Numbered twenty-nine⁰ and bearer of the undoubtedly most beautiful sigil in the Goetia. The multifaceted Goddess has a significant and varied history behind her. I can only give the briefest of explanations, so i’ll do my best to touch on everything of relevance. While her exact origins might always remain somewhat unclear, what is clear are the aspects emerging combining and splitting that can be associated under Astaroth.
Astarte, the greek name for the the Phonecian and Cannanite Godess Asteroth semitic, holds a position over War & Love¹ , Fertility & Weather. Attributed the power to tell how each angel fell², reveal mines and transmute metals³ , as well as confer the favour of the great and powerful due to her relation to Sirius⁴ and Procyon⁵, She bears an association with the moon and venus⁶ which bleeds through the shortened list of Goddesses Aserah, Artemis⁷, Innanna⁸, Ishtar⁹ , Isis, and Hecate.¹⁰
“Given the combined influence of the cult of Isis, and the Syrian goddess, on the later christian cult of Mary, Astarte is among the most influential and important of all classical deities.”¹¹
Starting at her status as a fertility goddess, her powers over storm and rain raise crops in the field, but with rainstorms comes thunder, and from the roars of thunder she falls into the role of war. Associated with roaring animals, the bull and the lion, Inanna is known to have her chariot drawn by seven lions, ride a lion, or herself be one. Just as Astharthet is depicted with a lions head riding a chariot in as early as 1800 b.c. where she also is associated with the Isis Hathor cult in the role of love goddess.¹²
War and love have never been strangers to Venus nor each other. In her form as the evening star Ishtar represents rain, war and sexual love. As Morning star Inanna presides over productive work and war, enacting punishments and revenge on those who she has judged in her court. As evening star she relaxes into recreation, is the goddess of music and dance, and becomes the harlot protector of prostitutes and ale houses. Ishtar contains all these same aspects but is divided into different forms as the morning Eshtar/Attar and evening Asttarte stars.¹³
Our discussion couldn't be less complete without talking about her relation to the moon. A new one of which is when she holds court to hear the cries of those in distress and does all the judging I mentioned earlier. Similarly on new moons the wealthiest around would make a great feast to place in the streets for the poor, and upon consumption those who had eaten would declare it was the great Hecate who had enjoyed the food. Hecate rewarded and punished all, relieving offerings for pardon at this time. Her authority here extended beyond even kings into the depths of the underworld.¹⁴
Pillars and poles make a strong showing in symbolic relation to our Goddess. The ceremonial p0le is the primary symbol of the Goddess Asherah, and equally associated with Astarte.¹⁵ Pillars and poles are also central to the cult of Isis-Hathor. HecatePropylaia or the one before the gate, being a goddess of crossroads is associated with sign posts as well as being placed in the doorways of homes, where masks in the number of three¹⁶ were often hung.¹⁷ While Inanna was embodied on the pillars of the gate to grain store houses.¹⁸
Another of the most common aspects that echos through these goddesses is their relation to the dying God and thus the underworld. Inanna/Ishtar and Dumuzi/Tammuz¹⁹ could serve as the typical example.²⁰ A common rendition of the tale has Ishtar descending through seven gates losing a piece of clothing at each²¹ before entering the seventh with no coverings.
Isis, in pursuit of Osiris²² after he is murdered by Set and cast into the Nile where he becomes entombed in a tamarisk tree that is then used as a pillar in the palace of Queen Astarte. Indicative of an influence of semitic on egyptian and egyptian on semitic through the importation of Astarte and Baal²³ as influential on the rites of Isis and Osiris.²⁴
“...Queens of the underworld can be traced in goetic source works, as Proserpine in De Plancy²⁵ and so on.”²⁶
In the Goetia Asteroth’s gender is given as male, which runs exactly counter to the names initial connotations. There may be more to this genderswap than a simple mistake, however, as several of the goddesses have run into this as well. Hecate for example is often associated with hermes, unsurprising given her status as a messenger of the cross roads. She has been known to wield his wand the Casedeus*, and they have even had their names combined on occasion as Hermecate. Ishtar similarly as the morning star is often gendered male and as the evening star female. It is not at all uncommon for Cannanite gods to swap their gender, and the masculine name for Venus Athatar births Astarte “Thus the gender of Astaroth on a particular occasion may be determined by the position of Venus in relation to the sun.”²⁷
“Her Status, accordingly, at the beginning of the christian era, from where she declines to the status of a demon of questionable gender, could hardly be greater.”²⁸
Known as the world soul and animus mundi of chaldean hermeticists and renaissance occultists respectively, and degenerating into a figure of fear alone, Goddess Hecate has perhaps fallen the farthest. As underworld deity she releases upon the earth deamons and phantoms, shuttler of messages between worlds; found at cemeteries, where roads cross, and scenes of violent crime boasting a desire or the dead for the blood which will give them their lost strength. She provides underworld initiations using her torch Flames of Banal to to illuminate the way to a transformative ritual catharsis²⁹
++”The life bearing fire …fillith the Life-producing Bosom of Hecate… [she] having fist received the powers of all thins in her ineffable Bosom, pours forth perpetual generation of all things.”³⁰
A the life giving fire of spiritual regeneration portrayed by the Oracles indistinguishable rom that portrayed in the Prayer of the Salamanders³¹ which summons Astaroth in the Kabbalah of the Green Butterfly. Hecate’s dominion was over Heaven, Earth, and Hell and where roles fall away they are picked up by Asteroth.
