This figure is a composite magical image: a being with three heads—those of a serpent, a man (with two stars upon his brow), and a calf—who rides upon a viper and carries a firebrand. The image appears in the 777 correspondences for the 24th Path of the Qabalistic Tree of Life, traditionally associated with the astrological sign of Scorpio and the 8th Hebrew letter, Teth.

Position on the Tree of Life

This image is the designated magical image for Path 24, which connects the Sephirah Tiphareth (Beauty) and Geburah (Severity). This path is attributed to the zodiacal sign Scorpio, the letter Teth, and the number 9.

Astrological and planetary correspondence

The image corresponds to the astrological sign Scorpio (♏), a fixed water sign. Scorpio is ruled by Mars (traditional) and Pluto (modern); in the Hermetic Qabalah, its zodiacal energy is a direct current of Teth, the serpent-power. The viper upon which the figure rides is emblematic of this serpentine, transformative force, while the firebrand he carries symbolizes the intense, purgative fire of Scorpio's deepest mysteries.

Historical context

This magical image derives from the Renaissance grimoire tradition, specifically from the compilation of images found in The Magical Calendar of Paracelsian circles (first printed 1620) and later adapted in the Goetia. In the Calendar, each decan and planetary hour has a specific image; this figure is the image for the first face (0°–10°) of Scorpio, ruled by Mars. The description given there matches exactly: a man with three heads (serpent, man, calf) riding a viper and holding a firebrand.

These images were absorbed into the Golden Dawn system—its founder S.L. MacGregor Mathers translated and heavily annotated the Calendar—and from there entered Aleister Crowley's Liber 777 as the standard magical image for Teth. The three heads symbolize the triadic nature of Scorpio's power: the serpent (wisdom, kundalini), the man (intellect, the two stars being the fixed stars that rule the head in astrological magic), and the calf (fertility, instinct, the material foundation). Riding the viper indicates mastery over the coiled serpent-force; the firebrand indicates the illuminating and destructive power of the spiritual will in the underworld journey of Scorpio.

In the table of Liber 777, this image is recorded in the column CLVII (Magical Images) for Path 24. It stands as the embodiment of the transformative, often dangerous current of Scorpio—a figure that commands the serpent of death and rebirth while wielding the fire of divine wrath.