Female Demon Lilith: Sigil & Invocation of Primal Femininity

Who is the female demon Lilith? Is she the “all encompassing evil” that traditional religions portray her to be? How do you go about summoning Lilith? What is the best prayer to Lilith? What is "Lilith Sex", even?

Most of you may already know that according to the Abrahamic traditions, Lilith is thought to be the first wife of Adam, who in turn was the first man.

Both Lilith and Adam had independent existence and were made to coexist in a relationship with each other. However, the relationship between them didn't last very long because she refused to “accept orders” from him and to lay with him when he wanted (how can you blame her?).

Instead, she strayed into the wild desert where she met all of the banished creatures (demons) of creation, becoming the Queen of demons. This primeval female in essence, was then punished because she refused to yield and subordinate.

She was then replaced by the subordinate and calm Eve, created out of Adam's own rib. Eve would easily listen to and subordinate herself to Adam and they both fell in love easily. She had no independent existence of her own, unlike Lilith, so falling in love was like Adam falling in love with himself anyways.

While Eve was the caretaker of the new generation of human beings, Lilith was the devourer. She is said to steal babies and devour them.

It is easy to now see how the primeval feminine force which is often associated with darkness, chaos and void was feared in the Abrahamic traditions and how these aspects were thought of something that had to be repressed and put into subjugation under masculine “order”. 

But do the stories of this primeval feminine, darkness and chaotic energy originate and exist only in the Abrahamic religions?

No!

The answer is that the female demon Lilith is much much older. Fear and worship of this female demon, dark goddess deity spans across almost every ancient traditions of the world.

The Female Demon Archetype: Who or what EXACTLY is Lilith?

First, it is important to understand what the female demon archetype is and from where and when it all comes from.

Like we alluded to earlier, the demoness Lilith exists in almost every tradition of the world. “Lilith” wasn't even her name!

Long before her job description of being Adam's first wife, the female demon primeval feminine can be traced as far into the Shamanic period (all around the world).

The female demon archetype can be seen as the personification of everything dangerous and unknown to early humans including darkness, unknown territory and lands, unknown wild animals, unknown other tribes and even unknown technology and knowledge.

However, the Queen of the night is thought to be either a representation of Ishtar or her underworld ruler sister Ereshkigal. Ishtar is the Babylonian equivalent of the Sumerian goddess Inana.

If you are not familiar with the Ishtar’s descent into the underworld story, you can check it out here.

Ishtar is the goddess of beauty, love, fertility, sex, combat, justice and power. Ereshkigal, her older sister, is the ruler of the underworld.

This could be a nod to how chaos predates order and life itself.

This brings us to an interesting question: did Inana (Ishtar) seek the help of Gilgamesh to extract order in the civilization from her chaotic nature (Lilith)?

In fact, it is said that when Inana (Ishtar) descended into the underworld and her life drained, the function of being the goddess of fertility, beauty, love, sex, combat, justice and power was taken over by her older sister Ereshkigal, the Queen of the underworld.

Female Demon Lilith and the doorway to the Left Hand Path Qliphoth

Lilith today, is of most importance in the Qliphothic Left Hand Path magickal tradition of the Qabalah, which in turn surrounds around the idea of the Qabalistic tree of life, “Sepiroth”.

Sepiroth simply put, can be seen as an occult map that a spiritual person can use to gauge his/her own progress.

Our world is at the bottom (Malkhut) while the highest, unrealized, indescribable God is at the top:

The aspirant of the traditional Qabalah slowly traverses up the Sephiroth to reunite with God (or enlightenment, in Eastern terms).

However, there is still another path: That of the Qliphothtic left hand path.

In the Left Hand Qliphothic path, the goal is the not ascend the tree of life Sepiroth, but the shadowy flip side of the tree, the Qliphoth:

A quick overview can be found here: https://thesevenworlds.wordpress.com/2014/02/25/shells-of-the-tree-of-death/

The goal of the Qliphothic path is not only to unite with the cosmos or God, but to go beyond it and become a creator in your own right.

The path is that of the shadow. Instead of running away from the dark, vile, frightening aspects of reality, the Qliphothic mage jumps right into it and transcends them. True light only exists beyond the deepest darkness.

For the left hand path practitioner, this is the only true path. All others are escapism and pretentiousness.

In Eastern terms, this state is often referred to as “Turya”. We'll get to how this all connects to the Tantric interpretation and the left hand path traditions of Tantra in the next section.

