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The Encyclopedia

Spirits:

The Ultimate Guide to the Magic of Fairies, Genies,

Demons, Ghosts, Gods, and Goddesses

JUDIKA ILLES

For Leor Warner, Ascended Master (20 July 1941–13 September 2007)

Contents

Introduction

THE PUBLIC FACE OF SPIRITS

THE SECRET LIVES OF SPIRITS

WHO OR WHAT ARE SPIRITS?

REALMS OF SPIRITS

WHERE ARE SPIRITS MOST LIKELY TO BE MET?

WHY DO SPIRITS HELP US?

WORKING WITH SPIRITS

FINDING YOUR SPIRIT ALLIES

COMMUNICATING WITH SPIRITS

THE CARE AND FEEDING OF SPIRITS

ARE SPIRITS DANGEROUS?

COMMANDING AND COMPELLING

WHAT DOES IT MEAN WHEN PRAYERS AND PETITIONS REMAIN UNANSWERED?

Elements of Working with Spirits: A Spirit Worker’s Glossary

Using T his Book

Spirits: A–Z

Appendix: Spirits and Their Specialties

Bibliography

Acknowledgments

About the Author

About the Publisher

Introduction

THE PUBLIC FACE OF SPIRITS

Fairies, demons, Djinn, devas, dybbuks, dakinis, Nymphs, mermaids, ghosts, nagas, orishas, lwa, mystères, Elves, dragons:

that’s just a few of the many kinds of spirit beings. Considering how many people vociferously refute their very existence, the extent to

which spirits permeate modern human culture is astounding.

You don’t have to believe in spirits to be surrounded by them. In fact, it’s pretty hard to avoid them. Let me repeat: spirits permeate

human culture. References are so all-pervasive that it can be easy to overlook their original meanings.

SPIRITS PERMEATE OUR LANGUAGE

Do you want to flatter a woman? Call her a goddess. If a woman is beautiful, small, and lithe, she might be called a sprite or sylph. If

you find this woman inspirational, she’s your muse. If she’s irresistible, she’s a siren. Sprites, sylphs, muses, sirens: these are all

categories of spirits.

Names of individual spirits permeate language, too. Want to flatter a man? Call him Adonis or an Apollo. If he’s a musician, call him

Orpheus. Maybe that beautiful woman isn’t small and lithe; maybe she’s voluptuous or statuesque, Junoesque, in other words. Coming

up with these references is no Herculean task; just a little thought and effort and you, too, will be thinking up dozens. Here’s a few more:

The name for the physical condition of an erection that refuses to recede (sometimes to the point of medical emergency) is priapism,

inspired by Priapus, a Greek spirit, who, as his votive statues attest, sports a permanently erect phallus. Do you have an enemy,

someone who is gunning for you? That person is your nemesis, named for the Greek goddess of justice and vengeance. Ever described

being stuck in the office, stuck in an elevator, stuck in a traffic jam or hospital emergency room as like being stuck in hell? You’ve just

evoked Hel, Norse guardian of the realm of death. Trying to seduce someone? Try an aphrodisiac—something evoking the power of

Aphrodite, alluring goddess of love and sex.

Nemesis, priapism, and aphrodisiac are elegant words, indicative of a fine vocabulary. Spirits permeate all facets of speech—

obscenities, too. Ever muttered, “Oh, Frigg!” in a moment offrustration or told someone harshly to get away from your frickin’ car? That

word’s not just a soundalike substitute for a stronger obscenity: it’s the name of yet another Norse goddess, alternatively spelled Frigg

or Fricka. A modern obscenity for women’s genitalia evokes the name of Kunti, a very ancient goddess of India, although honestly it’s

doubtful whether most of those who use the word have a clue as to its origins or that the word emerged in sacred contexts.

Jumping Jupiter! By Jove! Names of spirits permeate modern marketing and brand names. Before Nike, Mercury, and Saturn named

shoes, cars, or even planets, they named deities. It is not that manufacturers necessarily believe in these spirits or consciously wish to

pay homage, but that the essences of these spirits have so permeated our cultural vocabulary that all it takes is their names to evoke

visceral reactions en masse. For instance, I own lipsticks named after biblical seductresses: Salome, Jezebel, and Astarte. Go ahead and

guess whether these lipsticks are bold and bright red or pale pink and sedate.

PIRITS

ENETRATE

ULTURE

They permeate literature from its earliest days to today’s best sellers. Enheduanna, oldest known author in history, composed hymns

to the goddess Inanna over four thousand years ago. Her work remains in print, now in English translation.

Spirits of one sort or another are significant characters in recent favorites like Philip Pullman’s His Dark Materials trilogy, Neil

Gaiman’s American Gods, and Gaiman and Terry Pratchett’s Good Omens. The Da Vinci Code

? Fascination with Mary Magdalen

knows no bounds.

Sometimes references to spirits are intended literally; sometimes they serve as allegory or metaphor. Sometimes a spirit’s name is

expected to do nothing more than evoke a mood or emotion, create some ambience.

Maybe folklore can exist without spirits, albeit in truncated form, but mythology definitely can’t. Worldwide mythology is accurately

defined as stories about and involving spirits. An entire literary genre—fairy tales—is named for a branch of the spirit world.

Literary classics are populated by spirits ( The Aeneid, The Iliad, The Odyssey, Faust, Macbeth, or The Tempest). So are comic

books: Morpheus, the Erinyes, Uma, Circe, and Lilith are but a few of the spirits who prowl through their pages, as do Brunnhilde the

Valkyrie, hammer-deity Thor, and virtually the entire Nordic pantheon.

Folklore isn’t only old. Brand-new folk tales featuring La Llorona, the Weeping Woman, and Bloody Mary, the killer in the

mirror, emerge daily. Hawaiian volcano goddess Pelé is the subject of modern urban legends and old myths .

Poems are full of spirits: again sometimes the allusions are intended literally, sometimes allegorically. Consider Edmund Spenser’s

The

Faerie Queene

or Christina Rossetti’s The Goblin Market or various poems by William Butler Yeats. I’m pulling these out of the air,

somewhat randomly, in no particular order: thousands of others, maybe millions, could just as easily substitute.

If you have a taste for classical culture, then you may know that the very first official ballet was inspired by the witch-goddess Circe.

It was but the first of many. Other dancing spirits include La Sylphide’s winged Scottish Fairies, Swan Lake’s secret swan goddesses,

and Giselle’s willies, an alternative name for vila, seductive, sometimes deadly, forest Fairies. (Vila guest star in the Harry Potter

novels, too.)

Spirits permeate opera: for starters, Undina, Maria Padilla, Ariadne auf Naxos , and Richard Wagner’s entire Ring Cycle .

(Speaking of rings, spirits are intrinsic to the plots of J. R. R. Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings and the Ring series of novels, movies, and

manga.)

Styles of art, literature, and music may come and go, but the spirits are eternal. They pervade popular music as completely as

classical: “Stupid Cupid!” “Cupid, draw back your bow!” “Venus”: a hit song twice, years apart, for Shocking Blue and Bananarama;

“Venus in Blue Jeans”; Bob Dylan’s “Isis”; Christina Aguilera’s “Genie in a Bottle.”

Sometimes references are metaphoric but not always. Sarah McLachlan’s touring festival of women’s music celebrated feminine

power via its very name, Lilith Fair, honoring Lilith, rebellious demon-goddess and first woman. Fleetwood Mac’s “Rhiannon,”

ostensibly a song about a Welsh witch, actually evokes a Welsh goddess. Listeners unfamiliar with African-Diaspora religions

understood Desi Arnaz’s trademark “Babalu” to be a fun novelty number rather than a tribute to a potent West African deity. (See

Babalu Ayé

.) Likewise, the macarena is not just a dance craze but a spiritual tribute, in this case to La Macarena, favorite Madonna of

Spanish matadors.

Spirits permeate the visual arts so thoroughly that discussion is almost pointless, it’s so overwhelming.

Images of spirits surround us. They are everywhere. Cemeteries are filled with images of assorted psychopomps, those spirits who

escort human souls to afterlife realms. Garden stores offer stone sphinxes, plaster gnomes, and a vast selection of Aphrodites on the

half-shell. Look in store windows and calculate how long until you encounter the ubiquitous image of Maneki Neko, the Japanese

beckoning cat, who reputedly attracts customers as if by magic. Mermaids grace the labels of products like wine, tuna fish, and

sardines, not to mention Starbucks coffee. Recent trips to the supermarket netted me a bottle of Japanese rice vinegar with a label

featuring the smiling face of Okame, goddess of mirth; a jar of Laxmi brand coriander chutney, named in honor of India’s goddess of

good fortune; and a bottle of Spanish Rioja wine with a label depicting Ares, that helmeted lord of war.

Visit virtually any

art museum, except those devoted solely to abstract art, and just try to avoid the spirits. They’re pretty omnipresent

in museums devoted to history, too. Look at an Egyptian mummy case: it’s covered with pictures of spirits. Go visit crafts museums,

quilting exhibitions, sculpture gardens: odds are, you’ll find some spirit lurking in the works. If the spirits aren’t on display, their images

are almost guaranteed to be in the gift store, waiting for someone to take them home.

Once upon a time, Western art was entirely “religious”: what that means in plain English was that the only officially acceptable art

featured images of Christian religious figures: Madonnas, for example. During the Renaissance, as restrictions loosened and artists were

permitted to create work that wasn’t exclusively Christian, they didn’t so much change their subject as broaden it: images of Pagan

deities were added to the repertoire. Think Sandro Botticelli’s The Birth of Venus or Pieter Pauwel Rubens’ epic painting,

The Rape

of Europa (the name of that continent honors that goddess). Even centuries later, the subject of spirits never seems to grow stale: it

remained a favorite theme of the Salon Painters, Pre-Raphaelites, and Symbolists and remains popular today. Goddess images

permeate the work of modern artists like Nancy Spero, Mayumi O da, and Niki de Saint Phalle. The lwa (spirits of Vodou) dominate

Haitian art no less than angels and saints once dominated European art. A large void is created in Tibetan art should one remove all

depictions of the divine Tara.

Some religions (Islam, Judaism) banish imagery to varying degrees for fear that any image may be construed as sacred and thus

venerated. In fact, as we’ll see, spirits do come in every possible permutation: in the form of humans, animals, hybrids, fantastic

creatures, plants, even household appliances.

Frankly, it may not be humanly possible to eliminate spirit-based imagery; they insinuate their identities into geometric shapes, too,

most famously the cross, but also others. (Before crosses signified Christianity, they were Aphrodite’s special emblem.) The symbols

indicating Mars and Venus (&male; and &female; respectively), now frequently serving as a universal code for men’s and women’s

restrooms, identified deities long before they represented genders.

SPIRITS ARE RELIGION

Religion may be defined as veneration of at least one sacred being or deity. Buddhism and Confucianism are often described as

philosophies, not religions, precisely because veneration of a deity is not crucial, although neither denies the existence of spirits. Buddhist

art is filled with spirits: like pre-Renaissance Western art, it is intrinsically spiritual in nature.

In a museum, objects are neatly and clearly labeled. Although some ancient objects are discovered complete with intelligible

inscriptions (much of what we know about Europe’s Celtic deities derives from these inscriptions), in general, ancient images are

unearthed without labels. Many ancient artifacts, whether depicting rotund women (the Venus of Willendorf and others of her ilk),

recognizable animals (Celtic or Scythian artifacts), or fantastic beings (dragons, griffins, snake-women) are widely interpreted as

portraits of the sacred. These assumptions are not wrong.

Throughout time, apparently from our earliest beginnings, people have been inspired to create images of spirits. Spirits may be

ubiquitous now; they were ubiquitous way back when, too. Wood, stone, clay, and metal survive best, but vestiges of other arts survive,

too. Some of the earliest documented tattoos, for instance, from ancient Egypt, were inspired by images of deities like Neith and Bes.

Mummification preserved ornamented flesh so that tattoos survive as testimony to devotion to these spirits.

To this very day, sacred imagery constitutes an extremely high percentage of tattoos. I have a tattoo design book, published recently

in Japan; 155 pages are exclusively devoted to tattoos of spirits, multiple images per page. It’s only one of many such books (which are

not merely recycling the same images). The ancient Egyptian image of the Eye of Horus retains its popularity. Dragons and mermaids

permanently grace many arms and legs. Kickboxers favor tattoos of their patron, monkey spirit Hanuman.

Synonyms for religion include spiritual tradition and spiritual faith. Some religions/spiritual traditions incorporate references to

spirits into their very names: Shinto means “the way of the spirits”; Santeria means the religion of the “saints,” a euphemism

for once-outlawed African spirits more accurately called orishas. Vodou literally means “spirit.” Spiritualism and

Spiritism/Espiritismo are systems of contacting and honoring spirits.

Spirits aren’t snobs: they permeate kitsch and fine art alike. Gift stores are filled with little, inexpensive Fairies, pixies, and mermaids.

Virtually every Wiccan, Pagan, or occult-oriented store around the world sells reproductions of ancient statues of deities, as well as

jewelry and gifts inspired by these spirits. Catalogs representing a wide variety of spiritual traditions sell goods inspired by an ever-

growing number of spirits. Collectors of Lladro porcelain can purchase images of India’s elephant spirit, Ganesha; Lakshmi, Goddess of

Wealth; and the Medicine Buddha. If you prefer Wedgwood fine china, you can collect images of Aurora, Goddess of Dawn; the

Horae, Greece’s dancing goddesses of the hours; and Aphrodite, Lady of Love. Did someone say Santa Claus? Let’s not even go

there. Discussion of Santa’s legion of images requires its very own encyclopedia.

There’s also virtually no point in attempting a brief discussion of spirits in the movies. It’s impossible: the list is endless. Up until now,

I’ve avoided that special category of spirit: ghosts. Once included, that previously already endless list increases exponentially. Without

ghosts and demons, the hugely popular genre of horror films is reduced to little beyond mad scientists, psychopaths, and slashers.

Fairy tales aren’t the only literary genre named for spirits; ghost stories rank among the earliest surviving pieces of literature. The

ancient Egyptians loved them, as did the ancient Chinese. Their appeal remains undiminished. Travel around the world; study the

folklore of every culture. It’s hard to find a place lacking suspenseful ghost stories.

The spirits aren’t going away. We are not outgrowing them. They are not passé but are keeping pace with modern innovations.

On a spiritual level, Ogun, West African spirit of iron, and Brigid, Irish spirit of smithcraft, no longer have enough smiths to keep them

busy. Tireless, energetic beings, both now demonstrate interest in modern technology, especially if it involves metal. Having trouble with

your computer or your car? Call on either one for help. (See their individual encyclopedia entries for further details.)

On a popular level, eliminate vampires, ghosts, demons, and extra-terrestrials (yes! See the entry on page 396 for more details), and

how many television shows have also fallen by the wayside? Supernatural, Medium, Dr. Who, Charmed, The Ghost Whisperer,

Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel

, and lots more. Computer games, manga, and anime? All totally permeated by spirits:

Spirited

Away, Demon Diary, Age of Mythology

, and Hell Girl are just the first to randomly come to mind.

Pokémon characters are based on ancient Japanese spirits. Yu-Gi-Oh!, another juvenile phenomenon, makes constant reference to

spirits of old Egypt. Video games without spirits? Again, you’ve just gutted an entire genre. As anyone fascinated by spirits can attest,

online research is virtually impossible as attempting to conduct a search via names of even the most obscure spirits results in sites

devoted to role-playing games, video games, and Dungeons and Dragons, not the anticipated scholarly works. Clearly, spirits are

important to people, one way or another, for one reason or another, even if only for entertainment.

Spirits have traveled with humans from our earliest days, maybe even from Day O ne. Just try to find a creation myth from anywhere

in the world that doesn’t involve a Supreme Creator, spirits of creation, or at the very least, some assistance from a spirit.

Spirits create the universe. Spirits hang the sun and moon in the sky. Spirits are the sun and moon and the sky! Typically, spirits

create us.

Agriculture? Weaving? Medicine? Fire? Freshwater? Check the myths: inevitably anything important is a gift from a spirit. The

alphabet? The Egyptians credited it to the primeval spirit Thoth. The calendar? Ditto. The Egyptians said Thoth created that, too. First

book in the world? Once again, the Egyptians gave credit to Thoth.

Something may be mystical or practical, crucial or extraneous; regardless, there’s probably a myth ascribing its origin or transmission

to one or more spirits. Even our ability to reproduce, according to myth, is dependent upon the spirits: an Indonesian story suggests that

people were basically too stupid to figure out childbirth without spiritual intervention. Men were cutting women open to extract babies,

performing primitive, invariably fatal Caesarean sections. A crocodile spirit complete with doctor’s bag came to our rescue, explaining

natural childbirth. Alternatively, myths from Africa and Asia suggest that snake spirits physically demonstrated childbirth techniques

directly to women. Vestiges of the shimmying motions they taught survive in Eastern dance (belly dance), yet one more art form with

profound ties to spirits.

Spirits are involved with creation, birth, and every aspect of life. Literally our spirit guides, they journey through life with us, teaching

us, protecting us, haunting our dreams, inspiring us, sometimes scaring us, accompanying us every step of the way and beyond.

Consider death. What happens to us? Where do we go? Myths about death lacking spirits are about as common as creation stories

without them. Virtually every heaven, hell, or other traditional realm of death is populated and supervised by spirits. Never say never,

but I can’t think of a belief in an afterlife that doesn’t involve some sort of sacred being, from Saint Peter at the pearly gates to angels

floating on clouds to the aforementioned Hel to Zuni dance halls of the dead to the roadhouses of the Pagan Irish Otherworld where

guests drink and feast to their hearts’ content. How do we get to these afterlife realms? How will we know the way? Invariably a spirit is

there to guide us.

Yet historically, spirit-human interactions have not always been happy and pleasant, not because of demonic attack but because

people relentlessly persecute other people for their beliefs in spirits. A historic fact for at least the past couple of thousand years (not a

mere blip in time) is that people exist who will torture and kill other people and make their lives miserable because of the spirits they

venerate or the spirits they won’t

venerate. For example, the Spanish Inquisition, the witch trials that intermittently gripped virtually all of

Europe for centuries, and the violent persecution of indigenous religions on all inhabited continents.

While there’s less spirit-inspired violence in secular societies, still spirits are expected to stay in the space allotted them, which is

usually commerce. Medusa is the face of Versace, its corporate logo. You can buy a T-shirt or lunch box displaying images of Kali but

if you openly discuss believing in the true existence of these spirits, you will make many people very nervous. Your sanity or at least your

level of education may be questioned.

Organized religion tends, at best, to be ambivalent toward individual human-spirit interaction. Why this is so will be discussed later;

however, suffice it to say that mainstream society in very many places on Earth discourages overly enthusiastic veneration of spirits. It’s

okay to put their images on food labels or other products, providing these are considered mere ornamentation. Learning the “truth”

about Santa Claus—that he doesn’t exist—has become a modern rite of passage.

So why won’t spirits go away? Why don’t we forget about them? Why is our fascination with them so persistent? There has been a

popular resurgence of traditional spirituality (read: interaction with spirits) in modern industrialized nations, yet this does not nearly

account for the sheer pervasiveness of the spirits around us. If anything, spirits are more pervasive than they were fifty years ago. New

forms of media, technology, and entertainment have created portals for these spirits that previously didn’t exist. Spirits are legion; they

surround us; they are everywhere.

Days of the week? Named for spirits. Wednesday is Woden’s Day; Thursday is Thor’s Day. Not just in English, either:

Mardi

(“Tuesday” in French) is the day dedicated to Mars; Mercredi (that’s Wednesday) invokes Mercury, also a traveling spirit of magic,

just like Woden, with whom he shares the day.

“Folk religion,” which emphasizes spirit-human interactions, as opposed to a more impersonal, abstract emphasis on

ethics, is generally considered déclassé and is discouraged or actively repressed by authorities of all kinds .

Months of the year? Once again, named for spirits: January for Janus; May for Maia. Juno, a very important spirit, gets two months:

June and February, named for her title, Juno Februata, variously interpreted as Juno of the Fever of Love or Juno the Purifier. That’s

why marrying in June is considered so lucky: Juno is the goddess of marriage. Marry in her month and obtain her blessing. Again, this

isn’t just some English language affectation: the Hebrew month of Tammuz commemorates the goddess Ishtar’s doomed divine lover.

Names of months not evoking spirits seem consciously named so as to deliberately not invoke them. Often they lack names but are

merely numbered: October is literally the eighth month; November the ninth; December the tenth, as in the decimal system, a numeric

system based on a count of ten. (Yes, October, November, and December are now respectively the tenth, eleventh, and twelfth months

of the Western calendar, but the names derive from a time when March, Mars’ month, was the first month of the Roman calendar. The

calendar was revised, but the names of the months were not.) Either spirits are crucial to humans or, based on our vocabulary, maybe

our imagination is just really limited. We can’t seem to think of creative names without dipping into the well of spirits.

The cities we live in? Yep, named for spirits—lots of them! This is partly out of affection and respect, but also partly because, like

marrying in June, honoring a spirit by naming something important after it was once commonly believed to invoke, even force, a blessing

from that spirit.

• Lyon, France, honors Celtic deity Lugh.

• Paris: one theory of the name’s origins suggests that it means “city of Isis.”

• The Moroccan city Tangier is named for the local goddess Tingis.

• The list of places allegedly named after Neolithic goddess Car includes Carthage, Corsica, and Carcassonne, just for

starters. (Yes, the words car and chariot are also believed related. Look at her entry on page 316 for more details.)

Planets? Once again, named after spirits. Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, Pluto name our planets as well as

some of the most significant members of the Roman pantheon. Perhaps you consider Pluto a “dwarf ice planet” now or an asteroid? No

matter; even those are all named for spirits, too: Vesta, Juno, Ceres, Pallas, and so forth.

Pretty much everything in space, unless numbered, like those months, evokes a spirit: Chariklo was the name given to centaur number

10199. (Centaurs are a kind of icy planetoid located between Jupiter and Neptune. See, even brand-new space phenomena—like

dwarf ice planets—are named for old spirits.) On the other hand, the extra-solar planet (meaning, beyond our solar system) now

technically termed HD 209458 b was once informally called Osiris.

A trans-Neptunian object discovered in 2003 has been named Sedna. We’ve ventured far from the Roman pantheon that dominates

most of space, yet the name still evokes a spirit, in this case, the Inuit goddess of the depths of the sea. Space phenomena that may or

may not even exist are also named for spirits: for instance, the theoretical Dark Moon Lilith or the yet-to-be-discovered planet, Vulcan.

But really, there’s no need to look to the heavens. Just go outside and look down at the ground. Our very own planet’s name, Earth,

honors a Germanic goddess, Herta, also spelled Eartha.

Why are these spirits so pervasively ever-present?

Well, at the very least, spirits, whether you believe they genuinely exist or are figments of our collective creative imagination, enrich

our lives. They fascinate and enthrall us. Myths, legends, and stories comfort us and provide solace in times of need. They entertain us.

They bring us fun. Clearly, considering the number of artistic works they inhabit, they are inspirational. Does anyone seriously believe

that the ghost story will ever be eradicated?

Fun, entertainment, inspiration, comfort: that’s actually quite a lot, certainly enough to justify millennia of attention from all over the

world. The spirits in this encyclopedia represent every inhabited continent, deriving from many cultures, eras, and spiritual traditions.

Some of these spirits currently possess millions of devotees; others are barely remembered.

Within this book you’ll find individual spirits of varying degrees of power as well as types (genres) of spirits from all over Earth:

• Astarte, Azazel, Baal, Asherah, and other spirits of the Bible

• Mermaids from every corner of Earth

• East African Zar, Irish Sidhe, and Burmese Nats

• Japanese kami, kappa, oni, and onryo

• Pomba Giras from Brazil

• Spirits of Vodou, Santeria, Umbanda, and Candomblé

Awaiting you among these pages are spirits of fertility, birth, healing, love, death, and destruction; spirits of disaster relief and those of

good fortune; spirits whose primary purpose is to relieve world suffering, as well as a few who really enjoy stirring up trouble.

Meet spirits of disease, cat goddesses, dog demons, vampire pumpkins, guardians of children, and guardians of cadavers. Discover

suppressed Celtic goddesses, secret goddessesof the Kabbalah, female Buddhas, Demeter’s other daughter, African Powers, Dragon

Queens, White Ladies, Black Madonnas, the Green Man, the Peacock Angel, lots and lots of ghosts and Fairies—some helpful, some

not—and many, many more.

You’ll find a host of rainbow serpents, Dragon Kings, night walkers, party animals, and Kel Asuf, Tuareg Spirits of Solitude.

Primeval spirits rooted in the mists of time mingle with brand-new spirits only now emerging.

Their myths and legends will entertain and move you. Some may provide moral guidance and inspiration; others offer welcome chills

of horror. Hopefully, many will provide creative inspiration so that the list of books, movies, music, and art in which they star continues

to expand exponentially. If this is sufficient for you, then this encyclopedia’s over one thousand spirits await you. No esoteric knowledge

is needed to enjoy the pleasures of their company.

However, if this is not enough for you, if you seek more from the spirits, then keep reading. We’ve just skimmed the surface.

THE SECRET LIVES OF SPIRITS

What more could you want from spirits? Well, what would you like? What do you need? What is missing from your life?

• Your desires may be material (money, prosperity, a better job, a home).

• They might be emotional (true love, an acceptable spouse, a child).

• You may seek a cure for an ailment that defies conventional solutions.

• You may need protection (from an abusive spouse, partner, or relative; from enemies, ghosts, eviction, bad influences, or

even from yourself).

You may need a miracle. You may seek comfort, vengeance, reconciliation, or justice. You may not want anything per se: maybe

you just crave the company of spirits. Perhaps you long to feel the presence of the sacred. Maybe you’d just like to personally unravel

some mysteries of the universe: to truly know whether or not spirits exist.

Maybe there is a spirit who calls to you, who fascinates and enthralls you (Rhiannon, Lilith, Oshun, whomever). You’d like to bring

this spirit deeper into your life; you’d like to experience its presence firsthand. All this and more can be had.

Name your desire, secret hope, wish, or fear: a spirit exists who can fulfill or prevent it as needed, who can help you make your

dreams come true. Somewhere out there, one or more spirits are waiting to work with you. Working with spirits is not exactly like

finding a genietrapped inside a bottle or rubbing an old magic lamp, but those legends do possess a kernel of truth. Spirits really do

protect and provide for people.

Here’s an open secret: spirits do more than pervade literature, advertising, games, myths, and movies. They also walk among us.

Some may find that statement shocking or surprising, ludicrous or laughably absurd, but for many people, all over Earth, coming from

all walks of life, unconventional and conventional alike, it’s a statement of basic, obvious fact.

There has never been a time when a substantial number of people did not consider the presence of spirits to be part of normal reality,

including right now. There has never, ever been a time when people and spirits did not communicate and interact with each other,

including right now.

Among those who work with them, the presence of spirits is generally perceived as positive, a blessing, rather than the opposite.

Interaction and communication with spirits is usually beneficial; at least from the perspective of those who actually know them. Those

who loudly proclaim otherwise tend to be religious disciplinarians with a vested interest in other peoples’ spiritual choices.

Working with spirits is a shared and universal human experience. Every group of people everywhere on Earth has some history of

spiritual interaction, whether or not it is publicly acknowledged, whether or not it is currently celebrated, condemned, or suppressed.

Spirits are world travelers. They mingle among us everywhere. Spirits travel with people to new places where other local

spirits await. If you were searching for common denominators shared by all people everywhere, chief among them, aside from

the most basic biological needs, are experiences with spirits.

Right now, somewhere on Earth, on each and every continent, people are actively, consciously venerating, petitioning, thanking,

channeling, communicating with, interacting with, and/or pleading with spirits. What do they seek?

• Healing

• Protection

• Prosperity

• Happiness

• Power

• Direct contact with the sacred

People haven’t been doing this futilely for thousands of years because there’s nothing else for them to do with their time. Spirit

veneration has survived and thrived despite thousands of years of brutal opposition because it produces joy, success, and positive

results. In fiction, people run from vicious spirits, but in real life, people actively seek their presence and have historically suffered

tremendous persecution in order to maintain relationships with spirits because the rewards are immeasurable.

Thousands of years of propaganda to the contrary, encounters and experiences with spirits are generally positive. That’s why people

keep seeking them out. Rather than wreaking havoc, spirits help, protect, and guide us. They rescue us from all sorts of disasters,

performing miracles, and providing lifelines when conventional solutions fail.

Requests for contact, personal encounters with spirits, and rituals honoring them are occurring right now in modern, highly

populated, sophisticated cities as well as out in the boondocks and everywhere in between. I feel absolutely confident writing that no

matter when you are reading this, people are engaged in some sort of spiritual interaction.

Yes, some of the people engaged in these activities may be poorly educated or of low intellect, but others are academics, engineers,

physicians, and other highly educated professionals of all kinds. Presumably some are delusional, but most are not (and anyway, plenty

of certifiably delusional people fervently deny the existence of spirits, too. There’s no proof in that, one way or the other.)

Those acknowledging the existence of spirits subscribe to every possible religious and political persuasion. (Despite Marx’s aphorism

about religion being the opiate of the people, many Italian Communists claim the Black Madonna as a fellow traveler.)

Those who venerate or work with spirits don’t consider themselves “believers”: they know their own experiences to be valid and

true. Others, having had no experiences with spirits (or being unable to recognize them), do not know this to be true and may assume—

and insist—that what isn’t true for them can’t possibly be true for anyone else.

It is possible that not everyone experiences the world in exactly the same way, and so there’s no point in arguing: tolerance may be

the wisest course of action.

• For those who are already devotees, no explanation is necessary.

• For those inclined otherwise, no explanation may be sufficient.

• For those who are curious or “on the fence,” familiarize yourself with the rules and methods of spirit working and find out

for yourself.

THE FIRST LESSON: ANYONE CAN HAVE DIRECT CONTACT WITH THE DEITIES, NO MEDIATORS REQUIRED

If you consider all the implications of that statement, then you will understand why authorities of all kinds, secular and religious alike,

have historically attempted to suppress spirit working and its close relative, shamanism. Working with spirits instills independence and

personal responsibility; it does not encourage passivity. Working with spirits offers each individual direct access to the higher powers.

This is why people can’t forget the spirits. This is why people won’t abandon them, despite persecution. This is why stories, legends,

and myths about spirits have been recounted for thousands of years. This is why people are willing to die for them:

• During the European witch craze, veneration of spirits like Diana, Freya, Herta, and Hulda was forbidden on pain of slow

torture and death. Yet Inquisition records show that, for centuries, many defied these restrictions.

• Kidnapped Africans, sold as slaves in the Western Hemisphere, were forbidden, on pain of horrific torture and death, to

venerate their old spirits. The proof that they continued to do so anyway is demonstrated by the survival and vitality of

various African-Diaspora spiritual traditions.

• The Bible records the number of times the image of the controversial Hebrew goddess Asherah was removed from

Solomon’s Temple. Clearly someone kept putting her back.

Why? Because whenever times are trying and tough, people turn to spirits. Not because we are foolish, superstitious, and ignorant,

but because over millennia, spirits have developed a track record.

BENEFITS OF WORKING WITH SPIRITS

• Spirits and the process of working with them bring joy

• To be in the presence of spirits is to be in the presence of the sacred.

• Working with spirits is a conduit to ecstasy.

• Spirits help us fulfill our dreams, save us when we’re in trouble, and provide healing when conventional medicine throws in

the towel.

Apparently our fascination is mutual: spirits have consistently proven to be as interested in us as we are in them. (At least some of

them; those with absolutely no interest in humans are probably of no concern. You are unlikely to ever encounter them.) It’s not just that

we can’t forget them; they can’t seem to forget us, either, or leave us alone. And, in general, as many people know, that’s an extremely

good thing.

Yes, every once in a while, negative experiences occur: a ghost gone astray or an angry spirit encountered. Some spirits are less

pleasant than others. Yet this shouldn’t be cause for panic; these situations can be effectively dealt with, if you know what to do.

This book is a practical guide to spirits, identifying many by name and type. It contains information regarding what to expect from

spirits and methods of venerating and working with them (or avoiding them, if you choose). Before any of this can be accomplished,

however, let’s first establish: what are spirits anyway? Let’s explore the who, what, where, when, why and, maybe most crucially, the

how of working with spirits.

WHO OR WHAT ARE SPIRITS?

Spirits are powerful, independent entities who resist human efforts to define them. That’s the absolute most simple and most basic

definition—and ultimately the only one you really need to understand in order to work with them. More complex definitions exist, too;

lots of them. For millennia, mystics have cataloged complex, esoteric cosmologies explaining the true nature of the universe including

spirits. If this fascinates you, a lifetime can be happily spent in study and exploration. However, this is not necessary for practical

interaction with spirits any more than really understanding exactly how the lymphatic or endocrine systems work is required for close,

personal, satisfying relations with other people.

Spirits are ephemeral, volatile, fluid; they can be hard to pin down. Spirits have specific names, personalities, and responsibilities, but

sometimes spirits masquerade as each other. Sometimes one spirit answers to many names. Sometimes one name may be used by

several spirits. Sometimes several spirits share one image.

Confused? Then you’re on the right track. Working with spirits is not like buying a carton of milk. Requesting a miracle is not like

requesting a time-share or bank loan. As familiar as spirits can become, they are never commonplace, but always awe-inspiring.

Although an intrinsic part of our world, spirits always remain out of the ordinary.

A common synonym for spirits or deities is mysteries. (It’s even more common in French and Spanish: mystères or misterios.)

Spirits are among the universe’s true sacred mysteries. If you are looking for something easy to define, control, comprehend, and

pigeonhole, well, forgive me, but you’re in the wrong place.

Spirits resist easy categorization. Spirits challenge standard modern axioms of space, time, and reality. There are valid reasons why

so many have a hard time accepting their existence. But, be that as it may, as those who have had direct experience with them can

attest, they are genuinely here among us.

Modern scientific method requires predictability, uniformity, standardization, and the ability to reproduce results on demand. Modern

scientific method is a human construct, created by people to fulfill human needs, goals, or desires. The spirits don’t play by those rules.

Some mysteries of the universe defy human control and complete comprehension, spirits foremost among them.

Contrary to scientific method, spirits offer results as they please, when they choose. If anything, we are their lab rats. Sacred texts,

myths, and legends recount innumerable instances of spirits testing humans. The most famous examples derive from the Bible, most

explicitly in the Book of Job. Odin travels the world personally testing human hospitality, as does the Prophet Elijah. The myth of Santa

Claus checking who’s been naughty and who’s been nice is a vestigial memory of spirits testing humans before deciding whether to

dispense gifts or punishment.

Spirits are living, intelligent, sentient, and willful. They live outside our imaginations. We didn’t invent them or make them up, although

we have certainly embellished and twisted many of their legends.

You don’t need to memorize every detail about every single spirit. However, you do need to familiarize yourself thoroughly

with any spirit with whom you wish to work.

Spirits are alive in their own way, which is not exactly the same way people or animals are alive (especially those ghosts). No existing

word may adequately express the manner in which spirits are alive, but that is an inadequacy of language. Attempts to surmount this

inadequacy have led to common paradoxical terms like undead or the living dead.

Spirits are animated, capable of communication, travel as they please or are ordered, react to stimuli, and demonstrate individual

personalities and emotion. Not all spirits are immortal, but in general, even those who are not possess life spans so long that, for all

intents and purposes, at least from our perspective, they might as well be.

Spirits possess their own kind of consistency. They are true to their own selves. They possess their own rules, but generally those

rules have existed for hundreds, if not thousands of years. If you familiarize yourself with individual spirits before working with them,

there should be no unpleasant surprises.

Those spirits who are temperamental, prone to violence, perpetually grouchy, or pranksters make no pretense of being otherwise.

They are who they are; they make no secret of their nature. Loki, Papa Legba, and Mercury are unabashed tricksters (Norse, West

African, and Roman spirits respectively). Kwan Yin, goddess of mercy, is forever patient and loving, but sacred harlot Pomba Gira

makes no such promises.

Some people keep their deepest desires secret, but the spirits’ own needs, desires, dislikes, and predilections tend to be up-front and

on the table. Information required to work with many of them is straightforward. Spirits may appear in different forms or manifestations,

but each still has a basic nature, a true essence, that remains consistent.

• The Barons and Gédés, Haitian spirits of the dead, adore profanity and ribald humor.

• Yewá, a cemetery spirit, despises vulgarity. If you utter an obscenity in front of her altar, don’t expect favors.

Spirits are generally invisible, although many can make themselves selectively visible when they choose. All that open space

surrounding you? That seemingly empty air? Many claim that it’s actually filled with all kinds of spirits. The Talmud suggests that it’s a

good thing that spirits are invisible: if we could actually see all the myriad spirits constantly surrounding us, we’d drop dead of shock,

awe, or fright.

Spirits most often show themselves to people in dreams, but sometimes people see spirits while they’re awake, even when other

people present are unable to do so. This may be because the spirit wishes to communicate only with that person or because, for one

reason or another (high fever; intense hunger or emotions; entheogens), the filters that normally prevent us from seeing spirits have, at

least momentarily, slipped. Visions are also sometimes shared; spirits may manifest themselves to groups of people, simultaneously or

not. I once lived in a house where several people saw the same ghost. We all shared the same experience, but independently, not at the

same time.

Some special people possess the power to consistently see spirits even when others can’t, with or without a spirit’s permission.

Sometimes people welcome or actively seek this power, which may be the conscious result of intensive spells and rituals. (Some spirits

also bestow this ability.) Others just see spirits, whether they want to or not. This person may possess specialized vision or lack

standard filters.

The little boy who sees dead people in M. Night Shyamalan’s 1999 movie The Sixth Sense is terrorized until he understands

his gift and learns to interact with the ghosts, rather then vainly attempting to flee from them. Once the ghosts are accepted

and understood, they stop being so terrifying for both the boy and the movie’s viewers.

Some cultures and traditions perceive this power as a sacred gift: people are taught to use and control their abilities for their own

benefit as well as for the community at large. Other cultures and traditions perceive this ability as dangerous, scary, diabolical, a mark of

Satan, or alternatively as preposterous and unbelievable, hence a sign of mental illness. In fact, it can be very traumatic to consistently

see what others cannot, especially if living among those who fear, despise, deny, or disparage this talent, and most especially if lacking

the knowledge to control this power.

Many spirits shape-shift, meaning they assume different forms. In general, specific spirits consistently manifest in specific, recognizable

forms. They own different forms the way you or I own different outfits. Some have more extensive wardrobes than others.

It is crucial to remember that, regardless of how they appear, whether in grand or humble form, these are really sacred beings of spirit

and energy. They may resemble a person, animal, bird, or bug, but that guise is a cloak. Most spirits are aware that humans generally

find it difficult to communicate with anything except another human—or at least something resembling one. Hence, when spirits wish to

communicate or make their presence known, many do so in a form that we can understand and handle. (Of course, there are also those

spirits who don’t care and may even enjoy being terrifying.)

There are some stupid spirits. (Again, no surprises: their reputations precede them.) Some possess vulnerabilities that make it easy for

humans to manipulate them, but in general, spirits are smarter and stronger than people. They truly possess the magic powers of our

fantasies and dreams.

There are many different types of spirits. Not all spirits are of equal power. Some spirits profess to be supreme creators (of all or part

of the universe; of us). These spirits may or may not be one and the same, just using different names in different places and with different

people. Other spirits are created, just like us.

Some spirits rule or serve other spirits. Some possess unlimited power; others are comparatively limited. Be forewarned: it is wise to

assume that even the lowest-level spirit possesses a few tricks up its sleeve and should be treated with caution and respect.

Spirits who manifest as humans do so in every shape, color, size, age, gender, and ethnicity. They reflect our sacredness

back at us. No matter what you look like—thin or fat, tall or tiny, badly scarred, missing eyes or limbs, simultaneously

possessing female and male genitalia—there is a sacred, powerful spirit who resembles you .

Some spirits are primeval; they may have existed since the dawn of time:

• Damballah does not speak because he is so primordial; he is from a time before speech.

• The same is true for forest deity Faunus.

• Archaeologists trace goddesses Car and Kybele back to at least the Neolithic Era.

On the other hand, new spirits are born daily. Hindu goddess Santoshi Ma emerged in the 1960s. According to some spiritual

traditions, every living person has the potential to evolve into a spirit after death. Korean shamans (manshin) summon the spirit of

General Douglas MacArthur at Inchon Harbor near where he landed during the Korean War. Images of visionary artist Frida Kahlo

now appear on altars indicating that she has assumed goddess status.

REALMS OF SPIRITS

Spirits live among us. Many possess powerful links with specific locations (the presiding spirit of a particular mountain or city, for

instance) or with general regions (lakes, oceans, forests, deserts, swamps, the moon). Spirits reside in caves, stones, and trees. Some

spirits are profoundly attached to their own shrines and images. Others prefer to stay near the humans they love and serve, sometimes

residing in their homes. Some spirits haunt marketplaces and bathhouses. Ghosts may linger at the scene of a crime.

Spirits also possess their very own realms. The true definition of a shaman is someone who can journey back and forth between

human and spirit realms. Shamanism is among the primal human skills, maybe the true oldest profession. Luckily, many shamans over the

ages have shared their experiences. Much of what is known about spirit realms derives from their descriptions, the spiritual equivalent of

a travelogue.

The best explanation regarding realms of spirits and the afterlife may derive from Amy Tan’s 1995 novel , The Hundred

Secret Senses. Kwan, a central character, can see and interact with the Yin World, the Chinese realm of ghosts. She explains

that post-death destinations are determined by who or what you love and believe. And if you’re not sure or don’t believe in

anything, then the opportunity exists to visit various realms and choose which suits you best.

There are many, various individual spirit realms. Envision a huge spirit universe, parallel to our own, which is then subdivided into

smaller realms, similar to how a huge catering facility may be subdivided into rooms. Many parties occur concurrently: beings pass from

one to another. Portals and passages connect these realms, including our own.

Some realms are heavily fortified, difficult to access, like an elite, private club. Like that club, entrances to these realms may be

guarded by fierce gatekeepers. Other realms are welcoming and comparatively easy for people to access.

Different spirits reside in different realms. Some claim residence in more than one realm. Others travel back and forth, visiting different

realms, just like shamans. Among the Norse deities, Odin, Freya, and Frigg each preside over their own halls within the realm Asgard,

while sea spirit Ran lives among the waves and Hel rules over a realm of death.

Morgan Le Fay presides over Avalon. Itzpapalotl presides over Tamoanchan, a paradise where, according to an Aztec creation

myth, modern humanity was first formed from blood and bones stolen from Mictlan, the Aztec realm of death. Mictlan, in turn, is ruled

by spirits Mictlantecuhtli and Mictlancihuatl, Lord and Lady Death.

Hades is the traditional Greek realm of death. The name of its ruler is a secret. Because it was considered dangerous to call him by

his true name (no need to draw his attention), people instead refer to him by his realm’s name. The general population of Hades consists

of shades of humanity (ghosts, dead souls), but other spirits live there, too:

• Charon, the ferryman

• Cerberus, the three-headed watchdog who keeps ghosts where they belong

• Persephone, Queen of Death

• Hekate, who moonlights as Persephone’s personal handmaiden

• Adonis, who spends part of the year entertaining Persephone

Hades, Mictlan, Hel: we’ve just begun, and already three different realms of death have been identified. Keep reading. There are

many more. Which one is real? Maybe all of them. The more crucial question is, which one (or ones) is most significant for you?

Spirits travel between realms, but people can, too.

• Shamanic training teaches how to visit spirit realms and safely return home.

• Spirit realms are accessed via dreams and visualizations. (More information and instructions follow.)

WHERE ARE SPIRITS MOST LIKELY TO BE MET?

Ultimately in your heart. That said, spirits are more likely to be encountered in certain types of places:

Thresholds and crossroads are particularly conducive to spirit encounters. If you want to meet spirits, those are the places you’re

most likely to find them. (Conversely, if you don’t wish to meet them, then those are the places to avoid.)

Thresholds are border areas where one force, power, energy, or element meets another. Thresholds exist everywhere: for example,

the seashore is the threshold between land and ocean, the liminal, transitional area where earth meets water. Hedgerows were once the

threshold between wilderness and civilization. Your mouth is the threshold between thought and speech.

Thresholds may be physical (the seashore); spiritual (the cemetery is the threshold between realms of life and death); and plain old

literal: many spirits, Djinn in particular, like to congregate at door thresholds. That’s the root reason behind the common superstition

urging people to step over, not on, a threshold. No need to wake or annoy any resident spirits. Universal folklore considers brides

especially vulnerable to jealous spirits. The tradition of carrying the bride over the threshold emerged as a safety precaution, albeit a fun,

romantic one.

Thresholds possess a liminal quality: if you are small enough to balance on a threshold, then you are neither inside nor outside, you are

someplace in between. Twilight and dawn are thresholds of night and day: during those times, it is not quite night or day, but some

fleeting, transformative magical time in between. “Once there was and once there wasn’t …,” a traditional opening line of Eastern

European fairy tales, the equivalent of “Once upon a time,” signals that the story takes place in a threshold zone.

Crossroads are where something intersects with something else. A crossroads might be literal (a traffic intersection; a meeting of

roads) or spiritual (a shrine or altar is where the mundane meets the sacred). Unlike a threshold, a crossroads has a point of intersection.

That point is perceived as possessing and emanating tremendous magical, metaphysical, and spiritual energy. Spirits both crave and

contribute to that energy.

Sophisticated, modern, educated people who work with spirits inhabit their own threshold zone. They live a liminal

existence, simultaneously walking in two worlds: the mysterious world of the spirits and the “rational” world that denies

spirits’ existence.

Places where spirits are most likely to congregate include:

• Natural portals to their realms: wells, caves, springs, certain trees

• Shores, mountain peaks (natural thresholds)

• Cemeteries and birthing rooms (thresholds of life and death)

• Crossroads

• Ruins (especially those of sacred sites or scenes of disasters)

• Traditional fairs, markets, and festivals (spirits enjoy them as much as we do)

• Mirrors and divination devices

Spirits are also encountered, venerated, and petitioned at their shrines, temples, and tombs. Some have intense associations with

specific locations. Journeying to a spirit’s special shrine is like visiting them at home. Homes are provided for spirits by erecting altars,

shrines, and spirit houses or by planting certain types of trees, plants, or gardens.

WHY DO SPIRITS HELP US?

Different spirits possess different motivations and reasons:

• Love: they are your ancestors, personal guardians, or spiritual patrons.

• Some are just beings of incredible loving generosity and mercy.

• Others, while not so consistently altruistic, have generous moods. Ask at the right moment or in the right way and be

rewarded.

• They have a loyalty of some sort, including ethnic, spiritual, or professional patronage.

• Some spirits respond well to bribery.

• Others help because they like you, identify with you, or seek an ongoing relationship with you.

Any one or combination of the above reasons may be true, but in addition, many spirits who help humans do so because it is their

job. Providing assistance is their special function, their sacred charge, their

raison d’être, their reason for being. In many cases, they live

to serve and are eager to help. Some have made a sacred vow of assistance and so they must help, providing, of course, that you ask

and they are aware of the need.

We may never know how many unrequested miracles occur on a daily basis. How many disasters have been secretly averted via

spiritual intervention? Some guardian spirits operate undercover, but most desire credit and rewards for their good deeds: they want to

be sure you know who saved the day.

The most powerful spirits can do anything. There is no wish that Isis cannot fulfill. However, most spirits are specialists. Should you

seriously need legal advice, you wouldn’t just ask anyone: you’d look for a lawyer. If your sink backs up, you need a plumber. If your

teeth hurt, you wouldn’t call that plumber; you’d look for a dentist, preferably one you like and find sympathetic. After all, they will be

putting their fingers in your mouth. Requesting assistance from spirits is similar. Associate with spirits you like and find sympathetic: they

will be inserting their presence in your life.

So, for example, if your child needs spiritual protection, you might invoke Anubis, Bes, or Kwan Yin. If the love of your life wants to

take you on a cruise and you wish to go but are secretly afraid of the sea, spirits who can guarantee safe passage include Poseidon,

Agwé, Yemaya, Ma Zu, various mermaids, and the Stella Maris.

Another theory explains why some spirits may offer or withhold help. According to a Jewish legend, two worlds existed before our

own. The one just previous to ours was populated by a race of beings who eventually came into bitter conflict with the Creator, who

scrapped that world and created a new one with humans instead.

