Scripture describes this practice as "passing through the fire to Molech," Leviticus 18:21. Hail Astaroth! Definitions. One of the most unusual practices Herodotus details is the that of sacred prostitution, which he observes in the ancient city of Babylon. As recounted by the English monk Bede, the 7th-8th century "father of English history," the former pagans in England called . Believing Jews and non-Jews living in the land of Israel were also prohibited from pagan sexual worship of the Canaanite fertility goddess because God viewed such pagan worship as abomination. As long as youre respectful to demons and take the preliminary precautions as mentioned here, you have nothing to fear as their primary intent is never to harm the summoner. This is always a good rule to follow, regardless of the demon youre trying to summon. 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. The adjective spiritual was inserted by the translators because in their opinion this is not a reference to literal prostitution but figuratively compares idolatry to prostitution. In this act, the high priestess of Inanna would have intercourse with either the high priest or the king of the city. According to TourEgypt.com, "In her Levantine homelands, Astarte is a battlefield goddess. Many of the ancient pagan deities lived on, however, now identified with the gods of the Greeks and Romans, the nations who controlled the people of Israel before and during New Testament times. Hebrew culture viewed the sea as evil and destructive, so Baal?s promise to prevent storms and control the sea, as well as his ability to produce abundant harvests, made him attractive to the Israelites. In the myths concerning Inanna and Dumuzi, due to some of Inannas less exalted behavior, Dumuzi must spend half the year in the underworld. Recite an invocation. As with many deities, offerings are an important component of honoring Astarte in ritual and prayer. I conduct summoning rituals for clients - https://occultist.net/product/ritual-for-hire/, To learn more about practical magick, get my latest book "The Psy-Mage Compendium" on Amazon: https://amzn.to/3ouvops, If youre into ceremonial magick, youve seen plenty of grimoires and other magic books describing various demons. The Phoenicians called her Astarte, the Assyrians worshiped her as Ishtar, and the Philistines had a temple of Asherah ( 1 Samuel 31:10 ). This article was most recently revised and updated by, https://www.britannica.com/topic/Ishtar-Mesopotamian-goddess, Ancient Origins - Love is a Battlefield: The Legend of Ishtar, First Goddess of Love and War, Oracc - Ancient Mesopotamian Gods and Goddesses - Itar. This was a trick that Epigeius made to Elus, although it failed to work. Hear the prayer of Your servant and friend! The center of her cult was in Tyre, but also included Carthage, Malta, Eryx (Sicily), and Kition (Cyprus). Johanna H. Stuckey, University Professor Emerita, York University, says of Astarte. When summoning Astaroth, its important to hold a silver ring in front of your face to protect yourself from his vile breath, which can otherwise cause serious physical ailments. That Molech worship was already common among the Canaanites when Israel entered the land is evident from the fact that, before Israel entered the land, God warned them against Molech worship as an abomination the Israelites were forbidden to practice, Leviticus 18:21, 20:2, 3, 4, 5. Astaroth is particularly ambiguous since hes evolved from an ancient goddess, providing him/her with multiple forms of manifestation. 1-74; W. Robertson Smith, Religion of the Semites, Index. Romans 1, in historical context, is about ancient Roman fertility goddess worshipers who engaged in shrine prostitution to worship Cybele, not gays and lesbians. We should remember that the early church was started in a culture soaking in the cults, rituals, and worship of pagan deities. Documents from the thirteenth century BCE indicate the Egyptians considered Anat and Astarte to be two allied war goddesses. As mother goddess she was widely worshiped throughout Syria and Palestine, although she was frequently paired with Baal, who often took the place of El; as Baal's consort, Asherah was usually given the name Baalat. "Who Is Astarte?" Pan was depicted as an ugly man with the horns, legs, and ears of a goat. Sacrifices made to her included firstborn children and newborn animals. xxxi. Because the Bible, in both the Old Testament and the New Testament, recognized the reality of the demonic world and condemned all of its practices (Deut. xiii. 72-91; Budde, "Religion of Israel," ch. This article is part of our larger resource on Mesopotamian culture, society, economics, and warfare. His mistress, the fertility goddess Asherah, gave birth to many gods, including a powerful god named Baal ("Lord"). They may represent the goddess Asherah and were used, especially by women, in a "popular" form of worship distinct from the official worship of Yahweh. 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. The leader of the gods, Zeus (Jupiter to the Romans), took on the role of Baal, the god of weather or storms. "You shall not plant any tree as an Asherah beside the altar of the Lord your God.". mountain and under every green tree, and there hath played the harlot." Begin visualizing energy emanating from the light and pouring itself into you. In the Lemegeton, he appears as either a beautiful or an ugly angel, riding a dragon and holding a viper. "Who Is Astarte?" Sit or lay down for a while and think about the whole experience. creditability by many who accept that Christ was born on December 25th. Jews used the title Astarte to indicate Anat. A child sacrifice laid on the hands, would roll into the fire in the belly cavity. Their names together are the . Sacred Marriage She had her own priests and prophets. Systems of Transliteration Citation of Proper Names. Some scholars believe that the Canaanites also sacrificed pigs and that God prohibited his people from eating pork in part to prevent this horrible cult from being established among them. 