Astaroth

#1

I've heard reference to this name in two very different places, first in the Disney film Bedknobs & Broomsticks, and the Mercyful Fate song At the Sound of the Demon Bell. In both these references appears some sort of magikal theme, leaning towards dark sinister things used for power.

In the first case, Angela Landsbury's character uses the spell "Substitiary Locomotion" ("Tracuna macoides tracorum saytesti") as written on the Stars of Astaroth medallion, to cause animate armour and other objects to drive out a Nazi invasion.

In the second case, King Diamond is singing something about an ancient saint rising from a grave on Halloween, and while swinging his "sword of hate towards the gates of Heaven", he says "Beelzebub, Astaroth, bring me the Devil!" There is also a reference to Satan (ie falling from God), in the line "Upon a burning cross/The Lord Jesus, Satan's above/ It must be a shame/To see the Lord falling again".

Now who actually was Astaroth? Is he another guise of the Devil created by pompous Catholics, such as "Satan", "Lucifer" etc. where although they are all bad guys (or girls), but are loosely connected only by Catholic rumours? What does s/he do/did? etc. etc. etc.

Thank you,
Pete.

#2

Again, another excellent discussion topic...

The teacher should be along shortly... /:D" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":D" border="0" alt=":D" />

My first guess is to figure that by breaking the name down to its literal roots, we can find a meaning...My first guess, as the word almost always describes a very dark character, is a minion of someone who represents evil, or the opposition of someone or something considered good...

There is no Astaroth in the dictionary, but the root of the word is Hebrew, and lends itself to another diety...So, I may indeed be on the right track...

#3

oh yes, Astaroth..

Astaroth is a proto-Hebrew name.

The ancient root is, Ayin Shin Resh, Ashar - "to be rich or wealthy" "to make rich"

The immediate root is Ayin Shin Tau Resh Heh, Ashtoraw - "increase" (as a noun, means bounty, or "profit") "flock"

Finally, we come to Ayin Shin Tau Resh Vau Tau - Ashtahroth. This word is the plural of Ashtoraw.

Biblically speaking Ashtaroth was a prosperous city in Bashan, east of Jordan. It was given to the half tribe of Manasseh.

The error is made in Judah 2:13, where it is written:
And they forsook the LORD, and served Baal and Ashtaroth.

It should say "And they forsook THE LORD, and served the Baal of Ashtaroth; that is the Patron god of the Proseprous City. Most cities in Canaan had their own land, and their own god. A few cities latched onto other Gods from other cities, but in Canaan, God worship descended from Ancestor worship. This was simply not understood by the Hebrews, though as the myth of Abraham strengthened in the fledgling religion, it became more prominent.

So, by Samuel 7:3, Ashtaroth becomes a full-fledged competition to the god of the Herbrews, in the hands of the pagans.

Cities have their spirits, its undeniable. Go to New York, Chicago, San Francisco, Tokyo... The spirits of Ashtoroth were like lady Lucks. Some hypothesize these were actual prostitutes who channeled fortune into the lives of those they took as lovers. I'll leave that up to speculation. These spirits were revered and appeased by the Canaanites, while they were demonized by the Jews. By time of Pseudo-Dionysus, cities were the manifestation of Principalities of Heaven, and not all of them were good. This easily explain the trend. By time, Johan Weir was writing Pseudomarchia Daemonium, the precursor for the modern Lemegeton or "Key of Solomon" Astoroth was seen as a Prince of other demons, (named after the cities suburbs) who could be used to use the Mazloth (Zodiac) to find fortune in one's life quite easily. As a result, the aesthtic monks regarded this as "EVIL" because all things carnal were evil, especially whores and easy money - and all things that were based on bad translation other than THEIR BAD TRANSLATION were wrong.

the whole thing is silly. Women and stars are used as symbols of good fortune worldwide, and it began with Ashtaroth. Even the star of the Nativity is a drawback to the same concept as Asthtaroth.

As ol-Blue Eyes said "Luck, be a lady tonight."

vertical,
raum

#4

Ha, it's funny how things can get so blown out of proportion!