Some of the earlier beings were destroyed, but others survived and still linger or lurk in the shadows. (Depending upon who’s telling

the story, those primordial survivors may be called spirits or demons.) Some are helpful; others perceive people as usurpers and are

resentful; still others are ambivalent. Some blame us; others worry that we’ll meet the same fate and seek to protect and assist us. These

survivors, the Old Ones, may perceive themselves as our elder siblings, disenfranchised step-siblings, or unfairly evicted prior tenants,

thus explaining the complex blend of protectiveness, hostility, love, jealousy, and craving for gifts characterizing the attitudes of some

spirits toward people.

Fans of H. P. Lovecraft or Buffy the Vampire Slayer/Angel will recognize these Old Ones or Elder Beings.

WORKING WITH SPIRITS

How did people first learn to work with spirits? The short answer is that the spirits taught us. The specifics of how that knowledge

was transmitted are a beloved theme of worldwide mythology. Details differ but frequently reference the natural affinity and attraction

shared between spirits and people. For example, Siberian myth explains that the Creator sent a sacred bird to Earth charged with the

task of teaching people how to shamanize. (Siberia is vast: depending on tribe and location, this bird may be an owl, eagle, raven, or

rooster.) The bird fell in love with a woman. Their child was Earth’s first shaman.

Since those primordial beginnings, people have taught other people how to work with spirits, sharing information, techniques,

materials, and methods.

Working with spirits is an intrinsically sacred art, but a practical one, too. If spirits deliver on their promises, devotions increase.

Weary or disenchanted spirits seeking to retire stop producing. Desperate people seeking assistance quickly get the message and seek

help elsewhere. If one spirit doesn’t deliver, another one may. That spirit then inherits the devotee’s attentions. (Conversely, devotees

who fail to fulfill obligations or hold up their end of a bargain may lose a spirit’s ear and sympathy.)

Those spirits who consistently deliver, who dependably demonstrate generous or hard-working natures develop reputations. Word

gets around. Some spirits are eager for human companionship, hungry for our love and attention. Guatemalan spirit Maximon, for

instance, bears the reputation of being exceptionally responsive and hardworking, as does the Vietnamese goddess Ba Chua Xu.

It is in the nature of many spirits to be workaholics. This tendency is reflected in clichés like “work like a demon” or working “like

one possessed.” This works to our benefit. However, like other workaholics, they may become impatient with slackers. You will be

expected to hold up your end of the bargain.

Spirits work, but so do people. It’s called working because you are not a passive recipient. People don’t just sit back and wait for

generous spirits to shower us with blessings. Relationships between people and spirits are symbiotic: that means mutually beneficial.

They work for us, and we work for them.

Methods of working with spirits have remained fairly consistent over millennia and all over the world. Documents recording appeals

from early Common Era women asking Hermes to protect their soldier sons will sound familiar to anyone working with spirits today.

Likewise, if those ancient devotees could time-travel forward to modern spirit-centered rituals, they’d find much to be very familiar.

Types of food or drink offered to spirits may differ; specific songs or drumbeats may differ; which incense is burned may differ; but

basic methods of working with spirits are universal and eternal. Spirits communicate via symbols, oracles, and dreams. Most enjoy,

crave, and expect small gifts. While the basic structure of independent spirit working is consistent, two factors are unique to each

individual transaction and will affect their direction and outcome:

• Will the spirit respond to a petitioner as desired or even respond at all?

• What are the individual petitioner’s hopes, fears, beliefs, and level of expertise or desperation?

How one works with spirits depends somewhat on what it is one hopes to receive from them. Let’s take a closer look at pathways

leading to spirits, and then let’s explore the nuts and bolts of working with them. Let’s examine two different scenarios.

Someone may literally adore a spirit. A spirit may fascinate and enthrall a person. Someone may have incredible respect for a spirit

and perceive it as a role model, a shining example, a symbol of courage or fortitude, extreme beauty, virtue, or generosity. What this

person desires is the presence of the beloved.

Let’s say, for example, that someone has been fascinated with Artemis or Athena since childhood. She may begin collecting images

or objects associated with that spirit. She spends a lot of time reading and considering their myths and legends. She wears jewelry or

perfume evocative of that spirit; maybe gets a tattoo. People recognize her affiliation and give her goddess-related gifts. Over the years,

her collection grows and may take over a shelf or corner or entire room of her home. Intentionally or not, she has created altar space,

whether or not she realizes it.

Maybe this is where this story ends: maybe she receives peace of mind, satisfaction, and happiness from her collection. Maybe she

discovers over time that her thinking is clearer while sitting amidst this collection or while holding one particular object in her hands.

Solutions to problems just seem to come to her, to pop into her mind. Maybe she starts traveling with a small portable image of the spirit

because she sleeps more peacefully when it’s with her. Maybe it never progresses from here.

Some people know exactly which spirits fascinate, interest, and appeal to them. They love this spirit, regardless of whether

any reciprocal gesture is ever received .

But maybe the spirit starts appearing in her dreams. Maybe the spirit offers good advice, warns of pending problems, or asks for

something. Maybe, even during waking hours, this person starts receiving communiqués from this spirit.

This person may never have intended to do more than create a beautiful tribute to a beloved spirit, whose genuine living reality she

may never have considered or thought possible. What she has created, however, is a portal with a welcome mat. Through her devotion

to the spirit, she has assumed the role of priestess or acolyte. Believers in reincarnation might suggest that she was once such a priestess

in a previous life and that her actions are no accident.

Focusing intently on a spirit has attracted its attention. Actions of veneration were pleasing to the spirit: it wants more. Rather than a

casual relationship, the spirit may seek increased attention in exchange for protection and patronage. Creation of altar space, the use of

imagery, and/or intense concentration has opened up a portal for the spirit.

If this person chooses to respond to the overtures made by the spirit, or if she, too, would like to kick the relationship up a notch, her

next step is to consciously start tending her altar and/or begin feeding the spirit. Most people are amazed, honored, and delighted to

receive contact, but if, for whatever reason, she does not want this relationship, she should very politely, calmly, respectfully, and

clearly articulate her reasons why not directly to the spirit, possibly also offering some small tribute or gift as a peace offering in case the

spirit is offended.

That’s one fairly typical scenario, one way of forming a working relationship with a spirit. The flip side of this scenario is that what

many people love most about spirits is their power and generosity. Sometimes a relationship with a spirit is sought specifically because

we want something from them. The presence of the beloved isn’t enough; help, benefits, a gift, or some miracle is sought.

Let’s look at another typical path to the spirits.

This person has little or no interest in spirits, their stories, or whether or not they exist. She may be a rationalist who doesn’t “believe”

in them, or the whole subject may be off her radar; it’s just not relevant. But now, some sort of crisis has arisen. Considerable time,

effort, and money may have already been spent attempting to solve this problem, but nothing has worked. Finally someone else,

seriously or jokingly, suggests an appeal to some spirit, or maybe the person in need saw some vague reference to spiritual intervention

in a book.

Previously this suggestion would have been laughed off or automatically rejected, but the situation is now dire and no possibility,

regardless how remote, can be dismissed. What this person needs is a miracle. She is clutching at straws. Spiritual intervention may be

the only straw left to clutch.

Maybe this crisis is spousal abuse, and so someone has recommended seeking assistance from Yemaya or Ezili Dantor. Maybe she

can’t get pregnant, and so an appeal to one of the many fertility spirits is suggested (Artemis, Brigid, or Lilith, for example). Maybe the

problem is an unhealthy addiction, hers or that of someone she loves. After years of frustration, someone asks, why not petition

Maximon for help?

Why not, indeed? This person has not spent years accumulating sacred objects and knowledge. She may have no concept of the

sacred whatsoever. All these names of spirits may be overwhelming and meaningless. She is a beginner, a novice, and may have doubts

about the reality of spirits, let alone her own ability to reach them, if they exist. She lacks experience but needs help now. What does

this person do next? Where does she start?

Here is the method in a nutshell:

• Identify a spirit who can help you or the spirit who is your personal patron.

• Familiarize yourself with this spirit; are you comfortable requesting their assistance?

• Respectfully but straightforwardly and clearly articulate what you seek, going into as much detail as needed. You cannot be

too clear and precise.

Nothing in life is free. This is important: If there is a single key word that must be remembered about working with spirits, it is

reciprocity . Relationships between people and spirits are mutually beneficial: in other words, spirits expect to receive something in

return for favors rendered, if only sincere gestures of love and veneration.

Spirits don’t want your soul or your firstborn. Put the knife down; no need to draw up a contract in your own blood. There’s no need

for a written contract at all. That’s all propaganda intended to induce fear. Horror stories and religious propaganda present perverted

distortions of the ancient art of negotiating with spirits.

In general, spirits seek veneration, relationships, some care and feeding, good deeds on their behalf, and gestures and testimonials to

their power and generosity. Thus, the final two steps of working with spirits:

• Explain precisely what it is that you will give in return and exactly when the spirit should expect payment. Never promise

something you know you can’t or won’t deliver.

• If the spirit fulfills its end of the bargain, make sure that you fulfill yours, too.

Let’s be frank: in emergencies, people take help wherever they can get it. In desperate circumstances, people will contact

and accept aid from those whom they might otherwise prefer to avoid. This fact of life is what keeps loan sharks in business:

those in dire financial straits seek and accept their assistance even though fully aware of the danger.

Working with spirits is similar: mired in a genuine life-or-death crisis, especially one involving the health or safety of a

loved one, many seek out dangerous but powerful spirits. Even when motivated by desperation and hopelessness, even if you

feel you have no choice, still familiarize yourself thoroughly with any spirit with whom you work. Learn their habits, their

predilections: what do they do when they get mad? This makes for a happier, safer, ultimately more successful working

relationship.

Some spirits are more flexible and good-natured, more or less acquisitive, compassionate, or generous than others. Some like to

bargain or negotiate. Achilles won’t respond at all until he considers an offer duly respectful and worthy of him.

There are many paths to the spirits. Different individuals approach spirits for a wide variety of motivations. If you seek nothing from

them, if all you desire is to bask in their presence, then this process doesn’t really apply (or at least until there is something you desire or

need). Since the spirit has not been asked to do anything, nothing is owed in return. Should the devotee become bored or decide to

explore a different spiritual path, veneration may simply stop at any time. (Sometimes this is the moment when previously silent spirits

rear their heads and make their presence known.)

The person offering the petition to the spirit is the person who owes the debt. Even if your request ultimately benefits or

saves someone else, it is your wish that was fulfilled.

The relationship is more complex, however, if you actually desire something or expect to receive something, even just general

patronage and protection. You may just vaguely hope that venerating a spirit will earn good fortune, but if and when you really need

something, you must ask for it specifically and explicitly, naming your desire.

These requests are referred to as petitions, not in the sense of the modern political petition, a paper signed by vast numbers of

people, but in the old-fashioned sense of a petition as a formal request for a favor, presented to royalty.

There are two ways of effectively presenting petitions:

• Petitions are offered spontaneously or impulsively in a moment of passion or despair.

• Petitions are formally presented within the context of rituals. This type of petition is planned in advance. An awful lot of

expense and trouble may be taken to offer this petition, with the person sometimes journeying great lengths to be at a

shrine at a specific moment. This petition may or may not be accompanied by offerings, the equivalent of a down payment

on favors expected or a show of good faith.

If you have the time to plan, then the second method can be extremely effective, but sometimes a sincere cry from the heart is all it

takes to catch a spirit’s attention and sympathies. This is especially true if a spirit is already awaiting your call.

You will know within a reasonable amount of time whether a spirit has accepted your offer or wishes to negotiate further, because

indications will appear. Sometimes immediate fulfillment of the request is the indication, but not always. (Utter long-term silence—no

response—mayindicate that this particular spirit has refused you or has not heard you. More about this later.)

Those seeking help with any aspect of pregnancy should advise the spirit that payment will only be made after the birth of a healthy

child—not just upon conception. Vowing to bring a healthy child of a certain age to visit the spirit’s shrine is a very traditional payment.

Likewise someone seeking assistance with healing might specify that payment will be made six months or one year following the cure

just to ensure that it’s lasting. (Lists of the

many spirits concerned with human health and reproduction are found in the Appendix.)

Spirits are offered terms and conditions. Tell a spirit exactly what you want. Simultaneously, tell the spirit what you don’t

want. State the conditions required for delivery of your payment.

Terms and conditions depend upon the nature of what’s sought and the nature of the particular spirit. Of course, the longer a spirit

must wait, the more substantial and thoughtful payment should be: you will have had time to prepare.

Spirits frequently work through people. We are their hands, tools, mouths, servants, and messengers, albeit often unknowingly.

Although you are petitioning a spirit, do not be surprised to find a miracle arriving via human hands. Miracles frequently look very

normal; they don’t always arrive with flashing lights and special effects as on T V. If you have a medical condition that has defied

treatment and so have petitioned Raphael, a preeminent spirit of healing, and suddenly there is a medical breakthrough that results in

your cure, that’s your miracle.

In Latin America, this system is called la promesa , literally “the promise”: a reciprocal vow, contract, or covenant between a

practitioner and a sacred being. Although this term is Spanish, the concept is universal. Who is making the promise? Both spirit and

human alike: it is a sacred vow and bond. (Spirits, even dangerous demons, are renowned for keeping their word, once given. They may

try to weasel their way out through loopholes or word games, but they will not break a promise.)

Spirits expect to be paid for miracles provided. You want That may sound callous, especially in regard to a sacred being, this point is

understood:

Some spirit-working traditions cite the marketplace as a metaphor for the world in which we live. Everything, every

interaction or relationship with anyone involves negotiations and transactions of one sort or another, not necessarily financial .

• People who love and venerate spirits all the time, in good times and bad, tend to recognize gifts and miracles when

received. They are quick to render gratitude, affection, tribute, and payments.

• Those who may have petitioned a spirit as a whim or long shot are more likely to dismiss experiences as coincidence and

hence offer no payment or renege on a deal.

Believing in spirits is not necessary. What is required is the belief in the possibility that just maybe there is something out there that

can help you. If it doesn’t, well, there you are back in the same place where you started, problems and all. If you are helped, however,

then it’s crucial to acknowledge the reality of what helped you, even if only to yourself and the spirit.

Whatever you perceive spirits to be, it is crucial, if you intend to work with them, to see them as something alive and independent

from you. Many people have a hard time accepting spirits as distinct living entities. Instead spirits are understood as archetypes,

metaphors, or other abstract emanations of the human mind. Working with spirits without acknowledging them as independent entities

inevitably leads to trouble. How can you ask an archetype for assistance? You can’t. How can a metaphor provide miracles? It can’t.

Archetypes and metaphors come from the human brain; miracles and favors produced by archetypes and metaphors clearly also stem

from the human brain. If it’s all from the human brain, then you can provide your own miracles without asking for outside assistance.

(And maybe you can. Some swear by the power of positive thinking. But that’s not the same as working with spirits.)

In order to negotiate with spirits, to work with them, to request their assistance, to maintain a positive relationship, you

must be able to accept spirits as something apart from you, something that exists independently of you.

The problem is that many people believe in spirits when they need something and then, when the emergency is over, rationalize that

spirits don’t really exist and that the solution to their problems derived from coincidence or their own efforts. The result is the tendency

to fail to pay off a spiritual debt or fulfill a vow. No one likes an ingrate, especially not spirits. You don’t want their reality proved to you

via their anger.

Trouble can be avoided very easily. If you can’t accept their reality, if you have a deep emotional investment in spirits not being real,

then just don’t address them as living beings. Don’t ask for anything. Don’t promise anything. Don’t fool around.

What’s the going cost for a miracle? Again, spirits don’t want your soul or your firstborn, either. Miracles provided are not tricks

intended to make you relax your guard so that later you can be more easily harmed.

So what do you offer in exchange for a miracle? What do you give a spirit who has everything? What do you give someone who may

have saved your life and whom you may wish to contact again, should the need arise?

The magnitude of the miracle (how badly it was needed; whether it was a matter of life and death) determines the magnitude of the

offering. There are small petitions and major petitions: “Help me find a parking space” versus “Save me from cancer.”

Never make vague, hysterical, grandiose promises like “I’ll give you anything!” or “Take whatever you want,” or “I’ll give you the

most valuable thing I have!” or, like the biblical Jephtah, “You’ll get the first thing I see coming up the road.” You can see right away

how this leads to misunderstandings and trouble.

Miracle-providing spirits tend to demonstrate displeasure by revoking the miracle. Some spirits are more or less patient

and forgiving than others.

Likewise, never offer something that you know you won’t deliver or that you’re not sure you can deliver. If you have no money,

don’t offer something expensive. It is, however, very traditional to base an offering on the requested miracle itself. Delivery of payment

is dependent on delivery of the miracle: they are truly symbiotic. The Romans often inserted a little verbal proviso into spiritual petitions;

it translates into English as “I give when you have given.”

• If you are asking for financial assistance, offer to give a percentage of riches received to a cause close to the spirit’s heart.

• Those seeking fertility often name a child after the spirit, bring the child to visit a spirit’s shrine when the child is old enough,

and/or raise the child to be an active devotee.

• Those seeking cures may vow to help those suffering from the same affliction should they recover enough to be able to do

so.

Historically, working with spirits has been the province of poor and working people. Spirits’ desires are often very modest. Mostly,

they seek attention, acknowledgment, and gestures of gratitude. The most important aspect of an offering is that it is given lovingly and

respectfully, not grudgingly. True gifts of the heart are more valuable than lavish donations offered carelessly. Here are some generally

appropriate payments:

• Provide an artistic tribute, whether created by yourself or commissioned from another.

• Create an altar, whether an actual physical one or a virtual one in cyberspace.

• Throw a party in the spirit’s honor, or offer a more private ritual meal.

• Name something important after the spirit, or post its image in a prominent place.

• Testify to the miracle in some public manner.

• Get a tattoo that references the spirit (name, image, or sacred symbols).

• Make a pilgrimage to a shrine or place strongly associated with that spirit.

• Many spirits are associated with specific animals, plants, and sacred sites. The world being what it is, most of them are

endangered. Any efforts or charitable donations on their behalf will be greatly appreciated. Thus Artemis has powerful

associations with wolves; if she helps you, do something to help them, whether directly or financially. Xtabay is associated

with kapok (ceiba) trees; if she helps you, plant or preserve one.

FINDING YOUR SPIRIT ALLIES

Different people need different spirits. Different spirits are attracted to different people. Not every spirit in this book will interest you;

nor will every spirit be sympathetic toward you. Hence, this book identifies many, representing a wide variety of traditions and belief

systems, so that you can shop around and locate spirits who are compatible with you. Consider it a smorgasbord of spirits. The most

crucial issue, of course, is identifying your spirits, your own best personal allies; those spirits who walk with you offering advice and

protection; who hear your petitions and answer them.

Obviously, anyone can speak to any spirit they choose. The bigger question is: will that spirit answer? If a spirit doesn’t communicate

with you, that doesn’t prove it doesn’t exist. That particular spirit may just not be interested in you. Your own spirit allies, guardians, and

protectors will answer your call. The trick is identifying them.

• The mystery is whether a spirit will work with you or not.

• Your challenge is identifying your own personal spirit allies.

How many spirits will you need? That depends upon you. Some people are social butterflies: they really enjoy the company of spirits.

They create elaborate altars and throw frequent parties for the spirits. Many spirits are sociable, too. Invite them into your life, and

they’ll bring their friends, family, and animal familiars with them.

Other people feel blessed and content with one spirit ally. Likewise, some spirits are solitary or selective. They will only serve those

(possibly very few) people they recognize as their own spiritual children, not humanity or the needy in general.

Some spirits are high maintenance, demanding attention and devotion. Prima donnas, they may not wish to share their spotlight,

except perhaps with spirits who are deferential toward them. Others possess modest appetites and desires.

How many spirit allies anyone else has is irrelevant. There is no competition. What suits one person doesn’t necessarily suit another.

More is not necessarily better. It is the quality of each relationship that counts. These are intimate relationships; what is important is what

is best for you. The best spirit-human relationships are lifelong symbiotic partnerships, characterized by mutual love, respect, and

assistance. Consider them alliances, committed relationships, something like a really good marriage.

How will you find your spirit(s)? How do you choose your allies?

Frankly, they usually pick you. The real challenge often resides in identifying those spirits already hovering near; those already on

standby, awaiting your call.

Some spiritual traditions suggest that each of us is born with a pack of spirit allies who travel through life with us, accompanying and

guarding us. Some theorize that these alliances are eternal. Transcending death, our guardian spirits maintain their watch, incarnation

after incarnation. Although we may lack recollections of past lives, the spirits know all. If we are aware of these allies, if we can identify

them and explicitly request their help, we then empower them to offer even greater assistance on our behalf. (Many can and will reveal

past life information, too.)

Spirits are accumulated as needed. As we journey through life, experiences, accomplishments, behavior, or crises may attract or

stimulate new spirit alliances.

Marriage isn’t the only metaphor for spirit working; it might also be compared to pet adoptions. Dog shelters are filled

with needy canines. Most people adopt one or two; some are able to care for many. Levels of attention, love and care received

by the dog depend upon the adopting person. Whether the dog stays in his new home or is returned is also ultimately up to the

person. Clever dogs attempt to stay in good graces via lots of tail wagging and signs of love. When it comes to spirit working,

we’re the dogs.

If a spirit’s name or image resonates or lingers with you, then it’s very possible that spirit has been hovering near you, waiting for

contact. If you have ever felt compelled to spend time and effort researching a spirit, maybe it’s playing hide-and-seek with you. As the

old saying goes, that which you are seeking may be causing you to seek.

Spirits may seek to work with you for any or all of the following reasons:

• The spirit perceives that you share something of its nature or essence.

• Some basis for assistance and loyalty exists (ethnic, familial, religious, professional).

• The spirit perceives a need in you, which it can fulfill.

• This spirit just likes you and enjoys your presence.

• Knowingly or unknowingly, you’ve called upon this power and they’ve responded.

Clues to help you identify your spirit allies include:

• Look for spirits whose names, images, or myths linger or haunt you, those spirits you just can’t forget, whether positively or

negatively. Sometimes spirits who initially scare us, become, after further reflection and knowledge, powerful, valued allies.

• Look for spirits who inspire you creatively, who are already serving as your muse.

• Look for those with whom you identify or with whom you share something significant.

• Look for spirits who possess affiliations with what you love.

If there is something you really love, a particularly beloved place, animal, flower, color, or even a lucky number, look for spirits

sharing associations. If you consistently dream of bears or volcanoes, for instance, check the Appendix at the back of this book for

associated spirits and see whether any resonate with you. If you’ve been collecting images of pigs since childhood, consider one of the

many spirits associated with swine.

Which spirits appear in your dreams? Which keep popping up in your life? Remember, some spirits frequently manifest in the form of

their sacred animals. Read through the entries of this book: you may already have had personal encounters and experiences. You just

need to recognize and identify them.

This may sound cut-and-dry, but it’s not. Sometimes what we perceive as a clear obvious link with a spirit is actually wishful thinking,

fear, lack of self-awareness, or some other confusing human emotion.

Allow yourself to be surprised. Sometimes shockingly unexpected spirits make overtures of patronage. Spirits see our hidden powers

and potential, even those we ourselves fail to recognize.

Many of the spirits in this book are great spirits, the equivalent of royalty. Their presence is both a blessing and an honor. If they

make overtures, consider them; learn about them before ignoring or turning them down too quickly. (Persistent spirits continue to linger

quietly, waiting for you to be ready. Others lose interest and won’t be back.)

Do you share the name of a spirit? Many traditions consider that sharing a name creates an unbreakable bond. A spirit whose name

you share may be obligated to serve as your patron, one reason why so many name their children after powerful, sacred beings.

Were you born on a day associated with a spirit? That, too, may indicate the existence of sacred ties. Brigid’s holy day is 1 February.

If that’s your birthday, consider yourself linked. Various spiritual traditions, including Christian, Aztec, and ancient Egyptian, link specific

calendar days with specific spirits. Those born on a spirit’s day are believed to share in its essence and/or receive its patronage.

Some spirits are affiliated with the zodiac, Western and otherwise. For example:

• Artemis, Hera, and Yemaya are affiliated with Cancer.

• Ishhara, Oya, and Selkhet are affiliated with Scorpio.

• Kannon is guardian of those born in the Year of the Rat.

• Fudo guards those born in the Year of the Rooster.

Alternatively, consider which spirits might be attracted or sympathetic to you.

Some spirits feel ties of ethnic loyalty. Atargatis is also called Dea Syria, the Syrian Goddess. If you have strong ties to that nation,

ancestral or otherwise, then you already have her private number. Rachel is the Mother of Israel. Guadalupe is Protectress of Mexico.

Juno is Matron of Rome. In African-influenced Brazil, Yemaya, Queen of the Sea, is a national heroine: those who survived the slave

trade’s Middle Passage, to Brazil or elsewhere, are believed to have done so via her grace. Their descendents retain this spiritual bond.

Some spirits guard and guide those who share their spiritual or religious inclinations. Others mentor those who embrace certain

political or social causes.

Spirits serve as professional patrons:

• Ho Tei and La Madama sponsor fortune-tellers, while Tanit protects astrologers.

• Coatlique has a soft spot for florists; Oshun for hairdressers.

• Brigid and Odin love poets.

• Ogun, Kwan Kung, and Michael Archangel sponsor law enforcement officers.

Some spirits are attracted to certain issues, needs, or even personalities. Some protect people because of shared experiences:

Demeter suffered the trauma of a kidnapped child; ifthat’s your personal pain, she shares it. Ezili Dantor raises her children alone; she is

the matron of single mothers.

Do you feel in need of greater courage? Maybe it’s time to spend time with Maeve or Ogun. Would you like to be more beautiful?

Bring Aphrodite, Ezili Freda, or Oshun into your life. Perhaps you seek inner beauty, aspiring to unconditional love and generosity? Jizo

or Kwan Yin can lead the way.

Sometimes physical attributes indicate an existing bond with a spirit. (Whether the spirit is merely attracted by these attributes or

whether the spirit has actually caused them, essentially marking a person as its own, has long been subject for debate.)

Seek spirits you identify with or those you’d like to emulate. Devotion to spirits is sometimes rewarded by inheriting or

absorbing that spirit’s desired traits. (Conversely, don’t spend too much time with spirits you dislike.) Who is your hero or role

model?

• Obatala is guardian of albinos.

• Simbi’s spiritual children may be born with a caul or display heads full of corkscrew ringlets.

• Various spirits of Europe, Asia, and Africa, including Hulda and the Elves, indicate interest in a person by causing hair to

spontaneously form locks.

If a spirit resonates for you, odds are it’s because it’s already calling you, already hovering near you. However, if this is not a desired

relationship, respectfully decline. Spirits will take “no” for an answer, if delivered politely, respectfully, and honestly.

It may be difficult to extract oneself from an existing relationship, especially if you’ve already requested and accepted big favors, but

no one is ever required to enter a relationship that does not feel absolutely right. Consider these relationships as like marriage; it’s not

wise to enter casually. (Malevolent or harmful spirits can be permanently banished by more powerful, benevolent spirits. For more

details, see page 50: Are Spirits Dangerous?)

Ultimately you will know when you have encountered and connected with your own special spirit allies because there will be some

sort of response. Spirit contact may be subtle or obvious: a spirit may openly identify itself by name to you in a dream or show itself in a

very recognizable form. Alternatively, the spirit’s personal attributes, its signs and symbols, may begin to make constant appearances in

your life. Sometimes you’ll know you’ve made contact because the spirit has clearly fulfilled a request.

Not all gifts associated with spirits are pleasant or desired. One method of identifying spirit allies is to take stock of your life,

especially your trials and tribulations, then determine which spirits are most likely to soothe your troubles and heal your ailments.

Alternatively, check to see which might be responsible for causing these problems.

Spirits don’t just solve problems; they control them, removing, bestowing, or maintaining, as they please. The very existence of your

problems may indicate that some spirit awaits your call, especially if your situation consistently defies standard solutions.

Spirits are often associated with ailments that resist diagnosis and/or treatment. Disease spirits, in particular, both inflict and remove

illnesses. The theory is that the spirit has deliberately inflicted the ailment so that you will make contact and request assistance. They may

do this from love. They know no other more graceful, less painful way of making their desires known. The disease is their method of

communication.

Recurring troubles of any sort may indicate a nudging spirit hoping that eventually you’ll ask for help. Once the right spirit is identified

and contact initiated, the problem will be solved (and will stay solved as long as you maintain the relationship. Spirits are credited with

many inventions, not least the protection racket.) The immediate solving of the problem may indicate that the right spirit has been found.

Choose your spirits wisely and carefully. You may have to live with them. Spirits are very similar to human guests: it’s

easier to invite them in than to make them leave.

What happens if you petition the wrong spirit? Most likely nothing. Literally. The wrong spirit is not likely to harm you. You will

probably not even register on its radar. (The exception, of course, is if you petition a particularly malevolent spirit.) Spirits lacking

interest will ignore you and your petition. You are left exactly where you started, no better but no worse.

Relationships with spirits are like any other relationship. A lot depends on personal chemistry. Sometimes we seek relationships with

those who have no interest in us. Sometimes, with effort and persistence, those relationships can be earned. To gain an alliance with a

spirit, practice courtship:

• Build an altar for this spirit.

• Become the type of person who would attract this spirit.

• Most importantly, do good deeds on behalf of whatever this spirit loves.

Rituals and visualizations may help identify spirit allies. Sometimes mediums or spiritual advisors can identify your spirit allies. Various

commercially available oracle card decks also provide systems of identification. Some are very accurate, the one caveat being that your

selectionof spirits is inevitably limited by the preestablished number of cards. The oracle may help you identify some of your spirit allies,

but not necessarily all.

Don’t despair if the identity of your allies is not immediately clear. Ultimately you will know your spirits because they identify

themselves to you or respond to some gesture or request. No general rule exists: results may be immediate, but sometimes it’s a lengthy

process involving lots of trial and error.

Not to be too irreverent, but the process is not unlike entering the magical treasure cave in the old Warner Brothers’ cartoon

Ali

Baba Bunny

. The cave door opens only in response to a password. The guard seeks to enter the cave but can’t recall the magic

password, and so he experiments: Open Sarsaparilla! Open Saskatchewan! When he finally gets it right ( Open Sesame!), the door

responds. Spirits are similar. When you call on the right one, there will be a recognizable reaction in a reasonable amount of time: a

portal of communication will open. Don’t be impatient. The process itself is sacred. In addition to revealing your spirits, this is a voyage

of self-discovery.

To earn an ally, be an ally. Many, if not most, spirits possess sacred animals, plants, or places. Working on their behalf is

an act of veneration and should eventually attract favor and attention.

COMMUNICATING WITH SPIRITS

Methods of soliciting human assistance are straightforward. Make your request in person or by proxy; call someone on the phone;

send a fax, letter, or e-mail. Clearly, contacting spirits is more complex. Challenges include:

• Getting your message heard

• Communicating clearly, accurately, and precisely so as to prevent miscommuni cations

• Recognizing, interpreting, and understanding spirit messages and responses

You may speak to spirits out loud or silently. They can hear you either way. Because you did not speak it aloud does not mean the

request was not made. Vows made silently—only in your mind—count. Acknowledge whatever pops into your head, if only to refute,

refuse, or clarify.

You may certainly communicate with spirits in any human language. Spirits respond to spoken and written petitions, so clearly they

understand us. Some spirits also communicate via human languages, especially those who appear in dreams or who engage in ritual

possession, in which case they speak through the mouths of people. (More about this later.)

Some spirits possess powerful verbal skills and are extremely articulate, especially those who exert dominion over poetry or

communications or who once had human incarnations. Be cautious with spirits who take special pleasure in human language. Human

languages tend to lend themselves to abuse by tricksters, whether spirit or human. Some spirits, like some people, revel in creative word

games. Always consider potential implications. Pay close attention to exactly what’s been communicated. Speak plainly, clearly, and

precisely

from your heart. Don’t use mystic, esoteric language if you don’t understand it. The crucial concern is making sure your needs

and desires are expressed accurately. If you don’t understand what you’re saying, how will you know what message the spirit has

received?

Working with spirits will sharpen your ears and comprehension. Spirits will teach you to choose your words wisely and to consider

what it is that you truly seek. You will learn to clearly articulate your desires: to the spirits, but also to yourself and to other people, as

well. Among the by-products of working with spirits is enhanced self-knowledge and improved social skills. The spirits will teach you to

really listen and hear what’s communicated to you, regardless of who’s talking.

Many spirits, however, including those who visit in dreams, do not communicate verbally or at least not consistently in that manner.

This does not mean that they do not communicate. Spirits constantly communicate with us, assuming perhaps that we still possess the

once more prevalent skills of recognizing, interpreting, and understanding their messages. (One theory is that spirits can see the best in us

and thus expect nothing less, even if we do not yet possess those skills. They expect us to live up to our potential.) If one anticipates

only verbal messages, then much communication is easily overlooked and lost. Spirits consistently communicate via symbols.

Once the knack for it has been acquired, symbolic language is eminently practicable, clear, and straightforward. Fluency requires that

you slow down and examine the world around you, paying special attention to any coincidences. The spirits will teach you to read your

surroundings the way you read a valuable, trusted road map.

Symbolic language is how spirits are most likely to communicate with you. Even verbal spirits complement their conversation with

symbols. This is how it works:

• Most spirits possess various forms, which they consistently assume.

• Most also possess various preferences in food, fragrance, colors, and gifts.

• Some spirits are identified with certain numbers, trees, animals, birds, or plants.

• Individual spirits possess specific symbols, known as attributes, which serve as the equivalent of a calling card. Poseidon’s

attribute is a trident; Rosmerta’s is a cornucopia.

(For more information, see the Glossary entries for Altar, Attribute, Iconography.)

These objects, forms, symbols, and preferences are used as vehicles of two-way communication. They are the vocabulary of spirit

working.

For example, Yemaya’s color is blue, and her number is seven. She is associated with the ocean, with saltwater, and with wet, juicy

fruits containing lots of seeds, like watermelons or pomegranates. To attract her notice, you might somehow prominently feature her

symbols. She, in turn, might use them to send a signal to you.

Methods of catching Yemaya’s attention include lighting seven blue candles in her honor or inserting a note to her within a hollowed

watermelon and sending it out to sea. Shortly after accomplishing either or both of these actions, were you to observe seven blue

balloons unexpectedly floating in the sky, this could be interpreted as a response to your petition or at least an indication that she has

heard your call.

But that could just be a coincidence, you say. A basic tenet of working with spirits (or any kind of magical working, for that matter) is

that there is no such thing as coincidence . Coincidences do not exist. The universe is not random. The concept of coincidence was

invented to make it easier to dismiss things to which we should be paying attention. What is labeled coincidence is actually a signal to

pay closer attention to something, to analyze its meaning and significance. What is labeled coincidence is more accurately called

synchronicity.

To work with spirits is to live in a world where everything is potentially sacred. It is not a world to rush through, but to consider and

savor. Every color, object, number, and encounter is potentially significant. Spirits open a door to a world that is the diametrical

opposite of meaningless and random.

Now clearly, not all coincidences are of equal importance. Some are of great significance; others minor. Some are just little markers

indicating that you are on the right path or that attention should be paid. Each is considered, weighed, and interpreted, not ignored or

dismissed.

Other means of communicating with spirits include divination, dreams, oracles, and visualizations. Spells and rituals can also facilitate

communication.

A series of coincidences is the spiritual equivalent of the path Hansel marks with white pebbles in the old fairy tale. They

demarcate a road, which you can then choose to follow or not, but of which you should be aware .

M agic Messenger Dolls

Create a small handcrafted doll to transmit a message to the spirit world. It’s your message: sew or make it yourself. No need

to be skillful or talented; what you craft may be as simple or elaborate as you choose. (The simplest doll involves two pieces of

fabric stitched together with stuffing inserted and a face painted on.)

2. Consider the spirit you are seeking to contact: select materials or colors evocative of this spirit.

3. Decide exactly how to phrase your message. Focus intently while crafting the doll.

4. Write your message on a small piece of paper, which may then be attached to the outside of the doll or stuffed inside,

perhaps adding a small gift for the spirit.

5. Look the doll in the face, and tell it to transmit your message for you.

6. Leave the doll at a crossroads, cemetery, or any place where you perceive the spirit is present and/or powerful. It may also

be buried, tied to a tree, or deposited in water.

THE CARE AND FEEDING OF SPIRITS

How do you attract the spirits you seek? How do you encourage them to linger? Two general rules:

If you feed them, they will come.

Care for them and they will stay.

How do you get anyone to come visit you? Issue an invitation. How do you get them to stay or return? Make them feel welcome and

desired. Offer what they crave and enjoy. Make the spirit feel at home.

Spirits are constantly cultivated, welcomed, or discouraged from drawing near. The problem is that this is generally done

unconsciously with no awareness of which spirits are actually being beckoned closer. Which spirits do you cultivate? Are they

benevolent? Powerful? Dangerous? Helpful? Troublemakers? Who do you attract? Is it who you want? Who are you already feeding,

albeit accidentally?

The type of work you do, the food on your table, beverages, fragrances, music, friends and animals surrounding you, all this affects

the types of spirits you attract. Any sounds, images, fragrance, foods, work, or emotions that are constantly, consistently present

potentially serve as lures for spirits (or serve to keep them away).

Working with spirits is sometimes called walking with spirits, reminiscent of advice offered to medieval pilgrims: “If you do

not travel with the one whom you seek, that one will not be found when you reach your destination.”

The goal is to consciously issue invitations only to spirits sought, simultaneously discouraging unwanted guests. Consciously providing

the ambience and gifts a spirit craves issues a potent, seductive invitation.

Summoning spirits involves courtship, seduction, bribes. Create an atmosphere (or at least a little corner) that appeals to a spirit and

makes it feel at home. Many spirits possess associations with specific colors, numbers, images, fragrances, and objects. These are the

tools used to beckon them. Spirits’ special colors, numbers, images, and attributes are essentially aspects and reflections of themselves.

Oshun, for example, is identified with the number five, the spectrum of colors from yellow to gold to orange, sweet (not salt) water and

honey. It would be accurate to say these things are sacred to Oshun, but it is also accurate to say that they share Oshun’s essence. She

recognizes herself in them. By presenting these things to her, she not only feels at home, she finds herself in your home.

Manipulating these items via offerings and presentation simultaneously serves as a tribute and an invitation. Thus, henna is sacred to

Hathor but henna also is Hathor. They share the same essence. This is a complex, esoteric notion; it emphasizes and underlines the

omnipresence of the sacred. Look around you: everything you see, hear, smell, and touch may share the essence of one or more spirits.

Make sure they are those you seek.

The most common method of conscious manipulation and presentation involves construction of some sort of altar, but this is not

necessary. (For more information on altars, see the Glossary.) Simply creating an ambience that attracts a spirit is sufficient. Select

colors, items, plants, fragrances, and images (paintings, statues, photos, posters) carefully.

Spirits aren’t only attracted by the tangible, but are also summoned by sound, emotion, and activities. Some love dance or certain

musical instruments. Djinn can’t resist listening to a good story. Yemaya despises domestic violence; negative spirits enjoy it. Spirits

generally appreciate a good meal and are inclined to linger or return for more, especially if you’re serving what they like. They like to be

comfortable and cosseted; their special colors, fragrances, and sacred objects attract them like a magnet. Some spirits are attracted to

music, plants, animals, or different human activities.

Child spirits don’t have to worry about cavities: it’s okay to feed them nothing but candy. Likewise, spirits don’t suffer

from lung cancer, cirrhosis, or clogged arteries. Don’t worry about what’s good for them; feed them what they like .

What distinguishes people from other species? One standard anthropological suggestion is that we cook our food. Prepared foods

and beverages are something special we have that spirits crave. These serve as tribute, payment, and bargaining chips.

Spirits like to eat. (Some really like to drink.) In the same manner that people have special treats that are their favorites, so do many

spirits.

Lighting candles and offering flowers are popular forms of veneration, but feeding spirits human food or drink on a regular basis is the

most common method of venerating and maintaining contact with them. Think about preparing a birthday dinner for a beloved child:

there will be a special cake in the child’s preferred flavor, probably complete with significant decorations plus other favorite foods.

That’s essentially how you feed a spirit.

The custom of providing spirits with human food and drink is global. Vestiges of this universal ritual survive in the milk and cookies

left for Santa on Christmas Eve. If you are unfamiliar with the custom, then the next time you are in a Chinese or Thai restaurant, look to

see whether food offerings have been placed on an altar.

Differences arise in exactly which foods are chosen, how and when they are presented, and crucially what is done with the food after

it’s been given to the spirit.

• Some traditions consistently serve only a spirit’s favorite food and drink.

• Other traditions offer spirits a sampling of whatever people are having.

In other words, sometimes people just share their own meals. This may be a full portion or just a little morsel, similar to a tidbit for a

pet. This method is often used to serve ancestors or house spirits; but it is also just standard practice in some spiritual traditions.

Depending on circumstances, it may be all that people can offer.

On the other hand, sometimes people purchase or prepare foods especially for spirits. Tremendous care is taken to ensure that spirits

only receive what they like. This may be a tiny treat or an elaborate, multi-course meal.

Not sure what to serve? Don’t worry. A spirit may advise you of its wishes in a visualization or dream; however, a wide

canon of spirits’ food preferences exists, especially those of popular, widely venerated spirits. This lore has been documented

over the ages as well as transmitted orally. Within this book, individual encyclopedia entries detail spirits’ specific likes and

dislikes, wherever applicable. Where no information exists, serving food or drink reflecting a spirit’s area of origin or spiritual

path is usually a safe bet.

What this spirit receives may bear no relationship to anything consumed by its devotees. Many teetotalers buy copious amounts of

liquor never to be tasted by human lips, only by spirits. Likewise many nonsmokers keep their spirit-allies well stocked with tobacco

products. (Some light cigarettes for spirits or blow smoke over their images. Others offer unlit offerings, just setting cigarettes down,

individually or as a pack.)

Spirits may express preferences for certain foods or beverages, often even for specific brands of alcohol, soft drinks, and cigarettes

(perfume, too).

• Some have very modest, ascetic taste. (Baron Samedi accepts dry toast and black coffee.)

• Others prefer luxuries. (Ezili Freda expects champagne and fine French pastry.)

• Others enjoy home-cooked meals or ethnic specialties. (Kybele craves the feta cheese, honey, and garlic of her Anatolian

homeland.)

• Some, like Papa Legba, crave treats like candy or cigarettes.

• Others just want to drink; keeping them boozed up keeps them generous and happy.

Sometimes, as with human guests possessing food allergies, it’s crucial to know what not to serve: Fairies and Djinn refuse anything

containing salt. Some spirits reject alcohol or are vegetarians.

Spirits may be served in very simple fashion or elaborate. Some are given their own table service, to be used only by that spirit. After

these dishes are washed, they may be dried with towels color-coordinated to match a spirit’s preferences. The important thing is that

spirits are treated like honored, treasured guests.

What transforms an ordinary plate of food or glass of water into a sacred offering? Your thoughts, words, and actions. Don’t just put

the offering down. Even if you say nothing else, address the spirit by name or title and identify the offering as being for them. This may

be done silently or aloud; they can hear your thoughts. (So something along the lines of “Here, Aphrodite, this is for you” would be the

bare minimum.)

Let one tribute serve as another. Serve the spirits spirits named in their honor: brand names of many alcoholic beverages

evoke spirits, such as Aphrodite Ouzo, Thor’s Hammer Vodka, Frida Kahlo tequila, or Garuda beer. If you can’t find an exact

match, be creative: the Badb is only one of several crow spirits who might fancy a glass of Old Crow Bourbon.

Regardless of what, how, or where spirits are fed, an offering should never be tossed down as if it were scraps. Service should

always be accompanied by a smile, respect, and courtesy. Don’t hurry; treasure the moment. Feeding spirits is an opportunity to

converse with them. It is your moment to thank them for past favors and to describe what may be needed in the future. Take a few

minutes and speak while making your offering:

• Wish them good morning, good night, or whatever is appropriate; if it’s a holiday or feast day, acknowledge it.

• Tell them about yourself, your family, and your needs.

• Bless them. Request a blessing in turn.

• Thank them for honoring you with their presence.

• If you feel inclined, sing to them, dance for them, recite poetry, prayers, or sacred texts.

• Pay attention to thoughts that just pop into your head; sometimes these are responses or messages from the spirits.

Food, beverages, and gifts make spirits feel welcome but also become influential tools of communication. Spirits are bribed with extra

gifts. Consider them motivational tools. Let’s say, every Monday you offer Papa Legba a glass of rum, just because you love him and

wish to keep him near. However, one particular week, you need a special favor, so when offering him his regular tipple, tell him that if

and when he comes through for you, you’ll give him a little something extra. You specify what that something extra will be. (A thought

that suddenly pops into your head might be his suggestion. There’s a reason the words inspiration and spirit are related. If his

suggestion sounds right, you’re in agreement. If it’s not what you had in mind, nicely say “no” and make a counteroffer.)

Sometimes spirits serve themselves. Everyone is occasionally messy, but if food consistently falls from your fork or if drinks

continuously spill, this may indicate a spirit trying to catch your attention, whether to have a word with you, initiate a new

relationship, or suggest that present offerings are inadequate. Ancestral spirits are notorious for eating off your plate, but

theoretically this could be any spirit. Pay attention to whatever it is that falls (specifically which food or drink) as these are the

clues revealing the identity of your secret sharer .

If you’re requesting a small favor, maybe offer to buy finer rum or a cigar. Specify whether this extra treat will be a one-time deal

(one favor/one extra) or whether it will occur on multiple occasions or regularly from now on. Always be very clear.

If the favor you seek is more substantial, so should be your bribe. Maybe offer a full meal, a beautiful candle, or a new altar image.

Gifts are in proportion to favors done and are given when favors are received.

Conversely, you may decide a spirit has let you down. You’ve been feeding a spirit long-term, for instance, but recently problems

have occurred that fall under his jurisdiction. It is usually not advisable to abruptly terminate devotions, but they may be cut back.

Explain to the spirit why the offering is not quite as enticing this week and describe the help you need in order to remedy the situation

happily for both of you. Let’s say you’re feeding a spirit of prosperity and for a while your finances improved. Recently, however, there

have been setbacks. Explain (politely!) that unfortunately, due to this reversal of fortune, you’re unable to make the same fine offering as

usual but must give something less. If the spirit wishes improvement, he or she will have to help.

Negotiations may be sensitive. Who exactly is serving whom? Spirits may understand that they are doing us a favor by accepting

offerings and gracing us with their presence. Spirits sometimes let their patronage slip a little if unhappy with their treatment and offerings.

They may consider their power to be a motivational tool to be used on you.

The longer you work with a spirit, the more sensitive you become to its moods and desires. It will let you know if it’s content or if

something is amiss.

WHERE ARE SPIRITS SERVED?

Serving spirits potentially transforms any space into sacred space. Where you place offerings depends upon the spirit in question

and your desires and circumstances.

Offerings may be placed:

• On an altar.

• Wherever you eat.

• Wherever a spirit is most comfortable. For example, offerings for fire spirits are traditionally placed in or near hearths.

Guardian spirits are fed near whatever they guard—no need to interrupt them from their duties.

• Libations may be poured on the ground or served in a chalice or glass.

• Depending on the spirit, offerings are placed in trees, buried in the earth, left at the shore, a cemetery, or a crossroads, or

placed in living natural waters (sea, river, or stream).

It is ultimately the sincere gesture that counts most. If you serve spirits secretly, a tiny bit of food may be discreetly left on

the side of your plate, just underneath it, or, if necessary, slipped onto the floor. Accompany the action with silent invocation .

Alternatively, serve spirits wherever their presence is needed. Benevolent spirits bring blessings and benefits in their wake. Their very

presence is auspicious, lucky, and produces a cleansing effect: malevolent spirits and psychic debris flee before them.

WHEN ARE SPIRITS SERVED?

That depends on the expectations of the spirit and on your desires and resources. Some spirits expect to be fed daily; others once a

week; still others expect only annual offerings, usually on their feast days. (Details are found in individual entries.) That said, the more

you feed a spirit, the happier it will be. Much depends on your relationship with the spirit. Spirits who are your allies, your constant

companions, are usually fed on a steady, regular schedule. Others are fed only as part of a petition for help or as a gesture of gratitude.

Some, like Hekate, prefer to be fed at night; others, particularly spirits affiliated with the sun, like Apollo, prefer daytime offerings. Still

others, like Aurora, Goddess of Dawn, demand service first thing in the morning.

Coordinate feeding, appeals, spells, and rituals to coincide with times when spirits are most receptive or at the peak of their powers:

• Some spirits are associated with specific days of the week. For instance, Sarasvati, Goddess of Wisdom, is associated with

Sunday.

• Some spirits are associated with specific dates of the year: Nicnevin, a Scottish witch goddess, is most accessible on the

eve of 31 October, the beginning of the dark half of the ancient Celtic calendar (and modern Halloween).

