902 – Painting

Physical description:

Very large, colourful painting on panel of Baphomet. White wings, torch between horns, red and gold pentacle on forehead, red and gold eyes, phallic caduceus.

Museum classification:

Horned God

Size:

1800 x 1500 mm (approx)

Information:

“Baphoment…is nothing else than the bearded devil of alchemists…members of the highest grades in the old hermetic masonry attributed to a bearded demon the accomplishment of the Great Work...the vulgar hastened to cross themselves, and to hide their eyes, but the initiates…understood the allegory, and were careful not to explain it to the profane.” 

The Key of the Mysteries (trans Crowley, 1984 edition)

Eliphas Levi wrote about Baphomet in two of his works of magic in the nineteenth century, he describes this figure in many different ways such as:  

The Sabbatic Goat. 

The Baphomet of Mendes.

A pantheistic and magical figure of the Absolute.

Baphomet: Lord of the Temple.

Baptism of Wisdom.

 

The following are excerpts from Levi's books.

Eliphas Levi, Transcendental Magic, translated AE Waite (1896)

“The dread Baphomet…is only an innocent and even pious hieroglyph…”p.310

“…there exists in Nature, a force which is immeasurably more powerful than steam, and a single man who is able to adapt and direct it, might change thereby the face of the whole world.  This force was known to the ancients…it was the object of adoration in the Secret Rites of the Sabbath and the Temple, under the hieroglyphic figure of Baphomet or the Androgyne of Mendes.”  p.13

“Let us state now for the edification of the vulgar…let us state boldly and precisely that all…initiates of the occult science…not only in the past, but do now, and will forever, adore what is signified by this alarming symbol….yes, there existed in the past, and there may be in the present, assemblies which are presided over by this figure, seated on a throne and having a flaming torch between the horns.”  p.307

“Behold the shadows of the internal sanctuary dissipated!  Behold the sphinx of medieval terrors unveiled and cast from his throne!  How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning!” p.309

The torch placed between the two horns represents the equilibriating intelligence of the triad. “The torch of intelligence burning between the horns is the magical light of equilibrium; it is also the type of soul exalted above matter, even while cleaving to matter, as the flame cleaves to the torch.”

The goat’s head…represents the exclusive responsibility of matter and the expiation of the bodily sins of the body. “The monstrous head of the animal expresses horror of sin, for which he material agent, alone responsible, must alone and for ever bear the penalty…”

"On its forehead…is the sign of the Microcosm, or the Pentagram…symbol of human intelligence, which, placed beneath the torch, makes the flame of the latter an image of divine revelation…”

"The hands are human to represent the sanctity of labour, they make the sign of esotericism above and below…they point at two lunar crescents, the upper being white and the lower black, to explain the correspondences of good and evil, mercy and justice."

"The lower part of the body is veiled, portraying the mysteries of generation, which is expressed solely by the symbol of caduceus."

"The belly of the goat is scaled…"

“The caduceus, which replaces the generative organ, represents eternal life; the scale-covered belly typifies water; the circle above it is the atmosphere, the feathers still higher up signify the volatile; lastly, humanity is depicted by two breasts and the androgyne arms of this sphinx of the occult sciences.”

"The goat has female breasts, and thus its only human characteristics are those of maternity and toil, otherwise the signs of redemption."

 

Eliphas Levi, Dogme et Rituel de la haute magie (1861)

“The flame of intelligence shining between his horns is the magic light of the universal balance, the image of the soul elevated above matter, as the flame, whilst being tied to matter, shines above it.”

“The beast's head expresses the horror of the sinner…”

“The goat…carries the sign of the pentagram on the forehead, with one point at the top, a symbol of light…”

“…his two hands forming the sign of occultism, the one pointing up to the white moon of Chesed (from the Qabalah Tree of Life), the other pointing down to the black one of Geburah. This sign expresses the perfect harmony of mercy with justice.”

“His one arm is female, the other male…”

"Humanity is represented by the two breasts and the androgyne arms of this sphinx of the occult sciences.”

Body VOLATILE = MERCURY/MOVEMENT.  The rod standing instead of genitals symbolizes eternal life, the body covered with scales the water, the semi-circle above it the atmosphere, the feathers following above the volatile.

For many years, this painting was on display in the upper gallery of the Museum with the Horned God tableau.

Levi's version was apparently based on a gargoyle on a Templar building - the Commandry of Saint Bris le Vineux (see 'The Occult Conspiracy' by Michael Howard).
The origin of the name Baphomet is uncertain, but one possible explanation is that it comes from the Arabic word 'abufihamat', meaning 'giver of wisdom'.
However, the name also bears a slight resemblance to the Ancient Egyptian name Banebdjed, the name of the sacred ram (often mistakenly referred to as a goat) venerated at Mendes as a manifestation of the god Osiris. Levi described his picture as 'the Baphomet of Mendes'.

