
The Modern Merlin’s Corner-October 2024: The Occult Truths of Baphomet and The Dark Man of Witchcraft
Before I begin this column entry, I would like to emphasize my appreciation for a book I’m working on for review, Song of the Dark Man: Father of Witches, Lord of the Crossroads by Darragh Mason. It has inspired me to get in touch with certain aspects of myself again, and allowed some powerful inner alchemy to be done. The Dark Man has been a presence in my craft from the onset, and I feel it’s time I add my contribution to the topic, especially as many works on the subject are being published by many well-known and respected publishing houses. Please keep an eye out for my review of Song of the Dark Man, you won’t be disappointed!
Before moving any further, I feel it’s necessary to give a warning below:
***This article contains unverified personal gnosis, and is offered at the author’s wishes to share wisdom gained through practice and experience. It’s my hope that this article de-mystifies a subject that’s haunted witches for centuries if not milennia, and could even spark an understanding with open minded christians. This article also deals with subjects such as Satan, Satanism, the Left Hand Path, Lucifer and other controversial topics. Again, this information is shared in hopes of sparking positive discussion within the Occult, Pagan and Witchcraft communities and helping each other grow. The author is not a Satanist, Luciferian, Setian or Left Hand Path practitioner currently, but sees the value of certain philosophies, ideas and research done in those fields, and gives credit to his time in those fields for the personal growth they allowed, and for developing his personal craft and spiritual path into a broad, Crooked Path of witcheries. To clarify, I am a Pagan who works with both hands, for those with moral or ethical concerns.***
Without further ado, let’s explore the dark and crooked path of the Dark Man, a complex and enigmatic figure in witchcraft.
The Dark Man Sings His Song
My spiritual journey began on the Left Hand Path; I was always drawn to the darker magicks, such as the Goetia, Red Dragon, and other grimoires. I was always interested in the truth behind Satanism, Lucifer and the like. I had a lot of anger towards christianity, being raised in what I call “new age baptist” evangelical non-denominational christian environment. I was preached to with fire and brimstone, taught about the rapture, and the like, from a very young age. Those same “pious” and “righteous” people couldn’t live up to the standards they had imposed on me, behaving worse than me, yet somehow I was always considered the problem child. What young person wouldn’t be confused, angry and rebellious when their own family couldn’t even live up to those ideals?
Enter the figure of Baphomet. Baphomet in modern times is an idol associated with Satanism, the Occult and the Left Hand Path, but it is so much more than that. The first attestation to an idol or figure by the name of Baphomet comes from the persecution of the Templars, and was supposedly the idol they worshipped instead of the christian God Yahweh. Most historians today agree that Baphomet was likely a corruption of Mohammed, referencing the prophet that founded Islam, with which the church was (and still is) at war with. Fast forward to the late 1800’s, and Eliphas Leví publishes Doctrine and Ritual of High Magic within which is the now infamous goat idol. Leví’s understanding of the figure relates to alchemy, with the idol saluting two fingers pointing up, and down, and the words “Solve” and “Coagula” appearing on the arms, meaning to dissipate and recombine, a principle teaching of Alchemy traditions. The caduceus on Baphomet’s stomach relates to the two paths, of the Left Hand and the Right Hand, with the Caduceus symbolizing balance between the two. The torch between the horns, symbolizing the light of gnosis shining between man’s dual nature of darkness and light. The breasts and hermaphrodite features of Baphomet symbolize these qualities within both men and women, as well as the feminine and masculine energies inherent within all of us, and how we’re not really that different after all. I’ve found that many friends of mine who are Transgender or Gender Fluid seem to gravitate towards this iconography if they’re occult leaning.
Baphomet and the Devil as Liberators
When I first truly “woke up” to the other side of this life, I was at a turning point in my journey through this life. My high school girlfriend, unbeknownst to me, was a Wiccan, and decided to bring her Tarot cards with her and do a reading for me, as my Grandfather was in the hospital after suffering a stroke, and it seemed time was short. She did a reading, and the Death card was in the future position. That night, I smelled his cigarettes and saw a silhouette standing over my bed; instead of fear, I felt comfort, but also sadness. The next morning, I was woken up with the news that he had passed overnight. Before this occurrence, I was a hard-line atheist, refusing to believe anything science couldn’t prove. This experience shook me to my core, and woke me up; I immediately called my girlfriend at the time and told her what happened. She was shocked, and felt horrible; we spent the day together and she did a ritual over me, and I felt a calming presence over me.
