RITES OF ASTAROTH
Denerah Erzebet
Draco Press
Copyright © 2020 Draco Press
Draco Press
All rights reserved
Cover & Layout: Asenath Mason
Editing: Bill Duvendack
The materials contained here may not be reproduced or published in any form or by any means,
electronic or mechanical, without written permission from the author and/or publisher.
Introduction
​ ne can say that I didn’t choose the demon, but rather it was the demon
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who chose me. This also, had been revealed to me by Astaroth.
​“I have been with you from the beginning. December 9th, 2015.”
​I earnestly and sincerely believe some of us are chosen from birth by a
particular spirit or entity and they attempt to establish a connection with us
through subtle messages, whether it be in dreams or conscious
“coincidences” through our waking life. When I am forced to reflect on
December 9th, 2015 and the magical practices I was undertaking around that
date, I recall that I was invoking almost daily a being who revealed herself to
me in a dream a few years prior: her name is Lilithia. This was before I ever
heard of Lilith or decided to tread the path of black magick, which only
testifies to the power of the subconscious mind to receive impressions from
seemingly external beings. Over time, and with a thorough study of Lilith
herself, I began establishing a connection to this being called Lilithia. I
integrated her as an archetype into ancient Egyptian practices as contained in
the Book of the Dead, notably the ritual of the Gates and Pylons. I believe it
was at this time, under this particular disguise, that Astaroth entered my life.
​Backtrack to the preceding summer—I invoked Venus to grant me a lover
and sexual partner, and within a month a “miraculous” message came to me
from a forum I had almost neglected entirely. This young woman, upon
discovering that we resided in the same town, requested that I teach her about
magical theory and practice, which I all too eagerly accepted to do. Soon
enough, we were involved in a romantic relationship.
​It was shortly after that things began to turn sour. I learned of her very
promiscuous past, involving multiple lovers and almost every sexual fetish
imaginable. It wasn’t long before she committed adultery, unable to control
her sexual urges. It took many months, but I was eventually successful in
“banishing” her from my life entirely.
​However, despite a complete banishing on the material plane, the
relationship would have profound and lasting consequences on the Astral
Plane. I sincerely believe that our relationship opened doors for all sorts of
spirits. I recall an instance where she told me that a demonic entity tried to
possess her in a dream, and I performed a divination to find out the name and
nature of the spirit. As I was shuffling the Major Arcana to obtain a name
from the Hebrew letters associated with each card, three cards slipped from
my hand and fell to the floor. As I picked them up, in this particular order,
and laid them out on the altar, I saw that I had The Fool, Justice, and Death,
which are attributed to the letters Aleph (A), Lamed (L), and Nun (N).
“Alan?” I thought, “But that’s just an ordinary name.” I dismissed the
divination as a complete failure.
​A week before I intended to visit her, I began reading the Sacred Magic
of Abramelin the Mage, and lo and behold, within the list of some 200 spirits
my eyes happened to fall on the name Alan, a servant of Astaroth!
​Based on the fact that Samuel MacGregor Mathers merely lists, in his
translation of the Abramelin grimoire, this spirit as being under Astaroth’s
dominion one might prematurely dismiss this discovery as almost
insignificant. However, within the personal context of my discovery and
through qabalistic verification, dismissing the discovery would be a great
mistake. Using the letters provided in the divination, the number of Alan is
81, a supreme lunar number pertaining to the sephirotic sphere of Yesod or
its qliphothic equivalent: Gamaliel. Yesod/Gamaliel is attributed to the
number 9, and 9 x 9 equals 81! Those acquainted with qabalistic theory can
immediately grasp these connections. To avoid prolonging this digression, I
will only add that the sphere of Yesod is lunar and attributed to the astral
plane, dreams constituting the primary component of astral manifestations.
​Now, knowing that I had truly been in contact with the magical current of
Astaroth herself, I proceeded to banish her apartment with the Lesser
Banishing Ritual of the Pentagram and Hexagram, and sprinkled holy water
around the bedroom.
​It didn’t end there. Every time I would sleep with her in her bed I would
be given unknown magical sigils and seals in my dreams. This would persist
throughout our year-long relationship. Furthermore, I would always be
tormented with strange and sinister dreams, most certainly provided by a dark
and sinister environment. I joked with her many times that her apartment was
“haunted”, but I was truly convinced it was. Alan may have been banished,
but something else, something much stronger, had replaced him.
​Shortly before our breakup I was compelled to perform the Abramelin
retirement, but instead of the prescribed six months I only performed it for a
month and a half before I summoned the Infernal Princes and Sub-Princes
(Astaroth being one of them). At around the same hour I summoned the
demons in the direction of the East, my next-door neighbor was found dead
in his home from suicide. I do not hold myself accountable for this in the
slightest, since the ritual had a lasting negative effect on me as well. Demons
affect everyone since they are with us from birth until death. They are ever
present in the astral fabric surrounding our little world, waiting to be called,
and if they are not called, they will begin acting of their own accord. This is
how I began to realize that it is better to traffic with them directly, so that one
may bring them under one’s command, instead of letting them do as they
please with our lives. Either way, after that ritual I developed an extreme
addiction to smoking which persists to this day. They are slowly trying to kill
me, to accelerate the inevitable so they can take me with them, so they can
claim my soul. To this day I still suffer from frequent astral attacks (mostly
through dreams when conscious psychic barriers are considerably weakened)
and extreme exhaustion where day by day it is becoming increasingly
difficult to wake up from prolonged sleeping.
​[Note: During the period leading up to the publication of this book much
initiatory progress was made through which I succeeded in overcoming these
attacks of astral vampirism. I am pleased to announce that my personal health
has greatly improved as a result.]
​A few months after the Abramelin ritual I evoked Astaroth separately.
The demon appeared to me as a beautiful queen clad in green skirts and
golden battle armor. She revealed to me she is the infernal representation of
Astarte, an ancient goddess of love and lust. I could clearly feel her presence
in the room, and although I didn’t request anything for the next three months
all sorts of forbidden secrets of many famous occult orders just “fell into my
lap”. Armed with this overflow of knowledge, I was well equipped to be one
of the greatest occultists that ever lived. I am forever indebted to Astaroth for
that!
​Drawn in, lured by her vicious and lurid promises, I continued to invoke
her (I can recall at least twenty different occasions). I was obsessed; but I feel
there was no other outcome for me, since the door had been opened two years
prior and could never be closed. I believe it is better to follow the current than
try to oppose it and bring upon oneself unimaginable misfortune, so in an
astral encounter with the Queen of Demons I slit my hand and sealed a
contract in my own blood, pledging my soul to Astaroth in return for fame,
fortune, and infinite knowledge. To this day, I continue to communicate with
her, and ever since that day my life has been exceptional. We are like close
friends—no, more like lovers—and in exchange for a small fee she is now
my go-to demon, whom I can always depend on for anything I desire.
​In this present volume you will find all you need to establish a powerful
and lasting connection to the great demon queen Astaroth. Within its pages,
you will find all the necessary rituals as revealed to me by Astaroth herself, to
connect yourself to her infernal current, to make a pact, and to obtain all that
you desire. Essentially, you will be initiating yourself into her Sacred
Temple, and be consecrated to her service, obtaining all the rewards I listed
above.
​Before even beginning to study the rituals, there are some preliminary
considerations that one ought to keep in mind.
​It is of utmost importance that one writes and maintains a magical diary,
carefully noting the effects of the rituals, the thoughts one has, dreams,
impressions, and feelings, since this will allow one to be self-reflective and
establish a discourse towards illumination.
​Also, it is important that one have a thorough understanding of basic
ceremonial magick theory. Many of the medieval grimoires, particularly the
Goetia, provide ample instructions to accustom oneself to the rudimentary
techniques of ritual performance.
​Finally, one must absolutely understand that there is no such thing as a
“one-off” demonic conjuration. Once the door has been opened, it can never
be truly closed. The moment one conjures a demon and demands something
one is making a deal with them. Therefore, before undertaking to practice
these rituals, one must be ready to make a full, lifetime commitment to
Astaroth, and not stop once the ritual practices have begun. Once setting foot
on the path, there is no turning back.
​We will now begin to examine the rituals themselves.
PART ONE
The Rites of Astaroth
The Blackening of the Soul
​ he first rite is quite simple, since its primary purpose is to welcome and
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draw Astaroth into one’s temple. It is the beginning of what I call the Dark
Devotion. It is the impregnation of one’s aura and soul with the Astaroth
current which is a necessary prerequisite to the practice of the other rituals in
this book.
​The Blackening of the Soul must begin on the night of the Full Moon and
will take place over the following fourteen days leading up to the New Moon.
It may be practiced at any time of the year, so long as it is begun during a
Full Moon.
​One will require a glass or silver chalice filled with water, black food
coloring, an altar covered with a black cloth (a nightstand works just fine, so
long as the cloth covering the altar is black) and a black candle. The sigil or
seal of Astaroth as it appears in the Lemegeton (the Crowley-Mathers
translation from 1904) should be placed in the center of the altar. It should be
drawn in green.
​On the first night prepare everything as follows: the altar is covered with
the black cloth, the sigil is placed in the center with chalice on top, and the
candle stands behind it. Have the chalice filled with fresh water. Place the
food coloring off to the side.
​Enter the temple solemnly, light the candle, and take a few minutes to
relax yourself. Deep and controlled breathing works just fine. Try to clear
your mind of the day’s events, and slowly feel yourself entering the magical
world.
Stand straight, and declare loud and clearly:
“O Astaroth, from your skirt flows the breath of creation. From your
pearly breasts flows the black blood of immortality. From the very heart of
my soul I invoke thee to manifest yourself in this temple and make me a
disciple of your infernal current. Let me taste the sweetness of your kisses,
and blacken my soul day by day so I may be brought closer to your forbidden
covenant.”
​Take the black food coloring and add a few drops to the water in the
chalice, then exclaim:
“Let this water be my soul, which shall blacken day by day in your honor,
O great Astaroth. Day by day, bring me closer to the Infernal Covenant. I do
this in your honor, Queen of the Infernal Abodes.”
​ hen enter controlled and rhythmic breathing, and imagine a black sphere
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surrounding your body from head to toe. As the dark aura spreads and
completely surrounds you, intone “Astaroth” four times.
​Remain a few moments in contemplation of what you have performed,
then extinguish the candle and exit the temple in silence. Make sure to write
the results in your magical diary.
