נעמה: The Holy Harlot
Naamah is commonly known amongst the male-dominated religions as a major and high-ranking demoness, often portrayed in the Medieval tales as both an ally and a sometimes competitor of Lilith who specializes in seducing men, bringing them to destruction in their personal lives as a fatal consequence of this sexually-oriented attraction.
“And she goes and roams the world at night, and makes sport with men and causes them to emit seed. And wherever men are found sleeping alone in a house, they [these spirits] descend upon them and get hold of them and adhere to them and take desire from them and bear from them. And they also afflict them with disease, and the men do not know it. And all this is because of the diminishing of the moon.” — Zohar 1: 19b
“And when Lilith comes and sees that child, she knows what happened, and she ties herself to him and brings him up like all those other sons of Naamah. And she is with him many times, but does not kill him. This is the man who becomes blemished on every New Moon, for she never gives him up. For month after month, when the moon becomes renewed in the world Lilith comes forth and visits all those whom she brings up, and makes sport with them, and therefore that person is blemished at that time.” — Zohar 3: 76b-77a
Naamah’s origins are obscure. Scholars do not agree as to the manner in which She first appears within mythology nor is it clear as to exactly how She became identified as a Demoness of sacred prostitution. The Zohar depicts Naamah as a fallen angel and one of the four brides of Samael alongside Lilith, Eisheth Zenunim and Agerath bat Machaloth. Within Zoharistic tradition, Naamah and Her sister Demoness, Lilith, were alleged to have visited Adam in the form of succubi—mating with him and bearing vast numbers of Demonic offspring. One such legend suggests that the Demon Prince, Asmodeus, was the product of the lovemaking between Naamah and Adam. Another telling of the story of Asmodeus’ birth implies that Agerath bat Machaloth, not Naamah, was the mother of the Demon whose father was King David. According to the bible, She lived through one of the most brilliant periods of Jewish history, was wife of the dazzling King Solomon and mother of a foolish son who squandered his inheritance—yet there is virtually no trace of her.
Kabbalistically, Naamah’s role is very pronounced—at least within the context of the Qliphoth. She is aligned with the direction of Northwest, associated with Abaddon, and is depicted as a crouching woman with an snake’s body, eating earth as She crawls along the ground. Although this depiction may seem strange, it is rather fitting considering that Naamah is considered amongst most Demonolators to be a goddess of the earth. This consideration is further supported by the fact that Kabbalistically She is given rulership of the tenth anti-Sephirah of Malkuth (known upon the Tree of Life as “Kingdom” and associated with the Earth), known Qliphothically as “Lilith” but not to confused with the goddess, Lilith. Naamah also serves as a gatekeeper and psychopomp, meeting and guiding departed souls as they pass from their incarnate existence into the discarnate realm of Spirit. She exudes love and reassurance as She escorts each soul through the gate and beyond the Shadow of Death to the Otherworlds which lie in wait. She can serve as a spiritual gatekeeper as well—acting as a bridge between the unseen realms and the causal and safely communicating messages to the individual from the Otherworlds and the hereafter. She is also a Matron goddess of the creatures within the natural world, bringing healing and renewed life to all plants and animals in peril. She resides within a lush and fertile nocturnal garden filled with strange yet beautiful flora.
In addition to Her rulership of the tenth Sephirothic and anti-Sephirothic spheres of Malkuth and Lilith, Naamah is also aligned with the 31st Path known as Sekhel Temidi or the Path of Perpetual Intelligence upon the Tree of Life and the Element of Fire, indicating Her association with sexuality and passion. Naamah’s nature may thus be seen as primarily aligned with Earth, but secondarily incorporating aspects of both Fire and Water. Naamah is perhaps the most nurturing of the Four Queens and is ever-eager to provide comfort and reassurance to Her children. Thus I attribute to Her nature the Element of Earth as the primary Element and the Element of Water as the secondary Element—acknowledging the role of Fire within Her nature as a goddess of passionate love. Naamah also offers serenity to those who are troubled by worry and indecision. She helps us to slow down and examine the obstacles before us, reminding us of our strengths and abilities to solve all of life’s problems by having faith in our own Selves. She helps us to recognise those things in our lives which are detrimental to our wellbeing as well as those which benefit us or will do so in the future.
