Originally published 7 March 2011. © Torey B. Scott
Perhaps the best-known Demoness of all time is Lilith. Although a vast number of variations and interpretations pertaining to Her origins and nature may be found scattered throughout the annals of religious traditions, Lilith is most often accepted to be the first wife of the Biblical Adam and, contrary to belief, the first woman. In the Talmudic version of Her myth, Lilith was created, like Adam, from dust. Unlike Lilith’s successor, Eve, who was created from Adam’s rib, Lilith was created as an equal to Her husband. During their lovemaking, Lilith desired to mount Adam and to move astride him. Adam, however, insisted that She lay beneath him. Because Lilith considered Herself to be Adam’s equal, She did not feel that it was fair for Her to assume the subservient role and to allow Her male partner to dominate Her. Because of Her refusal to obey the commands of Her husband, Lilith finally abandoned him (although another version of the story insists that God cast Lilith out of the Garden and cursed Her).
Lilith evolved over time into a Demoness, finding Herself feared and loathed by those who considered Her to be an evil spirit concerned with murdering newborn babies and mothers during childbirth. The association of Lilith with a child-murdering Demoness most visibly originates with the Jewish interpretation of the myth of Abyzou, a female Demon of European tradition who was allegedly responsible for miscarriages and infant mortality. She is also depicted, in contrast with the traditional image of Satan, as being the Serpent responsible for the temptation of Eve. Amongst Zoharistic traditions, Lilith was one of two Demonesses who mated with Adam and bore innumerable Demons from this union. Another legend details that, after Her abandonment of Adam, Lilith resigned Herself to abide within the desert where She allegedly found refuge and companionship with sympathetic Demons. God sent three of his angels to retrieve Her, but Lilith denounced him. According to other sources, Lilith vowed to murder the children of men for the sins of their fathers—smiling at them and destroying them as they lay vulnerable within their beds. Although most Satanists and Demonolators do not accept this sensationalised depiction of Lilith as the destroyer of innocent lives, many honour Her as a protector of children and pregnant women as well as an advocate for women’s rights.
It is suggested that Lilith originated as a Sumerian goddess of desolation and may be associated with the Babylonian demon known as lilitu, a succubus-like entity which preyed upon men. Her name translates to “Storm Goddess” or “She of the Night” and Her sacred animal is the owl, believed to symbolise Her affiliation with nightime and Her alleged role as a silent predator. Amongst modern Demonolators and Theistic Satanists, Lilith is honoured as a protective goddess and one of the four Demonesses of sacred prostitution. She is sometimes identified with the star known as Algol or “The Demon’s Head”. Lilith is often embraced as the Matron deity of many female Demonolators due to Her obvious role as a champion of gender equality, female empowerment and feminine sexual liberation.
Lilith is often considered to be a dual-aspected goddess—She is honoured amongst many Demonolators in both Maiden and Mother facets which are Lilith the Younger (Lilith Ulemta) and Lilith the Elder (Lilith Savta). In Her aspect as Lilith the Younger, She is considered to be the wife of the Demon, Asmodeus. She possesses the ability to transform dark energy into usable energy and may be approached in matters in which one has found themselves cursed or plagued by Auric attachments. In Her aspect as Lilith the Younger, Her image is that of a hermaphrodite—female from Her head to Her waist and male below. She is depicted as riding within a chariot drawn by a winged horse and a winged lion and is aligned with the direction of Southwest. This image was inspired by the Kabbalistic tradition in which Lilith plays a substantial role as a Qliphothic Demoness, ruling the anti-Sephirah of Yesod which is known as Gamaliel.
An interesting correlation between Lilith’s association with the ninth Qliphothic emanation is that, like Yesod, Gamaliel is associated with the Moon, independence and illusions. As the Mistress of Illusions, Lilith’s lessons often present as life situations which are seemingly “too good to be true”—She encourages us to look beyond the illusion and, through the inner vision of our intuition, discern the truth. Her connection with discerning illusion from truth is also represented by Her sacred creature, the owl, whose acute vision and ability to find its way through the darkness enable it to thrive. Lilith, as depicted in ancient reliefs, traditionally wears a headdress adorned with lunar horns and is sometimes envisioned as a winged woman with the legs and feet of a bird of prey. Lilith the Younger is specifically attributed to the 30th Path known as Sekhel Kelali (The Path of Collecting Intelligence) upon the Tree of Life and Thagiriron (Disputers) upon the Tree of Death. Because of this association, Lilith the Younger may be seen as possessing a similar nature to that of Eisheth Zenunim, the eldest of the Four Queens—Her nature as a passer of judgment and goddess of retribution denotes Her as a beneficial ally when one is in need of justice, especially those events in which one has falsely accused an innocent.
