Post by fenris on Apr 26, 2006 19:19:36 GMT -5
Through a lot of time spent researching I've discovered the truth behind Bahomet. Bahamet is indeed not a creature of evil although at first glance one may think so. It also does no help that the Knights Templar were accused of worshipping a demonic idol called Bahomet (also spelled Baphomet). In addition to this the crackpot Alister Crowley associated Bahomet with the devil tarot card. So thanks to his influence as well Bahomet was further demonized.
On Friday October 13th 1307, Philip IV had Grand Master Jacques de Molay and 140 other knights arrested in the Paris Temple. More arrests followed throughout France, and later throughout Europe after Pope Clement V annulled the French process and began papal proceedings. This lead to the downfall of the Kights Templar, and the burning of over 50 men were burned at the stake for being heretics. Thier crimes included, spitting, trampling, defecating or urinating on the cross, and various acts of homosexuality. So in turn both Bahomet and his possible followers were scapegoated. There is no proof that the Knights Templar worshipped Bahomet although no shame in it if they did.
The truth is Bahomet isn't evil. In fact he's quite the oppisite. Baphomet is really a joining of two Greek words meaning absorption into wisdom. The name also signifies Wisdom and Divine Harmony. Hands in mudra yoga point out the Gnostic oppositions of Light and Dark, good and Evil, Unity and Separation. This image of Baphomet incorporates the breasts of a nurturing mother, the caduceus of Divine Union, plus the star and torch of mystical illumination. Also present are the three hebrew letters, Aleph, Mem and Shin, signifying the elements of air, fire and water, Baphomet representing the element of earth.
Another possible meaning of Bahomet's name comes from Eliphas Levi. Levi said that perhaps it came from the Greek words Baphe and Metis. The two words together mean "Baptism of Wisdom." Idries Shah proposed that "Baphomet" may actually derive from the Arabic word Abufihamat, meaning "The Father of Understanding." Lévi proposed that the name in reverse was composed from a series of abbreviations: 'Temp. ohp. Ab.' which originates from Latin Templi omnium hominum pacis abhas, meaning "the father of universal peace among men." So no matter how you tinker with the name Bahomet is a being of wisdom and balance, not one of evil.
Here's what Levi has to say about Bahomet. "The goat on the frontispiece 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 hermetism, the one pointing up to the white moon of Chesed, 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 like the ones of the androgyn of Khunrath, the attributes of which we had to unite with those of our goat because he is one and the same symbol. 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 ugly beast's head expresses the horror of the sinner, whose materially acting, solely responsible part has to bear the punishment exclusively; because the soul is insensitive according to its nature and can only suffer when it materializes. 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. Humanity is represented by the two breasts and the androgyn arms of this sphinx of the occult sciences."
Bahomet as the Goat of Mendes. Levi called his image “the Baphomet of Mendes”, presumably following Herodotus' account that the god of Mendes was depicted with a goat's face and legs. However the deity was actually a ram deity Banebdjed (lit. Ba of the lord of djed, and titled "the Lord of Mendes"), who was the Ba of Osiris. Levi combined the images of the Tarot of Marseilles Devil card and refigured the ram of Banebdjed, worshipped in the city of Mendes, the Greek name of ancient Djedet in Egypt, as a he-goat, imagined as “copulator in Anep and inseminator in the district of Mendes”.
Couple of other interesting pieces of info I found. Baphomet is a pagan fertility god associated with the creative force of reproduction. Ceremonies in honor of Baphomet include encircling his ram/goat head and chanting prayers honoring the creative magic of sexual union, one of the most powerful forces in the universe. Many of the pagan sexual rites were in honor of Baphomet and the magic of bringing life to the planet, the most revered "miracle" in existence.
The cornucopia was also a pagan symbol that represented Baphomet's horn and when filled with fruit or food, was an offering to Baphomet called "the horn of plenty." Sure puts a new twist on Thanksgiving dosen't it. So with this newfound knowledge I can and do add Bahomet to the list of deities that have been turned into a Scapegoat unjustly. Furthermore I openly say I would count myself as one of Bahomet's followers.
Now the only bad stuff I found on Bahomet was this. A different interpretation of Baphomet is given by the Satanic group the Order of Nine Angles. According to the ONA, Baphomet is female, and is depicted as a beautiful mature woman, naked from the waist up, who holds in her hand the severed head of a bearded man. "The name of Baphomet is regarded by Traditional Satanists as meaning "the mistress (or mother) of blood" - the (Satanic) Mistress who sometimes washes in the blood of her foes and whose hands are thereby stained. Allegedly, 7,000 years ago a civilization known as Albion had various rites associated with a Dark Goddess who was known as “Baphomet.”
