend in which Elijah encounters Her and demands Her Names.) She told Solomon that Her opposing Angel is Raphael- which makes sense when we recognize that Lilith’s name refers to “spirit” or “air,” and Raphael is the Kherub of Air. Lilith is the enveloping fog, while Raphael is the clear-sky breeze. As for Her various Names- taken from various sources- they are as follows:

Abeko, Abito, Abro, Abyzu, Ailo, Alu, Amiz, Amizo, Amizu, Ardad Lili, Avitu, Batna, Bituah, Eilo, Gallu, Gelou, Gilou, ‘Ik, ‘Ils, Ita, Izorpo, Kakash, Kalee, Kali, Kea, Kema, Kokos, Lamassu, Lilith, Odam, Partasah, Partashah, Patrota, Pods, Podo, Raphi, Satrina, Talto, Thiltho, Zahriel, Zefonith.

Append II: The Experience of Lilith

I.

I stood often upon the shore of this small lake in the heart of Florida. It was always late- far into the darkest hours of the night- and I stood wrapped in the icy embrace of Mother Lailah (Night). Her children sang and chirped and buzzed to me as they always have from the shadowy places among the grass and reeds, and often a cool breeze skittered across the lake to blow away the insects and the muggy heat. Many times had I stood here, communing with the lake, reciting love poems to Levanah (Luna), taking in the jewel-studded view of the southern nighttime skyline, and gazing at Venus in the early hours of dawn.

But tonight was different. Lailah’s embrace was deep and frigid. There were no stars or moon, no skyline, and no sky. There was no song from the grass and reeds about me, and no gentle breeze rushing over me from the water. The lake stretched out (for what little distance I could see) still and black as the dark Abyss itself. The night was dark, black, still as death, and over the surface slithered a deep fog that swallowed the world. A verse from Genesis arose within me: “And a mist moved upon the face of the deep…,” and within it fluttered the Shadows of the Qliphoth. The world held its breath. Lilith had arrived.

I stood upon the edge of the abyss, the helpless subject of the mighty Queen of the Night. She reached toward me slowly and seductively, yet always just beyond my own reach. She called to me softly from deep within the swirling mists. She is a siren, a succubus, and my bestial male spirit answered the call. It was pure pleasure- a burst of dark power. Yet, it was also pain as I willed against Will to stay my feet. More than once I nearly yielded to the temptation to simply walk into the blackness. My heart seemed to tell me, “You can go forth. You will not sink. You would be safe.” Of course, I knew better. I knew that if I stepped forward I would sink into that cold water- the lake that was no longer my friend. I knew that hypothermia would quickly set in, and that I would have little hope of even knowing in which direction the shore waited. I could very well die, with the land no more than a few feet away. Even more frightening was that I didn’t believe I would care! I wanted to feel the icy water envelope me, to sink into its silent depths and into oblivion beyond.

Yet, at the same time, I nearly believed I could walk safely across the surface of the pool. More so, I desired to fly into the fog; I wanted to take wing and join the demonic children of Lilith who swarmed within. I needed to hunt, stalk, pounce, and to bite. I wanted to feel the fear of prey flood over me, adding strength to the pain of my own desire, and to experience the shudder of their final ecstasy- that sudden peace and contentment that comes to all once death is inevitable. Suddenly I wanted to exert power and force over others. I wanted the taste of fear and pain.

And yet I knew that a single step in that direction would mean my own loss within the abyss before me. I would not live to hunt down my prey. I was no free predator, but a domesticated animal. With a sigh I wondered if this is how our own pets feel- who in distant ages were mighty hunters- as they beg at our tables, and are patted on their heads. With that I regained my senses somewhat, and backed away from the dark Lady before me. Out of breath I whispered how much I loved and desired Her, and then bowed and slunk away. Soon I was myself again- this had happened before, and would happen in the future. Anywhere the fog could creep upon me, especially over bodies of still and deep water, Lilith would find me and once again try Her seduction upon me. She would ever attempt to lead this son of Eve into the Blackness of the Kingdom of Shells. Perhaps the male child is not so safe after the eighth day from birth…

The above is what might be expected from the male experience of the Queen of Night. What more could one expect from She who seduced the Divine Name from Yahweh Himself, and traditionally bears somewhat of a grudge against Adam (Mankind)?

Another thing that I have noted was the intuitive feeling I had that Lilith was the fog itself. It was, in fact, later that I learned the name “Lilith” traces back to a Sumerian word for “Air.” The Lilitu of Sumer are supposed to be night-time air spirits, and according to my direct experience, this is exactly what they were, and what Lady Lilith is today. But, more than just “air,” She is the thickening mists that can cause a person to stray blindly from the path and into Her dark embrace. It seems the Rabbis were right…

II.

A woman who may have stood in my place, lost within that gray-white haze, would surely have experienced something different from what I described. While I can’t provide you with a description of such an experience, I can at least speak on some women’s issues with which Lilith might be deeply and darkly involved.

I recently spoke to a (female) devotee of Lilith, and suggested the possibility of the Dark Queen’s involvement in the issue of abortion; especially viewing Her in Her aspects as both succubus and baby-killer. Perhaps Lilith is even the patron Goddess of abortion.