The death of my grandfather tore holes into an already dysfunctional family unit, and things quickly took a turn south, as my father couldn’t handle all of the feelings he harbored towards my grandfather, worsening already bad abusive behavior he had been exhibiting all my life. I don’t seek pity for this, but to understand how I came to know The Dark Man, I feel you have to understand the context. The Dark Man appears when we’re at a personal crossroads in our lives, and he can and most likely will appear at other crossroads moments in your life. He appears when Death is imminent, when life is confusing, when we’re angry, hurt and ready to throw our hands in the air and say “f**k it!”. He’s an initiator, a trickster, a wise one, and a guide through the darkest of shadows. He will push you past your limits, so that you know just how strong you actually are, allowing for transformation to happen, even if we fight it. He is a dark, primordial force of nature, and the parts of ourselves we’d rather not admit to having within us.
The figure of Baphomet, in my practice, reflects multiple ideals: inner alchemy, the dualities of man, and the triplicities of nature; it also represents liberation and freedom from dogmas imposed on us by others, and dogmas we impose on ourselves that limit our growth. I don’t see Baphomet as a deity, nor do I see him as the Devil; on the contrary, I view Baphomet as an egregore that has been fed over time with our collective energy, and thus, becoming a daemon of immense power. Most Pagans don’t believe in the Devil, at least not in the way the Abrahamic religions teach it. Some witches do, and when I refer to the Devil, I typically am referring to an initiator, a Dark One, who tests us so we can grow. The Devil, The Dark Man, The Dark One, the Witch Father, Lord of the Crossroads, Lucifer, or whatever you want to call him, is the one who will light our path forward when we’re stuck in the darkness. The journey may not be fun, but he can and will guide us, if we simply let him. Through this transformative process he puts us through, and guides us in, we are free, liberated and able to move forward once more. He’s not evil; he’s misunderstood.

Understanding the Dark Man of Witchcraft
Within Traditional Witchcraft, the ideas of the Witch Father and the Witch Mother refer to the main archetypal energies that are worked with, and these can take many different forms. In some cases, the Witch Mother is seen as deity, referred to as Lilith, Hekate, Diana and others. The Witch Father, sometimes referred to as Lucifer, The Dark One, Dianus, The Horned One, and other names, is often overlooked by many Goddess-centric Pagans (not that there’s anything wrong with the Goddesses), because of his connotations with the Devil, something many Pagans still try to distance themselves from, especially in this growing age of religious zealotry.
The Dark Man appears in the liminal spaces of our craft, whether it’s in the shadows in a dark room only lit by candles, in the dark forest at night during a Full Moon, or at the crossroads after leaving a petition for his aid. He will strike a deal with you, usually asking for Tobacco or an earthly deed to be done in exchange for his help. The mythos of the deal with the Devil at the crossroads comes from a mix of witch lore and Faustian legend, but reflects a deeper truth about the Dark Man. He’s a shapeshifter and will appear in the guise he chooses, but does so for a reason. At times, he’s appeared as a robed, hooded silhouette, quietly whispering to me in the stillness of the night. Other times, he appears animistic, taking the form of a Crow or Raven, a Bat, or a snake. The Dark Man is nothing to fear, instead, he is a figure to embrace, especially for male practitioners of witchcraft and magick. He can guide us to heal patriarchal projections put on men, and allow us to become balanced (see the Baphomet reference there?); I’ve found that the Dark Man uses ideals, projections and and even the form of Baphomet when needed.
Singing the Dark Man’s Song
The Dark Man wants to be recognized in our conscious mind once more, instead of being relegated to a subconscious fear. He’s everything we don’t want to acknowledge within ourselves, but also everything we could ever hope to become. He lives within the Dark Womb of creation, in the fabric of time and space, and in the liminal places and times. I truly believe that those he calls, and he seems to choose his own, will have an impetus to write on him (as demonstrated by the amount of books being published on this subject currently). He wants to share his gnosis, and help us grow; we’re destroying our home, the only one we’ve got. We’re destroying ourselves over foolish things like religion and hate. The Dark Man breaks all barriers and shows us just how similar we all really are; he is a channel of divine rage, and you will likely feel this rage when working with him, especially in instances where you’ve been or are being wronged (and it’s not always so easy to contain).
