The following article reveals the secret history of Lammashta, who is commonly known as Lamashtu. Additional rare information about her and the “qliphotic pantheon” in general can be found by obtaining a copy of the Atlantean Necronomicon , which can be purchased at the following link:
Lamashtu is worshipped today as the Japanese Sun Goddess Amaterasu Omikami
LAMASHTU, along with other warrior-goddesses like Durga, ERESHKIGAL, Kali, Lamia, Oya, Shub-Niggurath, TIAMAT, and etc, represent the ancient alchemy of the menstruating woman. It was due to early man’s ignorance concerning the process of menstruation that these rites were later demonized. Early man saw that miscarriages also resulted in blood loss through the vagina and began to associate the cause of such things with the same deities that were revered as menstruating goddesses. A woman’s menstruation cycle is the foundation of all magickal traditions. The Women’s Encyclopedia of Myths and Secrets by Barbara G. Walker makes the following observation on page 403:
“A combination of honey and menstrual blood was considered the elixir of life, the “nectar” manufactured by Aphrodite and her sacred bees, which kept the gods alive. Similarly, the great secret of Norse mythology was that the gods’ nectar of wisdom, inspiration, literacy, magic, and eternal life was a combination of honey and “wise blood” from the great Cauldron in the belly of Mother Earth-though a late patriarchal revision claimed this hydromel or “honey-liquid” was a mixture of honey with the blood of a male sacrificial victim known as Wisest of Men.”
Walker’s observation is relative to a few passages found in the Simon Necronomicon:
“She (ISHTAR) appears as a most beautiful Lady, in the company of lions, and partakes of a subtle astral nature with the Moon God NANNA. When they are in agreement, that is, when their two plants are auspiciously arranged in the heavens, it is as two offering-cups split freely in the heavens, to rain the sweet wine of the Gods upon the earth. And then there is great happiness and rejoicing.”
The “sweet wine of the Gods” mentioned by the Mad Arab, is menstrual blood. We also find another passage in the URILIA Text that speaks about LAMASHTU and the alchemy of menstrual blood:
“And when thou hast set out bread for the dead to eat, remember to pour honey thereupon, for it is pleasing to the Goddess Whom No One Worshippeth,”
The “honey” mentioned in the words quoted above, represent menstrual blood, which is noted in the writings of Barbara Walker. The “bread” is a symbol of stone. The sacrifice of “blood and stone,” or honey with bread, is discussed in the MAGAN Text:
“The Red Water of Life..Need be split on a stone..The stone struck with a sword..That hath slain eleven men..Sacrifices to HUBUR..So that the Strike ringeth out..And call TIAMAT from Her slumber..From her sleep in the Caverns…Of the Earth.”
The “Red Water of Life” is menstrual blood, symbolized by honey in magickal ritual. The “stone” that it is to be spilt upon, is the “bread” that the honey is to be poured upon. Some researchers have made the error of interpreting this passage as a reference to murder. The “sword” that has slain eleven men is the ritual sword of the Watcher, and the eleven men are the eleven spheres mentioned in the Simon Necronomicon’s Supplementary Material To 777. Although some occultists actually use menstrual blood in their ritual work, we find that “menstrual blood” is a symbol of an alchemical process. Barbara G. Walker states the following page 637:
“Egyptian pharaohs became divine by ingesting “the blood of Isis,” a soma-like ambrosia called sa. Its hieroglyphic sign was the same as the sign of the vulva….The vessel or cup of this immortal fluid is the moon.”
Walker’s essays indicate that the “menstrual blood” used for alchemical purposes is not literal blood, but a refined energy that is released from the stellar realms and poured out upon the Initiate during different Moon phases. This information helps us to understand the third name attributed to LAMASHTU- “the Sword which splitteth the Skull!”