​This exact ritual shall be performed every night until the New Moon. In
addition to this ritual there is another practice that should be performed every
day starting on the Full Moon and extending throughout the entirety of the
Rites of Astaroth. It is the Infernal Adoration, which must be performed 4
times daily: once upon waking, at noon, at sunset, and before retiring to bed.
It should be memorized as follows:
“O Astaroth, I adore thee.
Teach me forbidden knowledge,
And grant me the gifts I ask.
At sunrise, midday and sunset
I call thee from the depths of my heart.
O Astaroth, I adore thee.”
​This concludes the instructions of the First Rite.
The Infernal Coupling
​ his ritual lasts one complete night, from Sunset to Sunrise, taking place
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on the exact night of the New Moon.
​Establish a room set aside for the night-long ceremony. One will need the
same materials as the previous ritual.
​Enter the temple at sunset, light the candle and meditate for a few
moments. Then take the black water from the chalice and sprinkle it in a
circle around the altar. Feel the dark forces of the night gather around you.
After this is done, invoke Astaroth by the following conjuration:
“O Astaroth, I invoke thee and I conjure thee,
Thou who makest the soul blacken to putrefaction,
Thou whose breasts hold the black blood of Immortality,
Thou who teachest the forbidden arts,
Astaroth, I invoke thee.
Come to me in all your splendour and beauty,
Come to me in green flowing skirts, and a seven-pointed crown upon
your head.
Come to me with your silky hair,
And your diamond sharp stare.
O come to me tonight Astaroth,
And make love to me.
Smother me in your kisses,
Dig your claws deep into my flesh,
Drink my essence,
Steal my magical virginity,
O Astaroth, come unto me!”
​ fter the conjuration drink a sip from the black water chalice, then lay
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down naked upon the ground. You may use a pillow to rest your head. Close
your eyes and allow Astaroth to come to you, feel her cold embrace upon
your body, and imagine her on top of you, making love to you as you have
invoked her to do.
​As you feel yourself getting aroused try to masturbate for as long as you
can. At the moment of climax state your wish, which can be anything
including wealth, power, love, fame, etc. During your orgasm, imagine filling
Astaroth with your vital sexual fluids, and allowing her to feed off them to
grow stronger and manifest your desire. It is important to state that you wish
for it to be fulfilled within one week, or else she may tarry and disregard your
request.
​It is important to note here that the gender of the Magician means little
towards the ritual itself. The Magician may be male or female. Obviously,
most women would likely prefer a male demon to work with in this manner,
and thus they are free to use the structure of these rituals—which are
described primarily in masculine terminology, as their author and operator is
male—as a base for their own workings. The demon which calls to you may
not be Astaroth, but the structure provided for communion, devotion, and
ascension here will remain nevertheless. What is crucial is the understanding
that this sexual magick is an alchemical process, one which refines opposites
and brings them into Infernal Union. The active and passive forces come
together, becoming equally exalted as one. For this reason, a gender polarity
between the Magician and the demon is highly recommended regardless of
the Magician’s sexual orientation, for the rite concerns itself much more with
this sacred alchemy of opposites than with the pleasure derived. For same sex
(or homosexual) couples, the polarity can be taken to a mental level, one
partner embodying the “passive” and the other the “active” principle, despite
it not being so physically. This method should be just as effective.
​After the climax, keep Astaroth in the temple and take another drink of
the black water. Alternate between meditation and invoking her with the
above conjuration until sunrise. If you feel inclined, have sexual intercourse
with her as many times as you wish; just do not let her leave the temple until
sunrise.
​At sunrise, finish the remaining black water in the chalice, and then you
may rest for a few hours before undertaking the next rite. It is fine if you see
Astaroth leaving the temple, however it would be unwise to perform any
banishing of the potent forces you have built up together, as they will directly
charge the subsequent work.
The Consecration
​ he purpose of this ritual is to consecrate one’s entire physical and
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spiritual self to Astaroth, represented by the Four Traditional Elemental
Weapons (i.e. The Wand, The Cup, The Dagger, and The Pentacle). As you
probably already know, the Wand represents Will, the Cup represents
Understanding, the Dagger represents Intellect, and the Pentacle is the Body
itself.
​The consecration of each Weapon takes place over seven days, since
there are twenty-eight days in the lunar cycle which provides seven days for
each of the four elemental weapons. The first “weapon” to be consecrated is
the Body, the rest are in ascending order, therefore consisting of the Dagger,
the Cup/Chalice, and lastly the Wand. This is not the traditional order in the
western tradition, however this has been decreed by Astaroth, and I sincerely
confirm that there is a symbolic reason for this particular order: the Body is
the densest and most material of manifestations, followed by the more
tenuous “intellect”. The Chalice and Wand are considered, by Crowley at
least, to consist of highly spiritual elements. Any reader acquainted with
Crowley’s Thelemic philosophy knows that he placed Will (the Wand) as of
primary importance in man’s microcosmic constitution. So, it is highly
probable that this order has been provided by Astaroth since it would imply
consecrating the lowest aspect of self and progressively culminating in the
surrender of our “divine spark” to her service.
​The body consecration takes place on the New Moon, during the day
following the Dark Devotion. The Consecration of the Body is to be
performed in this manner:
​Take olive oil and add some black food coloring to the mixture. Then
anoint one’s forehead, heart center, genitals, and feet with it, then exclaim:
“I consecrate and pledge this Body to thee, O great Astaroth, that it may
be a fitting vessel for your Infernal Greatness.”
​ hen intone the name of the demon four times while imagining a black
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aura surrounding your body. Repeat this once daily for the next six days.
​The rest of the consecrations follow in a similar manner, except that one
replaces the word “Body” with Intellect for the Dagger, Understanding for
the Cup, and Will for the Wand.
Consecration of the Tarot Deck
​ he Tarot is the tool of choice of Astaroth, since the word “TAROT” is
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contained within her very name. In addition, it is written in the Goetia that
one of Astaroth’s powers, besides the teaching of all Sciences and Secrets, is
to reveal events, whether known or concealed, of the past, present and future,
thus making her the perfect demon to invoke for divinatory work.
​This seems to be also confirmed by the Sacred Magic of Abramelin the
Mage, which lists 32 servitors under Astaroth’s dominion. These can be
associated to the 32 paths of the Tree of Life, 10 servitors for each of the 10
Sephiroth and 22 servitors for each of the 22 paths connecting the Sephiroth.
​I am indebted to Astaroth’s assistance in providing me with the complete
list of associations of her servitors with the Tree of Life. It is as follows:
The Sephiroth:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
Kether – KOLOFE
Chokhmah – CAMAL
Binah – GINAR
Chesed – QUARTAS
Geburah – OMBALAT
Tiphareth – BAFAMAL
Netzach – NIMENIX
Hod – BAHAL
Yesod – APORMENOS
Malkuth – ARGILON
The Paths:
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
Aleph – AMAN (The Fool)
Beth – ALAN (The Magician)
Gimel – ARAEX (The Priestess)
Daleth – GONOGIN (The Empress)
Heh – LEPACA (The Star)
16.
17.
18.
19.
20.
21.
22.
23.
24.
25.
26.
27.
28.
29.
30.
31.
32.
Vau – DAREK (The Hierophant)
Zayin – HERG (The Lovers)
Cheth – ILESON (The Chariot)
Teth – ISCHIGAS (Strength)
Yod – ISIAMON (The Hermit)
Kaph – CAMONIX (The Wheel of Fortune)
Lamed – GROMENSIS (Justice)
Mem – RIGIOS (The Hanged Man)
Nun – SHELAGON (Death)
Samekh – TOXAI (Temperance)
Ayin – HIPOLOS (The Devil)
Peh – KATARON (The Tower)
Tzaddi – FAGANI (The Emperor)
Qoph – OKIRI (The Moon)
Resh – RAX (The Sun)
Shin – UGIRPEN (Judgement)
Tau – GOLEN (The World)
I​ t is taught in Western Magick that the 10 Sephiroth and the 22 paths are
associated with the Minor and Major cards in the traditional Tarot deck. The
Sephiroth represent the 10 numbered cards in each suit (Wands, Cups,
Swords, and Pentacles) while the 22 paths are attributed to the 22 cards of the
Major Arcana.
​This Rite consists therefore of consecrating the 10 cards of each suit to
the 10 Servitors associated with each Sephirah, and further consecrating the
22 cards of the Major Arcana to the 22 servitors corresponding to the Hebrew
letter associated with each of the 22 Major Arcana.
​The ritual is quite simple, and requires only the altar covered with a black
cloth, a black candle, incense, and a Tarot Deck of one’s choice (although
Crowley’s Thoth deck is perhaps most effective due to its sexual imagery and
contemporary symbolism).
​Essentially, one invokes Astaroth and then one petitions her to send her
servitors, one by one, as their names are called. When one is ready to
consecrate the corresponding card, one traces their name with the incense
stick as it is spelled here in this book [Note: there are no sigils or seals
accompanying these spirits in the book of Abramelin], while calling their
name and demanding that they consecrate that particular card with their
power of prophecy and insight.
​Once this is done with all the appropriate cards, one should wrap the deck
in black silk and set it aside until it is ready to be used.
​[Note: The only cards not consecrated are the Court Cards, which in a
divination would naturally represent actual individuals involved in the
Question, and are therefore not associated with any spiritual beings
whatsoever.]
Signing the Pact
​ aving pledged one’s entire being to Astaroth, and having made initial
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contact with her, welcoming her into one’s temple and life, one is now ready
to seal a pact with her.
​From my experience, the only way Astaroth makes pacts is on the Astral
Plane, where she lures you in and has you at her mercy. Evoking her into a
triangle where she is at the mercy of the Magician will not do, since she will
neither be helpful nor comply in such case.
​Therefore, one needs to invoke Astaroth by the same Conjuration used in
the Dark Devotion (slightly modified according to the nature and purpose of
the present ritual). Sit comfortably and imagine a door with her sigil on it,
which opens to a hazy atmosphere, and then imagine one’s body walking
through the door. One’s subconscious will dictate images from her realm, and
she will invite you in and lavish you with many gifts, making exceptional
promises of wealth and power, and finally she will present you with a
contract that you must sign in your own blood (not physically, but astrally). It
is crucial that the signing of the pact should occur on the astral plane, without
any sort of physical bloodletting. This allows for modifications to the pact
over the course of one’s lifetime (if the magician so wishes to work with
Astaroth for that long), or for the pact to be annulled by Astaroth if she feels
you have positively exceeded all she can provide. After this has been
performed, she will kiss you, sealing the pact you have just made.
