Baphomet
Pan, Satan, Goat of Mendes
Baphomet represents the duality
of male and female as well as Heaven and Hell or Night and Day
signified by the raising of one arm and the downward gesture of
the other. This deity can represent any of the major harmonious
dichotomies of the cosmos. Baphomet is said be connected with
the ancient times of Egypt ("Goat of Mendes"), Greece (Pan), the
Middle Ages with the Templar Knights, and has influenced the
occult and some pagan beliefs. However, due to the persecution
of the Templar Knights, Baphomet worship went off the map. It
wasn't until revilalist of Baphomet, like of occultist Eliphas
Levi, Aleister Crowley, and Anton Lavey, brought back this
androgynous deity to the playing field.
The origins and influences of Baphomet
The Goat Headed Deity
Eliphas Levi
The discussion of Baphomet was revived in the 19th century when debate over the Templar Knights was aroused. It wasn't until this time frame that Baphomet was reintroduced. Eliphas Levi, for instance, was in search of a spiritual deity. He soon came across an essay written by Joseph von Hammer-Purgstall, Hammer-Purgstall's essay was an attempt to prove the Templar Knights relation to Baphomet. While this essay was disregarded by some, it is said to have brought about a curiosity of whom Baphomet was to Eliphas Levi.
"Sabbatic Goat" Eliphas Levi
After delving into occultist life, Levi produced a now well known image of Baphomet, also known as the "Sabbatic Goat." Accounts of this is found in his book Dogme et Rituel de la Haute Magie, published in 1854. Levi's description of Baphomet. Levi calls this image the "Goat of Mendes," which possibly refers to Banebdjedet, the Egyptian ram headed god of the ancient Egyptian city Djedet (Mendes is the Greek Translation of the city.) There's also a connection to the Greek God Pan (Half goat, half man).
Eliphas Levi's "Sabbatic Goat" played heavily in the role of Thelema. Aleister Crowley, in Magick (book 4), claimed Baphomet to be a divine androgyne and "the heiroglyph of arcane perfection" Aleister Crowley - Passages on Baphomet. Also goes into detail of how Baphomet further represented the spiritual nature of spermatozoa / symbolic of "magical child" produced as a result of sex magic - Union of Opposites. And believed derived from "Father Mithras" etymology.
Continuation of Aleister Crowley and Baphomet:
Writings of Pan
Baphomet
and Thelema - The Thelema describe the influence that
Baphomet held over their beliefs. It's also said here that Aleister
Crowley called himself Baphomet when he joined the
Ordo Templi Orientis (OTO)
“The Devil does not
exist. It is a false name invented by the Black Brothers
to imply a Unity in their ignorant muddle of
dispersions. A devil who had unity would be a God...
'The Devil' is, historically, the God of any people that
one personally dislikes... This serpent, SATAN, is not
the enemy of Man, but He who made Gods of our race,
knowing Good and Evil; He bade 'Know Thyself!' and
taught Initiation. He is 'The Devil' of the Book of
Thoth, and His emblem is BAPHOMET, the Androgyne who is
the hieroglyph of arcane perfection... He is therefore
Life, and Love. But moreover his letter is ayin, the
Eye, so that he is Light; and his Zodiacal image is
Capricornus, that leaping goat whose attribute is
Liberty.”
Aleister Crowley, Magick, Book 4
Aleister Crowley, Magick, Book 4
This excerpt from Aleister
Crowley's Magick, Book IV
perhaps hints to a connection between Baphomet and
Satan being one and the same.
“Into my loneliness
comes -
The sound of a flute in dim groves that haunt the uttermost hills.
Even from the brave river they reach to the edge of the wilderness.
And I behold Pan.
The snows are eternal above, above -
And their perfume smokes upward into the nostrils of the stars.
But what have I to do with these?
To me only the distant flute, the abiding vision of Pan.
On all sides Pan to the eye, to the ear;
The perfume of Pan pervading, the taste of him utterly filling my mouth, so that the tongue breaks forth into a weird and monstrous speech.