“I learned of the various classes of demons and evil gods that exist, and of the old legends concerning the Ancient Ones. I was thus able to arm myself against also the she-devil LAMMASHTA, who is called the Sword that Splits the Skull, the sight of whom causeth horror and dismay,”
Since the ancient mysteries attributed “menstrual blood” as being the elixir of immortality, the menstruating goddess, LAMASHTU, was chiefly responsible for bestowing eternal life upon those who were worthy. Interestingly, Kali, another menstruating goddess, is also depicted holding a sword and a severed head. The “Sword’ signifies Divine Knowledge and the “Skull” represents the Human Ego, which must be slain by Divine Knowledge in order to obtain “union with god.” LAMASHTU teaches the Initiate how to discern what is real from what is unreal. The true meaning of existence is seen when intercourse is held with the energy of LAMASHTU.
LAMASHTU and NINHURSAG
Lamashtu's Sacred Symbol: The Praying Mantis
The mysteries of LAMASHTU, the menstruating goddess, are Atlantean and have been labeled “evil” by those who are unaware of the gnosis. Kenneth Grant illustrates this clearly in his book Nightside of Eden. On page 78 he states the following:
“It should be unnecessary to remark that the phenomenon of menstruation would not alone have caused the massive dread and abhorrence with which ancient scriptures, myths, and legends, are replete. The eclipse, whether celestial or physiological, was a type, a symbol of dark forces infinitely more terrifying than mere sexual promiscuity and its concomitant diseases. Nor were these forces veiled in obscure symbols for reasons other than that the ancients were unable precisely to define them. They merely suspected that woman and her peculiar mechanism constituted, in some manner unknown to them, a door, a gateway on to the void, through which awful forces could be invoked by those who chanced upon the keys. That these keys were unknown to a few is probable and it is also probable that the Sumerians, the Egyptians, the Americans, the Mongols, were acquainted each with a fragment of a vastly ancient gnosis-the science of the kalas, which has survived into modern times in certain Asiatic Mystery Schools.”
The Initiate is informed about the use of these keys from LAMASHTU herself. These are the very same keys that are mentioned in the MAGAN Text:
“And this is the Covenant
Created by the Elder Gods
From the Blood of the Ancient Ones
Man is the Key by which
The Gate if IAK SAKKAK may be flung wide
By which the Ancient Ones
Seek their Vengeance”
The “Blood of the Ancient Ones” is the alchemy of menstrual blood. The Elder Gods (also known as the Black Brothers) were keepers of this science, which the Mad Arab called the Ancient Arcana. LAMASHTU, the menstruating goddess, is the primordial power and the foundation of the Atlantean Tradition.
Since the civilizations that followed the Atlantean Tradition, only held a fragment of the ancient gnosis, they “demonized” a great amount of its lore, due to their own ignorance. The mythologies of Ancient Mesopotamia and their depiction of LAMASHTU as a demon is a clear indication that this Goddess preceded Sumerian Civilization by thousands of years. The following description of LAMASHTU gives us a deeper meaning into the alchemy of “menstrual blood.”
LAMASHTU is described as having a “hairy body.” Lahmu and Lahamu were known as the “hairy ones,” and were the first children of TIAMAT and Apsu, the first civilization. It is from the first civilization that the worship of LAMASHTU arose. This is evident from other features and depictions of the goddess. LAMASHTU is also seen nursing a pig and a dog, which is symbolic of her connections to the Qliphotic Rites.The 1961 classic ‘Eat Not this Flesh’ by Frederick J. Simoons, states:
“LAMASHTU is often depicted in Mesopotamia, as suckling a young pig and a puppy, or standing in a field with a pig nearby. The nursing of young animals by women is widespread in the modern world, and some believe it is likely that women nursed pigs during the Paleolithic period, when hunters after killing a nursing sow or some other nursing animal, brought home infant animals to be reared as member of the human family. Such a practice would have facilitated the domestication of dogs and pigs, and may explain their widespread sacrificial and ritual role in planting cultures. In light of the above, it has been suggested that LAMASHTU may have been a demonized version of an ancient fertility goddess.”
The “pig” was a totem symbol of Neptune in the Atlantean Mysteries. According to H.P. Blavatsky, the Pig God was “the God of the magicians of Atlantis.” The “dog” that LAMASHTU nurses with her other breast is a symbol of the planet Pluto, which symbolizes, according to Kenneth Grant, the “guide of the dead in the underworld, or world beyond the universe.”
