Art History gives us depiction after horrifying depiction of just how these Demons may have come to manifest themselves in our world.
Demons sporting horns may originate with the Greek god Pan, who dwelt amongst the shepherds in the countryside.
Lévi's Baphomet is the source of the later Tarot cards image of the Devil in the Rider-Waite Tarot design. The actual image of a goat in a downward-pointing pentagram first appeared in the 1897 book La Clef de la Magie Noire by Stanislas de Guaita, later adopted as the official symbol — called the Sigil of Baphomet — of the Church of Satan.
Questions for The Reader
- Do you worry that exploring demonic themes in your art might "open you up" to becoming a portal for supernatural entrance into this world?
- Goya? Bosch? What's the most frightening or affecting depiction of a demonic being that you've ever seen in classic or contemporary art?
- Does the idea that thinking about demonic spirits, simply considering their actual existence, might open a portal for them into your life frighten you? What about later tonight as you lie awake reviewing this question?
- Do you believe possession is a real phenomenon or simply a medical problem?
- Do you think “exorcising” ideas about evil through art is healthy?
- Have you ever abandoned an artwork because you were receiving an evil vibe from further progress on the work?
- Have you ever felt the presence of an evil or demonic spirit?