Thursday, October 5, 2023

Satanic Demonic Video: Doja Cat Demon-Is Doja Cat Now a Satanic Witch?

 


By Shofarsound/Endtimeshofar


"Demon" is more than just a music video; it's a carefully crafted piece of visual art. Directed by Doja Cat herself, along with Christian Breslauer, the video takes viewers on a mesmerizing journey through various surreal and darkly captivating scenes. The video's visuals are spectacular, from lavish, ethereal landscapes to eerie underwater sequences.

 

The video also showcases Doja Cat's chameleonic talent for transforming into various characters. She dons different costumes and personas, each reflecting another facet of the song's themes while keeping her signature playful and confident style intact.

 

One of the main central themes throughout the music video heavily promotes satanic, demonic imagery, occult symbolism, and occult rituals throughout the entire video. Demonic powers inspire Doja Cat to create her music lyrics and videos. Let’s examine this in more detail.





In the Doja Cat music video, Demon, Dojo Cat sits inside a bathtub filled with lots of esoteric symbolism. The water is black in color water. In Satanism, black symbolizes darkness, night, evil, Devil, and sorrow. (1) Her sitting in the water is symbolic of Satanism. The water in the tub means that Satan does have a watery aspect, especially insofar as Satan is a god of magick(symbolism).   The things you need most to do magick, such as intuition, primal emotion, and access to your subconscious mind, are all associated with the element of water. (2) Therefore, the viewer of this video is viewing a Satanic magick ritual Doja Cat is conducting while under the guise of entertainment. Dojo Cat is opening herself up to use magic.

Another esoteric symbolism while Dojo Cat is inside the bathtub is when the video zeroes in on her back and the back of her head. She has an all-seeing eye on the back of her head and a tattoo of a skeleton bat. 

The all-seeing eye is one of ritual magic's most potent occult symbols. A former witch and Mason comments:

"To 'open' the eye a little bit is to experience psychic powers. To open the eye completely is to have your brain flooded with Lucifer's 'pure' consciousness. This is why one of the Masonic symbols is the 'All-Seeing Eye' symbol of illumination. (3)

One Masonic book states the following:  

"These considerations lead us to an interesting topic, the Eye of the Mind or the Eye of Horus, a subject elaborated on in the Chapter on 'Horus' and conveying the idea of the 'All Seeing Eye.' The end set before the Egyptian neophyte was the illumination to be 'brought to light.' The Religion of Egypt was the Religion of Light." (4)

In essence, in the video, when the demon hand comes up out of the water and touches the back of Doja Cat's head (with the All-Seeing Eye on the back of her head), she is infused with demonic power, illumination, and Luciferian consciousness flows into her (her eyes change colors due to being demonically possessed), transforming her into a demon.

The skeleton bat tattooed on her back has occult symbolism significance, and general tattoos connect with paganism and the magical arts. Let's review the importance.

Within witchcraft in the Middle Ages, it was widely believed that all witches were assisted by demons who assumed the forms of animals. One of the animal shapes commonly used by these demons (or "familiars" as they were often called) was the bat. Bats and their blood were also used in casting spells. (5) In Dante's poem Inferno, Bats described the Devil's wings as resembling bats. (6)  In ancient Europe, the bat was related to dragon symbolism because it was winged and lived in a cave. The bat was also a symbol of death and the Underworld. (7)  

When we look at the spiritual dynamic of the bat tattoo that Dojo Cat has, we must also look at the magical element of the purpose of her tattoo. Tattooing was a method used by pagans such as sorcerers and pagan priests. Tattooists in paganism are much like shamans or occult priests. They are a point of contact with the spirit world. In Michelle Delio's book, "The Exotic Art of Skin Decoration," she makes the following eye-opening statements that connect tattooing to the occult spiritual worldview:

"Tattooing is about personalizing the body, making it a true home and fit temple for the spirit that dwells inside it… Tattooing, therefore, is a way of keeping my body's spiritual and material needs in balance." (8)

 "When the designs are chosen with care, tattoos have a power and magic all their own. They decorate the body but also enhance soul." (9)

"Tattooing is often a magical rite in the more traditional cultures, and the tattooist is respected as a priest or shaman." (10)

 Besides Michelle Delio's statements connecting tattoos to the magical arts, famous witch and author Laurie Cabot wrote this about tattoos:

"The origins of tattooing came from ancient magical practices…" (11)

 To sum it up with the overall symbolism of Dojo Cat's music video, she is a Satanic witch conducting a Satanic magic ritual that millions of people viewed in her video Demon.


