✨Painted Power: The Demonization and Occult Reclamation of Makeup✨
✨Painted Power: The Demonization and Occult Reclamation of Makeup✨
Makeup has never been just about beauty. Throughout history, it’s been
weaponized, worshipped, demonized, and ultimately reclaimed. From ancient
temples to witch trials, from the myths of fallen angels to the rituals of
modern witches, makeup has always held a deeper meaning—one tied to power,
seduction, and the sacred act of transformation.
Makeup and Azazel: Forbidden Knowledge
and Feminine Power
One of the earliest condemnations of makeup can be found in the
apocryphal Book of Enoch, a Jewish mystical text that tells the story of
the Watchers—angels who fell to Earth and corrupted humanity. Among them was Azazel,
who taught men the art of war and women the art of adornment. Specifically, the
text says:
“Azazel taught men to make swords and knives and shields... and made
known to them the metals of the earth and the art of working them, and
bracelets, and ornaments, and the beautifying of the eyelids...” (1 Enoch
8:1)
To the authors of this text, makeup wasn’t just superficial—it was forbidden
knowledge. Something divine and dangerous. Azazel’s teachings were seen as
a gateway to sin and temptation, especially when tied to female sexuality and
self-empowerment. This connection cast makeup as a tool of the demonic—a mark
of the fallen, a sign of rebellion.
Religion, Control, and the Fear of
Illusion
In early Christian and later Puritan cultures, this idea took root. Women
who painted their faces were accused of vanity, deception, and even witchcraft.
Makeup became associated with moral decay. It was considered an act of altering
“God’s natural design,” a sign that a woman was trying to deceive not just men,
but the divine itself.
Throughout the Middle Ages and into the early modern period, women who
wore makeup risked being labeled as witches or whores. The 1646 Puritan
minister Thomas Hall wrote in “The Loathsomnesse of Long Haire” that
women who painted their faces were “whores and harlots,” often accusing them of
making pacts with Satan. This fear of illusion was deeply tied to a fear of
female agency. A woman with the power to change her appearance, and thereby her
influence, was seen as subversive and dangerous.
Adornment in Ancient Cultures: Sacred,
Not Sinful
But long before Azazel and the Church, makeup held deep spiritual and
cultural value. In Ancient Egypt, makeup was worn by men and women alike
as a form of protection and devotion. Kohl eyeliner, made from galena,
was believed to ward off evil spirits and honor the gods—especially Horus
and Isis, divine figures often depicted with stylized, powerful eyes.
In Mesopotamia, the goddess Inanna-Ishtar—ruler of love,
war, and fertility—was known for her beauty and adornment. Hymns to her
describe how she would "paint her eyes with kohl" and "dress in
robes of radiance" before descending into the underworld. For her, makeup
wasn’t deception—it was divine preparation. A spiritual transformation before
enacting sacred mystery.
The same is true in many indigenous and tribal societies, where paint,
pigment, and adornment signal spiritual rank, warrior status, ancestral
identity, and cosmic connection. Makeup was (and still is) a form of
communication between worlds.
Makeup as Occult Practice: Glamour
Magick and Ritual Identity
In modern occultism, especially within witchcraft and Left-Hand Path
(LHP) traditions, makeup has been reclaimed as a tool of glamour magick—the
ability to alter perception, radiate intention, and embody divine or daemonic
force. Glamour isn’t just beauty—it’s enchantment. A spell cast through sight
and presence.
Witches often use makeup as a form of ritual adornment, not for
vanity, but for sacred embodiment. Red lipstick may represent blood offerings
or the lips of the goddess. Dark eyeliner may echo the black mirror or
underworld gaze. Every stroke can be intentional, part of preparing the self as
a living altar.
Makeup becomes armor, invocation, and mask—something used to step
into archetypes like:
- Lilith – The first rebel, sacred
seductress, and mother of demons. Devotees of Lilith often paint their
eyes or lips in her honor, invoking her fierce independence and sexuality.