Paraphrasing what you just said Charles: Those monks didn't like people getting rich the easy way, they thought if it as evil power, and thus cast it down as another symbol of their demonic enemy.

This reminds me of another program I saw by anthroplogoist Richard Rudgley (I think that's his name), called Pagans.

"Pagans" technically are country folk, but whatever they believed in and practiced, was regarded as evil by Christian monks. They regaled sightings of Pagan festivals and practices as outrageous and immoral, such as the overblown foul claim that a man had sex with a horse............Just one of many ridiculous examples....

Now that's another topic....

#5

pagan

now THERE's a loaded word!

#6

Hmm, I was just googling for images of the Hexagram, and found a site that said along being called the "King Solomon's Seal", it was also called the "Star of David".

And, that it was believed to bring good luck.

A lucky star that wards off demons ("Begone! Evil One!")- now how & why on earth did that rile up the stauched Catholic monks?

#7

Pete,

For Clarity.

the Hexagram image is called by the Jews the "Magen David;" The Shield of David. not the star.

It's symbolism is the six directions (North, South, East, West, Above, Below.) reinforced in various tenets of the Hebrew Faith, and the Qabala. The perspective of this being a two dimensional representation of a three-dimensional cube has its place as well.

The triangle was the basis of the kind of armor called Jazerant. It's hard to find online... and most sources are video games, or such. The armor that looks like scales is Jazerant Basically triangle could be over-laid to create flexibility and added layers of protection. When the plates were on the inside of the suit, it was called brigadine, because it looked like you had no armor (like wearing a vest under plainclothes.) On the inside of brigadine, the plates would be rectangular, and reinforced on the ribs.

However older is the triangles could overlap on a piece of hardened and cured hide, form a shield. The strategy was to not affix the points of the trinagles, which all converged in the center. Instead, a large spike or grommet could be centered on the shiled. When you try to hit the shield, your weapon gets caught at an angle, and the guy has you pegged for kebab, and you can't get your sword free. This is the reason for the curve of the scimitar and later, the falcion and sabre..

The Chiral is formed when the Trinagles appear to interlock, and they have an esoteric meaning developed by Qabalists. Chir = "Life, extended to offspirng and shared with spouse" (so, life as a bond of family, which is the word "Chiray"), Al is "God." This is a symbol of the life that God breathed into Adam, which gives us dominion over even the angels. This is the blood test that proves our lineage. It also reinforced the name formulated from the name of the God of Moses: YHVH. Y the father, H the mother, V, the son, and Heh the daugher. The daughter is the mother before the time of her womanhood. And after the son has coupled with someone else's daughter who has achieved womanhood, he becomes a father.

It is in this secret that there is hidden the mystery of human sexuality, both as a Tantric symbol of Sex as worship, and sex as power of success, and sex as the means to create a family to share it with, and to enjoy the prosperity of your legacy. It is this authority by which the magician calls forth and subjugates the fallen.

This is the basis of the Siggilum Salomonis, "The Seal of Solomon" by which he bid the demons build the Temple of God. there is also in its structure the precautions to heed so you do not abuse it.

The oldest teachings about the nature of the cube and its relation to the hexagram remain Taoist and significance of the family, and are generally not known are are available two ways; Intiation into a lineage, or (my way) the Mystery of Universal knowledge. Let the Tao be your guide in this.... These teachings can be dangerous if not given proper treatment, and I would avise serious study before their exploration. The linguistics points that the "Chia" spirits of the Taoist wizards certainly were the core of the teachings of the Chiral, but the lanuguage barrier can be cumbersome, unless you have a edge.

In generally occult philosophy, the Pentagram is the Elements and signifies "Microcosm", the Hexagram is the Planets, and signifies the "Macrocosm." You use the pentagram to refine your nature before you ever employ the Hexagram to command the world to deliver to your your rightful inheritance as the inheritor of the Life of God.

The interlocking triangles was a "esoteric mystery foun din many cultures. It was especially promoted among the Grimoire tradition which developed out of various sources an influences...

It also bears that the original "seal of solomon" is historically indicated to be a "Pentalpha" so it bears much of this isgnificance was historically contrived, which does not necessarily mean it's not valid.

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(hey pete, see the difference?)