This may seem a bit extreme, and is certainly an extremely touchy issue. However, I feel there may be some merit to the idea. Not more than a few days after I mentioned this to my friend, I came across these words concerning Lilith and abortion on the Internet:

On the other hand, there is a modern metaphor for “baby killing” that adequately places us in the quandary and conflict of power vs. violence…abortion. To those opposed, it is clearly murder. But to those who claim the right to choose…well, look at the phrase “right to choose.” Those who fight for the right to choose abortion fight for the right to have control over their bodies, over control over when and how they bestow the gift of life, and when and how they will take what kind of responsibility for the outcome of their sexuality. Those who fight to make abortion illegal once again see this as an irrelevant argument. The woman’s body and life are incidental when compared to the potential life she carries inside her…at least, this is how a Daughter of Lilith would see it…someone who is, themselves, opposed to abortion simply see it as a question of life and death. Choices of life and death. These are the kinds of choices Lilith asks us to make. Knowing, full well, that there are no right answers…or wrong answers…only *our* answers.

Blessings, light & dark,
Margot

(Famous painting of Lilith by John Collier. Oil on canvas. 1892)

Bibliography

The Lilith Shrine, http://www.lilitu.com/lilith/

The Story of Lilith, http://ccat.sas.upenn.edu:80/~humm/Topics/Lilith/alphabet.html
From The Alphabet of Ben Sira Question #5 (23a-b), Tr. Norman Bronznick (with David Stern & Mark Jay Mirsky) (Stern90)

The Devils and Evil Spirits of Babylonia, by Reginald Campbell Thompson
July 1973, AMS Press; ISBN: 0404113532

Semitic Magic : Its Origins and Development, by R. Campbell Thompson
Samuel Weiser; ISBN: 0877289328

Babylonian Magic and Sorcery: Being the Prayers of the Lifting of the Hand, by Leonard W. King
Samuel Weiser; ISBN: 0877289344

The Hebrew Goddess, by Raphael Patai, Merlin Stone (Designer)
Wayne State Univ Pr; ISBN: 0814322719

Lilith’s Cave : Jewish Tales of the Supernatural, by Howard Schwartz, Uri Shulevitz
Oxford Univ Pr (Trade); ISBN: 0195067266

Gilgamesh and the Huluppu-Tree: A reconstructed Sumerian Text, by S. N. Kramer
University of Chicago 1938

Further reading:

http://jewishchristianlit.com/Topics/Lilith/

The post Lilith: From Demoness to Dark Goddess appeared first on Occult-Study.

Dæmonology:  

First Developments:

Homer and Hesiod

           The oldest known record of the word δαίμων (daimon) appears in the first book of Homer’s Iliad. In verse 222, when the poet says that Athena “returned to Olympus to the palace of aegis-bearing Zeus, to join the company of the other gods“[1], the gods in the verse are called “δαίμονας” (daimonas), plural form of δαίμων.

           The study of the etymology of the word reveals roots, however, much older, deep into the Indo-European culture, from which the syllable *da(i) brought with it the meanings of “dividing, distributing, giving lots”, making the Greek daimon originally a divinity which distributes to men the lot that belongs to each one, which, by extension, defines the destiny of each one. So we have Achilles, in the Iliad, and Telemachos, in the Odyssey, describing Zeus as the Supreme Distributor:

The immortals know no care, yet the lot they spin for man is full of sorrow; on the floor of Zeus’ palace there stand two urns, the one filled with evil gifts, and the other with good ones. He for whom Zeus the lord of thunder mixes the gifts he sends, will meet now with good and now with evil fortune; but he to whom Zeus sends none but evil gifts will be pointed at by the finger of scorn, the hand of famine will pursue him to the ends of the world, and he will go up and down the face of the earth, respected neither by gods nor men.[2]

Zeus is who gives to each mortal who eats bread as he wills.[3]

           Although in the Indo-European culture the word might have a more positive meaning, focused on the distribution of blessings and riches that had its parallel in the distribution of food and gifts made by the tribal chief, over time also the misfortunes of life came to be represented in the lot that the gods distribute to every human being. “Distributor,” as well as “immortal,” for example, evolves from an adjective into a term appropriate to divinity.

           Already in Hesiod a major change takes place. First, it is important to know that Hesiod did not use the word “daimon” to address the deities; when referring to them he employs the terms αθανάτων (atanáton = imortals) and θεούς (teoís = gods)[4]. However, the distributive role associated with “daimon” is conspicuously referred to in the narrative:

He [Zeus] is king in the sky, holding the thunder and the blazing thunderbolt himself, since he gained victory in supremacy over his father Cronus; and he distributed well all things alike to the immortals and devised their honors.[5]

Tell how in the first place gods and earth were born, and rivers and the boundless sea seething with its swell, and the shining stars and the broad sky above, and those who were born from them, the gods givers of good things; and how they divided their wealth and distributed their honors, and also how they first took possession of many-folded Olympus.[6]

It is when Hesiod sings about Eos, the goddess of the dawn, that he says:

And to Cephalus she bore a splendid son, powerful Phaethon, a man equal to the gods. While he was young, a delicate-spirited child, and still possessed the tender flower of glorious youth, smile-loving Aphrodite snatched him away, and made him her innermost temple-keeper in her holy temples, a divine spirit [δαίμονα δϊον].[7]

           This is the first recorded instance of the word “daimon” being used in a context different from the one we find in the Homeric works. The distance from that earlier use[8] is emphasized by the employment of the adjective “divine”. The passage opens the way to the use of “daimon” to indicate non-divine spirits and also is the first known indication of the possibility that a human could be “daimonized” by a god, entering into a category different (but close) from the one of the heroes.