Lilith the Elder is sometimes considered to be the chief manifestation of the goddess, most closely associated with Her role as the bride of Satan or Samael. Within Thelemic mythology, the feminine representation of Babalon is comparable with Lilith by many Demonolators although this line of thought is much more common within Luciferian circles. Kabbalistically, Lilith is also regarded as one of the four averse powers at the feet of the Kerubs. In this, She may be seen as an anti-Kerub, described as being outwardly beautiful yet inwardly corrupt and putrefying, riding upon a strange beast. As one of the averse powers, Lilith is said to rule the Kingdom of Babel. Her division amongst the four elemental anti-Kerubs is classified as belonging to the Kabbalistic world of Atziluth and encompassing the Sephiroth of Kether, Chokmah and Binah. In this, Lilith may be considered the emanation of the primary Divine Feminine—amongst some She is thus aligned with the great creative Mother emanation of Binah, the Aima Elohim. Elementally, the world of Atziluth is assigned to Fire—however Lilith’s true Elemental nature is dependent upon the perceptions and interpretations of the individual. Lilith the Elder is given rulership of the direction of Southeast within Qliphothic traditions and is associated with the 28th Path upon the Tree of Life known as Sekhel Motba (The Path of Active Intelligence) and Bahimiron (Bestial Ones) upon the Tree of Death. Lilith the Elder is the Demoness of the Dark Arts and malediction. She is a great ally and mentor to the magician when attempting to learn the subtleties of black magick.
Much confusion arises amongst Demonolators when attempting to discern the truth in the conflicting mythological accounts of Her marriage to both Asmodeus and Samael. One of the most common assumptions is that Her maiden aspect, Lilith the Younger, is paired with Asmodeus as an aspect of Samael. This is, however, a soft polytheistic interpretation as many Demonolators do not equate Samael and Asmodeus as being the same entity. Nonetheless, many Kabbalistic traditions indicate that the character known as “Samael the Black” is identical to Asmodeus. Regardless, the most common belief amongst Satanic Demonolators in regards to Lilith’s relationship with a male counterpart is that She is the bride of Satan.
Many Neo-Pagans have begun to recognise the value in Lilith’s story as it relates directly to the struggle against the oppression by male-dominated religious traditions. In addition, Lilith is often interpreted as a manifestation of the Great Goddess, especially amongst soft polytheists. In addition to Lilith, most Demonolators also embrace a belief in Her three companion goddesses—Naamah, Eisheth Zenunim and Agerath bat Machaloth. Some paths insist that these sister Demons are in fact mere aspects of Lilith, but the inclination for Satanic practitioners to accept all four Demonesses as independent sentient beings remains prevalent.
Primary Name: Lilith
Other Names: Lilitu (Speculative), Lilith the Elder (Lilith Savta), Lilith the Younger (Lilith Ulemta)
Mythological Source(s): Babylonian, Christian, Judaic, Occult and Kabbalistic Traditions
Title: Queen of the Night, Demon Queen, Bride of Samael, Mistress of Illusions
Role: Succubus, Demoness of Sacred Sexuality, One of the Four Demon Queens, Protector of Women and Children, Goddess of Childbirth
Sacred Animals: Owl, toad, dog, elephant, serpent, cow, catfish, camel, baboon, crab, bat, rabbit, otter, sow, goose; peacock, eagle, raven, mole, cuttlefish, mouse, crocodile, goat, wolf, oyster, tortoise, crow (Lilith the Elder); Lion, birds of prey, stork, cats, vultures (Lilith the Younger)
Mythical Beings: Strange beasts, monsters, Pegasus, winged lions, salamanders, phoenix, lares, ghosts, succubi and incubi; Will-o’-the-Wisp, dragon, manticore (Lilith the Younger); water beings, sylphs (Lilith the Elder)
Zodiacal Sign(s): All Fire and Water Signs (General); Aquarius (as Lilith the Elder); Leo (as Lilith the Younger)
Planet(s): The Moon (General); The Sun (as Lilith the Younger); Saturn (as Lilith the Elder); Algol (Star)
Element(s): Earth (Innate), Fire (Primary), Water (Secondary); Fire/Air (as Lilith the Elder), Fire/Water (as Lilith the Younger)
Direction: South (Elemental), Southeast (as Lilith the Elder), Southwest (as Lilith the Younger)
Colours: Indigo (Kabbalistic); amber (Lilith the Younger); bluish mauve (Lilith the Elder)
Soul Part: Nephesh (The Animal Soul)
Sense: Sight
Musical Key: C
Kabbalistic World: Atziluth (Kabbalistic); Yetzirah (as Lilith the Elder and Lilith the Younger)
Kabbalistic Hell: Gehenna
Kabbalistic Palace of Hell: The Seventh Palace
Tree of Life Attributions: Yesod (General), Path 28 (Active Intelligence) as Lilith the Elder; Path 30 (Collecting Intelligence) as Lilith the Younger
