HR Giger : The Spell IV: What has been firmly established

 

leading from 

HR Giger's The Spell IV (1977)

and

The Baphomet Boulevard

a) In 1975, HR Giger had started drawing of a design featuring a woman in a pentagram sitting upon a Baphomet, and also painted Baphomet (after Eliphas Levi) following the same idea that year with the female and the Baphomet as part of a rail car.

This extreme leaning towards definite occult symbolism appears to come about because his friendship with Sergius Golowin who understood a lot about occult and mysticism. While Giger had an interest in these things, he didn't practice it, but he basically was interested in the big topics of the soul that were there, being sexuality, redemption and power. (See Sergius Golowin introduces HR Giger to the work of HP Lovecraft)

He then went on to paint The Spell IV in 1977 as part of The Spell series that formed a four sided environment to stand within.

Baphomet sketch (1975) by  HR Giger

 

Baphomet (after Eliphas Levi) (work 272) (1975) by  HR Giger

b) What came out of The Spell IV (as told to Carmen Giger which she mentions in an interview with Another Man Magazine) was the idea that the light and dark snakes were mythological reference to the fall of Adam and Eve, that the painting  symbolized humanity's quest for  enlightenment and with that the Baphomet symbolised humanity's position between the animal kingdom and the divine.

This Baphomet appeared to be based on the 19th century image of a Sabbatic Goat, created by Eliphas Levi. Giger had painted the composition using his gut instinct, and without thinking.

1. Carmen Giger: His fascination with the occult came from Sergius Golowin, a writer and close friend he met just as he was starting work on his Necronomicon book. Golowin knew a lot about the occult and mysticism and introduced Hans to people like HP Lovecraft and FM Murer. The light and dark snakes he used in his Spell paintings for instance, were a mythological reference to the Fall of Adam and Eve. Spell III [1976] symbolises our quest for enlightenment with Baphomet symbolising humanity’s position between the animal kingdom and the divine. (https://www.anothermanmag.com/life-culture/10934/alien-film-hr-giger-ridley-scott-anniversary-artist-carmen)
2. Carmen Giger: His interest in the occult is clear because the big topics of the soul are there: sexuality, redemption and power. But he never practised these things, he had a really good centre.  (https://www.anothermanmag.com/life-culture/10934/alien-film-hr-giger-ridley-scott-anniversary-artist-carmen)
3. HR Giger: The idea for the Baphomet came from the guts. I did it quickly without thinking. (Cthulhu Sex 19 2) 

illustration by Eliphas Levi