• Some spirits are associated with celestial phenomena like solstices, equinoxes, or specific moon phases: Hekate favors the

Dark Moon.

• Some spirits are at the peak of their power during specific seasons (winter, summer, etc.). Aine, beautiful Irish sun goddess,

is at optimum power during the summer.

• Some spirits are associated with specific time periods of the year: Berchta and Odin are particularly active at Yuletide.

Sometimes care and feeding is temporary, as with disease spirits or Birth Fairies. Sometimes spirits are feasted annually, as on the

Day of the Dead when lavish gifts and meals are offered to the dearly departed before sending them on their way. Sometimes care and

feeding is regular, consistent, ongoing, and potentially forever. If you succeed in attracting a spirit and it makes its presence known, it

can be difficult and awkward to stop making the offerings that are now expected.

WHAT DO YOU DO WITH SPIRIT FOOD?

If you work with spirits long enough, undoubtedly you will eventually witness the unusual. However, food offered to spirits usually

just sits there until it’s removed. Don’t expect it to disappear by itself. This doesn’t mean the spirits aren’t eating: they partake of the

essence, the spirit of the food, not its physical mass. (Beverages are different. They evaporate. The rate at which a liquid evaporates or

doesn’t may indicate whether or not a spirit likes the drink.)

To eat or not to eat: that is the question. What do you do with food and drink that’s been given to spirits? Must it be thrown out, or

should you eat it? Various approaches exist. Any of the following options will work, as long as the spirit understands what’s going on.

Choose which is most comfortable for you, but be consistent.

• Food is shared. Spirits consume the essence of the food (the spirit of the food). Humans wait a little while, allowing the

spirits to partake first, but then actually consume the food. If this method is chosen, be sure to explain it explicitly to the

spirits. This is a traditional Hawaiian mode of offering; chants accompanying offerings specify, “the essence for you; the

food for me.”

• Food may be divided into portions. When sharing food with Djinn, one portion is prepared without salt; the rest contains it.

The presence of salt demarcates which part is for Djinn and which for people. Food for Djinn is often served outside, not

in the home. Once it’s been given, it’s just left. Whatever happens to it is up to them.

• Some people refuse to touch any food offered to spirits; it’s perceived as unlucky, dangerous, or inauspicious to do so as it

no longer belongs to the human realm. Nothing is shared. Physical remains are eventually thrown away, tossed down the

drain, left to decay, burned, buried, given to birds or animals, or disposed of according to ritual. This may be dependent on

the specific spirit. For example, while some dispose of Ogun’s leftovers in the trash; others leave them at railroad tracks.

Crossroads are exceptionally spiritually powerful places: many dispose of all offerings there. (This may be a rustic, forest

crossroads or a garbage can located at a crossroads within a local shopping mall. Remember, a crossroads is anywhere

where two or more paths cross.) Disposal methods may also depend on human preferences: those uncomfortable with

“wasting” food may choose to scatter remnants to the birds.

Whatever method you choose, let the food stand long enough for the spirit to partake. How long is that? You decide, but usually at

least the length of a reasonably leisurely meal. (If circumstances force you to make offerings secretly, the process may be speeded up;

just explain to the spirits so that they understand. In general, spirits are very good-natured and cooperative, as long as they know what’s

going on. Speak to them plainly. If they’re not happy with what you’re able to offer, ask them to help remedy the situation.) Some leave

offerings out overnight or until the next is scheduled so that a spirit never has an empty dish. Beverages may be left out until they

evaporate or are scheduled to be replaced.

Feasts or parties may be given in a spirit’s honor. This may be for fun, for pleasure, or as a fulfillment of a vow. A party may be just

for you and the spirits. Conversely, friends and family may be invited to celebrate and mingle with the spirits. It is also traditional to

sponsor charitable meals for impoverished and hungry people in a spirit’s honor, especially as fulfillment of a vow.

Depending upon your arrangement with the spirit, it may or may not be necessary to tell anyone else about the spiritual aspects of a

dinner. Secret codes may be used to represent the spirit, simultaneously honoring the spirit and protecting your privacy. For instance,

Ogun, Patron of Warriors, might be honored by sponsoring a dinner for veterans in need. Serve food and drink associated with him.

Decorating the room with images of creatures associated with him (big red roosters) or images of trucks, armored vehicles, and

weapons (his attributes) evokes his presence without actually revealing his name.

RITUAL

Throw a dinner party for some spirits. How do you choose your guests?

• Invite spirits who resonate with you or those you would like to get to know better.

• Invite spirits who share your ancestry or your spiritual beliefs.

• Choose those you’d like to honor.

• Choose spirit guests carefully, as if arranging a party for people. Do whatever you normally do: If you usually pay attention

to proportions of male and female, gay and straight, single and married, old and young guests, then do the same with

spirits, too. If you don’t enjoy the company of children, don’t invite the Marassa or any other Divine Children. Avoid

whoever you dislike. Do you want all females? Males? Only the benevolent? Only the witty? The bold, the bad, the

beautiful? Decide and pick.

• Alternatively, live dangerously and let divination be your guide. See which guests seek an invitation. Close your eyes, open

this book, stick your finger on a page, and see whose name comes up. Repeat until you have enough guests. (Be careful

with this method: you must be consistent. If your finger lands on a name, that spirit will be offended if not invited.)

Once you have your guest list, plan your menu. Set the table, creating place cards for each spirit. Seat yourself at the head of the

table; you’re the host. Add human guests or not, as desired. Be creative; have fun. Include ambient music, but leave some moments of

silence in order to receive inspiration and messages. After the party’s over, pay special attention to your dreams.

Let’s get a crucial issue out of the way, as it prevents so many from accessing the blessings of the spirits and because, ironically, in

the manner of self-fulfilling prophecies, fear is what attracts dangerous spirits.

ARE SPIRITS DANGEROUS?

Well, yes, honestly, sometimes; but not in the ways that many fear and imagine. An old aphorism suggests that the word fear is an

acronym for “false evidence appearing real.” Much of what so many fear about spirits derives from thousands of years of false evidence,

motivated mainly by two reasons:

• Some people want to discourage other people from independently working with spirits (usually so that contact is maintained

only by an official hierarchy).

• Scary stories are more fun, suspenseful, and interesting than happy testimonials and so are more frequently told (and

embellished to become even more interesting!).

Spirits aren’t lap dogs. They’re not pets or machines or imaginary superheroes. They are beings of immense, even unspeakable,

power. That’s why people venerate and seek to work with them. That power is why they are able to perform miracles and remove

obstacles. Toy Fairies, absolutely incapable of harm, are available in gift stores. The real ones, the ones with the capacity to bless and

protect, not only possess that unspeakable power but also the ability to choose how to use it or not.

The following are the most common, yet unfounded, fears regarding spirits:

• Spirits seek to ensnare souls.

• Spirits inevitably lead you down a path of doom and damnation.

• All spirits are evil.

Just as with fire and knives, spirits must always be treated with respect and caution. A combination of common sense and

knowing how to work with them ensures safety.

The short, blunt response is that these accusations are false, but to dispel fear, it is important to understand why

these allegations even

exist. (This is crucial: those who approach with love and respect may never ever encounter a negative spirit while those who reek of fear

may attract the most malignant.)

Spirits, in general, get along with each other. Exceptions exist: Oshun and Oya have a long-running feud. What this means in practical

terms is that they shouldn’t be venerated side by side. Ifyou seek relations with both, maintain separate but equal altars. (And people do

and it’s fine.)

Why? Two reasons: First, because otherwise, havoc may ensue, major or minor. Classic example: my friend simultaneously

purchased glass-sheathed candles dedicated to each of these West African spirits and attempted to carry them home in the same small

shopping bag. Needless to say, violence erupted: the bag (and candles) spontaneously and explosively broke before arriving home. The

two warrior goddesses couldn’t stand being that close to each other.

A potentially larger problem is that close proximity distracts them. Feuding spirits may compete with each other rather than dedicating

themselves to helping you. However, even if these spirits prefer to avoid each other, they do not attempt to eliminate each other, nor do

they paint each other as evil.

Other potentially competitive pairs include Artemis and Aphrodite, Ares and Athena, Hera and Leto, Ogun and Shango, Pelé and

Poliahu, Garuda and the Nagas:

• Don’t stand their statues side by side.

• Don’t make the same appeal to both simultaneously.

• Don’t attempt to play them against each other; it backfires.

Spirits can coexist; it’s people who won’t. When one nation conquers another or when aggressive missionaries proselytize, the status

of preexisting local spirits inevitably becomes an issue. Typically one or more of the following scenarios results:

• Pantheons compromise, merge, or at least cooperate with each other, comfortably or not. Greek mythology provides the

most famous example: Zeus, who arrived in Greece with Indo-European invaders, married the indigenous goddess Hera,

representing a merger of what were once two traditions.

• Sometimes one pantheon is coerced to serve another, as in Tibet where many indigenous Bon spirits now protect Tibetan

Buddhism. Likewise in Myanmar, indigenous Nat spirits (or at least the thirty-seven most cooperative) also guard the

Dharma. (See entries for Bon Spirits, Nats, and Nats, Thirty-Seven for further information.)

• Older, indigenous, or officially out-of-favor spirits are demonized. Witness the Jewish Bible whose prophets railed against

popular veneration of Asherah and Ba’al. (Although cooperation exists here, too: annually Azazel gets his goat.) See

individual entries for further details.

Christianity demonized all spirits, no compromises allowed. To be a Christian meant to deny other competing spirits; to fail to do so

was a sin; the price: burning in Hell. As Christianity became a world power, this doctrine was carried all over Earth. People were taught

that spiritswhom they had previously venerated had, in fact, tricked and fooled them. The Church didn’t deny that spirits delivered

favors but interpreted these gifts as containing deceptive hidden costs: hellfire and damnation.

Spirits, it was officially explained, only offered gifts because they secretly wished to ensnare your one true immortal soul and send it

straight to Hell, regardless of whether the particular spirits in question acknowledged the existence of Hell, single souls, or even the value

of a human soul. (Many spirits, extremely ego driven, put greater value on altars, shrines, and public testimonials than on acquiring

anyone’s soul. Offering your soul isn’t necessarily perceived as a good deal from their perspective.)

The ancient practice of bargaining and negotiating with spirits was reinterpreted as selling one’s soul, Doctor Faust style. Those who

argued or attempted to maintain traditional pre-Christian practices were accused of heresy, witchcraft, or devil worship and eliminated

or frightened into submission. After almost two thousand years, this Christian vision has permeated popular Western culture. It shows up

constantly in media depictions of spirits, especially on television. Spirit hunter/exorcist/vampire slayer characters who display no other

indications of religiosity and who may not even be Christian brandish Christian emblems (crosses, Holy Water) and exorcise in Latin

because the concept that Christianity and its symbols trump evil spirits is so totally ingrained.

Implicit in this assumption is that no other tradition ever had to remove recalcitrant spirits or is capable of doing so, as if thousands of

years of worldwide shamanism had never existed. The alternative subliminal message is that Christianity not only overpowers spirits but

other spiritual traditions, too.

After the equivalent of an almost two-thousand-year-old ad campaign, even those who intellectually recognize propaganda may still

be afraid. Ironically, this potentially creates a self-fulfilling prophecy: fear attracts the scariest and most malevolent spirits.

The concept of each person possessing one single soul is not shared by all or even most spiritual traditions, including

Judaism. Instead, each person is assigned multiple souls, although the number and nature of these souls may differ, depending

on tradition. Wandering dream souls enable shamanic journeying. Esoteric, mystic rites sometimes earn an extra bonus soul.

Souls may fragment after death: one part assuming duties as an ancestral spirit; one part lingering near bodily remains;

another journeying to an afterlife realm. There is no one single soul to lose or sell.

Personally, I find people far scarier and less predictable than spirits, but ultimately it makes no difference what I or anyone else

writes, says, or advises. What is significant is what you believe, know, and fear. (And if you’re really afraid, you may already have had a

bad experience with spirits; it’s a vicious cycle.)

So then, exactly how are spirits dangerous? In what ways?

In some ways, spirits are not all that different from people, just on a grander, heightened scale. Most people are generally good-

hearted, although we all have a bad day once in a while when we exhibit crankier and more irritable behavior than usual.

Some people are calm, serene, and even-tempered, easy to please. Some are moody, crotchety, or short-tempered, but it is the rare

individual, the exception to the rule, who can be described as truly and thoroughly wicked. The same goes for spirits.

Just as one can’t deny the existence of the occasional “bad seed” among humans, so some bloodthirsty, malevolent spirits certainly

do exist. Some are described in these pages so that they may be identified and avoided.

Any spirit who encourages harmful behavior

is by definition a malevolent spirit and should be avoided or banished.

Malevolent, bloodthirsty, corrupting spirits crave negative human emotions. That’s their food. If they find no food, they will ultimately

leave, seeking it elsewhere. What attracts them is intense violence, hatred, anguish, jealousy, and most especially, terror. The scent of

fear to a malevolent spirit is like the scent of honey to a bear.

Love, kindness, and serenity repel malevolent spirits and are the best measures one can take to avoid them. The presence of positive,

benevolent spirits also keeps the malevolent far away. N ature abhors a vacuum. Evil spirits are not unlike those super-germs who

appear when benign bacteria are banished. Keep powerful, protective spirits close, and there will be no room for the malignant.

Control and banish harmful spirits by calling in bigger guns: aggressive guardian spirits powerful enough to drive

evildoers away, foremost among them humanity’s defender, Michael Archangel, but also many others representing many

traditions. Check entries and the Appendix for further details.

However, it is important to distinguish between those very few spirits who may truly be wicked (determined by a history of their

actions) as opposed to the many who are slandered. Just because a spirit has been labeled “evil” or “monstrous” doesn’t necessarily

mean that this is true. Always establish who has been doing the labeling. Spirits labeled “evil” or “dangerous” tend to fall into several

categories. (Some belong to more than one.)

Guardian spirits are often categorized as dangerous demons.

Spirits charged with the task of protecting something (wild nature, animals, or Earth’s hidden treasures) are often categorized as

dangerous demons. That’s because what they’re usually protecting Earth from is us. They obstruct someone’s desire to take or exploit

something, hence frustrated people label them evil, and the label sticks. Examples include guardians of mines like the Knockers or snake

spirits like Nagas, Klu, and the many dragons whose sacred functions include protecting sources of freshwater.

Guardian spirits also protect shrines, buildings, and sacred areas.

These spirits are only dangerous to those they perceive (rightfully or wrongfully) as threatening or harming whatever it is they

protect. They may, in fact, inflict punishment, but there is nothing random about it. (They are potentially kind and very helpful to others.)

If such a guardian has been activated or offended, sincere rituals of propitiation may be in order. Active efforts to protect whatever it is

they guard may also calm them down.

The vengeance of guardian spirits is a staple of Gothic novels and old movies, such as Wilkie Collins’ 1868 novel, The

Moonstone, often considered the first English-language detective story, or The Hope Diamond Mystery, the 1921 film starring

Boris Karloff. (Legend has it that the infamous Hope Diamond, long rumored to be cursed and now housed in the Smithsonian

Institution, was violently ripped from a statue of the usually benevo lent goddess Sita, hence the curse.) The theme remains

current: Shekhar Kapur’s twenty-first-century comic book series, Snake Woman (Virgin Comics), is also based on this premise .

Some spirits demonstrate love aggressively.

They are perceived as dangerous because they possess aggressively protective inclinations. They are not dangerous toward those

they love but may react strongly toward a devotee’s enemies or those perceived as harming or obstructing their devotees. The

equivalent of sacred bodyguards, these are often among the most desired spirit allies. It is not unknown for people (the aforementioned

devotees) to exploit or manipulate a spirit’s protective nature.

At one time, I cared for a number of Doberman pinschers. One was particularly fond of me, expressing her devotion via protective

gestures. She could be observed wistfully hoping to attack something as a means of proving love. Some spirits are similar in nature but

on an extremely heightened scale. Can this possibly lead to trouble and tragedy? Sure. If such a spirit is your ally, it is crucial to maintain

good communication, letting them know when you are truly bothered and when you are not. Many Djinn fall into this category,

especially those who despise humanity in general but really adore a few select individuals.

M any so-called dangerous spirits are aggressively Pagan.

They are confrontational, not collaborative or meek. In the face of new religions from which they were excluded and/or vilified,

these spirits did not go quietly into the night, hence lengthy propaganda campaigns against them. For example, the Russian spirit called

the Leshii is frequently described as a “dangerous devil,” sometimes even identified with the devil. Stories about the Leshii refusing to

assist people unless they remove their pendant crosses and stamp on them are told with the intention of making him appear evil and un-

Christian. In fact, the Leshii is not Christian. He is, however, not evil, unless, by definition, not being Christian is evil.

Many spirits will work with you, regardless of your other spiritual commitments. Not the Leshii: he is as uncompromising as any strict

Christian. In addition to serving as guardian of forest trees and animals (potentially bringing conflict with people), he is irritated by those

secretly requesting his assistance while publicly renouncing Paganism.

M any so-called dangerous spirits are actually what are known as volatile spirits.

These spirits fly off the handle easily. Volatile spirits, like volatile people, must be handled with care. They are not evil, but they are

temperamental. Fail to treat them with respect and courtesy and they may lash out. Some take offense easily. Djinn are famously

volatile, as are many Fairies. It doesn’t take much for them to perceive a slight. However, if approached humbly with love, many volatile

spirits are beings of supreme generosity. Examples: Hera, Lilith, Pelé, and Maria Padilha.

Whether a volatile spirit demonstrates temperamental behavior may have a lot to do with you. Be honest with yourself. How are your

social skills? Are you the only one in the office able to pacify and get along with a temperamental boss? If you are intuitive and

diplomatic and normally put effort into pleasing and getting along with others, volatile spirits may not pose a problem for you.

On the other hand, if you are constantly accused of being disrespectful and having a bad attitude—even if you don’t perceive it to be

so—it may be wise to give volatile spirits a wider berth. Similarly, if giving orders is second nature to you, as opposed to being of

service, why not stick to the many patient, placid, good-natured spirits?

Some spirits’ sacred function involves administering justice.

This justice is often on behalf of those unable to claim retribution otherwise. Those in positions of power and privilege, who thought

they could get away with something until these spirits intervened (frequently sexual transgressions), are quick to label them “evil.”

These spirits are the equivalent of undercover morality police. Many are protectors of women. Thus, in these pages, you will find a

fairly substantial number of beautiful female spirits accused of seducing human men as a prelude to scaring, harming, or killing them.

(These seductions inevitably occur in lonely, deserted places at night; the men usually begin as willing victims or may, in fact, aggressively

initiate the encounter.)

The part of this story that’s generally omitted, perhaps because it makes the legend less salacious, is that targets tend not to be

random (at least in the original versions; horror movie depictions don’t necessarily stick to tradition). Many are targeted in response to

transgressions committed against human women. A classic example are the Vila, famed for punishing men who abandoned women at the

altar or who impregnated women, then deserted them, which in conservative societies, effectively destroyed the lives of these women

and their children, sometimes literally.

Some spirits are amoral and open to bribery.

They will fulfill any human request, providing payment is sufficient. It is not that this spirit is evil, per se; it will, however, not rebuff

the requests of angry, jealous, or evil people and so can be dangerous.

Should you perceive that such a spirit has attacked you, these spirits are countered (safely) by calling in more powerful spirits to foil

and banish them or (less safely) by offering a larger bribe. They have no loyalty and will switch sides. From their perspective, there is no

devotee, just a paycheck. Working with them does not lead to happy endings. Inevitably, these spirits abandon or turn on those who

summoned them and so are dangerous to work with. Although they are far from the only spirits of this type, the Haitian spirits called

Baka are a classic example of amoral, independent-operator spirits.

Some spirits operate protection rackets.

This is probably the most common “danger” emanating from the spirit realm. As is the nature with protection rackets, once you

begin working with them, it may be difficult to stop.

In practical terms, what does this mean? If you have started making small offerings (glasses of rum or water; coffee, or cigarettes;

fruit, rice, or toast), on a daily, weekly, or annual basis, you should expect to do so continuously, possibly for the rest of your life.

(Practical details on page 41: The Care and Feeding of Spirits.)

Unlike mobsters, most spirits are reasonable. If scheduled offerings are delayed because of travel, emergency, or illness, they

understand (and may be appealed to remedy situations if they want their service back.) Careless, haphazard treatment, however, may

stimulate spirits to offer reminders of why their services were initially sought.

Most devotees don’t find this a problem: most spirits expect very minor payments in exchange for the blessings, prosperity, and

miracles they bestow. (And of course, in the manner of protection rackets, should a spirit withdraw its patronage or stop producing

assistance, devotees may be justified in withholding offerings.) However, tremendous pleasure and spiritual satisfaction is potentially

derived from serving spirits. Often offerings continue whether or not gestures of appreciation are ever rendered.

The flip side of this is that some spirits cause trouble so that they will be paid to eliminate it. This may stem from devious motivations

or because they simply lack more effective means of communication. Until the correct spirit is identified and a relationship established,

havoc and heartache may prevail. Examples include Aisha Qandisha, Mami Waters, and many Zar Spirits.

SAFETY MEASURES

Working with spirits successfully involves common sense. Children are taught to look both ways before crossing the street. New

drivers are advised to signal their intention to change lanes. Just as there are basic rules of traffic safety, so there are basic rules of spirit

safety.

• Most crucially: If you consistently approach spirits with love and respect, you will virtually never have anything to fear.

• For utmost safety, work with named spirits, those spirits possessing extensive CVs and histories. They may be volatile or

aggressive, but you will know who they are, what to expect, and what to do.

• Nobody likes an ingrate: keep your promises; fulfill your vows; pay your debts.

• Remember, you’re asking them for help, not the other way around.

• Don’t be greedy; don’t ask for what’s inappropriate. (Those spirits who deliver the unethical and immoral are often the

equivalent of loan sharks. Beware.)

• Don’t go looking for bad company. If you habitually spend too much time with dangerous characters (spirit or human alike),

you will get hurt.

Fear attracts negative spirits;

they feed off fear; it’s their energy source and so they seek it. It doesn’t have to be specifically fear

of spirits; it could be any kind of intense fear. Odds are that, once attracted, they will try to maintain that fear or even increase it, thus

making bad situations worse. Appeal to specific benevolent spirits by name to help remedy or remove you from fear-inducing situations.

(In other words, actually call the spirit, articulating its name, either aloud or silently in your thoughts.)

M any spirits will give you what you expect; they are psychic and can read your heart. If you genuinely expect them to be

generous, kind, and well behaved, they are likely to demonstrate that behavior. If your head tells you to request a miracle from Exu, the

Afro-Brazilian trickster spirit, because you need it and he can provide it, but in your heart, you believe he’s evil, he may, in fact, fulfill

your expectations.

It is pointless to be dishonest with spirits: they know your secrets. If you have fear, acknowledge it to them. Respectfully,

politely acknowledge that they make you nervous and explain why you are addressing them anyway. This provides safety from

manipulation, possibly defuses prankster inclinations, and may even be the path to healing your fear. Bravery, if accompanied by

modesty, tends to win favor from spirits.

Being honest with yourself keeps your spirit-related experiences happy and successful . Explore your fears; strive to face

and understand them. If, deep down, you genuinely do believe that all spirits are dangerous and yet you still long to commune with them,

stick with archangels and Bodhisattvas, at least for starters. You can be absolutely confident that they will not harm you. They will also

keep other spirits at bay, if you ask.

Caution: know your vulnerabilities. If you are prone to abusive relationships in general, then be as careful with spirits as with people.

If you have a history of being exploited or excessively pushed around, choose your spirits carefully. Identify your vulnerabilities and then

seek out spirits who will heal them.

The following spirits are safe for everyone:

• Archangels Gabriel, Michael, and Raphael

• Bodhisattvas Jizo and Kwan Yin

• Orisha Obatala

• Taoist spirit Miao Shan

Each is a being of pure goodness and righteousness. Each lacks even the hint of an edge. They are not jealous, volatile, or acquisitive,

but endlessly patient. They will not exploit nor harm you.

Worst-case scenario: malevolent spirits have appeared. Low-level spirits will likely be at least temporarily dispersed by:

• Bells and chimes

• The presence of iron

• Firecrackers and other sudden loud noises, like the shattering of pottery and plates

• Clattering metal percussion instruments: castanets, cymbals, sistrums, or tambourines. If you have no such instruments, then

bang metal pots and pans.

• Peals of sincere, hearty laughter

Amulets, holy texts, and sacred music, a general aura of fun or happiness, and the presence of benevolent spirit guardians keep more

powerful malevolent spirits away. Be aware, however, that spirits who appear fierce or gruff often have good intentions or come bearing

welcome gifts. Treating new arrivals with courtesy and politeness is often the best policy. Some may turn into good friends; others will

leave peacefully if treated with respect and kindness.

One last precaution: different people experience and encounter spirits in different ways. Some people see them, whether in waking

life, visualizations, or dreams; others receive them as bursts of inspiration or via a complex dialogue of symbols and gestures. However,

some do hear voices.

It is crucial to remember, especially in a society where hearing voices or communicating with nonhumans can be considered grounds

for commitment, that you are never obligated to obey any instructions or recommendations from spirit guides, any more than you are

obliged to take advice from Dear Abby, your best friend, or your mother.

Determining the nature and identity of unwanted spirits often helps determine how to banish them. Fairies and Djinn flee

from salt and iron, but other spirits don’t. Lilith dislikes iron and rue; salt doesn’t faze her. Some spirits flee from specific

amulets or from images of other spirits whom they fear. Certain fragrances consistently welcome benevolent spirits and repel

the malevolent, including styrax benzoin, frankincense, gardenia, and cinnamon.

Working with spirits does not mean surrendering your free will. You are responsible for your actions. If spirits ever suggest something

you’re not comfortable with, just say no; respectfully, as always, but decline. Speak firmly and politely. Generally, only harmful spirits

ever suggest anything truly harmful (to yourself or anyone else).

Modern humans have marginalized spirits to such an extent that danger often emerges from the misconception that spirits don’t belong

to real life, to daily existence: thus any communication is treated as either innately evil and to be avoided at all cost, or the opposite,

something so sacred that it must be blindly obeyed. Neither extreme is true.

Not all cases of hearing voices involve spirits. Sometimes it may genuinely be a sign of mental illness. (Mental illness and spirits are

not mutually exclusive. This is a very complex issue; sometimes mental illness attracts harmful spirits or vice versa. Some spirits express

anger by causing mental disturbance or may be invoked to heal it. See the Appendix for names.)

Genuine spirit voices tend not to be constant or overwhelming but are usually brief, sudden, and to the point. Spirits arrive, speak,

and leave. Visitations typically stimulate a sense of euphoria but may also leave you shaken by the intensity of the experience. They do

not, however, cause you to cease functioning.

A key and crucial difference between clairaudient mediumship (habitually hearing spirit voices) and mental illness is that mediums can

learn to control their powers like a radio, turning it on and off as needed. Voices engage in genuine dialogue (i.e., they listen and respond

reasonably to what you say, too), do not prevent functionality, and do not suggest harmful behavior. Should the situation be otherwise,

consult a qualified mental health professional immediately.

It is not unusual, especially the first time one experiences real contact with a spirit, to be rendered temporarily speechless,

knocked for a loop, or sent into a tailspin. It is a very, very profound experience that has been described as being “lightning-

struck.”

Spiritual professionals such as shamans, mediums, santeros, mambos, and houngan may also be consulted; they will not be quick to

dismiss your experiences.

• Treat them with the same respect and courtesy as any other professional.

• Do not be afraid to ask for references or referrals.

• Medical doctors (gifted physical healers) rarely donate their services; spiritual healers are not obligated to do so, either.

Cost should be reasonable; there is probably a going rate; find out what it is.

• Expect professional behavior.

COMMANDING AND COMPELLING

Spirit working is associated with folk magic. Another method of working with spirits, associated with High Ritual or Ceremonial

Magic, also exists: Commanding and Compelling is an informal name for methods of attempting to dominate spirits, ordering them to

do your bidding. (The name derives from ritual chants that traditionally begin, “ I command you, I compel you.”) It is the central theme

of many medieval grimoires (books of magic spells, rituals, and invocations) and is the inspiration for many movie and television

depictions of spirits. Spirits are forced to serve as a magician’s minions.

Commanding and Compelling is not the same as working with spirits. To work with spirits means to form bonds of love and loyalty

and assumes cooperation. Spirits and people serve each other with mutual affection and respect, forming symbiotic relationships

beneficial to both parties. Commanding and Compelling means people bossing spirits around or at least trying to do so.

Commanding and Compelling assumes a hostile relationship between spirits and people. Because the method involves force, trickery,

and humiliation and because no one likes to be compelled, especially not a powerful spirit, even if the relationship wasn’t initially hostile,

it will become so once the method has been tried.

How hostile could it become? Elaborate rituals intended to provide safety are an integral component of this method of spirit

summoning and commanding. The magician will ritually cast a magic circle of safety from which it is not safe to emerge until the spirit has

departed: the magician is the magical equivalent of a diver in a shark tank. (For those completely unfamiliar with the concept of magic

circles, fictional examples of varying degrees of authenticity commonly appear in movies and television, for example in many

episodes of

the television series Supernatural.) Amulets (power objects intended to provide safety) must be carefully maintained to prevent the

spirit from returning until summoned by the magician from the safety of his circle.

Because the procedure is insulting (much like calling a dog), even normally good-natured spirits react combatively. The magician can

never let down his guard because the spirit will be waiting. The classic cautionary tale involves a spirit who only pretended to depart,

instead turning invisible and patiently waiting for the magician to step out of his circle—with predictably fatal results.

The concept of Commanding and Compelling is based on King Solomon’s legendary ability to command spirits, but those legends

were intended to emphasize his unique powers and gifts, not to imply that anyone with a grimoire and some magical tools who emulates

methods attributed to Solomon will achieve the same success. In general, these are very advanced methods, historically favored by

theologians and dedicated, full-time, professional sorcerers. They are not safe for amateurs.

Commanding and Compelling came to prominence concurrently with the European witch-craze. It has been theorized that the whole

concept was originally a smoke screen. Venerating or working with spirits was forbidden. Punishment involved torture and death.

Commanding and Compelling was intended to circumvent this taboo.

Erudite, educated (almost invariably male) devotees who sought relationships with spirits and personal safety argued that demons

under their dominion were at least temporarily prevented from serving Satan (because they serve the magician instead), and thus the

magician was doing the world a favor, even when the demon was being used to abduct virgins or discover treasure. (Fascinated? Many

old grimoires containing these rituals, such as The Black Pullet or The Grand Grimoire, remain in print.) The argument was also made

that because Commanding and Compelling involves force, insults, and humiliation, clearly spirits weren’t being venerated and so the

magician should face no penalties.

These arguments and the grimoires reflecting them may originally have been intended to fool the Inquisition so that devotees could

safely, secretly mingle with spirits (while devotees with less education and resources were burned at the stake). Various stray references

in several grimoires hint at offerings, sacrifices, and genuine veneration. Books were encoded and served as alibis. Actual techniques

were taught orally. Oral techniques were eventually lost, however, and later generations read and understood grimoires literally.

Needlessly confrontational behavior rarely makes for good relationships with anyone, spirit, human, or otherwise .

WHAT DOES IT MEAN WHEN PRAYERS AND PETITIONS REMAIN UNANSWERED?

Many different possible reasons exist:

• Maybe the spirit just didn’t hear you. Try again.

• Maybe the wrong spirit was petitioned, either because this is not their area of expertise or because, for whatever reason,

they lack interest in you. Find a more sympathetic ally.

• Somehow you’ve displeased this spirit; they are deliberately and consciously not fulfilling your request.

• Silence or lack of response is sometimes a spirit’s bargaining chip; the spirit may be holding out for a better offering. (See

the entry for Achilles for a prime example.)

• Your request has been denied because it is not beneficial for you. You may devoutly believe that you know what is best,

but maybe the spirit knows better. Sometimes we ask for things and years later are so grateful not to have received them.

Reexamine your situation: perhaps what looks like lack of fulfillment is really a recommendation to consider alternative

plans or desires.

Unfortunately life is full of growing pains and harsh lessons. Those who never experience grief, loss, or disappointment may remain

shallow, ignorant, or immature. Sometimes it takes pain and hardship to make us live up to our finest potential.

For whatever reason, it is sometimes our destiny to learn and experience what we’d rather never know. Knowledge accrued from

pain and disappointment may turn out to be necessary and valuable someday. Spirits are more farsighted than people.

Spirits work on different timelines than we do. We live in the urgency of the moment; they see far into the distance.

Sometimes what first appear to be disasters turn out to be blessings in disguise. How many people stay in unhealthy

relationships or bad jobs, fearful of change? Kicked out of the situation, one is forced to make improvements. If you keep

begging a spirit to reunite you with your husband to no avail, maybe it’s because you need a different man. You’re making the

wrong request .

• Some spiritual traditions, especially those indigenous to what is now the southwestern United States, consider that if spiritual

petitions are ritually correct down to every last tiny detail (including the state of the petitioner’s heart), then spirits are

obliged and compelled to grant the request. Thus, if a petition is not granted, something was wrong with the ritual. It must

be human fault. For this reason, incredible attention is paid to every aspect of ritual, prayer, and petition. Every dance step

must be correct, every t crossed and i dotted.

• The answer may never be known, at least not in this life or realm. Unfortunately, this is part of the mystery of life: not

everything can be explained.

Elements of Working with Spirits:

A Spirit Worker’s Glossary

Working with spirits possesses its own specialized vocabulary. Let’s explore and define some of the most commonly used

terms and words frequently appearing throughout this book. Not all terms and concepts apply to all spiritual traditions. Some terms are

straightforward and easy to understand. Others involve extremely esoteric concepts. Some information is suitable for beginners. Other

elements are advanced. If something fails to make sense now, don’t worry. Understanding may accompany further experience.

ALTAR

The term derives from the Latin altare, meaning “a high place” (high altitudes were a preferred location for the earliest altars). In its

most general sense, an altar is a space dedicated to the veneration of someone or something. The very first altars were spiritual, but in

the modern secular world, altars are also constructed to honor pop or sports stars (whether consciously intended as altars or not).

Describing a teenager’s room as a shrine to a pop idol accurately describes the finished effect.

Altars may be dedicated to any spirit. The concept transcends religious and spiritual boundaries. Altars may be public or private,

personal or part of an organized religious institution. Churches, cathedrals, and temples of many faiths often contain individual altars

dedicated to specific saints or spirits. Although some spirits are closely identified with specific sites and/or shrines, most are subjects of

home altars, too.

Altars are tableaux or arrangements of specific articles. Everything involved in the creation of an altar is carefully chosen. Nothing on

an altar is random. Altars may be color-coordinated to suit a spirit. Candles, incense, fragrance, flowers, gifts, food, and drink are

offered to a spirit on an altar, in the process becoming part of the altar.

An altar may serve as an individual’s tribute to one or more spirits or operate as the equivalent of a visual journal or log of an

individual’s spiritual path. Spirits, their images, and/or power objects are added, moved, and removed as inspired.

The word shrine is sometimes used synonymously with altar. It may also indicate a building or edifice that may or may not

contain altars.

Although it is common to include images of spirits on altars, this is unnecessary. Those who object to graven images may create altars

with only candles, flowers, or neutral objects. An altar reflects the spirit it venerates and the needs of the devotee.

Altars come in many styles and sizes. The simplest Spiritualist altars consist of a candle and a glass of water, considered the basic

components of spirit summoning, while lavish, complex Vodoun altars are entire rooms filled with lovingly, meticulously arranged

treasures. Tiny miniature altars are contained in matchboxes, shadowboxes, or cigar boxes.

Altars may be permanent or temporary. Some rituals or magic spells involve creating a temporary altar. Those making specific but

presumably one-time requests of a spirit may wish to set up such a temporary altar: a tableau that exists only for the duration of the ritual

or spell or until the request has been fulfilled.

Permanent altars keep the presence and image of the spirit close. Erika Doss’ essay, “Saint Elvis” (contained in the 1999 book,

Elvis

Culture), describes shrines constructed for Elvis Presley within the homes of fans and devotees that become entrenched into the décor

of the home itself.

Altars create a focal point of veneration, potential thresholds or portals to Spirit Land. An altar serves as a point of two-

way communication between spirit and devotee, a meeting place.

Information on customizing altars for specific spirits is found in their individual entries. Where there is no specified

information, let the spirit inspire you.

The following people may prefer permanent tableaux:

• Those who have developed close working relationships with spirits

• Those seeking to develop such a relationship

• Those who simply adore a spirit

Constructing permanent home altars for some spirits is discouraged, especially those spirits intimately associated with illness. Disease

spirits transmit and remove illness. Appeals are typically directed toward them when healing is desired. Once that is achieved, it is

usually considered best not to maintain the spirit’s interest for longer than necessary. You don’t want them to feel too comfortable in

your home.

Altars have a tendency to take on a life of their own. They are not static, but evolve over time with items continually added and (less

frequently) removed. A person may maintain one altar for one spirit, or one altar may honor many spirits. Several distinct altars may be

simultaneouslymaintained for different spirits, one spirit per altar. It all depends on the spirits in question and your own spiritual path and

needs.

Many, although not all, spirits are gregarious: willing and happy to share space with each other. Exceptions are noted in entries for

individual spirits, but a good rule of thumb is that if bitter conflict between two spirits is an integral part of their mythology, it may be best

to keep some space between them.

What is the purpose of an altar?

• Altars summon spiritual assistance. The components of the altar serve as signals to spirits that their presence is desired.

These components traditionally share in the essence of that spirit or consist of items that are sacred to the spirit or

evocative of its presence. The arrangement attracts the spirit’s notice, beckons, and welcomes them.

• Altars enable communication with spirits . Essentially, they improve reception. Many people choose to speak with a

spirit at its altar or while tending the altar. (However, this is not necessary. You may speak with spirits whenever and

wherever you please.)

• Altars serve as a forum for communication . By adjusting the items upon your altar, you can demonstrate your needs

using symbolic language. For example, let’s say that a permanent altar is maintained for the Yoruba goddess Oshun, a

particularly versatile, powerful, generous, and gregarious spirit. Different-colored candles may be lit so that you can signal

your needs and desires. Oshun’s personal colors are gold, yellow, and orange. Candles in those colors are burned to

honor her. In addition, you might also burn a blue candle for physical healing or emotional relief or a green one if your

immediate crisis is cash. (See the Glossary entry for Colors for a list of color associations.)

• Altars serve as a focal point . You don’t truly need an altar. You don’t really need anything. Whatever communication

transpires between people and spirits actually occurs on the mental or spiritual plane. Working with spirits has traditionally

been the province of the poor and can be accomplished at absolutely no expense if necessary. A cry from the heart

suffices. All the paraphernalia, fragrances, incense, candles, statues, and things are merely vehicles, signals, or tributes. All

that you truly need is your ability to concentrate and create a mental connection with the spiritual entity. Once you’re

experienced, you’ll recognize when the connection has been made; it’s as if a switch has been turned on or a phone line is

suddenly open. This can be done via visualization, dreams, or pure focused thought. However, as simple as that sounds,

the reality is that for many people this process can be extremely challenging, especially in the beginning. The altar creates a

focal point for one’s attention, making it easier to focus upon the spirit and intensify concentration.

• Altars create a comfortable home for the spirit , a preferred rest stop on their journeys, so to speak. If they’re happy,

they’ll linger, potentially offering assistance without being asked, often identifying your needs before you do.

• Altars serve as tribute and thanks for favors and wisdom granted.

• Altars are used to create amulets, healing oil, and Holy Water . Leave objects, oil or water on the altar overnight or

for a specified length of time so that the spirit’s aura permeates the medium.

Building Altars

There are home altars and public altars. Altars may be maintained inside or outside. A carefully arranged garden embellished with

stones, statues, fountains, or specially chosen objects serves as an altar for nature spirits. Place altars wherever the spirit is likely to be

happy. Water spirits enjoy the bathroom, fire spirits the hearth. Spirits of romance like to be in the bedroom.

The most primeval altars and shrines were once arranged in caves, as, for example, cave-bear shrines. Niches built into walls

reproduce the concept of the cave.

Most modern altars are placed on tables, shelves, or some other flat surface. They may be placed in boxes or cabinets. Altars in

automobiles are placed on dashboards.

Altars may be maintained openly for all to see or kept private. In some cases, this is the preference of the spirit: while altars for Ogun,

spirit of iron, may also be maintained on tabletops or shelves, his traditional cauldron containing iron tools is usually kept discreetly in a

cabinet. In general, however, where to put an altar and how visible to make it is entirely up to you.

Different forms of altars exist. Here are some examples:

• The Latin American nicho is literally a niche. It may be built into a wall but is more usually a simulation of such a niche hung

onto the wall. A nicho contains an image of a sacred being and may be decorated with flowers, supplementary images,

objects, and/or written prayers. The simplest nichos are plain wooden boxes or tin frames. Elaborate nichos already

containing images are available for purchase, as are empty nichos waiting to be filled and embellished. Nichos may be

open for continuous view or have doors protecting the privacy of the spirit within.

• The kamidana (usually translated into English as “god shelf”) is a small Shinto shrine intended to house a spirit or deity.

(The Japanese Buddhist term for kamidana is zushi.) Some are very simple shelves (with or without doors), while others

are constructed to resemble miniature shrines, sometimes reproductions of famous Shinto shrines. Kamidana may also

contain scrolls, sacred tablets, or objects associated with the spirit it is intended to honor. Kamidana are sold empty, so

that devotees may use them to construct their own personal altars. Kamidana are hung on the wall or placed on a

tabletop.

• Espiritismo altars are based on the teachings of the highly influential French Spiritist Allan Kardec. The basis of the altar is a

table covered with a white cloth. In Spanish, this is known as a mesa blanca, literally a “white table.” Sometimes this type

of altaris just called a mesa (“table”) because the inclusion of the white cloth is so implicit it no longer requires stating. This

style of altar has become very popular; English speakers use the Spanish terms, as well. (Spiritism/Espiritismo became so

popular in Latin America that, even though Kardec was French, Spanish is its lingua franca.)

The classic Espiritismo altar serves more than one spirit. Each is offered its own distinct vessel of water (open to the air, not sealed).

The altar may then be embellished with dolls, statues, flowers, incense, candles, and/or various offerings (food, beverages, cigarettes,

cigars), sacred texts, photographs, and objects.

The longer a practitioner maintains an altar, the larger and more elaborate it may become. Objects tend to accumulate, and so extra

space may be required. Shelves may be added over the table; floor space beneath the table may be utilized, too. Sometimes this is

simply because of the need for expanded space, but sometimes it reflects the nature of spirits honored by the mesa:

• Earthbound spirits and anything to do with them are placed on the table.

• Celestial spirits, such as angels, are celebrated on shelves above the table.

• Chthonic (subterranean; normally living beneath the ground) spirits are maintained on the floor below the table. (See

Chthonic Spirits for more information.)

Some altars proclaim their spiritual affinities: stick a large traditional statue of Guadalupe in the center, and everyone will recognize it

as an altar. Other altars are subtle, only recognized by those with trained eyes. Altars may be traditional or creative. Here’s an example

of an unconventional altar requiring little space.

A GOBLET ALTAR FOR YEMAYA

Yemaya, spirit of the sea, derives from Yorubaland, now part of modern Nigeria. Among the most significant of African-Diaspora

deities, she is also beloved by goddess devotees. This altar incorporates colors and attributes associated with her. Similar altars may be

constructed to serve any sea spirit, adjusting details to suit that spirit’s preferences.

1. First find an appropriate glass, chalice, or goblet, a crystal one embellished with marine motifs or a nice blue plastic one,

reflecting Yemaya’s favorite color. The vessel may specifically reference Yemaya or just be beautiful, whatever you think best.

2. Place sea glass, shells, beads, or charms evoking the sea inside the glass.

3. Fill the glass with spring water; then add sea salt. (This saltwater is the only requirement; everything else in the glass is

embellishment or offerings.)

4. Voila! You have an altar. Keep it clean and pretty, changing water and salt as desired, adding trinkets as inspired.

Some sacredness will eventually attach to all components of an altar, and many feel that once something has been included on an

altar, it should then be reserved for sacred purposes. Some spirits are possessive and resent the loss of anything perceived as theirs. It is

always best to communicate very clearly with spirits. Many spirits will allow you to borrow an item or to use their altar as the equivalent

of a sacred battery charger, if you let them know.

If you are placing something on the altar that is yours and that you intend to remove later, state that to the spirit explicitly. Ask for

permission. How will you receive it? Through divination. A simple method involves a coin toss. Keep a coin on the altar to be used as a

conduit to the spirits. Ask whether permission is granted (or any other yes or no question), then flip. The coin will become part of the

altar and serve as the spirit’s oracle. It is best to use a distinctive coin to lessen the risk of it being casually pocketed or treated as any

other common coin. Ancient or valuable coins may be used but are not necessary. A Kennedy half dollar works well. Many coins

display images of spirits, and so these may be coordinated. Coins aren’t necessary: any small flat double-sided disc may be used,

including religious medals, casino chips, or Zar medallions. Alternatively, substitute any divinatory system that suits you.

RITUAL FOR ENHANCED BEAUTY AND CHARISMA

1. Construct an altar to the appropriate spirit. This ritual is most often associated with Aphrodite, Ezili Freda Dahomey, or

Oshun, but potentially any spirit of beauty may be addressed. Men may direct petitions to spirits renowned for male good looks:

for instance, Adonis, Apollo, Ganymede, or Shango.

2. Place makeup, jewelry, fragrance, or a handkerchief or glove on the altar. Allow it to stay overnight or longer to absorb the

spirit’s power and aura.

3. Clearly articulate your intent and desires to the spirit. Explain that the item will be removed, that although it is on the altar, it

remains in your possession. It is a good idea to offer a gift to the spirit at the same time. Request its blessing; ask it to empower

the item.

4. Wear the item when you need some of the spirit’s power transmitted to you.

AMULET

An amulet is a power object intended to prevent or eliminate danger and harm. The word amulet is believed to derive from the

Latin amuletum, meaning a method of defense. It is etymologically related to the word ammunition.

Amulets may have general powers (an iron horseshoe allegedly protects against all manner of harm) or very specific power (a

millstone in the farmyard allegedly keeps poultry safe). Amulets come in many shapes, sizes, and forms.

• Amulets may be written: seals and sigils scripted onto parchment banish demons.

• Amulets may be found in nature: pebbles and seashells with natural holes reputedly ward off poverty.

• Amulets are crafted by people: glass beads made to resemble eyes allegedly repel malicious envy (also known as the Evil

Eye), while iron beads repel harmful Djinn.

Many amulets are associated with specific spirits:

• Amulets may transmit a spirit’s protective power: thus the Italian amulet known as the mano fica (the fig hand) radiates the

power of Mania, Goddess of Ghosts; wearing this fist-shaped amulet or posting it on a wall allegedly banishes ghosts.

• Amulets may protect against a spirit: written Kabbalistic amulets featuring seals and magical words of power protect infants

against the goddess Lilith.

• Some spirits—like Japan’s Daruma and Maneki Neko or Thailand’s Golden Boy and Nang Kwak—are most commonly

accessed in the form of amulets: their very images serve as powerful amulets. (See their individual entries for specifics.)

The words talisman and amulet are now often used interchangeably, but originally a talisman was a power object intended to draw

good fortune (a lucky charm, in other words), while an amulet was to protect and ward off harm. Thus, images of Thai goddess Nang

Kwak serve as a talisman to attract wealth, while amulets bearing the image of Medusa protect against harmful magic spells.

Amulets and talismans are essentially two sides of a coin: a fertility talisman is used to achieve desired conception, while the

corresponding amulet wards off infertility, prevents miscarriage, and banishes the malicious spirits who prey on pregnant women. The

most powerful power objects simultaneously perform both functions: lucky talismanic and protective amuletic.

APPARITION

An apparition is an actual sighting of a spirit that occurs while awake (as opposed to seeing spirits in dreams). The spirit is seen

with your actual eyes, not in the mind’s eye. The word derives from the Latin apparere and is related to appearance. Rather than just

any old appearance, apparition usually indicates a ghostly, unusual, or unexpected appearance. If you have seen a ghost, then you have

witnessed an apparition.

By definition, apparitions are visual. Disembodied voices or fragrances may indicate the presence of a spirit but are not apparitions.

Apparitions may be witnessed by one person alone, as is frequently the case with ghosts. (Classic fictional example: when Scrooge

encounters theghosts of Christmas past, present, and future in Charles Dickens’ 1843 novel A Christmas Carol, he does so alone. No

one else sees them.) Apparitions may also be simultaneously witnessed by more than one person, sometimes by crowds. (See the

entries for Ma Zu and Michael.)