Dojo Cat Left-Hand Path and Her Magical Name


What is the meaning of the left-hand path within the occult? Historian Dave Evans had the following observation on the left-hand path:

They often reject societal convention and the status quo, which some suggest is in a search for spiritual freedom. As a part of this, LHP followers embrace magical techniques traditionally viewed as taboo, for instance, using sex magic or embracing Satanic imagery.[12] As Mogg Morgan wrote, the "breaking of taboos makes magick more potent and can lead to reintegration and liberation, [for example] the eating of meat in a vegetarian community can have the same liberating effect as anal intercourse in a sexually inhibited straight society."[13]They often question religious or moral dogma, instead adhering to forms of personal anarchism.[14] They often embrace sexuality and incorporate it into magical rituals.[15]

As viewed in the Doja Cat music video, Demon had an overwhelming amount of Satanic imagery that fits her within the category of being on the left-hand path within occult magic circles.

To further see Doja Cat's connection to left-hand path magic, we must examine her name change from Amala Ratna Zandile Diamini to her now stage name, Doja Cat. In the book Sacrifice: Magic Behind the Mic by Isaac Weishaupt, he states, Followers of the left-hand path (a term typically reserved for those dabbling in the occult) often come up with new names. Their magical names are used to protect their real-life identity and provide a constant reminder of high calling. Famous Satanist and occultist Aleister Crowley changed his name from Edward Alexander Crowley to Aleister Crowley. (16)

Is that how Doja Cat came up with her name based on the left-hand path? What dojo mean? Dojo in Japanese is written in characters Jo, meaning 'place', while Do imply a path, way, or road. It means a place in the way or path. (17)

What connections do cats have with witchcraft and the occult? In Dictionary of Witchcraft, by David Pickering, under the section for cats, he states the following:

"Cats, it was claimed, could transmit information to their evil–working masters and mistress, and in some rural areas, in particular parts of Europe, nobody dared to discuss important family business in front of a cat, for fear that it was a witch in disguise- or the Devil himself." (18)

Cats and witches have been connected for centuries and are usually the number one connected animal when it comes to witches. Both cats and witches have been aligned with magic since ancient times. (19)    

So, when you combine Dojo and Cat with Dojo Cat's name, get in essence in the path of the cat, the path of magic.  


The symbolism of Goats in Dojo Cat's Music Video Demon



One last thing on symbolism we like to explore in Doja Cat's music video, Demon, is the imagery of her sitting in a room full of goats. Goats are an occult satanic symbol of Satan being the goat god. In H.P. Blavatsky's writings The Secret Doctrine, she states:

"In Demonology, Satan is the leader of the opposition in Hell, the monarch of which was Beelzebub. He belongs to the fifth kind or class of Demons (of which there are nine according to medieval Demonology) and is at the head of witches and sorcerers. But see elsewhere the true meaning of Baphomet, the goat-headed Satan, one with Azazel, the scapegoat of Israel. Nature is the God Pan." (20)

 Goats are looked upon within the occult to have more prominence than lambs; in the Bible, Lambs are seen in a positive light, and goats are seen in a negative light. Within Alice Bailey's (the founder of Lucis Trust/Lucifer Trust) occult writings, she turns the Bible upside down on goats versus lambs; Jesus stated at the end of the age, He would separate the lambs from the goats, the lambs shall inherit the Kingdom of Heaven and the goats should be judged and cast into Hell. Bailey wrote:

"...it has been thought that the sheep went to heaven and the goats went to Hell. It is the other way around. The goat in Capricorn is the initiate, and from a certain esoteric angle, the goats go to heaven because they function in the spiritual Kingdom...the sheep remain on earth until they become goats." (21)




Dojo Cat is One of Satan's Leading Evangelistic Voices Right Now

 



As we have examined the massive amounts of symbolism within Doja Cat's music video Demon, it is evident that satanic powers have given her a large platform to evangelize the masses worldwide. Just look at the evidence of her large group of followers on the various social media platforms. On X(formerly Twitter), she has 5.6 million followers, Instagram 24.5 million followers, TikTok 26 million followers, and Facebook 4.9 million followers. Beyond her mass appeal within the various social media platforms, her music videos on YouTube have millions of views. Before releasing her Demon music video, Doja Cat dropped the song and music video Paint The Town Red (which had satanic/occult overtones), raising eyebrows about her going to the dark side. That video has already reached over 78 million views on YouTube, and the song ranks number one globally on the Billboard charts. Her music video Demon has got more than 18 million views on YouTube.

