A History of the Baphomet

The origin of the name Baphomet is not clear. It appears to be a combination of two Greek words baphe and metis meaning “absorption of knowledge.” Other authors claim it is a corruption of “Mohamet” (Mohammed), but the first definition seems to be more accurate. Baphomet has its origins in the “Goat of Mendes.” Baphomet was also one of the aliases of Aleister Crowley. Baphomet has also been called the "Goat of Mendes" and the "Black Goat."

The goat also has to do with fertility and is symbolic of the Magnum Opus of alchemy when one's energies from kundalini increase. Spiritual alchemy is of Ancient Egypt and is the transformation of the human soul into the godhead. This is completing our Creator God Satan's work.

The most famous historical account of Baphomet began with the Knights Templar. The Baphomet at the time of the Templars was believed to be an idol, represented by a human skull, a stuffed human head or a metal or wooden head with curly black hair, or sometimes a black cat. The idol was said to be worshipped by the Knights Templar in their latter days as the source of fertility and wealth. The Knights Templars also known as the “poor knights of christ” was founded in the year 1118 by Hugh de Payens of Champagne France.

The order began with nine or eleven men who were sent to the Holy Land to dig beneath the "Temple of Solomon" for several European families of wealth who had claim to certain artifacts buried there before it was destroyed in 70 CE. The order took on the oath of asceticism, celibacy, devotion to the Catholic Church and poverty. They were forbidden ownership of any personal property. Any wealth accrued by the order was to be shared in common. When excavating beneath the temple, the knights discovered gold and ancient relics, and also many scrolls.

Shortly thereafter, magnificent cathedrals and other buildings sprung up all over Europe. Most of the Goetic/Gothic Demons are known for their expertise in architecture and there are legends claiming many bridges and buildings in Europe were built by Satan and his Demons.²

The true meaning of the "Temple of Solomon" is the TEMPLE OF THE SUN. "Sol" "Om" and "On" are all words for the Sun. "Sol" is the Latin word for the Sun and is close to the English word "soul." "Om" is a name given by the Hindus to the Spiritual Sun and "On" is an Egyptian word for Sun. The symbolism of the Temple of Solomon was stolen and made into an actual character, as with the fictitous nazarene and nearly everything in the Judeo/Christian Bible. For more information:
The Removal and Desecration of the Original Gentile Religious Texts- Ancient Gentile Religious Texts: Replaced With Meaningless Rabbinical Drivel and Jewish Literary Filth

The Templars were eventually appointed to protect the Holy Land and keep it from the Moslems during the wars of the Crusades. The order grew into the thousands and groups were organized throughout Europe, but France remained their stronghold.


Their seal depicts two men riding one horse because in the early history of the order, the knights could not afford a horse each.
During their journeys to and from the Holy Land in the Middle East, they encountered many different peoples. It is possible, they learned of the Goat of Mendes as the Moslems kept records and had knowledge of the history of Ancient Egypt where the Goat of Mendes originated.


The Templars grew in both size and wealth, reaching their peak in the 14th century. The ending of the wars of the Crusades did not have any impact on the order as they used the opportunity to travel and enter into commerce and money lending. They established a very profitable business relationship with the enemy in times of truce. The order accumulated vast wealth and power. They eventually became the victims of both the greedy Catholic Church that was aware of their forbidden knowledge and King Philip IV of France who was said to be heavily in debt and owed the order a considerable sum.

*From what I have researched, it appears the real reason the Templar order was persecuted by the Catholic Church was for their occult knowledge and power they obtained from excavating beneath the Temple at the Dome of the Rock. This power brought them vast wealth as it is supposed to do for those who have it and the knowledge on how to use it.

Philip IV plotted along with Pope Clement V to destroy the order. October 13th 1307, Philip IV had Grand Master Jacques de Molay and 140 other knights arrested in the Paris Temple. More arrests followed throughout France.

The Templars were subjected to torture en masse. The Catholic Church with its inquisitors, accused them of Devil worship, blasphemy, sodomy, and idolatry. There was secrecy surrounding their meetings and wild rumors spread concerning bizarre initiation rituals that did much to promote public suspicion of the order. Under torture, members of the order admitted to renouncing the nazarene, spitting, trampling and urinating on the crucifix, engaging in intercourse with Demons, indulging in “sexual perversity” and to worshipping the idol of Baphomet. Many of the Templars were burned at the stake and murdered by the inquisition, the most noted being Grand Master Jacques de Molay. After being imprisoned and tortured for seven years, he was burnt alive at the stake.


