Elemental Spirits, Soulless Beings, and Mystery Babylon
- Michelle Hayman
- Jul 22
- 17 min read
An Esoteric and Biblical Exploration
Across esoteric traditions and the Bible, there are intriguing references to elemental spirits and soulless beings masquerading as humans. Occultists like Eliphas Lévi and H. P. Blavatsky spoke of elemental entities – nature spirits or “elementaries” – some of which attempt to incarnate in human form. Meanwhile, the Bible hints at a cosmic struggle between “children of God” filled with a divine spark (the “treasure in earthen vessels”), and others who “have not the Spirit”. Biblical prophecy warns of evil forces “trafficking in the souls of men” and occult practitioners who “hunt souls” through witchcraft (Ezekiel 13:18). This article will delve deeply into these themes – from the pre-existence of elemental spirits and their reincarnation via occult means, to the identity of the mysterious “harlot” of Babylon (often linked to the goddess Isis or Lilith) who is said to control these elemental forces. We will draw on Kabbalistic teachings, Theosophical writings, and biblical scripture to shed light on the idea that not all who appear human possess a divine soul, and how this connects to ancient magical lore and end-times prophecy.
Elemental Spirits in Occult Tradition (Lévi and Blavatsky)
Eliphas Lévi – the 19th-century French occultist – asserted the reality of elemental spirits associated with the classical elements (earth, water, air, fire), calling them “occult elements”. Crucially, Lévi and other Kabbalists taught that some of these elementals seek to become human. In Dogme et Rituel de la Haute Magie, Lévi states plainly: “Yes, these spirits of the elements do exist... Some [are] wandering in their spheres, others trying to incarnate themselves, others again already incarnated and living on earth. These are vicious and imperfect men.”. In other words, certain living people are actually elementals in human form – “vicious and imperfect” because they lack a higher divine soul.
Blavatsky, founder of Theosophy, built on these ideas by distinguishing “Elementals” (nature spirits that were never human) from “Elementaries” (astral remnants of deceased humans). She noted that Lévi used the term “Elementary” for sub-human entities like gnomes and sylphs, whereas other occultists (like the alchemist Henry Khunrath) used “elementary” to describe “human doomed souls” – i.e. souls of the wicked dead that have lost their divine spirit. Khunrath depicted four classes of such elementary spirits (corresponding to the four elements) appearing when a magician “lifts the ‘Veil of Isis’”. He explained these apparitions as “disembodied, vicious men, who have parted with their divine spirits” and linger as ghostly shells attracted to the earthly elements.
Blavatsky boldly affirmed this occult doctrine of soulless humans. She wrote that some depraved individuals effectively “lose their souls” due to extreme wickedness or sorcery. In such cases, the divine spark (what Kabbalists call Neshamah, the spirit) withdraws to its source, and the personal soul (astral man) disintegrates – the person becomes an “elementary”, a living shell without immortal essence. As Blavatsky paraphrased: these are “men who are but masks… the casing for a spirit without conscience”, essentially “devils in human form,” animated by some lower intelligence or astral force instead of a divine soul. Such entities can be highly clever and malicious, but inwardly they are “dead leaves” cut off from the Tree of Life, destined to wither spiritually.
Kabbalistic Reincarnation and Qliphothic Souls
In Kabbalah (Jewish esoteric teaching), we find a parallel concept through the idea of gilgul neshamot (soul transmigration) and the Qliphoth (Husks or shells). Kabbalists taught that human souls consist of multiple layers – nefesh (vital soul), ruach (moral soul), neshamah (divine soul). After death, a righteous soul’s higher parts ascend, but an evil person’s lower soul may remain earth-bound as a shell or “impure husk”. If a person’s life was deeply sinful or materialistic, their immortal spirit may separate away even before death, leaving the soul without its divine spark. These lost souls become the “wandering intelligences” or “carnal terrestrial larvae” of occult lore. They are conscious enough to haunt the living – often seen in séances impersonating the dead – and can even vampirize the vitality of the living to prolong their existence. Blavatsky describes them as “irresistibly attracted to the earth”, lingering for years or centuries in the astral plane (known as Kâma Loka in Theosophy). Over time, these shells slowly disintegrate “like a column of mist, dissolved atom by atom in the surrounding elements” – a true spiritual death.
