Lilith an enigma re-editedBy richard tanzer (formally richtan on hubpages)
PART1: Lilith; goddess to demoness; and back again
There are many articles and essays about Lilith. so mine isn't any different. For the exception as a student and practioner of Shamanism as well as a student of mysticism especially the Kabbalah. and the occult. I myself had a fascination with Lilith when i was young. Which lead me to a relationship with one of her 'daughters' later in my life.
Which has lasted well over a year. Because of this i have an 'understanding' about her.
What is known and taught in the myths of mesopotamia which found its way in jewish mysticism about Lilith is this:
Lilith was originally seen as a goddess known as Kalili mother goddess of sex and fertility. and was equated with the goddesses Balili (assistant to Ereshkagil the goddess of the underworld who was the sister of Dammu), Inanna/Ishtar, and Abtagigi.
With Inanna she was the Hand whom brought men to worship the goddess in hertemple. She later was merge with Abtagigi who is another goddess that was involved with the sacred aspect of sex; such as a cult prositute. However Lilith was later referedto as Ardat Lili and Lilitu the succubi that plague men of mesopotamia.
So how did a goddess of sex and fertility was seen as a demoness in Judaism?
Simple: change in viewpoint. Remember the Jews of ancient times were monotheists and patriarchial in their views. The Tanakh called the old testament in western bibles never refered to any goddesses in a positive light. The only book in the collection of books that make up the Tanakh that refers to the Divine Feminine is the Proverbs.
Lilith was seen as not only a Succubus but as a child killer which is the incorporation ofthe child stealing demon of Mesopotamian beliefs named Lamashtu.
What maded matters worst was that their homeland was invaded by the Babylonians in586 bce. And the jewish people taking into captivity until the Persians came a couple100 years later. So naturally they adapted some beliefs of their Babylonian captives.
And demonized their gods and goddesses. Lilith was one of them.
This continued up through the middle ages with Lilith incorporated in their legends and mysticism as the first wife of Adam. And elder sister of Eve. Who later fell after her quarrel with Adam. and became a lover of Demons. As well as a succubus and childkiller.
However it is interesting to note despite all the negative press of Lilith in the middle ages by Jews, Christians, and even Muslims there were some scholars mystics, and writersthat saw Lilith in a positive light. Among of these was a Rabbi named Issac Luria.
Rav Luria saw that Lilith was to be restored to Adam. this was to be done in the marrige of Leah to Jacob. There was another book of the Zohar entitled the book of concealment that said Lilith and her daughters were restored to Adam through the wisdom of Solomon in the symbolism of the two prositutes that came before him. And other passages that i will not go into detail that spoke of the reconciliation of her daughters. and so forth.
In Muslim romances we have the story of Laylah and her lover. And later between the 19th and 20th centuries the romances of the christian writer George MacDonald's Lilith.
Indeed the demonizing of Lilith came full circle. She was seen in a new light as fallen being to be later restored.
This doesn't mean that there isn't a demon named Lilith. On the contrary as Rav IssacLuria taught there were many Liliths. the most evil and darker of these is the feminineaspect of Samael. This is found in the Zohar 1; 5 a-b. In contrast of the first wife o{ Adam the other Lilith who finds rest. Zohar 1:34 a-b.
Rabbi Luria believed that there was another Adam called Adam Qadmon. And he had awife named Lilith. This is the Lilith who is the hebrew goddess.
Here we find the restoration of Lilith as part of the Divine Feminine. Sister of Eve.
Daughter of Wisdom whom is the Shekinah
PART2: Is Lilith a goddess
It really depends on your belief. i myself believe their are many gods and goddesses.
they are aspects of the Divine which is both God and Goddess.
And Lilith is part of this Divine. however she is a primal being. was there at the creation of the universe. existed along side her husband and brother whom kabbalists called Adam Qadmon. she is, borrowing from a gnostic treatise called the Thunder the Perfect Mind Sophia; a virgin and a prositute; the wise woman and witch; the high priestess and seer.
to me she is both a dark angel full of love and passion. as well as a demoness of wrath and vengeance. but only other demons need to fear this aspect. not humanity; whomshe has loves dearly; even though she has been ostricized from them.
she is wild and independant. but at the same time is fiercely loyal to those who honor her and are devoted to her.
