We should remember that the early church was started in a culture soaking in the cults, rituals, and worship of pagan deities. She guards womens reproductive health. A Phoenician statuette uncovered near Granada, Spain, dating to the seventh or sixth centuries BCE, depicts Astarte enthroned, flanked by sphinxes. In a twelfth-century BCE hieratic papyrus, the goddess Neith ordered that Set be given Anat and Astarte as wives. Ashtoreth is mentioned three times in scripture, in 1 Kings 11:5 & 33, 2 Kings 23:13. Astarte is a spirit of abundance, prosperity, love, sex, and war. That's a great question because Paul could have used many words if he intended to blast gays and lesbians. Rituals for summoning the, Read More My New Grimoire Goetia Rising is Now Available!Continue, What is Black Magic? Baal's victory over death was thought to be repeated each year when he returned from the land of death (underworld), bringing rain to renew the earth's fertility. You have seen how she went Obtain a deeper knowledge of magic with my latest book The Psy-Mage Compendium. In this way, God's incredible gift of sexuality was perverted to the most obscene public prostitution. He promised his disciples that his church would overcome all evil, even the gates of Hades itself. The Assyrians and Babylonians pictured her caressing an suckling a smallchild. Omissions? Close your eyes and let the energy youve received visualize itself as Astaroth. Entire civilizations bowed to his different manifestations in centuries past. Solomon followed Astarte (the goddess of the Sidonians) and Milcom (the disgusting idol of the Ammonites). It was designed like an old fashioned pot-bellied stove, with the belly as the firebox. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Z-xX9zelUk. She was the consort of the chief deity El and the mother of 70 other gods. Inanna was also a fertility figure, and, as goddess of the storehouse and the bride of the god Dumuzi-Amaushumgalana, who represented the growth and fecundity of the date palm, she was characterized as young, beautiful, and impulsivenever as helpmate or mother. Astaroth also encourages slothfulness and laziness so be sure to thank him and finish the ritual properly. Copy and paste it, adding a note of your own, into your blog, a Web page, forums, a blog comment, your Facebook account, or anywhere that someone would find this page valuable. Seeker of Wisdom and Keeper of Time! Idol worship was a persistent and pervasive issue in the Old Testament. ASTARTE - the Phoenician Goddess of Fertility (Canaanite mythology) As goddess of Venus, delighting in bodily love, Ishtar was the protectress of prostitutes and the patroness of the alehouse. Astarte was very popular in Old Testament times and traveled far and wide, starting up in business all over the place with the help of her consort and . ii-v.). Once Astaroth has appeared in your mind either as a male or a female demon, explain your situation to the demon and humbly ask for the answers or powers you want and for what purpose. The power attributed to her in war may have arisen from her connection with storms. The cult spread westward from Phoenicia into Greece, Rome, and as far as the British Isles. Astaroth is a demon that evolved from the ancient Phoenician mother goddess of fertility Astarte, and the Akkadian goddess of war and sexual love Ishtar. It is usually assumed that Astarte Worship was always a foreign cult among the Hebrews; but analogy with the development of other Semitic deities, like the Phenician Baal, would lead to the supposition that Astarte Worship before the days of the Prophets may have somewhat prejudiced that of Yhwh. Many gods and goddesses of the Mediterranean and Middle East appreciate gifts of honey and wine, incense, bread, and fresh meat. When Epigeius was overthrown by the god Elus, a virgin daughter was sent. Encyclopedia of Spirits: The Ultimate Guide to the Magic of Fairies, Genies, Demons, Ghosts, Gods & Goddesses Written by Judika Illes Copyright 2009 by Judika Illes. We enter it unconsciously, we can control our dream for a short time as we are aware of what is happening in it, but then the unconscious dreaming continues, or we, Read More Two Ways to Astral Project & The Demon That Unlocks the PowerContinue, Fellow occultists, I am happy to announce that my new grimoire, Goetia