Doja Cat is used by the powers of darkness as evangelists to spread satanic messages and symbolism to glorify Satan. She has joined the satanic evangelist group just as her fellow music artists, such as Sam Smith, Little Nas X, and Lil Uzi Vert, take pride in promoting Satan's Kingdom.

 Mary Harrington's 2021 article How Satanism Conquered America: Untrammelled Individualism Is No longer a Sin, warned us and confirmed satanism's rise in American society. Here are some of the examples she quoted in the eye-opening article:

 

In 2021, even the idea of a priest as the main protagonist in a battle between good and evil feels very 1973. While there's plenty of Satanist imagery, overtly anti-Christian symbols seem banal (Lil Nas selling Satan trainers) or just naff (WitchTok).

 

 But if devilish imagery mostly feels a bit cringe, the Devil himself has gone mainstream. If being deliberately anti-Christian pour épater la bourgeoisie feels exhausting, for the new, post-Christian bourgeoisie, Satan now reads like the good guy. And in the hands of this class, the Devil's proverbial pride, self-regard, and refusal to yield isn't just celebrated — it's on its way to becoming the established religion of the United States of America. (22)

The Book of Revelation warns us that a global satanic revival of demon worship will occur. Let's pray for Amala Ratna Zandile Dlamini (Dojo Cat) to repent before it is too late! Her mortal soul is at significant risk of going to Hell.



Article Sources

1.     1..  Complete Ritual Calendar For Observance of The Luciferian Cast Deities & Classifications of Involvements, P.9 -Scribd.com

2.      2. Complete Ritual Calendar For Observance of The Luciferian Cast Deities & Classifications of Involvements, P. 1-Scribd.com.

3.      3. Masonic and Occult Symbols Illustrated P. 365, By Dr. Cathy Burns

4.      4. The Symbolism of the Gods of the Egyptians and the Light They Throw on Freemasonry, P.5.  

5.   5. The Witch's Familiar Spiritual Partnerships for Successful Magic, P. 134, By Raven Grimassi.

6.    6. Dante's Inferno, The Indiana Critical Edition, P. 247, By Dante Alghieri.

7.   7.    Encyclopedia of Wicca & Witchcraft, P.45, By Raven Grimassi.

8.   8.    Tattoo: The Exotic Art of Skin Decoration, P.8, By Michelle Delio.

9.     9.   Tattoo: The Exotic Art of Skin Decoration, P.13, By Michelle Delio.

1   10. Tattoo: The Exotic Art of Skin Decoration, P.73, By Michelle Delio.

11 11.  Masonic and Occult Symbols Illustrated P. 301, By Dr. Cathy Burns.

1112.  Evans, Dave (2007). The History of British Magick after Crowley. Hidden Publishing. Page 197.

13.  13. Shual. Sexual Magick. Page 31.

14. 14.  Evans, Dave (2007). The History of British Magick after Crowley. Hidden Publishing. Page 198.

15.   15. Evans, Dave (2007). The History of British Magick after Crowley. Hidden Publishing. Page 205.

1616. Magic Behind the Mic by Isaac Weishaupt, P. 75 Amazon Kindle Book.

1717.   https://thekarateblog.com/what-is-dojo/

1818.   Dictionary of Witchcraft, by David Pickering, P. 123.

19.   19. https://wisdom.thealchemistskitchen.com/cats-and-witches-a-magical-history/

20.  20. The Secret Doctrine P. 406, Madame Helena Petrovna Blavatsky.

21. 21.  Alice Bailey Goats Go to Heaven: The Labours of Hercules-An Astrological Interpretation P.182.