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. 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. Although she was believed to be Baal's mother, she was also his mistress. Gay Christian 101 - Affirming God's glorious good news for all LGBTs. The issue with God was shrine prostitution and pagan worship of false gods. Rituals connected to the worship of Ishtar/Inanna include a Sacred Marriage in which a male ruler is identified with Dumuzi. Click here to find out more about this unique and fun Bible study tool! 7; 3, 5. The Canaanites attributed this fertility to their god Baal,and that is where the Israelites problems began. Her name appears in the Old Testament (I Kings xi. The goddess was worshiped with sexual rituals that were condemned by the prophets of the Old Testament. She was associated with the moon and called the Mother of the Universe, giver of all life on Earth. with the moon and called the Mother of the Universe, giver of all live on Earth. One that I've used successfully is: "Hail Astaroth! Practicing occultist and writer with a particular interest in summoning magic. The priest or a male member of the community represented Baal. The Israelites neglected to heed the Lord's warning not to compromise with idolaters. In Cyprus, the Phoenicians arrived around BCE and built temples in Astarte's honor; it was here that she first became identified with the Greek goddess Aphrodite. In their forty years of wilderness wandering and backsliding, wicked stony-hearted rebellious Israel chose the wrong god and the wrong tabernacle. She was also the goddess of rain and thunderstormsleading to her association with An, the sky godand was often pictured with the lion, whose roar resembled thunder. Learn facts that you cant learn just from reading the bible The cult of Aphrodite may date back further to the Assyrian cults of Ishtar and Astarte. The reaction against Baal and Astarte, inaugurated by the Prophets, had a profound effect upon the moral life of Israel (see "Jour. One way we can accomplish this is to study the gods that attracted Yahweh's people 3,000 years ago. This angered Yahweh who complained to the prophet Jeremiah. As a part of this ritual, women were obliged to sacrifice either their hair or their chastity. 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. In the figure of Inanna several traditions seem to have been combined: she is sometimes the daughter of the sky god An, sometimes his wife; in other myths she is the daughter of Nanna, god of the moon, or of the wind god, Enlil. One that Ive used successfully is: Hail Astaroth! Your support now will help strengthen marriages, equip parents to raise godly children, save preborn babies, reach out to orphans and more by supporting our daily broadcasts, online and print resources, counseling, and life-changing initiatives. He is one of the three supreme evil Demons, with Beelzebub and Lucifer, in the Grimoire Verum and Grand Grimoire, which date from about the 18th century. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it. Who Is Astarte? That the Hebrew God is the best known of all gods worshiped in the world today needs no explanation. Lucid dreaming most often occurs between 3 and 5 AM. 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. Both of these sacred sexual practices existed for thousands of years in Mesopotamia. Anal sex between male and male worshipers and male and female worshipers was viewed as an offering to the goddess. The Interpreter's Dictionary of The Bible, Volume 3, Abingdon, 1990, pages 933-934. Therefore, Astaroth has revealed himself to many magicians as a beautiful women instead. Your email address will not be published. Romans 1 describes ancient shrine prostitution, not gays and lesbians. In her role as a warrior goddess, one who is dominant and fearless, she is sometimes portrayed wearing a set of bull horns. As goddess of Venus, delighting in bodily love, Ishtar was the protectress of prostitutes and the patroness of the alehouse. Ashtoreth was the fertility goddess consort of Molech. He promised his disciples that his church would overcome all evil, even the gates of Hades itself. The book of Judges records the ongoing struggle: the Israelites attraction to, and worship of, the Canaanite gods; God's disciplinary response; the people's repentance; and God's merciful forgiveness until the next time the Israelites reached for Baal instead of Yahweh. Bibliography: J. Selden, De dis Syris, ii, 2, London, 1617; F. Mnter, Die Religion der Carthager, pp. 