Naamah has long enjoyed a reputation as one of the most sensual and virtuous Demonesses of sacred sexuality. She has even been depicted within fictional literary works such as the novel Kushiel’s Dart by Jacqueline Carey as a gracious divine mother goddess, inspiring within Her children passion, desire and an appreciation of sexual pleasure. This portrayal of Naamah is rather accurate as She is a goddess to whom all matters of human sexuality are sacred gifts. One is reminded of the line delivered by the Great Goddess of Wicca in which She says “all acts of love and pleasure are my rituals”. This is perhaps a perfect sentiment for Naamah. Those who seek Her mysteries should bear in mind that to appreciate the joys of the flesh is to pay homage to Naamah.
In earlier, Talmudic-Midrashic mythology, Naamah is still taken to have been a flesh-and-blood woman, the sister of Tubal-Cain, also known as Cainan, or “Little Cain” who is credited with being the world’s first metalworker, a very ancient and hallowed magickal trade and profession. In comparative terms Cainan, the Horned God can thus be seen as the Middle Eastern counterpart of the orixá Ogum
If we examine the Old Testament, we find that there is a story concerning Cain, the agriculturally inclined son of Hawwah/Eve, and Abel, a later son born to Eva who was a pastoralist. We find that Cain evidently “slays” Abel, and is then given a magical mark of protection—many are of the opinion that this sign was horns—and he moves to the East of Eden amongst concerns for his safety after his clash with his sibling, Abel. Their clash may have been a similar parallel tale of the legends of the struggles between Set and Horus in earlier times; as we know that the Mystery was cloaked in popular entertainment in those days, and what seemed like murder, incest and such were actually allegories of Seasonal changes and Cosmic events.
Be this as it may, in the sixth generation after Cain, the Horned God of Israel, Lamech was born, and has three sons who are credited with founding civilization. Jabal was the forefather of all pastoralists, Jubal, the father of all musicians and singers; and Tubal-Cain was the first smith. Naamah is the sister of Tubal-Cain, the father of all smiths and of Fertility magic, with a two-ball cane as his symbol
Having been involved in yet another apparent “murder”, Lamech and his house and lineage were to be cursed seventy times seven times; and Adam then began a new lineage with Eve/Hawwah, the Lady of the Serpent—who bore him Seth, or Set, the Foundation.
Anyhow, the Old Testament then seemingly inexplicably drops the whole narrative of the lineage of Adam at this point, save for the identification of Noah as being directly descended from Seth and Enoch, Seth’s firstborn.
In almost all of the later, descriptive Jewish texts mentioning Na’amah, She is described as an “evil” seductive, temptress and succubus along the lines of the medieval versions of Lilith.
Naamah is believed to be the mother of Ashmodai, also known as Asmodeus, the King of the Djinn, by the demon Shamron. The Djinn, or Genius, was now to be seen as an evil and misguiding demon in both Jewish and Islamic medieval texts. Asmodeus is sometimes portrayed with Dracontian and Serpentine features and is seen as the consort of Lilith in some mythology. Asmodeus is also believed by some to be the Destroying Angel of God, or Avenger of Evil, thus having a rather ambiguous role.
“Lilith’s companion in many of her evil exploits is Na’amah, another high-ranking she-demon. Her origin is obscure, but as her Name, Na’amah (The Charmer) indicates, she is a demoness of extraordinary beauty.”
Although, according to the lone dissenting opinion of Abba Bar Kahana, “she was a well-mannered woman who became Noah’s wife.”
The ability to listen to all sides of a story and consider all viewpoints in a comparative way is what leads us to begin to unravel the real story of the Goddess Naamah in a herstorical context.
Naamah is originally a human female according to some earlier myths, which tell about her role in seducing the “sons of god”:
“She was so beautiful that she led the angels astray, and from her union with the angel Shamdon, or Shomron, sprang Ashmodai, who was destined to become, The King of the devils”
The various texts which are actually more in-depth commentaries on the Old Testament and largely penned during the Middle Ages, are centered on Demons and the diabolical, and are fascinating to read.