”In time the magician will become aware of what forms and preferences the spirits demonstrate in the relationship they develop together, and thats what really matters”³²
Ruler of the Americas as a member of the Trinity of chiefs in the True Grimoire Verum Astaroth has an affinity with its declared emperor, Lucifer, which can lend their favor to a magician. This makes her especially advantageous to work with, as opposed to Beelzebub³³ who is markedly less forgiving.
⁰ P.30 (The Three Magical Books of Solomon: T...) reminiscent of Sigil on cover of Simon Necronomicon
¹P.188-90 (Stratton-Kent 2010)
² P.30 (The Three Magical Books of Solomon: T...)
³P.48-9 (Belanger 2010)
⁴P.186 The greater dog star related to the tongue of the snake, a hound & a virgin; influencing luck, pride wealth, ambition, fame, honors, occult interests, dog bites, and good reputation.(Stratton-Kent 2010)
⁵P.186 The lesser dog star related to the rooster or three maidens (triplet hecate). Can bring favour of the gods, protection, and continued health.(Stratton-Kent 2010)
⁶ The dual facing pentagonal relation of this planet to the sun may be of origin to her sigil.
⁷ Like wise the seventh said: “I am the worst, and I make thee wore off than though wast; because I will impose the Bonds of Artemis. But the Locust will set me free, for by means thereof it is fated that thou shalt achieve my desire…..” Tos 41 p.276( The Three Magical Books of Solomon: T...)
"in later poets, Artemis is identified with Hecate" P.32 (Hamilton 2011)
in 1 Kings 11 6-7 it is asteroth whorship that leads to Solomon's fall p.196 (Stratton-Kent 2010)
⁸“Spirit of Venus remember!
ISHTAR, Mistress of the gods, remember!
Ishtar, Queen of the Land of the Rising of the Sun, Remember
Lady of Ladies, Goddess of Godesses, ISHTAR, Queen of all people, remember!
O Bright Rising, Torch of the Heaven and of the Earth, Remember!
ODestroyer of the hostel Hordes, Remember!
Lioness, Queen of Battle, Harken and Remember!
From the Gate of the Great God Nebo, I call thee!
By the Name Which I was given on the Sphere of Nebo, I call to thee!
Lady, Queen of Harlots and of Soldiers, I call to thee!
Lady, Mistress of Battle and of Love, I pray thee Remember!
I the name of the Covenant sworn between Thee and the Race of Men,
I call thee harken and remember!
Suppressor of the Mountains!
Supporter of arms!
Deity of Men! Goddess of Women! Where thou gazest, the Dead live!
ISHTAR, Queen of the Night, Open thy Gate to me!
ISHTAR, Lady of the Battle, Open wide thy Gate to me!
ISHTAR, Sword of the people, Open Thy gate to me!
ISHTAR, Lady of the Gift of Love, Open wide Thy Gate!
Gate of the Gentle Planet, Libat, Open unto me!
IA GUSHE-YA! IA INANNA! IA ERNINNI-YA!”
Incantation of the third gate P.55 (Simon 2022)
⁹“Innanna the great storm of Heaven”
“the destroyer of mountains who lent the storm wings”
“I step onto the Heavens, and the rain rains down,
I step onto the earth, and the herbs sprout up p.188(Stratton-Kent 2010)
¹⁰ Hecate, a triple goddess, distributed among three bodies or bearing three heads of various shape is herself often associated with cerberus whose controversial number of heads may be the origin of her name. Hekaton being the greek word for 100.
