Blog, Demons, Occult Tarot
Balam: the Knowledgeable
Jul
“Balam is a great and powerful king (to some authors a duke or a prince) of Hell who commands over forty legions of demons. He gives perfect answers on things past, present, and to come, and can also make men invisible and witty. Balam is depicted as being three-headed. One head is the head of a bull, the second of a man, and the third of a ram. He has flaming eyes and the tail of a serpent. He carries a hawk on his fist and rides a strong bear.”
Source: Wikipedia
Demons to Assist with Divination
In my personal deck of cards, I have allocated Balam the 9 of Rods. I must make a note that in the occult tarot deck of cards, the author has assigned the page of ones to the demo Balam.
When path-working with this demon, I have concentrated on making use of his office which works to tell of things past, present, and future. He is also capable of making a man invisible or witty if they so desire. Besides his role in my divination, it is my hope that someday Balam will leave me a message.
The hawk usually symbolizes intuition or higher vision which is beyond ordinary human capabilities. With Balam, there is a desire to know more than the confines of human knowledge or to become intuitive beyond human nature. They indicate an expansion of wisdom and intellect which is consistent with the position of the messengers of the spiritual world.
Hawk archetypes are usually associated with expanded wisdom and insight that is beyond ordinary human reckoning. This expanded knowledge presents something of an advantage to the conjuror as they are able to make meaning of things that casually bypass other ordinary human beings. There is a desire to know more and to make meanings of things that would otherwise go unnoticed. When hawk archetypes make use of their competitive advantage, you have to be careful!
The 9 of Rods in a reading indicates resilience in the face of adversity. It depicts an injured man clutching a rod and looking over his shoulder. It means that you or another person may have to exercise caution in order to prevent the reoccurrence of a problem or adverse situation. When this card is revealed in a reading, I often feel compelled to watch my back for any unseen adversaries.
The Demon
Balam is the fifty-first spirit. He appears in the form of a naked man riding atop a black bear. He carries aloft a black hawk and wears a crown on his head. There are depictions of this demon being three-headed with one head being a bull, another of a man, and the last one a ram. Balam has a range of abilities which the mage can make use of. He can make one invisible upon their wish as well as tell of matters past, present, and future. He is a mighty and powerful king with dominion over forty legions of lesser demons. As an angel, he previously belonged to the angelic order of dominions.
Significant symbol – Hawk
This demon’s origins can be traced back to Christianity as he is not mentioned within ancient Graeco-Roman mythology or Middle Eastern lore. As an angelic entity, he previously belonged to the order of dominions. His symbol of the hawk shows his insight and ability to see beyond the limits that mortal eyes are bound to. This is consistent with his office that allows him to see the past, present, and future.
Balam is shown holding aloft a hawk thus indicating his superior intellect and ability to see beyond human confines. Riding atop a strong bear and holding a hawk in his hands shows the potency which this demon has in occultism. The bear and hawk are considerable beasts that figuratively show the sheer power which Balam has among demons.
Note – You can make sacrifices to Balam which he often readily accepts.
The Message
What lesson am I missing right now? It is necessary that I consider this question and take action.
I feel Balam comes as an indicator of lessons to be learnt if one is to move on in life. He is also here to reveal to me things that are unseen by the mortal eye. He is also capable of helping one to achieve invisibility as well as wittiness if they so wish.
If there is a lesson to be learnt in the past, it will only repeat itself until it has been learnt fully. This is perhaps indicative of the cyclic nature of past, present, and future. Seeing him in a reading therefore means one has to take stock of everything going on in their life in order to get a clue of what they could be missing.
If the lesson has previously occurred in the past and is learnt by the conjuror, then they become more knowledgeable and aware of on-goings in their life. When path-working with Balam, I will simply inquire what I am missing in my life. In 2 to 3 weeks, I believe I will receive a response with the lesson becoming apparent to me. If I do not receive a response, I will take it to mean that there are no lessons that have taken place in the past that I have missed.
His knowledge of things past, present, and future is obviously useful within divination. For example, Balam can be asked whether a patient recovers from illness or even whether one will receive good fortune with a particular undertaking.
Balam is also capable of granting the conjuror invisibility if they so wish. He can also be called forth in order to make the conjuror witty if they desire.
This demon is indifferent towards human beings and cannot be thought of as malevolent or benevolent. Most demons are this way because they cannot be bothered with the affairs of mortals and Balam is no different.
Let us know what you think of Balam and the 9 of Rods.
All readings are open to interpretation and you can share your opinion with us in the comment section below.
Image is the property of BWC
References:
https://kashgar.com.au/blogs/gods-goddesses/a-compendium-of-demons
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Balam_(demon)
https://blackwitchcoven.comdemons/balam/
