Blog, Occult Tarot
Glasya-Labolas
May
Glasya-Labolas
“In demonology, Glasya-Labolas is a mighty President (and Earl to other authors) of Hell who commands thirty-six legions of demons. He teaches all arts and sciences, in an instant, tells all things past and to come, and is the author and captain of manslaughter and bloodshed. He causes the love of both friends and foes, if desired, and can make a man invisible. He is depicted as a dog with the wings of an eagle.”
Source: Wikipedia
Glasya-Labolas, the demon of manslaughter and bloodshed
In my own deck of cards, I have given Glasya-Labolas the 3 of Swords due to its association with pain – this demon’s offices revolve around sowing pain between human beings. In order to stay true to the Occult Tarot deck however, I will give him the 7 of Wands. Like the other items within this thread, the goal is to choose one card per day to provide inspiration and wisdom. The hope is also for one of our beloved demons to respond to me.
The Swords are usually associated with the element of air. This is a masculine element associated with intellect and masculinity. Swords have a phallic shape that is thought to correlate with the penetrative nature of intellect. It has however also been associated with misfortune, discrimination, and sorrow. Thus, the occurrence of this suit in a reading can have a variety of interpretations either positive or negative.
Air archetypes are associated with being authoritative, forceful, powerful, strong, or courageous. Given that air is intangible yet universally acknowledged as a potent phenomenon, the implication here is of underlying strength. When it comes to the 7 of Wands these individuals usually have to draw upon their inner strength to overcome challenges or adversity in order to get ahead in life. Alternatively, they may be called forth to protect their interests.
The 7 of Wands is another tarot card that belongs to the Minor Arcana. When it occurs upright in a reading, it is taken to mean competition, challenges, perseverance, or protection. If it is reversed in the reading however, it means giving up, becoming overwhelmed, or even tiredness. I refer to this card as the “Fortitude Card” because of its association with standing ones ground in the face of challenges or adversity.
The card depicts a man sitting on top of a hill. The man holds a wand in each hand and wards off other wands that sprout from below. The man appears to be defending his possessions or achievements. He wears different types of shoes on either foot thus indicating that the adversity which faces him caught him by surprise – he was unprepared for the challenges which the wands sprouting from below present.
The Demon
Glasya-Labolas is another of the fallen angels who fell from grace after rebelling against the heavenly authorities. He is listed in the Ars Goetia as the 25th of the 72 spirits of King Solomon. Glasya-Labolas is ranked as a Great President in the hellish realm. The demon has dominion over 36 legions of lesser demons that do his bidding.
Not much is known about this demon when he still in heaven. There is also no information about this demon from ancient mythologies of the early Middle Eastern or ancient Graeco-Roman cultures. Glasya-Labolas can however be found in several grimoires such as the Pseudomonarchia Daemonum and the Dictionnaire Infernal.
It is plausible that this demon has Jewish or Abrahamic origins because of his listing in the Ars Goetia among the spirits of King Solomon – the king is one of the founders of the Jewish culture hence the correlation. Not much else is known regarding Glasya-Labolas and this is a running theme with the majority of demons.
Glasya-Labolas appears as a dog with the wings of an eagle – some accounts report that his wings are those of a griffin. There are no mentions of whether he assumes a human shape or maintains this monstrous appearance. The Great Grimoire reports him to be a sergeant who is sometimes mounted to Nebiros.
Note – this demon appears to be malevolent because he inspires human beings to commit murder or sow bloodshed. He should therefore be left to the most experienced conjurors lest he leads the novice conjuror astray.
The Message
Should I prepare for conflict? Should I strive on?
It is my belief that Glasya-Labolas can be a useful ally to the conjuror. He can provide a competitive advantage especially when his offices of teaching and divinity are considered – he can tell of all things past, present, and future. He is also capable of inspiring murder and bloodshed when it comes to his malevolent tendencies. He can therefore be a useful tool for protection or attacking one’s enemies when the need arises. In this way, you can harness his powers in order to achieve favorable outcomes.
If the 7 of Wands appeared upright in my readings, I would immediately begin to take precautions against oncoming conflict. The implication for competition or challenges means you have to take care to avoid being overcome. Therefore, there is need to expect conflict or adversity from any direction even from close affiliates. If it was reversed however, I would double my efforts in anything I am interested in to prevent the risk of exhaustion or giving up before I have attained my larger goals.
Glasya-Labolas can prove a useful ally when attempting to ward off competition or overcome challenges such as conflict. He can marshall his 36 legions of demons to provide protection or additional help when the need arises. He can also teach subjects which will help the conjuror to broaden their base of knowledge. By inspiring violence and murder, he can be a useful ally to target enemies who threaten similar outcomes. However, you have to take care with him because of his murderous tendencies.
The tarot readings and symbolism stated here are all subjective and open to interpretation. We would love to know what you think of the 7 of Wands and Glasya-Labolas. Leave us a comment in the section below!
References
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glasya-Labolas
https://occult-world.com/glasya-labolas/
https://www.biddytarot.com/tarot-card-meanings/minor-arcana/suit-of-swords/
https://tarotelements.com/tarot-card-meanings/suit-of-swords/
https://www.biddytarot.com/tarot-card-meanings/minor-arcana/suit-of-wands/seven-of-wands/