           It is in the Work and Days, however, that Hesiod made the most known and commented use of the term. Here it is where the new concept of the “daimon” comes in, when he describes the fate of the Golden Race:

First of all the deathless gods who dwell on Olympus made a golden race of mortal men who lived in the time of Cronos when he was reigning in heaven. And they lived like gods without sorrow of heart, remote and free from toil and grief: miserable age rested not on them; but with legs and arms never failing they made merry with feasting beyond the reach of all evils. When they died, it was as though they were overcome with sleep, and they had all good things; for the fruitful earth unforced bare them fruit abundantly and without stint. They dwelt in ease and peace upon their lands with many good things, rich in flocks and loved by the blessed gods. But after the earth had covered this generation—they are called pure spirits [δαίμονες ἁγνοὶ] dwelling on the earth, and are kindly, delivering from harm, and guardians of mortal men; for they roam everywhere over the earth, clothed in mist and keep watch on judgements and cruel deeds, givers of wealth; for this royal right also they received.[9]

           Hesiod called the spirits of the men from the Golden Race δαίμονες ἁγνοὶ, making them the invisible representatives of Zeus in charge of “watch on judgements and cruel deeds” and also having the typical daimonic feature of being “givers of wealth”. Their function under the aegis of Zeus was also mentioned a few verses ahead:

You princes, mark well this punishment, you also, for the deathless gods are near among men; and mark all those who oppress their fellows with crooked judgements; and heed not the anger of the gods. For upon the bounteous earth Zeus has thrice ten thousand spirits, watchers of mortal men, and these keep watch on judgements and deeds of wrong as they roam, clothed in mist, all over the earth.[10]

           With Hesiod, therefore, the δαίμων no more indicate the gods directly and goes on to refer to a category of intermediate, non-divine or semi-divine beings, who, under the orders of Zeus, guard the human being, distributing riches and watching over their actions.

           In Homer, however, we already encounter several characteristics which will later be attributed to these intermediate spirits. For example:

1. To communicate to men the wills and counsels of the gods: in the Iliad, Athena, for example, manifests to Achilles at the request of Hera. Athena is a subordinate deity who, at that moment, comes to earth as an intermediary to communicate to a mortal the will of a hierarchically superior goddess.
2. Bring the prayers and supplications of men to the gods: also in the Iliad, Thetis takes the request of Achilles to Zeus and intercedes in favor of this hero.
3. To Influence human thoughts and feelings, inspiring ideas and sending dreams, giving energy and strength, as well as affecting others’ perception of the person – the examples are many, and basically they define the interaction between the heroes and the Olympic δαίμονας.

           Still very important is the idea of a personal daimon that we find in the Homeric poems. The most famous example comes from the relationship between Athena and Odysseus, but this is a repeating pattern: Tethys and Achilles, Aphrodite and Paris, Crises and Apollo… Mortals could enjoy the favor of a deity for various causes; so Achilles was the son of Tethys, Chryses was a priest of Apollo, Paris for having elected Aphrodite at the trial, and Odysseus was dear to Athena for having a brilliant mind.

Athena inspires Odysseus for vengeance (1901) Jan Styka

           Along with the personal daimon, the Homeric hero commonly had an antagonist daimon. The best examples are that of Odysseus, who incurs the wrath of Poseidon, and that of Paris, who gains the sworn enmity of Athena and Hera while making Aphrodite his protector. The theme of the two daimons, one good and the other bad, reinterpreted under a moral view, was part of Empedocles’s philosophy, which made mention of the two daimons and the two fates (“two destinies and two daimones receive and lead each of us from birth“)[11] and survived to become quite popular in Christianity

           As the attentive reader must have realized, in Homer and Hesiod are all the key themes of pagan daemonology and its later derivative, Christian demonology. The relationship between the human being and the daimones has also become a very important element in the magic found in the Greek Magical Papyri and the theurgy of Iamblichus; this becomes a theme for a sequence of this text.

____________________________________

[1] Homer, The Iliad with an English Translation, A.T. Murray.

[2] Homer, The Iliad, Samuel Butler.

[3] Inventing Homer: The Early Reception of Epic, Barbara Graziosi.

[4] With one notable exception, when the Ἑκατόγχειρες (Hecatoikeires = Hundred-Handed One) Cottus   adresses Zeus in a speech; he call the supreme god “δαίμόνι”. But here the word is used not in the direct speech of the poet, but in a speech narrated by the poet.

[5] Hesiod: Theogony and Works and Days, Testimonia, edited and translated by Glenn w. Most.

[6] Hesiod: Theogony and Works and Days, Testimonia, edited and translated by Glenn W. Most.

[7] Hesiod: Theogony and Works and Days, Testimonia, edited and translated by Glenn W. Most.