Rising, is now available on Amazon: This is a small book, as a proper grimoire ought to be. Participation in these sects was highly secretive, and few details of their ceremonies survive. Annual Spring time fertility rituals are associated worship of the Mother Goddess and Tammuz, the reincarnation of her husband. In the myths concerning Inanna and Dumuzi, due to some of Inannas less exalted behavior, Dumuzi must spend half the year in the underworld. This is the most opportune time to ask questions about the past, present and future. Astarte: Goddess of Sexuality and Fertility ~ Psy Minds Avoid having his presence linger on longer than necessary. Bibliography: J. Selden, De dis Syris, ii, 2, London, 1617; F. Mnter, Die Religion der Carthager, pp. This could be in order to deceive the magician, with the goal of extracting his energy. ASHTORETH: - Jewish Encyclopedia 5; II Kings xxiii. By the first century B.C., Isis worship had become established as a "mystery religion." Rooted in Greek culture, mystery faiths centred on a figure of a god or goddesssuch as Demeter or Dionysusand involved confidential rituals and rites. The Israelites neglected to heed the Lord's warning not to compromise with idolaters. Answer Asherah, or Ashtoreth, was the name of the chief female deity worshiped in ancient Syria, Phoenicia, and Canaan. The cult of Aphrodite may date back further to the Assyrian cults of Ishtar and Astarte. The Molech idol was a large hollow brass statue with the head of a bull and the bulging belly of a man. Molech represented the male principle of life and reproduction while Ashtoreth represented the female principle of fertility. Ashtoreth was the fertility goddess consort of Molech. That towns were named after the fertility goddess indicates that her worship was already widespread when the children of Israel entered the land of Canaan. According to TourEgypt.com, "In her Levantine homelands, Astarte is a battlefield goddess. and 20:13, are in the context of harlotry or prostitution and Molech worship. Ashtart, the Phoenician Great Goddess - Thalia Took 6:13). There was no doubt that Yahweh was God of the wilderness. The Hebrews knew her as the goddess of the Sidonians, whom they worshiped. 65:1-5 for an example of Israel's participating in the pagan practices of the Canaanites.) . We need to learn from Israel's experience and respond to Jesus' command for total allegiance. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it. Ancient Assyrians and Babylonians portrayed her caressing a child. Make sure to stay in control at all times instead of subjugating yourself to the demon. Phoenician Religion -- Pagan Astarte is the Phenician name of the primitive Semitic mother-goddess, out of which the most important of the Semitic deities were developed. Transvestism in Ancient Israel. As the practice was recounted only in literature, it is unclear whether it was purely symbolic or an actual reenactment. prostitute to other gods." Ahab, with his wife's encouragement, built a temple to Baal at his capital, Samaria. 13) as "Ashtoreth," a distortion of "Ashtart," made after the analogy of "Bosheth" (compare Jastrow, in "Jour. Baal has also been portrayed seated on a throne, possibly as the king or lord of the gods. Maybe, to be safe, they should worship both;Yahweh and Baal. Occultist.net is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. Artemis, the goddess of childbirth and fertility, and Aphrodite, the goddess of love, continued the Asherah cults under a new name (Acts 19:35), but with worship practices that were as immoral as ever. Beelzebub, based on the Philistine god Baalzebul, had become a synonym for the prince of demons, Satan. Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree. Astaroth loves to complain to those who are willing to listen about how he was unjustly punished by God along with other Fallen Angels. x. The leader of the gods, Zeus (Jupiter to the Romans), took on the role of Baal, the god of weather or storms. But not by those who do not believe this was the date of Christs birth, and say the exact date is unknown. The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia tells us Ashtoreth was a. Easter is celebrated on a day specified only by the Roman Catholic Church, and not the Bible, and is fixed based on the sun and the Spring or Vernal equinox. - Amos 