The Man with Gryphon’s Wings is a hybrid image: a human body joined to the wings of a gryphon, the legendary creature with the body of a lion and the head and wings of an eagle. The gryphon itself is a solar beast, guardian of gold and divine treasures, while the human form introduces intellect, will, and conscious direction. The wings signify aspiration, spiritual ascent, and the power to traverse the spheres between earth and heaven.

Position on the Tree of Life

This image is assigned to Path 16, which connects Chesed (Mercy, Jupiter) to Chokmah (Wisdom, the Zodiac). The path is attributed to the Hebrew letter Vau (ו), meaning ‘nail’ or ‘hook,’ and to the astrological sign of Taurus. The Man with Gryphon’s Wings thus stands at a juncture where the expansive, structuring force of Chesed meets the raw, creative outflow of Chokmah—a bridge between form and formlessness, stability and dynamic generation.

Astrological and planetary correspondence

Taurus, the fixed earth sign ruled by Venus, governs this path. The gryphon’s wings temper the bull’s earthy inertia with aerial mobility, suggesting that material stability can be elevated by spiritual vision. The Venusian influence adds a layer of beauty, harmony, and the binding power of love—qualities that the winged human figure embodies as a mediator between the celestial and terrestrial.

Historical context

The Man with Gryphon’s Wings does not appear in classical myth but emerges from the Renaissance and Hermetic synthesis of bestiary and angelic imagery. In the grimoire tradition, particularly the Key of Solomon and later the Lemegeton, hybrid figures like the gryphon-headed or winged human are used as sigils or spirit forms for planetary and zodiacal intelligences. The image also echoes the Abraxas of Gnostic gems—a being with a rooster’s head, human torso, and serpent legs—but here the wings are specifically gryphon’s, aligning with solar and guardian attributes. In the Magical Images column of Liber 777, this figure is one of a series of path-specific visions intended for meditation and invocation, each designed to evoke the particular energy of the sephirotic connection.

The Man with Gryphon’s Wings appears in Liber 777 at the intersection of Path 16, the letter Vau, and Taurus. It stands as a symbol of the soul’s ability to rise from the fixed, fertile earth of Taurus into the boundless wisdom of Chokmah, carrying the light of Chesed’s mercy as a beacon.