[8] I am assuming, together with the majority of the specialists, that the Homeric epics are earlier compositions.

[9] Hesiod, the Homeric Hymns and Homerica with an English Translation, Hugh G. Evelyn-White.

[10] Hesiod, the Homeric Hymns and Homerica with an English Translation, Hugh G. Evelyn-White.

[11] La démonologie platonicienne : histoire de la notion de daimon de Platon aux derniers néoplatoniciens, Andrei Timotin.

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Translated by Gabriel A.

(“The angel proclaiming the End of Time” paiting by James Justus Tucker. Source. I admit it might be a wrong association – FvF)

Orifiel is one of the most important angels of the esoteric tradition, considered to be an archangel by many angelology specialists. He is associated with Saturn’s Sphere and the influence of this planet. In Kabbalah he is associated with Binah, which best incorporates Saturn’s qualities. The first mention of this archangel belongs to Pope Gregory I, whose pontificate lasted between 590 and 604. He places Oriphiel on the list of the seven primary archangels, alongside Michael, Gabriel, Raphael, Uriel, Simiel (Samael), and Zachariel. Orifiel also appears in the famous book of magic of Honorius of Thebes, as the second Saturnian angel, after Zapkiel, another name of the archangel Tzafkiel.

A medieval magic book says that Orifiel is closest to the home of God, and he is the master of divine science. He governs theology, metaphysics, writing, religion, prophecy and astrology. We can understand from this that because of his Saturnian nature, Oriphiel is an angel of Karma, one of the great Directors of Human Destinies. He is the master of past, present and future knowledge, one of the spirits that manage the Akashic Records. The power on prophecy, future and astrology comes precisely from its governing of destiny, information and knowledge, one of the characteristics of Binah. Oriphiel is an archangel of profound information that can change the destiny of a man or a nation. Most times, there is no prophecy of future events without this celestial scholar having authorized it. He is one of the foremost keepers of knowledge on our planet, and in the solar system.

The seven Planetary Angels in the list of Pope Gregory I play a particularly important role in the Renaissance thought. The abbot Johannes Trithemius, an overwhelming personality in the history of magic, dedicates them the work “About the Seven Intelligences” or “The Seven Secondary Causes of the Heavenly Intelligencies” (De Septem Secundeis) in which each archangel has a period in the history of mankind. The Archangels govern the centuries in a row, and when each of them has governed his own period, the government resumes. Trithemius assigns two periods to Oriphiel. “The first Angell or Spirit of Saturn is called Orifiel, to whom God committed the government of the World from the beginning of its Creation” says Trithemius.

The first rule of the angel of Saturn begins at Genesis, which is believed to have begun on March 15, the first year of the world, and lasts for 354 years and four months. During this government, people were savage, dwelling in deserted and unpopular places, like the beasts. Oriphiel governs the beginnings of any kind, remote periods in the history of mankind, and even history itself. He is a master of Time and an angel who holds the secrets of the destinies of all beings. He is the patron of the origins, of self karma, and the genealogical karma, the one who knows in detail the beginnings of things and their purpose. The second reign began on 26 June in the year 2480 since the creation of the World, and ended in 2834. According to Trithemius’ vision, at that time the earth began to be divided among nations and various kingdoms were established. Here is the construction of the Tower of Babel and the confusion of languages, and people begin to scatter on the face of the Earth. Humankind begins to build up the earth, to sow, to plant vineyards and trees, in a word, there is a sedentarization of human tribes and a huge agricultural progress. Agriculture has, since ancient times, been under the sign of Saturn, which has the symbol of sickle and ax, so it was normal for the Saturnian angel to govern this period. We see that Oriphiel is the father of nations and of the collective identity and ancestors.

All  nations had a God of the earth, the father of the other gods and the people alike, the heavenly plowman who teaches agriculture the people. Greeks had Cronos, the Romans had Saturn, the Getae had Zalmoxis and the Canaanites had El. The rule of Oriphiel, the angel of Saturn in the first era of the world, followed by Zachariel, the angel of Jupiter, resembles the Greek mythical history where Cronos (Saturn) is the governor of the Golden Age, followed by his son Zeus (Jupiter) . Orifiel is the patron of the elders and ancestors, but also of the workers and the farmers. It is the archangel of hardships, needs and survival. Trithemius tells us that among his most important subordinates, three are worthy of mention, namely Sadael, Poniel and Morifiel.

Archangel Orifiel is one of the leading angels of karma, and his action is not limited to our planet. His duty is to monitor, evaluate and record the events, along with their possible evolution, throughout the solar system. Like Tsafkiel, Oriphiel is the one who knows in detail what is happening in every moment in our system, his mental capacity being infinitely wider than that of an earthly being. If we were to compare the angelic mind and the mind of the planet’s most advanced scientist, we could make a resemblance between a genius and an insect: no matter how risky this way of presenting its capacities is, it is without doubt an example meant to make us understand the supra-human and even supra-angelic nature of Oriphiel. He is simply a patron of memory and everything connected to this domain.