Resource:

Painting

Materials:

Oils on wood panel

“Baphoment…is nothing else than the bearded devil of alchemists…members of the highest grades in the old hermetic masonry attributed to a bearded demon the accomplishment of the Great Work...the vulgar hastened to cross themselves, and to hide their eyes, but the initiates…understood the allegory, and were careful not to explain it to the profane.” 

The Key of the Mysteries (trans Crowley, 1984 edition)

Eliphas Levi wrote about Baphomet in two of his works of magic in the nineteenth century, he describes this figure in many different ways such as:  

The Sabbatic Goat. 

The Baphomet of Mendes.

A pantheistic and magical figure of the Absolute.

Baphomet: Lord of the Temple.

Baptism of Wisdom.

 

The following are excerpts from Levi's books.

Eliphas Levi, Transcendental Magic, translated AE Waite (1896)

“The dread Baphomet…is only an innocent and even pious hieroglyph…”p.310

“…there exists in Nature, a force which is immeasurably more powerful than steam, and a single man who is able to adapt and direct it, might change thereby the face of the whole world.  This force was known to the ancients…it was the object of adoration in the Secret Rites of the Sabbath and the Temple, under the hieroglyphic figure of Baphomet or the Androgyne of Mendes.”  p.13

“Let us state now for the edification of the vulgar…let us state boldly and precisely that all…initiates of the occult science…not only in the past, but do now, and will forever, adore what is signified by this alarming symbol….yes, there existed in the past, and there may be in the present, assemblies which are presided over by this figure, seated on a throne and having a flaming torch between the horns.”  p.307

“Behold the shadows of the internal sanctuary dissipated!  Behold the sphinx of medieval terrors unveiled and cast from his throne!  How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning!” p.309

The torch placed between the two horns represents the equilibriating intelligence of the triad. “The torch of intelligence burning between the horns is the magical light of equilibrium; it is also the type of soul exalted above matter, even while cleaving to matter, as the flame cleaves to the torch.”

The goat’s head…represents the exclusive responsibility of matter and the expiation of the bodily sins of the body. “The monstrous head of the animal expresses horror of sin, for which he material agent, alone responsible, must alone and for ever bear the penalty…”

"On its forehead…is the sign of the Microcosm, or the Pentagram…symbol of human intelligence, which, placed beneath the torch, makes the flame of the latter an image of divine revelation…”

"The hands are human to represent the sanctity of labour, they make the sign of esotericism above and below…they point at two lunar crescents, the upper being white and the lower black, to explain the correspondences of good and evil, mercy and justice."

"The lower part of the body is veiled, portraying the mysteries of generation, which is expressed solely by the symbol of caduceus."

"The belly of the goat is scaled…"

“The caduceus, which replaces the generative organ, represents eternal life; the scale-covered belly typifies water; the circle above it is the atmosphere, the feathers still higher up signify the volatile; lastly, humanity is depicted by two breasts and the androgyne arms of this sphinx of the occult sciences.”

"The goat has female breasts, and thus its only human characteristics are those of maternity and toil, otherwise the signs of redemption."

 

Eliphas Levi, Dogme et Rituel de la haute magie (1861)

“The flame of intelligence shining between his horns is the magic light of the universal balance, the image of the soul elevated above matter, as the flame, whilst being tied to matter, shines above it.”

“The beast's head expresses the horror of the sinner…”

“The goat…carries the sign of the pentagram on the forehead, with one point at the top, a symbol of light…”

“…his two hands forming the sign of occultism, the one pointing up to the white moon of Chesed (from the Qabalah Tree of Life), the other pointing down to the black one of Geburah. This sign expresses the perfect harmony of mercy with justice.”

“His one arm is female, the other male…”

"Humanity is represented by the two breasts and the androgyne arms of this sphinx of the occult sciences.”

Body VOLATILE = MERCURY/MOVEMENT.  The rod standing instead of genitals symbolizes eternal life, the body covered with scales the water, the semi-circle above it the atmosphere, the feathers following above the volatile.

For many years, this painting was on display in the upper gallery of the Museum with the Horned God tableau.

Levi's version was apparently based on a gargoyle on a Templar building - the Commandry of Saint Bris le Vineux (see 'The Occult Conspiracy' by Michael Howard).
The origin of the name Baphomet is uncertain, but one possible explanation is that it comes from the Arabic word 'abufihamat', meaning 'giver of wisdom'.
However, the name also bears a slight resemblance to the Ancient Egyptian name Banebdjed, the name of the sacred ram (often mistakenly referred to as a goat) venerated at Mendes as a manifestation of the god Osiris. Levi described his picture as 'the Baphomet of Mendes'.