​It is extremely important that on the following day you invoke her once
more and use either automatic writing (where she takes mild possession of
your body and writes through you), or through a spirit board where the terms
of the contract are established and you renew the pledge. This finalizes the
deal.
Conceiving the Egregore
​ his ritual lasts nine months, the exact time an ordinary pregnancy
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endures, and consists of the creation of an egregore with Astaroth herself.
​This egregore or familiar spirit will serve as the direct and permanent
connection between you and the Astaroth current. It is a sort of Astral Chain,
binding you to the demon queen herself.
​It should begin on the New Moon and last nine months following that
day.
​For this ritual, one needs a vessel of some sort to contain one’s sexual
fluids (a glass jar that can be hermetically sealed works just fine) and an extra
black cloth to cover the jar.
​In this ritual, one invokes Astaroth as before, and at the moment of
climax one places one’s sexual fluids within the jar and then immediately
seals it and covers it in black cloth.
​Afterwards one intones the following command:
“I bid thee Astaroth, within your very own dark and blasted womb, to
conceive for me a powerful egregore, a magical child, who will serve as a
permanent messenger between me and you, forever binding me to your
infernal current. Let yourself grow bigger and bigger throughout the nine
months following this unholy conception. At the end of this time you will
give birth to a mighty child who shall seal our covenant in a lasting
manifestation. O Astaroth, let this deed be accomplished!”
​ et the cloth-covered vessel on the altar and do not move it for the entire
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nine-month gestation. Daily, continue to feed it with incense and adore it by
the following:
“O Astaroth, bigger and bigger grows your womb, day by day, until the
time when the ripening of the seed shall produce a child mightier than all the
denizens of the Earth! I feed this child with an offering of incense and my
own adorations. O Astaroth, hear my plea, and continue to grow in my
name.”
Absorption of the Egregore
​At the end of the nine-month gestation one must uncover the jar, open it,
and inhale deeply, absorbing the energy generated within into oneself, feeling
a permanent connection to Astaroth.
​This is indeed the climax of the Astaroth Rites, since now a permanent
connection has been established between you and the Queen of Demons. You
may then ask Astaroth to reveal the name and seal of your new spirit-child,
and also which particular combination of powers it inherited from her. It will
live on the astral as one among her many legions, though one that only you
will have contact with, who is loyal only to you and will seek to assist your
ascent in her Mysteries by any means necessary. Work with it well, for it will
be one of your most potent spirit allies, and a direct intermediary between
yourself and all of Astaroth’s legions, who will recognize it as her progeny.
​After the absorption of the egregore there are no other rites, save
persistent use of the Tarot deck and regular invocations of Astaroth in order
to maintain a connection with her current. However, by this point one should
be sufficiently knowledgeable to devise their own rites, and therefore I shall
let the Magician devise the continuation according to their own ingenium.
​This concludes the Rites of Astaroth.
PART TWO
The Grimoire of Astaroth
The Forty Legion Generals
​ nce the above rites have been duly performed, and once one has
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obtained the respect of the Demon queen herself, then one may evoke any of
Astaroth’s servitors and employ them to assist one in obtaining anything that
is within the office or power of that particular spirit to perform.
​Know that the list of spirits contained in this book are little known,
perhaps never having been revealed in these particular forms at all. It was
Astaroth herself who provided me with their names, seals, and offices.
​These represent the veritable and genuine spirits under Astaroth’s
dominion. While both the Goetia and The Sacred Magic of Abramelin the
Mage provide information on Astaroth’s servants (the Goetia claiming that
there are a total of 40 legions of spirits under her command, which has
actually been confirmed by the demon herself through a communication),
much of this information is ontologically false. Rather, the list of
“Abramelin” spirits under Astaroth’s command provided in the chapter
dealing with the Tarot Deck are meant to be taken symbolically. In other
words, their number represents a convenient manner of establishing a “dark
Qabalah” of sorts, leading to the creation of a complete cosmological formula
for working solely with Astaroth and being able to rely exclusively on her
infernal power to carry out a variety of magical rituals, including but
certainly not limited to evocation, divination, and pathworking on the Tree of
Life. Therefore, they are not “real” in the way humans understand reality.
They are symbols.
​The spirits contained in this section are the “real” spirits ruled by
Astaroth.
​First, there are four Chief Commanders of the totality of Astaroth’s
Legions. Concerning these commanders, Astaroth advised me that: “They are
not to be summoned unless with me, or they will not obey. They do not have
any office as such, for their sole purpose is to gather and command.”
​In addition, these Chief Commanders do not have sigils or seals
representing them. Only their names have been provided, and they are as
follows: SEPATH, GAZTETOZ, ANEALI, and AZTOTAZ.
​I have found a method in which these Commanders may be employed,
and I believe this is legitimate since their purpose is to “gather and
command.” I am convinced they are required in a ritual to bring forth any of
the other spirits in the Hierarchy. This, however, will be revealed later.
​Second to the Chief Commanders are the 40 generals who each rule their
own legion of 600 spirits. Their names, seals, and powers are listed here:
1. Akanef
Akanef is the only spirit whose name is taken from the list contained in
the Book of Abramelin, seeming to confirm at least the legitimate spiritual
existence of this particular spirit. Akanef appears as a naked, disheveled and
dirty middle-aged woman who constantly walks on all fours or hunched,
crawling about like a spider in one’s temple or astral vision. Akanef’s power
is to destroy all establishments and buildings either through fire or by
collapse of infrastructure. Akanef also “slays” humans by ravishing their
minds with babbling madness and insanity. Furthermore, Akanef seems to
carry out her commands silently, for in every encounter with her she would
only return the sign of silence (by placing her index finger to her lips) in
guise of reply. All this was revealed by Astaroth, since Akanef never speaks.
It would seem, based on my encounters with Astaroth on the Astral Plane,
that Akanef is her “personal favorite” since the two seem to be almost always
near each other. I have never demanded anything thus far from her, since her
refusal to provide any sort of verbal reply makes me wonder how powerful or
vicious she could be in dealing her harm to those one sets her against.
2. Akelioza:
Has the power to turn the magician invisible. In dealing with this spirit, it
is important that one specify the exact amount of time (whether in minutes or
hours) that one wishes to remain unseen or else you may be invisible
eternally! It seems that only appeals to the supreme queen Astaroth herself
can override the power of Akelioza. Akelioza also procures the love of
women, but at a price: don’t be surprised if the woman you seek to attract
suddenly becomes filled with intense sexual desires to the point of
nymphomania.
3. Bachtachoth
Grants riches, wealth and honors. He must be invoked on a Sunday, and
one must be polite with him or he will not be helpful. I interpret this warning
as perhaps providing an offering of some sort to Bachtachoth.
4. Zaphir
Zaphir’s power is to grant prophecies and ideas (specified per request)
through dreams. Also, Zaphir can tell one of future events, and if possible,
how to avert them or accelerate their occurrence.
5. Se’la’ieth
This spirit is a great teacher in magick, and upon request can procure any
books he deems fit for the magician to have in order to progress in their own
personal work. It is best if one does not specify any particular titles, since
Se’la’ieth knows best what each particular person needs.
6. Cassiel
Aids one in matters regarding travel. Interestingly, this is the same name
as the archangel of Saturn. I leave it to the reader to explore this connection
in their own workings with him themselves.
7. Panoz
Can make one eloquent in all tongues, and teaches the “universal
language”. I am not sure myself what is meant by this, but I interpret it as the
language of symbols and archetypes used in magical practice.
8. Zopec
Zopec’s power is to make the magician physically strong in combat. His
servants will protect the magician day and night against adversary.
9. Ariston
Ariston is perhaps one of the most important of Astaroth’s servants, for
he is a great initiator. It was also revealed to me that if Astaroth chooses not
to appear she sends Ariston instead as her messenger.
10. Zaphlit
Similar to Zopec, in that he grants great physical strength.
11. Carcaroam
Grants riches, honors, and political power.
12. Kephar
Kephar is a teacher, particularly of the Qabalah, Alchemy, and
Chiromancy. I was told he teaches them “perfectly”.
13. Namezod
Her power is to ease the birth of children and increase fertility in women.
14. Morcariel
Possesses powers quite similar to Zaphir.
15. Akrazom
Akrazom is a great teacher in the fields of necromancy and sexual
magick.
16. Bileta
Procures love between men and women.
17. Vasaloth
Grants initiation in famous occult orders, guaranteeing a meteoric rise
among such places and people. Vasaloth helps secure the proper social
connections and almost “puts the words in one’s mouth” regarding how to
convince the Grand Masters of occult orders to accept and initiate you.
18. Gebinar
Teaches sexual magick perfectly, and acts as a demonic lover taking on a
pleasing form for the man or woman who invokes him or her.
19. Domelazeth
Teaches one how to transform into any being whatsoever.
20. Ceperot
Makes gardens and crops grow perfectly and abundantly, but she
demands an offering from such crops to be burned annually in her honor, or
else she will withdraw her assistance.
21. Sal’ith’azel
She kills, slays, and destroys. Extremely terrible, she is the demon queen
of suicide. She can allow one to speak to those who died by their own hand.
22. Bezemoth
Bezemoth is the demon-general of murderers. He can reveal the nature of
mental disorders and how to cure them.
23. Anugelar
Helps one with artistic or creative projects.
24. Serpazoth
Can cause all sorts of storms to occur within an hour of being summoned.
25. Nezom
Teaches one how to make the Philosopher’s Stone and cures all physical
ailments.
26. Ablatoth
Allows one to speak to deceased souls who are under his dominion. The
resemblance of Ablatoth’s sigil to the glyph of the planet Uranus reveals a
hidden aspect of this spirit. Qabalistically, Uranus is attributed to Daath or
the Abyss, which is often referred to as the “false sephirah”. Based on this
correspondence, I am inclined to believe that Ablatoth is not a spirit of
necromancy in the traditional sense, but rather that the description given to
me concerning “deceased souls who are under his dominion” was a veiled
way of saying that Ablatoth rules over adepts who have failed to cross the
Abyss and have found themselves trapped therein. Enough has been written
about the horrors of the Abyss that to elaborate here would be excessive. I
have not worked with Ablatoth for these reasons. Let this be a caution to the
reader: the descriptions of these spirits were delivered with a hint of
deception! Subtle interpretation is required to unveil the deeper implications
of their function. There is much uncharted territory here!