The Shroud of Turin was of the blood and body fluids of Jacques de Molay as he was laid on a soft feather bed to recover for more torture from the Catholic inquisitors. Upon close examination, it is obvious given the position of the body (the top part is shown below), there is no way this was the Nazarene.


The shroud was also inspected by several diverse scholars who proved beyond any doubt, given the material and constituents, the item was no older than the 12th century. The Catholic Church being the prolific liar that it is, continues to scam people to this day

I would also like to add in revising this article in light of new knowledge, Christianity appears to have manifested with the Inquisition.It is nowhere near as old as the "two thousand years" they claim it to be. History is and has been rewritten with lies, while being destroyed at the same time.

A very blatant example is what is now and has been occurring in Iraq. What we have been indoctrinated to believe in history class is not necessarily the truth. Ancient relics and architecture speak for themselves. In addition, history was written and told by the winners of every war. Remember, there are always two sides to every account. One side is usually the only one that is heard along with permissible opinions only.


Along with the "Shroud of Turin lie (the Nazarene is fictitious and was stolen from an alchemical concept of a working which had its origin in some 18+ PAGAN Gods, such as Odin, who hung from a tree and Set who was crucified on a Furka, Osiris who died and was resurrected, etc.), many PAGAN Gods have been passed off as the Nazarene such as Apollo Images by the hundreds of Pagan Gods are now labeled as the Nazarene. This is no different from the Christianization of Pagan holidays, such as Easter (of Astaroth), the Yule


(which originally had nothing whatsoever to do with the fictitious Nazarene) of which xian fundies are now weeding out the Pagan traditions and replacing them with lies, as they have done with Pagan Temples which were destroyed and had xian churches built directly over them.

Before he was murdered at the stake, Molay cursed both the Pope and the King and predicted the death of both within the year. (Both did die within that time period).


The Baphomet evolved over the centuries. The most widely known representation of the Baphomet is the drawing by 19th century French magician Eliphas Levi called “the Baphomet of Mendes.” Levi combined the images of the Tarot Devil card and the he-goat worshipped in the city of Mendes in Ancient Egypt. It is unclear whether the Ancient Egyptian women had intercourse with the goat during religious rites for fertility, but the Catholic Church claimed this and this is more than likely where the notion that the Devil had intercourse with his witches came from.


The Levi Baphomet is very similar to the Egyptian Akhenaton, which is both male and female (note the male and female features of the body and the serpentine facial features which symbolize the serpent kundalini) portraying the hermaphrodite which is symbolic of merging the male and female aspects of the soul, the ida and the pingala and achieving the godhead. The "monotheism" is another allegory, as the "gods" are in many ancient writings, code-words for the chakras of the soul and when one works to achieve the godhead of the Magnum Opus, all of the chakras are transformed and united into gold. Yoga is a branch of alchemy and the word "Yoga" means "union." This is the unification of the soul.

Levi’s famous drawing of Baphomet depicts a male/female image representing the dualistic nature of life. Female breasts and the phallus, one arm masculine, the other feminine, one arm pointing up and the other pointing down representing the Hermetic principle of “as above, so below.”




The image continued to evolve over the years. Anton LaVey spotted an illustration in the book “A Pictorial History of Magic and the Supernatural” by Maurice Bessy © 1961, English edition © 1964. This was the first known published work where the goat headed pentagram was surrounded by two circles and included the Hebrew letters reading “Leviathan.” The names “Samael” and “Lilith” were also included in this depiction. "Leviathan" also known as "Cthulu" is a name for the kundalini serpent



Anton LaVey eliminated the Samael and Lilith and decided this particular symbol best represented the Church of Satan and made it the Church’s logo in 1967. Because of the Hebrew lettering and the circles which are highly offensive to Satan and his Demons, JoS Ministries has removed them and replaced them with cuneiform script reading “Satan.”

