Astaroth

Astaroth is a powerful entity within the realm of demonology who can offer considerable assistance in a variety of human matters, from decision-making and emotional guidance to influencing relationships and navigating legal situations.

Astaroth is a well-known demon often associated with knowledge, influence, and manipulation in various forms of demonology, particularly within the Goetia, part of the Lesser Key of Solomon. As a Grand Duke of Hell, Astaroth is believed to possess significant powers that can assist individuals in various human matters.

Here are several ways Astaroth can be perceived to help in practical situations:

1. Knowledge and Wisdom

• Access to Secret Knowledge: Astaroth is regarded as a source of deep knowledge, particularly in matters of philosophy, life, and moral complexities. Practitioners might seek his guidance to gain clarity on difficult decisions or to understand complex situations.
• Learning and Insight: He may assist individuals in acquiring new skills or understanding intricate subjects, aiding in study and personal development.

2. Influence and Persuasion

• Gaining Favor: Astaroth is known for his ability to influence individuals, making him valuable for those seeking to gain favor with others, particularly in social or professional situations.
• Negotiation and Diplomacy: Practitioners may invoke Astaroth to foster negotiation skills and to help sway opinions or resolve conflicts favorably.

3. Decision-Making Support

• Assessing Situations: Astaroth can provide insights that assist in weighing options and making informed choices. His influence may help practitioners feel more confident in their decisions.
• Clearing Mental Blockages: Invoking Astaroth might help to clarify thoughts, dispel confusion, and improve focus, making it easier to navigate challenging circumstances.

4. Emotional Guidance

• Understanding Motivations: Astaroth can help individuals understand their own emotional responses as well as the emotions and motivations of others, enabling better interpersonal relationships.
• Addressing Inner Conflicts: He may assist in confronting and resolving internal struggles, making it easier for practitioners to align their actions with their true desires and needs.

5. Support in Legal Matters

• Insight into Justice: Astaroth may be called upon for his knowledge of legal matters, aiding practitioners in understanding their rights and navigating legal systems.
• Influencing Decision-Makers: His powers of influence and persuasion can be particularly useful when seeking favorable outcomes in court or negotiations.

6. Action and Change

• Driving Change: By invoking Astaroth, practitioners might gain the inner strength and determination needed to make significant changes in their personal or professional lives.
• Overcoming Obstacles: Astaroth’s influence can help individuals identify and overcome barriers in their path, whether they are internal fears or external challenges.

Astaroth is also associated with cursing and influencing situations negatively as well as positively. This duality in his attributes can be utilized based on the practitioner’s intentions and desired outcomes.

Below are more details regarding Astaroth in the context of cursing and causing conflict, as well as how to invoke him specifically for these purposes:

Astaroth: Cursing and Causing Conflict

1. Influential Manipulation:
   • Power Over Others: Astaroth’s abilities include influencing thoughts and actions in others, which can be harnessed to incite conflict or provoke negative feelings between individuals.
   • Disruption: In curses, Astaroth can be invoked to cause discord, confusion, or strife, whether in personal relationships, professional settings, or broader conflicts.
2. Knowledge of Secrets:
   • Astaroth can provide insights into the weaknesses of a target, allowing the practitioner to craft more effective curses or manipulative tactics that align with their intent.
3. Strategic Thinking:
   • With his connection to war tactics and strategy, Astaroth can assist in planning how to unsettle or provoke an adversary, enhancing the effectiveness of the practitioner’s efforts.

How to Summon Astaroth for Cursing

Materials Needed

• Sigil of Astaroth: Prepare or draw his sigil, which will be used as a focal point during the summoning.
• Candles: Use black or red candles to symbolize the intent to bring forth conflict or negative influence.
• Incense: Choose strong-smelling incense like myrrh or dragon’s blood for protection and empowerment.
• Altar Setup: Create a space for the ritual that includes the sigil, candles, and offerings, symbolizing your intent for the curse.

