- Where did the name Astaroth actually come from?
- How did a goddess become a demon?
- What does Astaroth actually look like in occult texts?
- How is Astaroth used in modern occult practice?
- What do people get wrong about Astaroth and the Bible?
- How does Astaroth compare to other goetic spirits?
- What is the seal of Astaroth and how is it used?
A 17th-century scholar once tried to prove that the demon Astaroth appeared in the Book of Judges. He was wrong. The name does not appear anywhere in the canonical Bible, not in the Hebrew Masoretic Text, not in the Greek Septuagint, not in the Latin Vulgate. Astaroth is not a biblical figure. What the Bible does contain is a goddess named Ashtoreth, a place called Ashteroth-Karnaim, and a long tradition of scribal confusion that turned a Canaanite deity into a infernal duke. The demon Astaroth is a Renaissance invention, born in grimoires and cemented by occultists who read the Bible through the lens of medieval demonology.
Where did the name Astaroth actually come from?
The trail begins with the Hebrew word Ashtarot (עַשְׁתָּרֹת), the plural form of Ashtoreth, the Hebrew scribes’ deliberately distorted name for the Canaanite goddess Athtart (the Ugaritic counterpart to the Mesopotamian Ishtar). The distortion was intentional. The Masoretes, Jewish scholars who standardized the Hebrew Bible between the 7th and 10th centuries CE, pointed the consonants Ashtoret with the vowels from boshet (shame), turning the goddess’s name into a linguistic insult.
The Bible mentions Ashtoreth explicitly in 1 Kings 11:5 and 11:33, where Solomon follows “Ashtoreth the goddess of the Sidonians.” The plural Ashtarot appears in Judges 2:13, 10:6, and 1 Samuel 7:3-4, always as part of the phrase “the Baals and the Ashtarot” — a generic reference to Canaanite female deities rather than a single named figure.
A separate but related word is Ashteroth-Karnaim (Genesis 14:5), a place name meaning “Ashteroth of the two horns,” likely a reference to a temple or region associated with the goddess. This geographical name would later be mistaken for a demon’s title.
The leap from goddess to demon happened in the 13th century. The French theologian Peter of Palude (c. 1275-1342) listed “Astaroth” among the fallen angels in his commentary on the Sentences of Peter Lombard. By the time the Lemegeton (the Lesser Key of Solomon) was compiled in the 17th century, Astaroth had become a fully formed demon: a duke who commands 40 legions, appears as a beautiful angel riding a dragon, and holds a viper in his right hand.
How did a goddess become a demon?
The transformation followed a pattern that repeated across medieval Europe. Christian demonologists treated every non-Christian deity as a demon. The Canaanite pantheon was not an exception; it was a template. Baal became Beelzebub. Ashtoreth became Astaroth. The process was not scholarly. It was theological conquest.
The Pseudomonarchia Daemonum (1577), compiled by the Dutch physician Johann Weyer, gave Astaroth his first detailed description in a grimoire context. Weyer, a student of the occult philosopher Heinrich Cornelius Agrippa, listed Astaroth as a treasurer of hell who could answer questions about the past, present, and future. The Lemegeton expanded this: Astaroth could grant the summoner knowledge of all hidden things, including the fall of angels and the creation of the world.
The name itself shifted during this period. The Hebrew Ashtarot became the Latin Astaroth through a simple vowel change. The -oth ending, which in Hebrew marks the feminine plural, was reinterpreted as a masculine singular noun. The goddess became a duke. The plural became singular. The female became male.
What does Astaroth actually look like in occult texts?
The Lemegeton describes Astaroth as “a great and strong duke, appearing in the form of a beautiful angel, riding upon an infernal dragon, and carrying in his right hand a viper.” The description is precise and deliberately unsettling. The beautiful angel form contrasts with the dragon and the snake, creating a visual tension between divine and demonic.
Other grimoires add details. The Grand Grimoire (a 19th-century text, not to be confused with this library) places Astaroth among the highest-ranking infernal powers, second only to Lucifer and Beelzebub. The Dictionnaire Infernal (1818) by Collin de Plancy depicts Astaroth as a naked man with bat-like wings, a crown, and a serpent coiled around his body. The illustration became one of the most recognizable demon images in European occultism.
The Goetia, the first book of the Lemegeton, assigns Astaroth to the rank of duke and gives him the power to make the summoner invisible, to reveal the secrets of the earth, and to grant knowledge of all arts and sciences. The demon is said to be “a very good familiar” for those who seek hidden knowledge.
How is Astaroth used in modern occult practice?
Modern ceremonial magicians work with Astaroth primarily through the Goetia system. The summoner typically draws the demon’s seal on parchment, recites the appropriate conjurations from the Lemegeton, and performs the ritual within a protective circle. The goal is not worship but negotiation: the magician commands the demon to appear and answer questions.
The seal of Astaroth is a specific geometric design: a central circle with three smaller circles arranged in a triangle around it, connected by lines. The seal must be drawn precisely, usually in black ink on white parchment or paper. Some practitioners add the demon’s name in Hebrew or Latin characters around the edge.