The Dark Man shows up when you need to rebel, sometimes being the antinomian figure the Left Hand Path envisions. What areas of your life need a little revolution and change? Even more pertinent, where are you fighting these revolutions? The Dark Man will expose all of these truths to you, and give you no choice but to allow the revolution to happen. It’s not always fun, as we humans tend to fight change, even when we acknowledge the cycle of life, death and rebirth as essential to the ever flowing cycle of existence. The results, however, speak for themselves. Sometimes, we need to hold ourselves back from casting some serious and dark magicks against those who’ve wronged us. He will allow us space to feel our anger, our emotions, and also be the voice of reason, offering alternate, and wiser, courses of action. He will also allow us to feel what we feel, and also allow us to work darker magicks when it’s justified, and he can even employ his various spirit and entity allies to help, lending his energy to the working. That’s not to say he’s the ideal of magickal balance; he won’t stop you from doing it, even if it’s not the best course of action, and sometimes he may even encourage it to enact change within ourselves. Mistakes can often times be the best lessons in life.

Lucifer Calling
Before I wrap up this somewhat more lengthy addition to my monthly column, I want to address a divisive, and obscure figure in the Occult, Spiritual and Pagan worlds: Lucifer. That name dredges up so many subconscious images, associations, ideas and the like that it could make your head spin. If you’re a christian, it probably makes the hair on your neck stand on end, and you’ve probably not made it this far in my article. For Pagans and Occultists, the views vary, sometimes wildly. Those on the Left Hand Path see him as the illuminator, liberator, and enlightener. Pagans leaning towards the Right Hand Path most likely avoid this figure, and to be honest, I’ve geared this entire article towards those folks, and those who feel His call, but don’t know what to do about it. It’s not to be mean, or attack anyone on the RHP; I straddle the lines often, and walk a crooked path of both LHP and RHP practices. The Dark Man calls his own, and he calls his own to spread his gnosis.
Lucifer really isn’t the Devil of christendom; as a matter of fact, that name in the Bible was likely a mistranslation, as Lucifer in Latin simply refers to the Morning Star, or Venus. The Devil of christendom is originally called Satan/Shaitain, and means the adversary. Lucifer can and does display adversarial qualities, but I believe these are traits that go hand in hand with his illuminating and liberating qualities. Often, to break free, we must rebel. The American Revolution allowed the 13 colonies to be free of British Rule, and that is rebellion. Being a rebel, a black sheep, simply means that you are willing to explore the parts of human life that when changed, would improve the life of anyone, and that always ruffles feathers. Lucifer has two commonly encountered epithets: Lucifer Phosphoros, or Lucifer the illuminator, and Lucifer Nyctos, the Darker side of Lucifer (this, gained from personal gnosis with Lucifer).
Within the Dianic tradition of Witchcraft, the Gospel of Aradia is an important text, and even those who don’t practice the Dianic tradition will find inspiration and nuggets of wisdom within it. Lucifer is mentioned as Diana’s counterpart, and this is where he becomes the Morning Star of Venus. Interestingly enough, Venus in the Morning was worshipped as male, but at sunset, worshipped as a female in Mesopotamian and Babylonian ancient religions. The worship of Venus is ancient, and is a subject that Witches should pay more attention to, as Venus attracts your desires to you, but also bestows spiritual gnosis and wisdom, through its’ darker and lighter aspects. Lucifer, in this understanding, heralds the new dawn, a new beginning, bringing light to darkness, yet being a liminal figure, as the sun has not fully illuminated the sky, and darkness still reigns. From this, and through personal gnosis with him, I have learned of another epithet: Lucifer Eosophos, or Lucifer, whom rises with Eos, the dawning of a new day.
