Devil of the Astral Light: Eliphas Levis Baphomet

By Michael Osiris Snuffin (2009)

In the eyes of the Western world, Eliphas e!i"s illustration of Bapho#et is a representation of the $hristian %e!il, the source of all e!il& 'he (rench occultist"s illustration fro# his #a)nu# opus 'ranscendental Ma)ic shows a win)ed, )oat* headed creature, a penta)ra# on his forehead, surrounded +y occult sy#+ols,all icono)raphy associated with the %e!il& - pitchfor. and a +ar+ed tail are all that would +e needed to co#plete the stereotype& 'his de!ilish association was fostered in part +y -rthur Edward Waite, who #isinterpreted the Bapho#et illustration when he used it as a #odel for the %e!il tru#p of his e!er*popular /ider*Waite 'arot dec.& Waite"s %e!il tru#p replaces the fi)ure of the $hristian %e!il co##on to earlier tru#ps with a corruption of e!i"s Bapho#et, )i!in) hi# +at win)s, a scowlin) face, and +eastial le)s and feet& Waite translated e!i"s 'ranscendental Ma)ic into En)lish, +ut was unwillin) to accept e!i"s interpretation of his own Bapho#et i#a)e, as stated in his 0ictorial 1ey to the 'arot2 3With #ore than his usual derision for the arts which he pretended to respect and interpret as a #aster therein, Eliphas 4!i affir#s that the Bapho#etic fi)ure is occult science and #a)ic&5678

Waite"s %e!il tru#p associates Bapho#et with the $hristian %e!il, and he interprets the tru#p to si)nify !iolence, force and e!il& 9et if we e:a#ine what 4!i has written, we find that Bapho#et is a co#ple: sy#+ol of occult science and #a)ic& 4!i"s pri#ary discussion of Bapho#et is found in 'ranscendental Ma)ic, which is di!ided into two parts, %octrine and /itual& Bapho#et is connected with the %e!il tru#p in $hapter 7; of /itual2 628 3We recur once #ore to that terri+le nu#+er fifteen, sy#+oli<ed in the 'arot +y a #onster throned upon an altar, #itred and horned, ha!in) a wo#an"s +reasts and the )enerati!e or)ans of a #an**a chi#era, a #alfor#ed sphin:, a synthesis of defor#ities& Below this fi)ure we read a fran. and si#ple inscription**'=E %E>I & 9es, we confront here that phanto# of all terrors, the dra)on of the all theo)enies, the -hri#an of the 0ersians, the 'yphon of the E)yptians, the 0ython of the ?ree.s, the old serpent of the =e+rews, the fantastic #onster, the ni)ht#are, the $ro@ue#itaine, the )ar)oyle, the )reat +east of the Middle -)es, and**worse than all these**the Bapho#et of the 'e#plars, the +earded idol of the alche#ist, the o+scene deity of Mendes, the )oat of the Sa++ath& 'he frontispiece to this A/itual" reproduces the e:act fi)ure of the terri+le e#peror of ni)ht, with all his attri+utes and all his characters&56B8 4!i"s initial description of Bapho#et in connection with the %e!il tru#p is dar. and sinister, co#parin) it to the Satanic and e!il representations of #any reli)ions& =owe!er, 4!i clarifies his interpretation later in $hapter 7;2 39es, in our profound con!iction, the ?rand Masters of the Order of 'e#plars worshipped the Bapho#et, and caused it to +e worshipped +y their initiatesC yes, there e:isted in the past, and there #ay +e still in the present, asse#+lies which are presided o!er +y this fi)ure, seated on a throne and ha!in) a fla#in) torch +etween the horns& But the adorers of this si)n do not consider, as do we, that it is a representation of the de!ilC on the contrary, for the# it is that of the )od 0an, the )od of our #odern schools of philosophy, the )od of the -le:andrian theur)ic school and of our own #ystical Deoplatonists, the )od of a#artine and >ictor $ousin, the )od of Spino<a and 0lato, the )od of the pri#iti!e ?nostic schoolsC the $hrist also of the dissident priesthood&5 6E8 Bapho#et is a )od of the old reli)ions and schools of thou)ht that were acti!e +efore the full ad!ent of $hristianity, and not a representation of the de!il& 4!i )i!es the Fustification for Bapho#et"s #onstrous appearance in 'he Boo. of Splendours2 36Bapho#et8 is a .nowled)e risin) in opposition to idolatry, protestin) thou)h the !ery #onstrosity of the idol& 'he Israelites were for+idden to )i!e di!ine concepts the fi)ure of a #an or of any ani#alC thus, on the ar. of the co!enant and in the sanctuary, they dared sculpt