In the Qliphoth, Lilith exists both as a Shadow realm of our own world (ruled by her sister Namah) and as a goddess deity of the Qlipha Gamaliel in the tree of Qliphoth:

Gamaliel, ruled by Lilith is the flip side (shadow side) of Yesod.

Yesod is described as being the Sephirah of unconscious desire and sexuality because it is the one that collects all the energy and unrealized ideas from the Sepirahs above it and transfers it down to Malkuth (our world).

Gamaliel is the repressed version of the Sephirah Yesod. It is seen as the obscene and dark form of all repression, including sexuality.

For the Qliphothic magician however, the goal is to plunge into the darkness more and more until the ultimate is realized. The true light is reached only after the shadowy passage through the tree of Qliphoth.

Lilith, the shadow world is the entry point into the left hand path Qliphothic mysticism. This is where magickal practices such as sex with succubus spirits  and female demon lilith herself is practiced.

Such practices are to be used to enter into the Qliphothic realms and not as mere sexual indulgence.

The darkness is only “dangerous” and “evil” if you make it so. It all depends on the vessel, that is you.

In Tantra, the parallel to this can be seen in the Left hand path traditions of the Aghoras, Kaulas and so on. It is incredibly interesting how such a parallel developed independently and organically in different traditions all around the world.

To the practitioner of the Left Hand Path, the idea of true liberation is to not suppress and run away from the darkness and the obscene but in the acceptance and transcendence of them.

True liberation lies within the very depths of the underworld, where deeper treasurers lie hidden. Do not “sweep it under the rug” and let it stay there!

Lilith Sex: Kundali, Tantra, Occult anatomy and the Muladhara Chakra 

Just like the tree of life and it's Qlipothic flip side, the Chakra system is yet another occult anatomy map, first evolved in the Indian tantric traditions.

Just like there have been variations of the Sephiroth and Qliphoth, there are a ton of different Chakra maps evolved independently in different tantric traditions all around the Indian subcontinent and beyond.

Some systems propose 10 Chakras, while others propose a lot more or lot less. It doesn't make a difference in the end, because it is not really a physical map so much as a metaphysical one. To the mind, it only serves as a map. The real thing has to be experienced directly.

This map usually serves as a conduit to awaken the force of Kundalini. No amount of description will suffice to explain what Kundalini is, for it must be experienced. However, a finger can be pointed at it approximately:

In order for the world to perpetuate and exist as we know it, and in order for the self to exist as distinct from other individuals, everything (and you yourself) has to go through a process of individuation and separation.

In Tantric terms, this is referred to as the “Ahankara” or ego. Ahankara can be said to exist in an energetic term. This energy was also discovered by the Qabalistic mystics when they theorised that the root of all evil as the energy that separates.

However, the same energy when flipped, becomes the Kundalini. The parallel to the Qabalistic tree of life is apparent. Leonardo Da vinci observed this parallel, and rightly so:

However, the left hand path systems of Aghoric thinking is more in alignment with the Qliopthic thought. We shall soon see how.

The Kundalini, when awakened can cause bizarre effects if the host is not prepared to handle it.

Your physiology can become a wreck and most importantly the mind, can either go insane from symbolic thinking, shifting away from the objective world or if it manages to survive, can get ego inflated to epic proportions which again, leads to madness and self destruction. I've already discussed this in the Dark Magick article.

Kundalini uncovers and unravels all that you do not want to see and pushes you into the darkest abyss of your subjective existence (which is the only true existence), including all that is repressed because it is the only path to true liberation.

This is where the entire concept of “sex” becomes associated with Tantra because it is the energy that is most repressed. Sex is also your sole creative force when transmuted.

The sexual energy that we possess IS the life force of the Kundalini within us (termed ojas). It is our only connect to the impersonal divine and it originates from the Muladhara Chakra at the bottom, right around the sexual organs, where the serpent is said to coil, laying dormant.

This is not a physical representation per say. The Chakra is placed at the genital area in the occult map to point out the correlation to sexual energy. The actual sexual center of course, exist in the brain rather than in the genitals.

It is a serpent because it has been repressed without allowing it to express itself wholly. If the serpent is allowed to express in it's highest form, in the Crown Chakra, then the creative forces within the vessel become God like. This is exactly how it is described by Qliphothic magicians.