5:25-26 and Acts 7:42-43. Employing both material and textual evidence, it is argued that her worship at sea and at port required a degree of religious competency of seamen that served as crew and combatants on trading vessels and military vessels, respectively. Instead, God intended to forbid Israel, His people, from practicing the same sex religious rites with which the ancient Canaanites worshiped their fertility goddess. My New Grimoire Goetia Rising is Now Available! According to the Jewish Encyclopedia, the Hebrews first learned Baal worship from the agricultural Canaanites. Astaroth is a grand duke and treasurer of Hell and commands 40 Legions of Demons. Separating Fact from Myth: Asherah and Idol Worship - Steppes of Faith [6] Ashtoreth | Encyclopedia.com Through the sexual act, divine fertile energy was released on the land ensuring good crops and productive herds. The Greeks had oracles, shrines where gods supposedly communicated the future to priests and priestesses. She is linked with war, sexuality and fertility. 17, 18) and Ezekiel (viii. When the Israelites entered Canaan, they found a land of farmers, not shepherds, as they had been in the wilderness. Continue to stare into the candlelight. Those familiar with the Greek myth of Demeter and Persephone will recognize the precedence found in the earlier Inanna myths. Pagan Rituals in Episcipal Church | Baptist Christian Forums Stuckey goes on to point out that because of this migration via trade routes, Astarte became much far important in the first millennium BCE than she had been in previous thousand years. The name astarte means the queen of stars. Hail Astaroth! Yet in spite of being so anti-gay, the NET Bible links the Mo-lech worship of Leviticus 18:21 and 20:2-5, 13, with sexual sin and with spiritual prostitution, "I will cut off from the midst of their people both him and all who follow after him in spiritual prostitution, to commit prostitution by worshiping Molech (Hebrew - to commit harlotry after Molech)." When Ashtoreth is mentioned in scripture, she is linked to Molech, (also called Milcom in the Bible). Seth was one of the five Osirian gods. What Are The Names of the Thieves Crucified With Christ. Ishtar | Goddess, Worship, & Facts | Britannica Astaroth - Occult World Brooklyn Museum: Ishtar Shrine Prostitutes used sex to worship pagan gods, From Molech, Return To Gay Christian 101 Home Page. 6; I Sam. The Encyclopedia of Witches, Witchcraft and Wicca written by Rosemary Ellen Guiley Copyright 1989, 1999, 2008 by Visionary Living, Inc. Astarte was worshipped by Canaanites, Egyptians, Hebrews, Philistines, and Phoenicians, but exactly who is she? My clients tend to be ambitious people from all walks of life. Our editors will review what youve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. What we do know reveals dark, seductive practices that continued to entice the people God had chosen to be his witnesses.THE ORIGINS OF JUDAISM. The high priestess of the city, acting in the capacity of the fertility goddess Inanna, would have sex with the high priest or the king role-playing the fertility god Dumuzi. Semitic describes a group of languages, and by extension, kindred cultures of the Near East and Africa which include Phoenician, Arabic, Hebrew and Assyrian. In the Sacred Marriage, humans took the place of the gods in religious rituals devoted to fertility. Immense knowledge, power, protection from harm (invisibility) and hidden treasures are all within reach of those who form a good relationship with this unique entity. It is said that in Corinth alone, there were more than 1,000 prostitutes in Aphrodite's temple. It was because it included sexual rituals, and sacrifices of firstborn children and newborn animals to her. goddess of Canaan and Phoenicia prostitution was practiced in her name and she was served with immoral rites by bands of men and women. International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, Volume 1, 1979, pages 319-320. In her earliest manifestations she was associated with the storehouse and thus personified as the goddess of dates, wool, meat, and grain; the storehouse gates were her emblem. Canaanite Religion, Temples, Gods and Burial Practices Fertility rites were practiced 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. Since Bathin can be very helpful with