22.  22. https://unherd.com/2021/09/satanism-is-everywhere/

 

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Wednesday, October 4, 2023

Kat Von D gets baptized into Christianity a Year After Throwing Out Witchcraft Books

 


Story Source: Movieguide.org


Former tattoo artist Kat Von D shared a video of her baptism following a long journey of personal transformation after she renounced the occult and witchcraft last year. 

She captioned the video with a cross.

“Katherine von Drachenberg, upon your profession of the Lord Jesus Christ, and in obedience to His Divine command, I baptize you, my sister, in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit,” the pastor said before submerging a white robe-clad Von D.

Von D joyfully hugged him as she emerged from the water.

Von D’s friends attended the baptism, and the video shows several tattooed, pierced people reading from hymnals and worshipping.

Movieguide had previously reported on Von D’s decision to throw away all materials that celebrated witchcraft and the occult:

“I’ve always found beauty in the macabre, but at this point, I just had to ask myself what is my relationship with this content? And the truth is, I just don’t want to invite any of these things into our family’s lives, even if it comes disguised in beautiful covers, collecting dust on my shelves,” she said.

She opened her post, reflecting, “I don’t know if any of you have been going through changes in your lives right now, but in the last few years I’ve come to some pretty meaningful realizations—many of them revolving around the fact that I got a lot of things wrong in my past.”

Because of that realization, Von D went through her library and threw out every book on witchcraft, magic, the macabre, and tarot cards because they “don’t align” with her anymore.

I 

Sunday, October 1, 2023

Nephilim Expert L.A. Marzulli Warns Against Alien Hoaxes Nephilim Expert L.A. Marzulli Warns Against Alien Hoaxes

 



Source: Charisma Magazine 


Aliens are hitting the headlines once more, with images from Mexico featuring what appeared to be mummified alien corpses.

L.A. Marzulli, renowned supernatural and Nephilim expert, cautions Christians to discern between truth and deception in these turbulent times.

Marzulli recently spoke with Charisma News in an exclusive interview, and began by stressing the absence of solid evidence or provenance for these alien claims. Archaeologists and researchers always seek a clear origin for any discovery, but these alleged alien artifacts lack that crucial information.

"Anybody who's in this field, if you see something, you immediately stop. If you uncover something you stop. You put down a ruler, a marker, a yardstick, $1 bill, something! That's huge. There is no provenance for this thing. Strike one off the bat," Marzulli explains.

"Number two, it looks to me like a construct, and having been involved in this for decades, and been fooled once, it looks like a construct. So, x-rays can fool you."

Drawing a parallel to his own research, Marzulli recounts a mysterious bronze lance found in Michigan tracing back to Saudi Arabia.

"It was found in an abandoned campsite by this guy in the middle of nowhere. And it's old, it's very old. It's been cold worked, it's been hammered, it's got a sharp edge, it's a lance. ...My gosh, if we could only know where it was dug up, or found, [but] we have none of that. It has no provenance," Marzulli says.

He goes on to expose the pitfalls of these alien hoaxes, noting that many similar claims have emerged in the past. To illustrate, he recounts a case where a convincing fairy-like creature turned out to be an elaborate fabrication. Even experts can be deceived.

L.A. Marzulli, renowned supernatural and Nephilim expert, cautions Christians to discern between truth and deception in these turbulent times.

Marzulli recently spoke with Charisma News in an exclusive interview, and began by stressing the absence of solid evidence or provenance for these alien claims. Archaeologists and researchers always seek a clear origin for any discovery, but these alleged alien artifacts lack that crucial information.

"Anybody who's in this field, if you see something, you immediately stop. If you uncover something you stop. You put down a ruler, a marker, a yardstick, $1 bill, something! That's huge. There is no provenance for this thing. Strike one off the bat," Marzulli explains.

"Number two, it looks to me like a construct, and having been involved in this for decades, and been fooled once, it looks like a construct. So, x-rays can fool you."

Drawing a parallel to his own research, Marzulli recounts a mysterious bronze lance found in Michigan tracing back to Saudi Arabia.

"It was found in an abandoned campsite by this guy in the middle of nowhere. And it's old, it's very old. It's been cold worked, it's been hammered, it's got a sharp edge, it's a lance. ...My gosh, if we could only know where it was dug up, or found, [but] we have none of that. It has no provenance," Marzulli says.