27. Aldebaroth
Can revive dead matter and bring riches.
28. Reguliel
Can teach astronomy and the nature of stars and celestial bodies.
29. Sematiel
Causes all sorts of wars, revolutions, and uprisings to occur in six months
to a year after being commanded to do so.
30. Cheruzon
Gives one the ability to kill or injure by using magical words (which he
imparts to the magician). However, every use of a word, as Astaroth warned
me, depletes 5 years from one’s own life.
31. Vinimath
Can teach philosophy, rhetoric, and geometry perfectly.
32. Arzac
Can enable one with the “gift of tongues” and teach all poetic arts.
33. Lemaj
Grants riches, disciples and armies in the largest amounts.
34. Ictathoth
Ictathoth is a great initiator in the infernal mysteries.
35. Im’al’aeth
Allows one to know the thoughts of all men and women, and how to
control them, thus bringing them under one’s dominion.
36. Ozepa
Can consecrate talismans and bring them to life. However, these
talismans must be made to serve Astaroth and not transgress the contract one
has established with her.
37. Voz
Grants one the gift of eloquence, especially in legal matters.
38. Necrosa
Can revive the dead, only in body and not in soul, so that one can implant
one’s will upon dead bodies, using them to perform one’s bidding.
39. Abliton
Teaches alchemy, chemistry and liberal sciences, but always demands an
offering which Abliton himself shall determine.
40. Mercaroth
Allows one to transform for various purposes and intents, and also grants
honors and allows one to obtain many helpful friends.
​ hus concludes the list of names, seals, and offices of the 40 Legions of
T
Astaroth. The Method of evoking any one of these legions through their
General will now be presented.
The Infernal Focusing Ritual
​ irst, it must be known and understood that none of these spirits, legions,
F
or commanders will be obedient unless Astaroth is first invoked and
welcomed into one’s temple. This can be done in two ways, which must both
be performed consecutively before proceeding to invoke any one of the
legion generals.
​The first ritual serves to initiate and mark the commencement of the
formal ceremony of evocation. I call it the “Infernal Focusing Ritual” and is
modelled loosely after the Lesser Banishing Ritual of the Pentagram taught
by the original Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn. Rather than banish,
however, its purpose is, as implied by its name, to “focus” the mind of the
magician on the ceremony, and more importantly, to stir up and stimulate
from the depths of hell, the magical current belonging to Astaroth. In a sense,
it is actually a preliminary invocation rather than a banishing. This is used
rather than a banishing ritual because I have come to learn, from my many
workings with goetic spirits and through other magical rituals, that there is no
such thing as “banishing”—that the spirits, being essentially parts of our
deepest subconscious, are present from the beginning of our lives, and are
ever more present before the ceremony even begins, and will linger after the
ceremony ends. Even the banishing I performed to rid my former lover of the
demons who plagued her only served to push those impulses further into her
unconscious; they were never fully eliminated from her field. Like I warned
in the introduction of this book, there is no such thing as a “one-time”
evocation, either: once the door is opened, it cannot be closed again.
Therefore, the magician must choose his or her spirits wisely, for they will
continue to impact life long after he or she has initially contacted them.
​Despite these aspects of magical ritual, there are nonetheless two versions
of the Infernal Focusing Ritual, an opening version which begins any
ceremony devoted to Astaroth, and a closing version to mark the end of any
such ceremony or ritual. They are essentially identical except that the opening
version features a clockwise motion beginning in the East and the closing
version features a counterclockwise motion beginning from the East and
proceeding North, West, South, and finally returning to the East.
It is generally known amongst Qabalistic magicians, that all sorts of
spirits can be classified according to Qabalistic archetypes, whether it be the
4 elements, the 7 ancient planets, or the 10 Sephiroth on the Tree of Life.
​Astaroth has four Chief Commanders under her dominion, who gather
and command the 40 legions and their generals. It is safe to conclude and
surmise that these four Chief Commanders can be associated to the four
elements of Fire, Water, Air, and Earth. Maintaining this order, we can then
declare that SEPATH is attributed to Fire, GAZTETOZ to Water, ANEALI
to Air, and finally AZTOTAZ to Earth. These correspondences were
provided by Astaroth, and she bid me not “to question them,” although I
invite the reader to undertake their own qabalistic analysis if they are so
inclined.
​The original banishing ritual of the Pentagram includes banishing the
unwanted elementals belonging to the 4 Quarters (East=Air, South=Fire,
West=Water, and North=Earth) by invoking the appropriate name of God and
his archangels associated to these elements and quarters.
​In the Infernal Focusing Ritual, this system is maintained except that
instead of the names of God one uses the name Astaroth in the four quarters
when charging the pentagrams and instead of the archangels one would
naturally employ the four Chief Commanders.
​Thus, the Infernal Focusing Ritual is to be performed as follows:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
Facing East, imagine a black sphere above your head, take a
deep breath, and exclaim loudly: ZAZAS ZAZAS NASATANAS
ZAZAS! (This serves to open the gates of hell to welcome Astaroth
into the temple.)
Reach with the index finger of your left hand towards the black
sphere, bring it down and touch your forehead, vibrating IA.
Do the same but touch your feet, imagining a black beam going
down from your forehead to the ground, and vibrate DAIMONOS.
Touch your right shoulder, imagine a beam of darkness
extending horizontally therefrom, and vibrate INFERNUS.
Do the same with your left shoulder, imagining a beam of
darkness, but instead vibrate MALEFICUS.
Breathe deeply and take a moment to visualize the black cross
you have projected from yourself.
Still facing East, imagine a black inverted pentagram on your
8.
9.
10.
11.
forehead. Put your fingers to both sides of your head and fling your
arms forward, vibrating ASTAROTH while imagining the black
pentagram floating before you in the East.
Turn South and do the same.
Turn West and do the same.
Turn North and do the same.
Return to the East. Extend your arms to form a cross with your
upright body. Then say the following, imagining black demons at
each of the quarters as you say:
“Before me, ANEALI.
Behind me, GAZTETOZ.
To my right, SEPATH.
To my left, AZTOTAZ.”
12.
Visualize all that you have projected, and declare the following:
“Before me stands the Commanders of Astaroth,
And within this temple I greet the Demon queen.”
13.
Repeat steps 2-5 to finalize the ritual.
This is to be performed to mark the commencement of any evocation. To
conclude an evocation, after giving the license to depart, one performs this
ritual but instead of going in the direction East, South, West, and North, one
begins in the East but goes North, West, South and finally returns to face the
East.
​After the Infernal Focusing Ritual comes a general invocation of Astaroth
herself, that you may have her sanction and assistance in commanding any of
the legions you wish to evoke.
​The Invocation is as follows:
“O Astaroth, I invoke and conjure thee to manifest thyself in this
temple at my request. By all the infernal chants and demonic names, I grant
thee the power to appear and assist me in the ritual I am about to perform.
Grant me the power and assistance of your four mighty Chief Commanders,
whom I shall name now: SEPATH, GAZTETOZ, ANEALI, and AZTOTAZ
[Note: one should face the cardinal direction corresponding to these
commanders and vibrate their names accordingly]. O great Demon queen
Astaroth, appear now in your most convenient manner and allow me to speak
with one of your legions!”
Evocation
After the conjuration, you may begin to invoke or conjure one of the
Legion Generals by the following:
“I do sincerely invoke and conjure thee, o thou great general (Name), by
the power of your seal and by the power of your terrible queen Astaroth, to
appear in this temple at my request. Thou who art subject to the power and
sway of the four chief commanders, appear now and heed my demands that I
have prepared for thee to accomplish. I now invoke thee by the power and
infernal strength of SEPATH, GAZTETOZ, ANEALI, and AZTOTAZ, and
also by the Supreme Queen ASTAROTH to appear here and now in this
temple in a manner that is helpful and convenient for thee. O great General
(Name), who art under the dominion of Astaroth and her four Chief
Commanders, I ask thee to appear now, and speak to me with a voice clear
and intelligible without any trace of lies or deceit!”
​ he altar used in the evocations of the legions is to be arranged as
T
follows:
​A black cloth, with a red inverted pentagram where at the lowest point is
placed the sigil of the Legion in question, which may be drawn on a piece of
paper. There are four candles at the other four points of the pentagram. In the
very center of the pentagram one may place the seal of Astaroth as featured in
the 1904 translation of the Goetia and, if necessary, an obsidian mirror or
crystal ball if one wishes to scry the Legions.
​This concludes the instructions for the Evocation of the Legions.
PART THREE
Astaroth’s Gnosis
Tarot Divination with Astaroth
​ s was explained in an earlier chapter, the tarot is the divinatory tool of
A
choice of the demon queen Astaroth, since the very word TAROT itself is
contained in her name. However, most techniques for using the tarot are not
compatible with the general philosophy of black magick and the Left-Hand
Path. This is due to the fact that the Left-Hand Path focuses on selfdeification through magical practice. Even in the act of signing a demonic
pact one still does not surrender their individual freedom and godlike status.
In fact, signing a demonic pact only further increases one’s potential for
Godhood, since one is pledging one’s soul in exchange for all the worldly
wealth and power one can imagine, and more. As a result, black magick, as
traditionally defined, is truer to the real aims of magical and spiritual
practices since it does not preach the attainment of wishy-washy abstract
goals but the very things that matter most—i.e. success on the material plane,
the achieving of the very necessary “here and now” goals that are at the very
essence of human existence, which is the supreme existence and is clearly
visible and sensible to obtain.
​In other words, black magick, and the Left-Hand Path philosophy, does
not violate or negate the common-sense conception of man as a “free being”,
possessing free will and the power to shape their own destiny and fate by
conscious volition. However, most tarot divination methods violate this
essential truth. They require one to shuffle the cards in any haphazard
manner, and rely on chance to obtain a series of cards that may or may not
tell them what they want to see or hear.
​It is for this reason that I have developed a new method of cutting and
selecting the cards that is more in tune with the philosophy of the Left-Hand
Path magical tradition. This will be explained shortly. Presently, I wish to
further expound the notion of free will in black magick practices, through two
short essays. The first is called the “Ontology of Spirits”, and the other, “The
Nature of Demonic Pacts”. They are inserted here in this text.
Ontology of Spirits
​From my personal goetic workings it is possible to draw several
conclusions regarding the nature of spirits in relation to man’s spiritual
nature. These will be distilled and examined in the following section.