acquiring knowledge and travelling faster and more safely, its no wonder that many magicians wish to contact him at one point or another. Baal, Tammuz, Ashtoreth, Astarte and Ishtar are all connected with pagan sun worship. Astarte is mentioned nine times in the Jewish Bible. Is Easter a Revised Version of Baal and Ashtaroth Worship - Hedgerow Only the child sacrifice of the Baal cult came to an end with the Greeks and Romans. Tammuz is identified as her son/consort, as he is with Ishtar. Lev 20:2-5; 2 Kgs 23:10, etc.). They dont remember the terms original connotation of starlight. Possibly, their desert origins led them to question God's sovereignty over fertile land. The Cult of Aphrodite in Cyprus - fergusmurraysculpture.com This place was mentioned in the Book of Joshua and Genesis. Astarte means the womb, the conceiving womb, or full womb and is a title for the goddess Anat, but it may also be a title for other goddesses associated with fertility or possibly a name for a completely independent spirit. Occultist.net shares information on magic, witchcraft and alternative spirituality. up to every high hill and under every green tree to give herself like a 21.". Black magic: the magic of evil In the mind of the public, there is not one form of magic, but two:White magicand black magic. (worship of the god Hercules), I made a voyage to Tyre in Phoenicia, hearing there was a temple of . Make you invisible and lead to hidden treasures. 4, xii. In the Hebrew scriptures, Astarte was referred to as Ashteroth Karnaim. Inanna, an important goddess in the Sumerian pantheon, came to be identified with Ishtar, but it is uncertain whether Inanna is also of Semitic origin or whether, as is more likely, her similarity to Ishtar caused the two to be identified. In her role as a warrior goddess, one who is dominant and fearless, she is sometimes portrayed wearing a set of bull horns. One of the most unusual practices Herodotus details is the that of sacred prostitution, which he observes in the ancient city of Babylon. Throughout the Israelites? You can find out more and change our default settings with Cookies Settings. This struggle to be totally committed to God is of vital importance to us today as well. However, even among those who . Jews used the title Astarte to indicate Anat. Symbols of Astarte include the dove, the sphinx, and the planet Venus. She was associated with the moon and called the Mother of the Universe, giver of all life on Earth. Some scholars hold Astarte was a prototype of the Virgin Mary. Could the God who had led them out of Egypt and through the wilderness also provide fertile farms in the Promised Land? Inanna, who later transformed into the Akkadian goddess Ishtar, the Phoenician Astarte and later still as the Greek goddess Aphrodite, is the goddess of love, sex, beauty and fertility. That the Hebrew God is the best known of all gods worshiped in the world today needs no explanation. The people of Israel developed their faith in the wilderness. Raphael Patai, author of The Hebrew Goddess, suggests that these molds were used to form goddess-shaped cakes either to be burned on an altar or eaten by celebrants (perhaps an ancient precursor of the Catholic host). Yet it is packed with high-powered rituals that are seeing the light of day for the first time in this century. 12). 45, 47). Idolatry always included sex worship of false gods. Who Is Astarte? Why Did Christ Ride a Donkey on His Triumphant Entry? According to the Metropolitan Museum of Art: "Although there existed no single state theology, the major gods reflect local geographical concerns about the fertility of the earth and the importance of water as well as relationships to the sky and the underworld." on the ancient Syrian and Egyptian rituals of celebrating Astartes rebirth of the solar god on December 25th, that the Virgin had brought forth a newborn child, which, No doubt the Virgin who thus conceived and bore a son on the twenty-fifth of December was the great Oriental goddess whom the Semites called the Heavenly Virgin or the Heavenly Goddess, in Semitic lands she was a form of Astarte, The theory that credits Astarte as being a prototype of the Virgin Mary made. Most children and families who color or hide Easter eggs as part of their Resurrection Sunday tradition have no knowledge of the origin of