The Baphomet, as seen here, drawn by Eliphas Levi, the 19th century Freemason and Kabbalist magician, first gained notoriety as a symbol of Satanism when, in the 14th century, the Knights Templar were accused of using the idol in occult rituals. Heimbichner, author of Blood On The Altar, elaborates:

"Baphomet or Capricornus, the infernal 'god of lust,' is an androgynous symbol combining animal and human qualities with male and female characteristics, a dark incarnation of the essence of the Kabbalah. The duality at the heart of the Kabbalah is taught in higher Masonry and the OTO through the 'Tree of Life' shchema of Rabbi Isaac Luria, which aligns the emanations of Adam Kadmon into the Two Pillars ('Twin Towers'): the Pillar of Severity (the right) and the Pillar of Mercy (the left). This symbol reflects the anceint veneration of the twin orbits of the 'Dog Star' Sirius A and B, symbols of the Double-Mind, the diable, the Devil or Set/An, or Satan." (Craig Heimbichner, "The Kabbalah of the Cryptocracy", Paranoia magazine, issue 41, Spring 2006, page 54)