"...Hecate, the dread goddess of night." p.330 (Hamilton 2011)
¹¹ 136 (Stratton-Kent 2010)
¹²p.188-90(Stratton-Kent 2010)
¹³ p.188-90,93(Stratton-Kent 2010)
¹⁴ p.188-90,93(Stratton-Kent 2010)
¹⁵189(Stratton-Kent 2010)
¹⁶With regards to chthonic powers and the dead three was a sacred number. Dead were invoked thrice, given offerings on the third day, mourning lasted three days, at three ways cross roads three headed hecate of the underworld was worshiped. P.288 (Harrison 1922)
¹⁷ 192-3(Stratton-Kent 2010)
¹⁸p.188(Stratton-Kent 2010)
¹⁹Tammuz was the dying god worshiped in the city of Byblos, where Osiris‘ cadaver was beached. It is also where the rights of Adonis originate p.189 (Stratton-Kent 2010)
²⁰ A rite associated with this was practiced by the Valentinian Gnostics on february 14th, where the mystical marriage of Sophia, the divine harlot, is recreated by a duo in the sect. While possibly originating in the spirit of guaranteeing fertility to the crops in the original Sumerian and Babylonian contexts, in this sect was associated with salvation and return to the celestial source of life. P.195 (Stratton-Kent 2010)
²¹Jeweled robe,bracelets, two belts, a necklace, and a crown p.166-80(Simon 2022)
²²Of the rites of Isis and Osiris Plutarch to Klea: “if any one should know that Osiris is the same as Dionysos, you who are leader of the Thyiades at Delphi and were initiated by your father and mother into the rites of Osirus.” P.401 “tearings to pieces” Resurrections. Regenerations. P.439 Osirus would offer souls a cold drink of well water from a well of light known as the well of Mnemosyne where Ra would wash his face. Osiris could be replaced by Aidoneus in the rite as they became less clearly distinguished. p.575-6(Harrison 1922)
²³Terms Astaroth and Baal could be used to denote female and male deities respectively in the time of the ancient israelites p.48 (Belanger 2010)
²⁴p.189-90(Stratton-Kent 2010)
²⁵P.105-6 A frenchman and contemporary freethinker of Voltaire. Authoring almost forty books, an best known for his work Dictionnaire Infernal (Belanger 2010)
²⁶P.136 (Stratton-Kent 2010)
²⁷P.198 (Stratton-Kent 2010)
²⁸ 191 (Stratton-Kent 2010)
²⁹P.194-7 (Stratton-Kent 2010)
³⁰ P.194 (Stratton-Kent 2010)
³¹ “Immortal, Eternal, Ineffable and Uncreated Father of all, borne upon the Chariot of Worlds, whichever roll in ceaseless motion; Ruler over Ethereal Vastness, where the Throne of Thy Power is upraised, from the summit which Thine eyes behold all, and Thy pure and Holy ears hear all, hear Thou Thy Children, whom thu hast loved since before th ages began. Thy Magesty, Golden, Vast and Eternal, shienith above the Heaen of Stars! Above them are thou exalted, O Thou Flashing Fire! There Thou illuminateth all things with Thine insupportable Glory, whence flow ceaseless streams of spleandor which nourish Thine Infinite Spirit. This Ifinite Spirit Nourisheth all, and maketh that inexhaustible treasure of generation which ever encompasseth thee, replete with numberless forms wherewith Thou hast filledit from the beginning. From this Spirit arise the most Holy Kings, who surround thy Throne and who compose Thy court. O universal Father! One and Alone! Father of Immortals and Mortals! Thou hast created Powers marvellously like unto Thy thought Eternal and unto Thy venerable Essence. Thou hast established them above Angels who announce Thy Will to the World. Lastly Thou hast created us third in rank within our elemental Empire! There our continual exercise is to praise and to adore Thy desires! There we ceaslessly burn with Eternal Asperation Unto Thee! O Father! O Mother of Mothers, O Archetype of Maternity and soul of Love! O son, the flower of all Sons! O form of all forms, Soul, Spirit, Harmony and Numeral of all Things! Amen.”
P.118 (Stratton-Kent 2010)
³²P.200 (Stratton-Kent 2010)
³³ often mistranslated as lord of the flies. The initial portion Baal is a title and the second portion is better translated as ZBVB gushing forth, Tzaboath of hosts or Sabaoth seven; and is thought to refer to Baal Shamen the Lord of Heaven p.136 (Stratton-Kent 2010)
Belanger, Michelle. 2010. The Dictionary of Demons: Names of the Damned. Llewellyn Worldwide.
Hamilton, Edith. 2011. Mythology: Timeless Tales of Gods and Heroes. Grand Central Publishing.
Harrison, Jane Ellen. 1922. Prolegomena to the Study of Greek Religion.
Simon. 2022. The Necronomicon.
Stratton-Kent, Jake. 2010. The Trve Grimoire: Encyclopaedia Goetica.
The Three Magical Books of Solomon: The Greater and Lesser Keys and the Testament of Solomon. 2019.