Baphomet, what your view on Baphomet Options

Heres what I understand:

It is a personification of the Life Force of every being, the sum of all Life on Earth.

Baphomet is the All-begetter and All-devourer. It is both man, animal and plant. It is ever changing, ever growing and dying. It is filled with a dionysian will to grow, feed, mate, survive and die, again and again. It is filled with the ecstatic joy of life and death, and it exists inside every living being.

I think that you guys are nailing it, at least as far as my understanding goes. Baphomet is an equivalent to Pan, i.e. Pangenitor and Panphage, the generative and destructive principle personified.

Baphomet is also the resolution of opposing principles. If you look at the classic Levi illustration you'll see the following characteristics:

Half Demon, half Angel
Half Man, half Woman
Half Human, half Beast
One hand pointed at the Heavens, One at the Earth
One hand pointed at Severity, the other at Mercy
Solve et Coagula

I could go into some more Thelemic interpretations, but the above is more generally useful I think (and I can't remember which bits I probably shouldn't talk about!).

I know several magicians who have images of Baphomet set up at their Earth Watchtower, which seems to make sense given the Pan/Dionysian associations. I have also been told that he is somewhat pompous as a discrete entity, and I too have heard about the odd sense of humour!

I think that you guys are nailing it, at least as far as my understanding goes. Baphomet is an equivalent to Pan, i.e. Pangenitor and Panphage, the generative and destructive principle personified.

Baphomet is also the resolution of opposing principles. If you look at the classic Levi illustration you'll see the following characteristics:

Half Demon, half Angel
Half Man, half Woman
Half Human, half Beast
One hand pointed at the Heavens, One at the Earth
One hand pointed at Severity, the other at Mercy
Solve et Coagula

I could go into some more Thelemic interpretations, but the above is more generally useful I think (and I can't remember which bits I probably shouldn't talk about!).

I know several magicians who have images of Baphomet set up at their Earth Watchtower, which seems to make sense given the Pan/Dionysian associations. I have also been told that he is somewhat pompous as a discrete entity, and I too have heard about the odd sense of humour!

I'm interested in knowing just what are the main differences between Baphomet and gaia, I'd like to think they can be viewed as representing different aspect of nature, but at the moment I'm not sure which ones.

I'm interested in knowing just what are the main differences between Baphomet and gaia, I'd like to think they can be viewed as representing different aspect of nature, but at the moment I'm not sure which ones.

As an academic exercise, I am not sure how cogent a pairing of them in that manner would be. Gaia is essentially feminine (at least in classical terms) whereas Baphomet incorporates every possibility of gender or sexuality...or at the very least, the male and female principles in combination (in theory). He just happens to look like a horny old goat boy! Also there is the Pan references, which I think is something Crowley was down with too...Pan literally equals everything, whereas Gaia is specifically an earth goddess.

I am wondering if perhaps a review of some proper Wiccan material or perhaps the myths themselves may be of some use in this area. Those guys seem to have the whole male-and-female-deity-as-complementary-forces-of-nature thing down quite well, although it isn't really my area.

Edit: My housemate is Wiccan. I will ask him his thoughts on this when he gets in from work.

This post has been edited by J*S: Jan 24 2007, 11:11 AM