Baphomet as most people picture it, winged, goat-headed, androgynous, seated with one hand raised and one lowered, was created in 1854 by the French occultist Éliphas Lévi, who published it in his Dogme et Rituel de la Haute Magie. He called it the Sabbatic Goat and was explicit that it was a philosophical diagram, not a portrait of a deity and not anything evil. Every element is a deliberate symbol: the torch between the horns for the light of universal intelligence, the caduceus for the generative force of nature, the androgynous body for the union of opposites, and one arm raised with one lowered for the Hermetic axiom as above, so below. This commanding 24-inch cast-resin statue, finished in black with bronze highlights, brings that complete symbolic composition into three dimensions at a dramatic scale, a major focal piece for a serious ceremonial or occult altar. Please note: this item cannot ship to Massachusetts or California. See the California Prop 65 warning in Product Details. Key Features The Éliphas Lévi Sabbatic Goat. The classic Western esoteric Baphomet, faithful to Lévi's original iconographic program. Cast resin, black with bronze highlights. A dramatic black finish with detailed bronze highlighting across the figure. 24 inches: a major centerpiece. A large-scale piece with genuine command of a room or altar. Product Details Height: 24 inches Material: cast resin with a black finish and bronze highlights Design: Éliphas Lévi Baphomet (Sabbatic Goat iconography) Shipping: cannot ship to Massachusetts or California California Prop 65 Warning: this product can expose you to chemicals known to the State of California to cause cancer or reproductive harm. For more information visit www.P65Warnings.ca.gov. SKU: SB197 Sold by Plentiful Earth The Spiritual Significance For practitioners of Western ceremonial magic, Thelema, and the Left Hand Path, Baphomet is a symbol of equilibrium: the reconciliation of opposites, the Hermetic unity of above and below, and the integration of masculine and feminine principles into a single whole. In Lévi's original program the figure synthesizes rather than polarizes, picturing the idea that what appears dualistic is, at its deepest level, one. In Aleister Crowley's Thelemic system, which drew heavily on Lévi, Baphomet came to represent magical initiation and the integration of the shadow, what must be confronted and reconciled to develop genuine will. At this larger scale the figure makes an especially strong altar presence for that work. It is worth knowing both the original esoteric meaning and the later Satanic association, and choosing your own context with open eyes. How To Use Use it as the central focal piece of a large ceremonial, Thelemic, or dark occult altar or working space. Make it a focus for meditations on duality, shadow work, or initiation; its scale and symbolic density reward sustained contemplation. For those who work with Baphomet devotionally, place offerings at the base: incense, candles, libations, or written petitions. Use it as a study aid, reading Lévi's own description of each element alongside contemplation of the statue. Consecrate it before ritual use by passing incense around it, speaking your dedication, and setting it in place. Pairs Well With Baphomet Bronze Statue, 14.5 Inches a mid-size version in a bronze finish. Baphomet Statue, 14.5 Inches a mid-size version with verdigris highlights. Baphomet Statue, 9.5 Inches a compact version for smaller spaces. Baphomet Wall Plaque, 8.25 Inches the same figure for the wall. Solomon's Pentacle Amulet from the same Western ceremonial lineage. History & Occult Background The word Baphomet predates Lévi's image by centuries. It first appears in 1098, in a Crusader letter describing the siege of Antioch, almost certainly as a garbled French transcription of the name of Mohammed. It surfaced again in the early 14th-century trials of the Knights Templar, when the Order was accused of worshipping an idol called Baphomet; those confessions came under torture, the descriptions varied wildly, and no idol was ever produced, leading historians to view the charge as politically motivated fabrication. Éliphas Lévi (1810 to 1875) was among the most influential figures in 19th-century occultism. His 1854 Baphomet was an original creation, deliberately combining goat-headed imagery from the Goat of Mendes and the god Pan with Hermetic, Kabbalistic, and alchemical symbolism, and he stated plainly that it represented esoteric wisdom and the reconciliation of opposites, not evil. The Satanic association came only in the 1960s, when Anton LaVey and the Church of Satan adopted the goat head within an inverted pentagram as the Sigil of Baphomet, a meaning distinct from Lévi's original. Frequently Asked Questions Is this statue Satanic? The figure Lévi created in 1854 was not. He designed it as a symbol of esoteric balance and the reconciliation of opposites. The Satanic association came later through the Church of Satan. Both meanings exist; practitioners work within their own context. Why can't it ship to Massachusetts or California? This product carries a California Prop 65 warning for exposure to chemicals known to that state to cause cancer or reproductive harm, and Massachusetts has separate restrictions. Plentiful Earth cannot fulfill orders to these two states. How big is it, really? At 24 inches it is a large, dramatic piece meant as a major centerpiece rather than a shelf figure. Plan altar or floor space accordingly. How do I care for it? Dust gently with a soft brush or dry cloth and avoid harsh chemicals or prolonged water exposure, which can affect the finish. Does it include ritual guidance? No documentation is included. Lévi's own Transcendental Magic and general works on Western ceremonial magic and Thelema provide context for working with Baphomet as an esoteric symbol.