Importantly, Kabbalists held out a possibility – however remote – that such a degraded soul could reincarnate for a second chance. They hoped that at a “fitting moment,” if aided by a powerful compassionate will (either an adept’s intervention or the shell’s own desperate yearning for redemption), the soul’s divine monad might be drawn back into the cycle of birth. In such a case, the lost soul would “lose all consciousness” of its past and be reborn as a new infant, essentially starting over. This teaching suggests that some incarnate humans might formerly have been “lost souls” or even elementals who re-entered the human evolution. However, these cases are exceptional and shrouded in mystery – akin to reincarnation through occult or magical means rather than the normal karmic process.
Eliphas Lévi himself hinted at magical reincarnation, warning that “necromancy is horrible” because a liberated spirit cannot easily return to a living body except by unnatural means. He noted that true resurrection is rare (requiring the actual body to be reanimated), so what mediums evoke are usually these astral vampires or elementaries, not the souls of the righteous dead. The Dugpas (Tibetan black magicians) were said to intentionally summon earth-bound souls of the wicked to do their bidding. Such evocations force the “tainted souls of those who lived bad lives” to manifest and assist in evil designs. In extreme lore, dark sorcerers could even “bind” these spirits into new bodies or possess the bodies of the weak-minded. This is why Kabbalists and theurgists sternly forbade common people from trying to contact spirits – it is perilous without spiritual discernment, as one might invite a “malicious daemon” or soulless shell instead of a true angelic being.
Isaiah 8:19 (KJV)
“And when they shall say unto you, Seek unto them that have familiar spirits, and unto wizards that peep, and that mutter: should not a people seek unto their God?For the living to the dead?”
Soulless “Human” Beings: Signs and Characteristics
Both the occult teachings and some biblical allusions suggest that not everyone who looks human has a God-given soul. The Theosophical writer C. W. Leadbeater introduced the term “soulless beings” for people whose higher ego has departed, leaving an empty shell driven by base instincts or an elemental entity. Blavatsky likewise wrote of “men in whom the spiritual spark is extinct” – comparable to the “reprobate” of Christian theology. Such individuals may exhibit extraordinary cunning, psychic abilities, or charisma, yet utterly lack empathy, conscience, or spiritual light. They often become tools of dark forces, spreading deception and suffering. As an occult commentary put it, “They are not merely bad men – they are the bad angels on earth, masquerading in human form”. They may even rise to positions of power, “passing as gods and souls” to their followers.
Some hallmarks of these soulless or possessed beings include: fanatical evil, inhuman cruelty, or a hypnotic influence over others far beyond ordinary charisma. Blavatsky noted that shells of evil men are “cunning, low, vindictive, seeking to retaliate their sufferings upon humanity”. Until their final destruction, “they become… vampires, ghouls, and prominent actors at séances”, delighting in misleading and harming the living. They can produce phenomena with the help of lesser elementals, creating illusions and prodigies to deceive mortals. Porphyry, a Neoplatonic sage, warned that such lower spirits “pass their time cheating and deceiving mortals,” stirring up wars and perversions, and their greatest ambition “is to pass as gods” and receive worship. This directly ties into the idea of false gods demanding sacrifice – which we’ll explore in the context of Mystery Babylon.
Despite their spiritual emptiness, these beings mimic human life perfectly on the surface. They may even believe they have “faith” or a mission from God, while serving the opposite. In Biblical terms, “Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light” (2 Cor 11:14), and his servants appear as servants of righteousness. Jesus spoke of people who would prophesy and cast out demons in His name, only to be told Matthew 7:22–23 (KJV) “Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?
