Signs and Symbols

Body painting is also a magical practice.

Both men and women use some type of makeup as a form of magic in Witchcraft....Native Americans, Polynesians, the ancient Egyptians, the Chinese and Japanese, and African tribal peoples have also used makeup and body paint for magical purposes. The use of colour affects our behaviour and emotional dispositions."

Cabot elaborates:

"Outlining the eye emulates the Goddess, who is often portrayed with large, distinctive eyes, capable of seeing through space and time as well as into our innermost hearts. Ishtarte, the Goddess of Light, was known in the ancient Middle East as the Eye Goddess because the light she brings from heaven to earth illuminates the world. The Egyptian Goddess Maat originally possessed the All-Seeing Eye, which later was transferred to Horns. In Syria the Goddess Man had large, strong eyes that could see deep into the human soul. The Goddess's ability to see and know all things became a terrifying concept in patriarchal times, and her mystical eye was turned into the 'evil eye,' associated during the time of the Inquisition with Witches....

"But the tradition of outlining the eye to honour the Goddess of Love and to make one's own eyes more radiant and mysterious is a time-honoured custom. Green, rose, or copper eyeshadow or eyeliner draw in energy from Venus, the planet of love and romance. Pink eyeshadow, blush, or lipstick will strengthen self-esteem. Glitter refracts and reflects light and will send out light to others. Affixing jewellery to your body or face is also powerful. Remember to charge your makeup and jewellery and body paint before you use them, catalysing them with the specific intention of your spell."

Another magazine states:

"The use of makeup is also said to stem from witchcraft where the painting of one's face was believed to ward off evil. Makeup was used extensively by American Indian witch doctors and European witches. Mascara was particularly a charm inasmuch as it is made of antimony, an old witch metal."

On three occasions the Bible refers to face painting. Jeremiah 4:30 and Ezekiel 23:40-44 refer to wicked women who tried to lure men into the sins of immorality. II Kings 9:30 mentions that Jezebel painted her face. Of course, Jezebel was a pagan woman who practised witchcraft (II Kings 9:22) and worshipped Baal. King Ahab married her and he also started to worship Baal (I King 16:31-32). Since the pagans painted their face, it is no surprise to see Jezebel doing the same thing. In fact, wicked and immoral women today are often called a "Jezebel."

"In this connection, I should like to share an incident. About 25 years ago, a returned missionary from China spoke at our church and related the following. He had been in China for seven years, and upon return to this country for furlough he immediately noticed something different about the American women. In the seven years that he had been gone, many of the women had adopted the popular fad of painting their faces [makeup]. In China, the prostitutes were the only women who painted their faces, wore ear rings, and had long painted fingernails. This was their means of identifying themselves to their men-partners in sin. The shocking thing to the missionary was that the American women had taken on the custom of the heathen harlot."

The Bible says: "Abstain from all appearance of evil" (I Thessalonians 5:22) and "have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them" (Ephesians 5:11) -- Masonic and Occult Symbols Illustrated, pp. 308-310.

Sign Up for our Newsletter