these traditions. Transvestism in Ancient Israel - Claude Mariottini He also has terrible breath. In this act, the high priestess of Inanna would have intercourse with either the high priest or the king of the city. The Akkadian Ishtar is also, to a greater extent, an astral deity, associated with the planet Venus. Aphrodite - Crystalinks It is best to understand these rituals as a religious act of devotion to the goddess rather than as sex per se. The Bible called this practice "detestable" (Deut. The priests would make offerings of food and drink and incense and other items. The Torah condemns the worship of false deities, and the Hebrew people were occasionally punished for honoring Astarte and Baal. Begin visualizing energy emanating from the light and pouring itself into you. Astarte waded in the blood of her human victims. There is evidence that Ishtar and Astarte were worshiped at Paphos in the early Iron Age and were brought, so to speak, to the island by the Phoenicians along with the Egyptian cult of Hathor, who may also have been identified with Aphrodite (see Hatton-Brown, 1997 p.64-6). Ornament your body with henna or honey. with the moon and called the Mother of the Universe, giver of all live on Earth. Ashtoreth was the goddess of war and fertility, called Ishtar by Assyrians and Babylonians, called Astarte by Greeks and Romans and called Tanith by North Africans. We don't think of ourselves as idol worshipers, yet we struggle to serve God alone in every part of our lives. Freemasonry, Wicca and Easter - Their unified connection 74, and "Hebraica," x. 18:10-12,20; Micah 5:2; 1 Cor. Under the kings, this spiritual battle continued. And it is one of the oldest Middle Eastern aspects of the great Goddess, dating to the Neolithic and Bronze Ages. Leviticus 20:5. Learn about upcoming promotions, releases, and other updates from That the World May Know. It's hard to know why Yahweh's people failed to see that he alone had power over these things. x. she is gone up upon every high No wonder God's anger burned against his people and their leaders. The word translated Mo-lech or Moloch (the spelling varies), occurs multiple times in the Bible, in Leviticus 18:21, 20:2, 3, 4, 5, 1 Kings 11:7, 2 Kings 23:10, Jeremiah 32:35, Amos 5:25-26, Acts 7:42-43. 133-165, x. The reaction against Baal and Astarte, inaugurated by the Prophets, had a profound effect upon the moral life of Israel (see "Jour. Melech, Mo-lech, Milcom, Melkom, Moloch, Molek, Malec, Malik, Melek, Malkum, Melqart, Melkart, Milk, Melqarth, Kronos, Cronus. She was ruler of all spirits of the dead, who lived in heaven in bodies of light and were visible on earth as stars. In 1894, French poet Pierre Louys published a volume of erotic poetry entitled Songs of Bilitis, which he claimed were written by a contemporary of the Greek poet Sappho. It landed near Byblos in a lake at Alphaca. Astaroth is particularly ambiguous since hes evolved from an ancient goddess, providing him/her with multiple forms of manifestation. According to legend, Astarte descended to earth as a fiery star. Part of her cult worship probably included temple prostitution. God intended to prevent His people from practicing the shrine prostitution of the Canaanites, which He warned against in Leviticus 18:3 and 20:23. Click here for our comprehensive article on ancient Mesopotamia. They foretold the future by examining animal entrails or by watching flights of birds. ), Hosea, Isaiah, and Jeremiah thundered that Yahweh alone deserved the people?s allegiance. In modern NeoPaganism, Astarte has been included in a Wiccan chant that is used to raise energy, calling upon Isis, Astarte,Diana,Hecate, Demeter, Kali, Inanna.. WORSHIP OF THE VIRGIN, THE QUEEN OF HEAVEN - Loren Davis A trace of this among the Hebrews appears in Deut. The cult of Astarte spread westward from Phoenicia into ancient Greece, Rome and as far as the British Isles. However, the work was all Louys own, and included a stunning prayer honoring Astarte: Mother inexhaustible and incorruptible,Creatures, born the first, engendered by thyself and by thyself conceived,Issue of thyself alone and seeking joy within thyself, Astarte! That the World May Know | Fertility Cults of Canaan Asherah, the moon goddess, was the principal female deity worshiped by ancient Syrians, Phoenicians, and Canaanites. In