Asmodeus is more than the “demon of lust.” In this episode, I trace his journey from the Avestan aēšma in Zoroastrian texts to Ashmedai in Jewish literature, through the Book of Tobit and the Babylonian Talmud, into Islamic narratives of Solomon’s throne, and on to Christian demonology, Renaissance grimoires, Enlightenment satire, and modern occult reinterpretations. Rather than a single biography, Asmodeus emerges as a cultural palimpsest that different communities used to think about desire, power, and knowledge. We examine philology, theology, ritual technologies, and iconography to ask what this demon reveals about changing ideas of evil and the management of sexuality. If you value evidence-based scholarship on magic and esotericism, this one is for you.

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RECOMMENDED READINGS 📖

REFERENCES 📚(full list on screen)

Boyce, M. (1975). A history of Zoroastrianism: The early period. Brill.

Duling, D. C. (1983). Testament of Solomon: A new translation and introduction. In J. H. Charlesworth (Ed.), The Old Testament Pseudepigrapha (Vol. 1, pp. 935–987). Doubleday.

Fitzmyer, J. A. (2003). Tobit. De Gruyter.

Al-Ṭabarī. (2001). The history of al-Ṭabarī: Volume III, The children of Israel (W. M. Brinner, Trans.). State University of New York Press.

Clark, S. (1997). Thinking with demons: The idea of witchcraft in early modern Europe. Oxford University Press.

Davies, O. (2009). Grimoires: A history of magic books. Oxford University Press.

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00:00 Introduction: Who is Asmodeus the Demon?

06:57 Asmodeus: Philological Archaeology and Zoroastrian Foundations

11:38 Asmodeus inJewish Tradition and Second Temple Literature

13:40 Asmodeus Reimagined in the Testament of Solomon

16:49 Asmodeus in Christian Demonology

18:53 The possessed Nuns of Loudun

21:37 Islamic Adaptations of Asmodeus

26:05 Asmodeus in Renaissance Grimoires and Systematic Demonology

31:44 Modern Occult and Esoteric Reinterpretations of the Demon King Asmodeus

36:46 Conclusion: The Demon as a Cultural Palimpsest

41:33 Support Angela’s Symposium

⚠️ Copyright of Dr Angela Puca, in all of its parts ⚠️

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Ivy Corvus has been practicing various occult philosophies for 20 years. She is the author of "Chaos Magic: A Complete Beginner's Guide", a contributing author to "This is Chaos: Embracing The Future Of Magic", and has written for Pagan Dawn magazine. Ivy is best known as “Ivy The Occultist” on her YouTube channel, established in 2022. She is a seer, witch, chaos magician, astral surfer, a former Zen Buddhist, embodying the curiosity of Alice with magic and mysticism. With a history as a healthcare practitioner, and through her science degree, her passion lies in understanding the convergence of mind, body, and spirit.

All of Ivy Corvus' links can be found here:

https://linktr.ee/ivycorvus

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⚠️ Copyright of Dr Angela Puca, in all of its parts ⚠️

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Across three millennia, the goddess Astarte was recast as the demon Astaroth: a transformation that reveals more about humanity’s fear of the sacred feminine than any real change in divinity. This episode traces that metamorphosis from ancient Mesopotamian goddess to grimoire demon and modern occult archetype. Drawing on sources from biblical polemics and Renaissance demonology, as well as feminist and queer reimaginings, this exploration examines how Astaroth embodies the persistence of forbidden knowledge, gender fluidity, and spiritual defiance. Was Astaroth truly a fallen angel or the suppressed face of divine wisdom, buried under centuries of theological sabotage?

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RECOMMENDED READINGS 📖

REFERENCES (full list on screen)📚

Cornelius, I. (2004). The many faces of the goddess: The iconography of the Syro-Palestinian goddesses. Academic Press.

Russell, J. B. (1977). The Devil: Perceptions of evil from antiquity to primitive Christianity. Cornell University Press.

De Plancy, J. C. (1993). Dictionnaire infernal. Slatkine. (Original work published 1863)

Lévi, É. (2001). Transcendental magic: Its doctrine and ritual (A. E. Waite, Trans.). Weiser Books. (Original work published 1854)

Crowley, A. (1995). The Goetia: The Lesser Key of Solomon the King (S. L. M. Mathers, Trans.). Weiser Books. (Original work published 1904)

Ruether, R. R. (1974). Religion and sexism. Simon & Schuster.

Granholm, K. (2014). Dark enlightenment: The historical, sociological, and discursive contexts of contemporary esoteric magic. Brill.

Hanegraaff, W. J. (2012). Esotericism and the academy: Rejected knowledge in Western culture. Cambridge University Press.

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00:00 Introduction: A Theological Palimpsest of the Demon Astaroth

05:12 Philological and Historical Foundations: Tracking Asteroth’s Divine Genealogy

08:36 Asteroth’s Presence in Grimoires and Demonological Catalogues: Codifying the Forbidden

12:37 Theological and Polemical Framing: The Demon as Moral Allegory

19:11 Esoteric and Magical Receptions: Reclaiming the Fallen

26:27 Demonic Iconography and Symbolism: Reading the Visual Palimpsest

31:40 Practical Ritual Dimensions: From Constraint to Cooperation

37:13 Asteroth - Contemporary Relevance and Reinterpretations: The Living Tradition

41:27 IX. Conclusion: The Endless Metamorphosis of the Demon King

15:11 Support Angela’s Symposium

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