ASPECT

(See Path.)

ATTRIBUTE

Individual spirits are very often associated with specific things and may rarely be depicted without these things. These things are

used to identify the spirit. Sometimes the thing itself is sufficient to represent the spirit. These things are called attributes. Attributes cut

across religious boundaries; the concept is shared by many traditions.

Attributes are not random. They reference sacred myths and legends and indicate something about a spirit’s power. Some attributes

are very specific to one particular spirit: a stalk of fennel topped by a pinecone indicates Dionysus. Many attributes are shared: tridents

are the attributes of both Poseidon and Shiva. The trident alone will not indicate which spirit is indicated.

Attributes often indicate a spirit’s interests or the scope of its power. Santa Claus’ attribute is a bag of toys. Mercury’s attribute is a

bag of coins. The cornucopia (a horn overflowing with fruit) is an attribute shared by many spirits, indicating that they are generous and

provide prosperity and abundance. Brooms, another popular attribute, often indicate spirits who sweep clean. They provide devotees

with spiritual cleansing, purify the atmosphere, and sweep away other malevolent spirits.

Sometimes attributes are subject to interpretation. Cauldrons may indicate any or all of the following:

• Spirits who generously provide for devotees (cauldron as great big cooking pot)

• Magical or shamanic spirits (cauldron as magical tool; the witch’s vessel)

• Spirits who provide fertility (cauldron as emblem of the womb)

• Spirits of death and resurrection (cauldron of regeneration)

Attributes serve as a form of communication between spirits and people. A spirit’s attributes are added to its altar space to make the

spirit feel at home. Attributes can substitute for a spirit’s image, whether because an actual image is unavailable or because a devotee is

uncomfortable with idols. Spirits will often communicate via their attributes, which appear in dreams or in “coincidental events.”

AVATAR

An avatar is the embodiment or incarnation of a spirit, usually in the form of a human but sometimes as an animal. The word derives

from the Sanskrit avatarah, meaning “descent” (of the deity to Earth). The avatar may be understood to be the servant or messenger of

the original deity or as successive generations or appearances of a sacred being. The avatar is simultaneously distinct and the same as

the root deity.

The most famous avatars are the ten incarnations of the Hindu deity Vishnu. The most famous of Vishnu’s avatars is the eighth,

Krishna, an exceptionally popular deity in his own right. He is simultaneously a distinct being and a form of Vishnu. Phoolan Devi,

India’s controversial bandit queen, murdered in 2001, is widely considered to be an avatar of warrior goddess Durga. The concept of

the avatar is not exclusive to India:

• Cleopatra identified herself as an avatar of love goddess Aphrodite.

• Cleopatra’s father was considered an avatar of Dionysus, lord of wine (albeit with some disapproval by his subjects).

• Jewish folklore identifies Helen of Troy and the Queen of Sheba as avatars of the bewitching demon goddess Lilith.

(See also: Malinche and Savitri.)

CANDLES

These are lit to honor spirits, request favors, communicate with them, repay favors, and fulfill vows. Candles may be burned plain

and unembellished with no added ritual, but many magical traditions encourage personalizing candles so that the message they deliver is

more potent and specific.

BASIC INSTRUCTIONS FOR CRAFTING MAGICAL AND SPIRITUAL CANDLES

1. Choose an appropriate candle. Focus on goals/desires throughout the entire process.

2. Address the spirit while holding the candle in your hands. Explain the purpose of this candle: Is it simply to honor the spirit, a

gift with no strings attached? Is it part of a request process, repayment, or fulfillment of a vow? Whatever it is, just state its

purpose in simple, clear language.

3. The candle may now be burned or further embellished. (In magical parlance, this is called dressing the candle .) Let your

desires and creativity be your guide. Any or all of the following steps may be taken to dress the candle before burning:

• Carve words or symbols into the candle. These words or symbols might identify you, the spirit, or someone on whose

behalf you are requesting favors. Prayers, psalms, or sacred images (runes, sigils, vèvès) may be incorporated.

• Add fragrance: rub the candle with oils. Some spirits have favored fragrances. Specific formula oils indicating special

needs also exist: oils to draw money, love, or healing. Some manufacturers, both large-scale and artisanal, create special

blends intended to invoke and honor specific spirits.

• Oil will make the candle sticky: it can now be rolled in herbs or glitter as desired.

Any type of candle may be used when working with spirits; however, certain types of candles are manufactured especially for

spiritual use. Spiritual merchants offer glass-sheathed candles featuring images of popular spirits printed onto the glass. (Prayers and

petitions may also be printed onto the glass.) These candles are frequently designed to burn for seven or nine days and are variously

called 7-day candles, novena or semana candles (semana is Spanish for week), devotional, or prayer candles. (Smaller, faster-burning

variations may also be purchased or crafted.)

The most readily available commercial candles are dedicated to popular Roman Catholic saints, folk saints, and African-Diaspora

spirits because considerable consumer demand exists. If you venerate spirits of other traditions, don’t despair. It is also possible to

purchase candles sold in blank glass sheaths. These may be burned as is, accompanied only by prayer and petition, but with just a little

creativity and glass paint, you can handcraft candles for any spirit you like. No artistic ability is needed; the simplest designs are nothing

more than the spirit’s name. Photographs or photocopies of appropriate images may also be glued to the outside of glass sheaths,

collage-style.

COLORS

Some spirits have specific color associations. Where applicable, these preferences are included in encyclopedia entries. Altars,

offerings, gifts, and candles may be color-coordinated to suit spirits. In other words, if a spirit’s sacred color is identified as blue, then

burn blue candles or decorate an altar with a blue cloth.

Different colors are understood as mystically representing different needs and desires, and so colors are also coordinated with needs

and desires of petitioners, especially with regard to burning candles. Following is a list of standard color associations, but remember,

magic and spirituality are intensely personal. If you possess your own associations, then use your own language of colors.

• Black: fertility, protection against malevolent forces, healing of chronic illnesses

• Blue: peace, tranquility, protection, healing of addictions, psychic and emotional pain

• Brown: justice, legal issues, healing fatigue and wasting illnesses

• Green: growth, prosperity, abundance, employment, physical healing, especially cancer

• Purple: sex, power, lust, spiritual growth and ecstasy

• Red: luck, love, good fortune, fertility, banishment of negative entities, protection, healing blood ailments and female

reproductive disorders

• Pink: love, romance, requests for healing children

• White: creativity, forgiveness, new projects*

• Yellow: romance, love, sex, growth, prosperity, good fortune, abundance

(See also: Maximon.)

DREAMS

General mystic wisdom suggests that while sleeping, our souls (or a specific dream soul) actually journey to Dreamland, a specific

realm. While there we can meet other people’s dream souls. It is also a rendezvous point where humans can interact with all kinds of

spirits, including those of ancestors or other souls of the dead.

Theoretically any spirit may appear to you in dreams, but some are more likely than others to communicate with you in this manner.

(This is mentioned in individual encyclopedia entries, where applicable.) This is a very frequent mode of spirit-human communication. In

order to receive these messages, however, one must actually have dreams and be able to remember them in detail. Sometimes spirit-

related dreams are so powerful or profound that a person wakes up immediately afterward and is thus able to recall the dream.

However, most dreams slip away unrecalled and uninterpreted. (The Talmud compares an uninterpreted dream to an unread letter.)

The average person has five dreams per night, typically of increasingly greater length. Many mystic traditions suggest that the last

dream of the series, the one just before waking, usually possesses the most spiritual significance.

Keep a dream diary. Note small details in your dreams if you can; the tiniest detail may turn out to have tremendous

significance. If you have made a petition to a spirit, then pay special attention to your dreams. It is likely that this is where you

will receive your response.

Various modern habits have a deleterious effect on dreaming:

• Being awakened abruptly (as with an alarm) causes dreams to be instantly forgotten.

• Pharmaceutical sleep aids or excessive alcohol intake may deaden the ability to dream.

Dreaming is a skill. You can learn to recall your dreams in detail, as well as how to maintain lucidity and control during the dream

state so that one is an active participant in the process. Shamanic journeys may then be consciously accomplished in the dream state.

Various books and workshops teach these skills.

EPITHET

An epithet is a traditional phrase or title used to address a spirit. Epithets are not just random words of flattery, but impart

significant information about a spirit. Epithets serve as sacred shorthand. Thus if a spirit’s epithets include titles like The Terrible or

Worst of the Worst , consider yourself warned. Sometimes epithets are shared: many of the Virgin Mary’s epithets, such as Star of the

Sea or Mother of God also belong to Isis.

Some epithets are included among the individual entries of this book directly below the spirit’s name. Epithets are a polite, respectful

way to address spirits with whom you are not on a first-name basis. Not all spirits possess epithets. Some have only a few, while others

have enough to fill a book. When the Egyptians addressed Hathor as the Lady of Countless Names, they weren’t kidding.

Yoruba oriki express a similar concept: oriki are sacred verbal salutes and eloquent poetic praise descriptions.

X-VOTO

An ex-voto is an object used to request or fulfill a vow. The term derives from the Latin phrase meaning “from a vow.” (Another

Roman term used to indicate votive offerings was donaria, related to donation.)

Ex-votos come in several traditional forms. Typical votive offerings include:

• Votive plaques describing miracles, as, for example, the modern retablo

• Small images or charms

The most common modern ex-votos are the small, anatomically shaped charms known as milagros (miracles), described on page

89, most commonly tiny metal arms, legs, eyes, or other body parts. The word ex-voto is now sometimes used synonymously with

retablo or milagro.

During the Middle Ages, ex-votos, including what would now be called milagros, were mass-produced from materials including

metals, wood, stone, clay, wax, and bread dough. Later on, paper ex-votos became popular. Fabric has also intermittently been used.

Some ex-votos are still mass-produced, but they are also very easily handcrafted. Forms and possibilities are endless.

FAMILIAR

In magical parlance, a familiar is a creature (animal, fish, bird) with whom one possesses an extremely intense, close bond and

relationship: a soul partner. The most famous examples are classic witches’ familiars: black cats, owls, or bats.

Familiars aren’t only for witches. Many spirits have profound associations with specific creatures. Animals may serve as the spirit’s

messengers or as forms in which the spirit manifests. The spirit may be inextricably linked with that animal, virtually always appearing

together.

Animals facilitate encounters between spirits and humans. If you have petitioned a spirit, watch out for appearances of that spirit’s

familiars. Animals may appear live and in the flesh, but they may also appear in dreams or images. If you petitioned the Egyptian

scorpion spirit, Selkhet, on Monday, a postcard unexpectedly received on Tuesday bearing the image of a scorpion would be

considered very auspicious.

Because you have a good relationship with a spirit does not guarantee safety from all living representatives of that spirit’s

sacred animals. In other words, because Hekate is your guardian doesn’t mean that every dog, her sacred animal, is your

friend. Bear goddess Callisto may protect you, but that doesn’t mean you can just walk up to any bear with impunity. Always

use common sense with regard to animal safety and spirits alike .

FEAST

Some spirits are associated with specific calendar dates, commonly known as their feast (whether or not any feasting is actually

done).

A spirit’s feast is a day of power. If you have the luxury of choosing when to make an appeal, this is often the most advantageous

time. Spirits are generally at the peak of their powers and generosity. They anticipate requests; their ears and hands are open. It is also

the perfect time to fulfill vows and repay favors.

Spirits possessing feast days include African-Diaspora spirits such as the lwa or ori shas who are syncretized with Catholic saints.

(See the Glossary entry for Syncretism.) Many East Asian, Hindu, Egyptian, Celtic, and Roman spirits also possess feasts. Roman

spirits may possess multiple feasts; at least one usually commemorates the date an important shrine dedicated to that spirit was

consecrated.

Dates for feasts at local shrines are included in individual entries, but be advised that customs are often updated faster and more

spontaneously than books. Verify dates before making travel plans. Festivals of Asian spirits are determined by their own respective

calendars, not necessarily the standard Western calendar. References to Roman or other ancient feast days are by necessity

approximations; calendars have changed many times since those festivals were outlawed.

RAGRANCE

Fragrance serves as a mode of communication and as a bridge between realms. Fragrance may derive from living or cut flowers;

aromatic woods or resins; incense, perfumes, and essential oils. Fragrance is a traditional offering to spirits. Many favor certain scents.

In addition, some spirits signal their presence via aroma. Each Egyptian deity, for instance, possessed a signature fragrance. Hathor is

the Lady of Myrrh. The most famous vestige of this once-common tradition is the association of the Christian devil with the scent of

sulfur (brimstone). If you unexpectedly smell something that lacks any physical source, pay attention: it could indicate spirits or ghosts.

Certain fragrances are believed to attract the attention of consistently benevolent spirits, including agar ( oud), cinnamon, copal,

frankincense, gardenia, myrrh, sandalwood, and styrax benzoin. (Synthetic reproductions of natural fragrances may fool people, but

spirits can tell the difference. If you desire a fragrance’s actual effect, use the real thing.)

The ghost in the 1944 Ray Milland movie, The Uninvited, signals her presence via the scent of mimosa.

Other fragrances are believed to enhance psychic ability—the ability to perceive spirits. These include lilac, rosemary, violet, and

wisteria. The fragrance of myrrh is traditionally believed to open portals to spirit realms.

ICONOGRAPHY

Literally “image writing,” iconography is the visual language of spirits. Some, although not all, spirits have specific visual images used

to identify them. Attributes are incorporated into iconography.

• A giant wearing a shirt that’s too small and holding a massive club is the Dagda.

• A woman’s body sporting three faces, each pointed in a different direction, is Hekate.

• A beautiful, naked woman emerging from a huge scallop shell is Aphrodite.

Iconography may involve any kind of visual image: paintings, statues, postcards, and so forth. The point is that it is visual.

The concept of iconography—images used to portray and identify spirits—is shared by all spiritual traditions except for the very few

that completely reject imagery.

Images may reference myths, legends, or history. They convey information regarding a spirit’s nature or identify a spirit’s specific

powers. In eras when masses of people were illiterate, iconography served to identify spirits. No need to read words. You took a look

at the picture and you knew who it depicted.

There is a chicken-and-egg quality to iconography. Does iconography reflect how spirits have historically appeared to people in

dreams, visions, or apparitions? Or is it that spirits, knowing what people expect to see, match their appearances to iconography so that

they are more easily recognized? In either event, familiarize yourself with the iconography of spirits with whom you wish to interact.

Spirits with very specific iconography will likely appear in that guise or will at least somehow reference that iconography to make

recognition easier.

Iconography can evolve. Inuit sea spirit Sedna is now frequently depicted as a mermaid but previously she was always depicted with

legs. Iconography can also be tricky: those for whom an image is extremely familiar may assume that everyone looking at that image

sees the same thing and identifies the same spirit, but, in fact, this is not so.

IDENTIFICATION

You may find references to “Egyptian Aphrodite” in older mythology books. Should these references inspire you to search for

stories of Aphrodite’s adventures by the Nile, you will be disappointed. “Egyptian Aphrodite” is not “Greek Aphrodite”; Egyptian

Aphrodite is Hathor. That reference is an example of identification: the process of identifying one spirit with another.

Although the Hellenistic Greeks were not the only culture to engage in identification, they provide the most famous and accessible

examples of what can be a difficult, esoteric concept to comprehend. Once upon a time, when the Greeks considered the deities of their

neighbors, they were perplexed. They were not monotheistic; they did not insist on the existence of only one deity, but they did insist on

their own deities. Their worldview did not leave room for parallel pantheons or creation myths. So then who were these other deities

belonging to foreign peoples? Two choices emerged:

• These might be independent deities who could either be incorporated into the Greek pantheon or ostracized as monsters.

Thus Dionysus, originally from Thrace, was identified as Zeus’ son who had spent time traveling but had returned to

Greece and a throne on Mount Olympus.

• Foreign spirits could be identified as native spirits with different names. Hathor is a beautiful Egyptian spirit of love,

romance, and joy with dominion over perfume, cosmetics, and fertility. That description could very easily also apply to

Aphrodite; hencethe Greeks identified Hathor with Aphrodite. The two goddesses were identified as one being with

different names and local manifestations.

At best, identification serves as spiritual shorthand giving someone unfamiliar with a spirit a quick sense of that spirit’s nature via

correspondences. At worst, it oversimplifies mythology, ignoring important nuances that distinguish one spirit from another. Identification

also frequently demonstrates the arrogance of conquerors who can’t be bothered to familiarize themselves with the deities of their new

subjects. It is as if an observer, having noticed that you resemble your sibling, decides to call you by that sibling’s name, rather than your

own, to save themselves the trouble of distinguishing between you.

Identification might have made theology simpler for the Greeks (and later the Romans), but it makes accurate identification of ancient

spirits very difficult today. Information is clouded. Much of what we know about many ancient pantheons derives from Greek and

Roman commentators who often did not bother to write down a foreign spirit’s name, substituting their own identification instead. When

the Romans describe the Celtic veneration of Mars, it is impossible, from our vantage point, to be absolutely certain whether the actual

Roman Mars is described or whether it is a reference to a now-nameless local spirit identified with Mars.

Modern attempts to explain the Vodou pantheon sometimes describe Ezili Freda as “Vodou Aphrodite.” Ezili Freda and

Oshun are sometimes identified with each other, as if they were the same, although this is not so. (Both are beautiful West

African spirits associated with love and water.) Some sources identify all beautiful female spirits of love with Aphrodite (or

Venus, the Roman spirit with whom she is identified), as if she were the only one in the entire world .

IMAGES

Images are visual depictions of spirits, including all manner of statues, paintings, prints, puppets, chromolithographs, and dolls.

Legends are attached to many sacred images. Some are reputedly divinely inspired. Others are allegedly the handiwork of angels. The

mythic history of many Black Madonna images suggests that they just magically, mysteriously appeared, seemingly out of nowhere, the

implication being that they have arrived from the spirit world. However, in general, images are depictions of spirits as envisioned by

people. People do not create spirits, but they sure do create their images.

Some religions forbid creation of sacred (or any) images or find them controversial. The most famous taboo occurs in the Ten

Commandments. The Second Commandment is variously interpreted as “Thou shalt not make graven images,” “Thou shalt not make

molten images,” or in plainest English, “Don’t make idols.” Of course, the irony is that just as Moses brought them this commandment,

the children of Israel were busy constructing the golden calf.

Judaism never entirely abandoned sacred imagery: Solomon’s Temple periodically contained images of cherubim, the brazen serpent,

and, most controversially, statues of the Hebrew goddess Asherah. Orthodox Christianity suffered its iconoclastic schism, bitter disputes

as to whether images were permissible, culminating in the destruction of many precious icons. Despite the modern ubiquity of Buddhist

statuary, for centuries Buddhism did not engage in sacred imagery. Islam remains the spiritual faith with the strictest injunctions against

imagery.

If you’re uncomfortable with graven images or any other kind, don’t use them. The image should never be confused with

the deity, who is a spirit being. For purposes of altar building, spirits may be represented by their attributes, sacred plants, or

any other object with which they are strongly associated. Hera may be represented by a pomegranate; Hekate by a broom.

Historically, conquerors destroy sacred imagery of those they have conquered, as do militant missionaries. Destruction of images also

frequently accompanies religious disputes. Many French Madonna statues were destroyed during the French Revolution or by militant

Huguenot Protestants who were violently opposed to Roman Catholic modes of worship. The most notorious modern example is the

destruction of a two-thousand-year-old masterpiece, the world’s tallest standing Buddha (53 meters; 175 feet) by the Muslim

fundamentalist Taliban in Afghanistan in 2001.

Sacred imagery clearly evokes passion and dispute. What is its purpose?

• Images serve as reminders of the presence of the sacred: they comfort and empower.

• Images of spirits serve to focus inner vision.

• Images serve as the focal point of an altar, the eye upon which you focus.

• Images may serve as a resting place or home for spirits.

• Images serve as portals through which spirits may be more easily contacted. The Diné (Navajo) word for their sacred sand

paintings, Iikah, may be translated as “the place where spirits come and go” or “a summoning of the spirits.”

Images are not just for contemplation. Some images are not inert, but active, whether literally or figuratively. Specific images are tools

that spirits can use to transmit their blessings. The shrine of the mysterious spirit Sara-la-Kali in southern France is the site of the largest

annual Romani (Gypsy) pilgrimage. Every May, crowds travel to her shrine to place fabric on her votive statue in order to receive her

gift of healing.

Tales of miracle statues are not exactly common, but neither are they infrequent. The ancient Egyptians may have possessed methods

of magically animating statues. Japanese folk tradition suggests that dolls can acquire human souls or otherwise become animated and

come to life. Such dolls possess extraordinary power for good or ill. They bring blessings, but if mistreated, retaliate against their

abusers. There is a shrine in Japan where dolls may be disposed of safely. (See: Awashima.)

Miracle statues reputedly bleed or weep (sometimes watery tears, sometimes tears of blood or milk). Madonnas are the most

prevalent modern miraculous statues, but they’re not alone. Statues of India’s elephant spirit, Ganesha, have been witnessed drinking

milk. Chilean poet Pablo Neruda (12 July, 1904– 23 September, 1973) collected ship figureheads. One, named Marie Celeste, a

mermaid carved of dark oak, allegedly wept tears every winter.

Sometimes it seems impossible to find a suitable sacred image. Images that are readily available commercially tend to depict only the

most popular spirits, as well as reproductions of acknowledged art masterpieces.

Early Christians of Egypt were particularly enthusiastic about smashing Pagan statues. During the violent destruction of

Pagan Alexandria, in the late fourth century CE, the renowned Neo-Platonist Olympius reassured his grieving community that

the spirits dwelling in statues had departed to celestial realms when their earthly manifestations (their statues) were destroyed .

The word doll is etymologically related to idol. Many dolls serve sacred or magical functions.

Use what works for you. Use what exists. Any attribute of a spirit may be used to represent it. If you are unable to find an image of

the Celtic deity Rosmerta, then substitute a cornucopia, her attribute, instead. Alternatively use something that powerfully evokes the

spirit, at least in your mind. Africans enslaved in Roman Catholic Latin America and the Caribbean used images of Christian saints to

represent their own spirits because that’s what was available. When they wished to represent the great snake deity, Damballah, an

image of Saint Patrick was used because that Catholic saint

is inevitably portrayed with the snakes he so famously banished from Ireland.

Eventually these images may meld. (See the Glossary entry for Syncretism.) Those who now resent the intrusion of Christianity into

traditional African spirituality may use botanical images or attributes or create brand-new imagery. (Thus, the primordial Vodou

priestess Ayizan is represented by a palm branch.)

Spirits are also associated with abstract imagery, including runes, seals, and vèvès, which may be used for various purposes, including

contacting and summoning spirits.

If you cannot find an appropriate altar image, then craft your own. Find a suitable, commercially available doll and then

customize him or her. Create outfits appropriate for the spirit; dye the doll’s hair if necessary. Add attributes and adornments .

NCENSE

Incense is a traditional, primordial component of spirit veneration. It is believed that ascending smoke carries prayers and petitions

with it, magically delivering it to the correct recipient, like the owls who know just where to deliver mail in the Harry Potter books.

Specific fragrances are used to signal to specific spirits. Candles, especially scented ones, may be used in addition to or instead of

incense. Wax candles were once prohibitively expensive and so incense, which may be made of any fragrant botanical material, was

more popular.

Incense is typically available in three forms:

• Sticks

• Cones

• Loose botanical material intended to be sprinkled over charcoal and then burned

The term incense now refers to any material used to produce a fragrant aroma when burned, but it originally referred

specifically to gum resins exuded by Boswellia trees. As the word began to be used more generally, these gum resins became

known as frankincense, meaning true (frank) incense.

Much commercially manufactured incense is now synthetic, particularly very inexpensive brands of cones and sticks. (High-quality

stick and cone incense does exist but is not cheap.) Loose incense tends to be real, as it is less labor intensive to create and, by its very

nature, less easy to fake. One botanical may be substituted for another, but it is unlikely to be synthetic.

Read the ingredients on incense purchased. It is best to always be aware of exactly what you are burning because that way you

know exactly who you are attracting. Incense is very easy to handcraft, even sticks and cones. Instructions are readily available online

and in books.

MANIFESTATION

Spirits may appear in many forms, or manifestations. While some spirits have unlimited forms, most possess very specific

manifestations, which have been catalogued over the ages. Some appear in only a few forms; others, renowned shape-shifters like Freya

or Proteus, appear in many guises. If a spirit wishes to be recognized, it will manifest in a familiar form. If you call upon a spirit,

familiarize yourself with its popular manifestations so that you may recognize a visitation or response to your request.

Manifestations may indicate mood: some spirits have happy guises or fierce faces, but it is important to recall that, regardless of a

spirit’s outward appearance, its inner essence remains true and consistent. Thus Hekate is

Hekate, regardless of whether she appears as

a young woman, old crone, or dog, in the same manner that you are you, regardless of whether you dress in red, purple, or black,

regardless of whether you color your hair or drastically change your appearance via plastic surgery.

The Hawaiian language has a specific word for the physical forms assumed by spirits: kinolau. Thus, the Hawaiian spirit Ku may

manifest as a man, breadfruit, or caterpillar. These forms are among his kinolau. Maile vines and lama trees are among the kinolau

Laka, beautiful, graceful spirit of hula.

MANTRA

A mantra is a mystical or religious syllable, word, phrase, poem, or prayer, usually in Sanskrit, the ancient, sacred language of

India. Mantras are associated with the various spiritual traditions born in India. Mantras are contemplated, chanted, or serve as focal

points of meditation. Mantras have various intents and uses.

In the context of this book, mantras are magical syllables associated with spirits. Some spirits possess specific mantras. Spirits may

be able to exert their power through the syllables and sound vibrations of a specific mantra. The mantra may serve as a portal that

focuses, directs, and unleashes a spirit’s energy.

Mantras may be written or carved but are generally chanted. Chant slowly, enunciating carefully, and savor sound, syllables, and

vibration.

Examples of mantras are found in the encyclopedia entries for Nang Kwak, Tara, and Amida Buddha.

A key word concerning mantras is repetition

. Specific numbers of repetitions are chanted in order to achieve various goals. Chanting

a spirit’s mantra may achieve any or all of the following: • Summoning that spirit

• Attaining greater knowledge and/or understanding of that spirit

• Receiving blessings, protection, or other gifts from that spirit

• Feeling closer and more spiritually attuned with that spirit

MARRIAGE

People treat spirits with varying degrees of devotion, ranging from casual to intense. The most intensively profound relationship

between a spirit and a human is marriage. The term is intended literally, not metaphorically. Actual wedding ceremonies may occur.

There are tales of half-spirit/half-human children. Jewish tradition records debates regarding whether spirit-human marriages are legally

binding.

The marriage is between a spirit and a human. Neither ceases to be what they are; the spirit doesn’t have or need a human stand-in.

No ritual possession is involved. (In other words, the relationship is not between two humans, one of whom is possessed by a spirit,

although that type of relationship exists as well.) Although the spirit may or may not be physically present, the relationship is no less real.

It is typically an ecstatic, sexual relationship, a true merger of sex and spirituality.

Although this is an extremely complex, esoteric topic, one that can be difficult to comprehend, it is not a rare concept in shamanic-

oriented spiritual traditions around the world.

This tradition of marriage between spirits and humans is current; it is happening right now, but its roots are primal. Scottish Clan

MacLeod is descended from the marriage of a mortal king and a Fairy woman. Jewish folklore suggests that in addition to his human

wives, Sarah, Hagar, and Keturah, the biblical patriarch Abraham also had a spirit wife and children. Fairy tales of mermaid or seal-

spirit wives recall ancient practices. (See: Melusine.)

Not all spirits will engage in this type of relationship with people. Among those most associated with marriages are Djinn, lwa, Sidhe,

and Zar. (See their individual encyclopedia entries for further information about these spirit pantheons.)

Some traditions (Vodou; Zar) have formal marriage rituals. In other traditions, no official ritual is required; the spirit will advise what

to do. Male spirits most commonly marry female humans and vice versa, but marriages also cut across gender lines. For example, the

fierce, proud Haitian Vodou lwa Ezili Dantor engages in marriage with both female and male devotees, as she pleases.

Typically, a person with a spirit spouse keeps a room or space in the home reserved for conjugal visits. The room serves as an altar

of love and is decorated to suit the spirit’s preferences and nature. One night a week may be reserved for the spirit spouse, especially

among devoteeswho also possess a human spouse. (The true act of devotion may be from the spouse who shares a wife or husband

with the spirit.)

Marriage may be inspired by love, passion, or infatuation, but it is also associated with mystical training. The spirit spouse provides

magical and spiritual secrets and powers. Historically, many shamans have had Otherworld partners and continue to do so. (See:

Aisha

Qandisha; Lalla Mira; and the Jade Maidens.)

MEDIUM

A medium is any person who serves as a conduit to the spirits. It is a relatively general term. Various techniques exist. Mediums

may or may not be shamans or engage in ritual possession. Some deliver messages in trance, others while completely awake and

conscious. Mediums may use tools such as divination devices, automatic writing, or planchettes. A person presiding over a séance is

called a medium.

MENSTRUAL BLOOD

According to many traditions, menstrual blood is the single most powerful, magically charged item on Earth. It is because of this

power, some have theorized, that women were isolated during their menstrual periods. Fear of their inherent power is what led to

women’s eventual oppression and subjugation. Women were not isolated because they were “unclean,” but because their tremendous

power had to be curtailed and quarantined. Menstrual rites were among the earliest secret ceremonies, open only to those sharing in

these blood mysteries. (In tribal areas, as in offices, dormitories, and anywhere women live very closely together, cycles may become

synchronized with each other and with lunar phases and tides. A period isn’t exclusively personal: it is potentially a communal experience

shared by women and nature alike.)

Menstruation was understood as among the primordial powers of the universe, forming a trinity of power with the moon and water,

and considered the basis for magic as well as fertility, the source of life. Menstruation (and pregnancy) was not understood in today’s

clinical manner: it was a magical, miraculous process. As women did not menstruate while they were pregnant, menstrual blood was

believed retained to help form the baby in the womb. Menstrual blood was the blood of life, as opposed to blood signifying wounds and

death.

Menstrual blood was the first blood sacrifice, poured on Earth as a libation. No one was hurt; no one died. By its very nature,

however, it kept spiritual power in the hands of women; men were excluded. Animal and human sacrifices were eventually initiated.

What is the point of this information in the context of spirits? Although many people’s understanding of menstruation may have

changed, spirits are old-fashioned. Different spirits are attracted to different types of offerings and sacrifices. Some spirits will be

honored and pleased to receive an offering of your menstrual blood, particularly primordial Earth deities, like Gaia, or spirits associated

with women’s mysteries, like Jahi, primordial menstrual goddess.

Other spirits, however, not only don’t want your menstrual blood, they don’t even want to see you or hear from you until your period

is over. This applies especially to spirits associated with iron-working, such as Ogun or Kanayago. In other words, do not petition

them, do not visit their shrines, do not give them anything on a home altar until menstruation has completely ceased and no

trace of bleeding remains. If this offends you, then these spirits are not for you. Find others.

MILAGRO

The word milagro literally means “miracle” in Spanish (in Portuguese: milagre). A milagro is a type of ex-voto, essentially a charm

offered in exchange for a miracle. Milagros symbolize the specific miracle requested. Most involve healing, and so the standard milagro

is a little image in the form of a human body part: an eye, ear, leg, arm, or other part of the anatomy. Choose a milagro that symbolizes

your needs. (Milagros are not actual body parts; they resemble charms on a charm bracelet and may be incorporated into jewelry.

Some collect them just because they are pretty, evocative, and usually inexpensive, not for spiritual use.)

The terms milagro and ex-voto are sometimes used synonymously, but there are many types of ex-votos. Milagros are currently the

most popular type of ex-voto; the Spanish name has entered the English language, perhaps because no specific English word exists that

expresses this concept. (Words do exist in other languages; for example: the modern Greek word tamata.)

The standard modern milagro is made from some inexpensive silvery metal, but they may also be made from bread dough, wax, or

precious gems and metals. More expensive milagros are not more effective. Expensive ones are usually intended as repayment for

favors received rather than used for the initial request. Most are tiny representations, but life-sized versions are popular in Brazil.

Milagro is a modern name, but the concept is ancient. Similar offerings to spirits are among the oldest archaeological finds, dating

back at least to the Bronze Age. Some of the most ancient have been found in Iberia (Portugal and Spain) and in what is now

Switzerland. Tiny bronze artifacts, virtually identical to modern milagros, are on display in Spain’s archaeological museums. They are

also common artifacts found in ancient Celtic healing shrines. (The presence of these artifacts is often used to identify whether a shrine

was associated with healing, and specifically what kind of healing: eye-shaped ex-votos found in Celtic shrines indicate that the deity in

residence was credited with healing vision and eye ailments.)

Milagros traditionally accompany petitions as part of an exchange. Presented to spirits in public shrines or on private home altars,

they are pinned to a sacred image’s clothing or to special poles or petition boards provided for the purpose. They can, however, simply

be placed upon an altar. Depending on the specific spirit petitioned, they are also traditionally buried in Earth or tossed in bodies of

water (spring, lake, river, ocean, well), in similar fashion to tossing coins into wishing wells.

Milagros are traditional components of repayment vows to spirits. Sometimes an inexpensive milagro is presented as part of the

original petition, together with a vow to give the spirit a more expensive version, should the petition be fulfilled. Sometimes a miniature

milagro is given to mark the request, with a true-to-life-sized version promised as repayment. Extravagant milagros tend to be

associated with requests for true life-or-death miracles: a cure for terminal illness, for example. Examples of priceless milagros offered in

gratitude and testimonial are on display at the shrine of Babalu Ayé (Saint Lazarus) in El Rincon, Cuba.

Milagros are most associated with healing, but not always. A heart-shaped milagro may indicate heart disease, but it could

also demonstrate a plea for love or the need for a romantic miracle.

MIRRORS

Mirrors are traditionally perceived as gateways to the spirits, thresholds between realms. They serve as boundaries and as portals of

communication. Mirrors are windows to spirit realms, to be opened or kept shut as desired. Mirrors, once rare and precious, are

magical tools masquerading as ordinary household goods.

Mirrors are traditional medium’s tools used to contact and communicate with spirits. Those spirits consistently depicted holding

mirrors (La Sirène and other mermaids) may be understood to be advertising their oracular powers, their willingness to teach oracular

skills, or engage in oracular relationships. The mirrors they hold are invitations to other realms. Tezcatlipoca, the Smoking Mirror, is a

spirit master of shamanism and sorcery.

Spirits live beyond or behind mirrors, or sometimes even within. Through the Looking Glass, Lewis Carroll’s 1871 tale of falling

through the mirror, the sequel to Alice in Wonderland , draws upon shamanic roots. Ghosts and other spirits sometimes manifest in

mirrors: phantom images appear that may or may not also communicate. Spirits who cross the threshold, emerging from mirrors, like

Bloody Mary or Lilith’s Daughters, tend to be up to no good. (This is the premise behind the horror series The Ring.) Some spirits are

described as failing to cast reflections in mirrors, perhaps indicating that they belong on the other side.

Mirrors are magical tools used to trap or banish spirits. Associations of spirits with mirrors are the basis behind admonitions to cover

mirrors following a death in the home. No need for departing souls to be trapped or for anyone else to follow. These associations are

also among the reasons why women were discouraged from gazing into mirrors. Excessive vanity is the official reason: the possibility that

women might commune with spirits or be influenced or possessed by them is another.

Mirrors do not have to be glass; the technical definition of a mirror is an object having a nearly perfect reflecting surface.

The earliest mirrors were made of polished stone, metal, or obsidian, a type of naturally occurring volcanic glass.

When serving as a divination device, mirrors are used in the same fashion as crystal balls.

MYSTERY

Although spirits by definition are mysterious and the word mystery is sometimes used as a synonym for spirit, some spirits are

described as having Mysteries. What does this mean?

While some knowledge is accessible and available to all, some spiritual traditions reserve certain rituals, information, and secrets for

initiates. Spiritual traditions that place emphasis on information being reserved for initiates are known as Mystery traditions. Often they

center on one or more spirits: the spiritual traditions are described as being that spirit’s Mysteries. For over two thousand years, ancient

Greece’s most famous religious festival was held annually in the town of Eleusis, not far from Athens. The festival honored Greek grain

goddess Demeter. Rituals and ceremonies were secret, with knowledge reserved for initiates: the festival is thus referred to as the

Eleusinian Mysteries or Demeter’s Mysteries.

Invariably, with Mysteries, information is passed orally from initiate to initiate. By definition, Mysteries were not written down lest

they fall into the hands of the unitiated and cease to be mysteries. When a Mystery religion was suppressed or when a generation of its

leaders waskilled, chains of transmission were irrevocably broken. In the context of the twenty-first century, this means that we don’t

know exactly what happened during Adonis or Demeter’s rituals. We can assemble the pieces together as best we can; we can initiate

new or similar forms of veneration, but we cannot know for sure exactly what occurred during these Mysteries. (See:

Adonis; Baubo;

Bona Dea; Despoena; Fauna; Maia

MYTH

Myth, the root of mythic and mythology, means “sacred.” Mythology technically means “sacred story” or “sacred study.” In

modern casual language, myth is often used as a synonym for false or untrue, but that usage itself is what is not true. Myth is not used

in that sense in this book. Myth doesn’t mean “it didn’t happen.” It means that what is being discussed is sacred, not mundane.

Myths are complex narratives that can be understood on many levels. Myths may or may not be literally true (some are; some are

not), but that does not mean they are false or do not contain truth. Spirits and the mysteries of the universe cannot be reduced to

simplistic terms. Myths are stories intended to nourish human souls: they have something of the same nature as dreams and may best be

interpreted in the same way that one interprets dreams.

Myths are symbolic stories, a means of expressing something whose meaning may transcend language, something too profound to be

conveyed by words. Myths serve many functions. Epic myths explain the creation of the world or the afterlife, but others explain

traditions: why people do whatever it is that they do.

Myths are the sagas of spirits. It is a rare myth that does not contain some sort of spirit. (This is the traditional dividing line between

myths and legends: myths involve sacred characters, while legends are not required to do so.) Myths tell us who spirits are, what to

expect from them, and how best to behave in their presence.

Myths are our earliest stories, dating back to primeval times, but until relatively recently in the scope of history, myths were not

written down. Many have been lost or suppressed. In some cases, only fragments survive.

Sometimes one spirit possesses many myths. Sometimes these multiple myths are complementary, but often they are contradictory.

All of the following is told of Aphrodite:

• Aphrodite is born from the merger of blood from Uranus’ severed genitals and sea foam.

• Aphrodite was conceived when Uranus’ blood impregnated the sea spirit Thalassa.

• Aphrodite is the daughter of Zeus and his wife, Dione.

• Aphrodite is a West Asian spirit, similar to Astarte, Anat, and Inanna-Ishtar, who was later incorporated into the Greek

pantheon.

• Aphrodite is Astarte incorporated into the Greek pantheon.

Analyzing myths and exploring the asserted relationships between spirits can be very revealing about spirits and humans alike.

Humans and spirits share historical circumstances. Human history is often encoded in myths. The reluctance of so many Greek

goddesses to wed may preserve information about human gender relationships of the time when those particular myths were born.

NECROMANCY

This literally means “divination via the dead.” (Similarly, cartomancy is “divination using cards.”) In other words, the dead are

contacted to reveal information about the future and explain the past and present. In twenty-first-century popular culture, necromancy is

a sensationalized word, sometimes used as a synonym for grave desecration. However, most necromantic rituals require no contact with

a corpse or cemetery. If you have ever attempted to consciously dream of a dead loved one, then you have engaged in necromancy.

Necromantic rituals include:

• Séances

• Spirit boards, like Ouija boards or similar devices

• Sleeping on a grave, in a crypt, or in a cemetery in order to receive a dream visitation

• Sleeping with a dead loved one’s photograph or clothing beneath your pillow in order to receive a dream visitation

Whether actual contact with the dead is required depends upon how a spiritual tradition perceives the dead. The ancient Greeks

believed that the longer someone was dead, the harder it became for them to communicate or sympathize with the living; thus some

very

old traditional Greek magic spells attempt to wrest information from the corpse before burial or immediately afterward. However, this is

unusual. Most necromantic rituals involve divination, dreams, or direct requests to souls of the dead or to those spirits who control and

commune with them.

ORACLE

Oracle means “answer,” the ability to receive needed information about the future right now in the present. (Oracles can also reveal

and explain secrets of the past.) Some spirits serve as oracles directly, through divination devices or at their shrines. The word oracle

also refers to those shrines. Delphi is among the most famous oracles in the world. Oracle may indicate an oracular shrine, its presiding

spirit who technically provides the oracle, and the human diviners who deliver the oracle. Regardless of how or where they do it, spirits

who consistently deliver prophecies are classified as oracular spirits.

Some spirits bestow oracular power on people. The most famous case involves Apollo, who blessed the Trojan princess Cassandra

with this gift, simultaneously cursing her with the proviso that no one would ever believe her unfailingly accurate predictions. (See:

Daphne

; Nanshe.)

PANTHEON

Pantheon literally means “all deities” and is used to indicate the collective spirits of a particular spiritual tradition, mythic cycle,

religion, or culture. Thus the Olympian Spirits comprise one pantheon; their competitors, the Titans, form another. Titans and Olympians

together also belong to the greater Greek pantheon, alongside various unaffiliated spirits.

In terms of practical spirit working, various issues arise regarding pantheons. First, is it permissible to blend pantheons, or is that just

being sloppy and all over the place?

Pantheons have never been graven in stone; they evolve and change. They are only static to those who perceive them solely as

historical matter reflecting the past. In other words, there may be no such thing as a “pure” pantheon. As people interact with each

other, their spirits come into contact with each other, too. Spirits negotiate, form alliances, or have conflicts with each other in the same

manner as people.

Pantheons reflect relationships between spirits and also between spirits and people. The very existence of a clearly demarcated

pantheon may indicate a group of spirits venerated by a specific group of people and an attempt by those people to create a cohesive

mythic cycle involving these spirits. In other words, the pantheon is already a blend of previously individual spirits.

Sometimes pantheons reflect the natural order of spirits and relationships between them, but sometimes pantheons more accurately

reflect the needs of people. Pantheons are sometimes cobbled together in an attempt to form a coherent mythic cycle incorporating

deities of different traditions or attempts to find a place for new spirits. People tend to like order, but spirits tend to be disorderly.

Pantheons are frequently attempts by people to create divine order and clarity.

Restructuring myths and pantheons is a way of maintaining relationships with powerful spirits and also of putting these

spirits in their place. Spirits inevitably serve as role models. Cultures that value female submissiveness will encourage female

spirits to keep their power under wraps or emphasize stories (myths) that highlight desired qualities in a female.

Mythic descriptions of wars between pantheons may obliquely describe conflict between nations, each possessing its own religious

beliefs and pantheons of spirits. Tales of one pantheon conquering another (as, for example, the defeat of the Titans by the Olympians in

Greece) may reflect human political or social realities.

As many human societies became increasingly male dominated (as in Greece, for instance), women were identified, not as individuals,

but as some man’s wife, daughter, or sister. Likewise, previously autonomous goddesses followed suit, formally incorporated into

pantheons in relation to male deities: Hera became Zeus’ wife; Artemis and Athena his daughters. Amphitrite became Poseidon’s wife.

The most significant surviving myths of Thetis detail her marriage to a mortal and her role as Achilles’ mother, although she is a very

great goddess on her own.

Historically, people have always blended pantheons, especially in urban areas. The Bible is filled with complaints regarding “whoring

after” foreign spirits. The Magical Papyri of Alexandria, Egypt, which document spiritual practices from the early centuries of the early

Common Era, record magic spells that simultaneously address spirits of Greece, Egypt, Mesopotamia, and elsewhere.

The Encyclopedia of Spirits contains spirits from all over the world. Must an individual work exclusively with spirits deriving from

their own religious or ethnic background? That’s completely up to you. Some people feel especially close to spirits reflecting their own

background or feel safer with them. However, historically, veneration tends to be cross-cultural. Spirits may or may not recognize

distinctions that are so important to some people.

Another thing to consider is that spirits may know more about you and your ancestral, genetic history than you do. As with

pantheons, it is possible that there is no such thing as a “pure-bred” human being. Each individual’s ancestry goes back to the dawning

of human life on Earth; family trees and DNA are full of surprises. Spirits may recognize ancient ancestry, history, or loyalties that we no

longer recall or recognize. The spirits responding to your call may reveal mysteries of your own deep ancestral roots. Or maybe they

just like you or feel protective toward you for reasons having nothing to do with ancestry.

One ritual recorded in the Magical Papyri simultaneously invokes Adonis, Anubis, Ereshkigal, and Hermes. Each of those

spirits derives from a different pantheon: Canaanite, Egyptian, Sumerian, and Greek, respectively.

Can you place spirits from different traditions and pantheons on one single altar? Again, that is up to you, whatever you feel is

appropriate. An altar is a reflection of your own spiritual journey. It can serve as the crossroads where your spirits meet. They are

already interacting in your life. If you can envision them all hovering around you, then they know each other and can safely be placed on

an altar together. If, however, you feel that this is awkward or somehow wrong, then follow your spiritual instincts and create individual

altar space as you deem most appropriate.

PATH

Spirits are sometimes described as having paths. Classical mythology sometimes uses the word aspect to describe this same

phenomenon. A commonly used modern Spanish term is camino, meaning “road.” Sometimes the word manifestation is used,

although that word may also indicate the various physical forms in which a spirit appears.

Paths may be understood as facets of one being, different sides of the same personality. Now a human being may have a charming

side and a grumpy side, but when it comes to spirits, the subject is more complex, more akin to full-blown multiple personalities.

Different paths may involve different appearances and manifestations. Thus, Yor uba love goddess Oshun is almost invariably envisioned

as a gorgeous, regal, generous queen. It is how she is virtually always encountered. But Oshun also very occasionally manifests as the

ragged buzzard-mother, poor and decrepit. That manifestation is one of the paths of Oshun.

Paths may be different manifestations of a single spirit as if one spirit had fractured into many distinct personalities, but paths may also

be understood as closely related spirits or as individual members of a spirit tribe or family. Thus, history records different Ba’als: the

Ba’al of Lebanon, Ba’al Peor, and Ba’al Zebub, just to name a few. Are they all the same? Are they different local manifestations of the

same spirit, different paths of the same spirit? Or are they different members of the Ba’al family? Is the name Ba’al being used as a

generic name to identify various unrelated but similar spirits whose original names may now be lost? (See the Glossary entry for

Identification

.) Any or all of these may be true.

Paths are often identified by a secondary name following the spirit’s main name, although sometimes these second names

are merely descriptive or are epithets .

Are all the different spirits named Ezili (there are many) one and the same, are they sisters, or are they just separate distinct spirits

bearing the same name? There is no one right answer;people have been debating and arguing these points for millennia and will continue

to do so.

Paths are not fixed or static; they change and evolve. A path that lacks relevance to a spirit or its devotees may become dormant.

Likewise, new paths are continuously born. Sometimes when an exceptionally charismatic human being dies, he or she emerges as a

path of a deity. The person is understood as expressing the power of the spirit or even as merging with that spirit. (Or possibly, the

person may be considered an avatar of the spirit. See the Glossary entry for Avatar.) Examples:

• The path of Ogou Dessalines evokes Haitian emperor Jean-Jacques Dessalines.

• The path of Simbi Makaya evokes Haitian revolutionary leader and shaman Makaya.

This is a difficult, advanced, esoteric concept: it will not be relevant to all who wish to work with spirits. If you don’t

understand it yet, don’t worry. The concept of paths is, however, significant and frequently discussed both in scholarly works

regarding spirits of the classical era and in the context of African-Diaspora spirits, who are among the most widely venerated

spirits today.

ATRON

The word patron literally means “father,” but in the context of spirits, the word indicates dominion. A patron of tuberculosis has

dominion over that illness and those affected by it and may be invoked for assistance.

Spirits may also patronize people or at least certain types of people. Patrons are expected to behave like ideal parents: protecting,

guiding, and providing enhanced opportunities and prosperity. Ganymede is the patron of wine stewards. He protects those serving in

that profession; they may appeal to him for assistance, professional or otherwise. There are spiritual patrons for virtually anything that

you can imagine. Spirits serving as your patrons may have spiritual obligations toward you. (At any rate, this may be worth nicely

suggesting to them, should the need arise.) They are counted among your personal spiritual allies.

In her 1993 book Warrior Marks, author Alice Walker describes being requested to serve as patron of a charitable organization.

