Satanism Today - An Encyclopedia of Religion, Folklore and Popular ...

18 Azazel
light of glory. The system is explained in The
Magical Philosophy by Melita Denning and
Osborne Phillips, whose real names are Vivian and
Leonard Barcynski and who were grand master
and administrator general of the order. They came
upon this order while in England and helped to
revive it in 1971, and to bring it to the United
States in 1978. Membership into the order is by
invitation only. The teachings of the order still rely
heavily on the writings of the Barcynskis.
See also Magic and Magical Groups
For Further Reading:
Melton,J.Gordon.Encyclopedia of American Religion.
5th ed. Detroit, MI: Gale Research, 1996.
Azazel
Azazel was one of the chieftains of the 200 fallen
angels who, according to the Book of Enoch
(mentioned in Genesis 6:2–4), came to earth to
mate with mortal women. Azazel, it is said, taught
humanity how to fashion such things as weapons
and, for women, cosmetics (encouraging vanity).
He is mentioned by name in the Book of Leviticus,
where he appears to have been some sort of a
desert creature to whom the ancient Israelites
dedicated their scapegoats containing the sins of
the nation: “Aaron shall cast lots upon the two
goats, one lot for the Lord and the other lot for
Azazel. And Aaron shall present the goat on which
the lot fell for the Lord, and offer it as a sin offering;
but the goat on which the lot fell for Azazel
shall be presented alive before the Lord to make
atonement over it, that it may be sent away into
the wilderness to Azazel” (16:8–10). The early
Israelites had no purely evil, demonic beings. It
was only later, after the Hebrews encountered the
Zoroastrian religion, that they developed an evil
antigod opposed to Yahweh. Looking back on the
above verses from a later time, the Rabbis seem to
have interpreted this passage as ascribing the
name Azazel to the Devil, or to one of the Devil’s
infernal chieftains.
See also Demons; Judaism
For Further Reading:
Davidson, Gustav. A Dictionary of Angels Including
the Fallen Angels. New York: Free Press, 1967.
Ronner, John. Know Your Angels: The Angel Almanac
with Biographies of 100 Prominent Angels in
Legend and Folklore, and Much More.
Murfreesboro, TN: Mamre, 1993.