He is the master of libraries, archives, databases, safes and warehouses, but at the same time of human memory, traditions, memories and remembrance. Under his sign is the human degeneration at the end of life, the test of a life lived in harmony with the Divinity. Those who do not resist the burdens of life go slowly to the state of impotence that would characterize childhood. Man becomes weak, powerless, body functions go out of control, memory is getting shorter and gaps are getting bigger. He becomes dependent to the help of others, like a child, and his memory is first affected by degeneration. In understanding all things, especially human destiny, the way in which we are influenced by the stars, the Divine Will or our own choices, Orifiel can provide support and inspiration, but only indirectly. Like all the angels of Saturn, Orifiel is an observer, scientist, and analyst, rather than an active element. We can ask for his help and inspiration in the great moments of life, through the following sacred prayer:

“By the name of God Almighty and All Knowing Yod-He-Vav-He, I call you Orifiel, archangel of divine mind and destiny to help me in this hour in which I need guidance and understanding, Here and Now. Amen!”

 

Orazio Gentileschi, St Francis and the Angel
(1612-13, Galleria Nazionale d’Arte Antica, Roma), taken from http://www.wga.hu/

The post Archangel Orifiel appeared first on Occult-Study.

Translated by Gabriel A.

(Angel of Mercy, painting by Joseph Highmore, cca. 1746 – Source)

Chasdiel appears quite rarely in esoteric literature, something quite curious given its popularity in the early centuries of the Christian era. His name means “Goodness of God” or “Mercy of God“, which can also be found in the form of Casdiel, Kasdiel, Hasdiel, Khasdiel or Castiel.

Although his name is related to Chesed, governed by Jupiter, Chasdiel is considered an angel of Venus. This is not the only confusion. In the Heptameron of Pietro d’Abano, Castiel appears as one of the three Jupiter angels alongside Sacchiel and Asasiel, the governors of Thursday. Sacchiel is one and the same with Zadkiel, and often the two archangels appear together as angels of goodwill.

Chasdiel’s name appears on countless Hebrew amulets in medieval Germany, including the famous work Sefer Raziel. Here Chasidiel is called upon to help against Lilith, together with the angels Senoi, Sensenoi and Samangelof, who were sent by God to chain her when she rebelled against Adam. Here also, Chasdiel governs the third planetary zone, that of Venus. Although we have the traditional scheme of the angels, The Book of Raziel adds a parallel tradition that coexists with the first. According to this tradition, Michael is Saturn’s archangel, Barchiel or Berechiel is Jupiter’s, Mars is governed by Gabriel, Sun by Rafael or Dodeniel (Doreniel), Venus by Chasdiel, Mercury by Tzadkiel and Moon by Aniel. In another list, Chasdiel appears as the angel of the Moon. According to the scholar Moise Schwab, Chasdiel was invoked by Moses at the burning bush, but he does not give details of this tradition.

In Zohar (154b), Shamshiel (or Shamsiel, “The Sun of God”) and Chasdiel are two archangels who fight alongside Uriel and carry his flag.

Also in the Hebrew Book of Enoch,  text of the Heikhalot Kabbalistic tradition, Chasdiel appears curious as an aspect or name of Metatron, together with 69 other names. He is named Chasdiel only when he does good deeds for mankind.

From all historical information, Chasdiel governs either Thursday (for Jupiter) or Friday (for Venus). While in the early centuries it was a Venusian archangel, in modern times since the Middle Ages it is increasingly associated with Jupiter. Regardless of its planetary nature, Chasdiel has the same function and is closely related to mercy, compassion, love and goodwill. His name was often invoked together with Haniel and Tzadkiel, to obtain the goodwill of others or to call upon the divine power for help when man felt enraptured by negative opinions and enmity.

Chasdiel is one of the most positive angels of the spiritual tradition, with a subtle, mild and penetrating presence. It is not as present as the other archangels, but anywhere he passes, he shows the fruits of goodness and friendship. Chasdiel’s power helps the oppressed to endure and seek the positive side, gives courage to those who are in despair, and calms the desperate people. He can be called the ambassador of goodwill because any harmonious human contact and any attempt to communicate with those around us, if it comes from love and compassion, is surely supervised by him and by the subordinate beings. Where there is a negative imbalance, attention is drawn to it and its office involves assisting those in that situation.

Given the fact that man has free will, he can only be marginally influenced, and only if he is already naturally inclined towards peace and good will. Chasdiel does not calm anyone who does not want to be calmed or relieved, unless it endangers the fate of another person who prays for protection. Chasdiel and his angels can intervene with great joy in favor of those angry or depressed, at the request of their loved ones. That’s why it’s good to pray for those who have such feelings, largely because they, like us, need help, but they do not know how to ask for it.

Chasdiel is the one who softens the hearts of those careless when they resonate with the notion of mercy. He is the one who stifles the attacks of enemies, beasts, or spirits, he is the one who watches over the good course of any contract and agreement and the general balance of nature and society. He also inspires the hearts of those who pray for wisdom, and thus illuminates the souls of those who seek the truth. Suffering is a necessary lesson, and by learning to love suffering and embracing it, we can put ourselves in the service of divine wisdom.

We can call him when we are upset, weary of hardship, or when we wish to draw goodwill upon us, by saying the following prayer/invocation:

In the name of EL, the Merciful and Good God, I call you, Archangel Chasdiel, to rejoice over me grace, love, and divine benevolence, as I pour them over others, here and now. Amen

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Written by Asterion

Translated by Gabriel A.