Steps for Cursing with Astaroth

1. Preparation:
   • Set up a quiet, undisturbed space for the ritual. Cleanse the area to remove any negative energies.
2. Centering Yourself:
   • Ground yourself and focus your intention. Reflect on the specific conflict or negative outcome you wish to create.
3. Lighting Candles and Incense:
   • Light the candles and burn the incense to establish the atmosphere for your workings. Allow the scents to fill your space and enhance your concentration.
4. Reciting the Invocation:
   • Call upon Astaroth with a clear and deliberate invocation that reflects your intention. An example might be:
   "Astaroth, Grand Duke of Hell,
   I summon you to bring turmoil and disharmony.
   Inspire conflict where it is needed,
   Let my will manifest through your power."
   

5. Focusing on Your Intent:
   • Visualize the specifics of the conflict you wish to incite. Imagine the dynamics shifting according to your desire, reinforcing your intention with emotional energy.
6. Offering:
   • Present an offering on your altar as a sign of respect. This could be an item that symbolizes your intent or simple gestures of gratitude towards Astaroth.
7. Closing the Ritual:
   • Once the energetic work is completed, express gratitude to Astaroth for his assistance. Close the ritual respectfully by extinguishing the candles and grounding the energy.
8. Grounding:
   • Engage in grounding activities afterward, such as breathing exercises or consuming food, to stabilize your energy and return to a balanced state.

Correspondences

• Goetia Demon #29
• Direction: West; North; Southwest “Astaroth is my north” – BWS
• Zodiac Position: 10-20 degrees of Capricorn; Taurus 25-29
• December 31st-January 9th ; May 15-20
• Tarot Card:
  • 3 of Pentacles
  • *others say the Ace of Cups
  • Occult Tarot Deck – Justice Card
• Planet: Venus
• Candle Color:
  • Brown or Green
  • others say red & blue (1)
• Animal: Cobra or Viper
• Metal: Copper
• Qlipha: Gamchicoth (Jupiter) (adverse forces) according to later Kabbalistic texts.
• Element of Earth * (Some say South)
• Rank:
  • Goetia – Grand Duke of the Western Regions of Hell;
  • “Crowned Princess”
  • Astaroth is one of the Three Superior Spirits along with Lucifer and Beelzebub.
• Astaroth rules 40 legions of spirits, and each of these spirits may have hundreds of spirits under their command as well.
  • Inferiors: Lepaca, Apolhun, Nebiros, Amon, Pruslas, Sargatanas, Barbatos
• Day Demon/ess
• Astaroth is also The Treasurer of Hell
• Country or Continent: America
• Day: Wednesday

Suggested Offerings:

Ruby, Cinquefoil, Vervain, Mugwort, Emerald, Copper, Beryl, Lemon, Sandalwood, Dragon’s Wort, Mauve, Juniper

Ability/Skills/Gifts:

• Astaroth is a Guidance Counselor for both Demons and humans.
• Astaroth greatly assists with our human affairs

Goddess of love and war, embodied in the two aspects of the planet Venus—as Evening Star, She brings lovers to celebration and bed; and as the Morning Star, She brings the fiery sword of War.

In Love – As Goddess of love and sex, she is the force that draws mates together and brings fertility, both for humans and animals. She is Goddess of courtesans, and She Herself took many lovers.

Demonic Enn:

Tasa Alora Foren Astaroth

Astaroth’s Sigil

Astaroth – The clusters of three dots at the points of the star of her sigil are extremely ancient and denote her high spiritual rank.

Astaroth’s seal (according to The Lesser Key of Solomon)Her sigil also depicts important points of the human soul, as can be seen from the Venus glyph with the inverted cross symbolizing the all-important solar chakra and the pillars of the soul on each side.

Seal of Astaroth

In the Lesser Key of Solomon, the seal is always represented as such.

These days, some people prefer not to use the two circles around sigil, as some feel it represents Solomons’s containment of the Demon.