She responded that it was impossible for her as a woman to be a patron, but that she would happily serve as matron. Having once read

Walker’s words, I have never again been able to use patron for women, not even the variant intended to feminize an inherently

masculine word patroness, essentially “lady father.” Thus, female spirits in this book are designated matrons, spiritual mothers, not

fathers. (An argument has been made that

patron really derives from the Latin patronus, indicating a defender or protector of clients, but the word still retains its paternal air.)

PILGRIMAGE

Pilgrimage involves journeying to a shrine or sacred site associated with a spirit. The concept of the pilgrimage is shared by many

spiritual traditions. Pilgrimages are modern—somewhere on Earth right now, whenever you are reading this, a mass pilgrimage is taking

place—but the concept is ancient, too. According to Egyptian legend, Seth, Spirit of Chaos, chopped his brother Osiris’ body into

fourteen parts, scattering them along the Nile. Shrines were later built marking the sites where these parts were found: an ancient

pilgrimage route involved journeying to each one. According to Jewish legend, when the biblical Caleb was sent to scout out the land of

Canaan, he first paid a visit to the Cave of Machpelah in Hebron to request help from the ancestors buried there. Caleb’s own tomb is

now a pilgrimage site, too.

Pilgrimages may be arranged to coincide with feast days. A pilgrimage to a sacred site associated with a spirit is a very traditional

way of repaying spiritual favors. (See: Ba Chua Xu; Guadalupe; Sati.)

POSSESSION

The word possession means, in simplest terms, that a spirit is inside the body of a human. While there, it speaks through the

human’s mouth (the voice may or may not change; communication may be in the person’s usual language or in an unknown tongue), and

it takes control of the person’s body.

Two types of possession by spirits exist: voluntary and involuntary. It is the human who either willingly volunteers to serve as a host or

is invaded.

Spirit possession is usually possession by invitation as opposed to the violent spirit invasions depicted in Hollywood movies

like The Exorcist.

Involuntary possession means the spirit is not welcome; it has just made itself at home. Such a spirit often behaves destructively

toward its host or others, but in general, the phenomenon is nowhere as dramatic as what is depicted in movies or horror fiction. The

spirit behaves like a parasite, but on a grander scale, sometimes causing illness or coma. Often these are spirits who, for one reason or

another, seek a human host in which to hide. They are trying to lie low, although often unsuccessfully.

Certain types of spirits are most likely to engage in involuntary possession, for instance Jewish dybbuks or

Japanese fox spirits. In general, invasive spirits who engage in involuntary possession need to be exorcised.

Involuntary possession is rare. Voluntary possession, on the other hand, occurs every day, all around the world.

Voluntary possession, more accurately called ritual possession, very rarely occurs outside formal ritual. Spirits very rarely possess

the noninitiated, someone who has not been taught to handle the experience. Ritual possession is a skill that is learned and taught. It is

not something that the average independent practitioner needs to worry about.

How is it possible for spirits to speak directly to people, deliver prophecies, and provide healing? The easiest, most efficient way is

through the bodies of their devotees. During ceremonies and ritual, spirits are invited to join people, to enter into human bodies, and to

speak through human mouths. The person who is possessed by a spirit is temporarily in possession of whatever powers that spirit

possesses, healing via touch or demonstrating perfect clairvoyance.

The difference between ritual possession and shamanism involves who is doing the traveling. Shamans travel to the realms

of spirits. During ritual possession, the spirits travel to us. Many shamans engage in both soul journeying and ritual possession.

This type of ritual possession exists around the world and is shared by multitudes of spiritual traditions. It is not an uncommon

phenomenon. Voluntary possession is temporary; a spirit may be present in a human body for minutes or possibly hours, but very rarely

longer. Spirits rarely make surprise appearances (although sometimes unexpected spirits turn up during ceremonies). Contrary to

sensationalized versions, it is usually people who seek possession, more than spirits. Spirits often must be seduced or cajoled before

they deign to appear. Singing and dancing lures and entices spirits into bodies of devotees. Other ritual enticements include music

(especially drumming), costumes, masks, incense, and offerings (gifts or bribes for the spirits).

Why is possession sought?

• To be in the presence of the sacred

• To obtain the blessings of the spirits

• Because spirits are able to provide healing and oracles in this fashion

• Because possession is perceived as the supreme blessing a spirit can bestow upon celebrants

For the brief time that a spirit inhabits a human body, that person is the spirit. What happens to the human soul within that body? It’s

hard to say, but it emerges unharmed immediately after the spirit’s departure. Most people have no memory of what transpired during

possession or of messages they delivered. The general consensus among spiritual traditions is that somehow the human personality is

pushed down or pushed out of the way by the spirit.

The Dinka people of the Sudan describe ritual possession as being “caught by the Creator.” The typical term used for a possessed

person is horse. The human becomes a vehicle for the spirit the way horses are vehicles for people. The title of Maya Deren’s 1953

book and film, Divine Horsemen: The Living Gods of Haiti, references this phenomenon. The exact terminology, that the possessed

person serves as a spirit’s “horse” or “mount,” exists in rural India and elsewhere as well.

Ritual prostitution may be understood as a form of ritual possession. Ancient priestesses channeled goddesses while

engaging in divine rites with kings.

RUNES

Runes are symbols possessing magical, mystical, and divinatory properties. Runes are letters belonging to magic alphabets. Rune is

often translated as mystery. The earliest known runes date back to circa 8000 BCE.

Runes serve various functions:

• Runes are a divination system.

• Runes are an alphabet (each rune has a name and a sound; it may be spoken aloud).

• Runes are a source of magical power and a component of many spells.

• Runes are a conduit to spirits.

Specific runes are identified with specific spirits. Thus the rune named Teiwaz, which bears the shape of an arrow, represents the

Norse deity Tyr. (Exactly which rune is affiliated with which spirit may be subject to debate.) (See the Glossary entries for

Seals and

Sigils; Vèvès.)

The word rune is sometimes used as a generic catchall for any arcane, mysterious writing, but in the twenty-first century,

runes are most profoundly associated with Northern Europe, specifically what is now Germany and Scandinavia.

SEALS AND SIGILS

These are images that possess various magic powers and are used for various purposes. Many spirits possess a specific image (a

seal or sigil) that transmits its essence and may be used to summon or theoretically control them. Sigils and seals are usually geometric

but may be representational. They are integral to medieval methods of commanding and compelling spirits.

The word sigil derives directly from the Latin sigilum, meaning “seal” (hence sigil and seal are used synonymously). Many sigils

incorporate Hebrew letters and words and may or may not derive from Kabbalistic traditions and ancient Jewish magic. (Medieval

Christian demonologists also commonly incorporated Hebrew into sigils.) The word sigil may also relate to the Hebrew word segulah,

which has various, complex meanings. A segulah may be a talisman, treasure, virtue, remedy, or something possessing the power to heal

or effect spiritual change.

The most famous sigil is the Seal of Solomon, also commonly called a Jewish star, which is a hexagram, two interlocking

triangles, representing the perfect union of the male and female principles.

SéANCE

A séance is a ritual intended to invoke, summon, and communicate with spirits. The word derives from the French seoir, “to sit,”

because the standard séance ritual involves a group of people seated around a table. (A séance is sometimes called “a sitting.”) Séances

are an intrinsic component of Spiritualism and Spiritism.

Séances occur in different styles and with varying degrees of theatricality. At the height of the Spiritualist movement’s popularity,

séances were often associated with disembodied sounds, rapping, table turning, and spectral phenomena, but séances can also be very

still, peaceful, and quiet. In general, the flashier the séance, the easier it is to fake. If you want to see what a séance looks like without

attending one, they are frequently depicted, with varying degrees of realism, in movies. Examples include The Uninvited, Séance on a

Wet Afternoon, and The Others.

SHAMAN

A shaman is a person who can travel back and forth between the human realm and realms of spirits. Don’t buy a bus ticket; that

isn’t how it’s done. Although it can be physically strenuous, this is spiritual traveling. Shamanism involves soul journeying, usually while

entranced.

What does it mean to soul journey? It means literally to send out one’s soul. The individual is believed to possess various souls: the

shaman develops and exerts extraordinary control over a traveling soul, which can leave the body and consciously travel, communicate,

and bring back messages.

What do shamans do while they’re away? They may battle or socialize with spirits. They retrieve missing pieces of other people’s

souls. They travel to other realms to obtain needed information, like how to heal illness or avert disasters.

Some shamanize just to commune with spirits, but shamans also serve their communities. Traditionally, communities provided

economic support for a shaman so that they were able to devote themselves to this task full-time. (The flip side of this economic support

is that the shaman may be on call around the clock, 24/7.) It is an eminently practical system: as with spirits, shamans are patronized as

long as they demonstrate results. If the ailing consistently fail to recover, if the weather is consistently bad, if the crops fail, if the spirits

seem unhappy, another more successful shaman will be found.

Shamanic techniques describe methods used by shamans. Many who are not shamans successfully utilize some techniques.

The word shaman is a Tungus word (Tungus is an indigenous Siberian language), and shamanism is closely identified with cultures of

the extreme north. However, shamans exist wherever people do. There is no specific English word to express this concept, and so the

Tungus word has entered our language and become somewhat generic.

Shamans are traditionally called by the spirits to work with them; they are chosen. Lengthy preparation and study is typically involved.

This is not something that can be learned over a weekend, although certainly some techniques may be relatively easily acquired.

• Shamans may learn secret spirit languages.

• They may possess special songs or chants that open gates of spirit realms.

• They may work with their own personal spirit guides, unknown to other people.

Shamanistic literature, including fairy tales and myths may be considered the equivalent of road maps. They advise what to expect and

what to do at specific junctures of the journey These descriptions may be incorporated into visualizations.

SPIRIT BOARDS

Spirits Boards are tools used to contact and communicate with spirits. Synonyms include witch board and talking board .

Ouija

boards are a type of spirit board. Ouija board is sometimes used as if it were a synonym for spirit board (and it is often the only kind

of spirit board many have ever seen), but Ouija board is a trademarked name for a specific spirit board currently marketed by Parker

Brothers game and toy manufacturers. Ouija boards are found wherever games are sold. O ther spirit board variations may be harder to

find.

The standard modern spirit board is a flat board (or other flat surface) printed with letters, numbers, words, and symbols. A movable

pointer rolls over the board and points to this printed material, usually in response to questions. The big question is: how is the pointer

moving? Are people’s hands moving it? Is it the force of gravity, a tiny breeze, or some other scientific explanation? Or are spirits

responsible?

Spirit boards originally came into prominence in the nineteenth century as tools associated with Spiritualism. No need to wait for an

invitation to a séance or pay a medium’s fee. Spirit boards enabled an individual or small group to contact spirits independently in the

privacy of their own home. Spirit boards achieved great popularity and were sold as novelty items as well as serious spiritual tools.

The standard American spirit board is based on the planchette. Planchette is a French term meaning “little plank.” It is a small board

supported on wheels or castors that moves in order to spell out messages or answer questions. A pencil or other writing implement may

be attached so that words or letters form, or the planchette may be rolled over words, letters, or symbols. The American spirit board is

a simplified version. (To confuse matters, the rolling pointers of American spirit boards are also sometimes called planchettes.)

Although these spiritual devices first achieved mass popularity in the nineteenth century, they are based on ancient divinatory

techniques. Chinese variations, known as spirit or sand writing, have been documented at least as far back as the Tang era (618–907

CE). (See: Tzu Ku.) They remain popular today. This is the basic method:

• A question is written on a piece of paper, which is then burned.

• A stylus, suspended over a shallow tray filled with sand, is operated by mediums until a character, letters, or word(s) may

be deciphered.

The Changing Light at Sandover, an over five-hundred-page epic poem by Pulitzer prize-winning poet, James Merrill (3

March, 1926–6 February, 1995) was inspired by what he called his “twenty-year adventure around the Ouija board,” during

which he spoke to dead friends and a wide assortment of spirits.

One can observe a ouija board in action in director Roland West’s 1930 film , The Bat Whispers (among the inspirations for

the modern superhero Batman).

Spirit boards have accrued something of a bad reputation, possibly because they are commonly operated by those with little or no

metaphysical or spiritual training, the equivalent of children playing with matches. Spirit boards are sold in toy stores, but they are real,

genuine, divinatory devices.

When working with spirits, it is always best to be as clear and specific as humanly possible. Ouija or other spirit boards are an

excellent communications device should you have an appointment with a spiritual entity whom you already trust. When summoning

spirits, ask for the spirit you seek by name; don’t just put out a general call. Herein lies the danger of the Ouija board: spirits sitting

around with nothing to do tend to be the ones no one else has called for and probably for good reason. (And always remember, fear

attracts the fearsome.)

SPIRIT MONEY

This is traditionally used in Chinese spiritual traditions to propitiate and communicate with spirits. The theory is that by burning

special paper, messages are reliably sent to the spirit realm. Thousands of varieties of mystical paper (also called Joss, Fu,

Paper

Horse

, or Spirit Money paper, among other names) exist, many very beautiful and magically powerful. Some, although not all, feature

images of spirits. Spirit money, which resembles cash bills, is relatively easy to find in stores catering to traditional Asian clientele (or to

tourists in Chinatown). Joss paper is also sold among scrapbooking supplies. Some spirits prefer paper offerings in the forms of dresses,

cars, or other material goods. (See: T’ai Shan, Lady of; Weaving Maiden.)

SYNCRETISM

Syncretism is an esoteric concept. Sometimes, for one reason or another, one spirit may assume the identity of another spirit (in

spiritual parlance: wear its mask). That spirit may answer to the other spirit’s name or use its iconography. For example, if you go to a

botanica and ask to buy a statue of the West African deity Babalu Ayé, you will likely be given a statue labeled Saint Lazarus. No

mistake has been made. The image of the Roman Catholic saint is used to represent Babalu Ayé, who may also answer to the name

Saint Lazarus. They are syncretized.

Syncretism tends to be the fruit of desperation. Babalu Ayé’s syncretism to the beggar saint began when Africans, kidnapped during

the slave trade and brought to labor in the Western Hemisphere, were forbidden to venerate their own deities. Of course, when do you

need your deities most but during a cataclysmic disaster? On one hand, enslaved Africans could not afford to abandon their spirits; on

the other, they could not afford to openly break these rules, as punishment was devastatingly severe. What do you do in this situation?

Throughout history, people’s response to similar circumstances has been syncretism: secretly venerating one spirit while openly

professing veneration of another.

Enslaved Africans were generally not taught to read, write, or given sophisticated Christian conversion instruction. They were,

however, given Christian imagery to venerate. People for whom an image is very familiar may assume that everyone sees what they see,

but in fact different people may look at the same image but not

see the same thing. Roman Catholic Saint Patrick is inevitably portrayed

with at least one snake. When devotees of the serpent-deity Damballah saw images of Saint Patrick, what impressed them was the

snake. Unfamiliar with the legend, they did not automatically assume that the saint was banishing the pictured snake; instead a venerable,

dignified man was depicted with a snake, together, in company. Damballah became syncretized to Saint Patrick.

Syncretism provides safety and discretion. In late nineteenth-century Cuba, authorities arrested a devotee of the orisha Shango,

charging him with sorcery. He defended himself saying that his home altar was, in fact, dedicated to Saint Barbara, to whom Shango is

syncretized, thus he was not a witch but a devoted Christian.

Two people may look at an image of a beautiful woman dressed in blue and disagree: one sees the Christian Mary, while

the other recognizes the same image as the Vodou lwa Ezili Freda Dahomey. If they bring over a third person to look at the

same image and decide between them, that person may see the Yoruba orisha Yemaya. Similarly, someone viewing a statue of

a mother with babe in arms carved from black wood will recognize the Egyptian goddess Isis and her son, baby Horus.

Someone else sees that same statue and recognizes Mary and baby Jesus. Yet another person will recognize the Vodou

matriarch, Ezili Dantor, with her daughter, Anaïs.

THEURGY

Theurgy is a Greek term for various spiritual rituals and magical practices intended to evoke spirits so as to benefit from them.

Theurgy involves practical working with divine powers, typically via ritual, dance, and music. A practitioner of theurgy is a theurgist,

literally a “god worker,” “deity worker,” or “spirit worker” (although in modern casual usage, the term is sometimes used as a synonym

for magician, wizard, or sorcerer , who may or may not have anything to do with spirits).

The term theurgy was coined by the classical philosopher and prominent Platonist scholar Iamblichus of Apamea (c. 240—c. 325

CE). Iamblichus taught what he called theurgy (working with the sacred or working with gods) as opposed to theology

(the study of

the sacred or study of the gods, essentially talking about gods). Iamblichus wanted his students to know, rather than to believe.

Devotees of Theurgy included the Emperor Julian (reigned 3 November 361–26 June 363 CE), who attempted to return the Roman

Empire from Christianity back to Paganism.

Dictionary definitions of theurgy also include “the performance of miracles with spiritual assistance” and “magic performed with help

from beneficent spirits.”

VèVèS

Vèvès are specific designs that honor, incarnate, and summon the lwa, spirits of Vodou. Each lwa possesses its own vèvè, which is

used to identify and summon them and which expresses something of its personality or essence. Papa Legba’s vèvè incorporates a

crossroads; Damballah’s is serpentine. Vèvès are traditionally traced on the ground with powdered substances (usually cornmeal) during

rituals. Contemplating a lwa’s vèvè adds to greater understanding of its nature.

The word vèvè derives from an archaic Fon term for palm oil, used to make similar spirit-summoning ground paintings. (Fon is a

language of Benin, the African nation also called Dahomey, birthplace of Vodou.) The basic structure of the vèvè derives from

traditional Congolese and Fon sacred ground paintings. Haitian Vodou was also profoundly influenced by Freemasonry and iron-

working traditions; these influences are visible in vèvè designs.

VISUALIZATIONS

Visualizations are guided journeys to the spirits. Visualizations are consciously initiated and are at least begun while awake. (Some

people fall into trance states or sleep during the visualizations, but many others do not, remaining conscious for the whole experience.)

Visualizations harness the power of the mind to access realms of spirits.

How to Conduct a Visualization

1. Decide where you wish to travel or who you wish to meet.

2. Familiarize yourself with enough details to envision the process. In other words, where are you most likely to encounter the

spirit you seek? At the beach? At the mall? Beneath the ground, in a mountain cave, or high up among the clouds? In order to

plot your journey, you must have at least something of a mental map.

3. Choose a time when you have privacy. Ritual space may be prepared: some cast circles or employ spirit-beckoning

fragrances.

4. By definition, visualizations are visual. Close your eyes, relax, and then visualize yourself as you begin your journey to this

spirit. What are you wearing? How do you look? A visualization is the equivalent of a waking dream; anything can occur.

Journey to the spirit; engage in whatever you came to do (discussion, petition, romance), and then respectfully take your leave.

5. Some schools of thought suggest that you should always ask for a gift from the spirit before returning home. It is not healthy

to end a visualization before you see yourself, in your mind’s eye, return to your starting point. If you’re interrupted, then go back

later and complete the journey. Although for some, visualization never progresses beyond pleasant fantasy, it can also be an

incredibly profound, spiritual experience, a gateway to the divine.

(See also: Adrano and Baleine, La for specific examples of visualizations.)

Visualizations can have specific intent: you seek a certain realm, dead relative, or spirit. Alternatively, it can be an open-

ended journey of exploration where you are unsure of who or what you will encounter. It is always wise to gird yourself with

protective talismans and amulets. Wear them in real life and/ or visualize them as part of the visualization process .

*White, representing the power of the blank slate, may also substitute for any other color, if necessary.

Using This Book

This encyclopedia contains brief descriptions of various types of spirits as well as many individual named spirits. In order to

present such a vast scope of spirits, each entry is by necessity limited in space. Frankly, each spirit in this book deserves a thousand-

page book of its own. (Keep that in mind when considering vows.)

The goal of this Encyclopedia of Spirits is to give a sense of each spirit’s basic nature in order to enable readers to identify the spirits

they seek and enough practical information to work with them. Think of the entries as matchmaking profiles.

Many of these spirits possess elaborate, complex, detailed mythologies. These myths often contradict each others as well as their

own. Sometimes one spirit is loved by two (or more) different communities of people, possessing different spiritual beliefs, as for

example the Black Madonna, venerated by Roman Catholics and goddess devotees alike. Sometimes spirits possess both official

and

unofficial myths and histories.

Spirits in this book are generally organized alphabetically by name. Frequently no standardized spelling exists. Many names of spirits

were originally written in other alphabets or in languages no longer used. Some names were never written down until recently. Even

names written down thousands of years ago may prove puzzling: ancient Egyptian and Semitic languages lack written vowels, so a

certain amount of guesswork exists as to pronunciation. Regional and linguistic differences in pronunciation also exist. In other words,

there may not be one single right way to spell or say a spirit’s name. Let that give you confidence. Your version may be as correct as

anyone else’s.

The spellings of spirit names in this book were variously chosen to facilitate either pronunciation or comprehension by English-

speaking readers, rather than for consistency of tradition. Thus the spelling Hekate is used, rather than Hecate (to emphasize the hard

sound of the name’s middle consonant) while Oceanus is used, not Okeanos, so that readers can see the word “ocean” within this sea

god’s name. All these spellings are correct, however. My apologies to the classicists among us who would prefer that spellings hew

consistently to just one tradition.

Some spirits are affiliated with specific creatures. This book reflects traditional metaphysical classifications which are far less precise

than those of modern science: all sorts of creatures including mammals, mythic, reptiles, fish, and insects are frequently lumped together

under theblanket term, “Animal”. Basically, metaphysically-speaking, anything that isn’t a human or bird might be classed as an “animal”

even though clearly many aren’t. (Birds often play a unique function as mediators between people and spirits and are thus usually

considered separately.) Likewise, the moon and sun are lumped in with the planets, although obviously from an astronomical

perspective, they are not planets.

Where information exists regarding colors, offerings, favorite foods, numbers, feast days, and so forth, it is included. That information

is inconsistent. Information about working with widely venerated spirits or those whose veneration was never entirely suppressed is

highly detailed. In other cases much information has been lost or destroyed, particularly with spirits of pre-Christian Europe and pre-

Islamic Arabia. Don’t despair if information about the spirits you seek is scanty. You may have just found yourself a research project

(there’s another potential vow!), or alternatively, information may be obtained directly from the spirit via dreams, oracles, and

visualizations.

VODOU, VOODOO, VODO: A SPELLING GUIDE

• Vodou refers to the African-Diaspora religion as practiced in Haiti. (It is synonymous with Vodoun: the final “n” is not

pronounced, but serves to emphasize the nasal quality of spoken French.)

• Voodoo refers to the specific spiritual traditions that evolved in New Orleans. (Usage of this spelling in any other context

tends to be pejorative.)

• Vodo refers to the specific spiritual traditions as practiced in the Dominican Republic. (It may or may not be synonymous

with Gaga or Twenty-One Divisions.)

• Hoodoo refers to a North American folk magic tradition.

Spirits: A–Z

Aatxe

Young Bull

Also known as: Aatxegorri (The Young Red Bull)

Origin: Basque (Euskara)

Aatxe is among the spirits in Mari’s entourage. He may be her lover; her enforcer, punishing those who displease her; or he may

even be among Mari’s many forms. (See also: Mari.) Aatxe lives deep within mountain caverns but emerges on stormy nights. (The

implication is that he is responsible for these storms; the storms signal his presence and occur when he wishes to emerge, not the other

way around.)

Aatxe is a guardian spirit. He guards Earth’s riches, especially buried treasure. He is also something of a justice spirit. Disrespectful

behavior toward Earth, spirits, and sacred rituals causes him to see red. He also has little patience for lying and cheating. If you

encounter him, you must be brave and honest with him, as well as very polite.

M anifestations: His most common manifestation is as a red bull or as a bull whose body is formed from red flames, but he is a

master shape-shifter and can theoretically appear in any form. Favored forms have historically included dragon, goat, horse, pig, and

man.

Sacred territory: The Pyrenees

Color: Red

See also:

Anubis; Aphrodite; Ares; Artemis; Astarte; Attis; Chthonic spirits; Hermes; Mylitta; Myrrha; Osiris; Persephone;

Set; Tammuz

Adrano

Also known as: Adranos

Origin: Sicily

Adrano is Sicily’s sacred guardian. Together with his sons, the Palici, he protects Sicily and Sicilians. Adrano is the presiding spirit

of Mount Etna.

Adrano’s temple on Mount Etna was guarded by a pack of one thousand Cirnechi dogs. The Cirneco, also known as the Sicilian

greyhound, native only to Sicily and renowned for its beauty, intelligence, and hunting skills, is believed to descend from Egyptian

Pharaoh hounds. Cirnechi dogs have lived in Sicily for over three thousand years. They once roamed wild throughout the island and held

sway over Mount Etna. Hounds greeted pilgrims, escorting them to Adrano’s shrine but allegedly attacked those who arrived with bad

intent, especially thieves. The Cirneco (plural Cirnechi) is Adrano’s sacred dog and very closely identified with him. Coins from the third

century BCE show Adrano on one side and a Cirneco on the other.

M anifestations:

The cult image in his shrine on Mount Etna depicted him as a warrior holding a lance. Coins from the third century

BCE depict Adrano as a mature, bearded man. He is almost always in the company of one or more dogs, who obey him implicitly.

The modern town of Adrano, at the foot of Etna, is named in his honor. Whether Adrano is an indigenous Sicilian or

whether he arrived with the Phoenicians is subject to debate. If he did come from Phoenicia, Adrano may be the one who first

brought Cirnechi hounds to Sicily.

Offerings: The obvious offering is anything on behalf of the Cirnechi, his beloved dogs, and Sicily in general. Although the breed

has now been revived, it almost disappeared until restoration efforts began in the early twentieth century.

Visualization

1. If you can obtain a coin bearing Adrano’s image, hold it in your left hand as a talisman during your journey. Keep it on his

altar or in a safe place when not in use.

2. Before you begin, look at some pictures. Familiarize yourself with the appearance of Mount Etna and Cirnechi dogs.

3. Visualize yourself leaving home and traveling to Mount Etna. Take any route you prefer. (This is a visualization: travel by foot,

boat, plane, broomstick, or magic carpet, your choice.) Likewise, you can see Mount Etna as she is today or at any time in the

past or future.

4. When you arrive at the base of the mountain, take off your shoes and begin to walk up. The ascent must be made on foot.

(Carryyour shoes, place them in a backpack, or leave them at the bottom.)

5. Pay attention to your surroundings. Mount Etna is inhabited by many spirits: it is possible that you will encounter others

besides or even instead of Adrano.

6. At some point on the slope, Adrano’s dogs will greet you. Imagine being greeted by one thousand dogs! The dogs may

suddenly appear or you may first hear their barking. They will lead you to Adrano. When your time with him has ended, ask him

for a gift. Then the dogs will escort you back down the mountain.

7. When you arrive at the base, put your shoes back on and go home the same way you came.

See also:

Bitoso; Keshalyi; Lilyi; Loçolico; Lolmischo; Melalo; Tçulo The saga of Ana and the King of Demons is the history of the

introduction of disease. However, the detailed saga is also used by shamans and Fairy magicians for diagnostic purposes and

to affect magical cures via negotiation and control of the spirits.

Anacaona

The Golden Flower

Also known as: Anakaona

Origin: Taino

When Columbus arrived in the Western Hemisphere in 1492, the island now called Hispaniola, encompassing modern Haiti and the

Dominican Republic, was inhabited by the Taino. It was divided into five departments or kingdoms, each ruled by its own king, or

cacique. Anacaona was a Taino queen born in Yaguana (now Léogâne, Haiti), capital of Xaragua, the most densely populated and

prosperous Taino kingdom.

Her brother was Béhéchio, King of Xaragua. Her husband, Caonabo, King of Maguana (now San Juan de la Maguana in the

Dominican Republic), was kidnapped by Columbus’ soldiers along with other Taino leaders and shipped off to Spain in 1493, but he

never arrived. According to legend, the Tainos sank their ship as an act of resistance.

After her husband was abducted, Anacaona returned to Xaragua. She was a strong, charismatic leader; her brother apparently

deferred to her. She ruled as a queen. When a new Spanish governor, Nicholas Ovandó, arrived with approximately 2,500 troops in

1502, Xaragua was the only unconquered Taino kingdom left on Hispaniola.

Ovandó requested a meeting with Anacaona. She prepared a reception for him and his entourage. It was a trap: during the reception,

Ovandó gave a signal and his men attacked. Eighty Taino leaders were killed. Although initially spared, Anacaona was eventually

captured and tortured. In September 1503, she was brought to Santo Domingo and hung, with her body left exposed as a message to

her people.

In happier times, Anacaona composed songs and narrative poems and is herself the subject of a romantic poem by Alfred Lord

Tennyson. She is considered the spirit of indigenous resistance to invasion and may be petitioned as such.

Anacaona may lie beneath the mask of the Metresa, Anaisa Pyé.

See also:

Adonis; Anteros; Ares; Artemis; Asherah; Astarte; Athena; Black Madonna; Dione; Dionysus; Eros; Hephaestus;

Hermes; Hestia; Inanna-Ishtar; Kronos; Lady of the Beasts; Lakshmi; Leucotheia; Mami Waters; Mermaid; Nereus; Olympic

Spirits; Priapus; Psyche; Uranus; Venus; Zeus

Apollo

Descended from the She-Wolf; Wolf-Like; Lord of the Storehouse; Lord of the Sun; Distant Deadly Archer

Also known as: Apollon; Apellon; Phoebus Apollo; Aplu

Apollo is the Golden Boy of the Olympian pantheon, a spirit of healing, hunting, music, poetry, and prophecy. He radiates such

dazzling charisma that he was eventually venerated as a solar deity. Although he never completely took over Helios’ functions, Apollo

overshadowed him.

To call someone an “Apollo” is to imply that they are blindingly handsome. He is a beautiful killer. Apollo is a master healer because

he is a master of epidemic, plague, and disease, lifting and inflicting as he wishes. He attacked the Greeks with plague during the Trojan

War. Apollo is blamed for sudden death. His arrows kill instantly.

Apollo is the Divine Child carried in his mother’s arms to Delphi, where he slew its guardian serpent (and Hera’s ally).

Some see vestiges of Apollo and Leto in Madonna and Child iconography: a beautiful woman holding a radiant divine child

stands upon a dead or at least extremely suppressed serpent .

The most familiar Olympian myth explains that Apollo was born on the isle of Delos, where his mother, Leto, one of Zeus’ many

conquests, was hiding from Hera, Zeus’ jealous wife. However Apollo is also described as coming from Hyperborea, a land to the

north. Alternative myths suggest that Apollo and his mother arrived in Greece together in the form of wolves, or that

Leto, in the form of a pregnant wolf, made the trek alone, giving birth to Apollo in Greece.

Hyperborea’s location has never been identified, nor is it clear if it is even an actual physical destination or a spirit realm. One theory

suggests that it is in the extreme north, near the Arctic Circle. Another suggests that Apollo comes from Rügen Island in the Baltic: he

first encountered the Greeks via amber trade routes. Alternatively, he is originally a Hittite spirit from Anatolia (Asia Minor), perhaps the

underlying reason for his support of neighboring Troy.

Apollo is the Greek male deity with the greatest number of male lovers. In general, his relationships with men are happier than those

with women. Apollo is the patron and sponsor of young men, teaching them music, divination, and various sports.

Apollo does not have an official “wife” or female consort. Although incredibly handsome, brilliant, rich, and royal (not to mention a

god), most of the women he pursues flee from him, some committing suicide rather than submit to him. Others don’t flee but meet fatally

tragic ends anyway. What’s going on?

On closer examination, the women Apollo pursues are rarely mere mortals. Although now trivialized as Nymphs or princesses, many

were powerful goddesses. The big three of the Olympian pantheon—Zeus, Hades, and Poseidon— all “marry” female deities, thereby

cementing their own right to power. Apollo’s path to power, on the other hand, is reminiscent of the character Sylar from the television

series, Heroes. He absorbs and takes over the power of others. (See also: Daphne; Gaia.) Having killed the serpent at Delphi, for

example, Apollo becomes able to manifest as a snake.

Apollo’s veneration spread to Rome, where he was initially worshipped as a healing spirit: a Roman temple was dedicated to Apollo

Medicus in 433 BCE. Veneration of Apollo became widespread after Augustus Caesar claimed him as his personal patron. In return for

Apollo’s favor, Augustus built him a magnificent temple on the Palatine near his own palace. Apollo, who is the spirit with dominion over

colonization, became the face of Western civilization and was praised as the calm, rational Lord of Reason (as opposed to his half

brother, Dionysus).

The Romans carried Apollo with them through Gaul, identifying him with the many Celtic spirits associated with therapeutic baths and

springs. Apollo assumed the identities of many, including Belenus and Grannus. He was married to local goddesses like Damona,

Ianuaria, Rosmerta, and Sirona. In Celtic Gaul, Apollo is worshipped as a healer specializing in eye disorders. Apollo restores physical

vision and bestows second sight.

Apollo protects his devotees and their cattle and livestock. He is loyal to those he loves. Apollo is a master healer who can heal

anyone except those he himself has slain. He is the spirits’ doctor, too, healing them when they are ailing.

Favored people: Healers, musicians, psychics, diviners, and mediums, good-looking young men, philosophers, Leos, those who

protect and care for wolves

M anifestation: A breathtakingly handsome young man with long golden hair. He assumes the guise of his sacred creatures,

traveling as a wolf on land and a dolphin at sea.

Iconography: Frequently depicted naked or near naked, Apollo is always envisioned as young and never with a beard like Zeus,

Poseidon, or most other Greek male deities.

Attributes: Bow and arrows; lyre; the wreath of laurel leaves that he wears may be understood as Daphne’s hair.

Spirit allies: Artemis, Leto, Hyacinth

M ottoes: “Know Thyself” and “Nothing in Excess”

Planet: Sun

Plant: Saint-John’s-wort; bay laurel; apple trees; mistletoe (especially on apple trees); poplar trees

Number: 7 (he was born on the seventh day of the seventh month)

Sacred days: The seventh day of each month is sacred to him; this is literally the seventh day of the solar calendar and also the

waxing half moon of the lunar; Roman games held in Apollo’s honor were celebrated from 6–13 July.

Animals: Wolf; griffin; mouse; rat; dolphin

Bird: Raven, carrion crow

M ount: Swans pull Apollo’s chariot.

Gem: Amber

Sacred places: Delphi; Delos; he had shrines in Anatolia (now modern Turkey) and Italy; Apollo is associated with various healing

sanctuaries in Gaul, especially in Burgundy.

Altar: Apollo’s altar should be neat, clean, orderly, and not cluttered. He is a gregarious spirit: surround him with those he loves,

especially his male lovers, Leto and Artemis; add images of wolves, mice, and ravens.

Offerings: Wine, incense; gifts of solar imagery; petition with intense seven-day vigils.

See also: Akalli; Aradia; Aristaeus; Artemis; Asclepius; Belenus; Daphne; Damona; Dionysus; Grannus; Hera; Herta;

Hyacinth; Kura; Leto; Olympian Spirits; Rosmerta; Sirona; Zeus

Apsaras

Also known as: Apsarasas; Pari

Origin: India

Apsaras are beautiful female forest and water spirits. First documented in the Sanskrit Vedas, they star in myths from India, Thailand,

Cambodia, Laos, Mauritius, and elsewhere. They are frequent subjects of Cambodian classical dance. Apsaras live in trees, specifically

banana or figs, which can symbolize male and female genitalia respectively. This is no coincidence. Apsaras are spirits of sex and

fertility, companions of the Gandharvas, male spirits of air and music.

• Gandharvas are musicians; Apsaras are celestial dancers.

• Apsaras serve as attendants to Kama, Lord of Love.

They are generally but not consistently benevolent. Contact reputedly results in either increased good fortune or insanity. Famously,

Apsaras bestow luck in games of chance.

M anifestations: Apsaras manifest as incredibly beautiful women or mermaids. They ride clouds and/or transform into bird-women

when they wish to fly.

Attributes: Golden comb, mother-of-pearl mirror, and magical knives

Element: Water

Sacred places: The lake Grand Bassin in Mauritius was once called Pari Talao (Lake of the Apsaras). Apsaras were witnessed

frolicking there; the lake became a sacred pilgrimage. In 1897, a Hindu priest had a vision of the lake springing from the Ganges River: it

has been renamed Ganga Talao (Lake Ganges) and rededicated to Ganga.

Offerings: They adore jewels, mirrors, and shiny things.

See also:

Anjani; Dakinis; Gandharvas; Ganga; Hanuman; Kama; Lady Banana Ghost; Mermaid; Pari-May; Peri; Sirens

Apu

Origin: Andes Mountains

Apus are spirits of Andean mountain peaks. An Apu is simultaneously:

• The sacred spirit of a mountain

• The mountain itself

• The spirit who lives atop the mountain

Paradoxically, the Apu is inseparable from the mountain even though the spirit itself is completely mobile and perfectly capable of

traveling far. Apu literally means “lord.” Female Apus are addressed as “Mama.” Most are male, but some are female, including Mama

Simona of Cuzco; Mama Putukusi of Machu Pichu; and Mama Veronica (Quechua name: Wakay Willca) near Cuzco. Theoretically

every mountain peak in the Andes has its own Apu, but the most famous are the twelve associated with Cuzco:

• Apu Ausangate

• Apu Salkanaty

• Mama Simona

• Apu Pikol

• Apu Manuel Pinta

• Apu Wanakauri

• Apu Pachatusan

• Apu Pijchu

• Apu Saqsaywaman

• Apu Wiraqochan

• Apu Pukin

• Apu Senq’a

M anifestation: Apus frequently take the form of mischievous, playful, but helpful children. For instance, Apu Ausangate,

considered the most powerful Apu of Cuzco, manifests as a blond, fair-skinned child wearing white clothes and riding a white horse.

Don’t let their chosen form fool you: they are ancient and powerful spirits.

Gifts: Small stones resembling animals or plants are sacred gifts from the Apus and may be used to bring whatever the stone

resembles into your life. (Resemblance may be enhanced by carving.) These gifts are not limited to one person: they may be given to

others or passed down through generations of a family. They may also be purchased at Andean pilgrimage sites. Modern versions of

these amulets include miniature trucks, tools, and even passports.

Ritual: Travel to the Apus to request their blessings and protection.

Offerings: Coca leaves; libations of water and alcoholic beverages

Arachne

Arachne, master weaver of fabrics and tapestries, was the daughter of a man involved in the rare purple dye industry. Only royalty

and the spiritual elite were permitted to wear the colors produced by this prohibitively expensive dye. Various versions of her story

exist, but somehow she ended up in a tapestry-making contest with Athena, credited by the Greeks as the inventor of weaving.

Some versions suggest that Arachne was boastful and arrogant, and Athena felt obliged to put her in her place. In other versions

Athena’s motivation is jealousy. Arachne may be the original goddess of weaving. After both wove tapestries, the general populace was

permitted to choose the winner. Arachne won with a cynical tapestry mocking the lifestyles of the Olympians, especially Zeus’

prodigious love life.

Whether Athena was enraged by the tapestry’s subject or whether she was enraged that Arachne won, she was not a gracious loser,

nor did she ask for a rematch. Instead exactly what happened next also depends on the version of the story:

• Athena transformed Arachne into a spider.

• Athena hanged Arachne and then changed her into a spider.

• Athena slashed Arachne’s face with a shuttle; Arachne attempted to hang herself; Athena, allegedly motivated by pity, prevents

her suicide by changing the rope into a web and Arachne into a spider, the ultimate weaver.

Arachne is a spider goddess of weaving. If she is anything like other weaving goddesses, she has a hand in weaving or transforming

human destiny, too. Arachne may be among the spirits of Tarantism, the Italian dance cult, whose members are forced to dance until

they drop, allegedly because of a spider bite. The entranced dancers also swing like spiders.

Spiders are classified as belonging to the Arachnid family.

Favored people: Weavers, artisans, fabric artists, those who love spiders

M anifestations: A spider, woman, or hybrid of the two; even as a woman there will be some sort of arachnid reference.

Iconography: Artist Gustave Doré (1832–1883) envisioned Arachne with a beautiful woman’s head and torso and spider’s legs.

Color: Purple

Flower: Purple wolfsbane (beware: extremely poisonous!); spider lily

Offerings: Images of spiders; silk and other luxury fabrics; your own handiwork

See also: Athena; Fates (1); Weaving Maiden

Aradia

Origin: Italy

In the beginning was Diana, primordial Spirit of Darkness. She divided the world into complementary opposites: yin and yang, male

and female, light and darkness. The light half evolved into her brother, Lucifer. Diana desired him, wishing to unite and merge, but

Lucifer wanted light to remain completely distinct from darkness. Diana pursued him but he resisted.

Lucifer slept with his favorite cat. Diana switched places with her and so she seduced her brother, in the guise of a black cat. From

this union, the world’s first witch was conceived: Aradia, Messiah of Witches. Diana sent her daughter to Earth with the mission of

teaching witchcraft, the sacred arts of Diana, Queen of Witches. That’s the first coming of Aradia the Messiah according to the

mysterious grimoire, Aradia or The Gospel of the Witches. Aradia returned for a second coming, too.

This Aradia was born in Volterra, Italy, on 13 August 1313 (13 August is Diana’s sacred day) and stimulated a revival of Italian

witchcraft and pre-Christian traditions long driven into hiding by the Church. She learned the Old Ways from her family and taught them

to others. She was caught by the Inquisition and burned but not before leaving the manuscript that is allegedly the framework for the

testament Aradia or The Gospel of Witches, published in 1899 by folklorist C. G. Leland. No documentation regarding either Aradia

exists prior to publication, but in 1508, Italian Inquisitor Bernardo Rategno noted that a rapid expansion of witchcraft had occurred one

hundred fifty years earlier, corresponding in time with Aradia’s second coming.

The story of Diana as Creator of the World, Mother of Witchcraft, does not correspond with anything from classical mythology,

although that in itself proves nothing. Many myths and deities are known from but one single source. This could be another instance of a

lone survival of an ancient myth, or it could be an attempt to defame witches.

The name Lucifer (“light-bringer”) predates Christianity and was a title given to various Roman deities, female and male. It was

originally intended as benevolent, but during the medieval period when Aradia was allegedly written, Lucifer was exclusively identified

with Satan, the proud handsome fallen angel. Inquisitors branded Diana as the bride of Lucifer in order to damn and defame her and her

devotees. (Alternatively, some think Lucifer has also been defamed. See: Peacock Angel.)

The name Aradia resembles Herodias, among medieval Italy’s favorite witch-goddesses. Leland, for his part, thought that Aradia

was a distortion of Lilith, the real first woman, not the New Testament’s Herodias. Italian Jews who brought Lilith to Italy do identify her

with black cats.

In the late twentieth century, Aradia emerged as an important Wiccan goddess. She is a major spiritual inspiration for modern

Wiccans and practitioners of witchcraft. Rites and descriptions are found within her book and testament.

Number: 13

Offerings: Strega liquore; walnuts; rue and tools of witchcraft and divination

See also: Apollo; Artemis; Diana; Eurynome; Herodias; Irodeasa; Jahi; Juno; Lilith; Lilith-Zahriel; Nyx

Arang

Classification: Ghost

Origin: Korea

Arang’s father, a magistrate from Seoul, was dispatched to the Miryang Region during the reign of King Myeongjong (1545–1567).

He brought his only daughter with him. The position came with a completely furnished and staffed home.

Arang loved to go moon-gazing at Youngnamru Pavillion. A respectable young lady could not go out alone: the female servant

assigned as her chaperone conspired with another who wished to rape Arang. So one night, the chaperon slipped away, leaving Arang

gazing at the moon. When the man attempted his assault, Arang fought back and was stabbed to death. The servants hid her body in a

bamboo grove, then returned home, claiming that Arang had been kidnapped or had eloped. (Different versions of this extremely

popular Korean legend exist.)

No ransom demand was ever made. No word of Arang surfaced. Her father searched but eventually, assuming that she had eloped

with a stranger, resigned his position in shame. Heartbroken, he returned to Seoul. Every man hired to fill his position died within

twenty-four hours of taking office. Rumors of a curse spread. Eventually no one wanted the job: the position was left unfilled.

Another version of Arang’s tale (but not the official version) describes her as a maid killed by her employer’s son when she

resisted rape.

One day a civil servant napping at the Youngnamru Pavillion, the scene of the crime, dreamed of a woman in white who told him,

“Finally, I have met the man who can avenge me.” She explained that she had appeared to each new deputy, hoping that he would

avenge her, but instead all had dropped dead of fright. There was no curse. The ghost meant no harm. All the men were just so terrified

of her, their hearts literally stopped. Or at least so she claimed.

The civil servant asked Arang to identify her murderer, but she just waved a red flag and disappeared. When he awoke, he asked for

and received the position vacated by Arang’s father. The first thing he did was obtain a list of all his employees, including household

staff. Noting that one man was named “Red Flag,” he had him interrogated. Eventually the servants confessed. Arang’s body was found,

the knife still in her breast. Proper funeral rites were arranged. The magistrate who avenged her lived and prospered.

Arang is invoked to protect young or vulnerable women and to punish rapists. She may also be invoked to encourage malefactors to

confess their crimes.

The 2007 Korean horror movie, Arang, does not retell the traditional legend but takes inspiration from the old story.

Sacred site: Local people deemed it wise to build a shrine for Arang. The Arang Pavillion (Arangkat) stands on a bluff

overlooking the Miryang River. It once stood within a bamboo grove, but the grove has been largely cleared away.

Sacred dates: Rituals to honor and propitiate Arang are held annually on the sixteenth day of the fourth lunar month.

Offerings: Fruit; wine; incense; candles; and pilgrimages to her shrine

See also:

Adonis; Aisha Qandisha; Anat; Aphrodite; Asherah; Ba’al; Hathor; Jezebel; Kadesh; Mylitta; Neith; Set; Sphinx;

Tanit

Asteria

Starry One

Also known as: Astraea; Astraia

Origin: Greece

Classification: Titan

Zeus got Leto pregnant. Hera, his enraged wife, cursed Leto so that she couldn’t give birth anywhere the sun had ever shone.

Leto’s pregnancy stretched on interminably. Zeus’ wandering eye moved from Leto to her sister, Asteria, who attempted to evade Zeus

by transforming into a quail and flying away. His interest piqued by what he considered a game of hide-and-seek, Zeus transformed into

a predatory eagle, pursuing the little quail.

Asteria transformed into a stone and dropped into the sea, where she quickly transformed again, this time into Delos, the small rocky

island where Leto was finally able to give birth. (The sun hadn’t yet shone on Delos.)

Asteria is the goddess of the magic powers of night. She has dominion over various magical arts, including astrology, divination,

dreaming, and necromancy. She is an oracular spirit and may be requested to send prophetic dreams. Like mother, like daughter:

Asteria may be Hekate’s mother.

Favored people: Those practicing her arts or seeking to learn them

Sacred site: Delos

Bird: Quail

Offerings: Fragrant incense; divination tools; pilgrimage to her sacred island

See also:

Amida; Black Madonna; Jam bhala; Jambhala, Yellow; Ksitigarbha; Maitreya; Simham ukha; Tara; Vajrayogini

Bukwas

The Wild Man of the Woods

Also known as: Bakwas; Bukwis

Origin: Kwakiutl

The Kwakiutl are the indigenous people of Vancouver Island and the adjacent Canadian mainland. Bukwas lives in the deep forests

of the Pacific Northwest. He is a spirit of the dead identified with an afterlife realm inhabited by various ghosts, especially the souls of

those who have drowned. Bukwas may serve as the psychopomp between realms. (Depending on the myth, Bukwas may also

contribute more directly to their deaths.)

Bukwas lingers at the forest threshold or by forest paths, offering assistance and food to people who are lost. He seems helpful, but

the end result is that people are lured to his Otherworld and may not return, at least not alive.

Bukwas emerges from the forest very early in the morning before too many people are about. He goes to the seashore to collect his

favorite food, cockles, and other shellfish. If it’s crowded, he will retreat to the woods, but he may approach a lone person and offer to

share his food. Don’t accept. Those who eat Bukwas’ food end up in Bukwas’ realm of the dead.

In traditional Kwakiutl cosmology, Bukwas is clearly a spirit. He is the subject of carved shamanic masks and appears during rituals,

especially the traditional winter dance. However, he is now sometimes also identified with Bigfoot or Sasquatch and thus assumed to be

a cryptid, an as yet unidentified living being.

M anifestation: He resembles a gaunt, haggard wild man, dressed in ragged garments and with long, disheveled hair. (When

identified as Bigfoot, he is described as being ape-like.)

Iconography: Bukwas is depicted in the form of carved, wooden masks and statues.

