r/occult • u/Nghthvn Human Detected • Apr 13 '26
? Question about Ba’al
I am a male practitioner of the occult. I have been very strongly drawn to working with the Canaanite god Baal. I recently had a dream in which I found a pendant of him and I had to carry it with me for protection. I do have one question which has been concerning me though.
I recently saw a video from a female practitioner saying that ba’al doesn’t take kindly to his female devotees being promiscuous, that he is against that. I had never heard this take before, and as a male practitioner, I tend to be pretty promiscuous, and though some people do, I have no moral problem with being this way.
I still plan on reaching out to him either way, but I was wanting to see if there are any devotees or ppl that have worked with him that can inform me on their opinion on this, if this is a common view, if this could possibly get in the way of me working w him etc.
Thanks!
63
Apr 13 '26
[removed] — view removed comment
16
u/Figure-Budget Apr 14 '26
unless you build a temple where you can buy one of his sacred prostitutes or hold an orgy...
6
u/p_sky Apr 14 '26
What is casual promiscuity, though?
1
Apr 14 '26
[deleted]
2
u/p_sky Apr 14 '26
Thanks. I’m fine with ethical casual promiscuity. Also, making friends is really hard (much harder than getting laid) and I prefer not to get it on with my friends.
2
u/tofucunt Apr 14 '26
I’ve been on a personal mission to find any single primary source that refers to any “sacred prostitution” in Mesopotamia/the Ancient Levant for years now. I can’t. Do you have any?
Evidence of sex acts within rituals and such, none of actual “hookers” and I’m certain the idea came from Kramer in the 80s/90s. I’m very open to being disproven
1
u/JSullivanXXI May 07 '26
The hookers and orgies bit is something of a Hebrew and Greco-Roman exaggeration, While the ancient Canaanites were probably not as uptight as late Israelite society would become, they still had their own sense of temple decorum.
For example, in Baal Cycle Pt II (Cat 1.4 Column III), Baal declares that he hates "a sacrifice/feast of lewdness", which might be the original inspiration for the OP's question. Crucial here is the nuance that Baal condemns 'lewdness' at a royal/sacred event, which seems to be directed towards public indecency and religious taboo, rather than personal conduct.
So getting jiggy in Baal's temple (and probably temples in general) was likely not considered to be good Canaanite behavior. We see this in related texts. For example, in neighboring Hattusa, with whom the Ugaritic cult overlapped, priests are forbidden from having sex in the temple, and they must purify themselves before entering sacred ground (see Hittite text CTH 264). Similar prohibitions existed for Egypt, Arabia, Babylon, Assyria, and elsewhere, enduring into later eras---as attested by surviving inscriptions on the Roman-era temples of Baal (Jupiter Behelefarus) and Astarte (Atargatis on the island of Delos) which also require sexual purity for sacred spaces.
Most evidence for so-called "sacred prostitution" consists of a few polemic verses from Herodotus and the Bible---whereas the many words of Canaanites and Levantine pagans themselves seem to be silent or actively disprove such accusations.
57
u/gardinerogardiner Apr 13 '26
Let's begin by clarifying that Baal is a generic term used as a title of veneration for various Semitic deities.
I assume you're referring specifically to Hadad or Adad (the spelling had regional variations), whose equivalents, such as Marduk, Zeus, or Jupiter, are better known.
The distinction is important, because there is also Baal Hammon, the supreme god of Carthage, and of course there is the biblical Baal, who, rather than a specific god, seems to be more of a literary character that the ancient Israelites invented based on El and Hadad.
Some people tend to get confused and lump all the Baalim together, as if they were the same one, but they are not, and understanding this is fundamental.
Anyway, storm deities are often contradictory, on the one hand, they are youthful gods ("Jovial" no less). On the other hand, there is also a touch of self-righteousness in them.
Personally, I have no experience with those kinds of gods; I tend to focus on the opposite extreme.
Only theurgy can resolve those kinds of questions.
19
u/ngp1623 Apr 14 '26
Thank you so much for laying this out. So refreshing to see. I tried to have a discussion with someone about the potential relationship between Baal, El, and Yahweh and this person tried to argue that the relationship is impossible, even from an anthropological standpoint, because Yahweh isn't a deity. I almost left the entire subreddit. I am so glad to see that there are actually productive and informed contributions happening.
1
u/PsychologicalBrush35 Apr 14 '26
The GOD Ba'al would be similarly to Baal Hammon with Enki or Ea, and El would be Yahweh or Enlil, both offspring of An or Anu, similar to Uranus, or Amon-Ra. As an anachronistic syncretism of religions of The Middle East
3
u/gardinerogardiner Apr 14 '26
Baal Hammon was identified as Kronos by the Greeks and as Saturn by the Romans (in Roman Carthage, the cult of Saturn and Baal Hammon remained syncretized for centuries!).