The embrace of him intense on every centre of pain and pleasure.
The sixth interior sense aflame with the inmost self of Him,
Myself flung down the precipice of being
Even to the abyss, annihilation.
An end to loneliness, as to all.
Pan! Pan! Io Pan! Io Pan!”
Aleister
Crowley - Hymn to PanThe sound of a flute in dim groves that haunt the uttermost hills.
Even from the brave river they reach to the edge of the wilderness.
And I behold Pan.
The snows are eternal above, above -
And their perfume smokes upward into the nostrils of the stars.
But what have I to do with these?
To me only the distant flute, the abiding vision of Pan.
On all sides Pan to the eye, to the ear;
The perfume of Pan pervading, the taste of him utterly filling my mouth, so that the tongue breaks forth into a weird and monstrous speech.
The embrace of him intense on every centre of pain and pleasure.
The sixth interior sense aflame with the inmost self of Him,
Myself flung down the precipice of being
Even to the abyss, annihilation.
An end to loneliness, as to all.
Pan! Pan! Io Pan! Io Pan!”
Writings of Pan
This Hymn to Pan is said to
be read at his funeral.
Crowley addresses his eternal devotion to Pan and the peace
that shall soon be brought to Crowley.
Baphomet and
Satanism
Anton LaVey, the founder of the Church of Satan incorporated the goat head and an inverted pentagram. Baphomet Sigil
Baphomet and Sexuality
Baphomet or the Greek God Pan
Pan teaching his eromenos, the shepherd Daphnis, to play the panpipes 2nd century AD
Roman copy of Greek original ca. 100 BC attributed to Heliodorus (found in Pompeii)
Baphomet's Musical Influences
Etymology of Baphomet
Videos:
More Sources:
Thelemapedia : Baphomet
Monstropedia: Baphomet
LuckyMojo : Baphomet
Baphomet Worship & Connections in Pop Culture
Anton LaVey, the founder of the Church of Satan incorporated the goat head and an inverted pentagram. Baphomet Sigil
Sigil
of Baphomet - This link provides informative
information from the Church of Satan on the origins and
meaning behind the Sigil of Baphomet in relation to
Satanism.
Sigil of Baphomet and the Pentacle - This site provides background on the Pentacle, the Inverted Pentacle, and the Sigil of Baphomet.
Sigil of Baphomet and the Pentacle - This site provides background on the Pentacle, the Inverted Pentacle, and the Sigil of Baphomet.
Baphomet and Sexuality
It
is said in the Intro
to Gnosticism,
that Baphomet represented the Absolute. On
this page, Logan Antico writes "In terms of
omniscience then, Baphomet is the bisexual
nature in all of us..."
PaganBDSM
mentions a reference to the Baphomet being poweful only on
this material plane of earth. "S/he is half animal, like
Lilith, Pan, and may other deities whose shapeshifting
appearance links them with the natural world. As a primal
androgyne, s/he is reminiscent of Zurvan, the ancient
Persian deity of Infinite Time who is pictured as intersex
and bore of hirself the twins Ahura Mazda and Ahriman. Like
Lilith, Baphomet is a highly sexual deity, an avatar of
sacred sexuality. Indeed sex magic..."
The above link provides a connection between sexuality and Baphomet.
As mentioned in the history of Baphomet, Aleister Crowley mentions that Baphomet is the divine androgyne and "the heiroglyph of arcane perfection." Baphomet is claimed also to be in relation to trantric magic, Aleister Crowley goes into detail of how Baphomet further represented the spiritual nature of spermatozoa and is symbolic of a "magical child" produced as a result of sex magic. Baphomet, to Crowley, represents the Union of Opposites and is also believed to be derived from "Father Mithras" etymology. Aleister Crowley - Passages on Baphomet
The above link provides a connection between sexuality and Baphomet.