Within the christian grimoire tradition, Lucifer is portrayed as the prince or king of hell, and the very devil who strikes a deal with you. Through the names and guises of Lucifuge Rofocale from the Grand Grimoire, to Lucifer, Prince of Hell in numerous catalogues of demons from the medieval period, he takes on a darker, sinister facade. These aspects are important to consider as well, as he does display these traits through his aspect as Lucifer Nyctos. It’s common in the demonological tradition that old, Pagan deities from numerous cultures that were chthonic to be demonized; we see it with Baal from the Mesopotamian region, becoming Bael, as well as Lilith and many others. The horned devil image stems from the demonization of deities such as Pan, Bacchus, Dionysus, Kernunnos and the like. Those old pagan deities couldn’t be converted to Saints simply because they ruled over earthly aspects of life, which was associated with Christian Hell.
So is Lucifer the Dark Man? Well, yes, and no. The Dark Man will take the appearance of what you need, and to be honest, it’s a mystery I don’t know that I will ever untangle and finally solve. When I call on the Dark Man for help, he has a different energy than Lucifer. Lucifer to me is a Pagan deity that has been misattributed as a devil. The Dark Man basically is the Devil; he’s just not the devil as Christians see it.

Satan, Satanism, & Dark Paganism from an Occult and Philosophical Perspective
Satan has certainly been the best friend the church has ever had, as he has kept it in business all these years.
-Anton Szandor LaVey
Satanism typically isn’t theistic, meaning they’re not literally worshipping the Devil or Satan; instead Satan is seen as an archetype that liberates from the chains that bind. At least, LaVeyan and other forms of Satanism commonly seen, take this view. There are for sure theistic, actual devil worshippers out there. I decided to include this section in this entry because I have experience in Satanism and other Left Hand Path practices such as Luciferianism, and those philosophies of liberation still impact me, even though I have grown into a truer version of my path in the form of Paganism, and more specifically, Dark Paganism. Dark Paganism, at its core, is a philosophical view that retains pagan views on the sacredness of nature and life, but also brings into question certain dogmas that might not fit our current society as they once did millenia ago. Dark Paganism eschews the desire for research, skepticism where needed, the importance of consequentialist thinking, and the acknowledgement of darker aspects of divinity, ourselves and nature. Those darker aspects appear in deities such as Hades, Persephone, Hecate, Set, Loki, The Morrigan, Anubis, Lucifer, and the Dark Man.
Dark Pagans will often work with both upright and inverted Pentagrams and Pentacles for various reasons. The upright pentagram/pentacle in a nutshell symbolizes the triumph of spirit over matter, the ascendance of spirit over the worldly concerns. The inverted pentagram represents the worldly and material overtaking the spiritual, and the fall of man from their once divinely connected state. There are inherent secrets within each symbol, of which the upright pentacle/pentagram is most familiar and comfortable for Pagans and Witches, the inverted being relegated to sinister, Left Hand Path practitioners and their black magics. However, the inversions of these symbols do channel useful energies; they can bring down divine energy for quicker, more resonant material changes through magick. The Sigil of Baphomet takes this one step further, adding in the Dark Man energies, the alchemy of Baphomet, and the Hebrew variation of the Ouroboros symbolism and meaning surrounding the inverted pentagram with the Hebrew spelling of Leviathan, containing the image of Baphomet. In other words, cyclical change, cyclical material existence and the gnosis and illumination of the Dark Man and his counterparts. Even as the Sigil of Baphomet has been (and I say this for lack of better term) appropriated by Satanism, it has deep magickal, occult and spiritual meaning and significance. I’ve come to the view through research and practice, that when the cult of Yahweh became dominant in the middle east, those middle eastern pagan deities whose cultus were in opposition to monotheism imposed by the Hebrews, were demonized, which further adds to the meaning of the Sigil of Baphomet when it includes the names “SAMAEL” and “LILITH”, as these were both ancient middle eastern pagan gods. My exploration of, and time as a practitioner of the LHP did serve a purpose, and I’m happy to say that I artfully and thoughtfully walk the Crooked Path, working with each hand as needed and is necessary. There will always be a part of me that’s a rebel and heretic 😉
The Devil You Know, and the Devil You Don’t
It’s often said that it’s better to go with the devil you know, instead of the devil you don’t know. I disagree, especially in terms of the Dark Man. Yes, he’s a devil; but that doesn’t necessarily mean he’s evil. Personally, I believe that life is about intention, and intention is grey, just like magick; you can cast magick with ill intent and it be justified out of self-defense, and as such, it’s viewed as appropriate, and therefore, self defense. Most would agree self defense is not evil. However, that jerk who cut you off on the highway doesn’t deserve a curse that makes them miserable; that to me, is evil intent, and evil intent always has roots in repressed and suppressed inner turmoil that’s then projected, and taken out on, others. The Dark Man is neutral in his intents, serving his own agenda. The Dark Man is the Devil we don’t know, the one who shows a path forward towards liberation, freedom of the shackles that have held us back. He is not the devil holding us back; he’s the one encouraging us to move forward. He’s the initiator into true wisdom, gnosis of the powers at play, and the one who awakens the witchblood within us all. The Dark Man, because of his trickster energy, should be approached carefully, but that doesn’t mean he doesn’t add value to a witch’s practice. He goes beyond cultural, religious, and societal norms, limitations, taboos, and names. He simply is what he is, and to me, that’s the most beautiful part of His mystery; he allows us to be ourselves, just as he himself is beyond titles, so are we. This is why I think it’s better to know the Devil you don’t already know, than the one you do.