Appearance:

Dutch demonologist Johann Weyer also described Astaroth in his Pseudomonarchia Daemonum (1577) thus:

“Astaroth is a great and a strong duke, coming forth in the shape of a foul angel, sitting upon an infernal dragon, and carrying on his right hand a viper”

 

Known by 100 names through time

Astaroth may also be known by other names and faces around the world.

• to the Canaanites as ASTARTE
• to the Sumerians she was known as Inanna, Anatolian Kybele
• to the Babylonians, she was known as Ishtar
• to the Assyrians and the Akkadians, ASHTART, ASHTORETH, ASHERAH, and ASTORETH,
• to the Egyptians, ISIS, ASHET, AND ASET,
• to the Phoenicians, she was known as Asherat or Ashtoreth
• to the Greek Astarte and, Anat, Aphrodite
• In the Orisha legends of Africa, Yemayá originated in Egypt as the Goddess Isis. It is thought by some that the Nubian slaves who returned to different parts of Africa may have brought Isis with them under the new name of Yemayá.

Yemayá is the mother of all living things. She is the goddess of fertility who resides in the ocean and gave birth to the stars and moons. She rules over motherhood and owns the earth and waters.

She is known to be a protective, fruitful and nurturing mother but kills anyone who tries to harm her children. Orisha Yemaya gives children to the barren and offers support to those who worship her.

Yemayá goes by a number of different names including Queen of Witches, Mother of Fishes, The Constantly Changing Woman, The Ocean Mother, Mother of Dreams and Secrets, Mother of Pearl, and Yemayá-Olokun. Yemayá’s counterpart in Vodoun is called Lasiren, the mermaid.

Male or Female?

The name Astaroth was ultimately derived from that of 2nd millennium BCE Phoenician goddess Astarte, an equivalent of the Babylonian Ishtar, and the earlier Sumerian Inanna.

She is mentioned in the Hebrew Bible in the forms Ashtoreth (singular) and Ashtaroth (plural, in reference to multiple statues of her). This latter form was directly transliterated in the early Greek and Latin versions of the Bible, where it was less apparent that it had been a plural feminine in Hebrew.

Commonly you will read that Astaroth is a male demon. But don’t get yourself all worked up on this point. The name “Astaroth” as a male demon is first known from The Book of Abramelin, purportedly written in Hebrew c. 1458, and recurred in most occult grimoires of the following centuries.

Astaroth also features as an archdemon associated with the Qliphoth (adverse forces) according to later Kabbalistic texts.

You will have your own experience with Astaroth and determine such matters for yourself. Some people will see or feel Astaroth as a male and some as a female.

Almost all of Black WItch Coven members and students experience Astaroth as a female spirit. For those of us who work with Astaroth, we see the Goddess in her female form only, and not the evil or demonic profile depicted in the grimoires.

The traditional books in demonology will see Astaroth as a male demon

Astaroth (also Ashtaroth, Astarot and Asteroth), in demonology, is the Great Duke of Hell, in the first hierarchy with Beelzebub and Lucifer; he is part of the evil trinity.

Whatever influence led to the creation of the male demon Astaroth, thinkers of the 17th century were certainly aware of the paradox. John Selden wrote a meditation on the idea of Astaroth-Ashtoreth as a gender-fluid deity who could be worshipped as either sex(3).

Milton in Paradise Lost:

“Of Baalim and Ashtaroth those male,
These Feminine. For Spirits when they please
Can either Sex assume, or both…
Came Astoreth, whom Phoenicians call’d
Astarte, Queen of Heav’n, with crescent Horns;
To whose bright Image nightly by the Moon
Sidonian Virgins paid thir Vows and Songs,
In Sion also not unsung, where stood
Her Temple on th’ offensive Mountain, built
By that Uxorious King, whose heart though large,
Beguil’d by fair Idolatresses, fell
To idols foul…”

Honoring Astaroth in Modern Magick

Basic Ritual: Ritual Preparation and Invocation

To work with Astaroth for assistance in human matters, practitioners typically follow a structured approach:

1. Setting Intentions: Clearly define what help is sought from Astaroth, whether it’s knowledge, influence, or guidance on a specific issue.
2. Creating Sacred Space: Prepare an altar with Astaroth’s sigil, candles, and offerings. This helps in creating a conducive environment for the ritual.
3. Invocation: Utilize an invocation that respectfully calls upon Astaroth, clearly stating your intention.
4. Focus: Engage in focused meditation or visualization, concentrating on the desired outcome while feeling connected to Astaroth’s energy.
5. Gratitude: Always express gratitude after the ritual, showing respect for Astaroth’s assistance.

Basic Honouring

While there are many ways to honor a spirit, God, Goddess, deity, Demon, etc, the best way is to do so is publicly.

In 2017,  Astaroth’s sigil was layered into the BWC Sigil, as the ultimate sign of love, respect, and appreciation for all the knowledge, protection, and success Astaroth has provided over the years.

You don’t need to have custom talisman created to honor your demon.

Some people honor their spirit with poetry, writing blogs, creating amazing graphics, painting pictures, or even sculpture. You could do a video, and post it on YouTube!

If you’re not artistically inclined, or perhaps a little more introverted, don’t stress, as you can honor spirit by setting up an altar in your home, and give offerings that your spirit might enjoy.

If you don’t know what that is because you haven’t learned the art of connecting with the spirit yet, then simply have a sigil of the demon or spirit on the altar, have a candle that you etched the sigil of the Demon into the candle, and perhaps some flowers, or wine/water etc. And then talk to the spirit about how grateful you are!

This day and age we had endless possibilities to share the truth on who these ancient spirits are and what they can do to better our lives in the here and now

 

If you would like to construct an altar to Ashtoreth, the candle colour you would use would be magenta or purple, and a good image for her, whether it be in the form of a picture or statue would be of a woman warrior.

When I was in the process of creating her altar, there happened to be a dagger with a beautiful woman warrior on the sheath and on the handle in the glass case at the store. I had never seen anything like it anywhere before. She had chosen her own dagger and made sure I was in the right place to purchase it.

Her altar is in my bedroom and since she often visits me in dreams, I knew that was the best place for it.(1)

 

Advanced Advice on offerings from Savannah:

Before the modern religions took over, the way we honored our gods and goddesses was very different. The church, taking from the pagan system once again, modified the giving of flesh and blood, by eating a piece of bread, which represents Christ’s body, and by drinking a small amount of wine, which represents Christ’s blood. However there is something that the church cannot copy and paste into their system, and that is the offering of sexual energy.

Sex wasn’t seen as taboo by our pagan ancestors. There was no judgment on who you had sex with, (and as I’m writing this I’m hoping that you’re reading it with some level of common sense.)

 

Traditional Pagan Offerings to Astaroth

It is strictly a sexual offering which is required, however, I will not go into details as this is a public space, so I will quote you some historic passages and you will know what to do. These practices were exactly the offerings made to the gods at the time before the modern religious system took over eg 2000 years ago. Our pagan religions of the ancient near east shared a common feature – we worshiped a Mother goddess.

In Ashtoreth’s worship services, male worshipers had anal sex with priests and priestesses of the goddess. This was viewed as an offering to the fertility goddess. The priests and male prostitutes, who were consecrated to her cult were called qadesh, qedishim or sodomites

• Anal sex between male and male worshipers and male and female worshipers was viewed as an offering to the goddess (Astaroth)

“Fertility rites were practised at the numerous shrines which dotted the land, as well as at the major sanctuaries… A characteristic feature of the fertility cult was sacral sexual intercourse by priests and priestesses and other specially consecrated persons, sacred prostitutes of both sexes… Child-sacrifice was also a feature of the rites…”

Enough said.

A further discussion in detail is given by Savannah in the course working with Demons.