LAMASHTU is said to possess a lioness’ head with a donkey’s ears and teeth. The “lioness’ head represents the Sun in Leo. It is here that the Initiate begins to understand that the will of the magician requires the use of lust to overcome obstacles. One of the magickal tools of the Necronomicon Tradition is the Copper Dagger of INANNA. It is mentioned in the Book of Calling and more importantly in the URILIA Text:
“When the Fire is built and conjured, then mayest thou raise thine Dagger, summoning the assistance of NINKHARSAG, Queen of the Demons, and NINKASZI, the Horned Queen, and NINNGHIZHIDDA, the Queen of the Magick Wand, after their manner and form”
The Dagger is an extension of the magician’s will. The Simon Necronomicon instructs the Initiate to make this dagger out of copper. Copper was a symbol for blood in Sumeria. It is here that we see a correlation between ISHTAR and LAMASHTU. LAMASHTU was sometimes referred to as the “right hand of ISHTAR.” The “right hand” is the hand that the Initiate uses to direct their will. The Copper Dagger of INANNA represents the use of “menstrual blood,” or shakti (normally depicted in Tantric Mythologies as lust) to reach ones’ goals. The primal lust is the directing force that shapes reality. We are not talking about lustful desires, which are an indication that one is being possessed by a spirit of a deceased person, but the self-induced consciousness where the veils of reality are lifted. LAMASHTU’s donkey ears and teeth represent sex magic, also known as the Veils of Negative Existence.
These aspects of LAMASHTU are revealed in the esoteric myth of ENKI and NINHURSAG. NINHURSAG is commonly translated as “lady of the mountain.” This definition is derived from the Sumerian NIN meaning lady and HUR.SAG meaning foothill. In the book, Flying Serpents and Dragons by R. A. Boulaym, the author makes the following observations:
“We have seen that SAG means “lions head,” thus HUR-SAG would be “the monster that roars.”
According to Boulaym’s observation, NINHURSAG could also be defined as “Lady monster that roars.” LAMASHTU is said to roar like a lion. We should also keep in mind that the Mad Arab describes NINHURSAG in the URILIA Text as the “Queen of the Demons.” This definition of NINHURSAG finds its origin in the myth ENKI and NINHURSAG.
In the myth, NINHURSAG curses ENKI for his sexual promiscuity and blatant disrespect for the tantric rites by having relations with and impregnating the offspring that he has with NINHURSAG. Later, this misappropriated lust fuels his greed and he eats eight newly-formed plants because of it. ENKI’s actions symbolized disrespect for the Sacred Marriage Rite. ENKI after eating these plants gets struck with disease and sickness in eight organs of his body. None of the gods or goddesses could relieve ENKI from his illness. Finally, ENLIL urges NINHURSAG to rescue ENKI. NINHURSAG cured him, taking the plants into her body and giving birth to eight deities, which make up the Tree of Life.
ABU = The god of vegetation. It symbolizes the Initiate use of the kundalini force to heal the blood.
Ninsikila, Nintulla or Nintual = Healer of the Locked Hair. Designated as the Lord of MAGAN, also depicted as the patroness of cattle. This deity was birthed by NINHURSAG to heal ENKI’s jaw, as in Temporomandibular Disorder. Also referred to as Ninsikila, the goddess that was born to heal ENKI’s hair, which was in locks. This deity represents the Initiate’s use of kundalini energy to loosen blocked “chi.”
Ninsutu= Healer of Teeth. Ninsutu was a Sumerian goddess birthed by NINHURSAG to heal ENKI’s teeth. This deity represents the Initiate’s use of the kundalini force to tap into the sexual energies of the kidneys.
Ninkasi = Goddess of Beer. Ninkasi was birthed by NINHURSAG to heal ENKI’s mouth. This deity represents the Initiate’s ability to heal the “bitter taste of the mouth” and increase the span of physical life.