​The first and foremost realization or conclusion is that the spirits of the
Goetia (or any other grimoire for that matter) represent very ancient and
arcane archetypes of the often repressed collective subconscious. This
subconscious force of the mind is the fabric, indeed the “astral plane” which
forms the backbone of human thought. This is evidenced by the fact that the
names revealed to me during various rituals involving automatic writing bore
very striking resemblances to those of actual spirits listed in the medieval
grimoires, thus cementing the fact that men of all ages have always been
drawing from the same subconscious well of archetypes and ideas, taking
slight permutations in accord with the unique physical and psychological
constitution of the individual.
​From this premise the following realization naturally arises: That the
human mind is everything. All supernatural beings, representing distinct
psychological states of mind and behavior, are the product of mankind’s
creative Will. There is nothing, not even the farthest reaches of the universe
itself, outside of the human mind. This would provide an explanation for the
so-called “existence” of ghosts and spirits when they are called forth in
operations of ceremonial evocation and necromancy. What is occurring is
that, through the heightened ecstasy of ritual magick, the magician is bringing
forth the powers of his subconscious into conscious existence (i.e. by the
mighty words of power, the conjurations where the spirit is given a name and
purpose and attributes, the magician is bringing forth into the world a certain
idea or thought-form and giving it life, this life then often takes on a life of its
own and then returns to the collective subconscious in a much stronger form
only to have the potential to be called upon by another magician at a later
time). Ghosts are merely “memories” or “impressions” of the deceased
maintained by the living human upon the astral plane. Man is capable, by
remembering the deceased, to summon them to visible appearance by
unlocking the doors to the subconscious mind. This would therefore imply, as
one of the goetic spirits in the previous chapters explained, that if the human
mind is everything, then there is indeed no “afterlife” (i.e. a separate spiritual
world distinct from earthly mortal existence). What is actually called “the
afterlife” is merely the collective subconscious itself, having taken a life of its
own, and operating in a slight and subtle manner upon the physical or
material plane. “Heaven” and “Hell” may therefore simply be called
“Memory”.
​Furthermore, it was revealed to me that life-as-we-know-it never truly
ends, because we “die daily” (i.e. every passing moment represents the
“death” of the past moment or state-of-being and the bringing forth of the
following moment), therefore we are constantly experiencing “death”. This
would bring one to become convinced that there is indeed a place where we
go when our physical body ceases to function, since if we are constantly
experiencing death at every passing moment then the “Big Death” is just
another one of those passing “death moments” necessary in order to bring
forth a new state-of-being.
​In addition, I was told there is no heaven or hell, and this makes sense to
me since I do not see any sort of Manichean distinction between God and
Devil, Angel and Demon, etc., since they are all One. The only state-of-being
after the spirit leaves the physical body is Memory or the astral plane.
​The final conclusion I would like to draw from my interactions with the
goetic spirits is the following: what happens when we die? Answer: If one is
an adept of the magical arts, and if one has attained the higher grades
consisting of the Supernal Triad, then one essentially becomes a
spirit/angel/demon, that another man still in physical incarnation can conjure
and interact with as a “memory-substance.” This would imply that the current
“spirits” we are interacting with may possibly be “past humans” or
“memories of the deceased” which would make every act of magical
conjuration essentially an act of necromancy. Non-initiates may still become
spirits, but to what degree their personal characteristics are preserved I have
yet to examine in closer detail.
​This concludes my brief analysis of the revelations provided me by the
spirits. I hope it brings illumination to those who are capable of using this
knowledge for the betterment of mankind.
The Nature of Demonic Pacts
I​ f the reader has properly absorbed and assimilated the conclusions set
forth in the previous section, then the nature of “demonic” pacts becomes
quite clear and, above all, justified.
​The purpose and objective of a spiritual pact is to secure one’s destiny
both in the physical world and in the “afterlife”. In the act of selling one’s
soul for material and temporal benefits, one is not only guaranteeing what
one will become in the material world but also “where” one will go when
their soul leaves their physical body by identifying themselves as the spirit
with whom the pact was made.
​The key to a successful spirit pact is identification with the spirit in
question. Once one has established a firm and secure relationship with the
spirit through repeated communication the magician may then begin to
associate himself with the subtler attributes of that spirit, and in the process
of association essentially becomes that spirit.
​In other words, it is the outpouring of all one’s energy and spirit into a
ready-made vessel (i.e. an archetype) and assuming identity of that vessel.
​I believe this serves to clarify and justify the act of making a “Deal with
the Devil”, so to speak. For those who are still tottering on the fence of
whether spirit pacts are magically ethical or not, I will conclude with a
thought-provoking statement:
​If there is no God and Devil, no Heaven or Hell, and if the place we go
when we forsake our physical bodies is merely a “sea of memory” in constant
flux (alterable by whether people choose to forget you or not), then wouldn’t
it be better to “make a deal” and know exactly what you’ll become and where
you will go when you die, or persist with the constant fear and anxiety of an
uncertain fate…
​With these preliminaries established we may now take a closer look at the
tarot method to be used with Astaroth and her servitors.
​Essentially, one performs the Infernal Focusing Ritual to open the
ceremony, and after invoking Astaroth and demanding her answer your
question through the medium of the tarot, one proceeds to shuffle the cards
and then split the deck into four packs, representative of the four elements
and the four Chief Commanders. [Note: The packs are selected from right to
left, so that the first deck to the right represents Air, the second moving
towards the left, Fire, the third, Water, and the last on the left, Earth.]
​Then one proceeds to take each pack, and select the topmost and
bottommost card from each. Once the two cards have been selected, interpret
the “story” or message they tell as a unit. The reason two cards are selected is
because demons always traditionally represent Chaos, Disorder, and anything
opposite to “Divine Unity”. Just as the pinnacle of the Qabalistic Tree of Life
is Kether, the fullness and Unity of the Divine, so is its Qliphothic
counterpart Thaumiel; the “Twins of God”, the chaotic anti-impulse. This,
while not necessarily espoused by the practitioners of the Left-Hand Path, is
employed merely for the sake of convenience, since two cards may more
accurately provide insight into the question posed, and offer further detail
than if only one card were employed. In addition, the reason the cards are
consciously selected as opposed to relying exclusively on chance is to
represent the element of free will in magical practice, and compensates for
the haphazard shuffling performed earlier in the working.
​Note that in this form of divination the cards are read upright only. To
determine whether they are well or ill dignified or oppose each other is
determined by the interaction of the pairing itself. For instance, if one draws a
card from the suit of Wands (associated with the element of Fire), and a
second from the suit of Cups (associated with the element of Water),
common sense dictates that Fire and Water are opposites, therefore one
would interpret this pair of cards superficially as designating conflict and
strife, then proceeding to examine the particular interpretation of the specific
cards themselves. Let us illustrate with an example: If one were to draw the 5
of Wands, which traditionally bears the title “Strife”, and the 2 of Cups,
which bears the title “Love”, then one would interpret first that the cards are
ill-dignified, and then proceed to interpret that there is conflict in terms of
romantic relationships or friendships.
​One proceeds to read the pairs of cards drawn from each pack, starting
with the one from the far-right pack towards the far-left pack. Each pair of
cards offers insight into the general divination, and may be classed as
follows: the first pair establishes the nature of the question itself, in other
words, the “current situation” as things stand here and now. The second and
third pair are suggestions of action to be taken to manifest one’s desires or
desired outcome. Finally, the fourth pair is a prediction of the final outcome
if the instructions given by Astaroth are duly carried out.
​Thus concludes a brief exposition of the Astaroth method of divination
via tarot.
Pathworkings with the Symbolic Spirits
Introduction
​ s was established in the first part of this volume, the 32 servitors of
A
Astaroth as listed in The Sacred Magic of Abramelin the Mage are symbolic
rather than “real”, and can easily be attributed to the 10 Sephiroth and 22
paths on the Qabalistic Tree of Life, which are in turn each attributed to
certain cards in the traditional tarot deck.
​In the next section of this book I have decided to undertake pathworkings
with the 10 spirits representing the 10 Sephiroth or spheres on the Tree of
Life, in order to determine if there is any possible way of obtaining a sort of
divine illumination or “gnosis” pertaining to and flowing specifically from
Astaroth herself and her infernal magical current.
​Let it be known that such a gnosis indeed exists and is possible, via astral
travel, to obtain. What follows is a careful documentation of my visions with
such spirit spheres, and additional commentary where this has been deemed
necessary to provide.
1. Pathworkings with Argilon (Malkuth)
​ fter invoking Argilon through the Enochian rendition of the Conjuration
A
found in the 1904 translation of the Goetia, I immediately enter a comfortable
yet braced position, called “Asana” in traditional Yoga, and close my eyes,
awaiting the vision.
​First, I am presented with a circular chamber, with stone walls and
torches illuminating a dark dungeon room. I am standing in the center, and all
around me are ten doors spaced in a circular manner. I see this as
representing the 10 Sephiroth themselves, and their manner of arrangement
betrays the very nature of Astaroth’s gnosis: rather than being vertical (i.e.
the different spheres which are representative of different levels of
attainment, are traditionally viewed as being gradual “ascensions” in divine
gnosis) are displayed in a circular, horizontal manner. Before I can even
formulate my own interpretation and analysis of the implications of this
presentation of the Sephiroth, a choir of female voices comes from the very
room itself, and says: “All in one and one in naught, come and see the
wisdom we have brought.”
​And immediately one of the doors opens, which has the name “Argilon”
written on it.
​Before I proceed with the vision it would be pertinent to explain the very
important implications that this arrangement of the Sephiroth, represented by
the ten doors in the dungeon room holds. First, as I briefly explained above,
the Sephiroth, and the whole Tree of Life in general for that matter, are
traditionally seen as a vertical ascension. In other words, one through
meditation, magical workings, and a prescribed curriculum gradually
“ascends” the Tree of Life as one’s understanding grows. Essentially, one
ascends towards complete divine understanding. With Astaroth’s gnosis, all
the spheres on the Tree of Life, from the highest to the lowest, are displayed
on an equal level, horizontal rather than vertical, and in a circular room,
implying the very essence of Left-Hand Path philosophy that Man is his own
God and is, through an intermediary of free will, in charge of his own
destiny. One can enter through any door, whether it be the highest level of
attainment or the lowest, at any time and in any which way. This is the power
of the mind, and of the Will, which allows man to be his own god and fashion
his destiny as he sees fit. He can access all knowledge at any time, whenever
he feels, however he feels. This is the supreme and unique characteristic of
Astaroth’s gnosis. I’m sure it could apply to other demonic entities, however
I have not sufficiently explored them in order to ascertain such a conclusion.