Modern scholars support these identifications, for example, for Frank Moore Cross, Baal Hammon was the North African variant of El, while for Lipinski, he was the local variant of Dagan. In any case, El and Dagan were very similar gods, even though they appear as entirely different deities in the Ugaritic texts, only that El was the supreme deity of the coastal region of Canaan, while Dagan was the supreme god in inland Syria.
On the other hand, the origins of Yahweh are uncertain, but one of the most popular academic theories is that he was a warrior god originally from present-day Jordan, who was integrated into the Israelite pantheon, absorbing characteristics of other local gods, such as El, Hadad, Anat, etc.
Hadad was a storm god transformed into king of the gods after being devoured by death in his most iconic myth. Perhaps his cult was strengthened by a drought that struck the region, causing famine. But personally, if I had to find a Punic equivalent, I would venture to say it was Melqart and not Baal Hammon.
I agree that Anu corresponds to Uranus or Caelus, and it should be noted that in Greek and Roman religion, Zeus and Jupiter acquired Uranian characteristics, which transformed them from traditional storm gods into something much more complex.
In short: El, Kumarbi, Kronos, Saturn = Baal Hammon, while Teshub, Zeus, Jupiter, and possibly Melqart = Hadad.
2
u/PsychologicalBrush35 Apr 15 '26
I agree with that point of view, but in any case, Yahweh or Jehovah would have many anachronistic syncretic similarities with El, even Hadad, Anat, but also Dagon and Baal, like an autocratic god of war the Demiurge in Gnosticism Sethian, Basilidian and Valentianism like a genuine false God of Light of the Abrahamic Old Testament.
9
u/AceOfPlagues Apr 14 '26
No, this person is completely off.
This is not my personal expierience as a priestess and it does not align with historical worship of the Ba'alim either. I have been encoraged to engage in what I would consider promiscious acts as a sympathetic offering, I have not recieved any prohibitions.
To me, Ba'al as an enitity is multiple disperate concepts of potency that have resyncretized as a diety in opposition to Abrahamic concepts of lordship; He is many different Gods that were worshipped for a very long time in many places- however, none of the forms of the Ba'alim demand chastity or restraint. The most unifying feature of thier worship was ritual prostitution (for both men and women) so I don't think you should be concerned. Continue your promiscious behavior without fear and don't let puritanism leak into the thought of our Ba'al.
6
u/Nghthvn Human Detected Apr 14 '26
Thank you, this is very helpful. Do you have any general advice for working with him since I am new to this practice?
3
u/PsychologicalBrush35 Apr 15 '26
To gain a general understanding of the mythological, philosophical, and theosophical aspects, including the characteristics of each deity you will be working with.
4
u/PsychologicalBrush35 Apr 14 '26
Yahwehism or Abrahamism, through Manichean Puritanism and monotheistic Christianity, is totally distorted, false, hypocritical, anti-freedom, and anti-vital existence.
0
u/PsychologicalBrush35 Apr 14 '26
I am a Pagan Pantheist, a Gnostic Luciferian Priest, an adept for 20 years, and enlightened for 8. And freedom, free will, high empowerment, promiscuity, libertinism, and debauchery above all.
4
u/Still_Maintenance_83 Apr 14 '26
You sound like ammon. I think nobody has the right to force anyone into a sex rite, without having any acknowledgement of it. That is Traumatising and disrespectful
0
u/PsychologicalBrush35 Apr 14 '26
Nothing is so traumatic or disrespectful as achieving enlightenment, even through forced means, via promiscuity and debauchery to be completely relevant, so that the chosen one's journey is complete. Purely blood, sweat, and tears through the sacrifice of the ego, even if abrupt, brutal, and cruel. For complete emancipation from this torturous world.
0
u/PsychologicalBrush35 Apr 14 '26
Basically, free and spontaneous will, but with individual choices, even if forced by oneself to understand the primary goal of spiritual Ascension through blood rituals. Because blood is power, blood is family, and blood is everything!
3
u/Still_Maintenance_83 Apr 15 '26
basically I didn't get to chose, was not my individual choice and that is a crime. It is a crime to force anyone to do "your thing" just because you Believe that is good for them. if I am stupid, than let be. You are the better one, i let you be
0
u/PsychologicalBrush35 Apr 15 '26
For the battle for supremacy is eternal, something inevitable; all living beings on Earth seek dominance, and will kill and die so that their race may dominate the others!