Ninazimua = Bountiful Baranch. Healer of Arms and Branches. Bithed by Ninhursah to relieve ENKI’s pain in his arms. This deity represents the Initiate’s use of the kundalini force to change the outcome of events.
Nanshe or Nazi= The Goddess of Prophecy. Birthed by NINHURSAG to heal ENKI’s throat. This deity represents the Initiates use of the kundalini force to speak to others in dreams. Dream interpretation.
Ninti = Lady of the Rib. Lady of Life. Birthed by NINHURSAG to relieve ENKI’s rib. This deity represents the Initiate’s use of the kundalini force to alter thinking in themselves and others.
Enshag = Lord of Dilmun. Birthed by NINHURSAG to relieve the pain in ENKI’s limbs. This deity represents the Initiate’s ability to transfer initiation upon others.
It should also be noted that the myth of ENKI and NINHURSAG takes place in Dilmun. In Sumerian Mythologies, Dilmun is described as “the place where the Sun rises.’ It is the same place that Utmapishtim (Ziusudra, commonly known as the Sumerian Noah) was placed by the gods to live forever. The Abrahamic religions refer to this place as the Garden of Eden. It is here that we see another fallacy in the rites of the solar cults.
ENKI became sick after he ate the freshly sprouted plants growing for the first time in Dilmun. The origin of these plants is a very fascinating part of the myth:
“NINHURSAG heard her distress and she came at once. She removed ENKI’s seed from her descendant’s thighs, and with it she caused eight plants to grow. She grew the ‘tree’ plant, the ‘honey plant’, the ‘vegetable’ plant, the alfalfa grass, the ‘atutu’ plant, the ‘astaltal’ plant, the ‘amharu’ plant, and one more besides. ENKI had returned to the marsh and again he was peering up there, he was able to see the plants and he spoke to his minister Isimud, “I have not determined the destiny of these plants. What is this one? What is that one?” Isimud answered: “My master, the ‘tree’ plant.” Isimud cut the plant and gave it to his master who ate it. “My master the ‘honey’ plant’ again ENKI ate it. In like manner he ate the ‘vegetable’, ‘alfalfa’, ‘atutu’, ‘astaltal’ and ‘amharu’ plants and one more besides. Together these represented the eight basic plant groups. ENKI determined the destiny of these plants, he had each of them know it in their hearts, he defined their role. When NINHURSAG saw this she was enraged. She had created the plants yet ENKI had undertaken to determine their fates! She cursed the name ENKI, “Until his dying day, I will never look upon him with my life-giving eye.” ENKI’s life was endangered, his health afflicted, and the gods were distraught at the falling out of ENKI and his partner. They sat in the dust in despair. NINHURSAG had withdrawn and none of the gods knew how to approach her. It was then that the fox went to ENLIL who lead the gods, who commissioned ENKI’s actions, and spoke to him: “If I am able to bring NINHURSAG to you what will be my reward?” ENLIL was greatly pleased and responded that the fox would win renown and be greatly honored. The fox prepared himself, placing kohl under his eyes. When he saw NINHURSAG he went to her and spoke cunning words to her. NINHURSAG agreed to return and she made her way to the temple where the gods quickly removed her clothing and ushered the weakened ENKI to her. There were eight parts of ENKI that hurt him and to these NINHURSAG now looked with life giving eye. She sat him by her vagina and addressed him, “My kinsman, what part of you hurts you?” “Ugu-dili, the top of my head, hurts me” She took the affliction into her womb and gave birth to Abu out of it.”
When NINHURSAG removed “ENKI’s seed” from the Goddess Uttu and buried it in the ground, eight plants were formed. NINHURSAG gained renown as the destroyer of ENKI’s seed and was later blamed for the death of children. We also see a large contrast between this myth and the Biblical version, where the woman is blamed for eating the fruit from the Tree of Good and Bad. It is evident that the monotheistic religions inverted the tantric rites once again.