He goes on to expose the pitfalls of these alien hoaxes, noting that many similar claims have emerged in the past. To illustrate, he recounts a case where a convincing fairy-like creature turned out to be an elaborate fabrication. Even experts can be deceived.

"Whoever did this was a great taxidermist. We took it up to the Natural History Museum in Santa Barbara, and really deconstructed it. We [found] bat wings, we've got the head of a bat. We've got a stinger on the tail [that] was actually the finger of a squirrel. The taxidermist was just taking different animals and constructing it together," Marzulli reveals. 

Marzulli also highlights the recent congressional testimony by a whistleblower who claimed the recovery of non-human biological matter from crashed UFOs. The gravity of such assertions cannot be overstated, as they challenge our understanding of reality. However, he urges caution, emphasizing that deception is a powerful tool and that discernment is vital."This is what the Lord has called me to do. This is the coming Great Deception," Marzulli warns.




Marzulli also highlights the recent congressional testimony by a whistleblower who claimed the recovery of non-human biological matter from crashed UFOs. The gravity of such assertions cannot be overstated, as they challenge our understanding of reality. However, he urges caution, emphasizing that deception is a powerful tool and that discernment is vital.

"This is what the Lord has called me to do. This is the coming Great Deception," Marzulli warns.


Israeli man attempts to sacrifice sheep on Temple Mount




Source: Jerusalem Post







An Israeli citizen was arrested near Jerusalem's Old City on Sunday morning after attempting to bring a sheep to the Temple Mount as a sacrifice.

The suspect is a religious activist of the Chozrim L'Har movement, which advocates against the "abandonment of the Temple Mount into foreign hands."

The man was detained by law enforcement officials after being located en route to the Mount.


Following the suspect's arrest, the Chozrim L'Har movement warned that "there is no more room for Muslim rule on the Temple Mount."


The organization vowed that sacrifices would resume soon and the Third Temple would be built on the Temple Mount.

"It is time to build a third Jewish Temple and renew sacrifices," the religious organization said. "Dear government and Arabs, you are messing with the wrong generation," it further warned.

Wednesday, September 20, 2023

Kenneth Copeland Doesn't Believe That Jesus is God

 


By Shofarsound/Endtimeshofar


Kenneth Copeland, the famous Word of Faith Preacher, Teacher, and so-called Prophet, holds the belief and teaches that Jesus isn't God. Copeland has been well-documented for his antichrist belief that Jesus wasn't God manifested in the flesh.

In this short blog post, let us examine Kenneth Copeland's blasphemous statements about Jesus not being God:

 

 “Why didn’t Jesus openly proclaim Himself as God during 33 years on Earth? For one single reason. He hadn’t come to Earth as God. He’d come as a man.”(1)

In another instance, Copeland claims he received this prophecy from Jesus, in which he states the following:

They crucified Me for claiming I was God. But I didn’t claim I was God. I just claimed I walked with Him and that He was in Me. Hallelujah. (2)

 

The Holy Scriptures vs Kenneth Copeland

1 John 4:2-4

2 By this you know the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God, 3 and every spirit that does not confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is not of God. And this is the spirit of the Antichrist, which you have heard was coming, and is now already in the world. 4 You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world. (3)

 

Philippians 2:5-11

5 Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, 6 who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, 7 but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. 8 And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. 9 Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, 10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, 11 and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. (4)


1 Timothy 3:16

New King James Version

16 And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness:

 God was manifested in the flesh,

Justified in the Spirit,

Seen by angels,

Preached among the Gentiles,

Believed on in the world,

Received up in glory. (5)

Always be a student of the Word, and constantly search the scripture for yourself. Don't go off every wind of doctrine that some Christian celebrity preacher preaches or teaches. They can be leading you down the broad of deception and destruction. 