​After I see the door with Argilon’s name, it opens and I walk in
surrounded by a thick grey mist. Suddenly my whole body turns to cracked
clay, except for my beating heart. Two female demons surround me, and
begin sucking the blood from my heart. That also turns to clay, and I
spiritually “die”. My clay body crumbles into a pile, and I am swept up and
placed in an urn to be carried towards another room by the two demons.
​Suddenly, my remains are poured out into a pool of clear water and I am
reborn, naked, fleshly, with two female breasts replacing my hands.
​“It is time to awaken the kings,” one of the demons tells me.
​I am taken to a chamber where on stone tables the bodies of two sleeping
kings lie, which via suggestion are explained to me to be two Kings of Edom
[Note: In the traditional Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn the Kings of
Edom were representative of Chaotic and Unbalanced Force before the Tree
of Life and the Sephiroth were established in order to bring Order and
Harmony to the World. Therefore, the fact that it would seem to be the
purpose of certain demons, Astaroth included, to awaken the Kings of Edom,
entails a “grander scheme” of plunging the world back into a sort of chaos
and disorder.]
​As if driven by impulse, I stand in the space between the two tables
holding the sleeping kings, and I extend my arms, ending in breasts, towards
the mouth of each king and they drink the elixir that flows therefrom. They
are brought to life, and I am told by another female voice that this vision has
reached its course, and that I must pass through another door at another time
if I wish to learn more.
2. Pathworkings with Apormenos (Yesod)
I​ mmediately after the conjuration I am brought to the same circular
dungeon room with the ten doors. Another chorus of female voices tells me:
We are the desires of the flesh, we are the lusts of men. We are the chaotic
visions of human perversions and yearnings. Thus is our abode but a mirror
for what you wish to see, and nothing more.
​I proceed towards the door marked with the name Apormenos, and as it
opens I am greeted with a narrow hallway marked by a black and white
checkered path along the sides of which are white crosses planted in the
ground, much like a graveyard. The moment I step upon the checkered path
the floor turns dark purple. I interpret this as the path of Tau connecting the
spheres of Malkuth and Yesod on the Tree of Life.
​As I walk along the narrow pathway the white crosses turn to the darkest
shade of black I have ever seen, and from the ground in front of them rise
human skeletons bearing scythes. Some of them attempt to block my way, I
quickly brush their non-threatening scythes aside, which get pushed out of
my path like straws. Some of the skeletons crumble and fall, while others
continue to stand their guard. These are the souls of the dead who are under
the dominion of Astaroth. Their purpose is to guard the path of the gnosis to
keep out any unworthy traveller. I assume these unworthy travellers would be
those who have not signed a pact with the demon queen herself, since they
showed very little resistance to my passing along the narrow way.
​As I near the end of the path I see Astaroth clad in green skirts and golden
battle armor sitting on a golden throne. A small boy with black hair, very
clean and handsome, emerges from behind the throne and asserts his identity
as Apormenos.
​While Astaroth remains silent, Apormenos gestures me to follow him,
and he leads me by the left-hand side of the throne towards the back of it. No
matter if one approaches by the right-hand side or the left-hand side, there is
but only one black door behind the throne in the center of the two paths. I
interpret this as indicating that whether one follows the Right-Hand Path or
the Left-Hand Path, both lead to the very same magical or spiritual goal. This
was succinctly expressed in my initial axioms presented in the beginning of
this volume; that there is but only one Lodge, one universal Will, and one
Institution.
​The door opens, revealing a large chamber in which stands a concrete
globe representing the Earth. A woman, naked, stands atop the globe, and
speaks to me in a clear voice: O thou who hast awakened the Kings of Edom,
behold how their destructive power corrupts the Earth.
​Suddenly her skin falls off to reveal her bare skull, from which emerge
two green serpents who grow larger and larger, filling the entire room, as
they continue to sprout endlessly from her eye sockets.
​The serpents begin to envelop the globe. Two openings appear on either
side, and they slither into them. The globe progressively turns black,
becoming corrupted by their venom.
​This concludes the vision and I am hurled back into my material body,
quickly passing the purple hallway of skeletons and grasping a brief glimpse
of the circular dungeon anteroom.
​[Note: Since, according to magical theory, the astral plane is a world
clinging closely to the material world, invisible to ordinary human senses, I
believe the serpents represent the astral current of Astaroth attempting to
assume dominion of the world through the intermediary of the two Kings of
Edom, who represent her infernal authority. Now I would like to insert, taken
verbatim from my magical diary, my very first astral encounter with Astaroth
where the identity of one of the Kings of Edom had been revealed. To this
day I still wait and hope that in a following vision the name of the other king
will be obtained.
​Here is the diary entry chronicling my first encounter with Astaroth on
the astral plane:
​Invoked Astaroth and asked her to present me with one of her servants,
namely Akenef who appeared as a disheveled blonde woman, always
crouching and very dirty, while Astaroth was a beautiful blonde woman in
shining armor and wearing a green cloak.
​First Astaroth greeted me in the astral world and she offered her hand,
which I gladly took, and we entered a doorway of iron and entered a dimly-lit
dungeon-like hall where a bunch of naked demon-women were either eating
or crouching on the ground, all dirty. There was an empty throne in the far
end of the hall. She called one of her servants, whom she told me was
Akenef, and Akenef clad me in a green cloak and led me down a winding
staircase to a basement room.
​In this room there was a tomb, opened, in which lay a king figure clad in
green. He appeared dead, but upon a call from Akenef the man opened his
eyes—which were red and without pupils—and sat up. Then, a bunch of
women clad in green sat him on the throne in the far end of the room and I
kneeled at his right-hand side, with Akenef on the left. He offered me a
chalice, from which I drank, and revealed his sigil to me. I was told his name
was Jobab (which upon later verification found out was actually an Edomite
King). We dined with the other demon women and then Akenef led me up a
winding staircase to a small patio to behold the bright sun. We were outside
now. Then, still in daylight, I beheld the Big Dipper constellation. She took
my hand and we were flying towards the constellation. I asked her to reveal
her nature at least three times during the remainder of the vision, but each
time she only returned the Sign of Silence. Then, we were headed for the
Sun, but it actually turned out to be Venus, and we landed upon the hot
surface. She led me down a flight of stairs to behold an underground temple
where there was, carved upon a stone altar, the Tablet of Union. She told me:
“This is your astral temple.” This is good to know, I thought. Then, I
expressed the wish to return, and we returned through all the passages we had
previously passed through. As I exited the astral gate, Astaroth remained at
the entrance to the vision and kissed me goodbye.]
3. Pathworkings with Bahal (Hod)
I​ n the circular anteroom once again. This time when I approach the door
with the name Bahal on it I sense a great heat. Suddenly, flames are shooting
forth from behind the door. I am warned, by some internal voice, that this is
“the true Hell, and the great infernal secret”. The same voice also advises me:
“Have no fear, the flames will do ye no harm, for they are the flames of an
unquenchable passion, and the supreme vice.” Taking this counsel, I open the
door and immediately I am greeted by a great chamber filled with roaring
flames, and in the center is a great dragon whose very body is composed of
molten magma. From his mouth belches fire. Upon the dragon’s back rides
Astaroth, completely naked save for the jewel ornamentations on her head,
ankles, and wrists.
​I ask to see more, and I am gestured towards a winding staircase that
leads along the wall of the chamber towards a blackened wooden door. I
proceed towards the door and open it. Within is Astaroth once more, naked,
masturbating with two kings whom I recognize as Kings of Edom. She tells
me: “I am the star between the two gods. This is the secret of the name Ba-hal.”
​Unable to resist the heat and the intensity of the vision any longer, I am
thrust back into my body by the very way I entered the vision.
4. Pathworkings with Nimenix (Netzach)
​ efore describing the vision of Nimenix proper I must relate a dream that
B
occurred to me the night after obtaining the vision of Bahal.
​I can confirm that it is possible, if one does not close the temple after
retreating from the vision, that the astral and magical forces generated during
the ritual continue to linger in the room and within oneself long after the
ceremony has “concluded”. Once sleep has occurred, and the subconscious
mind is no longer kept in check by the conscious will, the vision will “reemerge” through the medium of vivid and hallucinatory dreams. One
shouldn’t be afraid of such occurrences, rather, the magician should use this
discovery to his or her advantage. Often, in the case of conscious astral
visions, the conscious mind can act as a hindrance to obtaining the subtler
aspects of a vision. Therefore, by using sleep and dreams as a way of
obtaining the unchecked messages the spirits are trying to deliver unto us,
one is obtaining very “genuine” results. Such is the case with what I consider
the prolongation of the vision of Bahal, which will now be described.
​I dreamt I was in a very thick and sinister forest. Astral forces were
dancing all around me. Suddenly, a rock emerged from the ground behind
me. As I turned to face the black monolith, I could see inscribed upon it two
names, which were: AMAIMON. AIMAMON.
​I already knew that Amaimon is the name of a demon king, mentioned
and listed in countless medieval grimoires, including the Goetia, but I had to
pause a little regarding the second name, which is clearly just rearranging
certain letters of the former name.
​Then a voice came over me, and said: “Well, of course it means, if you
say it fast enough: I’m a man. Get it? AIM-A-MON.”
​However silly this may appear, nonetheless it betrays a very important
key in Left Hand Path magical practice: That there is no other god but man.
That man is the only god. Thus, the demon AMAIMON represents, as
supreme demon king in the Goetia, Man himself. Amaimon is the magician
and exorcist in the ritual conjuring the lesser spirits to appear. This is a glyph
for humanism in contemporary magical philosophy.
​There are other interpretations that I have worked out upon waking from
the dream. The first is that the message is “I’m Amon” who is a goetic spirit
whose name is a corruption of the great Egyptian god AMOUN. The second
that the rearrangement of the letters produces two goetic spirits, namely AIM
and AMON.
​Now for the vision of Nimenix itself. This time, instead of being greeted
with burning hot flames, I am greeted by cold ice. A voice instructs me:
“Here you shall behold the opposite of the previous vision, and the union
thereof.”