this manifestation her symbol is a star with 6, 8, or 16 rays within a circle. The Bible indicates that she was worshiped near trees and poles, called Asherah poles (Deut. Leviticus 18:22 and 20:13 simply do not address modern gay and lesbian relationships. Pagans practiced "sympathetic magic", that is, they believed they could influence the gods' actions by performing the behavior they wished the gods to demonstrate. She had her own priests and prophets. Prophets of the Old Testament condemned her worship. She was also celebrated in Egypt following the importation of Levantine cults there. Easter egg activities . Yet it is she that makes the Sacred Marriage with her husband Dumuzi in a fertility rite. Astarte is one of the names that was commonly linked with the female divinity of the people during the early Bronze Age. The pantheon in Phoenicia was generally ascribed to the Sanchuniathon. Ishtars primary legacy from the Sumerian tradition is the role of fertility figure; she evolved, however, into a more complex character, surrounded in myth by death and disaster, a goddess of contradictory connotations and forcesfire and fire-quenching, rejoicing and tears, fair play and enmity. Definitions. Phoenician Goddess of Fertility and Sexual Pleasure. Yahweh is God? One way we can accomplish this is to study the gods that attracted Yahweh's people 3,000 years ago. 20th Century Timeline Of World History: What Happened? Despite God's repeated warnings, many Israelites continued engaging in worshiping a pagan god called Asherah as . . Molech represented the male principle of life and reproduction while Ashtoreth represented the female principle of fertility. Phone Toll Free: 877-966-7300 or 816-584-3077, [This article continues after a message from the authors], These Articles are Written by the Publishers of, Amazing Bible Timeline with World History 2023. As in Beirut, some coins depicted Astarte, along with Poseidon and Eshmun being praised together. 72-91; Budde, "Religion of Israel," ch. 3:7). Baal's worshipers appeased him by offering sacrifices, usually animals such as sheep or bulls (1 Kings 18:23). "Have ye offered unto me sacrifices and offerings in the wilderness forty years, O house of Israel? In the description, it was presented that Astarte was the daughter of Epigeius and Ge, and that she was Elus sister. Astarte was also worshipped in private homes, and her statues were placed in shrines or on altars in the home. The priestess or a female members of the community represented Asherah. Like her Akkadian counterpart Itar, she is an astral deity and is associated with the evening star. Worship of this Egyptian goddess spread from Egypt to England Offerings to Astarte typically included libations of food and drink. Astarte: Bible | Jewish Women's Archive side by side, while in Upper Egypt the Hebrews considered the goddess the divine consort still in the fifth century BC, The same as in the temples of Ishtar and Inanna, the sacred marriage and temple prostitution were prominent features of the cult, of which Yahweh also complained, Astarte was a beautiful goddess as well as a dangerous one. The first recorded mention of Astartes name dates back to 1478 B.C.E., but her cult was already well established by then. In this article you will learn who Astaroth actually is, what to expect from him, and two summoning rituals that have worked for myself and magicians that Ive shared these instructions with in the past. According to Donald Harden, there was a statue of Astarte discovered in Tutugi, which was located near Granada, in Spain. Mighty Duke, I humbly invoke you from the depths of Hell into the Realm of Man. Demon possession was a topic of much fascination. The land was fertile beyond anything the Hebrew nomads had ever seen. Astarte, Goddess of Fertility and Sexuality - Learn Religions Astarte - Wikipedia Ashtarte. (62-86 , Copenhagen . 1 Kings 11:5-6, 33; 2 Kings 23:13 The Egyptians gave Ashtaorth the title "Queen of Heaven" and "Lady of Heaven". The statue dated back as early as the 7th or 6th century, and Astarte was depicted as sitting on a throne. 40-year journey in the wilderness, their Lord accompanied them, protected them, fed them, and guided them to the Promised Land. The center of her cult was in Tyre, but also included Carthage, Malta, Eryx (Sicily), and Kition (Cyprus).