only cheru+s, that is, sphin:es with the +odies of +ulls and the heads of #en, ea)les or lions& 'hese #i:ed fi)ures reproduced neither the co#plete for# of any #an, nor that of any ani#al& 'hese hy+rid creations of i#possi+le ani#als )a!e to understand that the i#a)e was not an idol or reproduction of a li!in) thin), +ut rather a character or representation of so#ethin) ha!in) its e:istence in thou)ht& Bapho#et is not worshippedC it is ?od who is worshipped, this faceless ?od +ehind this for#less for#, this i#a)e which rese#+les no created +ein)& Bapho#et is not a ?odC =e is the si)n of initiation&5 6;8 Bapho#et is not a )od, de!il, or a li!in) +ein)C he is the si)n or sy#+ol of initiation& But what .nowled)e does this sy#+ol of initiation i#part to usG In the introduction to %octrine in 'ranscendental Ma)ic, 4!i identifies Bapho#et with a force he calls the Hni!ersal -)ent2 3'here e:ists in Dature a force which is i##easura+ly #ore powerful than stea#, and a sin)le #an, who is a+le to adapt and direct it, #i)ht chan)e there+y the face of the whole world& 'his force was .nown to the ancientsC it consists in a Hni!ersal -)ent ha!in) e@uili+riu# for its supre#e law, while its direction is concerned i##ediately with the ?reat -rcanu# of 'ranscendental Ma)ic& &&& 'his a)ent&&& is precisely that which the adepts of the Middle -)es deno#inated the (irst Matter of the ?reat Wor.& 'he ?nostics represented it as the fiery +ody of the =oly SpiritC it was the o+Fect of adoration in the Secret /ites of the Sa++ath and the 'e#ple, under the hiero)lyphic fi)ure of Bapho#et or the -ndro)yne of Mendes&5
6I8

Bapho#et is a representation of the Hni!ersal -)ent, which is #ore co##only .nown in 'ranscendental Ma)ic as the astral li)ht& 'his connection is restated later in the te:t2 3In this place let us affir# without e!asion that the ?reat Ma)ical -)ent**the dou+le current of li)ht, the li!in) and astral fire of the earth**was represented +y the serpent with the head of an o:, )oat or do), in ancient theo)enies& It is the dual serpent of the caduceus, the old serpent of ?EDESIS, +ut it is also the +ra<en serpent of Moses, twined a+out the '-H, that is, the )eneratin) lin)a#& It is, #oreo!er, the ?oat of the Sa++ath and the Bapho#et of the 'e#plars&5 6J8 Bapho#et is a representation of the -stral i)ht, the #ediu# of all #a)ic, and )ainin) power o!er it is the )oal of the ?reat Wor.2 3'he ?reat Wor. is, +efore all thin)s, the creation of #an +y hi#self, that is to say, the full and entire con@uest of his faculties and his futureC it is especially the perfect e#ancipation of his will, assurin) hi#K full power o!er the Hni!ersal Ma)ical -)ent&5 6L8

'he sy#+olic connection +etween the -stral i)ht and Bapho#et can +e found in 4!i"s description of his Bapho#et i#a)e in $hapter 7; of /itual2 3'he )oat which is represented in our frontispiece +ears upon its forehead the Si)n of the 0enta)ra# with one point in the ascendant, which is sufficient to distin)uish it as a sy#+ol of the li)ht& Moreo!er, the si)n of occultis# is #ade with +oth hands, pointin) upward to the white #oon of $=ESE%, and downward to the +lac. #oon of ?EBH/-=& 'his si)n e:presses the perfect concord +etween #ercy and Fustice& One of the ar#s is fe#inine and the other #asculine, as in the andro)yne of 1hunrath, whose attri+utes we ha!e co#+ined with those of our )oat, since they are one and the sa#e sy#+ol& 'he torch of intelli)ence +urnin) +etween the horns is the #a)ical li)ht of uni!ersal e@uili+riu#C it is also a type of the soul e:alted a+o!e #atter, e!en while clea!in) to #atter, as the fla#e clea!es to the torch& K 'he caduceus, which replaces the )enerati!e or)an, represents eternal lifeC the scale*co!ered +elly typifies waterC the circle a+o!e it is the at#osphere, the feathers still hi)her up si)nify the !olatileC lastly, hu#anity is depicted +y the two +reasts and the andro)yne ar#s of this sphin: of the occult sciences& K 'he dread Bapho#et henceforth, li.e all #onstrous idols, eni)#as of anti@ue science and its drea#s, is only an innocent and e!en pious hiero)lyph&5 698 $areful e:a#ination of this detailed description of Bapho#et in li)ht of 4!i"s other e:positions on the astral li)ht re!eal #uch a+out the connection +etween the two& 'he Si)n of the 0enta)ra# on Bapho#et"s forehead is a sy#+ol of the astral li)ht2 3'he e#pire of will o!er the -stral i)ht, which is the physical soul of the four ele#ents, is represented in Ma)ic +y the 0enta)ra#&5 6708 In $hapter ; of %octrine, 4!i ela+orates on the nature of the penta)ra#2 3'he 0enta)ra# si)nifies the do#ination of the #ind o!er the ele#ents, and the de#ons of air, the spirits of fire, the phanto#s of water and the )hosts of earth are enchained +y this si)n& E@uipped therewith, and suita+ly disposed, you #ay +ehold the infinite throu)h the #ediu# of that faculty which is li.e the soul"s eye, and you will +e #inistered unto +y le)ions of an)els and hosts of fiends&5 6778 'he 3soul"s eye5 is the aFna cha.ra or third eye, which allows you to see and interact with the in!isi+le spirits (an)els and fiends) of the astral li)htC thus the penta)ra# is placed o!er the third eye of Bapho#et& i.ewise, the torch of intelli)ence +urnin) a+o!e the penta)ra# corresponds with the crown cha.ra, the connection +etween the Microcos# and the Macrocos# descri+ed a+o!e as 3the soul e:alted a+o!e #atter, e!en while clea!in) to #atter, as the fla#e clea!es to the torch&5 'he duality e:pressed +y the sephiroth $hesed (#ercy) and ?e+urah (Fustice), the +lac. and white #oons, and the #asculine and fe#inine ar#s are si#ply reflections of the dual nature of the astral li)ht2