NINHURSAG is an aspect of LAMASHTU and represents the growing power of the kundalini energies. Other goddesses in Sumerian lore, represent other aspects of LAMASHTU, among these are ERESHKIGAL and TIAMAT. LAMASHTU, the ‘menstruating goddess,’ is often depicted as roaring in ancient myths. Notice what is mentioned in the MAGAN Text concerning both ERESHKIGAL and TIAMAT:
“The Eye upon the Throne took flight..ERESHKIGAL roared and summoned NAMMTAR..”
“She lunged at MARDUK..With a roar..With a curse..She lunged.”
These two passages are almost identical in meaning, although one is describing ERESHKIGAL and the other, TIAMAT. Both ERESHKIGAL and TIAMAT represent the initiatory aspects of the menstruating goddess, LAMASHTU. It is during these rites that the Initiate has to struggle with the “ego” and the process of purification. Barbara G, Walker makes a similar observation concerning LAMASHTU in The Woman’s Encyclopedia of Myths and Secrets, quoted previously, on page 527:
“Lamia was probably a variant of Babylonian LAMASHTU, “Mother of Gods” worshipped at Der as a serpent with a woman’s head.”
Walker states the following on page 904:
“The Akkadian Goddess NINHURSAG, “She Who Gives Life to the Dead,” was also called “Mistress of Serpents” as yet another form of Kadru or Kadi. Babylon’s version of her made her a dark twin of the Heaven-goddess ISHTAR, calling her Lamia or LAMASHTU,..Cylinder seals show her squatting, Kali-like, over her mate, the god PAZUZU, he of the serpent penis. As another Lord of Death, he gave himself up to be devoured by the Goddess.”
Walker’s writings confirm another point made earlier in our discussion that healing involves absorbing the “death-energy” and not the channeling of a “healing force” from one entity to another. We also learn another very important point that images of PAZUZU were used as protection, not against LAMASHTU, as some scholars would like us to believe, but as a symbol of the male forced that was sacrificed to her. The kundalini force is nourished by “death-energy” and this is the very same reason why initiation into the Greater Mysteries involves the Initiate taking the same journey as that of the deceased. Walker continues on page 1035:
“Lamia was the Greek name for the divine female serpent called Kundalini in India….and Lamshtu in Babylon.”
Another aspect of LAMASHTU that appears in the Simon Necronomicon is that of ISHNIGARRAB. Simon gives us a subtle description of what ISHNIGARRAB really means in the Necronomicon’s Introduction, under the subheading SUMERIA, we read:
“There is a seeming reference to SHUB NIGGURATH in the NECRONOMICON, in the name of a Sumerian deity, the “Answerer of Prayers”, called ISHNIGARRAB. The word “Shub” is to be found in the Sumerian language in reference to the Rite of Exorcism, one of which is called Nam Shub and means “the Throwing”. It is, however, as yet unclear as to what the combination SHUB ISHNIGARRAB (SHUB NIGGURATH) might actually mean.”
Earlier, we discussed the Myth of ENKI and NINHURSAG, in the myth NINHURSAG healed ENKI by sitting him near her vagina and absorbing his “sickness” and then producing a beneficial deity as a result. We find similar aspects in the legend of Shub Niggurath.
The gof’nn hupadgh Shub-Niggurath is the name given to the favored, once-human worshippers of Shub-Niggurath. When the deity deems a worshipper to be most worthy, a special ceremony is held, in which the Black Goat of the Woods swallows the Initiate and then regurgitates the cultist as a transformed satyr-like being. The changed worshipper is endowed with immortal life. This aspect of Shub Niggurath finds its origin in the many aspects of Goddess LAMASHTU, such as the goddess Kadru.
In the mythologies of India, Kadru is described as being a mother of “a thousand powerful many-headed serpents, the chief amongst whom were Sesha, Vasuki and many other fierce and venomous serpents.” Kadru was considered to be the mother of the nagas. Shub Niggurath is often described as “The Black Goat of the Woods with a Thousand Young.”