 

Sources:

1. Kenneth Copeland, Believer’s Voice of Victory Magazine, August 8, 1988 P. 8

2. Kenneth Copeland, Take Time to Pray Believer’s Voice of Victory 15, Feb 2, 1987

3. New King James Version Bible

4. New King James Version Bible

5. New King James Version Bible


Tuesday, September 19, 2023

The Day of Atonement(Yom Kippur) in Leviticus 16: A Goat for Azazel

 




Source: Dr. Michael Heiser

I recently offered a distilled response to the question of what’s going on in Leviticus 16, the Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur) chapter, which mentions (correctly) in some translations that one of the goats was “for Azazel.” Azazel, the comment noted, was a demonic figure. So what’s up with that? I have copied in two responses below. The first is a pre-edited version of an article published in Bible Study Magazine. The second is drawn from the draft of my eventually-to-be-published book on the divine council worldview of the Old Testament. Enjoy.

Short Version: A Goat for Azazel1

Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement described in Leviticus 16, is an important element of Judaism familiar to many Christians. Though not practiced today as it was in ancient times in the absence of the temple and Levitical priesthood, this holy day is still central to the Jewish faith. But while numerous Christians have heard of the day, most would be startled to learn that a sinister figure lurks in the shadows of Leviticus 16. There’s a devil in the details.

The Day of Atonement ritual required a ram, a bull and two goats (vv. 3-5). The ram was for a burnt offering, a general offering aimed at pleasing God (Lev. 1:3-4). The bull, taken from “the herd” served as a sin offering for Aaron, the high priest, and his family. The purpose of the sin offering was purification—restoring an individual to ritual purity to allow that person to occupy sacred space, to be near God’s presence. Curiously, two goats taken “from the congregation” were needed for a single sin offering (v. 5) for the people. Elsewhere the sin offering involved only one animal (e.g., Lev 4:1-12). Why two goats?

The high priest would cast lots over the two goats, resulting in one being chosen for sacrifice “for the Lord.” The blood of that goat would purify the people. The second goat was not sacrificed and was not “for the Lord.” This goat, the one that symbolically carried the sins away from the camp of Israel into the wilderness, was “for Azazel” (ESV; vv. 8-10).

Who or what was Azazel?

The Hebrew term azazel occurs four times in Lev 16 but nowhere else in the Bible. Many translations prefer to translate the term as a phrase: “the goat that goes away” (the idea conveyed in the KJV’s “scapegoat”). Other translations treat the word as a name: Azazel. The former option is possible, but since the phrase “for Azazel” occurs in parallel to “for Yahweh” (“for the Lord”), the wording suggests that two divine figures are being contrasted by the two goats.

Two other considerations argue in favor of Azazel being a divine being—a demonic figure associated with the wilderness. First, Jewish texts of the Intertestamental period show that Azazel was understood as a demonic figure.2 The Mishnah (ca. 200 AD; Yoma 6:6) records that the goat for Azazel was led to a cliff and pushed over to kill it, ensuring it would not return. This association of the wilderness with evil is evident in the NT, as this was where Jesus met the devil (Mat 4:1). Second, in Lev 17:7 we learn that some Israelites had been accustomed to sacrificing offerings to “goat demons.” The Day of Atonement replaced this illegitimate practice.

It is important to note that this goat was not a sacrifice—it was not sent into the wilderness as an act of sacrifice to a foreign god or demon. Rather, the act of sending the live goat out into the wilderness—unholy ground—was to send the sins of the people where they belonged—the demonic domain. By contrasting purified access to the true God of the first goat with the goat sent to the domain of demons, the identity of the true God and his mercy and holiness was visually reinforced.

Longer Version: Yahweh and Azazel3

The Day of Atonement ritual provides a fascinating convergence of all the ideas discussed in the chapter: holiness, realm distinction, restoration, sacred and profane space, and Yahweh and his family versus the nations and their Elohim.

If you’ve at least flipped through Leviticus on your way to another book of the Bible, you may know that the Day of Atonement ritual is described in Leviticus 16. Part of that description goes like this:

7 Then [Aaron] shall take the two goats and set them before the Lord at the entrance of the tent of meeting. 8 And Aaron shall cast lots over the two goats, one lot for the Lord and the other lot for Azazel. 9 And Aaron shall present the goat on which the lot fell for the Lord and use it as a sin offering, 10 but the goat on which the lot fell for Azazel shall be presented alive before the Lord to make atonement over it, that it may be sent away into the wilderness to Azazel. (Lev. 16:7-10; ESV)

Why is one of the goats “for Azazel”? Who or what is “Azazel”? Here’s where things get a little strange, unless you are acquainted with the cosmic geographical ideas we’ve discussed.