“From being the human mother of Shamdon’s demonic brood, Naamah was transformed by the Kabbalah into a semi-human, deathless being who, like Lilith, fulfils the double task of seducing men in their sleep. She was so beautiful that the sons of men, and even the spirits and demons went astray after her.”
The term “going after” a woman, or Goddess, is a Biblical euphemism for a man who is a Goddess devotee. In similar fashion, King Solomon was said to go after Ashtoreth; also known as Inanna/Ishtar, which alludes to the Hieros Gamos between the King and the Queen of Sheba. The Hieros Gamos is a very ancient tradition indeed, whereby the King incumbent symbolically weds the Goddess through Her earthly representative, the Queen of the Realm, or High Priestess.
Azazel is an ancient Horned God often symbolized by the Goat and by the Peacock. Azazel is known as a former Hebrew divinity, sharing the altar of El Elion. It is strange indeed, how these “Sons of God” suddenly became infamous evil demons, alien monsters and devils in popular perceptions after the texts were altered and revised according to the liking of the controlling patriarchal sects which took control at the time.
It was further commented in the texts that Naamah “was the mother of the demons, for she came from the side of Cain.” and she, together with Lilith, was appointed over the askara, the strangulation of children. It is another odd co-incidence, that Lilith, Naamah and the other Goddesses such as Melusine were accused of strangling their victims to death, or taking the life force from them.The idea of a Goddess and a free, independent and strong woman, or vampire, taking the life-breath away from a man, is simply a Rabbinical way of cautioning against that man going back to the Old Ways of the Ancestors, and venerating the Divine Feminine. Devout men are warned never to go down to the river or lake after dusk, and especially on a Saturday, for fear that they will be seduced by a Daughter of Lilith or Naamah, and taken away to the other worlds.
“Come and see: This Naamah was the mother of demons, and from her side come all those demons who lie with men and take the spirit of desire from them! (…) and she makes sport with the men in their sleep and causes them to emit seed.”
This is how the patriarchy described the Pagan rite of Incubation. This sacred rite is analogous to the Tantric principles of vision-questing or trance communication with divinity and is an ancient custom still very much continued in contemporary times. One wouldn’t expect any patriarch to ever fully understand the concept that sexual pleasure is a gift of the Divine, though; or that the Goddess and God actually wish us to have fun!
The texts associating Naamah with bringing in the men from the fields to seduce them with sweet sounds and sensuality clearly describe a Temple Priestess. As the priesthood of Old would call themselves by the name of their Divinity, it is reasonable to take it that the Naamahs and Liliths so demonized by the later patriarchy were merely Temple Prostitutes or in other words, Temple Priestesses and Priests in the service of the Great Goddess of Love and Death who was called by the Name Isis, Ereshkigal, Lilith, Inanna and Naamah, Diana and Aphrodite, Medusa and Hecate, Nephthys, Melusine, Brigid, Kali and Asherah, and by many other names.
The Name Na’amah alludes to pleasure, and the fulfillment and creation of pleasure—which in itself and every act thereof, to the Goddess devotee, is a rite of joy;
“True, she comes and plays with people and at times she bears them spirit—children, and to this day this is her task…”
In the days when sex was equivocated with “sin”; such pleasurable visions were seen as constituting something dangerous to the health and spiritual well-being of people. Repressed, sexually frustrated and eating their own sperm in bread from time to time, the medieval monks decided to portray the unashamed sexual rites of our Pagan Ancestors of the Fertility religions—as wicked, evil, and somehow inspired by “the Devil-incubus Satan”. It is no wonder that the Great Pan, God of the Life Force and Fertility, often manifesting as the most fertile animal of them all, the Goat, or as Satyr was also lumped together with “the Devil”.