Qliphothic Habitation: Gamaliel (Obscene Ones); Bahimiron (Bestial Ones) as Lilith the Elder, Thagiriron (Disputers) as Lilith the Younger
Associated Demons: Gamaliel, lilitu, Tentatores/Maligenii; Bahimiron and Hemethterith as Lilith the Elder; Thagiriron and Raflifu as Lilith the Younger
Vowel: I; E (Lilith the Elder); O (Lilith the Younger)
Sounds: b, v, p, f; d, dh, t, th (Lilith the Elder); s, sh, z, zh (Lilith the Younger)
Environment: Mangasphere; Atmosphere (Lilith the Elder); Hydrosphere (Lilith the Younger)
Season: Summer; Spring (Lilith the Elder); Fall (Lilith the Younger)
Magickal Words: Geniomouthig, Phimemameph, Nerxiarxin; Ypephenoury, Iaeouoi, Phimemameph, Nerxiarxin (Lilith the Younger); Sesenmenoures, Chenneopheoch, Phimemameph, Akrammachamari (Lilith the Elder)
Consort: Samael; Asmodeus (as Lilith the Younger)
Children: Numerous Demons
Parentage: Rahab (Speculative Father); Yahweh (Biblical)
Trees: Willow, hazel, alder, cypress, aspen, elm, ash, linden, laurel, palm, chestnut
Herbs: Crab-apple, hay, camphor, red poppy, hibiscus, nettle, almond, mugwort, hazel, moonwort, alder, pomegranate, mistletoe, peony, juniper, pumpkin, gourd, lettuce, melon, purslane, beetroot, reed, white sandalwood, lime; asphodel, cactus, hemlock, cocoa, cypress, datura, hellebore, spurge, fennel, male fern, lichen, moss, lungwort, rue, weeping willow, tobacco, dragonwort, coconut, aspen, peppermint, linden, pennyroyal, ash, nightshade, elm, amaranth (Lilith the Elder); angelica, balsam, corn, cinnamon, cardamom, cabbage, chrysanthemum, cyclamen, cloves, heliotrope, laurel, lavender, lotus, marjoram, orange, palm, barley, primula, rosemary, saffron, red sandalwood, sage, tansy, thyme, sunflower, knotgrass, marigold, chestnut, watercress, blue lotus (Lilith the Younger)
Stones: Quartz crystal, pearl, moonstone, chalcedony, marble, green lapis, fire opal; carbuncle, chrysolite, pyrite, aventurine, sunstone, beryl, aquamarine, diamond, ruby (Lilith the Younger); onyx, jet, topaz, garnet, jasper, turquoise (Lilith the Elder)
Incense: Jasmine, ginseng, lotus, red sandalwood, dragon’s blood, cinnamon, olibanum, camphor, myrrh, jasmine, willow, black copal, white sandalwood; frankincense, golden copal, amber, saffron, myrrh, cloves (Lilith the Younger); asafoetida, indigo, sulphur, civet, musk (Lilith the Elder)
Metals and Minerals: Silver, lead, nitrates; gold, arsenic, sulphates (Lilith the Younger); iron, antimony, lodestone, magnesium, oxides (Lilith the Elder)
Tarot Cards: The High Priestess (Planetary), the four nines (Kabbalistic), Judgment (Elemental), the four Kings, Queen of Wands; Prince of Wands, The Universe (as Lilith the Elder), Queen of Wands, The Sun (as Lilith the Younger)
Ailments: Labour pains, female conditions, sexual dysfunction (especially female sexual dysfunctions), circulation disorders, lymphatic disorders, bowel complaints, leg injuries and complaints, cardiac conditions, spinal injuries and conditions, pneumonia, oedema, cystitis, blood pressure, chills, vision problems, blood disorders, paralysis
Bodily Government: Circulatory system, lymphatic system, excretory system, legs, heart, spine, respiratory system, blood
Sins: Idleness; Pride (Lilith the Younger); Greed (Lilith the Elder)
Vices: Co-dependency, weakness, submissiveness, deference, negative self-perception, idleness
Virtues: Independence, boldness, confidence, self-esteem, enthusiasm/zeal, humility, generosity
Holy Days: February 1 (Imbolc – Northern Hemisphere) February 16 (Lilith the Elder); July 21 and August 1 (Lughnasadh – Northern Hemisphere) (Lilith the Younger)
Time of Day: Noon; Dawn (Lilith the Elder); Sunset (Lilith the Younger)
Chemical Element: Fluorine (Planetary), Phosphorous (Kabbalistic)
Alchemical Process: Multiplication (Lilith the Elder); Digestion (Lilith the Younger)
Symbolism: Nine-pointed star, owl, crescent moon, crystal ball
Chakra: Crown, Solar Plexus; Throat, Heart (Lilith the Elder); Third Eye, Heart, Belly (Lilith the Younger)
Ritual Tools: Mirror, incense, stones, burning bowl, charcoal, seals/sigils, aspergillum, chalice; bell (Lilith the Elder)
Drugs: Ecstasy, Emmenagogues, ecbolics, alcohol, tonics, diuretics, pennyroyal, hashish, soporifics
Powers and rulership: Seeing through illusions, women’s mysteries, protection of women and children (especially infants), sexuality, sex magick, boldness, independence, discernment, self-esteem, justice, false accusations, ending gossip, reconciliation, slander, inspiration, divination, attaining familiars, acquisition of wealth, attaining fame, black magick, astrology, necromancy, pyromancy, transforming dark energy into usable energy, removing curses and Auric attachments, defensive magick, spiritual healing