The goat was sacred to the Sumerian god Ningirsu. In some accounts, Ningirsu was said to be the son of ENLIL and a holy she-goat. Interestingly, Ningirsu is another form of Ninurta, which means Lord of the Earth, or Plough. In older transliteration the name is rendered Ninib (Adar) and in early mythologies, he was sometimes portrayed as a solar deity. Ninurta was depicted as a farmer and a healing god who releases humans from sickness and the power of “evil spirits,” on the other he is the god of the South Wind as the son of ENLIL. It is here that we find a deeper meaning to the Mad Arab’s words that appear in the Book of Entrance:
“For this reason, few have ever opened the Gate of ADAR, and spoken to the Horned One who resideth there and giveth all manner of wisdom regarding the operations of necromancy, and of the spells that hasten unto death.”
Adar is another form of Ningirsu. He is also the last Gate that the candidate Walks during the process of self-initiation. Saturn is the planetary correspondence of Adar/Ninib. It is at this Gate (7th) that the Initiate is transformed and enters the rites of the Black Goat, or the “Horned One.” Once the Initiate has passed this Gate, he/she is swallowed up by the “goat” and then regurgitated into a new being and is able to grow in strength. The Mad Arab continues in the Book of Entrance:
“For this reason, few have ever opened the Gate of ADAR, and spoken to the Horned One who resideth there and giveth all manner of wisdom regarding the operations of necromancy, and of the spells that hasten unto death. Only when thou hast shown thy power over the Maskim and the Rabishu, mayest thou venture forth to the Land of the IGIGI, and for that reason was this Covenant made, that none shall safely Walk through the sunken valleys of the Dead before having ascended to MARDUK, nor shall they breach the Gates that lie beyond ADAR until they have seen the Signs of the Mad God and felt the fury of the hellish Queen.”
The Mad Arab himself went through such a transformation. He reveals this in the Necronomicon. Notice what he states in the Book of Calling:
“Know, seventhly, of the Things thou art to expect in the commission of this Most sacred Magick. Study the symbols well, and do not be afraid of any awful spectre that shall invade thine operation, or haunt thine habitat by day or by night. Only charge them with them the words of the Covenant and they will do as you ask, of thou be strong. And if thou performest these operations often, thou shalt see things becoming dark; and the Wanderers in their Spheres shall no more be seen by thee; and the Stars in their places will lose their Light, and the Moon, NANNA, by whom thou also workest, shall become black and extinguished, ..AND ARATAGAR SHALL BE NO MORE, AND THE EARTH SHALL ABIDE NOT…And around thee shall appear the Flame, like Lightning flashing in all directions, and all things will appear amid thunders, and from the Cavities of the Earth will leap forth the ANNUNNAKI, Dog-Faced, and thou shalt bring them down.”
The above words refer to the process of becoming immortal. The Mad Arab speaks heavily about the light of planets, stars, and spheres, being no more. This represents that the Initiate’s destiny is no longer held by the planetary spheres, also known as the ‘Dog-Faced ANNUNAKI.’ (Earlier in our discussion, it was clearly illustrated that in the Necronomicon Tradition, initiation requires the candidate to Walk through the Spheres in a pattern that is opposite the Sun’s journey through the same constellations. Since the Initiate is traveling in a converse direction, he/she has to reconcile with the “shadow-side” of these planetary forces, as in the Seven Anunnaki.) The Mad Arab’s final words indicate that he passed his initiation into the deeper “Qliphotic Mysteries.” Notice the concluding words of his Second Testimony:
“The Stars grow dim in their places, and the Moon pales before me, as though a Veil were blown across its flame. Dog-faces demons approach the circumference of my sanctuary. Strange lines appear carved on my door and walls, and the light from the Windows grows increasing dim.”
Another interesting feature of the Mad Arab can be found in the Enochian definition of his name:
Enochian English Meaning
Mad God or Your God
Ar That
Ab Daughter of Light
Form the above Enochian translation, we can easily see that the term Mad Arab means Your God that Daughter of Light. This would seem to indicate that the Mad Arab was a Priest of LAMASHTU. LAMASHTU’s first name is ‘daughter of ANU (light). The Crown of ANU, as described in the Simon Necronomicon represents the “daughter of ANU.” On page 78 of the Simon Necronomicon, the Crown of ANU is described as being of a ‘spotless white color.’ The sister sorority of the Freemasons, The Order of the Eastern Star, also wear the white fez, denoting the anointment of male menstrual blood, or semen, upon their heads. The other reference concerning the Crown of ANU is found on page 100, where it states that the ‘Crown may be made of beaten copper.’ This is seen today amongst the Freemasons who wear a fez of a blood-red color, symbolizing the menstrual blood of a woman upon their head.