 

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Working with Astaroth in Magick

If you still feel stuck on what to do, naturally we will advise you to take a course, and put some effort into learning about how to work with spirits. On the previous page, we provided a lot of information for you to begin your research. Our advice to you is to take your own notes on how to work with Astraroth and always determine what you’re expecting from the spirit before you begin working with that spirit.

• Astaroth answers truly concerning past, present, and future
• She discovers all secrets and is an excellent teacher of the liberal sciences
• She causes one to have prophetic dreams or visions about the future and gives insight into the unknown.
• She also counsels humans.
• She obtains the friendship of those in power and represents luxury and ease.

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WWD Course: Student Experiences:

The other day I tried the foil method and drew with a black Sharpie the sigil of Astaroth. I have to admit I was a little scared but I followed your instructions from the last video. I first held the foil without anything on it and just felt my own energy and my own heat . Then I tried it with the sigil. As an offering I used my menstrual blood as I felt this was as personal and close as I could get with Astaroth. the instant connection I felt was unlike anything! I said hello and that I wanted to meet them. I felt heat, vibration and calmness, my fear was gone! I also noticed as I looked at the sigil that it look like it was breathing. And the corners of the foil were moving. It was such a beautiful experience that I want to properly invite Astaroth back in to my home.

– Karine

She became like a mother goddess to me, and has helped me in many ways, but especially in dealing with emotional pain and heartbreak. When I was going through a hard time a number of years ago when I didn’t think I would get through it, I asked Ashtoreth for her assistance. She took away all my emotions, making me numb for a little while, so I could better deal with my situation. It was instantaneous, so there was no doubt that it was her power that did it. She has taught me to be a stronger woman, especially spiritually, and I have received wisdom from her in my role as a mother.(1)

Read More:

Astaroth: The Historian

My introduction to Astaroth

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Astaroth’s Description in Grimoires

Pseudomonarchia Daemonum (1577) :

Astaroth is a great and a strong duke, coming forth in the shape of a foul angel, sitting upon an infernal dragon, and carrying on his right hand a viper, who also claimed to rule 40 legions, and had to be approached by the conjurer with a magical ring on account of his stinking breath.^[1]

The Lesser Key of Solomon.

According to some demonologists of the 16th century, August is the month during which this demon’s attacks against man are stronger. According to Sebastien Michaelis, he is a demon of the First Hierarchy, who seduces by means of laziness, self-doubt, and rationalized philosophies. His adversary is St. Bartholomew, who can protect against him for he has resisted Astaroth’s temptations. To others, he teaches mathematical sciences and handicrafts, can make men invisible and lead them to hidden treasures, and answers every question formulated to him. He was also said to give to mortal beings the power over serpents.

Francis Barrett (c. 1801),

“Astaroth is the prince of accusers and inquisitors.”

In  Dictionnaire Infernal (1818), Astaroth is depicted as a “nude man with feathered wings, wearing a crown, holding a serpent in one hand, and riding a beast with dragon-like wings and a serpent-like tail.

From the Luciferian Goetia by Michael Ford

“Astaroth appears as a hurtful angel who rides upon an infernal dragon. He is ghostly pale in color, something like a corpse with blackened eyes – no pupils. Astaroth also has long hair, and appears with a crown upon his head and a viper in his left (or right) hand, which are clawlike and bestial. Astaroth is a high Luciferic angel, whom is a very powerful guardian spirit to invoke. Astaroth is uniquely balanced in nature – being a mix of angel and demon, thus is a model and initiatory force in the workings of the Angelic and Bestial Servitors – that in union the spirit proves a balanced articulation and representation of the self. Astaroth governs 40 Legions of Spirits, and shadows forth ones own HGA/Angelic Familiar or initiator unto the path. Astaroth has been known to initiate or lead one unto the Luciferian Path of self-deification.“

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References:

1. http://www.in-satans-honour.com/working-with-demons
2. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Astaroth

Image Source: http://psychicwayne1.com/orisha-yemaya/