Taking this further, I will acknowledge that there are those who do wicked things in the name of the Devil, Lucifer, Satan, or what have you. I personally believe that humans have always needed a devil to blame for their wrongdoings, and that name simply changes as the times and religions change. I won’t profess to know it all, but as one who began their spiritual journey as a Luciferian, Satanist and Setian, I don’t believe in a literal Satan. The concept of the Devil can be traced back to a time long before monotheism was a thought in the minds of man, and in those ancient views, he was neutral, not evil; a force of nature, change and duality.
I hope that my readers have enjoyed reading this column entry as much as I’ve enjoyed writing it, and sharing my personal gnosis with you. This is a subject that’s finally getting more attention, as Traditional Witchcraft gets the attention it so rightly deserves alongside Wicca and other forms of Witchcraft, but one that has its caveats, and requires deep introspection and research on the Witch’s part. I’ll be leaving some resources that have helped me along my journey of the Crooked Path and that deal in this subject matter. Please also keep an eye out for my upcoming review of Song of the Dark Man if this topic interests you; I’ll also be posting a Samhain special edition entry into my column later this month. Happy Spooky Season!
-The Modern Merlin
Suggested Reading and Resources for this topic:
- Song of the Dark Man: Father of Witches, Lord of the Crossroads by Darragh Mason, review by me forthcoming
- Besom, Stang & Sword: A Guide to Traditional Witchcraft, the Six-Fold Path & the Hidden Landscape by Christopher Orapello and Tara- Love Maguire
- The Crooked Path: An Introduction to Traditional Witchcraft by Kelden
- The Philosophy and Praxis of Dark Paganism: Wisdom & Magick to Cultivate the Self by Frater Tenebris
- Lords of the Left- Hand Path: Forbidden Practices and Spiritual Heresies by Stephen Flowers
- Awakening the Witchblood: Embodying the Arte Magical by Nathan King
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Author Bio:
The Modern Merlin has been a Polytheist and Animist Pagan, Witch, Sorcerer, Wizard, Druid, Mystic, Ceremonial Magician, Occultist, Shaman, Seer and Soothsayer for 15 years, worshipping and casting magick with deities and spirits from many cultures, including Ancient Greece, Rome, Norse & Germanic, Celtic, Egyptian, Sumerian, as well as many Faeries, Nymphs, Dryads, Ancestors and other nature and land spirits and spirits of place. He has experience in the Left and Right Hand Paths, working with both hands as needed. He currently practices Necromancy and Deathwalking, as well as Traditional Witchcraft, Druidry, Hellenism and Ceremonial Magick, incorporating all of them into a cohesive practice, with some shamanic touches. He studies and practices Astrology as well as Tarot and other forms of divination such as Runes, Palmistry and Ogham. He has a personal blog where he shares Astrological, Pagan, and other magickal wisdom for free! He gives readings and other spiritual services on his Facebook Page, The Modern Merlin, as well other free informational posts for everyone to see!