Lilith is mother, sister, daughter, lover. she exists through her avatars her children her sons and daughters called the shedim, lilim, seirim, lilot (shiddahim) . and in the hearts of men and women. in men she is the anima. in women she exists as the animus. you may hate her; fear her. but never deny her existence. for she will remind you she is a round!
she calls to a man through the eyes of a woman that he desires. if the man does what is right towards the woman. he will win Lilith's heart. but only if he loves the woman without fail. and without any condition. and in mutural love. the anima also represents lilith as the guide and teacher as well as a lover.
she calls to a woman through her animus not only as a lover. be that lover a man or woman. but also in fellowship of womanhood. a sisterhood in which she once shared with Eve.
This is what Lilith is
PART 3 mystery of rahab
Rahab is a mysterious figure found in scripture. seen in the negative rahab is found in isaiah51:9, psalm:89:10. as noted in my other hub: respect for satan: the reason whymichael didn't revile against satan over the body of moses. rahab has been identified in symbolism as egypt. and egypt symbolises one of satans reconciliation to God.. there isalso a teaching among the jewish mystics that rahab is another symbol of Lilith as does the (female ) leviathan. ( she rides the leviathan actually; a symbolism of her connection to the name as the blind dragon).
this connection of Lilith is found in the book of Joshua chapter 2 as in the innkeeper/prositute name Rahab. Rahab actually shelters two israelite spies while they were in jericho. and later she was saved along with her family. when the israelites invaded the city after the walls fell.
jewish mystics who wrote the Zohar the book of concealment had seen this. and wrote in an allegory in chapters 4 and 5. although in some commentaries these chapters the two spies were interpret as the watchers who fell after being seduced by 'daughters of adam' later identified as Lilioth. there is a hidden connection that points to the salvation of a prositute and her family. and Lilith is a patron goddess of prositutes and cult prositutes in the ancient middle east.
and the name Rahab means to be proud. which not only is reference to satan's fall. but into Lilith leaving Adam. and later leaving Samaels
PART4 : ritual in summoning lilith? and her avatars?
to anyone who wishes to learn how to summon lilith.
well in truth. you will get to know Lilith through her avatars: the succubi.
this i learned later in my relationship to my succubus. however there are rituals. i foundsome in which i add the link below to one such. but my advice is do not try it! the reason why i say this is that there are many Liliths. and one of them is pure evil.
conclusion:
Lilith is a dynamatic figure. a powerful goddess who has seen many interpretations. but remains what she is.
an ancient primodial goddess that deserves are respect if not our veneration.
PART1: Lilith; goddess to demoness; and back again
There are many articles and essays about Lilith. so mine isn't any different. For the exception as a student and practioner of Shamanism as well as a student of mysticism especially the Kabbalah. and the occult. I myself had a fascination with Lilith when i was young. Which lead me to a relationship with one of her 'daughters' later in my life.
Which has lasted well over a year. Because of this i have an 'understanding' about her.
What is known and taught in the myths of mesopotamia which found its way in jewish mysticism about Lilith is this:
Lilith was originally seen as a goddess known as Kalili mother goddess of sex and fertility. and was equated with the goddesses Balili (assistant to Ereshkagil the goddess of the underworld who was the sister of Dammu), Inanna/Ishtar, and Abtagigi.
With Inanna she was the Hand whom brought men to worship the goddess in hertemple. She later was merge with Abtagigi who is another goddess that was involved with the sacred aspect of sex; such as a cult prositute. However Lilith was later referedto as Ardat Lili and Lilitu the succubi that plague men of mesopotamia.
So how did a goddess of sex and fertility was seen as a demoness in Judaism?
Simple: change in viewpoint. Remember the Jews of ancient times were monotheists and patriarchial in their views. The Tanakh called the old testament in western bibles never refered to any goddesses in a positive light. The only book in the collection of books that make up the Tanakh that refers to the Divine Feminine is the Proverbs.
Lilith was seen as not only a Succubus but as a child killer which is the incorporation ofthe child stealing demon of Mesopotamian beliefs named Lamashtu.
What maded matters worst was that their homeland was invaded by the Babylonians in586 bce. And the jewish people taking into captivity until the Persians came a couple100 years later. So naturally they adapted some beliefs of their Babylonian captives.
And demonized their gods and goddesses. Lilith was one of them.
This continued up through the middle ages with Lilith incorporated in their legends and mysticism as the first wife of Adam. And elder sister of Eve. Who later fell after her quarrel with Adam. and became a lover of Demons. As well as a succubus and childkiller.
However it is interesting to note despite all the negative press of Lilith in the middle ages by Jews, Christians, and even Muslims there were some scholars mystics, and writersthat saw Lilith in a positive light. Among of these was a Rabbi named Issac Luria.