In Qliphothic terms, the Muladhara Chakra is the Lilith Qliphah herself where the Kundalini serpent lies dormant! The relevance of the serpent and the tree of knowledge that awakens in Abrahamic genesis story becomes very apparent.

Unfortunately, the Kundalini has been lifted out of context in a variety of ways in the western world. Most notably, by trying to import it into the western systems of psychology concepts and trying to solely use them as psychological tools and in new age Tantra, which they tend to associate with actual Tantra.

If you want to stick to the psychological model, all that can be said about Kundalini and the dark female demon archetype can be said under the context of the Jungian Shadow. However, this is a very limited model to work with, especially if you want to dive deep into magick.

Today, the word “Tantra” is automatically associated with sex and indulgence. The reality is however, quite the opposite. The ultimate goal of Tantra is to go beyond sensory indulgence to a point where such things become unnecessary. This is in contrast to both indulgence and repression of such cravings.

In Aghora 2: Kundalini, Swami Vimalananda, the Aghori Tantric has been described as having awakened Kundalini. However, when it did awaken, she took the form of the Smashan Tara or Tara of the cremation grounds. Tara is one among the 10 Mahavidyas formulated by the Tantrics. Tara is also the foremost patron of Buddhism. The Smashan Tara can be seen as her dark and demoness form.

This is an incredibly useful mental picture and model of what Kundalini is because it describes very accurately to the mind the nature of Kundalini when awakened, but more importantly it allows us to make a personal connection with her.

In the book Aghora 2: Kundalini, it is described how Vimalanada preferred the worship of Kundalini with God form shmashan as opposed play with the forces as mere “energies”. It allows one to cultivate an attitude of mother-child relation with the Kundalini force.

A mother's love is boundless and it is the only way to successfully pass through the darkness unscathed. That is, only when you allow darkness itself to love you like it's child, will you be able to see the true light

This is what the Qliopthic mystics and magicians got right: They enter the dark realms of the Qliphoth through the mother herself: Lilith. And it is only through her patronage that they play around with the dark forces.

The Demoness Lilith Sigil

I’ve already discussed the relevance of sigils and how to work them in a comprehensive guide that you can read here (if you haven’t already).  

Sigils of deities can be thought of as diagrammatic representation of them. Deities themselves, are of course, anthropomorphic representations of universal forces. In the Tantric world, Yantras of deities are used, for example the Yantra of Kali is as follows:

The sigil of the demoness Lilith, especially when properly associated with her in your subconscious, enables your deep-mind to make a connection with her, bypassing interference of the chattering mind.   

The following is the most widely known Lilith Sigil:

It can be used as a starting point if you have never connected to her before, but sooner or later, she will most likely reveal to you unique ways to connect to her, including presenting unique sigils to you.  

Sigils of deities can be used in the following ways:

1. Meditate on it directly by placing it in front of you to build a long term resonance with it.
2. Use elaborate “summoning” or invocation rituals. Get into a state of gnosis or trance using the appropriate method.
3. Use prayers and mantras to charge and activate the sigil.

It is interesting to note that both the Lilith sigil and Lalitha yantra have a bump right around the center:

The Shiva phallus or Lingam could represent the male energy. The male is ALSO the material world itself and Shakti, the feminine force is the one that powers it behind the scenes. It is said that Shiva without Shakti is Shava (or corpse).

The primordial feminine is in fact, the one that produce excitation that we perceive as the male energies that represent the material "stuff" that we see around us. 

Even the physics model of the universe confirms this: Quantum fluctuations describe that quantum fields permeate throughout the universe out of which particles "pop into" existence.  In the quantum description of the universe (as opposed to mechanistic), the origin of the universe can be traced to quantum fluctuations. Physicists postulate that the entire universe is one giant quantum fluctuation arising out of the underlying quantum fields. 

Also, particles in fact, only gain mass because they pass through the Higgs Field that permeate throughout the universe. Without this field, there would be no "mass" as we know it. Shiva without Shakti is Shava! 

If you are interested in learning what the Higgs Field is all about, here is a great video:

Prayer to Lilith: Tantric mantras to attune with Lilith

Attuning your personal energies with that of the dark feminine cosmic energy is the best way to improve your chances of invoking Lilith. In fact, I’d recommend you do this before you attempt an elaborate “Lilith summoning” ritual (which is discussed in the next section).

Mantras are sounds that can be used to effect changes in the vibrations of our body, mind, consciousness and therefore, the world at large. In the western world, the same is often referred to as “spells”. “Mantra” translated directly, can mean “liberation from thought, by thought” . “Mann” is the mind, the most powerful phenomenon that we know of.