​I enter the door, which closes abruptly behind me. I am faced with three
staircases, representative of the three paths leading to the sphere of Netzach,
which immediately converge into one. Suddenly I sprout a third leg, and each
leg walks on one of the portions of the staircase formed by the three
conjoined. At the top of the staircase, Astaroth is giving birth to what she
calls the “Demon Child”. After a few minutes, a small boy about ten years
emerges from her womb brandishing a spear. He threatens me at first, then
when I suddenly give the following sign—forming a triangle on my forehead
with my fingers—he lowers his spear and asks me to follow him towards the
summit of the chamber. Beyond Astaroth’s platform, there are two winding
staircases branching out, one leading along the left-hand wall and the other
leading along the right-hand wall. There is also a straight staircase in the
center leading towards a higher platform where the figure of Baphomet sits in
the traditional posture as portrayed by Eliphas Levi. As the demon child goes
up the left-hand staircase, I go on the right. As we both simultaneously reach
the top, I am holding a chalice to complement his lance. Suddenly a rainbow
springs from his lance and dips into my chalice. I see this entire picture as a
diagram of the formula of the lower sephiroth on the Tree of Life,
culminating in the union of opposites represented by Baphomet in Tiphareth.
​After this a voice tells me I have seen the entire vision, and I return to my
body.
5. Pathworkings with Bafamal (Tiphareth)
​ nce in the anteroom I turn towards a golden door with the name
O
“Bafamal” written on it. From behind the door sparks spurt and fly outward
towards me, like from a blacksmith’s forge. Prior to entering, the familiar
female voice speaks to me: “Be prepared to encounter the forge of the
infernal kingdom!”
​The door opens and I step inside. It is quite hot, and there is a solitary
blacksmith, who is Bafamal, wearing copper armor and beating a hammer
against hot iron to make a sword. I cannot see his face, since he is wearing a
copper helmet with two horns curving outward from the top. His entire body
betrays great strength; I can see every muscle of his strong and tanned torso.
​He ceases to work and gestures to me to come and see some of his
projects. He shows me many different sizes and sorts of battle armor, all
made of copper [Copper is the metal associated with the sphere of Venus, a
goddess of love, of which Astaroth is the infernal or qliphothic version]. He
then shows me a large engraving, on a copper plate, of the Tree of Life and of
my own personal qliphothic makeup. At the bottom, in Malkuth, is engraved
the name of Astaroth herself. Then the other spheres, up until Tiphareth,
contain the following names: Yesod-Paimon, Hod-Oriens, Netzach-Azazel,
and Tiphareth-Amaimon. I ask him to show me the names of the demons
beyond the sphere of Tiphareth, and finally he advises me in a hoarse and
deep voice: “Thou canst not yet know the names of these beings, at least not
until thou hast ascended the first order of qliphothic initiation.”
​I rest content with that, and suddenly from behind Bafamal a door opens.
I enter and ascend a straight and narrow staircase which ends in a circular
room where Astaroth in her usual appearance is sitting on a throne. She
instructs me to get down on my knees, and then proceeds to “knight” me by
touching the tip of a copper sword to both my shoulders, beginning with the
left and ending with the right. From behind emerge the two Kings of Edom
that she serves, and both take their right hand and place it to my temples.
Suddenly I am convulsing from an intense inflow of energy.
​“The consecration is done. You have now been endowed with the gift of
prophecy,” Astaroth said.
​“You may now leave this vision, and feel free to explore beyond in my
Kingdom of Lust.”
​I return to my body and the vision concludes.
​In the following section I will elaborate upon and interpret the
significance of what was shown to me by Bafamal, whether one considers
Bafamal (and any of the other symbolic spirits for that matter) to be an actual
being or rather a certain state of illumination that has been personified with a
name and face. For this interpretation or commentary I wish to focus on the
most crucial aspect of the vision, namely, the names revealed to me that
constitute my own personal qliphothic Tree of Life.
​First, and I believe those reading this book are sufficiently familiar with
this concept, it is to be understood that the magical path (i.e. the process of
gradual initiation towards Gnosis) is unique and personal to each and every
magician. If I may paraphrase Aleister Crowley, it is written that every man
and woman must expose their own illusions, confront their own demons, so
to speak, and make the journey inward to find, by the gradual process of
tearing away the symbolic veils which conceal one’s true divine potential, the
God or Goddess within. This means that, as was revealed to me in the vision
of Bafamal, everyone has their own series of angelic and demonic entities,
given particular names, that embody specific forces, impulses, or
psychological concepts one must confront and overcome if one is to
successfully become a God or Goddess in the flesh. In other words, general
psychological states can be represented by different spiritual beings bearing
similar attributes, therefore courage in one individual may be represented by
the solar-war god Horus, and while for another the very same character trait
may be represented by Mars or Baal, two other beings bearing similar
qualities of masculinity, courage, strength, and power.
​This is similar in the case of one’s qliphothic makeup, which typically
represent the “darker” aspects of self, the demonic mirror of the actual divine
Tree of Life. I do not wish to enter into a detailed definition or elaboration of
what exactly are the qliphothic forces, since this has been dealt with in
numerous books published in the last few decades.
​Instead, it is my wish to show people that the names used to identify the
chief characteristic of the qlipha (qliphothic sephirah) are not static, that they
can be given the names of different demonic beings bearing similar
characteristics and having a more personal significance for the practitioner,
thus bringing the otherwise abstract and symbolic Tree of the Qliphoth to life.
​Let us begin with the lowest sephirah, Malkuth. In the traditional
qliphoth, it is Lilith, supreme queen of demons typifying lust and sexual
appetite that is attributed to this sphere. Since it has been revealed to me, and
indeed much demonstrated by this present volume, that Astaroth is a demonic
version of an ancient pagan love goddess named Astarte, it would be sensible
to replace Lilith with Astaroth since both beings display similar qualities and
attributes.
​And it is also said, according to traditional qabalistic theory, that each
sephirah or sphere contains within itself a complete Tree of Life, totalling to
400 spheres in total that can be explored, providing many, many planes of
spiritual illumination and exploration! This seems to be confirmed by the
present section of this book, since Astaroth, ruling the Qliphoth of Malkuth,
has a complete Tree of Life to herself through the names of her “symbolic
spirits”.
​It would then be safe to conclude that, for those who feel inclined to work
with Astaroth, she represents initiation into the first sphere of the Qliphothic
Tree of Life, and that as one works with her she will eventually and gradually
reveal to the magician the other beings “beyond her” that one should
encounter in order to obtain higher qliphothic initiations.
​Thus concludes my brief commentary on the vision of Bafamal.
6. Pathworkings with Ombalat (Geburah)
I​ t is said that the entirety of the energies conjured and evoked by the
magician propel him or her onward, like a sort of astral or spiritual
momentum, on the path towards gnosis. It was in this manner that the vision
of Ombalat appeared to me. Rather than actually invoking or conjuring
Ombalat, and willingly inducing the vision to appear before my eyes,
Ombalat came to me of his own accord in an ecstatic trance-like meditation.
This is the image he showed me:
​First, I see the diagram of the Tree of Life, with all the sephiroth and the
paths. Suddenly, in a flash of brilliant light, there appears superimposed upon
the tree the sigil of Astaroth as it appears in the Crowley/Mathers translation
of the Goetia. The topmost point of the pentagram touches Daath, or the
Abyss, and the other four points touch the Sephirah of Chesed, Geburah,
Netzach, and Hod respectively. The intersection of the lines descending from
Geburah and Chesed is the Sephirah of Tiphareth. This completes the
pentagram portion of the sigil. The other ornamentations serve to decorate
rather than illuminate. Finally, the vertical line in the center of the pentagram
descends ending in a Templar Cross that touches the path of Peh connecting
the sephiroth of Netzach and Hod.
​This image flashed only briefly, then faded as quickly as it appeared.
However brief the vision, the implications for Astaroth’s gnosis are immense,
and this chapter will serve only as a brief exposition of the qabalistic
interpretation of the sigil of Astaroth.
​First, there is the pentagram. The topmost point touches the false sphere
of Daath, which means knowledge, which is fitting for Astaroth, since in the
original Goetia one of her offices is to teach all liberal sciences. Thus, the
supreme essence of Astaroth is knowledge. However, in magical practice,
knowledge is not sufficient, and this would seem to confirm the previous
vision in which Astaroth is said to be associated with the lowest sphere,
Malkuth. This would naturally imply that Astaroth is the Great Initiator,
however to go beyond one needs to transcend her and commune with other
spirits on the path towards gnosis.
​The horizontal line of the pentagram is in fact the path of Teth,
traditionally associated with the tarot card Strength, however a much more
fitting attribution is provided when one borrows the name of the card from
Aleister Crowley’s Thoth Tarot Deck, which changes the name of the card
from Strength to Lust—the primal characteristic of Astaroth.
​There are a total of four other Qabalistic paths formed by the descending
lines of the pentagram, and these are the paths of Lamed (Tarot attribution is
Justice), Yod (The Hermit), Nun (Death), and Ayin (The Devil). The most
obvious associations are The Devil and The Hermit, for one represents sexual
energy (The Devil) and the other Hidden or secret knowledge (The Hermit),
once again developing the primary characteristics and powers taught and
embodied by Astaroth. Justice and Death are less obvious; however Justice is
attributed to Libra, which is ruled by Venus (of which Astaroth is the Infernal
version), and Death denotes “change”, therefore one could interpret this
association as being a sort of spiritual death (perhaps represented by the
establishment of a pact with Astaroth) required in order to partake of her
covenant.
​Finally, there is the Templar Cross touching the path of Peh, a horizontal
path on the Tree of Life attributed to the tarot trump called The Tower. The
Tower represents the destruction of unwanted or unnecessary thoughts that
obstruct the initiate on the path towards gnosis. Such is the primary ability of
Astaroth as an initiator. It is also interesting to note, on the side, that in the
teachings of the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn, particularly of the
Lesser Banishing Ritual of the Pentagram, one is said to be symbolically
standing at the intersection of the paths of Samekh (vertical path connecting
Yesod to Tiphareth) and Peh, and thus the four cardinal directions are
represented by Tiphareth (East), Netzach (South), Yesod (West), and Hod
(North). One may safely interpret Astaroth’s sigil as the secret formula to
traditional banishing rituals or even invoking rituals in the greater Western
Esoteric Tradition.
​Such is a brief analysis of the qabalistic implications of Astaroth’s sigil. I
invite the reader to explore these associations further, for it may open up
additional paths on one’s journey of initiation.