Vivid images of vampire succubi, including the Dragon Goddess Melusine and Lilith, Naamah and Hecate, were all inspired by the sexually depressed and depraved minds of these medieval scribes—well, if one of them had to come back to the future and be given access to the internet Porn content that would be freely available to him and his chums back at the monastery in contemporary times, I am sure that all fascination with these “evil Goddesses succubi” would leave them for some quirky reason, and we would have no legacy of pedophilia and child abuse amongst the clergy of today.
The idea of a man having intercourse with an invisible or spectral being is by no means a new one. If the fantasies are enjoyable and pleasurable, all should be well, but if thoughts of guilt and repression and fear enter in, the dreamer enters the realm of nightmare, or so it’s said somewhere or other.If sexual pleasure—and the enjoyment of pleasure in itself; which is the greatest gift of Goddess and God to their reflections on Earth, we their children—is a bad, evil thing, and music, dancing and having fun with joy in one’s heart is called a transgression—then life itself is really not worth living.
Naamah is said to have earned her Name by calling the men from the fields to participate in the rites of Love. Naamah is linked with instruments and players of instruments, such as cymbals, flutes, drums and other instruments which were played by the Priestess of the Dracontia in those days. For as long as the collective memory serves, the ancient Near Eastern people practiced the rituals of The Goddess and Her Dragon. The Solar and Lunar Dracontia were Temples such as those of Diana and Apollo and the Sacred Groves which served as outdoor Temples consecrated to the Divine.
These groves were later well known as the Groves of Lady Asherah, as the High Places mentioned in the Bible over 40 times are actually the pre-ancient Goddess and Dragon Temples, called Dracontia which were at one time, universal in extent.
It’s believed that the Name Naamah, deriving from Noh-Ma, has far deeper roots:
The Nommo is a Dragon, also often interchangeably called a Great Fish amongst various ancient cultures, and was universally recognized as the primordial Creatrix, Tiamat. The Great Mother of the abyss of the waters, of the Ocean and of the greater universe, teeming with life.
The Obelisks and Pyramids to be found all over the world, many submerged under leagues of water, are all remnants of the Old Goddess and Dragon religions. The Pyramidion is one of the central symbols of Ophite Traditions. The basis of Ancient Egyptian spirituality and in fact all ancient spirituality lies in Serpent Worship, as the Serpent and Winged Serpent are symbols ancient beyond ancient, and date back to a truly unknown antiquity. The Temple at Delphi, or this sketch, rather and the ruins which remain; is an example of the once universal Temples of the Dragon.
The Druids, Sons of the Dragon; did not only share the Ophite symbolism of the Globe encircled by the Serpents with all other ancient peoples; in which the head of Medusa ornamented the entranceway to the Temples to bless devotees and protect against invaders.
The High Priestess of the Goddess has a sacred symbol, which is the Lily. It’s a strange thing, how the water lily grows. It is a tuber deep in the muddy bottom of a pond, and when it is the right time, it sends out long leaf and flower stems, towards the light, towards the surface and away from the coolth of the nether currents.
Unheralded, and overnight, lily pads cover the limpid reflective surface of the pond and bloom in profusion, unfolding majestically, the centre of the bloom surrendering to the Sun and inviting strangers to gaze inside, inside the innermost glory of sacred Creation.
Now as we can see throughout the Old Testament and the New Testament of the Bible, the same common archetypes appear. An example would be the medieval Lilith archetype, as portrayed by Jezebel, the Scarlet woman, the Whore, the baby-snatcher and Great Whore of Babylon. Distorted by the times as they are, there is a definite pattern which emerges and although Lilith was actually written out of the Bible, save for an obscure reference to the screechy owl, arrow snakes and the Satyrs in the wilderness in the Book of Isaiah, the Goddess’ name does not appear directly within the biblical texts. Delilah would be the closest of the names to appear at all.
The tales of Jezebel and Naamah are very similar on a number of points. Jezebel was a Phoenician princess who married the King of Israel and became Queen regent of the divided Kingdom for three decades; and maintained the peace between ALL religions and spiritual traditions during that time.
