Thantifaxath

Attributed Qlipha: Thaumiel
Colors: White, Pink, Gold
D/N: Nocturnal
Element: Earth; Water (Primary)
Sacred Numbers: 37, 10, 44, 2, 11
Compass: Southwest; Northwest
Trans-Qliphothic Veil: Chasek
Major Planetary Attributions: the Black Moon; Mercury
Secondary Planetary Attributions: Jupiter; Venus
Lesser Planetary Attribution: Earth

Thantifaxath is one of the archdemons of the Tunnels of Set– i.e. the pathways between the ten realms of Hell or the Qliphoth. Despite the fact that it is the first pathway which the practitioner will encounter, it is called either the thirty-second pathway or the twenty-second pathway, depending upon whether or not the numeration includes the ten spheres. It lies between the first two realms of the Qliphoth, which are ruled by Nahema/Na’amah and Lilith.

Thantifaxath’s name means “Great Ghoul”, and the pathway over which he presides is filled with larvae, ghouls, succubi, incubi, and corpse candles which can teach the witch to exchange her carnal inclinations for metaphysical desires. This pathway is essentially held to be the bridge between the causal and the acausal. Perhaps this explains why it is filled with ghosts. This suggests that the pathway and its sentinel is auspicious in operations of necromancy and astral projection.

Linda Falorio, designer of the Shadow Tarot, describes Thantifaxath’s tunnel as follows: “Rising swamp-gas, distorting heat-mirages signify the tunnel’s entrance which exists in the wavering interface between the worlds of inner tellurian space and stellar consciousness. Here all has been arranged for performance of the ancient Elder Rites. Trees of Darkness, cypress swamp, bayous filled with ghouls and larvae of the pit celebrate with choreiform dancing dread Odun, the African Sabbath, Saint John’s Eve, while corpse candles’ phosphorescent glare illumines the gate/mouth/sipapu through which Zangbeto, “people of the night,” Lovecraftian transhuman horrors—the Old Ones—invade our dimension from the Other Side.”

The tunnel of the Great Ghoul lies between the infernal realm of the Black Earth and that of the Black Moon. Empowering oneself through the energies of this pathway can serve to bring about the alchemical process of purification via putrefaction (nigredo/blackening) as well as the attainment of visions and the awakening of one’s psychic senses. The celebrant’s dreams may become (more) spiritually charged as well. This pathway exhibits sanguine and sexual imagery, and the lustful experiences it imparts subject the celebrant to oscillations of pleasure and pain.

Thantifaxath most often appears to me as a bearded, cadaverous spectre with white corpse-flesh, levitating in a black cloak with billowing sleeves. He has alternately appeared to me with charcoal-grey corpse flesh with prominent scarring and long, black fingernails. Either way, his eyes are pure black.

Quoting Falorio again, “Powers we may [attain in the thirty-second tunnel] are the ability to cross dimensions, to bridge boundaries, to link inner and outer, to communicate with denizens of parallel worlds: fairies, yetis, elves. Here is power to understand and to use the raw energy of time inherent in its cycles, and here is the Time Lord’s power to transcend its limitations, to relate to eternal NOW—no “lusting for result.” Here is self-regeneration, as well as regeneration of the energy envelope of Earth, and re-greening of the planet through time-binding stellar winds into the bionic life web.”

Thantifaxath’s specialties are death curses, psychic vampyrism, and sound sorcery. He can be called upon for the causation of bloodshed in mass. He can guide one through the Trans-Qliphothic Labyrinth (extremely dangerous; seek guidance). He can make things go unnoticed or unseen by outside forces, including magickal efforts. He rules the creation and destruction of thoughtforms, which is a very useful trait. He can bring about the alteration of mundane circumstances and nullify previously cast magickal spells by devouring them.

Thantifaxath is knowledgable concerning the Great Work in general and may help one achieve it. He specializes in leadership and can inspire the witch to it as well as advise her regarding it. He can bring about beginnings and endings. He can cause annihilation, bring about completion, and help one start a new life.

Thantifaxath can bring about the alleviation of depression and torpor, and he can help the witch move on or leave the past behind. He is useful in the dissolution of the witch’s false self-image.

An Occultist by the name of Frater 414 performed a series of pathworkings with the sentinels of the Tunnels of Set. When he encountered Thantifaxath, the spirit was warming himself by a fire, and offered the celebrant a seat. Frater 414 recorded the following quotes by Thantifaxath in his experiments with the Tunnels of Set: “I am very old… No one in the kingdom likes me so they make me stay down here… The kingdom needs me because I keep track of time. Without me there is no time and nothing could exist. People do not want to age. They try to stay young. That’s why they don’t like me. Son, on your path, you must be patient. ”Take your time” Do not rush through things just to get them done. They will not be done right and you will accomplish nothing. People think that time is so short that they must rush through everything. That is not true. Do things slowly y and understand all that you do, or do not do them. People also think that time is an illusion. Boy, you are going to die! Maybe not today, maybe not right now, but you will. The time in your current body is limited. So do not be idle and waste time. If time was an illusion, death is an illusion. But death is real or you.” (sic)

The numerical value of Thantifaxath’s name is 172, matching the values of the Hebrew words/phrases for “to rob” (vampyrism?), “golden image” (alchemy?), “half a shekel,” “grapes,” “Kabbalist”, “footprint,” “deceitful/insidious/sly”, “assail insidiously,” “to supplant,” “rear of a troop,” “steep/hilly,” and “follow at the heel.”

Another value is 744, matching the values of the words for “In their burial place,” “dung,” “window,” “when they drew near,” “strife/contention,” and “treading place/stepping place.” . This is also the value of the name Merodach, which is Marduk.

Another value is 1,040. I have found few interesting correspondences for this number, but various Hebrew words for “fat” showed up, as well as a word meaning “closed hand/fist.” The only interesting correspondence was a Hebrew term meaning “third part,” which may have lunar/triple-goddess connotations (the crone, specifically).

Thantifaxath’s attributions are as follows: Grade – Neophyte; Musical Key – B Sharp; Disease – Arterioschlerosis; Force – Restriction and Incarceration; Hebrew Letter – Tau/Tav; Ability – Death Magick and Curses; Planet – Saturn; Constellation – Sagittarius; Element – Earth; Color – Black and Blue; Animal form – Crocodile.

The attribution of Thantifaxath to the crocodile makes abundant sense. After all, the Egyptian underworld was the belly of a crocodile, and the Christoid conception of the Leviathan is an extinct species of fire-breathing crocodiles.

The letter Tau symbolizes a cross, a symbol of liminality and a Roman tool for causing death.

The colors black and blue are attributed also to Odin, a god of the dead, as well as to Satan.

Here is a hyperlink to Aleister Crowley’s sigil: http://keepsilence.org/xxii/path-tav.html

Here is a hyperlink to Thomas Karlsson’s sigil.

http://scontent.cdninstagram.com/t51.2885-15/s480x480/e35/c0.135.1080.1080/15043911_1370868112955234_8939776321257472000_n.jpg?ig_cache_key=MTM4OTUwODYyMDkwNzgyMzI3Nw%3D%3D.2.c

Here is a hyperlink to the sigil of Thanifaxath which Daemon-Barzai posted on his Deviant Art account: http://www.deviantart.com/art/Thantifaxath-Sigil-The-Black-Kteis-491808083

To read the rest of Falorio’s description, follow this hyperlink. It is filled with deep and complex terminology which I understand very little of.

http://www.shadowtarot.net/sht32.asp

Here’s a hyperlink to a musical track made to assist in workings with Thantifaxath’s tunnel: http://library.hrmtc.com/2012/09/14/thantifaxath-32nd-tunnel-of-set/

Chants
Liftoach Pandemonium, Et Germinet Thantifaxath
[Open the Infernal Plane and Bring Forth Thantifaxath]

Subrige Lar Gehennae– Invito Thantifaxath
[Rise, Infernal Spirit– I Call Thantifaxath]

Venire Thantifaxath Rex Necromantia
[Come Thantifaxath King of Necromancy]

Baruch Ha-Thantifaxath, Ala-Mashavah, Radrab Ha-Rephaim
[Blessed is Thantifaxath, (Invented Name for Any Demon), Lord of Phantoms]

Sources:
Liber Azerate
http://keepsilence.org/xxii/path-tav.html
Gematria and the Tanakh
The Tree of Shadows
http://lam777.angelfire.com/magickQlippoth.htm
Liber Obsidian Obscura
Frater 414’s journal of his workings with Liber 231
Godwin’s Cabalistic Encyclopedia