Favorite foods: Cockles; shellfish

See also:

Arion; Ascalapbus; Baubo; Black Madonna; Ceres; Despoena; Hades; Hekate; Hydra; Mentbe; Olympian Spirits;

Persephone; Poseidon

Demons

Demon is a vague word, which may refer to any number of spirits or types of spirits. It is one of those words that can mean very

different things to different people.

The word demon is a distortion of daimone or daemon, which referred to various specific types of spirits, some of them wild and

rambunctious but none of them wicked or evil. Post-Christianity, however, the word became a blanket term to indicate virtually any

spirit. Christianity forbade interaction with spirits with the exception of angels and officially approved saints. All other spirits were

considered, by definition, harmful, deceptive, and evil. Because all these spirits were now considered evil and because all these spirits

were lumped together as “demons,” the word took on the connotation of “evil spirit.” People were also uncomfortable referring to fallen

angels as “angels,” and so they became associated with demons, too. Demons have a tendency to be spirits of older, banished, or

vanquished pantheons.

Demon is sometimes the generic word used to translate the names of distinct classes of spirits in other languages into English:

• Many “demons” of Japanese folklore are really oni or Yokai.

• Many “demons” of Jewish folklore are really Djinn.

• Jewish cosmology sometimes refers to dangerous, destructive angels as demons.

In modern metaphysical circles, demons tend to be low-level spirits of malicious intent; spirits who tend to be hostile to people or at

least enjoy causing trouble. Many spirits associated with disease are classified as demons.

Just because they’re called “demons” doesn’t guarantee that they’re negative. Sinhalese spiritsclassified as “demons” tend to be those

exceptionally attached to material things. Western occultists would describe them as being overly attached to “lower planes.” They may

be unable to control cravings and desires.

Japanese “demons” serve many functions.

• They serve and attend deities.

• They guard temples, shrines, and sacred places.

• They are employees of Hell regions, where their function is to torment dead souls as punishment for sins committed.

• They serve people, too, especially someone who wins a wager or contest with them. (They don’t have to be forced; they serve

voluntarily in this circumstance. Of course, if you lose …)

On television, as in other forms of horror or supernatural based entertainment, demon may refer to any malicious, mean-

spirited, or otherwise unappealing or harmful spirit. Some television series, however, like Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel, or

Supernatural, create intricate mythologies, defining their demons. Not all demons on these shows are intrinsically had. On

Angel, for instance, the demon Lome and half-demon Doyle are heroes.

Many of these so-called demons are quite benevolent toward virtuous people but will torment wrongdoers, in life as well as after

death.

Whether or not they’re called demons, some spirits genuinely are harmful troublemakers. No need to panic; effective methods of

dealing with them have existed for millennia:

Some ambivalent spirits may be coerced, cajoled, or persuaded into becoming allies instead. Some can be encouraged to reserve

malicious inclinations for your enemies. Other spirits are just evil, can’t be trusted, and need to be banished. The most effective method

of preventing an infestation of malevolent spirits or of eliminating them once they’ve arrived is cultivating relationships with more

powerful but benevolent spirits. Demons may not be afraid of moving into your territory, but few will venture where Kwan Yin, Shoki,

or Michael Archangel is resident. Posting images of these spirits or other demon-quellers (see the Appendix) may be sufficient to send

demons packing.

Amulets keep demons at bay, as do many botanicals including:

• Aloe vera (Aloe vera)

• Coriander, also known as cilantro (Coriandrum sativum)

• Flamboyant (Poinciana regia)

• Rue (Ruta spp.)

• Willow trees (Salix spp.)

• Wormwood (Artemisia absinthium)

If burned as incense, gum ammoniac ( Dorema Ammoniacum), harmal, also known as Syrian rue ( Peganum harmala ), and

benzoin, also known as jawi (Styrax benzoin), allegedly repel demons.

Most low-level demons can only travel in straight lines. Wandering, wavy, or winding paths keep them from arriving at your door.

Demons get lost in labyrinths. The more complex the path, the less likely they are to be able to navigate it. If a straight line is

unavoidable, as in a hallway, strategically posted mirrors and amulets may compensate. (This is also true for ghosts.)

Most low-level demons are low-level for a reason: they’re not particularly quick-witted; they might even be described as really

stupid. Word games, anything clever that will puzzle them, may be sufficient to stop them in their tracks. Jewish tradition advises painting

ceilings sky blue. Low-level spirits see the color and think they’re outside or have ascended to celestial realms. Their general inclination

is to leave. Most low-level demons are afflicted with the spiritual equivalent of obsessive-compulsive disorder. Exploiting this quality

provides safety:

• Sprinkle poppy or millet seeds on the ground. Seed beads will work, too: anything abundant, tiny, and difficult to pick up may do

the trick. The demons will be compelled to stop and pick up each one.

• Strategically hang a sieve, net, or anything with myriad little holes. The demons will be compelled to stop and count them.

Signs of true demonic attack are rarely as dramatic as on television. Here are some possible symptoms or indications, although these

may derive from other causes, too:

• Frequent or repeating nightmares

• Seeing dark, mysterious figures at night, especially with peripheral vision. Dark in this context doesn’t refer to complexion or

clothing but indicates the opposite or absence of light. Demons sometimes give the appearance of a dark vacuum or black hole.

• An unexpected, foul stench with no apparent physical cause or explanation

• Inexplicable showers of pebbles or rocks on a roof

Demons tend to be most active at night or at high noon. They are bullies and so tend to pick on solitary people, especially those in

lonely, solitary places. Bright lights, company, or the illusion of it may serve to ward them off. Loud, lively party music sometimes sends

them away.

See also: Daemone; Djinn; Fairy, Green; Ghost; Kwan Yin; Mazzik; Michael; Oni; Raphael; Shoki; Yokai

Despoena

The Mistress

Also known as: Despoine

Origin: Greece

Demeter was roaming, mourning, searching for her lost daughter, Persephone, when she caught the eye of her brother, Poseidon,

who decided that, even under the circumstances, she still looked pretty good. He pursued her in the form of a stallion. She recognized

him and to escape, Demeter took the form of a mare. It didn’t work: he mounted her and she conceived, bearing two children. Their

son, Arion, is a horse. Their daughter, Despoena, is a Mystery Goddess in human form. (See the Glossary entry for Mystery for further

information about these traditions.)

A theory suggests that before their incorporation into the Olympian pantheon, Demeter and Poseidon were once a pair of

primal horse spirits, possibly as early as 2,000 BCE. The union of Poseidon and Demeter represents union of sea and earth.

The story of Despoena’s conception may be an attempt to merge vestiges of these ancient myths with those of the later

Hellenic era.

That’s the Hellenic Greek version of this myth. Others theorize that this story actually harks back to Demeter and Poseidon’s pre-

Olympian identities as horse deities and that the sex between them was consensual. (Both are intensely identified with horses. Demeter is

sometimes venerated in a horse-headed form.)

Most modern retellings of Greek myth tend to focus solely on the relationship between Demeter and Persephone. It is often assumed

that they are the only members of their small family unit, but in fact, this is not true. Despoena is Demeter’s other daughter. Depending

on which version of the myth you prefer, Despoena is her older daughter or the neglected child born while her mother was preoccupied

with the loss of Persephone. Classical Greek myth now gives Despoena short shrift, often dismissing her as a “Nymph.” Archaeology

and surviving ancient writings suggest otherwise: Pausanias, second-century CE Greek travel writer, writes that the Arcadians

worshipped Despoena above all others.

Just as Persephone was venerated beside her mother at Eleusis, so Despoena was worshipped alongside Demeter in an Arcadian

Mystery tradition. Their votive statue was made from one block of stone and depicted them sharing a throne. A statue of Hekate stood

beside them. A grove stood behind the shrine featuring pine and olive trees growing from one root. (Pausanias suggested it was creative

gardening; the Arcadians apparently perceived it as miraculous.) Dad was present, too: an altar dedicated to Poseidon Hippos

(Poseidon the Horse) was located just beyond the grove.

Little else is known. Despoena is a fertility spirit. Her name literally means “the Mistress”; her true name was revealed only to initiates

of her Mysteries.

Iconography:

The votive statue in their Arcadian shrine was the result of a dream. Someone was directed to uncover a huge hidden

block of stone from within the temple precinct. This stone was carved into a statue depicting Despoena and Demeter sitting on a throne

with footstools beneath their feet.

Attributes: Staff, box

Offerings: Fresh fruits but no pomegranates. Seriously.

See also: Arion; Demeter; Epona; Hekate; Olympian Spirits; Persephone; Poseidon

Dharmatala

Origin: Tibet

Classification: Arhat

Dharmatala is the servant, supporter, and messenger of the sixteen Arhats. Together with Hvashang, he is a Tibetan addition to the

original sixteen Arhats. In Tibet, Dharmatala is counted as the seventeenth although he is a layperson, not a monk like other Arhats. He

is a devotee of the Amitabha Buddha.

Attribute: Backpack filled with books

Sacred animal: Dharmatala’s companion is a magical tiger created to banish malicious spirits. The tiger also carries Dharmatala’s

books for him.

See also: Arhats; Buddha; Buddha Amitabha

Dhumavati

The Smoky One

Origin: India

She’s called “the Smoky One” because Dhumavati is surrounded by the apocalyptic smoke of the burning universe. Dhumavati is

the goddess as widow. She is the matron goddess of beggars; lepers; the ailing and miserable; people who are sick and not getting

better. She is the guardian of those who are abandoned, overlooked, forgotten, and marginalized; those who see their future and see no

hope. She is the lady of widows, orphans, and inconvenient, needy, unpleasant relatives.

Dhumavati is an angry, raging, resentful goddess. She’s not afraid of the apocalypse because life as it exists holds no hope. If she

expresses your deepest emotions, then she may be your goddess, too. Dhumavati is a clever, quickwitted, quick-tempered, volatile

spirit, an expert on the arts of survival. She’s popularly petitioned during wartime or disasters for help surviving and even thriving.

(Someone inevitably benefits from disasters; Dhumavati is petitioned by devotees so that they’ll be that someone.)

If you are desperate and really down-and-out, request her assistance. If you’d like to avoid that state, propitiate her and pay her off.

Dhumavati is acquisitive and hungry: never forget or delay her offerings. Dhumavati evokes the power of poverty, defeat, and despair. Is

she invoked for cursing? You bet.

M anifestation: She’s not a sweet, charming old lady; she’s a raging, angry, unpleasant hag. Dhumavati is old, tall, and very thin.

She has very few teeth left; perhaps one reason why she’s always hungry. She’s always thirsty, too.

Attribute: Winnowing fan

Consort: He’s dead. She’s a widow.

Sacred bird: Carrion crows

M ount: Crows pull her chariot.

Sacred sites: Dhumavati haunts ruins, old battlefields, bombed-out markets, and other scenes of devastation.

Offerings: Make sure they’re consistent. She’s acquisitive, resentful, and always feels like she’s being shortchanged. Light incense

for her, but give her food and drink, too. Give her whatever you’re having because if you don’t she’ll think you’re hoarding the good

stuff.

Diablesse, La

Also known as: Lajabless

Origin: Caribbean

La Diablesse is a nocturnal spirit from the islands of the Lesser Antilles in the Caribbean Sea. During the day, she hides in the big

root buttresses of kapok trees. At night, she emerges to roam around, usually on quiet roads, but she may come into populated areas,

too, as the desire takes her. She may or may not be a tree spirit.

La Diablesse resembles a beautiful woman dressed in a long, romantic, flowing dress and a big, floppy hat. Her clothes may sound

old-fashioned, but it’s a daring, sexy outfit: her skirt is slit high on one side to reveal a shapely feminine leg. Of course, the clue to her

identity is the other leg, the one hidden by the voluminous fabric. That’s the leg with the cloven foot. Some manifestations of La

Diablesse may have an entire donkey’s leg.

La Diablesse lures men to secluded areas near the tops of cliffs. They’re anticipating romantic assignations or some easy sex: instead

she finally removes that big hat, revealing a grinning skull and then kicks her victim off the cliff with her powerful cloven hoof. It is unclear

whether her attacks are random or whether she targets specific victims for vengeance, justice, or less commendable reasons. She

strongly resembles goddesses Aisha Qandisha or Lilith, who lure men sexually only to punish them, often fatally.

See also: Gran Bois; Hone-Onna; Lady Banana Ghost; Xtabay

Dian Cécht

Origin: Ireland

Classification: Tuatha Dé Danaan

Dian Cécht is the lord of healing, divine physician and smith. He heals via a combination of herbalism, metal, and magic, although

earlier people may not have perceived those fields as distinct. Dian Cécht crafted a silver prosthetic arm for King Nuada.

Dian Cécht presides over the craft of healing. Healers and physicians may request his sponsorship. He is the progenitor of a clan of

profoundly powerful healers. Following a battle, Dian Cécht and his three children revived and resurrected wounded and dead Tuatha

Dé Danaan by immersing them in a magical well and singing incantations over them.

See also: Airmid; Miach; Nuada; Tuatha Dé Danaan

Diana

The Luminous One; Holy Mother;

Lady of the Grove; Mother of the Forest;

Lady of the Wild Creatures; Opener of the Womb

Also known as: Dea Jana

Feast: 13 August

Diana is an ancient spirit, indigenous to Italy, possibly Etruscan or Latin. She preceded the Romans in the region, then traveled with

them through Europe, becoming well known all over that once heavily wooded continent. Diana has dominion over magic, witchcraft,

women and children, wilderness, fertility, hunting, and wild animals. In addition, she is matron of slaves and outlaws, many of whom

found refuge in her forest sanctuary. Her veneration may have begun at that sanctuary at Nemi at the foot of the Alban Hills. A temple

was eventually dedicated to her on Rome’s Aventine Hill, most likely following the Roman victory over the Latins in the fifth century

BCE.

Diana may initially have been the preeminent goddess in the Roman region, paired with such important male spirits as Janus and

Jupiter. Some suggest she was the ruler of the night while Jupiter ruled the day. She is an anarchic goddess, however, a spirit of ecstasy

and independence. Although the Romans incorporated her into their pantheon and venerated her, she was somewhat marginalized and

diminished, associated with slaves, immigrants, and disreputable people while Juno became the official state goddess.

Diana was adored throughout Europe. Other versions of her name include:

• Jana, Tana (Italian)

• Debena, Devana (Czech)

• Diiwica (Serbian)

• Dziewona (Polish)

• Gana (Transylvanian)

Efforts to identify her with Artemis may have been part of this process of diminishment. Diana’s identity was subsumed by Artemis.

Over the centuries Diana became intensely identified with Greek Artemis; their names are often used interchangeably, and it can be

difficult to distinguish between the two although they were initially distinct spirits. The names Artemis of Ephesus and Diana of Ephesus

are also used interchangeably.

Most surviving information regarding her worship and influence comes from her enemies, Saint Paul of Tarsus and other early

Christian writers. Diana’s cult was so popular throughout Europe and Asia Minor that early Christians perceived it as among their major

rivals. The subsequent destruction of Europe’s forests and wildlife, especially wolves, may have been a method of eradicating Diana’s

power and influence.

When Christianity achieved political power, Diana was completely vilified. In 1487, Spanish Inquisitor Tomas de Torquemada flatly

stated, “Diana is the devil.” The Society of Diana was among the Inquisition’s terms for witchcraft. No deity was more associated with

witchcraft during the Burning Times. Devotion to Diana survived the witch hunts and remains vital. She is among the most beloved of

contemporary deities and is central to the Italian witchcraft tradition, Stregheria.

Favored people:

Thieves; outlaws; slaves; shamans; witches; fortune-tellers; Diana has dominion over women but men worshipped

her just as passionately: what are described as werewolves may really be male wolf-shamans or lunar priests dedicated to Diana.

M anifestation: Although usually envisioned as a beautiful young woman, in Celtic Europe, Diana was worshipped in the form of a

log.

Iconography: Images of Diana and Artemis tend to be used interchangeably.

Sacred sites:

• Oak groves

• Forests in general

• The famous witches’ walnut tree in Benevento, Italy

• Lake Nemi and the entire Forest of Nemi: A stream flowed into the lake from a sacred grotto near Diana’s Temple. The

Mirror

of Diana names the volcanic lake surrounded on three sides by forested cliffs.

• Temple on Rome’s Aventine Hill

• The present Cathedral of Saint Etienne in Metz, France, built on the site of her temple

Time:

• The Festival of Torches was held annually in Diana’s honor beginning 13 August. Women carried torches to her temple at Nemi

and elsewhere engaged in torchlit processions.

• On 15 August, women would journey to the Arician Woods to offer thanks and beseech Diana for future blessings. They were

accompanied by crowned hunting dogs, leashed so as not to disturb Diana’s wild creatures.

• A Friday the 13

falling in the month of August is believed especially sacred to Diana.

Consorts: Virbius, Janus

Spirit allies: Egeria, Hekate

Animals: All wild creatures, but especially wolves, dogs, deer, and black cats

Elements: Fire and water

Planet: Moon, the light of the night

Offerings: Diana likes a drink. Strega liquore, allegedly inspired by an Italian witches’ recipe, is a favorite, but she’ll drink grappa,

too. Cakes in the shape of the moon, topped with lit candles—the original birthday cake—are a traditional offering. At Diana’s ancient

festival, the celebratory meal included wine, roasted young goat, cakes served hot on plates of leaves, and apples still hanging in clusters

on their boughs. Offerings on behalf of wolves, wild creatures, and preservation of wilderness may also be appreciated.

OFFERING BOWL FOR DIANA

• Pour a little Strega liquore in a fireproof bowl, preferably an iron cauldron.

• Stand back and set it aflame using a long fireplace match as an offering for Diana.

• Only use a little Strega. Do not fill the bowl all the way or even halfway! Be sure to stand away from the bowl: do not

hover over it. There’s an old joke about Italian witches with singed eyebrows, but it’s no joke if you’re harmed. As soon as

the Strega is lit, there is a tendency for high flames to shoot up, considered a sign of Diana’s favor, but not if you are burned or if

the house catches fire. Exercise caution, and always be aware of fire safety.

See also: Aradia; Artemis; Artemis of Ephesus; Egeria; Gana; Hekate; Herodias; Irodeasa; Janus; Jupiter; Virbius

Dianus

See: Janus

Dictynna

Also known as: Diktynna

See: Britomartis

Dike

Just Retribution

Pronounced: Dye-kee (rhymes with Nike)

Origin: Greece

Dike is the goddess of righteous judgment and punishment. She is an avatar of her mother, Themis, but fiercer. Dike is the Accuser.

She reports human wrongdoing to her father, Zeus.

Dike lived among mortals during a Golden Age when peace reigned over Earth, hence her excellent vantage to report on human sins

and crimes. Initially there were few crimes to report, but gradually human behavior worsened. Conflicts and wars began. Dike doesn’t

have to actually witness crimes; she feels them. Lies, slander, unethical behavior, and so forth actually cause her to feel pain.

She begged humanity to behave, but over time, they listened to her less and less. Overwhelmed, she withdrew into the mountains. As

matters on Earth deteriorated, Dike kept ascending, basically trying to put distance between herself and people until finally she reached

the sky. Zeus took pity on her and transformed her into the constellation Virgo. She hasn’t completely retired, however. To commune

with her, locate the constellation in the sky or gaze at images representing Virgo.

See also:

Fairy, Birth; Fairy, Flower; Fairy, Green; Fairy Queens; Fates; Gwillion; Ho Hsien-Ko; Hulden; Huli Jing; Ielle

Keshalyi; Ma Gu; Ma Zu; Nymph; Rusalka; Sidhe; Tündér; Vila

Allegedly, if you stand beneath an elder tree on Midsummer’s Eve, you will be granted a vision of reveling Fairies.

Fairy, Birth

Also known as: Fates

In the famous story Sleeping Beauty, a king and queen, celebrating the birth of a long-awaited royal heir, throw a festive banquet

for Fairies. Each Fairy brings a blessing as a baby gift. One Fairy fails to receive an invitation. Why the invitation was never received

depends upon the version of the story, but the inevitable end result is that she bestows a curse, not a blessing.

This scenario is no mere fairy tale, but a description of rituals once common throughout Europe in French, Slavic, Celtic, and other

regions, as well as among the Roma (Gypsies). Birth Fairies foretell (and may bestow) a baby’s fate. They are direct descendents of the

Moirae, Parcae, and other Fate goddesses.

Following a baby’s birth, it was traditional to create an offering table for these Fairies. Ritual details depend on specific spirits to

whom the ritual is devoted. There will be a set number of spirits and they will arrive on schedule. Most frequently, three are anticipated,

but sometimes there is only one and occasionally as many as thirteen, as in the original versionof Sleeping Beauty. Usually the spirits are

female, but the Roma, for instance, have male and female birth spirits.

The offering table is the crucial element. A table is laid as if for a festive meal. Fairies, the honored, desired guests, are expected to

come and dine: food and drink are offered. The table is set with individual place settings, napkins, glasses, the whole works. (Each

tradition will specify how many Fairies are expected, although as in Sleeping Beauty, it’s usually best to be prepared for extra guests.)

See also:

Béfind; Betben; Fairy; Fates (1); Fates (2); Fatit; Hatbor, Seven; Laimos; Moirae; Oosood; Our Good Mothers;

Parcae; Ursitory

Fairy, Flower

Also known as: Devas

Tiny little winged spirits, flitting from flower to flower: these are flower Fairies. Regular Fairies compare in size to humans, although

many are skilled shape-shifters who can take any form. Flower Fairies are a separate, distinct species of spirit.

Theoretically, every flower may have its own Fairy. A field of wildflowers or a lush, flower-packed backyard contains a universe of

spirits. Flower Fairies’ natures reflect the type of flowers with which they’re associated. Flower Fairies associated with the beautiful

blossoms of poisonous plants, like belladonna or wolfsbane, have different personalities and interests than those associated with daisies

and buttercups.

Flower Fairies suffer from habitat loss. Give them a home and they will come. Plant your favorite flowers and see what types of

Fairies arrive with them. In general, Fairy gardens should not be overly manicured: allow a little wilderness to creep in so that the Fairies

feel at home. Give them a little room for privacy, places to hide and observe where they won’t feel exposed. Add Fairy flowers,

especially bramble bushes, wild roses, and hawthorn trees. Fairies enjoy the company of other species, too. Add butterfly gardens; bird

and squirrel feeders; and/or bat houses. Incorporate a source of water: if a pond or stream is unavailable, a birdbath may suit them.

They may be happy to share a hot tub with you, too. Ornaments like crystals, statues, or witch balls are the equivalent of interior

decorating for Fairies. Flower Fairies tend to make themselves visible to children. (Alternatively, many children are very good at seeing

them.)

Iconography: Modern perceptions of flower Fairies are heavily influenced by the popular works of Cicely Mary Barker (1895–

1973), the author and illustrator of the “Flower Fairy” series of books.

Offerings:

Creation and preservation of habitat is the ideal offering. Once at least a little habitat exists for them, invite flower Fairies

with offerings of honey, nuts, and thimblefuls of milk.

See also:

Ancestors; Arang; Demon; Fairy; Goryo; Gran Pays; grey Lady; Green Lady; Mae Nak; Obake; Oikiko; Oiwa;

Phii Mae Mai; Phii Ruan; Phii Tai Hong; Phii Tai Tang Klom; Vampire; Yurei

Ghoul

Also known as: Ghool; Ghul; Feminine: Ghula

Ghouls are a lower order of extremely malicious Djinn. They are murderous, treacherous, voracious spirits who will kill and devour

humans, and not in the potentially good shamanistic way that serves as initiation. Ghouls are just killers. They are classified as cannibals

because of their preference for human flesh.

Ghouls may first have appeared in Egypt or Arabia. They existed long before Islam but now appear throughout the Islamic world,

sometimes far from their original territory. Ancient Arabic legends suggest that ghouls took the form of beautiful, shapely women in order

to lure travelers. Ghouls haunt burial grounds and cemeteries, where they feed upon cadavers. They linger amid ruins, isolated areas,

and in the desert wilderness.

In modern Egypt, the word ghoul may indicate any kind of bloodthirsty cannibal, not necessarily a spirit being.

M anifestation: Ghouls sometimes manifest as animals and often as “monsters”; they are shape-shifters who will choose their form

based on whatever is most likely to entrap victims. Moroccan ghouls frequently appear as hairy giant women with pendulous breasts

and goat’s feet. They can transform into young beautiful women, too, when they wish.

See also:

Amphitrite; Apollo; Artemis; Asteria; Callisto; Dakini; Dione; Dionysus; Dioscuri; Europa; Ezili Freda Dahomey;

Ganymede; Hebe; Hekate; Helen of Troy; Hephaestus; Heracles; Hermes; Hesperides; Horai; Hybla; Hydra; Io; Iris; Kedalion;

Ladon; Lady of the Beasts; Leto; Maia; Olympian Spirits; Poseidon; Prometheus; Scylla; Semele; Siren; Themis; Typhon; Zeus

Heracles

Also known as: Herakles; Hercules (Roman)

Origin: Greece

Heracles’ origins are mysterious. His name means “Hera’s Glory” but until his deification, she is his mortal enemy. Alternative myth

suggests she mayreally have been his mother, but classical Greek mythology identifies him as the son of Zeus and Alkmene, a mortal

princess. Hera does all she can to prevent the birth; later sending snakes to assassinate the baby. Heracles, already incomparably

strong, even in the cradle, strangles the snakes instead. Hera periodically strikes Heracles with violent madness so that he harms

innocent people and those he loves. (Or at least Hera is blamed.) Heracles’ saga is a cycle of heroic acts and acts of expiation for the

most terrible crimes.

Heracles is a hero, the strongest man on Earth, capable of holding the entire Earth on his shoulders, the subject of numerous legends

and entertainments. That’s one way of looking at him. He is also a ruthless killer and assassin; champion of the Olympian order; a

contract killer whose assorted labors involve eliminating sacred beings of earlier or alternative pantheons. Scholars have interpreted his

labors as indicating the victory of terrestrial spirits over an older, more aquatic pantheon.

Heracles is an ancestral spirit. Many royal lineages traced their descent from him. (He once lay with a king’s fifty daughters, all in one

night, impregnating each one.) Although Heracles was mortal, after his death, Zeus deified him and brought him to Olympus, where he

reconciled with Hera and married her daughter, Hebe.

Heracles was venerated differently in different places and by different spiritual traditions:

• In Greece, he was venerated alongside Zeus and the Nymphs, invoked for prosperity, victory, healing, and good health. Heracles

was associated with healing springs and thermal spas. During life, he was a fan of hot springs and thermal baths. As a spirit, he

presides over them. The Greek term Herculean baths indicated naturally hot or artificially heated waters.

• Heracles evolved into Hercules, men’s deity in Rome venerated by merchants, traders, travelers, soldiers, and military personnel.

He provides protection, success, and good fortune; offering blessings of vigor, good health, stamina, physical strength, and

endurance. Hercules was the male counterpart of the Bona Dea, who refused to accept males into her presence. Hercules

similarly rejected female devotees.

• The Romans carried his veneration or at least his name throughout Europe. In Celtic regions, Hercules evolved into a spirit of

healing. Some theorize that Celtic Hercules is really a Roman name for Celtic deities like the Dagda, Ogmios, and Borvo. Little

bronze statues identifiable as Hercules were offered at Borvo’s shrine at Aix-les-Bains. It’s theorized that heroic Hercules was

considered a fighter against disease or disease demons.

• In Phoenician-ruled areas, Hercules is likely to be Melkart, whom the Greeks called Tyrian Heracles.

M anifestation: A huge, muscled bearded man draped in a lion’s pelt (and usually nothing else)

Attributes: Club, lyre. (Chiron taught him how to play; he clunked another music tutor over the head with it, killing him.)

Consort: Hebe, Hera’s daughter, whom he marries after his death and deification; while alive, he had several wives and countless

lovers, male and female.

Sacred dates:

• 30 June, dedication day of the Roman temple of Hercules and the Muses in 179 BCE

• 12 August, men offer sacrifices to Hercules Invictus

(“Invincible Hercules”) at the great altar near the Circus Maximus. (Women

are excluded.)

Sacred sites: He had shrines along the entire Mediterranean coast. Among the most significant were those in Cadiz (now Spain)

and the ancient Phoenician city of Lixus (now Larache,

Morocco), allegedly the site of the Garden of the Hesperides. He also had a mountain shrine atop Mount Oite in Greece, scene of his

death and funeral pyre.

The Via Herculea, or Herculean Way, is the ancient road that ran from Rome to Cadizhr, now in southwestern Spain .

Offerings: Heracles likes to drink. (He once lost a drinking contest with Dionysus. As payment, he spent time dancing in Dionysus’

processions.) He prefers wine but will not rebuff anything stronger. He likes extreme drinks such as over-proof liquors, if only because

of his excessive machismo, but be careful not to serve him too much. Even as a spirit, he’s not a good drunk: too much liquor and he

becomes unreliable.

According to Roman tradition, Hercules accepts any food or drink offerings but only from men. True devotees usually tithe or offer

him a percentage. Merchants offer percentages of proceeds earned. Soldiers of all ranks offered a percentage of booty won. Money

may be spent on public feasts in Hercules’ honor. Animal sacrifices to Hercules had to be shared and eaten in their entirety. Lavish

dinners were typically held in his honor with food shared by all attendees.

The High Priest of his Roman temple used to gamble with Hercules. If the priest won, Hercules granted him favors. If

Hercules won, the priest procured courtesans for the deity .

Heracles is not quite so exclusively associated with men in the other regions where he was worshipped, although they were his

primary devotees.

See also: Acca Larentia; Ares; Bona Dea; Chiron; Dagda, the; Dionysus; Hera; Hesperides; Hydra; Ladon; Melkart;

Nymph; Ogma; Zeus

Hermes

Origin: Greece

Before Hermes was the winged messenger of Mount Olympus, he was a virile, rustic, pastoral spirit, presiding over the fertility of

women and livestock. Hermes was among the best-loved of all Olympian spirits. He is the lord of animal husbandry as well as language,

communication, trade, travel, and divination.

Hermes’ specialty is cleromancy, originally divination using small pebbles, which eventually evolved into dice. He is the trickster lord

of the crossroads, spirit of luck and patron of gamblers, especially those who play with dice. Hermes protects thieves and also protects

against them. He may be invoked for the gift of gab, business success, and true omens. He is the lord of cunning and mother-wit.

Hermes is a shaman: he travels between realms, hence his eventual role as Zeus’ messenger. He is a psychopomp who conveys the

souls of the dead to Hades. Sacrifices were made to Hermes on the final day of Greek festivals of the dead to ensure that he would

escort the dead souls back to Hades. If a ghost refuses to vacate your premises, Hermes may be asked to escort them to a more

appropriate place. Just be careful: Hermes is not violent or particularly aggressive, but he does enjoy playing tricks and the periodic

practical joke. He will be a troublesome spirit for those lacking humor and humility.

Hermes killed Hera’s guardian Argus by boring him to death. After he had put him to sleep, Hermes touched the guard with his staff

to kill him. He is sometimes considered the patron ofeuthanasia: the gentle death.

Hermes prowls around at night, bringing dreams. You can request that he deliver prophetic dreams or that he provide relief from

nightmares.

Hermes as Divine Child wears sandals and carries a staff: his image closely resembles that of the Holy Child of Atocha.

Post-Christianity, many of Hermes’ functions were assigned to Michael Archangel.

Hermes was born in a cave to the goddess, Maia. Zeus is his father. He makes his home in Mekone, “Poppy town.” Hermes is

associated with birth, death, and sex. Although now often portrayed as androgynous, Hermes was originally a very virile phallic deity.

His sexual partners include Aphrodite and countless Nymphs. The Greek-born Italian goddess Carmenta may be his official wife.

Hermes is credited with many inventions, including the musical scale, the alphabet, boxing, gymnastics, weights, measures, and olive

culture. (Athena may have brought the olive tree, but Hermes taught people how to process the fruit and oil.)

Favored people: Merchants; gamblers; travelers; thieves (but only if they’re not violent: he likes clever, tricky thieves, not thugs or

muggers); those who live by their wits; boxers

M anifestation: Hermes traditionally wears a traveler’s broad-brimmed hat and sandals.

Iconography: Hermes has been through many transitions:

• His most ancient images portray him in the form of an erect phallus.

• He is represented by a cairn of stones.

• Statues called “Herms” were used to portray him: tall rectangular pillars displaying his head on top and his erect penis sticking

out. Herms were placed at crossroads. Women seeking fertility would petition Hermes at a herm, placing flower garlands

around his neck or elsewhere.

• Hermes was then envisioned as a robust man carrying a lamb around his shoulders.

• Finally he was portrayed in the form most familiar today: a winged, sandaled, androgynous messenger.

Attribute: Caduceus: a staff entwined by two snakes, the emblem of the modern medical profession. He can use the staff to induce

sleep.

Spirit allies: His mother, Maia; Pan; Nymphs

Sacred sites: Hermes is an extremely unpretentious spirit. He is among the Greek spirits least often honored with formal temples.

Instead he is present at crossroads and in wild nature. Invoke his presence or summon him by erecting a herm or cairn of stones,

especially at a four-way crossroads (X-shaped).

Sacred animals: Dog, tortoise, snake

Tree: Palm

Number: 4

Offerings: Cakes; honey; olives; goat or sheep’s cheese; wine; water; incense

See also: Aphrodite; Asklepios; Athena; Calypso; Carmenta; Circe; Dionysus; Eshu Elegbara; Hades; Hekate; Hera;

Maia; Mercury; Nymph; Pan; Psychopomp; Shiva; Zeus

Herodias

Also known as: Hérodiade

Herodias the witch-goddess leads the Wild Hunt. Popularly venerated during Europe’s witch-hunt era, Herodias the goddess may

or may not derive from the historical Herodias, granddaughter of Herod the Great and wife of King Herod Antipas of Judea. Herod

Antipas was her second husband; her first was Philip, his brother, with whom she had a daughter named Salome. Herodias herself

descended from royal Hasmonean (Macabeen) lineage. Marriage to her may have helped legitimize her husband’s rule.

Herod Antipas and Herodias fell in love while on a trip to Rome. She abandoned his brother. He divorced his wife and they married.

Due to technicalities of Jewish law, this could be construed as incest. Herod, Rome’s puppet ruler, was already widely unpopular

among the masses and so the marriage was a public scandal, earning the vocal condemnation of the prophet, John the Baptist.

Herodias did not take his criticism lying down. According to the New Testament, she instigated John the Baptist’s murder, instructing

her dancing daughter, Salome, to request the prophet’s head served to her on a plate as a reward following her performance of the

Dance of the Seven Veils. In 39 CE, Roman Emperor Caligula banished Herod to Gaul. Herodias voluntarily accompanied him and

died there, circa 47, in what is now France. (Salome accompanied them, too.)

To early Christians, Herodias epitomized the wicked woman; she emerged as the New Testament’s primary female villain and was

popularly reputed to be a demon. Herodias is to the New Testament as Jezebel is to the Old. Her name was used to defame Pagan

goddesses but at some point she evolved into one herself. It is unclear whether Herodias herself emerged as a witch-goddess or

whether her name serves as a mask for another. Herodias may be any of the following:

• The biblical Herodias, reemerged as a spirit

• A Pagan spirit also named Herodias or perhaps renamed after the biblical queen

• The Semitic demon-witch-goddess Lilith, in disguise

Although also venerated elsewhere in Europe, Herodias was especially beloved in Italy. She and Diana are the goddesses most

frequently mentioned in Italian witch-trial transcripts and were apparently worshipped together. (The two will share an altar.) Together

they lead the Wild Hunt and night parades of witches.

Ratherius, Bishop of Verona (circa 887—April 25, 974), complained that Herodias was perceived as a queen, even a

goddess, as though, he remarked, this was her reward for killing John the Baptist. In 936 CE, a movement, outlawed by

Ratherius, arose claiming that Herodias ruled one-third of the world and was thus due devotion and petitions.

Iconography: Herodias is usually envisioned as a beautiful and seductive woman. Among the artists inspired to create portraits of

her are Aubrey Beardsley, Paul Delaroche and John Reinhard Weguelin. Herodias is frequently portrayed in the company of her

daughter Salome and sometimes with John the Baptist’s severed head.

See also: Aradia; Diana; Herta; Irodeas; Jezebel; Lilith; Wild Hunt

Herta

Also known as: Hertha; Erda; Eartha; Nerthus

Origin: Teutonic

Herta, mysterious Germanic goddess, was eventually demonized as a Queen of Witches, a leader of the Wild Hunt. Although little

information regarding Herta survives, her name remains sacred and familiar, as it is the one given our planet, Earth. Tacitus called Herta

Mater Terra:

“Mother Earth.” Archaeological evidence suggests that Denmark was the epicenter of her worship. Herta possessed a

sanctuary amid groves on Rügen Island, in the Baltic Sea, now modern Germany, but once ruled by Danes. Rügen’s highest point is still

called Hertaburg. Ruins of Hertha Castle near Herta Lake on Rügen Island are believed to be remnants of her shrine.

Herta has apparently not left home. According to local lore, a beautiful woman emerges from the woods on full-moon

nights to bathe in Herta Lake accompanied by female attendants. Once in the water, they may become invisible but are heard

splashing. They eventually reappear to disappear back into the woods. These spectral bathers do not welcome company. It is

considered dangerous to witness them. Allegedly observers feel magically compelled to enter the deep lake where they drown.

Local rumor says that at least one person drowns annually, suggesting that Herta may be collecting human sacrifices.

According to Roman reports, the statue of Herta was ritually removed from her shrine and bathed in the lake several times a year.

Herta’s rites were secret and little else is known. (Whether they were always secret or whether secrecy increased under Roman threat is

also unknown.) Allegedly most ritual attendants were drowned following fulfillment of their tasks, although whether as sacrifices to Herta

or whether to maintain secrecy (to make sure they’ll never reveal her secrets) is also now unknown.

She appears in Norse mythology as Nerthus (Earth), sister-wife of Njord (Sea). The Vanir practice marriage between siblings similar

to the ancient Egyptians (Isis and Osiris; Set and Nephthys). Njord and his children, Freya and Freyr, went to live in Asgard as Vanir

representatives/hostages. Nerthus is his first wife and their mother, but because the Aesir disapprove of marriage between siblings, she

remained behind on her island sanctuary. (Alternatively she just didn’t want to go.) Eventually, Odin, that inveterate traveler, came

calling: the result was the Valkyries, daughters of Nerthus and Odin, representing the true union of Aesir and Vanir.

M anifestation: In her later guise as witch-goddess, Herta rides a deer crowned with hops. She uses a stalk of valerian as a riding

crop. (Both plants are profound sedatives and sleep-inducers.)

Sacred date: One of her ancient festivals coincided with the vernal equinox.

Sacred site:

Rügen Island in the Baltic Sea: a deep black lake on the island was once surrounded by beech forests. Herta’s sacred

grove was allegedly beside this lake.

See also: Aesir; Arsinoe; Freya; Freyr; Gaia; Isis; Nephthys; Njord; Odin; Osiris; Set; Valkyrie; Vanir; Wild Hunt

Hesperides

The Sunset Ladies; The Western Women

The Hesperides, beautiful goddesses of the sunset, preside over romance and conjugal pleasures, especially the honeymoon night.

They are entrusted to be the keepers of the sacred, priceless treasures belonging to the Olympian spirits.

The Hesperides are most famous as the Nymphs who tend a fragrant paradise garden where they guard Hera’s apple tree that bears

the golden apples of joy (in contrast to the apple of discord wielded by Greek goddess Eris). Among the hopeless labors assigned to

Heracles was to steal apples from this tree, guarded by a hundred-headed dragon as well as the Hesperides. (Allegedly, Hera assigned

Ladon the dragon to this task as she does not entirely trust the Hesperides who, rumor has it, sometimes snack on her apples.)

There may be three Hesperides or as many as nine. Depending on the source, the spirits named as Hesperides include Aegle,

Arethusa, Asterope, Chrysothemis, Erythea, Hespera, Hesperia, Hesperethusa, and Lipara.

The parentage of these sister spirits is subject to dispute:

• They may be the daughters of Hesperus, Lord of the Evening and an unnamed (or no) mother.

• They may be the daughters of Atlas and the goddess Hesperis, Lady of the West

• Alternatively they are the children of Eos and Astraios

• Nyx may be their sole parent or she may have conceived them with Erebus

• Their parents may be Keto and Phorkys or Themis and Zeus

Although the Hesperides are usually described as caretakers, the paradise grove in which they dwell is called the Garden of

the Hesperides: they may he its owners and rulers. Depending on his parentage and theirs, Ladon, the garden’s resident dragon

may he their brother.

The name “Hesperides” derives from a root word indicating “west”, the direction of the sun set and the location of their paradise

grove. Some perceive the Garden of the Hesperides as a spirit realm. Others, however, identify it as being earthly and located in what is

now southern Spain or in Morocco, near the cities of Tangier and Larache, regions that would both be considered extremely westerly

by the ancient Greeks.

The Hesperides are snake goddesses of erotic delights. Invoke their help in matters of seduction, true love, and lasting romantic

happiness. The sunset that they rule may be understood literally or metaphorically. The Hesperides may be goddesses of people in the

“sunset of their lives.” The Garden over which the Hesperides preside may or may not be an afterlife realm of eternal youth comparable

to Celtic Avalon, the island of the apples.

Favored people: Brides, bridal consultants, gardeners, perfumers, snake charmers

M anifestation: The Hesperides are described as being very beautiful. They are said to have enchanting, soothing voices and

allegedly take great pleasure in singing.

Iconography: The Hesperides are virtually always depicted with a tree and a snake or dragon. They appear on ancient coins and

on Greek vase paintings. Among the more recent artists inspired to paint their portraits are Edward Burne-Jones (1833–1898) and

Frederic Lord Leighton (1830–1896).

Animal: Snakes and dragons

Constellation: Seven Hesperides sisters are associated with the constellation now more familiar as Ursa Minor, the Little Bear.

(Ursa Major, the Great Bear, was associated with Hera’s apple tree.) The Hesperides are also associated with the wing of the

constellation Draco, which is identified with Ladon, the dragon.

Offerings: Images of snakes and apples

See also: Astraios; Atlas; Callisto; Eos; Eris; Hera; Heracles; Idun; Keto; Ladon; Nymph; Nyx; Phorkys; Themis; Zeus

Hestia

Origin: Greece

Hestia is the goddess of hearth fire and the presiding spirit of the home. (Although typically described as a goddess of the hearth,

Hestia is technically the goddess of the fire in the hearth: contained, controlled, ritual fire.) She was worshipped at home but every town

and city also had its own official sacred hearth where she was tended and venerated.

Hestia is consistently the first of the Olympian spirits invoked. The first part of every sacrifice was offered to her. She bears a

reputation as the kindest of all Olympian spirits. She protects the inhabitants of homes, enforces hospitality, and may be invoked for fire

safety. She is a benevolent deity, quiet, humble, and modest, but exceptionally powerful. She figures in few myths. Both Apollo and

Poseidon sought to marry or at least romance her, but she turned both down, vowing to remain solitary and autonomous. Hestia is so

powerful that both these notorious rapists graciously took “no” for an answer.

Hestia is considered both the eldest and youngest of Rhea and Kronos’ children. As the firstborn, she was the first to be

swallowed by Kronos and thus the last to be disgorged or reborn .

Hestia is venerated beside the hearth, stove, or other major source of fire. There were only twelve thrones on Olympus, so when

Dionysus was incorporated into the pantheon, there was no seat for him. No game of musical chairs, argument, or jockeying was

necessary: Hestia automatically rose and sat beside the hearth, where she is happiest, giving her throne to Dionysus. Hestia’s fire is

never permitted to go out except in ritual. It must then be ritually relit. Offerings may be respectfully placed directly into her flames.

Comic book superheroine Wonder Woman wields a weapon called the Golden Lasso that radiates a magic aura, the Fires

of Hestia, which compels those caught within it to be truthful.

Iconography: A gracious, regal, modestly dressed mature woman wearing a veil

Attribute: Kettle

Element: Fire

Plant: Vitex agnus-castus

See also: Agni; Amphitrite; Apollo; Dionysus; Gabija; Kronos; Olympian Spirits; Poseidon; Vesta

Hiiaka

Origin: Polynesia

Hi’iaka is best known as volcano goddess Pelé's little sister but she is a powerful goddess in her own right. Hi’iaka is a brilliant

magician capable of detecting and deflecting virtually all magical tricks, surprises, and dangers. She is a benevolent spirit who helps

people, offering warnings in times of danger. Devotees seek her protection against all forms of harm. Hi’iaka is a healer and botanist

with such profound knowledge of plants that she was allegedly able to use them to return the dead to life. She is invoked for miracle

cures.

Hi’iaka, daughter of Haumea and Kane, was conceived in Polynesia. Pelé transported her to Hawaii, carrying Hi’iaka carefully in

the form of an egg. Her full name is Hi iaka-i-ka-poli-o-Pele, “Hi’iaka Cradled in Pelé's Bosom.” Hi’iaka was Pelé's favorite sister.

(An alternative myth suggests that Hi’iaka is really Pelé's secret child.)

Pelé treated Hi’iaka as her most trusted servant, but eventually Hi’iaka asserted her independence. Hi’iaka is the presiding goddess

of the Hawaiian Islands and among the spirits presiding over hula.

M anifestation: A beautiful, graceful dancer

Color: Red

Sacred plants: ‘Ohi’a lehua tree (Metrosideros macropus ); pala’a or lace fern (Sphenomeria chinensis)

See also: Haumea; Kane; Kapo; Laka; Pelé

Hidden Company

Hidden Company is the name given the discarnate spirits of witches and occult masters serving as spirit guides. They are not

dissimilar in function from the Ascended Masters of Theosophy but their orientation and origins are different. The Hidden Company

guides and protects those who pursue visionary and magical paths. They are fonts of spiritual and occult wisdom. Members of the

Hidden Company may be channeled by mediums or contacted via divination. They also appear in dreams and visions. Because

occultists were persecuted and exterminated for millennia, the membership of the Hidden Company is legion. Masters of their field,

many can reveal information regarding suppressed or destroyed spiritual traditions and magical arts.

See also: Ascended Masters; Caboclos; Great White Brotherhood

Hidden Masters of Wisdom

See: Ascended Masters

Hina

Origin: Polynesia

Hina is the moon. She has countless aspects, but her lunar connection remains consistent. Allegedly when the moon is full and

shining, you can see Hina sitting on its surface making tapa cloth from the branches of the lunar banyan tree. Hina rules the procreative

powers of women.

Hina is the subject of complex, mythic cycles. There are multiple Hinas or aspects of Hina who may or may not all be one. Hina is the

first woman. She is the guardian of the land of the dead. Hina dispenses both life and death.

The different aspects of Hina include:

• Hina-Hau-One: “The Earth-Formed Girl,” the very first woman, created by Kane from red beach sand

• Hina-Titama: “Dawn Maiden,” first child of Hina-Hau-One and Kane

• Hina-Nui-Te-Po: “Great Goddess of Darkness

• Hina of the Scented Herbs, who is invoked by firewalkers during fertility rituals

• Hina Lau Limu Mala: mermaid Hina, most gorgeous of all mermaids, who lives on the sea floor

• Hina-the-Canoe-Pilot: who sailed off around the world with her brother; once, during a full moon, she visited the moon and

liked it so much that she stayed, evolving into:

• Hina the Watchwoman: guardian of travelers

Favored people: Hina is the matron of all artisans, especially those who create crafts traditionally associated with women; she is

the matron of women in childbirth and guardian of the dead. Hina is also the matron of traditional healers (kahuna) who specialize in

medicines derived from the sea.

M anifestations: Woman, mermaid, coral reef

Spirit ally: Ku

Trees: Banyan, breadfruit tree

Plant: Sweet potato

Creature: Anae (mullet), dogs

Bird: Mud hen

Tree: ‘Ohi’a lehua (Metrosideros macropus)

Offerings: Lei made from ‘ohi’a lehua flowers.

See also:

Green Jade Mother; Hsi Wang Mu; Kitchen God; Kwan Kung; Lady Horsehead; Lieu Hanh; T’ai Shan, Lord of;

Weaving Maiden

Jade Maidens

Origin: China

The Jade Maidens serve as celestial attendants to Hsi Wang Mu, Queen Mother of the West. Their home is in her Western

Paradise. These beautiful musicians are also goddesses in their own right. Among their many functions:

• They are the Western Mother’s trusted messengers.

• They serve the peaches of immortality.

• They serve as priestesses and altar maidens during celestial rites.

• They guard sacred texts.

• They witness oaths for spirits and for people.

• They are practitioners and teachers of sacred dance, music, and song.

• They write out charms and amulets for people.