And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.”– implying they were never truly His, perhaps never truly human in the spiritual sense. The Epistle of Jude describes certain false teachers as “twice dead” (having killed their conscience), “fruitless trees plucked up by the roots”, and compares them to the fallen angels (Jude 1:12-13). Similarly, John divides humanity into “children of God” and “children of the devil” (1 John 3:10). While these verses primarily address moral alignment, our esoteric exploration suggests a more literal layer: some “children of the devil” might be those born without a divine soul, inhabited instead by an elemental or demonic spirit.
“Treasure in Earthen Vessels” vs. Empty Shells
The Bible teaches that God breathed a spirit into Adam (Genesis 2:7), and by extension each person carries the imago Dei (image of God). Believers are said to have the Holy Spirit indwelling them, described by Paul as a treasure in jars of clay (earthen vessels). “But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us” says 2 Corinthians 4:7. This treasure is the divine spark or Spirit of God that gives true life, conscience, and the capacity for communion with God. It is this “spirit in man, the inspiration of the Almighty” that gives understanding (Job 32:8).
In contrast, those we’re calling “soulless” (or spiritless) are like earthen vessels with no treasure inside. They may be physically alive and mentally active but are spiritually dead – mere clay without the breath of God. The prophet Jude alludes to these as “sensual persons, who do not have the Spirit” (Jude 1:19). The Old Testament also speaks of the “mixed multitude” that caused trouble for Israel – some interpreters suggest these were not of the covenant spirit. Perhaps the most striking is the prophecy of Daniel: “They shall mingle themselves with the seed of men: but they shall not cleave one to another, even as iron is not mixed with clay.”. This enigmatic verse (Daniel 2:43) describes the final kingdom as a mixture of iron and clay that do not truly mix. Many modern interpreters see this as symbolizing a forced union of incompatible kinds – possibly hinting at non-human entities attempting to merge with human lineage. In fringe biblical analysis, “they” who mingle with human seed could be fallen angels or demonic spirits producing hybrid offspring (much as in Genesis 6:2-4 when “sons of God” mated with women, birthing the giant Nephilim). Iron (strong but inhuman) trying to bond with clay (mortal humanity) indeed evokes the idea of soulless hybrids or possessed bodies in the last days, an alliance that ultimately fails. Daniel’s prophecy emphasizes the brittleness of this union – it will crumble, and a divine kingdom (the “stone cut without hands”) will smash that regime.
Whether or not one takes Daniel 2:43 as literally referring to demon-human hybrids, the principle holds: those lacking the divine Spirit can never fully unite with the true people of God. There is an unbridgeable gulf between the earthen clay infused with God’s treasure and the iron of cold intellect or brute force devoid of Spirit. Light and darkness cannot truly fuse (2 Cor 6:14-16). Thus, in biblical worldview, soulless or demonic beings may intermingle among humanity, but they remain fundamentally separate, “not cleaving” to the righteous.
Revelation 13:18 (KJV)
“Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast: for it is the number of a man; and his number is Six hundred threescore and six.”
Mystery Babylon, Isis, and the Queen of the Elementals
In the Book of Revelation, we encounter a vivid personification of evil – “Mystery, Babylon the Great, the Mother of Harlots and Abominations of the Earth” (Rev 17:5). This scarlet-clad harlot rides a beast and is drunk on the blood of saints. She represents an idolatrous, occult religious system at odds with God. Notably, her merchants trade in all luxuries of the world “and slaves, and souls of men.”. This striking phrase implies that human souls are commodities in Babylon – a chilling echo of our topic. It suggests that Mystery Babylon “hunts” or traffics souls, much as occult teachings say soulless beings seek to capture the vitality of others. The Old Testament similarly condemns witches who “hunt souls to make them fly” (perhaps capturing them for occult use). In Ezekiel, God rebukes “the women who sew magic charms… to hunt souls! Will you hunt the souls of My people… and keep yourselves alive?” (Ezekiel 13:18, NKJV). This could describe practitioners of black magic sustaining their own life or power by imprisoning the souls of others – a fitting description of Mystery Babylon’s dark trade.
