Orobas

“…Orobas is a powerful Great Prince of Hell, having twenty legions of demons under his control. He supposedly gives true answers of things past, present and to come, divinity, and the creation of the world; he also confers dignities and prelacies, and the favour of friends and foes. Orobas is faithful to the conjuror, does not permit that any spirit tempts him, and never deceives anyone. He is depicted as a horse that changes into a man under the conjurer’s request. The name could come from the Latin ‘orobias’, a type of incense.”

Source: Wikipedia

In my personal deck of cards, I have given Orobas the 3 of Cups due to his friendship with the conjuror – this card is associated with friendship and pro-social relationships. However, in staying true to the Occult Tarot deck I will grant him the 3 of Pentacles. As always with this thread, the objective is to pick one card to provide daily inspiration and guidance. Hopefully, I can also get a response from one of our beloved demons.

The Pentacles are associated with the element of earth. The element of earth has to do with the interactions that human beings have with the physical environment. This occurs as different status in finances, work, family, health, wealth, property, et cetera. There are several other tangibles that can arise from the interaction which a person has with their environment however. Thus, the element of earth is associated with material things.

Pentacle Archetypes are usually very materialistic individuals. They place emphasis on their work, careers, and productivity. They usually associate amassing material things with achievement or success. However, they can be very generous at times as well. On the flipside, they can become possessive, greedy, or over-indulgent. In the 3 of Pentacles, the Archetypes are required to control their materialistic urges to have favorable outcomes.

The 3 of Pentacles is a tarot card that can be found in the Minor Arcana. I call this card the “Teamwork Card” because of the strong partnership which Orobas forms with the conjuror. When this card appears upright in a reading, it is usually interpreted to mean collaboration, joint effort, learning, or implementation. When it is reversed however, it is taken to mean disharmony, discord, or working in isolation.

The 3 of Pentacles depicts a young stone mason working on a cathedral. In the foreground, there are two architects on either side of the mason. He appears to be working in conjunction with the architects who appear to value his input. Despite his evident youth and relative inexperience, the older architects appear to recognize his important contribution towards the realization of intricate engravings and soaring ceilings of the cathedral.

The Demon

Orobas is another of the fallen angels that were ensnared by King Solomon and bound to a brass vessel. He is listed as the 55th of the 72 Goetia spirits. He is a Great Prince of Hell with dominion over 20 legions of lesser demons. He is described as a faithful ally of the conjuror who will not deceive him or allow any other demon to do the same.

Orobas is said to have belonged to the angelic order of thrones as an angelic being in his earlier life. He is not mentioned within ancient Graeco-Roman mythologies or early Middle Eastern texts. He can be found listed in renowned grimoires such as the Dictionnaire Infernal, the Demonologia, and the Pseudomonarchia Daemonum.

It may be difficult to trace the origins of this demon because of the shortage of information about him. Nevertheless, given his placement among the 72 spirits of King Solomon, he can be said to have Jewish or Abrahamic origins. Furthermore, it is posited that his name may have been derived from the Latin word “orobias” which refers to a type of incense.

Orobias usually appears as a horse with some monstrous features such as arms which are often outstretched in most depictions. He however assumes a humanoid shape upon appearance. It is noteworthy that Collin de Plancy depicts him as having the head and hind-quarters of a horse but the torso and arms of a human.

Note – this demon is extremely truthful and will not attempt to deceive the magician. He will also not let the magician be tempted or tricked by other demonic spirits.

The Message

Should I make more effort to collaborate with others?

I believe that Orobas can be a powerful ally if he is conjured up properly and respectfully. He can provide a competitive advantage especially given that he is faithful to the conjuror. The demon is able to teach the conjuror a variety of subjects that can help them to get ahead in life. For example, he can tell of all things from the past, present, and future. He can also reveal hidden knowledge about the creation of the world.

If the 3 of Pentacles appears upright in a reading, I will immediately begin to anticipate more opportunities to work jointly with others to realize a common goal. Alternatively, I can expect to curry favor with others. If it was reversed then I will begin to second guess my steps in everything that I do – this is so as to foster collaboration to ward off any risks that can arise from working in isolation. Besides, working with others makes tasks easier and faster to complete.

When path working with Orobas, I usually focus on his office which is to bestow different kinds of favors. Here, the demon is able to help with upward social mobility. As consistent with the 3 of Pentacles, this demon works in collaboration with the conjuror and does not attempt any deceit or temptation. Therefore, the 3 of Pentacles is usually indicative of the chance to work jointly with this demon if he chooses to respond to the conjuror.

The tarot readings and symbolism stated here are all subjective and open to interpretation. We would love to know what you think of the 3 of Pentacles and Orobas. Leave us a comment in the section below!