(Source)

Archangel Raguel is one of the oldest angels attested in the holy writings, but forgotten over time, and more recently, confused with Rafael, Rufael, Suryan, Uriel and Akrasiel.

His name means “God’s Friend” in Hebrew, and he can also be found under the forms of Raghuel, Ra’uel, Raguhel, Raguil or Raguhiil. Although present in the Christian mentality of the first centuries, Raguel was taken out of the calendar at the Council of Rome in 745 and noted as a fallen angel, as happened to Uriel and many other significant angels, possibly because of the popularity they enjoyed among the people.

Although its name does not appear in the Bible itself, some Bible episodes are traditionally related to it. The angel should not be confused with biblical characters bearing the same name. Raguel from the Book of Tobit and Raguel (Reuel), the priest of Madian, also called Jethro, the father-in-law of Moses, has no direct connection with this angel. There are authors who believe that a prophet or a biblical character who has a similar or identical name to an angel is his earthly incarnation. We must not assume that there is such a link because some angels, such as Uziel, Uriel, Azrael and many others, have served as an onomastic model for people like Uziah, Uryah and Ezra, as Michael and Gabriel are now models. We doubt that each Michael, Michele, Mihai and Mihaela on Earth are incarnations of this archangel, just as we doubt that Raguel-Ietro-Jethro would have any supernatural connection with this archangel.

But he appears in the Book of Enoch, and here he is one of the seven watchers: Uriel, Rafael, Raguel, Michael, Saraqael, Gabriel, and Remiel. In Enoch 20:4,5 we read: “Raguel, one of the holy angels who takes vengeance on the world of the luminaries.”

In chapter 23, the prophet Enoch sees in the West at the limit of the Earth a great fire burning continually and flowing without stopping. When asked what it is, the respondent is Raguel: “This course of fire which you have seen is the fire in the west and is the fire of all the lights of heaven.” In chapter 33, Raguel is one of the angels whom God sends to take Enoch to heaven. Two different versions offer the names Samuil and Raguil, respectively, Semil and Rasuil.

Certain esoteric traditions consider that Raguel is the unnamed angel of the Revelation of John, associated with the Church of Philadelphia (Rev. 3:9), who is rewarded for his patience and mercy for all the anguish and the sixth angel (Rev. 9:14) , who is commanded to release four angels from the Euphrates.

From the information provided by the Book of Enoch, as the biblical scholars also observed, his function and name seem to contradict. His office implies punishment, but his name indicates friendship. Things can also be seen from another point of view. If other angels are given to observe and intervene in the world of people where needed, then Raguel’s mission is on the spiritual side. The fact that he brings revenge against the luminaries indicates his divine office, the agent of balance and justice in the spiritual world. It seems that not only humans make mistakes, but according to Enoch’s Book, angels also commit mistakes. These sins or mistakes are more serious as the level of spiritual evolution is greater. A simple man may be wrong because of his ignorance, an evolved man may be wrong because he is still a man, but an angel should conform to the full Divine Laws, and a mistake on his part may be catastrophic. One of the central themes of the Book of Enoch is the fall of the angels: seduced by the beauty of the daughters of men, the angels led by the Archangel Semyaza descend to Earth and join them by making children. Not only that, but angels teach medicine, magic, pharmacology, metallurgy, astronomy, and all the sciences of those times. They are banished and punished by God for their reckless behavior and sent to specific torments.

We can see well that the angelic world has its own problems, and someone must be the divine agent of justice. Raguel watches the keeping of the spiritual laws, the fairness of all beings in the hierarchies of light and darkness. When there is an action that causes imbalance, Raguel gets the right to intervene and manage the situation. He is the one who punishes angels, demons, and all spiritual beings who violate their mission or oath. Each of these beings has a mission to fulfill, and when their own personality takes the place of humility that they should prove, problems may arise.

Raguel is the one who applies the punishments of God. If an angel violates his mission and helps a man beyond the normal limits, perhaps violating the freedoms of others, Raguel is the one who enforces the compliance to the Divine Laws and punishes that angel. If an angel or a demon hurts or damages a man or another being, it is also Raguel who takes care of the abnormal behavior.

From a human point of view, in the first situation, Raguel is negative because it hinders a good, and in the second it is perceived as positive because it helps. But his deeds do not need to be judged by us, and ultimately, they can not be judged by the angels either. Only God knows the reason why Raguel acts like this, because he does not act for the benefit of himself, or of the angels or of the people in particular, but in the service of God. This is the true meaning of his name: a terrible agent who is not the friend of anybody but the Lord.

• For the English translation of the Book of Enoch (1 Enoch) I have used The Books of Enoch by Joseph B. Lumpkin.

The post Archangel Raguel appeared first on Occult-Study.

Translated by Gabriel A.

(Source)

Yechudiel or Iehudiel is one of the most important archangels of the tradition, but he was silenced or forgotten in general, except for certain areas of Orthodoxy and Catholicism. The name Yechudiel means in the Hebrew language “The Glory of God” or “the one who glorifies God.”