• They teach magical, alchemical, and spiritual arts.

The Jade Maidens interact with both men and women. They enter into sacred marriages, blessing, protecting, and offering esoteric

instruction to their human partners. They epitomize the ideal woman: beautiful, charming, brilliant, spiritually powerful. Incredible adepts,

they are not somber spirits, but funny, witty, playful, and often irreverent.

See also: Ho Hsien-Ko; Hsi Wang Mu; Huli Jing; Lady White; Ma Gu

Jahi

The Harlot; The Whore

Origin: Mesopotamia

Jahi is a primordial spirit who may have begun her incarnation as a Creatrix. Jahi is the first goddess and the first woman. She

emerged from the void, then brought forth a serpent from herself. She and the snake made love, conceiving the whole world. That first

sexual encounter with the serpent caused menstruation. (In some parts of the world, the phrase “bitten by a snake” remains a

euphemism for menstruation, especially a girl’s first period.) So in addition to the universe in general, Jahi is specifically credited with

inventing snakes, sex, and menstruation.

Once upon a time, a really long time ago, she was considered the holiest of the holy. But times change, and Jahi was reappraised.

Much of what is documented about her derives from the perspective of Zoroastrian holy texts in whose context she is considered among

the worst of the worst. Zoroastrianism describes Jahi as the Demon of Lasciviousness, the cause of menstruation; a “polluting whore”

whose temptations must be resisted. She is the consort of Ahriman, the dreaded spirit of destruction. Although she is no longer

considered the creator of the universe or a celestial power, Zoroastrianism still assigns Jahi dominion over menstruation and sex

(especially illicit sex or sexual acts perceived as polluting).

Jahi is the spirit of flesh and fluids. To comprehend Zoroastrian disapproval of Jahi, one must appreciate that she is a spirit of wet

dampness in the context of a spiritual tradition that deifies and venerates fire. Jahi is described as offending fire. Her presence threatens

to diminish or extinguish it.

The resemblance of Jahi’s name to at least some of the names ascribed to the Jewish god is impossible to ignore. Many also

perceive resemblances between Jahi’s myth and the biblical story of the Garden of Eden.

Jahi is the primordial mother. Those exploring women’s mysteries or specifically menstrual magic and mysteries may invoke her

sponsorship and assistance.

M anifestation: Jahi is moist: her vagina is wet and/or bloody; she perspires; her ringlets are described as dripping, whether water

or sweat; she may be felt as a damp emanation. She is an intensely yin spirit.

Planet: Moon

Element: Water

Color: Red

See also: Eurynome; Hsi Wang Mu; Jezi baba; Kurukulla; Nyx; Xochiquetzal

Jambhala

Also known as: Dzambala

Origin: Tibet

It’s very hard to focus on spirituality if you’re hungry or worrying about having enough money to pay the rent. Although some

ascetics abandon all worldly possessions, they are the exception, not the rule. The average person may find that worldly concerns (food,

shelter, medicine, bills, survival) get in the way of pursuing a spiritual path. That’s where Jambhala comes to the rescue.

Jambhala, sometimes called the Wealth Giving Buddha, provides for one’s physical needs so that you can focus on your soul.

Theoretically, at least, Jambhala does not provide wealth for wealth’s sake, but so that you can live a better, more elevated, highly

spiritual existence. (Orthodox versions of his legend suggest that Jambhala only helps those pursuing a Buddhist path; however,

Jambhala is an extremely popular spirit and many non-Buddhists or casual Buddhists testify to his generosity and assistance.)

The name Jambhala derives from jambhara, the Tibetan name for the citron fruit (Citrus medica), symbol of wealth and fertility.

Jambhala’s origins are subject to debate:

• Jambhala is a pre-Buddhist Tibetan spirit incorporated into the Buddhist pantheon.

• Jambhala is Kubera, India’s Lord of Wealth, incorporated into the Buddhist pantheon.

• Jambhala is an emanation of a Bodhisattva, for instance, a wealth-giving path of Avalokiteshvara.

• Jambhala is an emanation of the Buddha who realized that hunger and poverty prevented so many from pursuing the Dharma and

sought to remedy the situation.

One legend explains that Buddha Shakyamuni was trying to meditate when he was interrupted by a demon. Jambhala spontaneously

appeared to divert the demon. Buddha was so impressed by his bravery and initiative that he asked whether Jam bhala would like to

serve as a Dharma Pro tector, and so Jambhala joined the Buddhist pantheon.

Jambhala bestows fertility in addition to wealth and material comforts.

Attribute: All aspects of Jambhala are identified with the citron fruit.

Sacred animal: The gem-spitting mongoose is associated with all manifestations of Jambhala. Precious gems emanate endlessly

from the mongoose’s mouth (variously described as vomiting or spitting) in the same manner that Jambhala causes wealth to flow

toward you. The mongoose also indicates Jambhala’s victory over the Nagas, who are wealth-bestowing spirits, too.

Offerings: Offer water daily; also good deeds and donations on behalf of the less fortunate and those no longer living

M antra: The short version is:

OM JAHM BA LA JA LEN DRA YA SO HA!

Jambhala became extremely popular and eventually evolved into five distinct manifestations (who may actually be paths of other

spirits). All forms of Jambhala bestow wealth but they do so in different fashion. Each also provides other gifts and blessings. Yellow

Jambhala is particularly beloved.

• Black Jambhala, Chief of the five Jam bhalas, is believed to be a path of Kubera, Lord of Wealth. Black Jambhala is

recommended for ascetics and those who are really, truly poverty-stricken. He fulfills all wishes, providing they are benevolent

and not harmful. (In other words, Black Jambhala will help you find a new home but will not help eliminate your present, evil

landlord.) Black Jambhala eliminates illness, resentment, rage, and criminal inclinations. He is a wrathful form of Jambhala

depicted standing, surrounded by a ring of fire. His additional attribute is a cup formed from a skull.

• Green Jambhala bring success and victory in all matters. He helps overcome jealousy, envy, and has the power to stop bad

omens from coming true. Green Jambhala is depicted in sexual union with his consort, Vasudhara (Yellow Tara). He has vowed

to protect anyone who chants his name or mantra.

• Red Jambhala sometimes appears with an elephant’s head. In addition to the wealth-spitting mongoose, his sacred creature is a

mouse. Red Jambhala may be Ganesha incorporated into the Bud dhist pantheon. Red Jambhala is recommended for those

already in possession of wealth and status. He helps keep business and finances healthy and assists in making advantageous

contacts, contracts, and arrangements; he also helps overcome greed and attachment to the tangible and intangible benefits of

wealth.

• White Jambhala is considered an emanation of Avalokiteshvara, born from the Bodhisattva’s right eye. White Jambhala may

also be identified with White Tara. White Jambhala rides a turquoise dragon. His additional attribute is a bar of gold. White

Jambhala is a wrathful form of Jambhala, manifested by his flame-like hair. White Jambhala helps accumulate wealth and merit

and stimulates generous and charitable impulses. He also helps transcend material and emotional attachments. White Jambhala

may be invoked to eliminate illness, impurity, and poverty. He can avert disaster and illness before they occur.

• Yellow Jambhala, the most beloved Jambhala, known as the “Wealth Buddha,” blesses people with prosperity and abundance

so that they are free from material concerns and may focus on spirituality instead. If you chant his name or mantra, he allegedly

provides protection as well as financial support.

See also:

Avalokitesvara; Bodhisattava; Bon Spirits; Buddha; Eight Dharma Protectors; Ganesha; Hariti; Kubera; Naga;

Tara, White; Tara, Yellow and the Glossary entries for Mantra and Path.

Janaina

Queen of the Sea

Also known as: Dona Janaina (literally Lady Janaina)

Origin: Brazil

Classification: Mermaid

Janaina is a beautiful Brazilian mermaid. She is not a killer mermaid but a benevolent one who protects people who fish, as well as

travelers on the sea. She responds to petitions from the person in need as well as from others on their behalf. (So if you’re worried

about someone on a boat, you can invoke Janaina’s aid from dry land.)

Janaina is often identified with Iemanja, and their names may be used interchangeably but they are not exactly the same. Iemanja

manifests in different forms; Janaina is consistently a mermaid. The name Janaina may be used to describe Iemanja when she manifests

in mermaid form but not necessarily in other forms. Although the two spirits are now deeply intertwined, they were initially two distinct

spirits, with Janaina an indigenous Brazilian mermaid. She is often evoked in songs of Capoeira (Afro-Brazilian dance/martial art/spiritual

tradition).

M anifestation: A beautiful, bejeweled mermaid with long hair and a blue fish tail

Iconography: Usually as a mermaid; her name is sometimes attached to the image of the Stella Maris, which depicts a woman

rising from the sea.

Color: Blue

Offerings: Flowers (place them on an altar or on the shore; toss them nicely into the sea); combs; mirrors; gifts evoking the sea

See also: Dandalunda; Mermaid; Stella Maris; Yemaya

Janguli

Janguli is an ancient snake goddess venerated by shamanic tribes in the region of Northern India and Nepal. Janguli, Mistress of

Snakes, protects against snakebite and all poison. Too powerful to ignore and too valuable to demonize, she has since been absorbed

into the Hindu and Buddhist pantheons:

• She is sometimes considered a Tantric form of White Tara, thus making her a Bodhisattva or Buddha.

• She is sometimes counted among the Mahavidyas, Hinduism’s Wisdom God desses.

Janguli’s image is believed to provide protection from snakes. Amulets bearing her name or image are believed to help protect against

poison, including food poisoning.

M anifestation: She may appear as a woman holding a white snake, or she may be a woman from the waist up and a white snake

below. She is intensely linked to white snakes; there will be one with her somehow. Alternatively, a white snake may be sufficient to

indicate her presence. She may also appear in her iconographic form.

Iconography: Janguli is depicted in Buddhist and Hindu images as having three faces and six arms. Buddhist images show her

forming the mudra of protection. She wears a snake crown or a snake may wreathe her head.

Attribute: Lotus, veena (musical instrument)

Color: White

Sacred creatures: Snakes and peacocks, both of which serve as her mount

Offerings: Images of snakes and peacocks, peacock feathers (used in Himalayan traditional medicine to heal snakebite)

Janguli bears a close resemblance to Benten and Sarasvati. Some perceive them to be the same spirit operating under

different names; others just perceive them as closely related soul-sister-spirits .

See also: Benten; Bodhisattva; Buddha; Lady White; Sarasvati; Tara, White

Janus

Lord of Beginnings

Also known as: Giano; Dianus

Origin: Roman region

Feast: 1 January

Janus is the two-faced spirit, but in the most positive sense of that term. Janus literally has two faces, indicating his power to see

from all directions and perspectives. He sees the past and future simultaneously. Janus is a guardian and protector.

Janus is among the most ancient and significant deities of the Roman pantheon. He was in the Roman region long before the Romans

arrived. Before the arrival of Jupiter, he may have been the preeminent male spirit. Officially superseded by Jupiter within the context of

the Roman pantheon, Janus retained his right to be first.

Similar to modern traditions involving Eshu Elegbara, Janus is the first spirit invoked before any invocations, sacrifices, or offerings

made to other Roman deities. Jupiter then follows as “king,” followed by whomever else might be invoked.

The Roman Temple of Janus had double doors, known as the Gates of War. The temple was a visible symbol of peace or

war. When there was peace throughout Rome, the doors of his temple were shut. This was a rare occurrence .

In 153 BCE, the Romans changed their calendar, moving the New Year from the spring equinox to 1 January, the feast day of Janus,

Spirit of Beginnings. With one face, Janus looks back on the old year; with the other he looks forward to the new. Roman New Year’s

rituals incorporating the feast of Janus lasted for six days of joyous, raucous celebrating. Festivities included drinking, feasting, and

decorating homes and buildings with holly, mistletoe, and lights.

• Invoke Janus when you wish to begin anew, when you need to make a fresh start.

• Invoke him before beginning new projects, ventures, and relationships.

• Invoke him to understand the past.

Favored people: Diviners; he seems to like pretty women, too.

Iconography: Janus has two faces: one looking forward, the other back. Sometimes one face is young; the other old.

Consort: His original consort seems to have been Jana (Diana), but he was eventually paired with Juturna.

Sacred site: The Janiculum Hill in Western Rome, center of his veneration

Tree: Oak

Number: 1

Time: The month of January is dedicated to Janus.

Offerings: His traditional Roman offering was whole-grain farro wheat mixed with salt; also Ianual, a type of focaccia (flat, oven-

baked Italian bread) made with flour, eggs, oil, and cheese served during rituals thanking Janus for providing a bountiful harvest.

See also: Diana; Eshu Elegbara; Jupiter; Juturna

Jari-Mari

Origin: India

Jari-Mari is a fiery spirit of fever. She is associated with all illnesses that feature elevated temperatures, but especially smallpox,

perhaps because it is the most dreaded. Fevers are understood as a sign of visitation from the goddess or even as spirit possession.

Do not react with dismay, anger, or displeasure at her arrival. It makes matters worse. The goal is not to antagonize her but to

appease and propitiate her. If she is challenged, the results may be fatal: she is a killer spirit, but she does not lack mercy and can be

persuaded to do no harm and go away, especially if her victim is a child.

Jari-Mari’s mercy, blessings and favor are invoked when someone burns with fever, especially children. (It is understood that

someone else will perform invocations and rituals on behalf of the one suffering Jari-Mari’s fiery touch.) Her name is a euphemism for a

word translated as “Evil Force.” She sometimes resembles sister smallpox spirit, Sitala. Jari-Mari, too, roams the countryside riding a

donkey, but their propitiatory offerings are very different. Sitala has transcended the status of disease demon, bestowing gifts and

blessings on those she favors. Jari-Mari is almost exclusively identified with illness: her blessing is not killing you or not causing long-

lasting harm. If she leaves quickly with no damage done, her victims are understood to have received her blessings and mercy. It is

traditional, in this circumstance, to wear or carry talismans honoring her as a sign of respect, gratitude, and acknowledgment.

M anifestation: Jari-Mari appears as a woman riding a donkey, its saddlebags laden with illness. She may walk through urban

areas on her own feet, carrying a big shoulder bag or backpack. Without a pack animal’s help, she may be particularly inclined to dump

the contents.

Iconography: No need to bring her into your home willingly. Should the need arise, a stone smeared with paste made from

powdered vermilion and turmeric serves as her image.

Altar: Permanent altars to Jari-Mari are not placed in the home. Erect a temporary one after she has arrived. Altars to keep her

away if threat is imminent are placed outside, ideally beneath neem or banyan trees.

Spirit ally: Jari-Mari is frequently accompanied by the fever demon, Jvarasura.

Ritual: Jari-Mari is a raging hot, wrathful spirit. Sing to her to calm her down. Songs are directed to the afflicted person, as that’s

where Jari-Mari is to be found. You’ll know when she’s calmed down because the fever will diminish or break. If the fever spikes,

you’re singing the wrong song.

Color: Red

Sacred tree: Neem

Offerings: Red flowers, turmeric powder, vermilion powder, candy, and sweets; cinnamon candy like Red Hots; red sari; red silk

fabric or other luxurious crimson cloth; bridal finery (Hindu brides traditionally wear red, not white, which is perceived as a color of

death and mourning); cinnabar is not traditional but, as it is red, sacred, and used in Chinese and Himalayan folk magic to reduce heat, it

may be worth a shot.

See also: Babalu Ayé; Daruma; Mariamman; Sitala

Jezanna

She Who Shows Herself in the Golden Moon

Origin: Mashona (Zimbabwe)

If you see the reflection of the moon shining golden on the surface of a lake, then you’ve seen Jezanna, Spirit of Abundance and

Fertility. She has the power to increase cattle, crops and children (or prevent their increase, as she will.) Her most famous myth recalls

her rejection of human sacrifice.

Planet: Moon, especially a big golden full moon

Sacred animal: Cow

Jezebel

Jezebel, as recounted in the Old Testament’s First and Second Book of Kings, is the Phoenician princess and priestess of Asherah

who was married to Ahab, King of the Northern Kingdom of Israel (circa 872–851 BCE). Her name may be interpreted as meaning

“Woman of Ba’al” or “Where is his High ness?” referring to a myth of Ba’al. (It may be interpreted in less flattering ways, too.)

The bible portrays Jezebel as the active and direct opponent of the passionate monotheist, Elijah the Prophet. Jezebel is vilified for

persecuting Jewish prophets and for allegedly encouraging Israelite veneration of Asherah. (The possibility that Israelites were already

worshipping Asherah without Jezebel’s help is discussed in Raphael Patai’s groundbreaking book, The Hebrew God dess.)

Jezebel

notoriously persuaded her husband to seize a vineyard he coveted after the vineyard’s owner refused to sell it.

For many, Jezebel epitomizes the archetypal “evil queen.” Conventional Jewish wisdom suggests that she was a powerful witch who

led Ahab astray although there are occasional moderating voices (even the Talmud describes Jezebel as sometimes very charitable). The

bible describes Jezebel’s death and comeuppance in gruesome detail but like her New Testament compatriot, Herodias, Queen of

Judea, Jezebel’s spirit continues to evoke dread, disgust, and also veneration. She is a charismatic spirit of witchcraft and woman’s

wiles.

As the royal priestess of Asherah and a queen, Jezebel may have perceived herself as an avatar of a goddess (Asherah,

Astarte, and/or Anat) in the same manner that Cleopatra identified herself with Aphrodite and Isis.

The name Jezebel appears a second time in biblical sources, this time in the Book of Revelation (2:20). Yet another woman named

Jezebel is accused of falsely calling herself a prophetess while seducing people toward idolatry and fornication.

Over the centuries, the name “Jezebel” has developed intensely erotic overtones, possibly deriving from this biblical second coming of

Jezebel and/or because of associations of Semitic goddess religions with sacred prostitution. “Jezebel” has transcended its status as a

name and evolved into a word indicating a sexually autonomous woman. Although also used to sell cosmetics and lingerie, it is most

often used as a pejorative, especially by those who would seek to control women’s sexuality. To describe a woman as a “painted

jezebel” is essentially to call her a slut. The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines “jezebel” as “an impudent, shameless, and morally

unrestrained woman.” To demonstrate how deeply the word “jezebel” has permeated language,

The New English-Polish and Polish-

English Kosciuszko Foun dation Diction ary

, published in 2005, translates the Polish word “Rozpustnica” as “jezebel”, “harlot” and

“notorious sinner”. (“Rozpust nica” is translated elsewhere as “libertine”.)

Not surprisingly, Jezebel has emerged as a spirit of sex, dominance, and women’s power. Whether this is positive or negative

depends upon the eyes of the beholders. Jezebel is venerated by some, used by others and actively opposed by still others.

Amongst Neo-Pagans and Judeo-Pagans, Jezebel is venerated as a powerful and complex spirit: the epitome of one who will not be

cowed by opposition or convention. In folk magic traditions like Hoodoo, Jezebel is respected as a spirit who gets things done and who

successfully exerts her will. She is not necessarily considered evil but is an amoral spirit.

In Hoodoo tradition, the root of a species of iris flower is known as “Jezebel root” because it is used in magic spells to get one’s way

or desire, regardless of obstacles or odds. (The simplest Jezebel root spell involves holding a root in one’s left hand while focusing

intensely on one’s desire. Maintain that concentrated focus for a sufficient length of time and then bury the root in Earth, confident that

one’s wish will come true. More Jezebel root spells may be found in Judika Illes’ Encyclopedia of 5000 Spells.)

The notion that an ageless, eternal spirit may assume many human bodies and names is not uncommon. In the 2007

biographical film, Vampira: The Movie, performance artist and horror hostess, Maila “Vampira” Nurmi (1921–2008) describes

the Vampira spirit as a timeless force who has been animated in “many carcasses” .

In conservative Christian circles, Jezebel remains an active and notorious evil spirit although she has transcended her ties to the

biblical queen. A primordial “Jezebel spirit” existed before the queen and survived her death. This spirit is an incorporeal force that

works through women’s bodies but is not restricted to them. Thus, the name appears twice in the Bible, attached to different women:

the Jezebel spirit is a possessing spirit who takes over women’s bodies and minds.

Author Francis Frangipane in his 1994 book, The Jezebel Spirit associates Jezebel with obsessive sensuality, unbridled witchcraft,

and hatred for male authority. His Jezebel spirit operates through women who seek dominance and do not behave modestly or humble

themselves before male authority. In accordance with Hoodoo sources, this Jezebel spirit is a spirit who craves control.

The Jezebel spirit may simultaneously possess many women: hordes, in fact. According to Christian sources, the Jezebel spirit is

sneaky and manipulative. The most dangerous Jezebel spirit is not the one who is openly a harlot or witch but the one who disguises

herself as a good Christian in order to infiltrate and undermine. She inevitably reveals her true identity, however, by her need for

attention and control and by her sensuous nature. The woman harboring a Jezebel spirit will seek public attention, desire to lead prayer

groups, and publicly interpret scripture all for ultimately nefarious purposes. This Jezebel spirit is not obscure but a popular topic and

concern. Among the many other books she has inspired are Steve Sampson’s 2003

Confronting Jezebel: Discerning and Defeating

the Spirit of Control; John Paul Jackson’s 2002 Unmasking the Jezebel Spirit; Jonas Clark’s 1998

Jezebel, Seducing Goddess of

War, and Don Richter’s 2005 Overcoming the Attack of the Jezebel Spirit . Exorcism rituals are conducted to expel this Jezebel

spirit.

M anifestation: Regardless of whether she is venerated or opposed, all agree that Jezebel is charismatic and beautiful.

Iconography: A Hebrew seal (controversially) identified as having belonged to biblical Queen Jezebel depicts a sphinx with a

woman’s face, similar to images of Egyptian female pharaoh Hatshepsut. In terms of popular culture, references to Jezebel in books,

movies, advertising, and song are literally countless.

Spirit allies:

Jezebel may be venerated alongside Lady Asherah of the Sea, Astarte, Anat, Ba’al, Kadesh, the sphinx, and possibly

Lilith and Herodias.

Plant: Jezebel root (Iris fulva; I. foliosa; I. hexagona; I. tectorum)

Altar: Her altar or her images may be placed beside a window, looking out.

Offerings:

In view of the saying “painted jezebel”, it may be presumed that Jezebel enjoys fine cosmetics and perfume; also incense

and, in honor of that vineyard, Israeli wine.

See also: Anat; Aphrodite; Arsinoë II; Asherah; Astarte; Ba’al; Herodias; Isis; Kadesh; Lilith; Sphinx

and the Glossary entry

for Avatar and Seals and Sigils

Jezibaba

Jezibaba literally means “Granny Witch.” This witch goddess seems to be Baba Yaga’s Czech sister. Like Baba Yaga, Jezibaba

lives in a little hut in the forest but hers is on the shores of a lake and may be constructed of regular building materials not human bones.

Her personality is somewhat milder than Baba Yaga’s too: she’s not quite as scary. Although she can be fierce, Jezibaba is generally a

helpful witch, if you address her kindly and respectfully. Devotees request her assistance with love and fertility. Jezibaba is an herbal

expert. She may be petitioned to oversee magical and/or herbal studies. Request her blessing over love potions to increase their

effectiveness and ask for her help finding the best possible herbs for healing purposes.

Jezibaba may be an incarnation of the ancient Semitic deity, Jahi, female ruler of menstrual power, now demoted to a cottage in the

woods. Jezibaba’s children are the Jezinky, sometimes hostile cave-dwelling spirits. Some scholars think the Jezinky are really Djinn.

Jezibaba stars in Antonin Dvorak’s 1901 opera Rusalka.

Realm: Forest

Element: Water

See also: Baba Yaga; Djinn: Jahi; Rusalka

Jingu, Empress

Also known as: Okinaga-tarashi-hime

Origin: Japan

Jingu is a legendary Japanese empress now venerated as a kami. There are varying versions of her life; little documentation exists

regarding this era in history. Empress Jingu lived sometime between the second and fourth centuries CE. In all versions of her myth, she

is a warrior queen with tremendous shamanic power, described as being divinely possessed.

She may have been the consort of an Emperor of Japan. When she advised him that the kami desired him to invade Korea, he

scoffed, telling her he had more crucial affairs to take care of at home. He died shortly after, which Jingu interpreted as a sign from the

spirits. She seized the reigns of power and led the invasion herself.

Alternatively, Empress Jingu is identified as Himiko, Japan’s Shaman Queen. According to Chinese documents, Empress Himiko

ruled over more than thirty states from approximately 180 to 248 C E, unifying a large part of what is now modern Japan. Himiko was a

warrior and a shaman in constant communication with the spirits. She never married; her brother helped her rule.

Empress Jingu may be the spirit who inspired beautiful Hina Daruma dolls, which may be used to represent her on an altar. Hina

Daruma dolls are constructed similarly to Daruma tumbler dolls and are believed to provide good fortune for all, especially children.

Stroking the doll activates it and enables you to receive its blessings. Hina Daruma is typically accompanied by a handsome prince doll.

(They are often but not always sold in pairs.) Depending on the version of her myth, this male doll may be her son, brother or consort.

Empress Jingu has dominion over divination. She is considered a Koyasuga, a spirit who protects pregnancy, childbirth and children.

She may be petitioned for fertility. She may be petitioned for virtually anything. Petition Empress Jingu for victory, whether in love,

business, war or life in general. She provides abundance and good luck to devotees. She remains an active shaman in the afterlife and

will communicate with and sponsor spirit mediums.

M anifestation: She is sometimes described as wearing red armor although she presumably has an extensive wardrobe.

Iconography: Hina Daruma dolls may represent Empress Jingu. Hina Daruma dolls are beautiful princess tumbler dolls created in

the style of traditional Daruma tumblers. Many are extremely ornate; fit for a princess. The ritual of painting in eyes is not done with Hina

Daruma.

Shrines: Empress Jingu is enshrined throughout Japan especially at Kei no Myojin and Awashima.

Offerings:

Mirrors; dolls; shiny pretty things; she was a queen and expects luxuries or at least fine quality; replicas of female breasts

are traditional when requesting assistance with pregnancy or childbirth; traditional Japanese images are sold in shrines; milagros in the

form of breasts may be acceptable, too.

See also: Awashima; Daruma; Hachiman; Sukunahiko and the Glossary entry for Milagro

Jizo

Earth Treasure;Womb of the Earth

Classification: Bodhisattva; Bosatsu

The Bodhisattva Ksitigarbha arrived in Japan with Buddhism in the eighth century but became exceedingly popular in the tenth. At

some point, the female Ksitigarbha transformed into the male Jizo and began manifesting very differently. Jizo is no remote Bodhisattva

but a beloved spirit of folk religion, guardian of the population at large. Although scholars and devout traditional Buddhists consider Jizo

just a local name for Ksitigarbha, this is not necessarily a connection recognized by all devotees. Many assume that Jizo is an indigenous

Japanese Kami.

Jizo is an excellent patron for those who fear spirits: kind and loving and never, ever frightening not even to the most timid

children. If someone is described as having a ‘Jizo face’, it means they’re full of smiles.

Jizo is the guardian of dead souls and the special protector of children. He may be petitioned for fertility and spiritual, emotional or

physical healing. He protects against all forces of evil, regardless of origin. Jizo is a font of mercy and compassion but Jizo lacks fear.

Invoke him against your worst nightmare; Jizo will not be cowed in the least.

Jizo’s unique sacred function is to save souls of children from the less pleasant aspects of the Afterlife. Jizo patrols the gateways to

the Realms of Death, keeping his eye peeled for any babies or children. When he spies them, he quickly slips them into his long sleeves

in order to hide them from demons out trawling for souls. Jizo is also invoked to protect living children, guarding against all dangers and

healing any illness.

Jizo also protects against fire; locates lost valuables and may be invoked to interpret dreams and omens.

Favored people: Everyone, living or dead but especially children and babies; pregnant women; fire fighters; fortune tellers;

mediums; travelers and pilgrims

M anifestation: Jizo appears in different forms in his quest to alleviate suffering but most frequently as a monk. Jizo is usually but

not always male. (At least one path, Koyasu Jizo or Birth-Giving Jizo, appears in female form.) Jizo may also manifest in the form of a

cat.

Jizo is the protector of anyone who feels pain. Anyone can request and receive his help and blessings. However, his special

role is as guardian of babies including those stillborn and those who were never born; whether because of abortion or

miscarriage. Jizo does not judge or even distinguish between the two situations. His sacred purpose is to relieve suffering, not

increase it. Any mother may request his protection for the child she has lost for any reason .

Iconography: Jizo’s traditional Japanese iconography is unique, easily recognizable and does not resemble that of Ksitigarbha.

(Images of Ksitigarbha may be used to represent Jizo but Jizo does not represent Ksitigarbha.) The most basic image is a simple

geometric depiction of Jizo as a bald monk; eyes often closed in meditation; his hands may be held in prayer. Some Jizo statues

resemble small, round children. Others are extremely phallic in appearance.

Mizuko Jizo is a path of Jizo usually portrayed as a monk holding a baby in his arms and with at least one small child at his feet,

clutching his robe. Place this image on a home altar or in a cemetery to serve as a baby’s memorial (born or unborn.) Mizuko literally

translates as ‘Water Baby’

Sacred animals: Cat, wolf

Number: 6 (representing the six realms of incarnation and indicating that Jizo can help anyone trapped anywhere on the Wheel of

Life.)

Traditional Buddhist cosmology divides existence into six realms:

1. The Hell Realms (the Afterlife where dead souls are purified)

2. The Hungry Ghost Realm

3. The Animal Realm

4. The Realm of the Spirits (understood as Demi-Gods; Ashuras or similar)

5. The Realm of the Deities (Gods or Devas)

6. The Human Realm

Rituals: Small pieces of children’s clothing are attached to statues of Jizo to help him care for souls of children whose clothes have

been taken by Datsueba.

Feast: the 24

day of the 6

month of the Japanese lunar calendar. His feast is associated with many rituals especially those

associated with the dead:

• It is an auspicious day for séances or any sort of divination to contact the dead

• Climb Japan’s sacred Mount Osore (“Mount Fear”), a dormant volcano, allegedly a gateway to the Realm of Death and the

location of many statues of Jizo. Offer each statue special rice dumplings. Women who have lost children heap small stones in

the shape of a stupa (a mound-like shape).

Shrines: Jizo has many shrines throughout Japan as well as in Hawaii. However, any statue of Jizo is innately a shrine, particularly

larger statues. Small stone statues of Jizo placed at crossroads and boundaries serve as roadside shrines

Altars: Jizo is usually venerated with one solitary image or in groups of six images (however

some shrines contain huge groupings of

Jizo statues). His image is frequently placed outside to serve as a guardian but may be maintained on a home altar, too.

Offerings: Incense; rice; tea; water; stones; good deeds; charitable acts; red bibs or baby bonnets attached to his image; vows

traditionally involve a pilgrimage to his shrine.

See also: Amida Buddha; Datsueba; Enma; Inari; Kings of Hell; Ksitigarbha; Kwan Yin

Jizo is the spirit whose statue is desecrated at the beginning of the Japanese horror movie, The Locker. Although he is not

named, images of Jizo are ever present in the Japanese anime series, Hell Girl. His image provides solace and protection in the

1989 Japanese film, Black Rain.

Joan the Wad

Classification: Pixie

Joan the Wad is the Queen of Cornwall’s Pixies and the subject of an old rhyme:

Good fortune will nod

If you carry upon you Joan the Wad

Based on that verbal charm, there is now a thriving cottage industry in Joan the Wad lucky charms: pocket pieces, jewelry and small

statues. Door knockers in her form invoke Joan as a protective guardian spirit. Carrying Joan’s image allegedly brings healing, romantic

happiness and good luck. Many credit her with lottery wins.

To modern ears, Wad sounds like a physical description and, in fact, Joan is often depicted as small and squat. However, wad is also

an archaic, colloquial term for torch and so she is Joan the Torch. The King of the Pixies, possibly Joan’s consort, is Jack O’Lantern.

The two may be considered will o’ the wisps as well as Pixies. Joan’s light leads the way to happiness, safety, good fortune and good

health. Al though other will o’ the wisps are described luring the unwary to their doom; Joan is perceived as a benevolent, generous

spirit.

Iconography: Although Pixies are described as wearing green, Joan is often depicted naked.

Element: Fire and water (Joan is associated with sacred wells as are Pixies, in general)

See also:

Amaterasu; Amatsumara; Ebisu; Hosogami; Inari; Izanagi; Izanami; Jizo; Kajishin; Kamui; Kanayago; Kannon;

Okame; Sarutahiko; Susano’o; Uzume

Kamohoali’i

Also known as: Moho

Origin: Hawaii

Kamohoali’i is the most famous of Hawaii’s many shark spirits. He is Pelé’s devoted big brother; the shark brother who led and

escorted her from Tahiti to Hawaii.

Kamohoali’i is more than just a shark with good navigational skills. He is an important deity and among the most important Aumakua.

Kamohoali’i communicates via ritual possession of his spirit mediums. Devotees are expected not to eat, harm, harass or otherwise

annoy sharks (although this may be good advice for all). In myth, he is a fun-loving spirit, credited as being the one who taught his sister,

Hi’iaka to surf.

M anifestation: Kamohoali’i manifests in the form of a shark, a man or any kind of fish or sea creature.

Sacred sites: Kamohoali’i is considered chief of the shark spirits of Oahu but he’s a shark: he travels where he wants.

• Kamohoali’i lives in an underwater cave near Pearl Harbor.

• Pelé named a cliff to the west of the Kilauea crater in his honor in gratitude for his protection during her long journey from Tahiti:

Ka-Pali-Kapu-U-Kamohoali’i

• Many heiaus (stone shrines) are dedicated to him on the island of Molokai

Offerings: Flower garlands; kava; good deeds on behalf of sharks, oceans and Hawaiian waters

See also: Aumakua; Hi’iaka; Ka’ahu Pahau; Pelé

Kamui

Origin: Ainu (Japan)

The Kamui are the spirits of the Ainu people, an indigenous ethnic group of Japan. The word Kamui is very similar to Kami and the

spirits are alike in nature. Kamui are innumerable. Some have distinct personalities and names and maintain relationships with people.

Others are localized spirits identified with specific land formations such as trees and rocks.

See also:

Ananke; Aphrodite; Atlas; Erinyes; Gaia; Khronos; Metis; Nike; Olympian Spirits; Poseidon; Prometheus; Rhea;

Saturn; Styx; Thetis; Titans; Zeus

Kshumai

Origin: Nooristan (Afghanistan)

Nooristan is a province located in the Hindu Kush mountain range and populated by descendents of Alexander the Greek’s troops.

Previously called Kafiristan, (Land of the Nonbelievers or Land of the Infidels), the province was renamed Nooristan, meaning

Land

of Light or Land of the Enlightened following its forced conversion to Islam in 1895. Previously a traditional Pagan religion was

practiced.

Kshumai is among the primary pre-Islamic Nooristani goddesses. She rules rain and precipitation and hence the harvest. Kshumai, a

goat goddess, introduced goats to people, which provides them with wool and milk, survival needs in a harsh, remote climate.

Kshumai is a goddess of wild nature. She lives on Tirich Mir, the highest peak in the Hindu Kush, now in northern Pakistan. She

manifests to people near lakes by the mountain. Kshumai has her own flock of goats. Tossing her long breasts over her shoulder, she

sits down to milk them: to witness Kshumai milking her goats is to receive the blessings of the goddess.

M anifestation: Kshumai may manifest as a woman or a wild mountain goat

Offerings: Kshumai traditionally receives gifts of the first harvest, especially grapes

Ksitigarbha

Earth Matrix

Pronounced: Kshee-tee-garb-ah

Also known as: Dizang (China); Jizo (Japan); Sai Nyingpo (Tibet)

Origin: India

Classification: Bodhisattva

Bodhisattvas vow to remain on Earth until all suffering on Earth is relieved. Ksitigarbha took this one step further, vowing not to

become a Buddha until all beings are saved and all hells are emptied. Ksitigarbha is the Bodhisattva of the Hell Beings. Ksitigarbha’s

myth appears in the Sutra of the Great Vow of Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva , a Sanskrit text in the form of a dialogue between Buddha

Shakyamuni and Ksitigarbha.

Centuries before the time of Buddha Shakyamuni, Ksitigarbha was a young and devout Brahmin girl named “Sacred Girl” or “Holy

Girl.” Distraught by the death of her irreverent mother, whom she feared was destined for Hell; Sacred Girl sold all her possessions to

make offerings to the Buddha and spent all her time petitioning for mercy for her mother’s soul. (Although Sacred Girl is identified as a

Brahmin, the story, philosophy, rituals and her fears are not consonant with Hinduism but are very Buddhist. She is essentially identified

as a precursor to historical Buddhism.) While praying in a temple, she heard the disembodied voice of Buddha advise her to go home

and chant repetitions of his name if she wished to save her mother. She did so; eventually experiencing a vision journey to Hell whose

guardian informed her that because of her piety and good deeds, she had accrued enough merit to liberate her mother. Although happy,

Ksitigarbha was shocked at the suffering she witnessed in Hell and so made her famous vow.

Ksitigarbha heals the sick, comforts the grieving and the depressed and provides spiritual protection. She provides safety in the face

of evil. Ksitigarbha trounces demons. Ksitigarbha traveled east through Asia with Buddhism where she also resonated with the non-

Buddhist population and was incorporated into Taoist and Shinto practices, too. Ksitigarbha is now almost universally envisioned and

depicted as male.

Iconography: Ksitigarbha is typically envisioned as a monk

Attribute: The wish-granting jewel; pilgrim’s staff

Sacred site: Mount Jiuhua, one of China’s four sacred Buddhist Mountains. The entire mountain is sacred to Ksitigarbha and

contains many shrines and temples dedicated to her (or him, as the case may be).

M antra: Chant her mantra for safety, protection and relief if menaced by nightmares, night paralysis, malevolent spirits or any kind

of danger:

OM KSHITIGHARBHA BODHISATTVA YAH

See also: Bodhisattva; Buddha; Jizo; Koyasu and the Glossary entry for Mantra

KTRT

The Swallow-Like Daughters of the Crescent Moon

Origin: West Semitic: Canaan; Phoenicia

Semitic languages traditionally have no written vowels and so only the consonants of these sister goddesses survive: KTRT. Among

the suggested pronunciations of their names are Katirat; Kotarot and Kotharat; however these are all guesses. Their name derives from

a root word indicating skill or wisdom.

The KTRT are goddesses of sexual delight, conception and childbirth. They are seven in number. In the Ugaritic myth, the Epic of

Aqhat, when a child is desired, the KTRT are feasted for seven days. By the time they depart on the seventh day, pregnancy has been

achieved. In the mythic epic poem, “Nikkal and the Kathirat”, the seven sisters are summoned to provide what is necessary for the

wedding and are requested for their blessings. The KTRT are reminiscent of the Seven Hathors.

Planet: Moon, especially crescent

Sacred bird: Swallow (associated with fertility in Egypt and Semitic West Asia)

See also: Asherah, Lady; Hathor; Kadesh; Kothar wa-Khasis

Also known as: Tu

Origin: Polynesia

Ku is a warrior spirit; Lord of War as well as a spirit of the abundance of the sea. The essence of male generative power; he is a

spirit of testosterone. In Hawaiian cosmology, Ku is the essence of masculinity, as Hina epitomizes feminine energy. Ku is among the

four major Hawaiian deities alongside Kane, Kanaloa and Lono but was mainly venerated, at least in his warrior form, by the elite.

Formal ceremonies were reserved for the nobility and priesthood and were performed under severe taboos. The practice of human

sacrifice seems to have been introduced to Hawaii largely by Ku’s priesthood. King Kamehameha worshipped Ku as Lord of War in

his eventually successful efforts to unite the Hawaiian Islands under his rule.

Ku has many paths and aspects ranging from brutal and bloodthirsty to nurturing and kind. He is the patron of war,

fishing, forests and certain types of agriculture and sorcery .

Ku’s name means “to strike” or “to stand.” He is a versatile, many faceted spirit with concerns other than war. He was also the

patron of Hawaii’s master canoe builders and wood workers, considered a sacred occupation. Ku dwells in deep places: the depths of

the forest and the sea.

M anifestations: Ku can manifest in any form he likes; he is a master shape-shifter. However, common forms include man,

caterpillar and cucumber

Iconography: Fierce carved wood tiki statues

Botanicals: Breadfruit; coconut; cucumber; ‘Ohi’a lehua tree ( Metrosideros collina; M. macropus ): images of Ku were

traditionally carved from this wood

Color: Red

Direction: East

Sacred animal: Pig; eel

Bird: Hawk

Planet: The rising sun

Time: The first, second and third days of each month

See also: Akua; Haumea; Hina; Kanaloa; Kane; Kihawahine; Kukauakahi; Ku’ulakai; Lono

Kua

Classification: Aumakua

Kua, King of Kona’s shark spirits is an important Aumakua, an ancestral spirit. A gigantic red shark, Kua led a posse of sharks

from Tahiti to their new home in Hawaiian waters. He had sex with a woman on the beach at Ka’u on the big island of Hawaii (believed

to be where Polynesians first landed on Hawaii). She gave birth to twins: a boy shark and a human girl just like Daddy and Mommy.

She placed her shark son in the water. To this day, many descendents of her daughter have rough patches of skin resembling shark skin

on their lower legs. Those possessing that physical attribute, even if not of Hawaiian descent, may possess an affinity with shark spirits.

See also: Aumakua; Ka’ahu Pahau; Kamohoali’i; Merrow

Kubera

Lord of Wealth

Also known as: Kuber; Kuvera

Origin: India

Kubera, Golden Lord of Wealth, is considered the richest of all Hindu deities. Kubera is the King of the Yakshas and elder half-

brother of Ravana, the primary antagonist of the epic, the Ramayana. The brothers have a contentious relationship. Although Kubera,

too, was once classified as a demon, he made the transition to Hinduism by practicing austerities for one-thousand years. He is the

banker who lent Vishnu money.

Kubera lives in a palace in the Himalayas where he is served by Yakshas. He is invoked for protection and especially wealth. Kubera

is guardian of all Earth’s treasures; his sacred function is to distribute them. Allegedly Brahman charged Kubera to distribute them based

on an individual’s destiny however devotees hope that Kubera will be generous and make exceptions. He is also petitioned to help

regain lost wealth.

M anifestation: Kubera is described as a fair-skinned dwarf with a pot belly, symbolic of his wealth and comfort.

Attribute: Mace

Consort: Vasudhara (Yellow Tara)

Day: Thursday

Sacred animals: Mongoose, horse

Direction: North

Numbers: 72, 9

Kubera is associated with a magic square in which all lines add up to 72:

27 20 25

22 24 26

23 28 21

This magic square is used as a yantra (mystic diagram), which allegedly provides wealth and business success if incorporated

in 72 day long rituals for Kubera.

See also:

Avalokiteshvara; Bodhisattava; Buddha; Isis; Kannon; Lady of the Beasts; Lieu Hanh; Ma Zu; Mary Magdalen;

Miao Shan

Kyane

Dark Blue

Also known as: Cyane

Origin: Greek; Sicilian

Classification: Nymph; naiad

Persephone wasn’t the only victim of Hades. Her childhood friend, the water Nymph Kyane was also utterly transformed by

Persephone’s abduction. Abbreviated versions of Persephone’s myth usually indicate that no one came to her aid but that’s not exactly

true. In some variations, the kidnapping of Persephone was witnessed by her friend Kyane who loudly protested but to no avail. Hades

opened a path to his realm right at the freshwater spring over which Kyane presided and disappeared with Persephone. (Alternatively,

the gateway to Hades may have already existed; Kyane may be a threshold spirit, a dweller between realms, hence her proper

placement to witness the crime.)

Kyane was either so grief-stricken that she literally dissolved into tears becoming one with the water or Hades struck her mute so that

she was unable to reveal what she had seen. She may also have been rendered unable to leave her sacred Sicilian spring, ever after

dedicated to Persephone as well as to its resident Nymph.

Kyane is closely associated with the color blue. Her hair may be blue. She may manifest as a mermaid and if so, her tail may be blue.

Kyane is a melancholy spirit; she is the forgotten victim of Hades’ attack and has never entirely recovered. She is the goddess of the

blues and bluemoods as well as the literal color. She may or may not be among the Sirens. (There is a Siren bearing her name but it’s

not clear if they’re the same spirit. If so, then the loss of her voice is even more poignant.)

In Ovid’s version of the myth, Kyane, attempting to wrest Persephone from Hades’ arms, is only able to catch hold of her

scarf, which she preserves. When Demeter comes seeking Persephone, Kyane, rendered mute by Hades, is unable to speak but

she allows the scarf to float in the spring and Demeter instantly knew all.

M anifestation: As a beautiful girl; as a mermaid or as water. Kyane does not speak but can be very expressive.

Spirit allies: Kyane may be venerated alongside Demeter and/or Persephone.

Color: Blue; cyan refers to the watery colors between blue and green

Element: Water

Time: L’heure bleu or “the blue hour”: the hour between daytime and darkness, just before nightfall and dawn, often characterized

by vividly blue skies.

M essengers: Blue birds

Offerings: Spring water; blue flowers (delphiniums or hydrangeas, for example); Guerlain’s L’Heure Bleu perfume; Blue Curaçao

liqueur or other blue drink.

See also: Demeter; Hades; Naiad; Nymph; Persephone; Sirens

Kybele

The Magna Mater; The Mountain Mother

Also known as: Cybele, Cuba, Kubaba

Earth’s oldest surviving goddess was once a forest witch. Kybele’s cult is considered Earth’s most ancient religion. A clay statue,

excavated at Catal Hayuk, now in modern Turkey, dated from between six to eight thousand years old, depicts a woman flanked by

leopards. Although no name plate was attached, it is recognizably an image of Kybele.

Ancient Anatolians called her the Mountain Mother; the Romans called her Magna Mater or Great Mother. She seems to have

originated in what is now Turkey and then traveled to the Middle East. The Hittites called her Kubaba, which evolved into the Phrygian

Kybele and eventually the Roman Cybele. Some associate Siduri, the sacred harlot who tends the bar located at the world’s end with

Kybele. (See also: Siduri.)

Kybele is usually translated as Cave, Place of Caves, or Cave Dweller. Kybele and the Sibyls are both associated with caves and

prophesy and it’s believed that the original sibyls were Kybele’s priestesses although at least some eventually became independent

practitioners.

Legend has it that Kybele was an unwanted child, left exposed in the wilderness. Instead of consuming her, the leopards and lions

who discovered her raised and nurtured her, a leopard serving as her wet-nurse. Living alone with animals in the woods, Kubaba

became a witch so powerful she evolved into an immortal goddess.

In her oldest manifestations, Kybele is a deity of healing, witchcraft, fertility, women and children. Rites were held in forests and caves

and included ritual possession, ecstatic dancing, intoxication, music and sacred sex. She is closely identified with Dionysus and with

Hekate who hails from her neck of the woods. Before her arrival in Rome, Kybele was associated with women, slaves and the poor,

not with the elite and already bore a somewhat dangerous reputation.

In 204 BCE, the Romans fetched Kybele in the form of a meteor from her shrine at Pessinus in central Turkey. The Oracle of Delphi

had forecast that Rome would never defeat Hannibal unless Kybele was brought to Rome. (The Romans traced their descent from

refugees from Troy in Anatolia, now modern Turkey, and so basically the Oracle was instructing them to go fetch Mom to get them out

of trouble.) Kybele was brought to Rome in triumphant procession and in 202 BCE, as the Oracle predicted, Rome defeated Hannibal.

The black fist-sized meteorite became the face of a silver statue and must have resembled some Black Madonna statues. The Romans

combined Kybele’s mythology with that of the Greek Earth goddess Rhea so that now it can be sometimes difficult to distinguish

between the two spirits.

In Rome, Kybele’s rites evolved. Secret rituals once performed in hidden caves and forests now occurred in public streets during

processionals attended by thousands. By Roman law, women could not be chief officiators of official state cults and so men assumed

positions of authority in Kybele’s Roman cult that had been previously assumed by women.

Kybele was served by priestesses and by transgendered clergy known in Rome as galli. (Singular: galla or gallus, literally “hen” or

“rooster”.) To join the galli, self-castration was required. The galli dressed and lived as women. Kybele’s clergy were also skilled

medical practitioners: through surgery, replica vaginas (caves) were crafted through which the galli could engage in sacred sexual rituals.

Kybele’s festivals became notorious: men would suddenly be seized by the spirit and feel compelled to castrate themselves on the

spot using potsherds (terra cotta, Earth, so that Kybele who may be understood as Earth personified, is the knife herself). The detached

organ was flung aside; the house that it hit was considered blessed. Its owner was expected to purchase the ritual wardrobe for the new

galla. Kybele’s primary myths (or at least those that survive) also involve castration, death and resurrection. It became a scandalous faith

and was periodically suppressed.

