Baphomet

Baphomet it is a very common symbol in esotericism as a whole, studied by magicians and alchemists, initiatic orders and those curious about occultism. It is a figure that carries moreeurs meanings and the deeper she goes into her study, the more meaning these meanings have. Thus, we can say that Baphomet can be associated with the Kabbalah, with the tarot, with numerology, with astrology, with hermeticism, in short, with all kinds of mystical knowledge.

One of the fundamental things that Baphomet represents is the duality of existence. The idea that everything in the universe is ambivalent, dividing into two opposite and complementary principles. For example, light and dark, day and night, male and female, up and down, outdoor.eur and interioreur, hoteur and cold, etc. The figure was designed in such a way that in its design it could be depicted moreieurs different ways simultaneously.

Origin of Baphomet

The origin of Baphomet is not precisely known, there are severaleurs theories about it. There are mentions of figures with characteristics that allow some association with the Baphomet we know today, at least since the 10th century. However, its origins are believed to be much more remote, being linked to ancient esoteric practices in Egypt and India, as well as Greek and Celtic paganism, among other origins.

It is a consensus among scholars that the Templars were the first to give special importance to the figure of Baphomet. Also known as the Order of the Knights of the Temple or the Order of the Poor Knights of Christ, the Templars were persecuted by the Catholic Church around the 14th century, among other things, for worshiping the figure of Baphomet, who for his animal and mysterious aspect, was associated with the devil by Christians. Thanks to this, the order ended, many of its members were arrested, tortured and burned alive.

The figure of Baphomet as we know it today was not defined until the 1810th century by the French magician Eliphas Levi (1875-XNUMX). Levi, who was also a cartoonisteur, presents his creation in the famous book Dogma and ritual of high magic, considered a classic in occultism. In the book, the auteur makes a study of the figure and presents his conception of Baphomet in an illustration devoted both in occult circles and among the laity thanks to a polemic.

At the end of the 19th century, Baphomet became embroiled in a controversy that brought him fame. After complaints that Freemasons worshiped him as a god and performed rituals in his honoreur, the Catholic Church, among other Christian authorities linked to other churches, then took action against Freemasonry. However, the auteur complaints, Leo Táxil, who had been very successful in publishing a book with them, later comes to the public to say that he made it all up.

Despite this, Christians around the world still believe today or share a certain collective unconscious for which in fact Baphomet would be the figure of the devil worshiped by Freemasonry or at least the representation of a demon. Freemasons, like all those who seek the occult, study the symbolism that Baphomet carries, but it has no relation of worship and idolatry with the image.

The symbolism of the Baphomet

The image of Baphomet has the characteristics of three animals and the human being. We can identify in the image the jackal, which refers to the Egyptian god Anubis. The bull as a reference to the earth element and the goat as a reference to the fire element.

Above the head of the image is a torch, which represents spiritual enlightenment. The two horns represent the two columns of the tree of life of the kabbale, along with the two moons that we see in the image, representing the column of mercy and rigueur, respectively on the right and on the left. The pentagram is a symbol of magic, representing the 4 elements of nature plus spirit, and in the image it appears face up on the creature's forehead.

On both arms of Baphomet we see “resolve” and “coagulate”. “Resolve” appears on the right arm that points upwards, while on the left arm that points downwards we see the word “coagulate.” This refers to the two aspects of spirit, which can be dissolved and confused with the astral light, or it can be identified with matter, the physical world. This alludes to the Hermetic principle that whatever exists above is like what exists below, which in Christianity can be interpreted as "on Earth as in Heaven."

The scales in the image allude to the control of the water element, which can be understood as emotions; the wings refer to the control of the air element, which can be understood as the reason; the goat's paws are a symbol of control over the Earth or the material world; while the flame above the head can also be understood as the control of the fire element, the knowledge of the truths of the spirit.

The figure has human, male and female aspects, it has breasts and at the same time a phallic representation. This means that the mind has no gender, that it is male and female, and that it is the human condition that divides the sexes as we experience them. The breasts also represent motherhood and fertility, while the phallus is identified with the caduceus of Hermes, surrounded by two serpents that are Kundalini, the sacred energy responsible for the development of the chakras.