He is also named in certain documents Jhudiel, Yhudil, Jehudiel, Jegudiel, Iegudiil, Egudiil, Gudiil, Evgudiel or Evgudiil. In certain Catholic confessions, Yechudiel is called St. Jehudiel, and he is considered the archangel to whom Friday corresponds. In the Kabbalistic tradition, both his name and attributes are under the sign of Chesed and the planet Jupiter, of Mercy, Justice, Wellness and of Divine Glory.

He is counted among the Seven Archangels in the tradition of the Eastern Orthodox Church. According to the Orthodox tradition, “Egudiil has an apron and he is ready to serve. He is the protector of those who work in the service of others.” In the traditional icons he is portrayed holding a golden crown in his right hand and in his left hand a spear or whip made of three strands or three strings. Generally, the crown has seven leaves or three gems. The crown represents the rewards of the righteuos work, and if we look at the numbers associated with it, we will discover its hidden meaning. The seven leaves have seven pieces of the crown are the Seven Virtues: Love, Faith, Soul Strenght, Hope, Intelligence, Moderation, Justice, virtues which man has to practice in order to glorify God. The three gems have a double meaning: it is the Holy Trinity, the manifestation of God, but also the ways in which the Seven Virtues must be cultivated: with the thought, the word and the deed. God’s glory is done through the Seven Virtues in a complete way, not in part. For example, if we talk about faith and do good deeds, but inside ourselves we do not believe it, it is of no use. Or if we have faith in us, and we are talking about faith, but we do not act properly, or we refuse to show our faith, we get nothing. If we talk about love and think about love, but we do not love our neighbor, the virtue of love runs away from us, and we become unhappy. And so, if we love with the word and the deed without loving with the mind and the soul, the same thing will happen. The crown also represents the fruits of our work with the Seven Virtues: by loving others, we will acquire love in exchange; having faith in God, we will gain greater trust in ourselves; trying to be noble in every moment and helping those around us in hard times, will give us greater strength in the really difficult moments; hoping for what is best, with faith in God, we will have our hopes fulfilled; being intelligent and wise as much as possible, we will gain more intelligence and wisdom; being balanced, our lives will not experience excesses of any kind, and if we are righteous and correct in everything that we think, we say and do, we will be treated with fairness and sincerity by others and by God .

Yechudiel is the patron of work and effort, and these things involve both reward and loss. His whip is as unpleasant as his crown is pleasing, and his three strands correspond to sins made with thought, word and deed. Every failure to observe a principle brings us an imbalance and makes us vulnerable to correction. Lying is failure to comply to the Law of Truth, hatred is the failure to comply to the Law of Love, deception is the failure to comply with the Law of Justice, and the more we violate one of these laws, the more the right to enjoy the fruits of our work will be taken.

(Jehudiel, circa 1650 – Source)

Under his protection are those who glorify the name of God in any way, whether they do it through words, writing, thought or deeds, but also leaders of any kind, whether political, economic (kings, presidents, judges) or spiritual (popes, bishops, hermits). In the old days, the heads of the communities, the kings and the emperors were the first to give praise and glory to the Lord, because their role in this world was being God’s humble substitute in the leading of men. Yechudiel’s crown signifies royalty and nobility, mercy and the sovereignty, and the whip marks the hand of iron, the justice and the punishment. A king must be as good as God, and like Him, judging right and punishing or rewarding where it is needed. Also, his symbols remind the rulers that they themselves are subject to the Divine Laws, being able to ascend to the heights of glory or to fall into oblivion and disgrace. King David and later his son, Solomon, are examples in which virtue is rewarded with wisdom, wealth and power, and weakness and insubordination are severely punished.

Yechudiel is also the patron of those who punish human actions. Before judging a man as being evil, we need to think if this man is compelled to do what he does because of his duty. Judges, policemen, prosecutors, lawyers and law enforcement officers are under the protection of this archangel, and we must not forget that due to human nature, there is also a need for dichotomy and severity. In the old days, the executioners also benefited from his protection, and the Divine Service was aware that the killing of a man was not the fault of the executioner who performed a simple order. Those who practice the capital punishment now belong to the same category. Here, of course, we are not discussing whether the death penalty is good or bad, simply by the guilt of those whom the service forces them to execute, regardless of the desires they have their beliefs about the condemned. In the old days, there was no executioner who was not taught to curb the torment of his victims as quickly as possible, cutting his head as quickly as possible.

This archangel also protects those who work and those who ask for help in the work they do. Especially those who have a very hard work can ask for help in order to make the burdens more bearable, and those who have dangerous labor can ask God for protection through Yechudiel and the angels in his service. Yechudiel’s duty is to guard the fulfillment of laws, their correct application, the reward of good and right, and the punishment of those who violate them. His distinctive signs show wealth, abundance and nobility (golden crown), but also discipline, rigor and punishment (whip), bestowed upon each one by merit. We can ask for his help whenever it is necessary, when we want to cultivate within us the power of divine virtues, when we want to learn better how to pray and how to glorify the Creator and when we feel that we are oppressed or wronged. We can call him when we are in trouble or in despair, or when our joy and praise is beyond our powers and we want to share it with everyone but we have no one nearby with whom to share it.

We can call this wonderful archangel with the following prayer:

“By the name of God the Most High EL, I call you  glorious and merciful archangel Yechudiel to help me in this hour in which I need your righteousness and your presence here and now. Amen!“

(Source)

The post Archangel Yechudiel appeared first on Occult-Study.