There are no banishings in the Simon Necronomicon for LAMASHTU. The Mad Arab affirms that he is a servant of LAMASHTU, in the opening words of the Simon Necronomicon:
“I have seen One Thousand-and-One Moons and surely this is enough for the span of a man’s life, though it is said the Prophets lived much longer.”
Later, in his First Testimony he writes:
“But now, after One Thousand-and-One moons of the journey, The maskim nip at my heels, the Rabishu pull at my hair.”
The Mad Arab mentions “One Thousand-and-One moons of the journey,” which clearly indicates that he counted his journey as his life. These One Thousand-and-One Moons represent the Black Goat with a Thousand Young in Lovecraftian lore. If we add the “Black Goat” plus the “Thousand Young,” we would get 1,001 spirits. It is here that we find the meaning of the Mad Arab’s words as they are written in the Book of Calling:
“In the Ceremonies of Calling, any type of Spirit may be summoned and detained until It has answered your questions or provided you with whatever you desire. The Spirits of the Dead may be invoked. The Spirits of the Unborn may be invoked. The Spirits of the Seven Spheres may be invoked. The Spirits of the Flame may be invoked. In all, there may be One Thousand-and-One Spirits that are of principal importance,..”
This not only confirms that the Simon Necronomicon is a book dedicated to the worship of the Ancient Ones, but it also reveals that LAMASHTU, the menstruating goddess, is the power behind the tome. Now let us look at another aspect of LAMASHTU that will reveal a deeper understanding of her rites.
LAMASHTU and QUEEN SHEBA
Another confirmation of our findings is seen in the legend of Queen Sheba. There was a time when the Queen of Sheba was popularly depicted as a snatcher of children and a demonic witch. In Arabic and Jewish lore, Queen Sheba is often associated with Lilith (a minor aspect of LAMASHTU). In some Islamic traditions, Queen Sheba (Bilqis) is said to be half-jinn. According to one account, Solomon, having heard from a hoopoe, one of his birds, that Bilqis and her kingdom worshipped the Sun, sent a letter asking her to worship God. She replied by sending gifts, but, when Solomon proved unreceptive to them, she came to his court herself. The king’s demons, meanwhile, fearing that he might be tempted into marrying Bilqis, whispered to him that she had hairy legs and the hooves of an ass (attributes of LAMASHTU). Solomon, being curious about such a peculiar phenomenon, had a glass floor built before his throne, so that Bilqis, tricked into thinking it was water, raised her skirts to cross it and revealed that her legs were truly hairy. Solomon then ordered his demons to create a depilatory for the queen.
In Persian folklore, she is considered the daughter of a Chinese king and a peri – a type of supernatural being. The story of the Queen of Sheba acquired special importance and impact in the Ethiopian tradition and history. There she is referred to as Makeda and it is believed that she bore Solomon a son, who was the founder of the Ethiopian royal dynasty of emperors.
1 Kings Chapter 10 describes her visit to King Solomon. She tested him with difficult questions. She wanted to know whether he was really as wise as they said he was. She has long been associated with the bride in the Song of Solomon, where it mentions in Chapter 1:5; “I am black, but comely.” Josephus said in his Antiquity of the Jews, Book 8 Chapter 6, that it was the “queen of Egypt and Ethiopia” who visited King Solomon. Also, Jesus refers to her as the “queen of the south” in Matthew 12:42. Daniel 11:5 and 8 identify the South as Egypt. Interestingly, Queen Sheba also tested Jesus while he was in the wilderness, but she is described as Satan in order to hide his involvement with the Sacred Marriage Rite.