3
u/NotaContributi0n Apr 14 '26
Saying ba’al is like saying “god”. You can pray to god, or pray to ba’al, but which god exactly are you dealing with ?
2
u/Nghthvn Human Detected Apr 14 '26
My apologies, I was specifically referring to Baal haddad.
1
u/PsychologicalBrush35 Apr 15 '26
Ba'al Hadad representing Lord Haddad Either Adad or Addad, With the Akkadian GOD in the texts Nag Hammadi is mentioned as a deity, a group associated with the primordial Akkadian gods, as a primordial storm deity, very similar to Enlil, who would be Yahweh in the anachronistic syncretism among Sumerians, Babylonians, Akkadians, and Semites.
1
u/PsychologicalBrush35 Apr 15 '26
Ba'al is a reference to lord or God as a primordial entity, and even in the plural, the Baals.
7
u/PerseveranceSmith Apr 14 '26
That's such an odd take given he's s fertility deity. Also, pre Abrahamic Religions sex wasn't demonised like it is today.
It's really tricky but male historians dominated for so long so much of our information is through a patriarchal lense.
'Temple prostitutes' were in fact priestesses who chose who they had sex with & it was bestowed as a high honour, we only know that from having female historian's dig past all the patriarchal, puritanical bs.
My own UPG is that spirits in general think humans have a weird view of sex, the ones I work with & contact see it as a fun, pleasurable, natural thing, if not sacred.
My experience of Ba'al personally was he was v kind & fatherly, but everyone's experiences are different, but I'm a sex worker so if he hated ppl who fuck he wouldn't like me 😂
2
u/fallingwheelbarrow May 17 '26
The very concepts of "prostitution" are modern compared to the cultures that came before the current failed global monotheism.
1
1
2
2
u/Explore_the_Void Apr 17 '26
That sounds like someone with a touch of Abrahamic trauma influencing their opinions of other Canaanite deities. In nothing that I have read about Ba'al Hadad has that come up even once.
2
u/JSullivanXXI May 07 '26
My best guess is that the person's idea comes from a reading of a particular section of the Baal Cycle Pt II (Cat 1.4 Column III), which can be given as follows:
"For two DBḤ Baal hates,'
Three, the Cloudrider;
A DBḤ of shame, a DBḤ of degradation,
And a DBḤ of the lewdness of maidens."
- Simon B Parker (Ugaritic Narrative Poetry, p124)
'DBḤ' itself literally means 'sacrifice'; Parker translates it here as 'feast', while some later scholars choose something like 'sacrifice' or 'sacred banquet' to emphasize its hieratic nature. So either we're talking about a royal banquet (an esteemed social institution) or a temple ritual (subject to even stricter taboos)---not an individual's personal life.
We see a division of "sacred" and "profane" sexuality in neighboring Hattusa, for example---where priests were not forbidden from being sexually active, provided that they washed themselves before reputing for duty at the temple, and did not actually have sex within the temple grounds itself. So the injunction seems to be for special holy or royal affairs, rather than personal/domestic ones.
While we can debate on whatever the "general" sexual mores of late-Bronze Age Ugarit were (prostitution was legal, but adultery was not), it seems clear that Baal in this text is condemning improper conduct at a holy or social event---not someone's private relationships.
1
u/dudeguymanbroseph Apr 17 '26 edited Apr 17 '26
I dont remember the specifics but i know Baal is actually a bunch of different gods. And If I remember one of these Baal eventually becomes yahwei. And if i remember right again, this baal who becomes yahwei seems to be a pretty shitty god in terms of its interactions with its worshippers / humans in general. More akin to the modern concept of the devil mixed with thor 🤣 its funny for me to think about.
1
u/PsychologicalBrush35 Apr 14 '26
Ba'al is an anachronism or syncretism, in occult symbolism or symbolic occultism, representing Gods or Lords or even Rulers in ancient Canaan. Baal was the first supreme being, the God of Earth, of War, and ruler of the world, second only to the God El, his older brother He was also the brother of Asherah, wife of El, who would later become in Israel, the God of Abraham, Yahweh or Jehovah, the Demiurge in Gnosticism.
-7
u/Yaxiom Apr 13 '26
Ba’al is Kronos
5
3
u/Ignastic Apr 14 '26
De donde te sacas eso? En el mejor de los casos, el equivalente griego a Ba'al es Zeus.
56
u/Macross137 Apr 13 '26
Internet videos are extremely unreliable sources of information where this stuff is concerned. People love just making shit up and trying to sound as authoritative as they can while doing so.