Translated by Gabriel A.

(Barachiel – Source)

We will now deal with two angels who were often associated and even confused with each other because of their similar names. Although their names differ only in a consonant, they are two separate entities with different traditions and separate offices, and our duty is to search and see where the intact information has been kept about the two, and where it was mixed up. To understand why this has to be done, we can call upon a historical example: two different characters, united by man’s imagination and ignorance, are useless. Alexander The Great was the conqueror of the ancient world, and Alexandru Ioan Cuza was a Romanian ruler. Alexandru Cuza The Great, a Romanian ruler who conquered Greece, did not exist, although the names of the two are identical and we might be confused. Barachiel means in Hebrew  “God’s Blessing” and Barkiel or Baraqiel means “God’s Lightning”.

Barachiel is presented by the Solomonic magical tradition as the angelic prince of the first Altitude, but most often he is referred to as Barahiel, Verchiel, or Varahiel. In the Orthodox Christian tradition, he is known as Varahiil, and there is no doubt about his identity since his name is translated as “Blessing or Blessings from God” represented by a white rose on his chest.

In most of the works of angelic magic and astrology, Barachiel is known under the name of Verchiel as governor of July and of the sign of Leo. In his monumental work “The Practice of Magical Evocation”, the Czech initiate Franz Bardon gives one of the most interesting and new descriptions of Verchiel’s office and mission. He is part of the twelve angelic masters residing in the cosmic area of Jupiter, that is, the twelve angels who govern the zodiac signs. As it is supposed, there are several classes of entities under his control: three angels of the deacons of the sign of Leo, six of the 72 native angels, 30 geniuses of each degree, and countless angelic servants whose number can not be estimated. Barachiel is described as responsible throughout the whole solar system with Life. Everything living is in the care of this magnificent archangel, and no wonder, since the Leo is ruled by the Sun, the luminary of life by excellence. Life has no secret for Barachiel, from its appearance in the spiritual Universe, in the physical Universe, to its appearance on Earth. From the smallest bacterium to the most evolved individual of the angelic races living in our system, Barachiel knows all the forms of manifestation of the living, understands them and can control their development.

Barachiel is also the patron of all hierarchies in all respects. Natural hierarchies, such as the food chain or the genealogy of individuals, as well as human hierarchies, such as political, social, religious or spiritual hierarchies, are under its sign. He knows the greatest mysteries of the universal spiritual hierarchies and all the secrets of human order. He helps the heads of the hierarchies serving the Divinity, but also the subjects who serve the supreme good through their actions. Barachiel is the angel of kings, emperors, masters, and the gold talismans containing his name and sign, made under the auspices of the Regulus star and the constellation of  Leo, were fashionable among the kings, centuries ago. Barachiel protects not only the natives of the Leo but also those born on Sunday, those who lead, those in important positions, and those with great responsibilities. Verchiel is especially good and loving with all beings, but he shows his appreciation especially to those who protect life, those who are merciful, and to those who help the living beings and care for them. Verchiel also values honor, morals and respect. We can call upon his help whenever we feel threatened or wronged with simple prayer:

In the name of the living God, Archangel Verchiel (Barachiel), Help Me!

(Archangel Barkiel, mistaken by the creator of this image with Barachiel –  Source)

Barkiel is the angel of lightning, the master of meteorological phenomena, quite different from Barachiel. His name is also found under the forms Baraqel, Baraqiel, Barakijal, Barqiel, Barquiel. The great Jesuit scholar, Athanasius Kircher linked him with the 42-letter name of God, along with another 41 angels, calling him “Angelus fulguris seu gladii coruscantis”, the Angel of Lightning or the Angel of the Lightning Sword.

The earliest mention of this angel can be found in Enoch’s famous apocryphal book, where he appears as the ninth Watcher. In the theosophical tradition, especially in the works of Helena Petrovna Blavatsky and those of Benjamin Creme, Baraqiel is one of the names of Sanat Kumara, the head of Shamballa. Beyond all modern speculations, Barkiel is first mentioned in the Book of Enoch, like Barakijal, Barquiel or Baruqiel, and he is the angel who taught men the mysteries of astrology.

He is tied mainly to the art of divination, because outside astrology, in ancient times the observation of atmospheric phenomena could produce predictions, especially in the case of lightning. Barqiel is not only the governor of astrology and divine arts, but also of astronomy, astrophysics and sciences that use electricity. Barkiel knows in detail all the properties of matter, from the atom to the smallest sub-atomic particle, and the way in which pure energy can be obtained by manipulating them and the force fields. Electricity and all its secrets are only an insignificant part of the phenomena that Barkiel knows and controls. Apart from these strictly scientific fields, Archangel Barkiel is one of the most feared celestial fighters, patron of corrections, wages, and punishments. The things he tolerates the most is loyalty to God and to His laws and the righteousness of men, qualities without which no one can benefit from his help. Whether we want to be protected from lightning or electricity, or that we want justice when we have suffered unjustly, we can call upon his help, simply, with sincerity and humility as it follows:

In the name of the Most Powerful God, Archangel Barkiel, help me!

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