“Azazel” in Hebrew can be translated as “the goat that goes away.” This justifies the common “scapegoat” translation (NIV, NASB, KJV). The scapegoat, so the translator has it, symbolically carries the people's sins away from the camp of Israel into the wilderness. Seems simple enough.

However, “Azazel” could also be a proper name. In Lev. 16:8 one goat is “for Yahweh” while the other goat is “for Azazel.” Since Yahweh is a proper name and the goats are described in the same way, Hebrew parallelism suggests Azazel is also a proper name, which is why more recent translations, sensitive to the literary character of the Hebrew text, read “Azazel” and not “scapegoat” (ESV, NRSV, NJPS). So what’s the big deal?

The point of importance is that Azazel is the name of a demon in the Dead Sea Scrolls and other ancient Jewish books. In fact, in one scroll (4Q 180, 1:8), Azazel is the leader of the angels that sinned in Genesis 6:1-4. The same description appears in the book of 1 Enoch (8:1; 9:6; 10:4–8; 13:1; 54:5–6; 55:4; 69:2). Recall that in Intertestamental Judaism, the offending sons of God from Genesis 6 were believed to have been imprisoned in a Pit or Abyss in the Netherworld. As we saw in Chapter 6, he apostle Peter uses the Greek term Tartarus for this place (2 Peter 2:4). Tartarus is translated “Hell” in some English versions, but the term actually refers to the lowest place in the Netherworld, which was conceived as being under the earth humans walk upon. In Greek thought, Tartarus was the prison for the divine giant Titans defeated by the Olympian gods. In Jewish theology, Azazel’s realm was somewhere out in the desert, outside the confines of holy ground. It was a place associated with supernatural evil.

Azazel is best taken as a proper name of a demonic entity. In the Day of Atonement ritual, the goat for Yahweh—the goat that was sacrificed—purifies the people of Israel and the Tabernacle/Temple. Sins were “atoned for” and what had been ritually unclean was sanctified and made holy. But purification only described part of what atonement meant. The point of the goat for Azazel was not that something was owed to the demonic realm, as though a ransom was being paid. The goat for Azazel banished the sins of the Israelites to the realm outside Israel. Why? Because the ground on which Yahweh had his dwelling was holy; the ground outside the parameters of the Israelite camp (or, nation, once the people were in the Land) had been consigned to fallen, demonic deities back at Babel. Sin could not be tolerated in the camp of Israel, for it was holy ground. Sins had to be “transported” to where evil belonged—the territory outside Israel under the control of gods set over the pagan nations. The high priest was not sacrificing to Azazel. Rather, Azazel was getting what belonged to him: the ugly sinfulness of the nation.

Taking Azazel as a proper name explains another weird statement in the very next chapter of Leviticus (17:7): “So they shall no more sacrifice their sacrifices to goat demons, after whom they whore” (ESV). The Day of Atonement ritual was part of the solution to the practice of some Israelites to sacrifice to “goat demons.” We are not told why they did this, but the period of bondage in Egypt may have introduced them to deities identified with goat sacrifices, or they conceptually thought the demons of the wilderness needed to be kept at bay while on the way to the Promised Land. The latter has an Egyptian flavor to it, since Egyptians considered territory outside Egypt to be full of perils and chaotic forces. For Israelites, such sacrifices were ineffective and could descend to idolatry. Restrictions and prohibitions had to be made with respect to sacrifice. All sacrifices needed to occur at the tent of meeting (Lev. 17:1-7), and the Day of Atonement ritual was the only sanctioned “expulsion of sins” ritual.

 [1] Jewish texts of this era spell the name “Azazel”, “Azael”, and “Asael”. The figure is cast as either a fallen angel or the serpent of Eden in texts like (1 Enoch 8:1; 9:6; 10:4–8; 13:1; cf. 54:5–6; 55:4; 69:2; Apoc. Abr. 13:6–14; 14:4–6).

  1. A pre-edited version of the article, “There’s a Devil in the Details,” Bible Study Magazine 5:6 (Sept-Oct, 2013). 
  2. Texts of this era spell the name “Azazel”, “Azael”, and “Asael”.  The figure is cast as either a fallen angel or the serpent of Eden. See 1 Enoch 8:1; 9:6; 10:4–8; 13:1; cf. 54:5–6; 55:4; 69:2; Apoc. Abr. 13:6–14; 14:4–6. 
  3. Drawn from the first draft of my Myth That is True book. 