On Friday October 13th 1307, Philip IV had Grand Master Jacques de Molay and 140 other knights arrested in the Paris Temple. More arrests followed throughout France, and later throughout Europe after Pope Clement V annulled the French process and began papal proceedings. This lead to the downfall of the Kights Templar, and the burning of over 50 men were burned at the stake for being heretics. Thier crimes included, spitting, trampling, defecating or urinating on the cross, and various acts of homosexuality. So in turn both Bahomet and his possible followers were scapegoated. There is no proof that the Knights Templar worshipped Bahomet although no shame in it if they did.
The truth is Bahomet isn't evil. In fact he's quite the oppisite. Baphomet is really a joining of two Greek words meaning absorption into wisdom. The name also signifies Wisdom and Divine Harmony. Hands in mudra yoga point out the Gnostic oppositions of Light and Dark, good and Evil, Unity and Separation. This image of Baphomet incorporates the breasts of a nurturing mother, the caduceus of Divine Union, plus the star and torch of mystical illumination. Also present are the three hebrew letters, Aleph, Mem and Shin, signifying the elements of air, fire and water, Baphomet representing the element of earth.
Another possible meaning of Bahomet's name comes from Eliphas Levi. Levi said that perhaps it came from the Greek words Baphe and Metis. The two words together mean "Baptism of Wisdom." Idries Shah proposed that "Baphomet" may actually derive from the Arabic word Abufihamat, meaning "The Father of Understanding." Lévi proposed that the name in reverse was composed from a series of abbreviations: 'Temp. ohp. Ab.' which originates from Latin Templi omnium hominum pacis abhas, meaning "the father of universal peace among men." So no matter how you tinker with the name Bahomet is a being of wisdom and balance, not one of evil.
Here's what Levi has to say about Bahomet. "The goat on the frontispiece 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 hermetism, the one pointing up to the white moon of Chesed, 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 like the ones of the androgyn of Khunrath, the attributes of which we had to unite with those of our goat because he is one and the same symbol. 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 ugly beast's head expresses the horror of the sinner, whose materially acting, solely responsible part has to bear the punishment exclusively; because the soul is insensitive according to its nature and can only suffer when it materializes. 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. Humanity is represented by the two breasts and the androgyn arms of this sphinx of the occult sciences."
Bahomet as the Goat of Mendes. Levi called his image “the Baphomet of Mendes”, presumably following Herodotus' account that the god of Mendes was depicted with a goat's face and legs. However the deity was actually a ram deity Banebdjed (lit. Ba of the lord of djed, and titled "the Lord of Mendes"), who was the Ba of Osiris. Levi combined the images of the Tarot of Marseilles Devil card and refigured the ram of Banebdjed, worshipped in the city of Mendes, the Greek name of ancient Djedet in Egypt, as a he-goat, imagined as “copulator in Anep and inseminator in the district of Mendes”.
Couple of other interesting pieces of info I found. Baphomet is a pagan fertility god associated with the creative force of reproduction. Ceremonies in honor of Baphomet include encircling his ram/goat head and chanting prayers honoring the creative magic of sexual union, one of the most powerful forces in the universe. Many of the pagan sexual rites were in honor of Baphomet and the magic of bringing life to the planet, the most revered "miracle" in existence.
The cornucopia was also a pagan symbol that represented Baphomet's horn and when filled with fruit or food, was an offering to Baphomet called "the horn of plenty." Sure puts a new twist on Thanksgiving dosen't it. So with this newfound knowledge I can and do add Bahomet to the list of deities that have been turned into a Scapegoat unjustly. Furthermore I openly say I would count myself as one of Bahomet's followers.
Now the only bad stuff I found on Bahomet was this. A different interpretation of Baphomet is given by the Satanic group the Order of Nine Angles. According to the ONA, Baphomet is female, and is depicted as a beautiful mature woman, naked from the waist up, who holds in her hand the severed head of a bearded man. "The name of Baphomet is regarded by Traditional Satanists as meaning "the mistress (or mother) of blood" - the (Satanic) Mistress who sometimes washes in the blood of her foes and whose hands are thereby stained. Allegedly, 7,000 years ago a civilization known as Albion had various rites associated with a Dark Goddess who was known as “Baphomet.”