3Dow the ancients, o+ser!in) that e@uili+riu# is the uni!ersal law in physics, and is conse@uent on the apparent opposition of two forces, ar)ued fro# physical to #etaphysical e@uili+riu#, and #aintained that in ?od, that is, in the (irst i!in) and -cti!e $ause, there #ust +e reco)ni<ed two properties which are necessary to each other,sta+ility and #otion, necessity and li+erty, rational order and !olitional autono#y, Fustice and lo!e, whence also se!erity and #ercy& -nd these two attri+utes were personified, so to spea., +y the .a+alistic Mews under the na#es of ?EBH/-= and $=ESE%&5 6728 'he dual nature of the astral li)ht is also reflected in the alche#ical for#ula 3Sol!e et $oa)ula25 3'he ?reat Ma)ical -)ent, +y us ter#ed the -stral i)ht, Kthis occult, uni@ue and indu+ita+le force, is the .ey of all e#pire, the secret of all power& &&& 'o .now how to #a.e use of this -)ent is to +e the trustee of ?od"s own powerC all real, effecti!e Ma)ic, all occult force is there, and its de#onstration is the sole end of all )enuine +oo.s of science& 'o ha!e control o!er the ?reat Ma)ical -)ent there are two operations necessary**to concentrate and proFect, or, in other words, to fi: and to #o!e&567B8 'hese two operations are represented +y the words written on the ar#s of Bapho#et2 SO >E, to dissol!e, to proFect, to #o!eC and $O-?H -, to coa)ulate, to concentrate, to fi:& 'he $aduceus is yet another sy#+ol of the dual nature of the astral li)ht2 3'hose of you who ha!e read #y +oo.s will .now what the two serpents of the $aduceus si)nify& 'hey are the two opposin) currents of the uni!ersal #a)netis#& 'he serpent of creati!e and preser!in) li)ht and the serpent of eternal fire which de!ours in order to re)enerate&5 67E8 'he $aduceus replaces the )enerati!e or)an in the Bapho#et i#a)e +ecause it is +oth #asculine and fe#inine, thus preser!in) the andro)yny of Bapho#et, and as the )enerati!e or)an represents eternal life& 'he $aduceus is a sy#+ol of the #a)ical e@uili+riu# of #atter, as the torch represents the uni!ersal e@uili+riu# of the 3#a)ical li)ht5 or spirit -s we ha!e seen, e!i"s i#a)e of Bapho#et is not a representation of the $hristian %e!il +ut a sy#+ol of the astral li)ht, the dual current of occult force +ehind all #a)ical wor.& 'his force #ay +e e#ployed for either )ood or e!il ends, +ut is neither )ood nor e!il in itself& 0erhaps if Mr& Waite had understood this i#portant point, he wouldn"t ha!e de#oni<ed the Bapho#et i#a)e in the /ider* Waite 'arot dec.&

Dotes2

7& Waite, -rthur Edward& The Pictorial Key to the Tarot, pa)e 7B7& 2& 'he chapters in Transcendental Magic correspond with the tarot tru#ps, and fifteen is the nu#+er of 3'he %e!il&5 B& e!i, Eliphas& Transcendental Magick, pa)e B0J& E& TM, pa)es B0J*B0L& ;& e!i, Eliphas& The Book of Splendours, pa)e 77L& I& TM, pa)e 72& J& TM, pa)e 2E2& L& TM, 0a)e 77B& 9& TM, pa)es B0L*B70& 70& TM, pa)e IJ& 77& TM, pa)e IB 72& TM, pa)es 9;*9I& 7B& TM, pa)e 70E& 7E& e!i, Eliphas& The Great Secret, pa)e 7L;&