Sunday, September 17, 2023

Aleister Crowley and the Enigmatic Occult Connection with Cannabis

 



By Shofarsound/End-Time Shofar 

Aleister Crowley, often called the "Great Beast" or "Wickedest Man in the World," was a complex and controversial figure in occultism and esotericism during the early 20th century. Known for his involvement in various mystical practices, including Thelema, Crowley's life and writings continue to captivate and mystify people today. Among the many aspects of his life, one intriguing element is his reported use of cannabis. In this blog post, we'll explore Crowley's relationship with cannabis and its role in his spiritual and mystical pursuits.

 

 

Before delving into the connection with cannabis, it's essential to understand who Aleister Crowley was. Born in 1875 in England, Crowley was a prolific writer, poet, occultist, and ceremonial magician. He founded the religious and philosophical movement known as Thelema, which centers on the idea that individuals should follow their true will to attain spiritual enlightenment and self-fulfillment. His writings, particularly "The Book of the Law," serve as the foundational texts for Thelema.

 

Cannabis and the Occult

 

Cannabis has a long history of use in various mystical and spiritual practices worldwide. From ancient Hindu rituals involving bhang to Rastafarian sacramental use of marijuana, the plant has been associated with altered states of consciousness and spiritual insight.

 

In Crowley's time, cannabis was not as widely discussed or understood as it is today. However, there are references in some of his writings that suggest he may have experimented with the substance. One notable example is his book "The Diary of a Drug Fiend," where he discusses the use of various drugs, including cannabis, in a quest for spiritual awakening.

Aleister Crowley was known for pursuing altered states of consciousness to connect with higher spiritual realms and explore the boundaries of human perception. While he employed various methods, such as meditation, ritual magic, and sexual practices, his experimentation with substances like cannabis was part of this quest.


 It's essential to note that Crowley's approach to mind-altering substances was not limited to recreational use. He saw them as tools for self-exploration and transcendence, believing that certain substances could facilitate spiritual experiences and insights. Cannabis, with its psychoactive properties, was one such substance that intrigued him.

 

Thelema and Cannabis


In Thelema, the use of mind-altering substances, including cannabis, is not explicitly mandated or prohibited. Instead, the emphasis is on the individual's ability to discern their path and follow their true will. Some Thelemites interpret this as a license to explore substances like cannabis as part of their spiritual practice, while others choose to abstain from such substances.


Crowley's 1907 Essay, The Psychology of Hashish-Marijuana Forbidden Drug in the Garden of Eden  

In his 1907 essay titled "The Psychology of Hashish," Aleister Crowley wrote about the mystical and psychological aspects of the use of hashish and cannabis. In one particularly intriguing passage, Crowley asserted that marijuana was prohibited or forbidden in the Garden of Eden. If not the Tree of Life, at least of that other Tree, double and sinister and deadly?”  In rhetorical response to Jehovah’s ancient taboos, the Beast wrote: “Nay! for I am of the Serpent’s party; Knowledge is good, be the price what it may.”

 

Drug Use and Magic in The Bible- Old Testament Septuagint




We heard of the  Greek word pharmakia, which means drugs and sorcery. However, another Greek word used in the Septuagint for drug-using magician is epano. Epano has a much broader meaning than pharmakos. Here are some scriptural references for epano being used to show drug-using magicians:

Exodus 7:11: pharmakos, epano, pharmakia

Exodus 7:22: epano, pharmakia

Exodus 8:7: epano, pharmakia

Exodus 8:18: epano, pharmakia

Exodus 8:19: epano

Daniel 1:20: epano

Daniel 2:10: epano

Daniel 2:27: epano

Daniel 4:7: epano

Daniel 4:9: epano

Daniel 5:11: epano

What Aleister Crowley taught and wrote was nothing new under the sun(Ecclesiastes 1:9). Crowley's satanic inspirations go back thousands of years, with the connection to drug use and sorcery/magic. The Bible predicts that in the End-Times, a massive Satanic revival and a revival of pharmakia(drug use/sorcery) would take place.