My birthday was in July, but I have always hated what people give me as presents. A t-shirt, maybe some socks, maybe pants – but never something I really wanted (not that there were many options in Venezuela, though). I’m 29 years old now. I know what I like, what I enjoy, what I consider interesting, and what I do not. And I wanted a Baphoboo statue because it was cute, I liked it, and I like the idea behind the original Baphomet. Some in my family did not agree, however.
Alan’s statue of Baphoboo [A.U. Dalul]
The Devil, or Something Else?
A lot of people have told me that this is an image of the Devil, that this is Satanic, that it brings bad energies and vibes… And I have been okay with that. In fact, I even smile when I look at it. For me, Baphoboo is just a cute little creature standing in front of some books.
That’s it.
This ties in with what a friend told me about Chaos Magic: You create what you believe in, more or less. Ergo, things mean what you want them to mean. And for me, this big-eyed statuette doesn’t mean much. The original Baphomet that inspired it, however, does mean a lot of things. Éliphas Lévi, in his book Dogme et rituel de la haute magie, or “The Doctrine and Ritual of High Magic,” wrote about the figure he designed, which he called a “The Sabbatic Goat”:
The goat on the frontispiece carries the sign of the pentagram on the forehead, with one point at the top, a symbol of light, his two hands forming the sign of occultism, the one pointing up to the white moon of Chesed, the other pointing down to the black one of Geburah. This sign expresses the perfect harmony of mercy with justice. His one arm is female, the other male like the ones of the androgyne of Khunrath, the attributes of which we had to unite with those of our goat because he is one and the same symbol. The flame of intelligence shining between his horns is the magic light of the universal balance, the image of the soul elevated above matter, as the flame, whilst being tied to matter, shines above it. The beast’s head expresses the horror of the sinner, whose materially acting, solely responsible part has to bear the punishment exclusively; the soul is insensitive according to its nature and can only suffer when it materializes. The rod standing instead of genitals symbolizes eternal life, the body covered with scales: the water, the semi-circle above it: the atmosphere, the feathers following above: the volatile. Humanity is represented by the two breasts and the androgyne arms of this sphinx of the occult sciences.
I don’t see any associations with the devil, Satan, or anything similar. If anything, it sounds like quite a creature! Now, with all of this considered, why can’t we take the eternal search for wisdom, balance, and magic, with a bit of humor and cuteness? It doesn’t have to be serious all the time.
If I’m not mistaken, Scott Cunningham wrote that even if we take Witchcraft and magic seriously, doesn’t mean the Gods cannot or won’t have some fun with it. Why wouldn’t they? Why wouldn’t we?
Fun and Pink Socks
When I look at Baphoboo, I see all that long explanation. And then I remember I need to have fun and not take everything so seriously all the time. These are not mutually exclusive concepts! When others have told me that they are horrified at the sight of the statue, it means they are taking it too seriously. They are reading more than there is into it.
I want to have a statue of the original Sabbatic Goat, but I also want one that is cute. That’s why I also have some pink socks with a cute Baphomet on them that a friend gifted me for Christmas a couple of years ago: they were cute, it seemed fun, and when I tried them, they were the most comfortable socks ever. I love that pair!
People still got surprised when they saw those socks. I’m always wearing black, I listen to heavy metal, and I have a dark sense of humor, so when they see a bit of pink in my outfit, they ask me about it. The faces they make after that are priceless.
Witches Just Wanna Have Fun
So, where am I going with all of this? Simple: it’s important to have some fun. Witchcraft is serious, but it is also fun. Witchcraft is and can and should be both. For me, Witchcraft is about freedom, so being restricted to always being serious and logical is exhausting. It doesn’t work for me.
Many of the books I’ve read say that you don’t need anything to do Witchcraft. You don’t need any tools, altars, stones, herbs, papers, or symbols. The magic is inside you and around you. However, using all of those and then some makes it even more fun, more entertaining, it gets you in the mood, it creates an atmosphere, or anything else you want to say.
Use pink socks with a supposed devil printed on them, if you want. Cast a spell while listening to Britney Spears and Lady Gaga. Design your sigils with sparkling and neon markers. Just because it’s not somebody else’s cup of tea doesn’t mean it can’t be yours.
Everyone has fun in different ways, and coming to the U.S. has made me try new things I never did in Venezuela, like casting a spell listening to music at the bus stop, meditating on the train, and so on. It’s been challenging. It’s been rough. I’ve cried and despaired more times than I could count. But I’ve also laughed at had fun.
Now go and get your own kind of ridiculous, cute statue.
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