Rav Luria saw that Lilith was to be restored to Adam. this was to be done in the marrige of Leah to Jacob. There was another book of the Zohar entitled the book of concealment that said Lilith and her daughters were restored to Adam through the wisdom of Solomon in the symbolism of the two prositutes that came before him. And other passages that i will not go into detail that spoke of the reconciliation of her daughters. and so forth.
In Muslim romances we have the story of Laylah and her lover. And later between the 19th and 20th centuries the romances of the christian writer George MacDonald's Lilith.
Indeed the demonizing of Lilith came full circle. She was seen in a new light as fallen being to be later restored.
This doesn't mean that there isn't a demon named Lilith. On the contrary as Rav IssacLuria taught there were many Liliths. the most evil and darker of these is the feminineaspect of Samael. This is found in the Zohar 1; 5 a-b. In contrast of the first wife o{ Adam the other Lilith who finds rest. Zohar 1:34 a-b.
Rabbi Luria believed that there was another Adam called Adam Qadmon. And he had awife named Lilith. This is the Lilith who is the hebrew goddess.
Here we find the restoration of Lilith as part of the Divine Feminine. Sister of Eve.
Daughter of Wisdom whom is the Shekinah
PART2: Is Lilith a goddess
It really depends on your belief. i myself believe their are many gods and goddesses.
they are aspects of the Divine which is both God and Goddess.
And Lilith is part of this Divine. however she is a primal being. was there at the creation of the universe. existed along side her husband and brother whom kabbalists called Adam Qadmon. she is, borrowing from a gnostic treatise called the Thunder the Perfect Mind Sophia; a virgin and a prositute; the wise woman and witch; the high priestess and seer.
to me she is both a dark angel full of love and passion. as well as a demoness of wrath and vengeance. but only other demons need to fear this aspect. not humanity; whomshe has loves dearly; even though she has been ostricized from them.
she is wild and independant. but at the same time is fiercely loyal to those who honor her and are devoted to her.
Lilith is mother, sister, daughter, lover. she exists through her avatars her children her sons and daughters called the shedim, lilim, seirim, lilot (shiddahim) . and in the hearts of men and women. in men she is the anima. in women she exists as the animus. you may hate her; fear her. but never deny her existence. for she will remind you she is a round!
she calls to a man through the eyes of a woman that he desires. if the man does what is right towards the woman. he will win Lilith's heart. but only if he loves the woman without fail. and without any condition. and in mutural love. the anima also represents lilith as the guide and teacher as well as a lover.
she calls to a woman through her animus not only as a lover. be that lover a man or woman. but also in fellowship of womanhood. a sisterhood in which she once shared with Eve.
This is what Lilith is
PART 3 mystery of rahab
Rahab is a mysterious figure found in scripture. seen in the negative rahab is found in isaiah51:9, psalm:89:10. as noted in my other hub: respect for satan: the reason whymichael didn't revile against satan over the body of moses. rahab has been identified in symbolism as egypt. and egypt symbolises one of satans reconciliation to God.. there isalso a teaching among the jewish mystics that rahab is another symbol of Lilith as does the (female ) leviathan. ( she rides the leviathan actually; a symbolism of her connection to the name as the blind dragon).
this connection of Lilith is found in the book of Joshua chapter 2 as in the innkeeper/prositute name Rahab. Rahab actually shelters two israelite spies while they were in jericho. and later she was saved along with her family. when the israelites invaded the city after the walls fell.
jewish mystics who wrote the Zohar the book of concealment had seen this. and wrote in an allegory in chapters 4 and 5. although in some commentaries these chapters the two spies were interpret as the watchers who fell after being seduced by 'daughters of adam' later identified as Lilioth. there is a hidden connection that points to the salvation of a prositute and her family. and Lilith is a patron goddess of prositutes and cult prositutes in the ancient middle east.
and the name Rahab means to be proud. which not only is reference to satan's fall. but into Lilith leaving Adam. and later leaving Samaels
PART4 : ritual in summoning lilith? and her avatars?
to anyone who wishes to learn how to summon lilith.
well in truth. you will get to know Lilith through her avatars: the succubi.
this i learned later in my relationship to my succubus. however there are rituals. i foundsome in which i add the link below to one such. but my advice is do not try it! the reason why i say this is that there are many Liliths. and one of them is pure evil.
conclusion:
Lilith is a dynamatic figure. a powerful goddess who has seen many interpretations. but remains what she is.
an ancient primodial goddess that deserves are respect if not our veneration.