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. We need to learn from Israel's experience and respond to Jesus' command for total allegiance. While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. In the book of Jeremiah, there is a verse referencing this female deity, and Yahwehs anger at the people who honor her: Among some fundamentalist branches of Christianity, there is a theory that Astartes name provides the origin for the Easter holiday which should, therefore, not be celebrated because it is held in honor of a false deity. (62-86 , Copenhagen . Ashtarte. The history of Israel was inextricably linked to pagan worship, which God abhorred and prohibited his followers from having anything to do with. Rameses III called Anat and Astarte his shields. Among the triad of Semitic sex/love/war goddesses worshipped in Egypt, Astarte was the favourite (over Anat and Kadesh). She was also flanked by several sphinxes, and there was a bowl held just underneath her pierced breasts. Astaroth loves to complain to those who are willing to listen about how he was unjustly punished by God along with other Fallen Angels. Astarte (from Greek (Astrte)) is the name of a major goddess as known from Northwestern Semitic regions, cognate in name, origin and functions with the goddess Ishtar in Mesopotamian texts. The first recorded mention of Astartes name dates back to 1478 B.C.E., but her cult was already well established by then. She was, the ancient Phoenician great goddess of fertility, motherhood, and war, Astarte is the counterpart of the Babylonian goddess, And it is one of the oldest Middle Eastern aspects of the great. . For instance, there were coins in Sidon that included the symbol with a chariot where a globe or stone appears, and this represented Astarte. Blow out the candle and go into another room. Sit in a lotus meditation pose on the floor, Meditate until your mind is empty and relaxed, Visualize a large, dark citadel, monastery or cathedral, Walk around it seven times counter-clockwise (notice the walls, windows, any special features, the main gate..) while silently repeating Hail Astaroth, As you reach the main gate on your seventh circle, enter inside, You will find yourself on a dark stairway spiraling downwards, As you go down the dark stairway you will notice a fiery, infernal light emanating from below the stairway, Go through the portal and you will find yourself in a peaceful, green, endless field, Astaroth will be on the field, approach him while visualizing yourself keeping the silver ring under your nose and greet him humbly, Now is your chance to ask Astaroth all you wanted to know and to receive his well-informed answers. Scholars have yet to settle on the question of whether sacred prostitution took place. Sacred prostitution has many different characteristics depending on the region, class and the religious ideals of the period and the place, and consequently can have many different definitions. She guards womens reproductive health. Regardless their opinion, notice that even anti-gay Christians admit Leviticus 18:22, "Thou shalt not lie with mankind, as with womankind: it is abomination." Astarte is a spirit of abundance, prosperity, love, sex, and war. Gay Christian 101 - Presenting accurate biblical and historical info defending LGBT Christians from those who rip verses out of context to condemn. CONCLUSION'Though today our gods'such as money, power, and possessions, are less "personalized" than in ancient times, the temptations for us are no less enticing. Possibly, their desert origins led them to question God's sovereignty over fertile land. As goddess of Venus, delighting in bodily love, Ishtar was the protectress of prostitutes and the patroness of the alehouse. 12). In Cyprus she was an ancient divinity with origins linked to the worship of the powers of life; a goddess of fertility who was worshiped on the island since the Iron Age, and whom the Cypriots presumably did not at that time call Aphrodite. Fire gods like Moloch and his fertility goddess consort, Ashtoreth, were not religious fantasies. However, even among those who . The problem is a difficult one, the references to the cult in the Old Testament being so few and so vague. ii-v.). The Torah condemns the worship of false deities, and the Hebrew people were occasionally punished for honoring Astarte and Baal. She can help you find the love of your life, she can make you more attractive to whomever you like and she can improve your current relationship. 5; II Kings xxiii. Moloch worship is essentially identical with worship of Chemosh of Moab, Cronus-Kronos of Carthage and Melkart-Melqart of Tyre. She is the author of Daily Spellbook for the Good Witch, Wicca Practical Magic and The Daily Spell Journal. She also wandered around the world, and she was noted to have picked up a fallen star or a meteorite and placed it at Tyre. They exercised a very real power over the primitive Canaanites. a fire god worshiped throughout the ancient near East and North Africa, by Canaanites and Philistines, Arameans and Semitic peoples and later, Phoenicians. The general name, used throughout Palestine and in the Bible, for this type of fire god, was Baal. This sunrise worship of the sun god is condemned by Yahweh in Ezekiel. Jesus provided the ultimate solution to resisting the seductiveness of pagan idol worship. In Phenician Colonies. Regardless of your primary motivations, you can now hire me for a consultation and to do the difficult part of the equation for you, while you reap the rewards. Despite God's repeated warnings, many Israelites continued engaging in worshiping a pagan god called Asherah as . They foretold the future by examining animal entrails or by watching flights of birds. Interestingly, in her earlier forms, she also appears as a warrior goddess, and eventually was celebrated as Artemis. And their pagan worship snared some of the children of Israel. In a twelfth-century BCE hieratic papyrus, the goddess Neith ordered that Set be given Anat and Astarte as wives. Obtain a deeper knowledge of magic with my latest book The Psy-Mage Compendium. The first risk is health related. In later myth she was known as Queen of the Universe, taking on the powers of An, Enlil, and Enki. Maybe, to be safe, they should worship both;Yahweh and Baal. It is said that in Corinth alone, there were more than 1,000 prostitutes in Aphrodite's temple. Dionysus was worshiped in the pagan Decapolis across the Sea of Galilee from the center of Jesus' ministry. Patti Wigington is a pagan author, educator, and licensed clergy. The religious Canaanites worshiped a fertility goddess named Ashtoreth. Several other centers of worship were located in Malta, Eryx and Cythera. 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). There was in their city a bronze image of Cronus extending its hands, palms up and sloping toward the ground, so that each of the children when placed thereon rolled down and fell into a sort of gaping pit filled with fire.. Asherah, the moon goddess, was the principal female deity worshiped by ancient Syrians, Phoenicians, and Canaanites. It's hard to know why Yahweh's people failed to see that he alone had power over these things. E. Meyer, Astarte, in Roscher, Lexikon der Griechischen und Rmischen Mythologie; Barton, in Hebraica, ix. 28, note). Elath, literarily Lady, is a title for the spirit named Asherah. Transvestism in Ancient . 13) as "Ashtoreth," a distortion of "Ashtart," made after the analogy of "Bosheth" (compare Jastrow, in "Jour. Occultist.net shares information on magic, witchcraft and alternative spirituality. We don't think of ourselves as idol worshipers, yet we struggle to serve God alone in every part of our lives. Aphrodite can be summoned by visualizing, Read More How to Summon AphroditeContinue. In art and texts, Ishtar is depicted supporting favored rulers in battle. x. This could be in order to deceive the magician, with the goal of extracting his energy. There appears to have been only one Baal, who was manifested in lesser Baals at different places and times. It is not appropriate here to discuss all the gods and goddesses of the Greco-Roman pantheon; however, a few of them were significant in the first century, and some are even mentioned by name in the Bible. The cult of Astarte spread westward from Phoenicia into ancient Greece, Rome and as far as the British Isles. )Continue, Many will compare astral projection with lucid dreams, but there is one important difference. The "Sunrise Service" is still an intragal part of Easter today. Ashtart is a Semitic Goddess of love and war and the Canaanite Great Goddess who is the cult partner of Ba'al (the King). Some devotees may have found the presence of a female divine figure compelling in an otherwise male-dominated religious environment. 10:20-21), we can be sure these practices continued and were a temptation to many. 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. Ashtoreth is mentioned three times in scripture, in 1 Kings 11:5 & 33, 2 Kings 23:13. How should modern Christians interpret Leviticus 18:22 and 20:13? 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. Throughout the Israelites? It took the Assyrian destruction of Israel and the Babylonian Captivity of Judah to convince the Israelites that there is only one omnipotent God. Moreover, Ashteroth was a fertility goddess from Canaan, and the horns were used as a symbol of the mountain peaks in the land. Astarte Worship Rituals The worship rituals of Astrate include making offerings to the goddess at her temple, which is located in the city of Babylon. Answer Asherah, or Ashtoreth, was the name of the chief female deity worshiped in ancient Syria, Phoenicia, and Canaan. The NET Bible, not considered gay friendly by anyone, takes a strong anti-gay position on Leviticus. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Z-xX9zelUk. It is listed on the Biblical Timeline Chartaround 1754 BC. 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. (The final e in Astarte may or may not be pronounced.). Through the sexual act, divine fertile energy was released on the land ensuring good crops and productive herds. Baal has also been portrayed seated on a throne, possibly as the king or lord of the gods. Beelzebub, based on the Philistine god Baalzebul, had become a synonym for the prince of demons, Satan. We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. When and how did the Twelve Apostles die? Lilies, roses, sweet cakes, honey. And it was through he flattery of, to build a house on Saphon, a mountain situated in the sides of the north, In spite of her maiden and mother titles Anat was an aggressive goddess who slew Baal enemies. Wigington, Patti. Bibl. Astarte, goddess of war and sexual love, shared so many qualities with her sister, Anath, that they may originally have been seen as a single deity. 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. ), Hosea, Isaiah, and Jeremiah thundered that Yahweh alone deserved the people?s allegiance. The pantheon in Phoenicia was generally ascribed to the Sanchuniathon. Cake molds in the shape of horned Astarte dating from the seventeenth century BCE have been found near Nahariah, Israel. Astarte is the Phenician name of the primitive Semitic mother-goddess, out of which the most important of the Semitic deities were developed. She is sometimes referred to as the Lady of the Date Clusters. A comprehensive historical view of the whole subject helps to understand the fascination of Astarte worship as a seductive and formidable obstacle to the service of Yahweh.
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