Naamah was the Queen Mother, one of the many wives of Solomon. She was from Ammon, a kingdom to the east of Jerusalem. Presumably she was a princess of the royal house, but this is not mentioned. She is simply referred to as ‘the Ammonite’, in much to same way that Marie Antoinette was referred to as ‘the Austrian’, a disparaging title summing up the hostility of the common people to a marriage between their king and a princess from a country they mistrusted, in the same way as Jezebel was attacked by the ultra-conservative factions during her period of rule for maintaining the worship of the Goddess and the Serpent. She stood out from the crowd of women in the royal harem, so she must have had a strong personality, an intelligent mind or a beautiful appearance - or perhaps all three of these. She lived most of her life in a harem dominated by Solomon’s mother, Bathsheba—if Bathsheba lived into old age. The mother of the king, not his wife (he had many) was the one who ruled the roost in ancient Israel.
Naamah was mother of Rehoboam, the king who succeeded Solomon. If she lived to see his reign, she would have been the most powerful woman in the realm, the gebira or Queen Mother. She would dominate the harem and the women within it, act as an adviser to her son, exert considerable influence at all levels of society, and possibly become a cult leader, a high priestess, in the worship of deities like Asherah/Inanna. Solomon was wed to the Queen of Sheba, Lilith’s Avatar; and so it is no “co-incidence” then, that Lilith and Naamah are more often than not, considered as unique aspects of the same Goddess.
The thing is that Asmodeus, also known as Aeshma Deva, the Prince of the Avengers of Evil—is the half-brother of King Solomon, by Agrat, also known as Agrat Bat Mahlat. There are a series of tales of the struggles between the brothers, which relate to the building of Temples and the swopping of magickal rings which also distantly mirror the continual struggles between the Ancient Egyptian Oak and Holly Kings. Ashmodai is a Spirit of good fatherhood, and specializes in punishing men for any acts of abuse against women.
In later mythology, Naamah is believed to be the Queen of Zemargad, a city of the Yenne Veld, or Other World. The cities of the Netherworld are sometimes described as being deep beneath the mirrored reflection on the waters; and the entrance to the other worlds is somewhere on the bottom in a secret location, where only a Mermaid can take the one she loves and has chosen for herself. Naamah’s sacred crystal is Aquamarine, which is a stone reflecting the deep, calming and yet vibrant fluidity of water itself.
Water is the highest good; and water is common to all life on the planet. If an organism does not have water, it is not alive; as water conducts the life force within. As all is water, that has life, we are all interconnected. What is done to one molecule, affects every other.
Aquamarine means “Water of the Sea” in Latin, and this descriptive name describes the color and feel of these Cardinal Water element stones. It is after all, via the stones of the earth, water, air and fire we look to that healing is enabled. A sacred animal or crystal of a Deity can reflect aspects of their true and essential nature.
Aquamarine, to Atlanteans and Witches alike, is a stone of happiness and of eternal youth—of immortality of the free Spirit, unbound and unfettered, totally irrepressible and possessing the energies of optimism, and invincible protection against malign energies.
Aquamarine is the treasure of the Mermaid; of the ancient Naga Guardians of the sweet waters, and of the Fountain of Youth and Immortality. The Goddess Cybele, in Her form as Atargatis, is the Mother of all Mermaids. Melusine, Mai Waters, Ma-Nu; Nommo, Tiamat, Lorelei, Dercento and many other ancient Goddesses manifest in the form of the Mermaid. Aquamarine allows us to embody Water, to be Water, to swim effortlessly within the Highest Good, and in this way achieve enlightenment. Aquamarine is used by sincere Goddess devotees as a virtual gateway to the Goddess; and Aquamarine encourages one to connect with the inner Divine Feminine as well as without. Aquamarine is a potent ally for healing, and any ailment which ‘burns’ is easily cured with the aid of this wonderful crystal.
The incredible spiritual changes which many of us are called to during this transformative period in Time calls for the calming, yet incredibly empowering qualities of Aquamarine to assist us through the changes smoothly, and without resistance. There is a very fundamentally powerful energy to be gained by aligning oneself with the fluid , yielding yet ever flowing power of water; and Aquamarine is of tremendous assistance to those who wish to get to know more of the Great Goddess of the Waters.