The sign of Capricorn, symbolized by the goat represents the new winter sun being reborn again as the days get longer. The goat is one of Satan’s sacred animals. In the fifth century BCE, Herodotus reported that the people of Mendes in the Nile delta venerated all goats, particularly male ones. For the Greeks and Romans, the goat represented virility. Goats are fertile and known to be lusty. The city of Mendes reached its cultural peak when the Ram-God was worshipped, whom the Greeks later equated with Pan. Pan was known as a "satyr." Satyrs had the horns, legs, hooves, and beards of goats. Pan’s symbol was the phallus and he was invoked for the fertility of the flocks or an abundant hunt. He tended flocks and danced through the woods, playing his panpipes, which he invented. As the lusty leader of Satyrs, he chased the Nymphs.

The goat (sometimes a ram was used) was the master of fertility and was celebrated as “copulator in Anep and inseminator in the district of Mendes,” where women were blessed with children. During rituals, women danced naked before the image. The Order of Nine Angles claims another perspective to Baphomet. 7,000 years ago a civilization known as Albion had various rites associated with a Dark Goddess who was known as “Baphomet.”

The Star Sapphire Ritual

The Ritual

Let the Adept be armed with his Magick Rood (and provided with his mystic rose).

In the centre, let him give the L.V.X. signs; or if he know them, if he will and dare do them, and can keep silent about them, the signs of N.O.X. being the signs of Puer, Vir, Puella, Mulier. Omit the sign. I.R.

Then let him advance to the East and make the Holy Hexagram, saying: 

"Pater et Mater unus deus Ararita." 

Let him go round to the South, make the Holy Hexagram and say: 

"Mater et Filius unus deus Ararita." 

Let him go round to the North, make the Holy Hexagram and then say: 

"Filia et Pater unus deus Ararita." 

Let him then return to the Centre, and so to The Centre of All (making the Rosy Cross as he may know how) saying: 

"Ararita Ararita Ararita" 

(In this the Signs shall be those of Set Triumphant and of Baphomet. Also shall Set appear in the Circle. Let him drink of the Sacrament and let him communicate the same.) Then let him say: Omnia in Duos: Duo in Unum: Unus in Nihil: Haec nec Quatuor nec Omnia nec Duo nec Unus nec Nihil Sunt. Gloria Patri et Matri et Filio et Filiae et Spiritui Sancto externo et Spiritui Sancto interno ut erat est erit in saecula Saeculorum sex in uno per nomen Septem in uno Ararita.

Let him then repeat the signs of L.V.X. but not the signs of N.O.X.: for it is not he that shall arise in the Sign of Isis Rejoicing.
What?

This ritual is "related to" Lesser Hexagram Ritual (LHR), similarly to The Star Ruby being "related to" Lesser Banishing Ritual of the Pentagram (LBRP). Before you start learning this ritual, it would be for the better if you were familiar with the three other rituals beforehand.

Let the Adept be armed with his Magick Rood

Rood is the mage's staff, lance. From a traditional point of view, "rood" isn't just another staff, but a longish staff with a shortish crossbar. Rood is also a phallic symbol, or when it comes to a male Mage, his penis, lingam. Rood is the active participant, the tool with which the mage is "armed" with.

(and provided with his mystic rose).

Of Mage's tools, the Mystic rose is the cup, the chalice. It is a feminine symbol, the yoni. Literally speaking, it is the vagina of the female Mage. In this ritual the mystic Rose is passive factor and a tool with which the mage is "provided with".

The Rosy Cross demands both tools (or "tools") to be present.

In the centre, let him give the L.V.X. signs

The sings of L.V.X. are the signs mentioned in LHR, points III-VI.

or if he know them, if he will and dare do them, and can keep silent about them, the signs of N.O.X.

This refers to choosing the sings according to the Mage's skills and knowledge. Keeping silent tells the mage to be silent and not say out loud the names of the signs, if he chooses to do the signs of N.O.X. With the signs of L.V.X., the names are spoken.

Skills and knowledge are advised to be taken into account, as different signs refer to different manners in which to connect the ritual with the Kabalistic tree of life. The signs of L.V.X. are connected with the Tiphareth and the signs of N.O.X. from Geburah to Binah.

being the signs of Puer, Vir, Puella, Mulier. Omit the sign. I.R.

The signs of N.O.X:

(N) Puer (Boy): Stand with feet together, head erect, right arm in a square (upper arm straight out from the shoulder, forearm straight up) and right thumb between its index and medius (called in Italy "mano in fico"), left fist at groin with thumb extended and pointing forward (attitude of the Gods Khem, Mentu, et al).