As mentioned in the history of Baphomet, Aleister Crowley mentions that Baphomet is the divine androgyne and "the heiroglyph of arcane perfection." Baphomet is claimed also to be in relation to trantric magic, Aleister Crowley goes into detail of how Baphomet further represented the spiritual nature of spermatozoa and is symbolic of a "magical child" produced as a result of sex magic. Baphomet, to Crowley, represents the Union of Opposites and is also believed to be derived from "Father Mithras" etymology. Aleister Crowley - Passages on Baphomet
Baphomet or the Greek God Pan
This source talks about the
Baphomet
Cult. Discussing how not only was Baphomet a fertility
god, but can be seen throughout societies and history
portrayed similarly with horns or of being goat like and
sexually driven. Baphomet is held in correlation with a god
from Greek mythology, Pan. Pan
is said to be half man, half goat and is associated with the
woods, music, mischief and sexuality. It is said that the
etymology behind "pansexuality" was derived from the Greek
word Pan, meaning "all." To love all.
Pan teaching his eromenos, the shepherd Daphnis, to play the panpipes 2nd century AD
Roman copy of Greek original ca. 100 BC attributed to Heliodorus (found in Pompeii)
Baphomet's Musical Influences
Watain is Swedish Black Metal Band who are
self-announced Satanist. They call upon their god with love
and devotion. In their song From
the Pulpits of Abomination they call forth for the
horns of Baphomet.
This songn perhaps illudes to Baphomet like figure due to the declaration of their cause is in the name of the horns, and later mentions Jesus impaled on goathorns. Is their Satanic figure dipicted as Baphomet? This is also to be said that they used the inverted pentagram that was adapted by LaVey within their bands own sigil.
"The horns of the Baphomet
in the wounds of Jesus thrice.
An alligeance of flesh and steel, unto which titan altar we all kneel.
Hark! The reversed words of Yahwe from the pulpits of abomination!"
Watain also has a song On
Horns Impaled:An alligeance of flesh and steel, unto which titan altar we all kneel.
Hark! The reversed words of Yahwe from the pulpits of abomination!"
Excerpt 1 - On Horns
Impaled
"Bow for me, inferior
I demand you in the name of the horns
For I am the one
To bring the demise of the bearer of thorns"
Excerpt 2 - On Horns Impaled
"Inferior lord of heaven
Your might shall fade
Jesus has wept
On goathorns impaled."
I demand you in the name of the horns
For I am the one
To bring the demise of the bearer of thorns"
Excerpt 2 - On Horns Impaled
"Inferior lord of heaven
Your might shall fade
Jesus has wept
On goathorns impaled."
This songn perhaps illudes to Baphomet like figure due to the declaration of their cause is in the name of the horns, and later mentions Jesus impaled on goathorns. Is their Satanic figure dipicted as Baphomet? This is also to be said that they used the inverted pentagram that was adapted by LaVey within their bands own sigil.
Jimmy Page and Led Zeppelin are said to be
greatly influenced by the occult. Jimmy Page had a specific
interest in Aleister Crowley who was greatly engaged with
Baphomet, the Beast, and the Greek God Pan. Led
Zeppelin, Aleister Crowley, Greek God Pan. A lot of
their work can be said to be grealty influenced by Aleister
Crowley or Pan. For instance the song Stairway
to Heaven has hints towards the Piper (Pan is
association to the pan pipe,
and the Piper.) In this song it's also mentions the woods
filling with laughter, perhaps that's another hint towards
Pan, for he was known for association over the woods and
mischief.
"And it's whispered that
soon if we all call the tune
Then the piper will lead us to reason
And a new day will dawn for those who stand long
And the forests will echo with laughter"
Excerpt from Stairway to Heaven
Then the piper will lead us to reason
And a new day will dawn for those who stand long
And the forests will echo with laughter"
Excerpt from Stairway to Heaven
Etymology of Baphomet
Videos:
More Sources:
Thelemapedia : Baphomet
Monstropedia: Baphomet
LuckyMojo : Baphomet
Baphomet Worship & Connections in Pop Culture