“The supreme good is like water,
Which nourishes all things
Without trying to.
It is content with the low places
That people disdain.
Thus it is like the Tao.”
— Laozi
Naamah, of the warm and iridescent blue aura, teaches us to remember that there is always life, in myriad forms, which comes from the Darkness, or invisibility, of Water; that all this life is sacred and that it is so important to love yourself so that the waters can be kept clear.
Primary Name: Naamah Other Names: Na’amah, Nahemah, Nehemah, Nahemoth Mythological Source(s): Kabbalistic and Occult Traditions Title: Demon Queen, Bride of Samael, Queen of the Earth Role: One of the Four Demon Queens, Demoness of Sacred Sexuality, Protector of Women and Children, Goddess of Love Sacred Animals: Serpent, dog, lamb, owl, goat Zodiacal Sign(s): All Earth Signs, especially Taurus Planet(s): Earth, Venus Element(s): Earth (Primary), Water (Secondary) Direction: Northwest (Kabbalistic), North (Traditional), South (Agrippa) Colours: Black and yellow Soul Part: Guph (The Physical Body) Sense: Touch Musical Key: F Kabbalistic World: Assiah Kabbalistic Hell: None Kabbalistic Palace of Hell: The Seventh Palace Tree of Life Attributions: Malkuth Qliphothic Habitation: Lilith (Queen of the Night) Associated Demons: Lilitu Vowel: A Sounds: k, kh, g, gh Environment: Geosphere Season: Winter Magickal Words: Psychompoiaps, Demogened, Zenobiothiz, Nerxiarxin Consort: Samael Children: Asmodeus (Speculative) Trees: Oak Herbs: Lily, olive, peach, fig, verbena, mallow, almond, lemon, coriander, watercress, spinach, fuchsia, clover, mistletoe, iris, hyacinth, lilac, cherry, myrtle, periwinkle, apple, rose, thyme, ivy, willow, cereals Stones: Quartz crystal, sapphire, aquamarine Incense: Dittany of Crete, storax, black copal, vetivert, sandalwood, musk, patchouli, oak moss, rose, myrrh, ambergris, benzoin Metals and Minerals: Bismuth, copper, red brass, pearl, coral, glass Tarot Cards: The Empress (Planetary), The Hierophant (Zodiacal), Judgment (Kabbalistic) Ailments: Mental illness, bowel complaints, joints and bone disorders and injuries, reproductive difficulties and disorders, menstrual pain, sexual dysfunction, growth problems, hormonal disorders, throat and neck conditions and injuries, lethargy, sexually-transmitted diseases, stomach and digestive complaints, cancer, numbness, diarrhoea, constipation Bodily Government: Excretory system, skeletal system, reproductive organs (especially the female reproductive system), throat and neck, tissues Sins: Lust Vices: Inertia, hypersexuality, gullibility, self-undoing Virtues: Discernment, scepticism, self-control Holy Days: May 14 (Zodiacal), April 30 (Walpurgis Nacht/Beltane – Northern Hemisphere) Time of Day: Midnight Chemical Element: Antimony Alchemical Process: Congelation Symbolism: Circle, Alchemical glyph for Salt, inverted triangle, equal-armed cross, key, cube Chakra: Root Ritual Tools: Magickal circle, salt, altar, chalk, wax, lectern Drugs: Hashish, tobacco, aphrodisiacs Rulership: Love, sacred sexuality, lust and desire, comfort, healing, nurturing, safety, relationships, protection and wellness for animals and vegetation, comfort for the dying and departed souls, healing, introspection, reassurance, discernment, serenity, logically solving problems and dilemmas, soothing anxieties, self-confidence, willpower, altered states of consciousness, earth magick, geomancy, talismans, alchemy, physical strength, love magick, sex magick, knowledge of the afterlife, communication with the deceased, necromancy
lepaca ahatu masu naamah nehemoth
appu labanu musu rubutu
sabu-ki balatu-ni
akanna anni da musallimanu
assu kissatu musallimanu
dakarbu
