Is Baphomet a symbol incorporated into Wiccanism?

Question

If so, why?

Can anyone provide me with a non-biased, objective link explaining Wiccan symbols?

I could of sworn I saw on the history channel about Wiccanism (or at least paganism) one person using a statue that had striking resemblances to the modern image of Baphomet in a ritual.

Is there another symbol in the religion that resembles Baphomet?

Answer 1

The original Baphomet was either a disembodied head or a cat revered by the Knights Templar.

In the 1800's Eliphus Levi created the modern Baphomet as a symbol of duallist magic. It was mistakenly based on the "Mendian Goat" (the Mendians actually worshipped a Ram).

Wicca, or witchcraft, reveres the a God that is an amalgamation of Pan, Cerunnos, and other pre-Christian fertility gods, which the Christians where quick to (wrongfully) associate with Satan and the Baphomet.

Answer 2

I doubt you know much about Wicca, since you don't even know what it's called, and I'm certainly not going to try and explain a documentary that you paid so little attention to you can't remember whether it was about Wicca or paganism!

Traditional Wicca honors a Horned God, often compared with Cernunnos, a Gaulish deity with the body of a man and antlers of a stag. As Cernunnos, he has antlers, not goat horns. He generally does not have the animalistic face of Baphomet, the breasts, or the flame between the horns. Except when compared to Pan, he doesn't generally have cloven feet. So, in short, he looks very little like Baphomet.

Now, did the image of Baphomet influence the development of Wicca? Possibly. The image of him is only 150 years old and embodies some of the dualistic concepts held by Wicca. And by "Baphomet" I am presuming you're refering to the illustration does by Levi in the 1800s, a symbol more magical than religious.

I have no idea what you mean by "non-biased" here. The best descriptions of Wiccan symbols are going to come from Wiccans. A symbol by definition represents something else, so the people speaking of what a symbol represents should be the people who actually use them. But, yes, that would make them biased.

Answer 3

baphomet is not a symbol of the devil. it's just that it happens to fit nicely into the view of some religions as a representative for the devil and unfortunately is often used on the devil tarot card. really, baphomet more closely aligns with pan. here's a link to a peice on baphomet in thelemapedia:

http://www.thelemapedia.org/index.php/Baphomet

you might be able to find something on wiccan symbols in witchvox. here:

http://www.witchvox.com/

and you may be able to come up with something here:

http://altreligion.about.com/library/glossary/symbols/bldefswiccasymbols.htm

Answer 4

[quote]
Can anyone provide me with a non-biased, objective link explaining Wiccan symbols?
[/quote]

You mean like this one?
http://www.religioustolerance.org

Answer 5

baphomet is a sign of satan not of wicca, two different religions and categories