(O) Vir (Man): Stand with feet together, fists with thumbs thrust out forward held to the temples, the head bowed and pushed out, as if to symbolize the butting of an horned beast (attitude of Pan, Bacchus, etc.).

Puella (Girl): Stand with feet together, head bowed, left hand shielding the groin, right hand shielding the breast (attitude of the Venus de Medici).

(X) Mulier (Woman): Stand with feet wide apart, head thrown back, arms raised so as to suggest a crescent (attitude of Baphmet, Isis in Welcome, the microcosm of Vitruvius).

The fifth sign, Isis Rejoicing (I.R.) is not given.

Then let him advance to the East and make the Holy Hexagram

Interpretation on what actually is the Holy Hexagram used in the Star Sapphire varies. Often used variation is based on Alester Crowley's Book of Lies, chapter 69 "The way to succeed - and the way to suck eggs!" and the comments of that chapter. The chapter begins with "This is the Holy Hexagram" and describes, how "The Red Triangle is the descending tongue of grance, the Blue Triangle is the ascending tongue of prayer. This Interchange, the Double Gift of Tongues, the Word of Double Power -ABRAHADABRA!- is the sign of the GREAT WORK, for the GREAT WORK is accomplished in silence."

The commentary to this chapter explains, how the number refers to Levi's (Eliphas) drawing of a hexagram and the criticism of, or improvement upon, it. "In the ordinary Hexagram, the Hexagram of nature, the red triangle is upwards, like fire, and the blue triangle downwards, like water. In the magical hexagram this is reversed: the descending red triangle is that of Horus, [..] It is the flame descending upon the altar, and licking up the burnt offering.) The blue triangle represents the aspiration, since blue is the colour of devotion, and the triangle, kinetically considered, is the symbol of directed force." The explanation continues: "In paragraph 5 the symbolism of tongues is further developed. Abrahadabra is our primal example of an interlocked word."

In the context of the Star Sapphire, the hexagrams used in LRH (Lesser Ritual of the Hexagram) are often recommended. However, of those hexagrams, only one (the hexagram of earth) fits the description of two interlocking triangles pointing in two different directions. Levi's hexagram is indeed the hexagram of earth.

(east) saying: "Pater et Mater unus deus Ararita."
"Father and Mother (are) one god ARARITA"

(south) say: "Mater et Filius unus deus Ararita."
"Mother and Son (are) one god ARARITA"

(west) say: "Filia et Pater unus deus Ararita."
"Son and Daughter (are) one god ARARITA"

(north) "Filia et Pater unus deus Ararita."
"Daughter and Father (are) one god ARARITA"

In the speeches of the four quarters, the Father, the Mother, the Son and the Daughter are interpreted to point to the formula of the tetragrammaton (Yod, Hé, Vau, Hé).

In the east, the hexagram is formed by Yod and Hé. Yod is the primal force of creation, the father who created himself. When he is combined with Hé, there will be formed the union of Father (Abba, Chokmah) and his equal Mother (Aima, bright fertile Mother, Binah). The Mother is the reflection of Nuit, as the Father is the reflection of Hadit. This is the first stage of creative process. Yod represents the fast and violent force of creation, which is followed by calmer but even stronger flux of will.

In the south, the hexagram is formed by Hé and Vau. The union of the earlier hexagram creates a Son, Vau - heir, redeemer, sun. The Son is the reflection of Ra-Hoor-Khuit, the descendant of Nuit and Hadit, who takes his father's place. The creative force gains a form. In the tree of life, this covers the sephirots from Chesed to Yesod (Chesed, Geburah, Tiphereth, Netzach, Hod, Yesod).

In the west, the hexagram is formed by Vau and Hé (Hé final). Hé is both the twin sister and daughter of Vau. The duty of the Son is to redeem the Daughter by making her his bride. In this, the Daughter takes the Mother's place at the throne. The form is manifested and tensions released. The Daughter can also be seen as the Joy of Endlessness. With the arrival of Daughter, we have reached the final, tenth sephiroth - Malkuth.

In the end, there is the hexagram of the north, Hé and Yod, which returns the tetragrammaton to its beginning. Having taken the throne of the Mother, the Daughter Nukba de-Zauir (Malkath - "queen" and Kalah - "bride"), enlivens her father and returns both the tetragrammaton and the tree of life to their beginnings. This creates a cycle instead of linearity.