The Queen of Sheba is the spirit that the Initiate calls upon before he/she summons LAMASHTU. She is an ambassador of LAMASHTU. This can be understood when we review the legend of King Solomon.
The Qur’an states that Solomon ruled not only people, but also hosts of Jinn, was able to understand the language of the birds and ants, and to see some of the hidden glory in the world that was not accessible to most other human beings. This compares greatly to the Gate-Walker who works with the Jinn during their process of self-initiation. Later, we are tested by Queen Sheba (or an emissary of LAMASHTU), just as it is written in 1 Kings Chapter 10 where she tested Solomon. King Solomon passed the test by answering her questions effectively and was blessed with gifts from the Queen. Jesus describes this initiation in Matthew Chapter 12:42:
“The queen of the south shall rise up in the judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it: for she came from the uttermost parts of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and, behold, a greater than Solomon is here.”
This Biblical passage concerns itself with those who have Walked the Seven Initiatory Gates and have gained insights and wisdom from the deities themselves. The Mad Arab wrote the following concerning the zonei:
“The passing of the Gates gives the priest both power and wisdom to use it. He becomes able to control the affairs of his life more perfectly than before, and many have been content to merely pass the first three Gates and then sit down and go no further than that, enjoying the benefits that they have found on the preliminary spheres.”
Queen Sheba is an aspect of LAMASHTU, also known as the Goddess SHAKUGUKU in the Necronomicon Tradition and the Priestess Shamhat in the Gilgamesh Epics. The Mad Arab speaks of LAMASHTU in the URILIA Text as the Goddess Whom No One Worshippeth:
“And when thou hast set out bread for the dead to eat, remember to pour honey thereupon, for it is pleasing to the Goddess Whom No One Worshippeth, Who wanders by night through the streets amid the howling of the dogs and the wailing of the infants, for in Her time a great Temple was built unto Her and sacrifices of infants made that She might save the City from the Enemies who dwelt without. And the Number of infants thus slain is countless and unknowable. And She did save that City, but it was taken soon thereafter when the people no more offered up their children. And when the people made to offer again, at the time of the attack, the Goddess turned her back and fled from her temple, and it is no more. And the Name of the Goddess is no more known. And She maketh the infants restless, and to cry, so the reason for the pouring of honey over the sacred bread, for it is written:
Bread of the Cult of the Dead in its Place I eat
In the Court prepared
Water of the Cult of the Dead in its Place I drink
A Queen am I, Who has become estranged to the Cities
She that comes from the Lowlands in a sunken boat
Am I.
I AM THE VIRGIN GODDESS
HOSTILE TO MY CITY
A STRANGER IN MY STREETS.
MUSIGAMENNA URUMA BUR ME YENSULAMU
GIRME EN!
Oh, Spirit, who understand thee? Who comprehend Thee?”
Many Initiates of the Necronomicon Tradition have often wondered what “goddess:” is the Mad Arab talking about? The answer to this question can be found in E.A. Wallis Budge’s book Amulets and Superstitions. Budge states the following on page 115-116:
“The female devil in the boat is LAMASHTU, whose home in the infernal regions whence she comes when she arrives on the earth to carry out her campaign of slaughter and death. The only way to stop her from carrying out her baneful plans is to get her back again in the Underworld, and it is necessary to coax her to leave earth by promising to give her gifts….She must then make her way over the mountains which block the road to hell, and when this is done she must cross the river of hell, which is none other than the great World-Ocean, Nar Marratu.”
We will discuss the ritual workings of LAMASHTU and how they are performed later in this writing. When I read about the menstruating goddess LAMMASHTA, I am also reminded of Simon’s words that appear in the Necronomicon’s Introduction:
“the Dragon or Serpent is said to reside somewhere “below the earth”; it is a powerful force, a magickal force, which is identified with mastery over the created world; it is also a power that can be summoned by the few and not the many.”
All the entities in the URILIA Text are the aspects of the mind of LAMMASHTA. We will now learn about another power-zone that is the cardinal force of this black goddess.
