Blog, Occult Tarot
Barbatos
May
Barbatos
“In demonology, Barbatos is an earl and duke of Hell, ruling thirty legions of demons and with four kings as his companions to command his legions. He can speak to animals, tell the future, conciliate friends and rulers, and lead men to treasure hidden by the enchantment of magicians. His name derives from Latin barbatus, meaning ‘bearded’. He is the 8th demon in The Lesser Key of Solomon, while Pseudomonarchia Daemonum lists him as the 6th demon. He is also mentioned in Grand Grimoire as a subordinate of Satanchia. The zodiac sign associated with him is Aries.”
Source: Wikipedia
Barbatos: The Eight Goetia Demon
In my personal deck of cards, I have given Barbatos the 6 of Wands due to its association with the office of recognition. However, in being true to the Occult Tarot deck I will give him the 10 of Pentacles. Once again, I hope that writing this thread will help me in the selection of one card which can provide wisdom and inspiration on the chosen day. I also hope that one of the demons we adore here at the coven can respond to my efforts.
The Suit of Pentacles corresponds to the element of earth. Here, the association is with material possessions and other things of a worldly nature. Interactions with the element of earth usually have human beings existing in different scenarios when it comes to health, property, wealth, family, work, business, et cetera. Therefore, it is these intangibles which are considered whenever the element of earth is evoked within practice.
Pentacle Archetypes are a decidedly materialistic lot. This group is almost always concerned with achievements, accomplishments, and doing better than the next person. It is no wonder they can become impulsive or impetuous as they strive to get ahead in life. For this reason, they often make the mistake of becoming engrossed in worldly things to the point that their success is hampered. Thus, they have to control these urges when it comes to the 10 of Pentacles.
The 10 of Pentacles is another tarot card that can be found in the Minor Arcana. This card is usually read as meaning wealth, financial security, long term success, contribution, or even family when it appears upright in a reading. When it is reversed however, it usually means financial failure, loss, or the darker aspects of wealth. I refer to this card as the “Wealth Card” because it panders to both of its readings whether upright or reversed.
The 10 of Pentacles depicts an old white haired man sitting with royal attire in the form of a decorated robe. The man has two loyal dogs sitting at his feet while a young couple stands nearby. The man and the couple are situated in a great courtyard with various depictions of family such as flags and emblems. It is the accomplishments of the old man which he has amassed throughout his lifetime that shares with the younger couple presumably his progeny.
The Demon
Barbatos is another of the fallen angels that were trapped by King Solomon and bound to a brass vessel. He is listed as the 8th of the 72 demons found in the Ars Goetia – however, the Pseudomonarchia Daemonum places him as the 6th of these 72 demons. Barbatos has 30 legions of lesser demons serving under his command at all times. Some accounts also report Barbatos as being a subordinate of Satanachia.
Like the majority of other demons, there is not much information to go by when it comes to Barbatos. As an angelic entity, Barbatos previously belonged to the order of virtues. His origins are difficult to determine because he cannot be found in old mythologies. There are no mentions of him in early Middle Eastern accounts or ancient Graeco-Roman texts. Therefore, we are only left to conclude that he has Abrahamic or Jewish origins because he belongs to the Ars Goetia.
This demon appears as a humanoid entity when the sun is in the zodiac of Sagittarius. He appears alongside 4 kings and at least 3 troops of lesser demons. There is nothing monstrous about his appearance – it is also unknown why his name loosely translates to “bearded” when the majority of his depictions showing him having a hairless face. Furthermore, the majority of depictions show him as resembling a young man perhaps even a boy.
Note – there is no way of knowing whether Barbatos is malevolent, benign, or indifferent towards human beings. The meaning here is that he should be left only to the most experienced of conjurors to attempt to conjure him.
The Message
Does the future hold promise for me? Should I take more caution with my finances?
It is my belief that Barbatos is a demon who can be a useful ally to the conjuror if they are able to summon him properly and show the necessary respect. His most valuable offices are the currying of favor with people in influential positions or even reconciling feuding friends. The demon is also capable of teaching a wide variety of subjects as well as performing divinity. Each of these offices can be leveraged by the conjuror in order to get ahead in life.
If my reading was upright for the 10 of Pentacles, I will begin to feel optimistic of impending wealth or success. If it was reversed however, I will begin to take caution in order to prevent myself from coming to financial ruin – ordinarily, I will double my efforts at work while taking great care to monitor my own performances. In a week or so, I should experience either of the effects of the reading whether positive or negative.
Within the same time frame, Barbatos should respond to the tarot reading especially through path working. In the first instance, he should be able to reveal opportunities that were previously hidden. Alternatively, he can help to incur favor or reconcile me with people of power thereby increasing my chances of success. If I do not experience any of these then I usually assume that the opportunity has passed or is yet to come.
All the tarot readings and the symbolism are open to interpretation. Let us know what you think of Barbatos and the 10 of Pentacles card. We’d love to hear from you!
References
https://www.biddytarot.com/tarot-card-meanings/minor-arcana/suit-of-pentacles/ten-of-pentacles/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barbatos
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_demons_in_the_Ars_Goetia
https://occult-world.com/barbatos/