- Naamah – The demoness of sensuality and
music, sometimes depicted as the “painted sister” of Lilith. Adornment in
her rituals often includes perfume, rich color, and music-infused ritual.
- Babalon – The Scarlet Woman of Thelema,
whose sensual beauty and painted face are a symbol of divine intoxication
and the sacred feminine unleashed.
- Ereshkigal – The Mesopotamian goddess of
the underworld, who represents descent, death, and dark sovereignty. Smoky
eyes or earth-toned pigments become a ritual descent mask.
In these traditions, the act of painting one’s face becomes a devotional
offering—a merging of spirit and flesh.
Witch Hunts, Misogyny, and Painted
Faces
During the witch trials in Europe and colonial America, women who stood
out—whether through beauty, herbal knowledge, or makeup—were often targeted. To
be adorned was to be seen. To be seen was to be accused.
Makeup was treated as a mark of seduction and deception, which made it
inherently suspicious. Many accused witches were midwives or cunning women who
knew how to mix herbs, salves, and yes—pigments. Their power was not just
magical, but political. And society sought to suppress it.
This is why so many Left-Hand Path traditions today embrace adornment as sacred
rebellion. It’s a way of reclaiming what was once used to burn women at the
stake.
Modern Magic: Makeup as Devotion and
Defiance
In today’s world, makeup has returned as both art and ritual. Across
cultures, women and queer practitioners are reviving its magical power—not to
conform, but to transform.
In the LHP, makeup is part of self-deification, used in rites of
shadow work, pathworking, and initiation. A painted face can become the face of
a goddess or demon—an outward sign of inner sovereignty.
Among Divine Feminine-centered witches, makeup is devotional. It’s
part of ritual preparation, sacred performance, and energetic alignment. In
this context, to wear makeup is not to hide—but to reveal. To honor the chaos,
beauty, and raw power of the feminine in all her forms.
In closing, makeup has always been more than skin deep. It’s been feared,
forbidden, and fetishized—but also revered, ritualized, and reclaimed. Whether
worn as armor or offering, its power endures. To paint one’s face is, and has
always been, an act of magic.
🔮 Glamour Spell:
Painted by Power 🔮
A Ritual for Embodiment, Confidence, and Divine Feminine Presence
You will need:
- A mirror
- Your chosen makeup items
(lipstick, kohl, eyeshadow, powder, etc.)
- A candle (red, black, or white
depending on your intent)
- Optional: sigil or image of
Lilith, Ishtar, or your chosen goddess
Intentions by Color:
- Red for power, love, and magnetism
- Black for protection, mystery, and
sovereignty
- Gold or shimmer for abundance, attraction, and
radiance
✦ Ritual Steps:
- Prepare your space.
Light your candle and place your mirror before you. If you’re working with a deity, place their sigil or image near the flame. Breathe deeply. Let the world fade away. - Call in your power.
Speak or whisper:
“As I gaze into this mirror, I see not illusion—but transformation.
With every stroke, I become my truest self.
I call upon the spirit of [Lilith / Ishtar / Babylon / insert your deity]—
Guide my hand. Embolden my beauty. Cloak me in your mystery.”
- Apply your makeup with intention.
As you paint, speak affirmations or whispered spells. Each product becomes a magical tool: - Eyeliner = Sight beyond sight.
“With these eyes, I see truth and command attention.”
- Lipstick = Voice and desire.
“With these lips, I speak enchantment and draw what I desire.”
- Powder or highlight = Aura. “My
presence is divine light. I am radiant, protected, and seen.”
- Seal the spell.
When your makeup is complete, hold your gaze in the mirror and say:
“I am not hidden. I am revealed.
What others see is only the surface of my sacred fire.
Painted by power, cloaked in confidence,
I walk the world as spell and sovereign.”
- Extinguish your candle (or let it
burn safely).
Carry the energy with you. The spell is alive in your skin.
💄Tip: Repeat this ritual before events, rituals, or any time
you want to feel empowered, seductive, or protected. Over time, your makeup
itself becomes a vessel of power—a sacred mask, not to hide, but to reveal
who you truly are.
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