Ararita is and acronym of a Hebrew phrase - "One is His Beginning: One is His Individuality: His Permutation is One." In the hexagram rituals it reinforces, that deity is, in the end, uniform in nature.

Let him then return to the Centre, and so to The Centre of All (making the Rosy Cross as he may know how)

In Magick in Theory and Practice Crowley talks about "Formula of the Rosy Cross" in a chapter dealing with blood sacrifices and similar. In this chapter Crowley refers to highly guarded secrets of the initiates, hints at the power of the ritual and discusses animal sacrifice. However, at the end you can find a note: "You are also likely to get into trouble over this chapter unless you truly comprehend its meaning." In the reference, there is a reminder how Adepts are quite likely talking about something completely different, when they appear very straight forward…

By looking at the beginning of the ritual, you may get a hint on what Rosy Cross refers to in this context. Rose: feminine symbol, the vagina. Cross: rood, staff, masculine symbol, penis. That is, you can interpret the Rosy Cross as being sex magick.

You can also interpret the instructions in the ritual as referring to drawing a symbol. This symbol can be the Rosy Cross use by Golden Dawn - a cross inside a circle (like a 'sunwheel'), or the unicursal hexagram with the five-pedal rose in the middle.

saying: "Ararita Ararita Ararita"

Three "Araritas" make the final number of them seven.

(In this the Signs shall be those of Set Triumphant and of Baphomet. Also shall Set appear in the Circle. Let him drink of the Sacrament and let him communicate the same.)

Set Triumphant: The feet are together, the left arm is curved as if it supported a child; the thumb and index finger of the right hand pinch the nipple of the left breast as if offering it to that child. Baphome: see Mulier above.

You can interpret the appearance of Set in the circle as his appearance through the Mage (and as the mage drinking from the cup as Set), but also as an instruction to interpret the myth of Set and Horus, where Set is said to have claimed having had sex (anally) with Horus. The circle can in this context refer to Horus' eye, which is described in the Egyptian "Book of the Dead" also in the following manner: "My buttocks are the buttocks of the Eye of Horus." Drinking the sacrament, in turn, can be interpreted as sexual pleasure.

Theodor Reuss of O.T.O. interprets the ritual in the terms of a sex magick rite: when the rood is the penis and the rose the vagine, the phrase "Let him drink of the Sacrament" means consuming the juices resulting from the ritual sex straight from the source. The sign of Baphomet fits this interpretation well, enabling mutual drinking for both sexes.

Then let him say: "Omnia in Duos: Duo in Unum: Unus in Nihil: Haec nec Quatuor nec Omnia nec Duo nec Unus nec Nihil Sunt. "

"All in two: two in one: one in nothing; these are not four nor all nor two nor one nor nothing." Everything centres on two, the tools of the ritual, rood and rose, combined in the Rosy Cross. As the ritual progresses to Set Triumphant / Baphomet, this one vanishes into nothingness (Abyss). The rest refers to the hexagrams of the quarters and the tetragrammaton.

"Gloria Patri et Matri et Filio et Filiae et Spiritui Sancto externo et Spiritui Sancto interno ut erat est erit in saecula Saeculorum sex in uno per nomen Septem in uno Ararita. "

"Glory be to the Father and to the Mother and to the Son and Daughter, and to the Holy Spirit without and within, which was, is and shall be, world without end. Six in One through the names of the Seven in One, Ararita." The text celebrates the ritual, the personifications of the tetragrammaton, the blurring of boundaries between inner and outer while the Mage is one with the universe, the hexagram (six in one) and the seven Araritas / in Ararita.

Let him then repeat the signs of L.V.X. but not the signs of N.O.X.: for it is not he that shall arise in the Sign of Isis Rejoicing.

L.V.X., lux, 'light'. N.O.X., nox, 'night'. Even if you had started the ritual with the darkness of the night, it isn't proper to return to it by the end of the working, but to rise into light and continue from that. When it comes to the last sentence, I've seen it explained to mean that Isis Rejoicing is a Magister Templi -grade sign and as such isn't for an Adept to do at the end of this ritual. That is, the signs of N.O.X. aren't told not to be repeated at the end of the ritual because they include Isis Rejoicing - that sign is left out even at the beginning of the ritual, but due to the light/dark aspect.