7. Pathworkings with Quartas (Chesed)
I​ am brought back once again to the circular anteroom with the ten doors.
I proceed to a blue one with Quartas’ name on it, and it opens at my request. I
step in, and immediately I am greeted by three paths representing the three
paths leading to the sphere of Chesed on the Tree of Life. A darker and more
sinister female voice speaks to me: “Three paths of chaos and peril. Three
paths of loss and darkness. We have no unity. There is no gnosis in the
infernal abodes. We are legion.”
​The three paths all converge to a tower standing in pure darkness, and
indeed the rest of the vision excluding the paths and the crumbling tower is
pure black. Outside of the tower, resting at the bottom, is a sleeping lion. I
quickly shuffle past him and open the door on the bottom of the black
crumbling tower. I ascend a spiral staircase which seems to go on forever
(probably a few minutes in real time).
​I can hear sounds of a woman screaming at first, howling the name Esha
repeatedly. Then, I recognize the screams as orgasmic moans. I reach a door
at the summit of the tower and open it to see Astaroth lying on a bed
fornicating with Esha, a King of Edom (all this was suggested to me by a
quasi-silent voice running throughout the vision). Upon seeing me they stop,
look embarrassed, and quickly I’m teleported to the top outer summit of the
tower where a cold wind is blowing fiercely. Astaroth soon joins me
afterwards and explains that she is a queen of lust and satisfies the pleasures
of all men who visit her. She is wearing her usual gold battle armor and green
skirts. She also explains to me that she is surprised I managed to obtain such
a lofty vision (Chesed is a high sphere on the Tree of Life). In addition, she
explains that I need to explore a little more the other spheres before
undertaking visions of the three Supernals because they are “the home of
Satan”. She allows me to sit on her lap, kisses me, and I am thrust back into
my body.
8. Pathworkings with Ginar (Binah)
​ he following visions are very brief, since they serve to initiate rather
T
than inform or teach. Since they belong to the highest spheres of the Tree of
Life, they are altogether different from the previous visions.
​First, I do not begin in the anteroom like before. All is black around me,
and a skull and cross bones hovers before my sight. A deep voice, genderless,
speaks to me:
​“I am beyond the anteroom of visions. I am Death himself. Come with
me!”
​Suddenly, I feel compelled to inhale deeply and the skull merges with my
head, and I wear it as a sort of mask for the rest of the vision. Equally as
suddenly, I am transported to a green field, where I am lying down, wearing
what appears to be North American Indigenous burial regalia. I begin sinking
into the earth, going deeper and deeper for what seems like an eternity. I
reach the core of the Earth, and am burned into a pool of molten blood that
trickles slowly through the rest of the sphere of our planet. Drop by drop I
fall through outer space into giant hands cupped to receive my bloody
remains. From my pool of blood I am reformed and reborn, naked, and
suddenly I grow to giant proportions to hold the Earth between my two
hands. The same voice from the beginning of the vision advises me to crush
the Earth, which I do, and it crumbles to dust before me.
​I am then sucked through a horizontal tunnel to another galaxy, and I am
drawn into a black hole that tears me limb from limb and puts my body back
together again. This goes on at least four times. Then I am drawn by a current
to another galaxy, and I see the giant naked figure of Astaroth standing in the
universe, all-encompassing. I am sucked into her bellybutton, the very center
of her body, and stand in the shape of a pentagram.
​The voice instructs me that the vision is over, and that the continuation of
my initiation will occur if I invoke Camal.
9. Pathworkings with Camal (Chokhmah)
​ his vision is in fact quite brief, since is the achievement of a certain state
T
of gnosis. I began within the belly button of Astaroth, and grew to gigantic
proportions until my body merged with hers, and by the end of the vision I
was one with the demon queen herself. I had become Astaroth! Naked, I
slowly dressed myself in her green skirts and golden battle armor, and slowly
the vision receded from my astral eyes, however I was filled afterward with
an immense energy that persisted for the rest of the day.
​This vision is entirely harmonious with what has been written concerning
the initiation into the sphere of Chokhmah and the grade associated with it in
the Western Esoteric Tradition, namely that of “Magus”. Aleister Crowley
speaks of this grade as the formulation of a singular Word, or Logos, that
encompasses the entirety of one’s teachings, realizations, and revelations up
to that point on one’s personal journey. However, it goes much further than
this. After the Ego has been destroyed and dissolved during the attainment of
the previous grade (i.e. Magister Templi associated with Binah), the magus
not only speaks forth his Word for mankind but also becomes one with his or
her Word/Logos. Egoless, one is the teaching and the way itself, and seeks to
stir and stimulate others lower on the path towards union with the Supreme
Attainment. Thus, it is safe to declare that Crowley was Thelema,
Mohammed was Allah, and Lao-Tzu was TAO, and so on.
​However, in the context of infernal initiation, it is not so much a word but
rather personal identification with the demon itself. In other words, at this
point in goetic gnosis one identifies himself or herself with Astaroth and
embodies the demon queen in their everyday life, leading others on the path
of her initiatory current.
​One final point I would like to analyze from the vision is the act of
dressing into her garments, going from pure nakedness to being partially
clothed. Crowley wrote that the magus conceals the truth and through his
deceiving words and teachings (being associated with knowledge and
therefore duality and contradiction) plunges the world in falsehood and
illusion. I sincerely encourage the reader to consult Crowley’s writings on
this subject, namely The Vision and the Voice and Liber B vel Magi in order
to grasp the more elementary aspects of this state of illumination.
​Essentially, the act of clothing oneself represents the partial concealment
of one’s true teachings and gnosis. It would prove too disastrous and
overwhelming for lower initiates if the complete truth was revealed “as is”,
therefore it is necessary for the magus to offer only a glimpse into the truth,
and conceal the rest, so that by subtle hints and clues the lower initiates may
come to learn the full truth for themselves via their own personal work and
exploration. This is represented in both the traditional portrayal of The
Hermit and High Priestess cards in the Tarot deck. The Hermit brandishes the
lamp to shine the path for others, yet is fully robed to conceal his true
knowledge. Likewise, the priestess sits with a scroll only half rolled,
concealing the deeper wisdom that she holds.
​This demonstrates the power and potential of Astaroth’s gnosis. It also
demonstrates how crucial it is for those wishing to attempt the rituals in this
book to follow through with the preliminary rites in part one prior to evoking
any of her legions or attempting the pathworkings in this section. A thorough
understanding of elementary magical theory is required, as they are the tools
necessary to interpret what one sees and feels. I cannot stress this enough. If
one jumps head first into Astaroth’s current, one risks getting spiritually torn
apart by the sheer strength of the forces playing on one’s mind.
10. Pathworkings with Kolofe (Kether)
I​ will not reveal the vision of Kolofe since it was of a very personal
nature. However, I can say this: The final sphere in the Infernal Kingdom of
Astaroth should represent the summation and yet also the climax of one’s
exploration of her gnosis. It is the total culmination of the knowledge,
wisdom, and power she can provide. In addition, the vision of Kolofe should
present a hint at what is to come, in other words, the “next stage” on one’s
personal initiatory journey.
Conclusion
​In preparing this grimoire I omitted detailed descriptions of certain spirits
and the effects of the rituals in order to make it as practical as possible, free
from excessive qabalistic analysis. My intention was, and still remains, to
provide sufficient room for personal exploration. Through my own execution
of these rituals I learned there is much initiatory value to be gleaned
therefrom, provided the work is actually carried out.
​Originally, the rituals consisted of a practical template providing a
systematic method of establishing a long-term relationship with any sort of
spirit, be it qliphothic or goetic. However, as I progressed through the visions
of the symbolic spirits and evoked several legion generals, I can definitely
confirm that these rites, when employed with Astaroth, contain a special
power unique to her alone.
​This may be due to the fact that she had presented herself in my life
without previous invocation on my part. When I decided to attune my
conscious will to her current, the alchemical marriage was consumed, and the
proper force set in motion for a swift spiritual ascent. In other words I, and
not the demon, was the one being called forth!
​As a result, my work with Astaroth has brought me to a few startling
conclusions. The first and most significant is the apparent lack of choice in
terms of our individual spiritual nature. This may sound contradictory to
contemporary Left-Hand Path systems that place a sometimes
disproportionate emphasis on total free will and self-deification. I am not
attempting to discredit “satanic” philosophy, however it would seem that by
barring oneself from the possibility of a “higher purpose” (or among
Thelemites, True Will) one may be depriving themselves of the substantial
spiritual contact they need in order to advance on the path. Perhaps not
everyone has had such a calling, but for those who have, I sincerely
encourage them to pursue the spirit that chooses them. It would be unwise to
disregard their summons!
​The second realization concerns the sheer amount of unexplored territory
in relation to the spirits contained in the goetic and Solomonic grimoires.
While their practical functions are provided, very little is written on the
deeper nature of these spirits. Thankfully contemporary Left-Hand Path
writers have dared to tread these unknown realms.
​The third and final realization concerns a manner by which the tedious
ceremonial methods of the Solomonic grimoires may be effectively discarded
and replaced with a more holistic understanding of these spirits and their
nature. This book can be seen as one of many possible ways to approach
evocation without the outdated instructions listed in the Goetia and other such
texts. This is what I deem to be the “next step” in the ever-shifting landscape
of magical practice.
​May this grimoire serve as a guiding light for those willing to dare and go
beyond...
About the Author
Denerah Erzebet is a transgender occultist and esoteric philosopher from
Ontario, Canada. As a Left-Hand Path magician firmly rooted in the
Draconian Tradition, Erzebet specializes in the practical application of
transgression and subversive philosophy as legitimate methods of Initiation
and Ascent. Through ongoing work with her "personal Goddess" Astaroth,
Erzebet has recently formulated a unique approach to Vampyre Magick
which will see its complete manifestation in future writings and endeavors.
​Denerah Erzebet is affiliated with Temple of Ascending Flame.
Contact: jordano.bortolotto@gmail.com
About the Publisher
Draco Press is a new aeon publisher of quality books of Luciferian
philosophy and practices. It is our mission to provide resources that are
steeped in application and founded on solid principles. We believe in
promoting freedom of thought, and the freedom of individual growth and
development through spiritual practices in line with Luciferian principles. In
our context, Lucifer is the Light Bringer, and it is from this perspective we do
our part to bring more light into a world in transition. Founded by Asenath
Mason and Bill Duvendack in 2018, Draco Press endeavors to bring quality
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www.dracopress.com