The world that we know is nothing but a model that our own mind generates for us to live in. It is through the filters of the mind that we know and experience reality. We can never know or understand the “absolute” reality, at least in the current human form. “Tra” is to save or liberate.

Mantra, hence, is freedom from the world of causality using sounds and vibrations to effect changes in consciousness and in our minds, which in turn can cause real changes in the universe around us.

The Lalitha Tripurasundari mantra can also be used to attune the energies: 

Hring-Ka-Aei-ee-La-Hring-Ha-Sa-Ka-Ha-La-Hring-Sa-ka-La- Hring

The above description and Lilith mantras is an excerpt from our book Tantric Spellcraft: A guide to mantra magick. If you are interested in mantras, you can download the book for free below:

Lilith Altar

If Lilith is going to be the primary deity you work with, it makes sense to build a Lilith altar devoted to the female demon archetype goddess. This altar can be used as a sacred space to accumulate the energies of the female demon Lilith. I recommend using the altar space for mantra attunement work. 

If you are new to idol worship and/or want to know how it can be beneficial, I highly suggest you read our article on idol worship here.

The benefit with building an altar is three fold:

1. Energy accumulation in the altar space and the idol, using the mantras.
2. Getting into the “zone” easily: That is, once your mind gets associated to the altar space with the energies of Lilith, it becomes easier to attune yourself when you go into this space for mantra recitation.
3. Gradual evocation of Lilith in the idol (whether this is psychological or not is up to you to decide)

You don’t necessarily HAVE TO build an elaborate Lilith altar in the beginning. You can start working with a sigil drawn on paper instead.  

However, investing in a Lilith statue will likely be beneficial for reasons mentioned in the Idol worship article. Building a personal connection with a deity is much easier when the form is visualized first with the conscious mind, and the sigil associated with it as a subconscious "hook". 

How to invoke Lilith? : Summoning Lilith

Summoning Lilith can be done at the last day of the Lunar cycle, on the full moon (usually the 29th day), after the preparing your energies for 28 days with the mantras.

So how to summon Lilith? The word “summoning” has a negative connotation to it since you are going to call her as if she were your mother.

Also, in many “Lilith summoning guides” that you see online and otherwise often involve drawing a protection circle or invocation of a guardian spirit first. I don’t see any other purpose to it, other than to insult her. If you are that doubtful, better not call her in the first place.

She is not some weapon of mass destruction to be used for your own egoistic agendas. If you do, she will reward you just to humour you, but the lessons in humility (and it will likely be really harsh) shall soon follow.    

But nevertheless, I use the word because it is widely used and can draw attention from the lay reader to the title quickly.

Once again, the best summoning or invocation ritual is that which you formulate on your own. Never fall for gospel and dogma. Behave as if you were the only person on planet Earth, with noone to give you quick recipes and cookbooks.

Most people tend to equate invocation of a deity with just that: like a recipe. This is a big mistake, please don’t fall for this trap. The path of the true magician and mystic is a lonely path. A collective path is that of religious institutions.

Listen only to your own intuition. It is the only “true” way to work with such forces. They dwell in the deep realms of subjectivity, even though they shape everything we see in our objective reality.

Like I alluded to earlier, as you build a connection with Lilith more and more, unique pathways to summoning Lilith will reveal on its own

That being said, this guide won’t be complete without presenting some form of basic entry point to summoning Lilith and entering the Lilith Qlipha. So here I present to you a basic Lilith summoning ritual with the disclaimer that it is not to be taken as gospel:

Conclusion

It is my hope that this article has given you a cohesive picture of the archetype female demon Lilith goddesses.  This energy of course, truly has no gender and is beyond human conceptions.

However, to work with it and interact with it using our human conceptions, anthropomorphising it and working with this energy as feminine is very useful because it enables you to treat and build a mother-child relationship and use this emotion to tread the path without getting zapped.

No other model can serve the same purpose and the ancients very well knew this. Hence, the elaborate descriptions.

When you work with such forces, use the same mental model and use existing descriptions and methods, but I reiterate -- sooner or later, she will reveal to you unique ways your own subjectivity can best relate to her. 

The path has to be treaded alone, with only the female demon goddess Lilith to hold your hands and take you through it!

To end this article, here is an amateur made video but a great one at that, with excellent narration: