Occultist.net shares information on magic, witchcraft and alternative spirituality. Astarte is the Phenician name of the primitive Semitic mother-goddess, out of which the most important of the Semitic deities were developed. A child sacrifice laid on the hands, would roll into the fire in the belly cavity. According to TourEgypt.com, "In her Levantine homelands, Astarte is a battlefield goddess. no doubt seen what wayward Israel has done. 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. Lend me your powers at this time! 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. The God Seth Facts. Cleitarchus, an ancient historian, around 315 BC, gives this description of a fire god at Carthage. Oh!Perpetually fertilized, virgin and nurse of all that is,Chaste and lascivious, pure and revelling, ineffable, nocturnal, sweet,Breather of fire, foam of the sea!Thou who accordest grace in secret,Thou who unitest,Thou who lovest,Thou who seizest with furious desire the multiplied races of savage beastsAnd couplest the sexes in the wood.Oh, irresistible Astarte!Hear me, take me, possess me, oh, Moon!And thirteen times each year draw from my womb the sweet libation of my blood! This was viewed as an offering to the fertility goddess. Place your hand with a silver ring under your nose. Wigington, Patti. According to the Jewish Encyclopedia, the Hebrews first learned Baal worship from the agricultural Canaanites. It was discovered that Astarte was linked with the Uni-Astre of the Etruscans. She was also celebrated in Egypt following the importation of Levantine cults there. They exercised a very real power over the primitive Canaanites. xiii. This is the site where the original Tammuz died. up to every high hill and under every green tree to give herself like a 6; I Sam. According to Donald Harden, there was a statue of Astarte discovered in Tutugi, which was located near Granada, in Spain. 5 When the Philistines captured the ark of God, they brought it from Ebenezer to Ashdod; 2 then the Philistines took the ark of God and brought it into the house of Dagon and placed it beside Dagon. Leviticus 18:22 and 20:13 simply do not address modern gay and lesbian relationships. Ashtaroth is mentioned 12 times in the Old Testament. [Scroll to the top] Israelite goddess worship The veneration of Asherah or asherah poles seems to have been fairly widespread in ancient Israel and Judah, and sometimes it was officially sanctioned.The Bible reports that during the days of King Josiah (sixth century B.C.E. Baal is portrayed as a man with the head and horns of a bull, an image similar to that in biblical accounts. The Molech idol was a large hollow brass statue with the head of a bull and the bulging belly of a man. In Matthew 16:18, Jesus referred to the gates of Hades, or the underworld, believed by some to be the grotto at Caesarea Philippi, from which one of the sources of the Jordan River came. Moreover, Astarte had a temple that was shared with Eshmun, in Sidon. Yet it is she that makes the Sacred Marriage with her husband Dumuzi in a fertility rite. Our editors will review what youve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. The Canaanites attributed this fertility to their god Baal,and that is where the Israelites problems began. Pan was associated with Dionysus, the Greek god of wine and orgies, whose worshipers continued many of the sexual rites of the Old Testament gods of the Baal cult. 74, and "Hebraica," x. Answer Asherah, or Ashtoreth, was the name of the chief female deity worshiped in ancient Syria, Phoenicia, and Canaan. Anal sex between male and male worshipers and male and female worshipers was viewed as an offering to the goddess. 10:20-21), we can be sure these practices continued and were a temptation to many. Astarte waded in the blood of her human victims. 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.. KJV, Jeremiah 3:6, "When Josiah was king of Judah, the LORD said to me, "Jeremiah, you have His right hand (sometimes both hands) is raised, and he holds a lightning bolt, signifying both destruction and fertility. Give now to help That The World May Know Ministries reveal the heart of Scripturethrough life-changing study tours, an engaging film series, and morefor a greater understanding of Gods Word than ever before. (See Isa. The Phoenicians portrayed Astarte with cow horns, representing 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. Sects that worship Dionysus and Aphrodite may be entirely hedonistic and include orgiastic rituals (such sects are often considered cults even by Neopagan standards). 13, xxviii. The history of Israel was inextricably linked to pagan worship, which God abhorred and prohibited his followers from having anything to do with. Moloch worship is essentially identical with worship of Chemosh of Moab, Cronus-Kronos of Carthage and Melkart-Melqart of Tyre. We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. And if Astarte is not close . Wigington, Patti. Light a candle and turn off all the other lights, Stare into the candlelight and quiet your mind. Idolatry always included sex worship of false gods. Canaanite religion, a fertility or nature religion, reflected the major concerns of the populace - increase and productivity. Annual Spring time fertility rituals are associated worship of the Mother Goddess and Tammuz, the reincarnation of her husband. A few Biblical passages make a reference to the worship of a Queen of Heaven, who may have been Astarte. 6:13). her son/consort as he is with Ishtar. What is the meaning of AD, BC, BCE and CE? In this manifestation her symbol is a star with 6, 8, or 16 rays within a circle. In Phenician Colonies. 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). 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. But her cult. Yet it is packed with high-powered rituals that are seeing the light of day for the first time in this century. While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. Bibl. 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. This action will also remove this member from your connections and send a report to the site admin. This reflects the strong anti-gay beliefs of Dallas Theological Seminary (which trained some of the folks associated with the NET Bible). Throughout the Israelites? Mesopotamian Women and Their Social Roles, Mesopotamian Religion: Gods, Practice, And Priests. Moses met God in a burning bush in the desert, where he learned the greatness of God's name and received his commission to bring the Hebrews out of Egypt. The Bible indicates that she was worshiped near trees and poles, called Asherah poles (Deut. If one is clearly oriented towards good, the other has much darker goals. Learn facts that you cant learn just from reading the bible This was a trick that Epigeius made to Elus, although it failed to work. "You shall not plant any tree as an Asherah beside the altar of the Lord your God.". A nude woman holding lilies or sometimes wearing a Philistine helmet. Blame it on a woman and no ordinary woman at that a goddess. This order of priestess was called Nin-Gig in Sumeria. The NET Bible on Leviticus 18:21, Note 30, says: "It could refer to either human sacrifice or a devotion of children to some sort of service of Molech, perhaps of a sexual sort (cf. 5; II Kings xxiii. According to legend, Astarte descended to earth as a fiery star. King Solomon got in trouble when he tried to introduce the cult of Astarte into Jerusalem, much to the displeasure of Yahweh. 133-165, x. Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). There stands in their midst a bronze statue of Kronos, its hands extended over a bronze brazier, the flames of which engulf the child. The Israelites neglected to heed the Lord's warning not to compromise with idolaters. 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. Her name appears in the Old Testament (I Kings xi. In the Lemegeton, he appears as either a beautiful or an ugly angel, riding a dragon and holding a viper. Readers will also find plenty of valuable book reviews and courses which may prove to be helpful for obtaining greater knowledge. Seth was the God of chaos, darkness, the desert and drought. Bibl. She is linked with war, sexuality and fertility. This could be in order to deceive the magician, with the goal of extracting his energy. In the many myths and stories involving Inanna in ancient Mesopotamia, Inanna does not appear as either wife or mother. 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). We would do well to remember the complete powerlessness of the pagan gods, from Baal, Canaan's bloodthirsty fertility god, to Hades, Greek god of the underworld, to prevail against the one true God and his Son, Jesus Christ. The pantheon in Phoenicia was generally ascribed to the Sanchuniathon. The general name, used throughout Palestine and in the Bible, for this type of fire god, was Baal. Her worship spanned from around 1500 BCE to 200 BCE. The word is used as the name of a town in ancient Israel in Deuteronomy 1:4, Joshua 9:10, 12:4, 13:12, 13:31 and 1 Chronicles 6:71. Although she was believed to be Baal's mother, she was also his mistress. 7; 3, 5. Abraham lived in the Negev desert, where God made his covenant of blood with him and sealed it with circumcision. Several other centers of worship were located in Malta, Eryx and Cythera. Astarte was a goddess honored in the Eastern Mediterranean area, before being renamed by the Greeks. a fire god worshiped throughout the ancient near East and North Africa, by Canaanites and Philistines, Arameans and Semitic peoples and later, Phoenicians. Ahab, with his wife's encouragement, built a temple to Baal at his capital, Samaria. One that Ive used successfully is: Hail Astaroth! The Encyclopedia of Witches, Witchcraft and Wicca, Encyclopedia of Spirits: The Ultimate Guide to the Magic of Fairies, Genies, Demons, Ghosts, Gods & Goddesses. It is also the Greek name of Ishtar, who is a Mesopotamian Semitic goddess. She guards womens reproductive health. Reveal yourself in the flames before me! Semitic describes a group of languages, and by extension, kindred cultures of the Near East and Africa which include Phoenician, Arabic, Hebrew and Assyrian. . Two of the centers of Seth's worship were at Ombos and Avaris. ancient Canaanite fertility cults used same sex rituals to worship their false gods. Astaroth loves to complain to those who are willing to listen about how he was unjustly punished by God along with other Fallen Angels. 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 power attributed to her in war may have arisen from her connection with storms. The Jews, the Christians and the . 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. The name Attart is a feminine form of the name Attar, a god known from Ugarit and South Arabian sources, and associated with the morning star. Why Did Christ Ride a Donkey on His Triumphant Entry? The Bible called this practice "detestable" (Deut. The issue with God was not committed faithful non-cultic sexual relationships or gay marriages between two men or two women. But, the mother goddess in the Ras Shamra texts appears as Anat, Athirat, and Athtart, or Astrate. How to do Black Magic: Full Guide (Spells, Curses, Protection Circle..), Obtain knowledge and secrets on any topic that requires study and research. Baal, Tammuz, Ashtoreth, Astarte and Ishtar are all connected with pagan sun worship. Tammuz is identified as her son/consort, as he is with Ishtar. then. 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. However, even among those who . The cult of Astarte spread westward from Phoenicia into ancient Greece, Rome and as far as the British Isles. Astarte may be Anat, Aphrodite, and/or Tanit. Beelzebub, based on the Philistine god Baalzebul, had become a synonym for the prince of demons, Satan. . God's warning against worshiping Molech the Canaanite fire god, is given in a religious context. Some scholars have proposed that these figurines were dedicated by women desiring to be pregnant or nursing children. As with many deities, offerings are an important component of honoring Astarte in ritual and prayer. In the Hebrew scriptures, Astarte was referred to as Ashteroth Karnaim. Most stories about him refer to sexual affairs. Astaroth also encourages slothfulness and laziness so be sure to thank him and finish the ritual properly. My New Grimoire Goetia Rising is Now Available! Dionysus was worshiped in the pagan Decapolis across the Sea of Galilee from the center of Jesus' ministry. Both of these sacred sexual practices existed for thousands of years in Mesopotamia. All rights reserved. ASHTAROTH was THE CANAANITE'S Virgin, Queen of Heaven who was their goddess of fertility, love, and war exactly like Ishtar and Isis. Please confirm you want to block this member. prostitute to other gods." In Sumer and later in Babylon, religious rituals involved sacred sexuality in the form of the Sacred Marriage or hieros gamos, an act simulating marriage between the fertility goddess Inanna/Ishtar and the shepherd god, Dumuzi. By the time of Ahab and Jezebel, the fertility cults appeared to have the official sanction of Israel's leaders. Some 1450 years after Leviticus, the Apostle Paul references pagan worship in Romans 1:26-27, when he blasts the same kind of fertility goddess worship in first century Rome. Those familiar with the Greek myth of Demeter and Persephone will recognize the precedence found in the earlier Inanna myths. As for the land of Carthage, the goddess Tanit was worshipped along with Astarte. )Continue, Many will compare astral projection with lucid dreams, but there is one important difference. Systems of Transliteration Citation of Proper Names. This place was mentioned in the Book of Joshua and Genesis. With Shamash, the sun god, and Sin, the moon god, she forms a secondary astral triad. Hail Astaroth!. Moreover, Ashteroth was a fertility goddess from Canaan, and the horns were used as a symbol of the mountain peaks in the land. They foretold the future by examining animal entrails or by watching flights of birds. 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. As goddess of Venus, delighting in bodily love, Ishtar was the protectress of prostitutes and the patroness of the alehouse. It's hard to know why Yahweh's people failed to see that he alone had power over these things. Astarte ruled all spirits of the dead residing in heaven, visible from earth as stars; hence came her name Astroarche, Queen of the Stars, the mother of souls in heaven, the Moon surrounded by her star-children, to whom she gave their astral (starry) bodies. Astarte is one of the names that was commonly linked with the female divinity of the people during the early Bronze Age. The first recorded mention of Astartes name dates back to 1478 B.C.E., but her cult was already well established by then. 18; xliv. He is one of the three supreme evil demons along with Beelzebub and Lucifer in Grimoire Verum and Grand Gimoire, which date from about the 18th century. 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. Astarte is the Hellenized form of the Middle Eastern goddess Ashtoreth, a form of Ishtar, worshipped from the Bronze Age through classical antiquity. The Phoenicians called her Astarte, the Assyrians worshiped her as Ishtar, and the Philistines had a temple of Asherah ( 1 Samuel 31:10 ). Astaroth is particularly ambiguous since hes evolved from an ancient goddess, providing him/her with multiple forms of manifestation. It "compels every woman of the land to sit in the temple . This practice became the basis for religious prostitution (1 Kings 14:23-24). She was associated with the moon and called the Mother of the Universe, giver of all life on Earth. Learn about upcoming promotions, releases, and other updates from That the World May Know. Your email address will not be published. Jesus provided the ultimate solution to resisting the seductiveness of pagan idol worship. It can be very difficult to distinguish between West Semitic spirits because of their tradition of addressing spirits by both a personal name and an honorific. Lit." God repeatedly commanded the Old Testament. 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. Variants of the name Astarte can be found in the Phoenician, Hebrew, Egyptian and Etruscan languages. 1-74; W. Robertson Smith, Religion of the Semites, Index. 21.". Ishtar is the Akkadian counterpart of the West Semitic goddess Astarte. 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.