So who is this “Babylon harlot” in an esoteric sense? Many scholars see her as a symbol of Rome or an end-time city. However, esoteric and mythological interpretations link her to the archetype of the great mother goddess of antiquity – the Queen of Heaven who opposed the God of Israel. In various cultures she was called Ishtar (Babylon), Ashtoreth or Asherah (Canaan), Semiramis (in later legend), Isis (Egypt), Diana (Rome), etc. These are different names for the same archetypal figure: a powerful feminine deity of magic and fertility, often associated with the moon and called Queen of Heaven (see Jeremiah 7:18). In some occult traditions, this goddess (in her dark aspect) is considered the consort of the chief male deity of the underworld or sun – e.g. Asherah as consort of Baal, Isis as wife of Osiris. In fact, one Christian esoteric source identifies “Isis (Asherah)… the ancient goddess associated with the moon and witchcraft,” as “the original Queen of Heaven, considered to be the consort of Baal (or Satan)”. This implies that Isis can be seen as an embodiment of Mystery Babylon, the spiritual harlot who intoxicates the world with idolatries.
According to occult legend and pseudo-historical myth (popularized by Alexander Hislop’s The Two Babylons), Nimrod the mighty hunter (great-grandson of Noah) was deified as a sun-god (identified with Baal or Osiris), and his wife Semiramis became worshipped as the Queen of Heaven (identified with Ishtar/Isis). Semiramis was said to use sorcery to raise Nimrod’s spirit after his death and conceive a miraculous son who was Nimrod reincarnated (variously named Tammuz or Horus). Thus, she became both Nimrod’s wife and mother in a twisted parody of the virgin birth – a “mother of god” figure. While historians debate the veracity of this lore, its symbolism is clear: the occult “Mystery” religion is founded on the idea of magically perpetuating life – a form of dark reincarnation – through the union of a goddess and a dying-resurrecting god. In Egypt, this is exactly the myth of Isis and Osiris. Osiris was killed and dismembered by Set; Isis gathered his pieces and through powerful magic restored him to life just long enough to conceive their son Horus. Osiris then became lord of the underworld, while Horus grew up to avenge him. Esoterically, Horus was Osiris reborn – a reincarnation through Isis’s sorcery. One could say Isis “channeled” Osiris’s spirit into a new body, an occult reincarnation if you will. Little wonder that Isis was revered as a master of magic, “she who knows how to use the Ineffable Name of God” in Egyptian myth.
In later Greco-Roman times, Isis was syncretized with other goddesses and her cult spread widely. Coins and carvings depicted Isis with a crescent moon on her brow – symbolism adopted in images of the Virgin Mary as well. Some Roman coins under Augustus show a moon goddess (Diana or Isis) standing on a crescent. The crescent moon under the woman’s feet in Revelation 12 (the vision of the sun-clothed woman) is another connection that gets cited. Occult writers claim that much of Marian devotion unknowingly continued Isis/Ishtar worship. Regardless of one’s view on that, it’s clear the archetype of a powerful enchantress goddess runs through history. The Bible’s Mystery Babylon is the culmination of that archetype: a spiritual entity (or system) that “made all nations drink of her fornication” (Rev 17:2), meaning she seduced the world into idol worship and abominations. She is the antithesis of the faithful bride (the Church), instead symbolizing an unfaithful collective that consorts with demons.
Now, tying this back to elemental spirits: In occult belief, the gods and goddesses of the pagan world are often personifications of cosmic elemental powers or planetary spirits. The Apostle Paul hinted that behind the pagan idols were real spiritual entities: “the things which the Gentiles sacrifice, they sacrifice to demons and not to God” (1 Cor 10:20). Porphyry’s statement confirms this view from the pagan side: he wrote that “invisible Daimons… much of the corporeal in their nature… have their abode in the neighbourhood of the earth” and they demand worship and offerings, “their wrath is kindled against those who neglect to offer them a legitimate worship.”. In Homer’s account (quoted by Blavatsky), these “gods” even mingle with mortals at feasts and guide travelers – suggesting that the pagan gods were actually elemental or earth-bound spirits interacting physically with mankind. Good daimons stayed benign, but bad ones (the “ferocious Giants”) delighted in crime and bloodshed.
With this context, we can interpret Baalzebub (Beelzebub) – called “Prince of the demons” in the New Testament – as a chief elemental spirit (perhaps an aerial spirit, given “Lord of the Flies” meaning) who was worshipped as a god. Many occult sources equate Baal (a title meaning “Lord”) with the Egyptian Osiris or Nimrod of Babylon. In one lineage of mythic equivalences: “Semiramis has been worshiped under the names Ishtar, Astarte, Rhea and Isis… while Nimrod has been [known as] Ninus, Osiris and Baal. Tammuz [the child] also known as Horus...”. Thus, Baal = Osiris = the dying sun-god, and his consort is Isis/Ishtar, the queen of heaven. Horus (or Tammuz) is the reborn form – essentially Baal/Osiris reincarnated as his own son. This triad became the template for many pagan pantheons.
Exodus 20:4–5 (KJV)
“Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth:
Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them
Isis as “Harlot of Babylon” and Controller of Elementals
From a mystical perspective, we can see Isis/Semiramis/Mystery Babylon as a cosmic force – the sum of all moon-worship, earth-magic, and witchcraft traditions. She is often portrayed controlling nature: for example, Isis in Egyptian hymns boasts “I command the rivers and winds, I am Queen of the elements.” As “Mother Earth” (see above photo) or nature goddess, she rules the elementals (gnomes, sylphs, undines, salamanders) which were revered as her children. Eliphas Lévi, though a Christian mystic, titled one of his books “The Mysteries of Magic: The History of the Subtle Forces” – implying an understanding that a hidden “mystery” religion deals in commanding those subtle elemental forces. If Isis is the occult symbol of that Mystery, then indeed she could be called the Harlot who sits on many waters (Rev 17:1 – waters often symbolize peoples and the astral fluid) “with whom the kings of the earth committed fornication” (mixing worldly power with occult power).
In practical terms, black magicians and sorcerers, in service of this archetype, attempt to harness elemental spirits for personal gain. They become the “Brothers of the Shadow” that Blavatsky described – some still living, some dead – who traffic with demonic entities. These sorcerers perform “dreadful and mysterious rites” to control elementals, and in turn those elementals help them deceive and manipulate others (for instance, producing false miracles or obsessions). The goal of the dark forces is ultimately the control of human souls – either by possession, corruption, or enslavement. This again resonates with Revelation: Babylon trades in “the bodies and souls of men”. It is a spiritual slave market. The “harlot” offers worldly riches, occult knowledge, or illicit pleasures, but the price is one’s soul. Those who lack a divine anchor (the Spirit of God) are especially vulnerable to being taken over by these influences. They may become empty vessels ready to be occupied by elemental forces – literally the “iron mixed with miry clay” in Daniel’s prophecy, a human body (clay) infused with an alien spirit (iron).
In sum, Isis/Mystery Babylon can be seen as the personification of the collective of soulless and demonic forces at work in the world – a cosmic vampiric entity that lives off the souls of men. She is paired with her male counterpart (whether we call him Baal, Osiris, or Apolloyon), and together they counterfeit the divine Father-Mother principle. In Christian terms, this is Satan and his false church. In occult terms, it is the Dark Lodge manipulating nature’s hidden powers against humanity’s spiritual progress.
Discernment Between the True and the Counterfeit
The concept of elemental or demonic spirits incarnating as humans – “devils in human guise” – is undoubtedly disturbing. It blurs the line between the seen and unseen, reminding us that “we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers… against spiritual wickedness in high places” (Ephesians 6:12). Both the esoteric teachings of the Kabbalists and Theosophists and the warnings of Scripture converge on a key point: not everyone who walks on two legs is filled with the spirit of God. Some are animated by lower spirits, whether through karmic anomaly, occult rituals, or willful rejection of the Light. These “soulless” ones may not always be obvious monsters – they might appear as charismatic leaders, miracle-workers, or ideologues, “having a form of godliness but denying its power” (2 Tim 3:5). They often gravitate towards hypocrisy and fanatical systems of false religion, for as Porphyry noted, “their greatest ambition is to pass as gods and [righteous] souls”.
Yet, we are not left defenseless or hopeless. The apostle John advised, “Test the spirits, whether they are of God” (1 John 4:1). By their fruits we recognize the difference: a being with the divine spark will ultimately reflect love, truth, and humility, whereas an elemental shell or demon will reveal hatred, deception, and pride. The children of God carry the Seal of God, while the children of the beast carry his mark. As the age-old conflict between the Woman clothed with the sun and the Dragon, or between Isis and the resurrected Horus, reaches its climax, it becomes crucial to awaken our discernment.
Those who cling to darkness eventually self-annihilate; those who unite with the Light abide forever. The “wicked are like dead leaves” returning to dust, but the righteous shine like stars (Daniel 12:3). In the end, the stone from heaven will shatter the iron-clay kingdom of false mixtures, Mystery Babylon will fall and “be found no more”, and “the souls of men” will no longer be for sale.
We, the children of God, must hold fast to that treasure in our earthen vessels – the divine spark of Christ within – and not fear the devils in human disguise. Light exposes darkness. The very fact that elemental spirits covet human incarnation shows the glory of humanity’s station – we carry the image and Spirit of the Most High, something the demons envy but cannot truly replicate. By understanding these deep teachings and biblical warnings, we become more alert to spiritual realities: cherishing the soul God gave us, while being wise to the soulless deceivers in our midst.
Jeremiah 17:5 (KJV)
“Thus saith the LORD; Cursed be the man that trusteth in man, and maketh flesh his arm, and whose heart departeth from the LORD.”
Psalm 118:8–9 (KJV)
“It is better to trust in the LORD than to put confidence in man. It is better to trust in the LORD than to put confidence in princes.”
Proverbs 3:5 (KJV)
“Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.”
These verses collectively warn against relying on authority in place of God, urging absolute trust in the Christ alone.
Galatians 4:3 (KJV)
“Even so we, when we were children, were in bondage under the elements of the world.”
Galatians 4:9 (KJV)
“But now, after that ye have known God, or rather are known of God, how turn ye again to the weak and beggarly elements, whereunto ye desire again to be in bondage?”
These "elements" (Greek: stoicheia) are often interpreted as elemental powers, astral forces, or rudimentary spiritual entities — especially those behind idolatry, superstition, or worldly religions that worship the false trinity of Isis, Osiris, and Horus.
They represent the enslaving spiritual systems from which Christ came to deliver believers.
Sources:
Eliphas Lévi, Dogme et Rituel de la Haute Magie (trans. A. E. Waite), as cited in Blavatsky, “Kabalistic Views on ‘Spirits’” — Blavatsky Collected Writings, vol. I.
H. P. Blavatsky, Isis Unveiled and Collected Writings vol. I, on elementaries, elementals, and reincarnation of spirits.
Theosophy Trust, “Elementals” (analyses of Blavatsky’s teachings).
The Holy Bible (KJV/GNV): 2 Corinthians 4:7, Daniel 2:43, Revelation 18:13, Ezekiel 13:18 (NKJV).
Michelle Hayman, “The Synagogue of Satan & Lilith” (RebuildSpirit blog, 2024) – on Isis as consort of Baal and Queen of Heaven.
J.K. Woods, Know the Full Truth… (Medium, 2020) – summarizing the Nimrod–Semiramis–Tammuz legend.
Porphyry, De Abstinentia (cited in Blavatsky’s writings) on malicious daemons and false gods.
Wikipedia: “Osiris myth” (summary of Isis reanimating Osiris to conceive Horus).
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