Astaroth’s planetary correspondence is Mercury, according to some systems, which aligns with the demon’s association with knowledge and communication. The metal tin is sometimes used in rituals, and the day Wednesday is considered favorable for summoning.
The practical difference between working with Astaroth and working with other goetic spirits is the demon’s specific expertise. Astaroth answers questions about the past and future, reveals the secrets of the natural world, and can teach the arts and sciences. For a magician seeking knowledge rather than material gain, Astaroth is a primary choice.
What do people get wrong about Astaroth and the Bible?
The most common error is the claim that Astaroth appears in the Bible as a demon. He does not. The Bible contains the goddess Ashtoreth and the place Ashteroth-Karnaim, but no demon named Astaroth. The confusion arises from translation choices in some English Bibles. The King James Version renders Ashtarot as “Ashtaroth” in Judges 2:13 and 1 Samuel 7:3-4, creating a visual similarity to the demon’s name. But the context makes clear these are goddesses, not demons.
A second error is the assumption that Astaroth is a fallen angel mentioned in the New Testament. No such mention exists. The Book of Revelation lists fallen angels and demons, but Astaroth is absent.
A third error is the identification of Astaroth with the “queen of heaven” mentioned in Jeremiah 7:18 and 44:17-19. The queen of heaven was likely the Mesopotamian Ishtar or the Canaanite Ashtoreth, but the connection to the demon Astaroth is indirect at best. The biblical queen of heaven was a goddess worshipped by the Israelites, not a demon summoned by medieval magicians.
How does Astaroth compare to other goetic spirits?
Astaroth belongs to the second rank of the 72 goetic spirits, the dukes. Dukes are considered more powerful than presidents but less powerful than kings. Astaroth commands 40 legions, a number that places him in the upper tier of goetic spirits but below the kings like Bael (66 legions) or Paimon (200 legions).
The closest parallel to Astaroth in the goetic system is Beleth, a king who also appears as a beautiful angel and commands 85 legions. Both spirits are associated with knowledge and love, but Beleth’s domain is more specifically romantic, while Astaroth’s is intellectual.
The difference between Astaroth and the demoness Lilith is instructive. Lilith appears in Jewish folklore and medieval texts but not in the Goetia. Astaroth appears in the Goetia but not in Jewish folklore. The two figures come from different traditions and serve different functions in occult practice.
What is the seal of Astaroth and how is it used?
The seal of Astaroth is the demon’s signature, the geometric symbol that binds the spirit to the magician’s will. In the Goetia, each of the 72 spirits has a unique seal that must be drawn on parchment made from the skin of a virgin animal (usually calf or goat) and inscribed with the blood of a black hen or the magician’s own blood.
Modern practitioners often substitute simpler materials: black ink on white paper, or engraved metal. The seal is placed within the triangle of art, the protective triangle outside the circle where the spirit is compelled to appear. The magician holds the seal during the conjuration and destroys it after the ritual is complete.
The seal’s design is not arbitrary. The three small circles around the central circle represent the demon’s triple nature: angelic, demonic, and human. The connecting lines form a pattern that corresponds to the planetary hours and the Hebrew letters of Astaroth’s name.
FAQ
Does the word Astaroth appear in the Bible? No. The name Astaroth does not appear in any canonical version of the Bible. The related words Ashtoreth (a goddess) and Ashteroth-Karnaim (a place) do appear, but they refer to a Canaanite deity and a geographical location, not a demon.
Is Astaroth the same as Ishtar? No. Ishtar is the Mesopotamian goddess of love and war. Ashtoreth is the Hebrew distortion of the Canaanite Athtart, who is related to Ishtar. Astaroth is a demon invented by medieval Christian demonologists based on these earlier goddesses. The connection is etymological, not theological.
Can Astaroth be summoned safely? The Goetia provides protective rituals, including the drawing of a magic circle and the use of divine names, that are intended to protect the summoner. Whether summoning is safe depends on the practitioner’s skill, preparation, and understanding of the system. The texts themselves warn against summoning without proper authority.
What does Astaroth teach? According to the Lemegeton, Astaroth can teach all arts and sciences, reveal the secrets of the earth, and answer questions about the past, present, and future. The demon is specifically associated with knowledge of the fall of angels and the creation of the world.
The demon Astaroth is a creature of the grimoire, not the Bible. His name was borrowed from a goddess, his form was invented by Renaissance magicians, and his power was codified in texts that have shaped Western occultism for four centuries. To understand Astaroth is to understand how the Bible was read, misread, and reimagined by people who saw demons in every pagan name. For a deeper exploration of the 72 spirits and their seals, see our guide to goetic demonology. The relationship between biblical figures and grimoire spirits is a complex one, and we have traced it in our glossary of demonic names. If you are considering working with Astaroth directly, our practical guide to goetic summoning covers the rituals, seals, and precautions that the old texts demand.