With the advent of Chris tianity, serious efforts were made to eradicate her religion. Among other reasons, the early Church despised

Kybele for the prominence of women, homosexuals, lesbians and the transgendered in positions of authority. In urban areas, her

devotees included a high percentage of men, intellectuals and the elite but she was also extremely popular among the poorer classes and

so was perceived as strong competition for Christianity.

Her religion was brutally suppressed. In 397 CE, Saint John Chrysostom (c. 347–September 14, 407) led what would today be

described as a “death squad” through Phrygia (located in the mountains of what is now Western Turkey) targeting devotees of Kybele.

Emperor Justinian (c. 483–565) despised Kybele and ordered her remaining temples torn down and her priestesses and galli murdered.

Her sacred texts were burned. Although her veneration was widespread, none of Kybele’s temples remain. Various ruins may be

visited in Turkey. Saint Peter’s Basilica in the Vatican was built directly over her temple; parts may survive under the foundation. Some

believe that her sacred meteorite is buried there, too.

Kybele was clearly more than just a scandalous, bloodthirsty goddess. She was beloved for millennia and continues to be. In one

formor another, her veneration may have lasted longer than any other deity on Earth. She remains a favorite of independent practitioners

and serves as a protective guardian spirit. Kybele is revered for her power to provide miraculous healing and fertility. She provides

spiritual and mystical enlightenment. Her temples served as hospitals: Women came to sleep in her Roman temple to beg favor. Her

priestesses and priests underwent intensive training in herbal medicines. Many priestesses were skilled midwives.

Favored people: Midwives, healers, diviners, fortune tellers, crystal gazers, those who work with or on behalf of big cats; she is

especially devoted to women and children. Historically, the bulk of her devotees were women and her most exclusive mysteries were

reserved for women only.

M anifestation: Kybele manifests in various ways:

• Her typical human manifestation is as a crowned mature beautiful woman

• She also frequently manifests in the form of rocks and as Earth herself

• To enter a cave is to enter Kybele

• Her most sacred manifestation was as a meteorite

Iconography: Ancient Hittite and Anatol ian images depict her with lion cubs. Some times she hugs them in her arms. Roman

Kybele is depicted seated on her throne surrounded by lions, sometimes with a lion cub in her lap. Kybele wears a crown in the form of

crenellated towers or a city gate. She holds a pan of water intended as a divination device representing her prophetic ability and her

willingness to bestow this skill to others.

Attributes: Keys; cymbals; frame drum; Kybele is credited with inventing drums, flutes and percussion instruments

Creatures: Bees, bulls, big cats especially leopards and lions; her chariot is pulled by lions

Bird: Vulture, chicken

Tree: Pine, pomegranate

Flower: Rose

Element: Earth

Day: The Vernal Equinox; Kybele’s Roman festival, the Megalensia, was held from April 4

through April 10

, her birthday;

another festival, beginning March 25

, honored Kybele’s lover Attis: The first day commemorated Attis’ self-castration and death,

followed by three days of public mourning. The last day of the festival was the Hilaria, the Day of Joy, as devotees celebrated Attis’

resurrection from the dead and the return of fertility to the Earth, all courtesy of K ybele. This last day is considered especially auspicious

for requesting Kybele’s assistance with fertility.

Sacred sites: Caves and mountains are sacred to Kybele and were the site of her earliest ceremonies. It is the easiest place to

contact her. As she is the deified Earth, she may be contacted directly through Earth. Many of her myths emphasize that Kybele is ever

present. The city of Lyon, now in France, was once dedicated to her and an important center of her veneration.

Rituals: Kybele enjoys a celebratory atmosphere. She feeds on energy generated by the human response to incense and ecstatic

dance and music. Call her with loud, percussive, rhythmic music. She loves cymbals and drums. Kybele most frequently responds

through dreams and visions.

Offerings: Honey, fruit and flowers are traditional. The Romans decorated her statues with roses. She drinks water, wine and arak

and enjoysfeta cheese dressed with garlic, oil, vinegar and fresh herbs. Kybele likes devotees to share meals in her honor. She is an

unpretentious, earthy spirit who is not easily bribed: gourmet dishes and expensive offerings do not sway her. She prefers things that are

closest to their earthly source. Kybele likes offerings made from clay, particularly if you have fashioned them with your own hands.

See also:

Artemis of Ephesus; Ba Den; Black Madonna; Car; Daphne; Dionysus; Hekate; Kura; Lady of the Beasts; Lugh;

Maries de la Mer; Rhea; Siduri; Sybil

Kyeryong

Also known as: Gyeryong

Origin: Korea

Classification: Dragon

Kyeryong may be translated as “rooster-dragon”or “chicken-dragon” depending on the gender of the dragon. They have dragon

bodies but their heads resemble that of poultry. (Don’t laugh; once upon a time, chickens and roosters were considered extremely

sacred.) Kyeryong feature in various Korean myths and fairy tales. They are associated with Rooster-Dragon Mountain (Kyeryong-san)

and the Male and Female Dragon sacred pools, among Korea’s most sacred sites, long beloved by shamans and Buddhist monks. Part

of the area is now an extremely popular national park however, the government of South Korea moved its official military headquarters

base from Seoul to the southern slopes of Dragon Mountain in the late 1970s, in the process allegedly removing 15,000 shamans and

monks and destroying shrines and temples.

See also:

Agoussou; Black Hawk; Blavatsky, Helena; Eight Immortals; Ezili; Fairy, Green; Hidden Company; Ma Gu; Ma

Zu; Pleasant, Mary Ellen

Laverna

Origin: Etruscan

Laverna is the matron of charlatans, con artists, card sharps; plagiarists; counterfeiters; thieves and bamboozlers of all kinds. She is

the goddess of illegally gotten funds and goods. She is invoked by the light-fingered for blessings and protection. Author Charles

Godfrey Leland, an authority on Italian witchcraft, describes Laverna as the “patroness of pilfering.”

Laverna may also be petitioned for protection from crime and for the return of stolen articles; however, be forewarned: Laverna’s

sympathies tend to be with the thieves. She is invoked to avenge theft. She may be sympathetic towards you if you know who

committed the crime: Laverna gets annoyed with shoddy crime and bungling.

In her earliest incarnation, Laverna seems to have been a goddess of darkness, night and the underworld. Thieves traditionally

operate under cover of the night and so Laverna became their matron. She became identified with the criminal underworld rather than

the underworld realm of death.

Laverna is also identified with illicit pregnancy. Both men and women may request her assistance when pregnancy is inconvenient,

embarrassing or worse. She’s not a moralist: Laverna will help dead-beat dads escape obligations and assist women whose pregnancies

threaten to wreck their lives.

Laverna continues to adapt: in recent years she has become associated with media piracy; bootlegging and illicit downloading.

Laverna is traditionally worshipped in silence. Her name may derive from the verb Levare meaning “to lift” as in literally to lift a load but

also to lift your wallet.

Favored people: Thieves (especially clever thieves and shysters; as opposed to thugs)

M anifestation: Laverna is a great shape-shifter. She has a clever, sardonic wit. Allegedly those who first invoke her see only her

head.

Those who prove to be bunglers will see only her body. Clever thieves who find favor in her eyes witness Laverna with head and

body intact.

Sacred site: Rome’s Lavernal Gate (Porta Lavernalis) on the Aventine Hill was named in her honor. She had a sanctuary there as

well as a sacred grove on the Via Saleria, the ancient highway that cut across the Apennine Chain from Rome to the Adriatic Sea.

Highway robbers invoked Laverna’s aid. Thieves traditionally rendezvoused at Laverna’s shrine to divvy up their plunder.

Offerings: Tools of the trade

See also: Furina; Hermes; Levana; Mer cury

Lazdona

Origin: Lithuania

Lazdona is the guardian goddess of nuts, nut bearing trees and nut groves. Very little information about her survives but she is cut

from the same cloth as Austeja, Baltic bee goddess. Bees and nuts have a sympathetic, symbiotic relationship. Lazdona may be

venerated alongside Austeja about whom more information is preserved.

Favored people: She extends her matronage to those who tend nut trees or those for whom nuts bear particular significance. She

may be invoked to protect those who suffer from nut allergies.

Sacred creatures: Squirrels; birds who bury nuts and thus cause the trees to proliferate

Offerings: Nuts; products of nuts such as hazelnut liqueurs or nut bread; cultivate nut trees in her honor; those who suffer from nut

allergies may honor her by making financial contributions toward the proliferation of nut trees from afar; images of nuts crafted from

wood, crystal, metal or other materials may also be offered.

See also:

Agwé; Ayida-Wedo; Ayizan; Azaka; Barons; Bizango Spirits; Brigitte, Madame; Charlotte, Madame; Damballah;

Ezili; Gedés; Gran Bois; Kel Asuf; Lisa, Papa; Loko; Marassa; Marinette; Ogun; Petro; Rada; Simbi

and the Glossary entries for

Identification

and Syncretism

Ma Gu

The Hemp Princess

Origin: China

Also known as: Magu; Mago; Mako; Ma Ku; Madame Hemp

Ma Gu looks like a teenager, but she’s an Immortal. Legend says this fifth-century Taoist shaman and alchemist was so adept she

could walk on water in her shoes. Her husband murdered her, dumping her body in a lake. Her primary temple stands where her body

washed ashore. Ma Gu still walks over the surface of the lake; many claim to see her, especially at the beginning and end of each lunar

month.

After she died, Ma Gu ascended to the celestial zone where she attained Fairy status and became Hsi Wang Mu’s handmaiden. As

divine waitress, she serves the peaches of immortality to the Jade Emperor and the Heavenly Court. Ma Gu is venerated throughout

China. Her devotees and shrines suffered terrible persecution during the Cultural Revolution (1966–1976).

Her own life cut short by murder, Ma Gu abhors violence. Bloodshed is strictly tabooed in her sacred temple precinct: fishing and

hunting are banned by order of Ma Gu, who personally enforces the prohibition. Allegedly, violators drown in her lake or become

hopelessly lost.

• Ma Gu is a goddess of good health and longevity.

• She presides over spiritually powerful, intoxicating substances.

• She protects women, who may call on her if they feel endangered.

The iconic image of Ma Gu bearing her dish of peaches (or alternatively the elixir of immortality) remains a standard

image for birthday greetings in China.

Favored people: Women, shamans, alchemists, mystic seekers

M anifestation: Ma Gu resembles a beautiful eighteen-year-old dressed in a shimmery, iridescent gown. She wears her hair in a

bun, but several strands inevitably loosen and fall to her waist. Her fingernails resemble long bird talons.

Iconography: The standard image of Ma Gu portrays her bestowing peaches of immortality and/or a mystic elixir, which may be

wine or an alchemical potion brewed from mushrooms or cannabis. This image is considered an auspicious birthday gift symbolic of

good health, longevity, and immortality.

Direction: East

Number: 6

Plants: Hemp (Cannabis spp.), mulberry

Creature: Snake

M ount: Ma Gu rides a deer and flies on a crane

Date: Her birthday, on the sixth day of the sixth Chinese month

Sacred site: Initially venerated in caves, she eventually had several large shrines:

• The Yue Gu Temple complex in Yantai, Shandong Province, contains her tomb.

• Ma Gu Temple on Mount Heng in Hunan, one of China’s five sacred Taoist peaks, is now part of Magu Fairyland, a major

tourist attraction.

See also: Bao Gu; Eight Immortals; Fairy; Ho Hsien-Ko; Hsi Wang Mu; Jade Emperor; Ma Zu

Ma Zu

The Sea Angel; Lady of Heaven;

Princess of Supernatural Favor; Heavenly Mother;

Grandmother Ruby; Princess of Tides

Also known as: A-Ma; Matsu; Ma Zhu; Mazu; Tien Hau; Thien Hau; Tin Hau

Origin: China

Ma Zu (960–987 C E) currently claims over one hundred million devotees. There are over fifteen hundred Ma Zu temples

worldwide with over four hundred in Taiwan alone. Her shrines in homes, businesses, offices, and aboard boats are genuinely countless.

Before she was a goddess, Ma Zu was a girl named Lin Mo from a fishing village on Meizhou Island in Fujian. Her spiritual gifts

manifested early. Local people called her the Dragon Girl because of her psychic ability to predict changes in weather. Sailors sought

her advice before putting out to sea. At age thirteen, she began training with a Taoist monk who gave her charms and taught her secret

lore. (She is also described as a devout Buddhist who began praying and burning incense twice a day when she was ten, but this may be

a later attempt to bring a Taoist goddess into the Buddhist fold.)

This much-loved goddess bears several names:

• Her family named her Lin Mo.

• As a local goddess, she was called Ma Zu.

• When incorporated into the official Chin ese pantheon, Ma Zu was granted the title Tien Hau or “Empress of Heaven.”

Devotees call her Tien Hau and Ma Zu interchangeably.

At age sixteen, Lin Mo was praying for her father and brothers who were caught in a typhoon at sea when she fell into a trance. Her

soul traveled out to sea where she manifested to them and helped them stay afloat. Meanwhile, her body lay at home in a trance so deep

that her mother thought she was dead. Grief stricken, she shook Lin Mo, rousing her. (Alternate legend: Lin Mo’s soul could not bear

her mother’s grief and flew back to comfort her.) Lin Mo had time to rescue her brothers who later described their experiences, but the

trance did not last long enough for her to save her father.

When Lin Mo was sixteen, she and a girlfriend gazed at their reflections in a well and saw a Fairy looking back. The friend

panicked and ran away but Ma Zu knelt in reverence. The Fairy emerged, gave Ma Zu a copper scroll inscribed with mystic

symbols and taught her the magical art of life saving.

In 987, people saw Ma Zu ascend to Heaven from Mount Meifing on Meizhou Island accompanied by an escort of Fairies. Ma Zu

may have become an Immortal without dying, or her ascension may have followed her death. There are different versions of her possible

death:

• She committed suicide at twenty-seven ra ther than submit to an arranged marriage. (She may have taken a vow of chastity.)

• She drowned at age sixteen while searching for her father’s drowned corpse.

Rather than resting in peace or dallying in Heaven, having departed the mortal plane, Ma Zu became even more active. Over the

years, an ever-increasing number of eyewitnesses have claimed to see her apparition mysteriously appear in the middle of the sea to

perform emergency rescues. Initially many of those rescued were local men who recognized her. They began venerating her image and

seeking her protection. Many testified to her miracles; shrines were built and veneration spread. Eventually her protection extended to

mandarins (government bureaucrats). By the twelfth century, she was incorporated into the official Chinese pantheon.

Because she protects seafarers, Ma Zu was a favorite goddess of Chinese immigrants, who built shrines for her wherever they

traveled. Ma Zu is venerated worldwide. Considered an exceptionally active and responsive goddess, Ma Zu protects travelers on the

seven seas as well as on the turbulent seas of life and love.

Riding clouds or traveling over oceans at high speed on a kind of magic flying carpet, Ma Zu can save people anywhere:

• If you are caught in a violent storm, call out Ma Zu’s name, ideally with incense in your hand.

• If she rescues you, throw a feast in her honor. Invite guests, tell your story, and offer a portion of the food to Ma Zu.

Although she began as a goddess of sea safety, Ma Zu has evolved into an all-purpose goddess, fulfilling all her devotees’ needs. She

performs miracles of healing and fertility and has dominion over commerce. Ma Zu banishes ghosts and evil spirits. She spiritually

cleanses areas where tragedies have occurred. For example, following the devastating 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami, a statue of Ma Zu

was broughtto Thailand’s hardhit Phuket Island to purify the atmosphere, allay any restive ghosts and reassure would-be tourists

hesitating to return to the stricken region.

Favored people: Sailors, maritime merchants, those who fish, travelers on the sea

M anifestation: Those rescued by Ma Zu consistently describe her as dressed in red. During storms she sometimes manifests as a

fire ball traveling up or down the mast:

• Up is not auspicious as it’s perceived that Ma Zu is leaving the ship.

• Down is favorable; Ma Zu is arriving and help is at hand.

Iconography: Ma Zu is often depicted with a black face like a Black Madonna.

Spirit allies: Ma Zu and Kwan Yin are compatible and will share altar space. Among the spirits traveling in Ma Zu’s entourage is

Me Sanh, Chinese Goddess of Childbirth. Me Sanh frequently has her own shrines within Ma Zu temples.

Number: 9

Dates:

• Her birthday on the twenty-third day of the third month of the Chinese lunar calendar.

• Her ascension to Heaven on the ninth day of the ninth lunar month.

Sacred sites: A comprehensive list of Ma Zu shrines would fill a book. This is but a sampling:

• Heavenly Empress Palace on Meizhou Island, a temple complex built where she ascended to Heaven.

• Tien Hou Temple in San Francisco’s Chinatown, established in 1852, is the oldest Chinese temple in the United States.

• Chua Thien Hau Temple in Los Angeles’ China town was established in September 2005.

• A-Ma Temple in Macao (Macao is named for Ma Zu as are the Mazu Islands near Taiwan).

• Thian Hock Keng, the oldest Chinese temple in Singapore.

• Thien Hau Pagoda in Cholon, Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), Vietnam.

Offerings: Incense, fresh fruit, objects expressing marine or nautical themes: model ships, anchors, and rudders, for instance. To

invoke her powers as a fertility goddess, offer images of animals playing with their babies.

MA ZU SEA SAFETY RITUAL

1. Place ashes taken from before her image into a red bag. Ashes may be taken from an official shrine, if appropriate, or you

can create your own by burning incense and paper offerings before an image of Ma Zu.

2. Carry the bag or place the ashes like a talisman on your boat for protection, prosperity, and good fortune. If you have a

shrine on board, the ashes may be placed before Ma Zu’s image, but in that case they should originate in a temple.

See also: Black Madonna; Dragon Queens; Fairy; Eight Immortals; Kwan Yin; Ma Gu; Miao Shan; Stella Maris and the

Glossary entry for Apparition

Ma’at

Lady of Heaven; Queen of Earth; Mistress of the Underworld; Eye of Ra; Daughter of Ra; Lady of the Judgment Hall

Origin: Egypt

Ma’at is a word, a concept, and a goddess:

• Ma’at is a word meaning “true,” “genuine,” “the real thing.” Thus khesbet ma’at means “real lapis lazuli” as opposed to blue

paste.

• Ma’at, the concept, is a state of sacred harmony linking the mundane world with the divine. Ma’at, consisting of truth, justice,

and balance is a state of grace, which can be damaged by human actions and negative emotions like greed. An Egyptian

network of temples and divine rituals existed to maintain and preserve the state of Ma’at.

• Ma’at is the ancient, predynastic goddess who rules this state of grace. She is a goddess of truth, order, and natural ethical and

moral law, the spirit of what is right versus what is merely legal or lawful.

Ma’at is now most famous for the part she plays in ancient Egyptian after-life trials. At the final judgment, the dead individual’s heart

is weighed against the feather of Ma’at. The heart must equal or weigh less than Ma’at’s feather. If the heart’s weight tips the scales,

that person is denied eternal life.

Ma’at is not only a goddess of the afterlife; she has historically been venerated as a personal goddess and held up as an example of

that righteous moral code, which ensures connection with the divine and the soul’s survival. Ma’at is very closely associated with Lord

Thoth. They stand together in Ra’s barque and are sometimes envisioned as married.

M anifestation: Ma’at is a beautiful woman who may have wings. She may wear her signature feather on her head.

Iconography: She is sometimes portrayed as a woman with an ostrich feather for a head.

Attribute: Ostrich feather, scales of justice

Consort: Thoth

Birds: Ostrich, vulture

Star: Vega

See also:

Aisha Qandisha; Ayida Wedo; Bori; Damballah; Ezili; Lalla Malika; Lalla Mira; Lilith; Lubana; Lwa; Melusine;

Mermaid; Sarkin Aljan Suleimanu; Sili Kenwa; Simbi Spirits; Zar

Manannan Mac Lir

King of the Land of Promise

Origin: Isle of Man

Manannan, son of the ancient sea deity Lir, is a sea spirit, too. Ocean waves are his horses. The sea is his cloak. He is a trickster, a

master of true magic, illusion, and sleight of hand. He controls the weather. Manannan presides over an Other-world realm named Mag

Mell, a joyous paradise populated by dead souls and other members of the Tuatha Dé Danaan. He serves as a psychopomp, ferrying

souls to his realm. Although Manannan is classified among the Tuatha Dé Danaan, it is widely acknowledged that he is older than that

family of spirits. He may be among the primordial spirits of Earth.

Manannan possesses a magical crane-bag filled with treasures:

• He owns a boat that requires no sails or oars but obeys the thoughts of its captain.

• He owns a horse that rides equally well on land or water.

• He owns a magic sword named Fragarach (“The Answerer”) that penetrates any armor.

• He owns pigs that are slaughtered and consumed but are then reborn, fully grown the next day so that they can be eaten over and

over again.

M anifestation: His cloak of mist enables him to be invisible when he chooses. He wears a flaming helmet. Often envisioned as an

older man with long, flowing white hair and beard, he is a master shape-shifter and full of surprises.

Emblem:

Some scholars think the Triskelion, the three-legged wheel which is the emblem of the Isle of Man, represents Manannan.

Element: Water

Sacred sites: He was the first king of the Isle of Man, named in his honor and still serves as the island’s spirit guardian. In addition,

the spirit realm Manannan rules lies beneath the waves.

Day: Midsummer’s Eve or the summer solstice

Altar: Decorate his altar with marine imagery

Offerings: Flowers, bundles of reeds and/or alcoholic beverages including Okell’s Mac Lir wheat beer, which features his image

on the label.

See also: Aoife (2); Cliodna; Fand; Lir; Llyr; Manawydan; Psychopomp

Manasa

Queen of Snakes; Destroyer of Poison

Also known as: Manasi; Manasadevi

Classification: Naga

Manasa, sister of Vasuki, the Naga King, is a snake goddess who is extremely popular among women in parts of India. Manasa

heals, bestows, and enhances personal fertility. She grants wishes, protects against snakes, and provides wealth, abundance, and

success. Manasa is a healing spirit; her specialty is infectious and contagious illnesses including smallpox and AIDS.

Once upon a time, Manasa married the sage Jaratkaru and strove to be the perfect wife. One day Jaratkaru fell asleep with his head

in her lap. She didn’t move for hours lest she disturb him, but finally the sun set and she knew it was time for him to perform important

evening rituals. Very, very gently and respectfully, she woke her husband. He was livid, claiming that he would have woken up on his

own at the right time. Accusing Manasa of breaking her vow of obedience, he abandoned her.

Manasa can allegedly heal any snake bite, even those for which no known antidote exists. Herpetologists who search for

unknown species might do well to cultivate a relationship with Manasa, just in case.

Ever since her husband’s rebuke and rejection, she has been a touchy, somewhat hypersensitive spirit who demands respect and

devotion. She is jealous and may or may not be willing to share devotees with other spirits. (In other words, if you develop a close

relationship with her, she may prefer that you not venerate other spirits.)

Manasa demonstrates interest in people by causing their hair to mat. If she is aggravated or defending a devotee, her preferred

weapon is snake bite. Snakes are her messengers.

M anifestation: Manasa may manifest as a beautiful woman or a snake. She rides through the sky in a chariot drawn by snakes.

She may have one eye.

Iconography: A woman covered or surrounded by snakes. Alternatively she stands upon one. She is wreathed by a canopy of

seven hooded cobras.

Attribute: Lotus

Spirit allies: Nagas; she travels in Shiva’s entourage and is sometimes called his daughter, but this may be intended to make her

subservient to him instead of a competitor.

Element: Water

Time: The Manasa Puja (feast) occurs during the Hindu month of Sravana.

Offerings: Flowers, fruit (especially bananas), milk, incense, vermilion powder, and/or terra cotta snakes.

See also:

Bahlindjo; Bizango Spirits; Erinle; Ezili Dantor; Ezili Freda Dahomey; Logunedé; Loup-Garou; Lwa; Marinette;

Michael; Ochossi; Orisha; Orisha Oko; Oshun; Oya; Padilha, Maria; Petro; Rada; Sarabanda; Seven African Powers; Shango;

Yemaya; and the Glossary entry for Shaman

The various paths of Ogun may be understood as different aspects of one Ogun or as several closely related spirits. In Haitian

Vodou, the Ogou family of spirits is known as the Nago nation and mediates between Rada and Petro. The following are but a few of

his many paths:

OGUN BALENDJO

Also known as: Balendyo

Ogun Balendjo, sacred physician, epitomizes the healing powers of iron, both in terms of tools but also in terms of the body’s iron

content. Ogun Balendjo is patron of physicians as warriors against disease. He may also be invoked when battling against the medical

industry. Invoke his aid if you are anemic.

Ogun Balendjo is the watery aspect of Ogun, spirit of the Ogun River. Forge steam and water are traditionally used to heal illness and

impotence. Ogun Balendjo presides over water heated for healing purposes, like steam baths, especially if intensely heated because he

is a very macho spirit even when kind and gentle. (See also: Bahlindjo.)

Ogun Balendjo is syncretized to Saint Anthony or Saint George.

Favored people: Surgeons, acupuncturists, military physicians, nurses, medics, those who treat veterans

Offerings: Iron tablets, surgical tools, acupuncture needles, hypodermic needles, War Water (a magical formula made by soaking

iron nails in water)

OGUN FERRAILLE

Also known as: Ogoun Fer; O gou Feray

Ogoun Ferraille, warrior lwa, is understood as the primary figure in the traditional chromolithograph of Saint James the Greater—the

saint himself riding to battle on a white horse. He is the chief of all the warrior paths of Ogun.

Ogou Ferraille is the spirit who was invoked on 14 August 1791 at Bois Caiman initiating the Haitian Revolution. It is rumored that

when Jean-Jacques Dessalines (circa 1758–1806) ripped the white fabric from the French tricolor flag, creating the blue and red Haitian

flag, he was channeling Ogou Ferraille. (After he died, Dessalines joined the Ogou family becoming Ogou Dessalines.)

Ogun Ferraille is associated with the magical and healing power of magnets. Request that he gird your loins before entering battle,

literally or metaphorically.

Favored people: Soldiers, warriors in tanks or armored fighting vehicles (AFVs), armourers

M anifestation: Ogoun Ferraille is a knight in shining armor, but he is also envisioned as a metal man or cyber man. Ferraille refers

to scrap metal.

Offering: Overproof rum, toy soldiers—especially old-fashioned metal ones—military medals, and regalia

Ogoun Ferraille is the name of a cocktail, a flaming rum punch:

1. Stir honey to taste into one part passion fruit juice; warm very gently on the stove.

2. Add to three parts dark rum and flambé.

3. Sprinkle with spices like ground cardamom, cinnamon, and coriander.

4. Serve a glass to Ogoun.

See also:

Amaterasu; Amida; Bodhisattva; Daruma; Fukusuke; Hyotoko; Maneki Neko; Nang Kwak; Sarutahiko; Tengu;

Uzume

Okiku

Origin: Japan

The wealthy Aoyama family had an extremely valuable set of ten Delft (Dutch pottery) plates. Okiku, working as a maid in their

home, was blamed when one plate broke or disappeared. She drowned in a well. Every night, she emerges to count plates. “One, two,

three,” she intones, all the way up to nine. She can count no further, and so she dissolves into tears and wails. That’s the gist of Okiku’s

tale, but there are many versions:

• She rejected the head of the family’s sexual advances. He hid one of the plates, threatening to accuse her of theft unless she had

sex with him. (The accusation would bring the death penalty.) In despair, Okiku threw herself into the well.

• She really does break a plate and is thrown into the well as punishment.

• Aoyama’s wife breaks the plate but blames Okiku, who is thrown into the well.

• Okiku spilled the beans about a planned samurai rebellion. When the rebels discover who betrayed them, they torture her before

throwing her into the well.

Sometimes the well is an instrument of torture as well as death: Okiku is repeatedly raised and lowered by her killer who sadistically

enjoys her torment. The well is now Okiku’s home. The story of Okiku, believed to be based on historical events, was first dramatized

in 1741 and has become a Ka buki staple. (The traditional Kabuki play is called Bancho Sarayashiki or “The Broken Dishes at

Bancho Mansion.”) Okiku is the subject of several novels and movies. Hokusai and Yoshitoshi Tsukioka are among artists who have

created portraits of her.

Okiku’s ghost is the inspiration for the Ring series of novels and movies (and basically for the whole horror genre of ghost-

women climbing out of wells to torment the living.)

• Shouting “ten!” after Okiku counts “nine” but before she can start wailing will disarm her. Reports say she will vanish on the spot.

• In 1795, Japan suffered an infestation of worms found in old wells. The worm, naturally covered with thin threads so that it

appeared bound, was nicknamed Okiku Mushi or “Okiku bug.” It was widely considered an incarnation of Okiku or her curse.

Sacred sites: Different sites claim to be the location of her well including Himeji Castle, now a tourist destination where apparitions

of Okiku are still allegedly witnessed and the garden of the Canadian embassy in Tokyo, which is on land purchased from the Aoyama

family.

See also:

Abiku; Babalu Ayé; Erinle; Eshu Elegbara; Ibeji; Logunedé; Oba; Ochossi; Ogun; Orisha; Orunmila; Oya; Seven

African Powers; Shango; Yemaya

Osiris

Lord of the Far World

Also known as: Auser

Origin: Egypt or Libya

Osiris, ancient deity, is a culture hero. He invented agriculture: the sacred rites of grain. He taught people to bake bread and brew

beer. Osiris invented wine, built the first temples, and taught the art of sculpting so that the first statues were formed. He taught musical

and theatrical arts. After teaching these arts in Egypt, Osiris traveled around the world, transmitting his knowledge. He left his sister/wife

Isis home as regent of Egypt.

In addition to being worshipped in Egypt, Osiris was deeply venerated in Libya. Some scholars believe that he may have

originated there as a Berber deity. His name may mean “the one enthroned”—Isis is the throne. His name is also interpreted as

“throne of the eye” possibly referring to a legend that Osiris’ soul shelters in the Eye of Horus.

Osiris is most famous as a central, if passive, figure in a long, complex Egyptian saga. His brother and rival Set killed Osiris. Isis,

Mistress of Magic, together with a posse of spirit allies, attempted to resurrect him. Anubis invented embalming, and Osiris became the

first mummy.

Osiris has two primary functions:

• He is the lord of grain, the original John Barleycorn, cut down in his prime every year. The death of Osiris was the subject of

annual festivals possibly the prototype for modern Christian passion plays.

• Osiris presides over the Egyptian realm of death. Although usually envisioned as a passive figure, Osiris does command an army

of ghosts.

Osiris plays such a complex role that the Greeks identified him with three deities:

• Apollo, Lord of Music, Order, and Civili zation

• Dionysus, inventor of beer and wine

• Hades, Lord of Death

M anifestation: Osiris is not just the spirit of grain; he is grain.

Iconography: Osiris is portrayed as a crowned mummy. He is sometimes depicted with wheat sprouting from his body

Attributes: The crook and flail of kingship— Osiris, Lord of Death, is the only Egyptian deity who does not carry the ankh,

symbol of life.

Emblem: The Djed pillar is usually understood as Osiris’ backbone and represents stability but may also represent his lost phallus

or the tree trunk that housed him.

Creature: Cat, guardian of grain storehouses

Colors: Black, green

Trees: Acacia, willow

Constellation:

• Orion is the home of his soul.

• Egyptian astrology perceived what we call Ursa Major as Osiris’ funeral bier.

Botanicals: Frankincense

Sacred sites: Shrines across Egypt commemorated where parts of Osiris’ body were located and buried. Abydos, the sacred city

where his head was found, was the center of his veneration. His mysteries were reenacted in Abydos for over two thousand years.

See also: Anubis; Dionysus; Harpocrates; Horus; Isis; Neith; Nephthys; Sati; Serapis; Set; Zar

Otafuku

See: Okame

Ouktazaun

Origin: Myanmar (Burma)

Ouktazaun are a type of spirit, essentially a special kind of ghost. A dead soul transforms into an Ouktazaun if death occurred while

in the throes of greed for material possessions and wealth. The Ouktazaun is then forced to guard wealth, possibly secret buried

treasure, possibly the wealth found in Buddhist pagodas. It is an extremely lonely position, and the Ouktazaun are frustrated, unhappy

ghosts. They may be male or female, but scary Ouktazaun stories tend to feature female spirits.

Once condemned to be an Ouktazaun, there are two methods of escaping one’s fate.

• The Ouktazaun finds someone tempted by greed and lures them to a secluded spot with the promise of treasure. Then the

Ouktazaun kills its victim and switches identities. The victim must take over guardian duties while the Ouktazaun assumes their

identity. This is only a temporary solution, as the switch will only last for a limited time—typically about twenty years—after

which time, the Ouktazaun must resume its role. Still, it is a respite.

• The Ouktazaun, pretending to be alive, entices someone to fall in love with him or her. (Many Ouktazaun are very attractive and

seductive. Plus they have access to wealth.) Those who are seduced by Ouktazaun will die and then join them as partners,

sharing guardianship duties. The role is not escaped, but it is no longer lonely. (If the victim is truly in love and does not feel

angry or betrayed, they may even be happy.)

Ouktazaun are potentially dangerous spirits even if they haven’t targeted someone to become their substitute or partner. Contact with

them can cause death. Pro tection from them may be obtained via amulets or protective tattoos, especially if the Ouktazaun has already

been encountered and is exerting a pull on the victim who is trying to resist. Trained shamans and exorcists can also offer protection and

healing.

See also:

Agwé; Baleine, La; Ezili; Ezili Dantor; Ezili Freda Dahomey; Lwa; Mermaid; Simbi; Sirens; Stella Maris; Syrena

Sirin

Origin: Russia

Sirin, a spirit of beauty, joy, and happiness, manifests as a bird with a woman’s face. Her name derives from the Greek Siren. (She

may be a Siren who flew off to Russia and found new friends and myths.) Like the Sirens, she is a psychopomp. Sirin serenades the

dying, her songs so beautiful and compelling that those who hear her are oblivious to everything else and die happily and peacefully. Sirin

does not kill randomly; she is an escort spirit similar to an angel of death.

Sirin also protects the living, together with her sister spirit and alter ego, Alkonost. Originally, they were venerated together as spirits

of good fortune and guardians of the home. Sirin kept watch at night, while Alkonost patrolled during daylight hours. Post-Christianity,

all the sisters’ positive aspects were assigned to Alkonost while Sirin’s associations with death and night caused her to be considered an

evil or at least inauspicious spirit.

See also:

Aphrodite; Caer Ibormeith; Graeae; Kaltes; Laimos; Norns; Psychopomp; Sirens; Tündér; Valkyrie; Vila; White

Lady

Sybil

Also known as: Sibyl

Sybil is a title used to designate a lineage of prophetesses, venerated for centuries. At least two Sybils are traditionally venerated as

goddesses. Others serve as spirit guides. They may also be approached in dreams and visualizations in order to obtain specific

information not available from other sources or standard channels.

The Sybils were seers whose prophecies were written down and stored. Sybils lived in different locations and prophesied in different

languages, although they seem to have been part of a linked international sisterhood. Predictions were written in Greek, Hebrew, Latin,

and hieroglyphics—and possibly other languages, too. Sometimes prophecies were written in real books; sometimes they were written

on palm leaves, which would be blown about by winds. The Sybils’ prophecies were oblique, sometimes featuring word games.

The name Sybil is etymologically related to Kybele, an oracular goddess whose name is sometimes pronounced Sib-ill-ee.

The earliest Sybils may have been her priestesses. The names Sybil and Kybele both refer to caves or caverns. The Cumaean

Sybil, most famous of the Sybils, did, in fact, inhabit a cave.

Very little information survives regarding the Sybils. We know what they did, but we don’t know what they believed or even whether

Sybils in different locations shared the same spiritual orientation.The earliest reference to a Sybil dates from approximately 1200 BCE

from what is now modern Turkey. Their prophetic texts are now almost entirely lost: Rome’s Sibylline Books were deliberately

destroyed during the transition to Christianity as state religion.

Michelangelo included five Sybils among the figures he painted on the Sistine Chapel ceiling, although he used men as

models for their bodies.

At least ten historical Sybils and their locations have been identified, among them:

• The Apennine Sybil

• The Cimmerian Sybil

• The Cumaean Sybil

• The Eritrean Sybil

• The Sybil of the Hellespont

• The Libyan Sybil

• The Persian Sybil

• The Samian Sybil

• The Tiburtine Sybil

THE CUMAEAN SYBIL

The Cumaean Sybil is the only one for whom archaeological evidence currently exists and also the one with the most mythic

information. In approximately 525 BCE, an elderly woman appeared in Rome requesting to see King Tarquin. She offered to sell him

nine books containing the world’s destiny for three hundred pieces of silver. He dismissed her as a crank. She returned later, offering to

sell him six books for the same price. Again, he dismissed her. When she returned the third time, offering three books for three hundred

pieces of silver, Tarquin finally took a look at her wares. He realized that they were the real thing, immediately paid the asking price and

asked for the other books, too. She laughed at him, told him that she had burned them, and vanished into thin air.

The three surviving books, known as the Sibylline Books or Sibylline Prophecies became Rome’s most heavily guarded treasure.

Stored in a stone chest beneath the Temple of Jupiter on the Capitoline Hill, they were consulted only in emergencies and before

momentous decisions. Even high priests were forbidden to read them without express permission from the Senate. Anyone who

attempted was sewn into a sack, and thrown into the Tiber River. The Romans sent messengers to Sybils in other locations in attempts

to reproduce the information contained in the six lost books.

The mysterious book-seller eventually re-emerged in Cumae (now modern Cuma) near the Bay of Naples. She lived and prophesied

in a cave on a red volcanic hill overlooking the sea. Her cave was cut into a trapezoidal form, a shape now acknowledged as most

earthquake resistant. Windows were cut into the rock. The Sybil purified and prepared herself via bathing. She then dressed in

ceremonial clothing, sat on her throne in her cave, and prophesied. She became famous and the subject of a pilgrimage. Visitors were

admitted to see and inquire of her. Coins in the area were engraved with her emblem: a mussel shell.

Scholars theorize that over centuries, a series of women fulfilled the role of Sybil of Cumae although others consider that the Sybil

who sold King Tarquin the books was immortal and thus the only Cumaean Sybil. Early Christians honored the Cumaean Sybil because

it was rumored that she had foretold the birth of Christ but this tolerance was short-lived: the prophetess was eventually considered a

witch. The Cumaean Sybil evolved into the witch-goddess Sibilla who engendered the wrath of the Inquisition. In 1912, archaeologists

excavating caverns corresponding to her legend discovered an ancient tunnel nearly five hundred feet long drilled through solid rock.

(See also: Sibilla.)

THE SYBIL HEROPHILE

The Sybil Herophile derives from what is now modern Turkey, Kybele’s country. She was the daughter of a mountain Nymph and a

mortal father. Sybil Herophile was worshipped in conjunction with her mother in a tomb-shrine in a grotto with a spring. She was

venerated alongside Hermes, Apollo, Demeter and various other Nymphs. Dedicatory inscriptions date from as late as the second

century CE.

See also: Apollo; Ceres; Demeter; Hermes; Kybele; Nymph; Sibilla; Spirit Guides

Sylvanus

King of the Woodlands

Also known as: Silvanus

Sylvanus, horned spirit of forests, groves, and wild fields, presides over boundaries, thresholds, and hedges. Sylvanus literally

means “Forest Spirit” in Latin and is the name used by the Romans to describe one or more spirits they encountered in Northern Italy—

and perhaps as far as Pannonia, an ancient trans-Danubian nation now part of modern Hungary. What is known of him derives from

Roman writings. Whether he had other local names is now unknown, but he has been responding to Silvanus for centuries. The Romans

compared him to Faunus. He also resembles Pan in that he, too, reputedly enjoys scaring lonely travelers.

Sylvanus is the spirit of the wild, flourishing forest, but unlike Faunus and Pan, Sylvanus is not exclusively a wilderness spirit. When his

woodland was cleared and cultivated, he evolved into a spirit of fields. Sylvanus is the protector of herds and cattle. In medieval France,

Silvanus was identified with Saint Amador, who is sometimes called Sylvanus.

M anifestation: He is described as a horned spirit resembling Faunus. Sylvanus is usually accompanied by three Nymphs, the

Sylvanae.

Sylvanus may derive from the Etruscan spirit Selvans. The forest is Selvans’ shrine: he possessed no temples, priests, or

festivals. The subject of exclusively male veneration, he was worshipped in private.

Iconography: Images of the Green Man may be used to represent him.

Attributes: Pruning knife, sickle, and a pine bough

Animals: Wolf, stag

Tree: Pine

Sacred site: Sylvanus was venerated with Diana at a shrine in Nettleton Shrub, Wiltshire, in the mid-third century CE. Based on

archaeological evidence, the shrine was a major pilgrimage site.

Offerings:

First fruits of the season were offered to Sylvanus alongside meat and wine. These were exclusively male rituals; women

were not permitted to witness sacrificial offerings made to Sylvanus.

See also: Diana; Faunus; Green Man; Nymph; Pan

Syrena

Origin: Poland

Classification: Mermaid

Syrena is the mermaid guardian of the city of Warsaw. Syrena, which means “mermaid,” is the daughter of Baltyk, King of the Baltic

Sea. Once, pursued by some fishermen, she swam quickly and desperately. When she finally felt safe, she surfaced to look around and

get her bearings: she found herself at the mouth of the Vistula River and fell in love with the landscape. Since then it’s been her home.

According to legend, it was she who first convinced people to found the city of Warsaw.

Syrena is the subject of many legends. A man who once saw her in the river without getting a really good look presumed that she was

a drowning woman, so he jumped in to save her. Syrena allowed him to carry her to shore. When he saw her tail, he realized his error

and gently carried her back to the water. Syrena was so amused and touched by his consideration that she rewarded him with a lifetime

of wealth and good fortune. She is the emblem of the city.

M anifestation: Syrena is usually a classical mermaid: a woman above the waist and a fish below. However she is sometimes

described as being half woman and half water snake similar to the earliest incarnations of Ezili and Mami Waters.

Iconography: Syrena appears on Warsaw’s coat of arms. Statues of the mermaid appear throughout the city. She has also

appeared on Polish stamps. An older version of Warsaw’s coat of arms displayed an armed male dragon. It’s theorized that this is

Syrena’s father or another close relative.

Attributes: Sword and shield

Element: Water

Offerings: Herb or fruit infused Polish vodka, Polish fruit brandy and Polish pastries, as well as jewelry, hand mirrors; hair combs

and ribbons.

See also: Ezili; Mami Waters; Mermaid; Siren; Sirène, La

Szélanya

The Wind Mother

Pronounced: Sail-ah-nya

Origin: Hungary

Szélanya literally means “Mother of the Winds” or “Wind Mother”. Szélanya is the wind, but she is also the goddess who controls

the winds. Szélanya stores and guards the winds in a cave at the top of a tall mountain at the end of the world. It’s very important not to

offend her because if she feels slighted, she releases violent storm winds. To some extent, the winds mirror her moods. When Szélanya

is feeling placid, so is the weather.

Post-Christianity Szélanya was demoted to a witch goddess however traditions survived in the guise of superstitions. It was

considered dangerous to curse the wind or to refer directly to Szélanya using derogatory words for witch. Whirlwinds contain witches,

according to a common belief in Central and Eastern Europe. Thus it became traditional to slash or cut a whirlwind (or any strong wind)

with an ax or knife so as to weaken, frighten, or harm the witch within. Hungarian folk wisdom strongly advises against this practice, as

it enrages Szélanya, raising her hackles and hence the winds.

Weather witches may consider Szélanya their goddess. She is invoked when you require a strong wind or when you need existing

winds to lessen in intensity. She can send powerful cleansing winds when needed or can keep the air very still. She may also be invoked

when winds of change are in order.

M anifestation: Szélanya usually manifests as an elderly lady, but she can also literally appear as wind.

See also:

Achilles; Aiakos; Dionysus; Eris; Hephaestus; Hera; Mermaid; Nereid; Poseidon; Proteus; Tethys; Themis; Zeus

Thien Y A Na

Origin: Cham

Thien Y A Na may be the ancient creator goddess of Champa, or she may be a deified queen. According to legend, the goddess

Thien Y A Na was once queen of the ancient kingdom of Champa, located in what is now southern and central Vietnam. Her husband,

the king, was killed during conflicts with the Vietnamese.

To avoid capture, Thien Y A Na threw herself from a cliff but, as luck would have it, a passing Chinese prince happened to be sailing

by. He rescued Thien Y A Na, fell in love with her, and decided to marry her. The wedding was scheduled to be held on the boat. At

the very last moment, Thien Y A Na could not go through with the marriage. She threw herself from the boat, and this time her suicide

attempt was successful.

Her drowned body caught on a log of sandalwood and floated back to Champa, where it was discovered on the beach, still fragrant,

beautiful, and recognizable. Her subjects erected a shrine for her where her corpse washed ashore. Reports soon arose of Thien Y A

Na calming winds and waves and saving seagoers.

Many ethnic Cham people believe that Cham spirits are claimed by Vietnamese people who then venerate them via traditional

Vietnamese rituals. Spirits’ names may be adjusted to sound more Vietnamese, thus Thien Y A Na may or may not be the same spirit as

Ba Chua

Xu. She certainly has the same volatile temperament when it comes to reneged promises, disrespect, and theft. Be sure to fulfill all

vows in a timely manner.

Favored people: Those who ply their living from the sea (traders, travelers, fishers)

Sacred site: Her early-seventeenth-century temple on Hon Ba Island, Vietnam

Offerings: Flowers, incense, candles

See also: Ba Chua Kho; Ba Chua Xu; Ma Zu

Thor

Drum Beater

Also known as: Donar; Thunar

Origin: Norse

Thor, Lord of Thunder, may be the best-loved of all N orse deities. He is the defender of the Aesir pantheon and the vigilant

protector of his devotees. Thor is something of a big lug, but he is consistent, predictable and dependable—as opposed to brilliant but

volatile Odin, who can make even his dearest devotees a little nervous.

Odin was the spirit patron of the elite and esoteric (heroes, rulers, shamans, magicians), but Thor was the lord of the masses. He

protects everyone because that’s what he does: he is a protector. He is the protector of homes, communities, land, laws, and civilization.

Thor guards against disaster and chaos. (Does he come into conflict with Loki, spirit of chaos? You bet.) In Germany, Thor in his guise

as Donar was considered guardian of love, marriage, and families. Thor assists travelers and protects the dead.

Thor has power over Earth’s fertility and abundance. He controls the quantity of rain, making sure there’s just the right amount. He

isthe spirit of the oak forests, which once spread across Europe. He hallows sacred places, events, and crucial magical workings by

striking with his hammer. Making the sign of Thor’s hammer (in the same manner that Christians make the sign of the cross) allegedly

banishes many spirits, especially Jotuns.

He manifests to people in dreams.

• Thor is invoked to protect against fire and lightning.

• Thor is a giant killer: invoke his aid if someone bigger than you is picking on you, be it spirit, human, corporate, commercial, or

bureaucracy.

Saint Boniface cut down Thor’s sacred oak near what is now Fritzler, Germany, and challenged the deity to strike him

down with lightning. Boniface used the wood from the tree to build a cross and chapel. Frisians killed him in 755.

M anifestation: Thor is a huge, good-hearted, rough-hewn, red-haired and -bearded man with fiery eyes.

Iconography: As Thor is guardian of the dead, the image of his hammer is carved onto memorial stones.

Attributes: His iron hammer named Mjollnir, iron-clad gloves

Consort: Sif

Day: Thursday (literally “Thor’s Day”)

Trees: Oak, mountain ash, hazel

Plants: Thor’s Beard, also known as the house-leek ( Sempervirum tectorum) protects against malicious spirits; mistletoe called

Donnerbesen

(“thunder broom” or “Donar’s broom”) in Old German but later Christianized to Teufelbesen or “Devil’s broom.”

M etal: Iron

Color: Red

Element: Fire

Amulet: Miniature Thor’s hammers are worn as a pendant similar to wearing a Christian cross or a Wiccan pentacle.

Rune: Thurisaz, the rune of force and will

Animal: goat (but bulls were once sacrificed to him)

M ount: Thor drives a wagon pulled by goats.

Sacred site: Thor was venerated in sacred groves, including one near Dublin.

Realm: Thor presides over his hall, Bilskirnir, which he shares with Sif and their children. It is a huge hall with over five hundred

rooms. Thralls, a class of slaves, entered Thor’s hall after death and were feted and entertained.

Offerings: Thor has a massive appetite. He loves to drink and wins all drinking competitions. Offer him Thor’s Hammer brand

vodka, but Thor will probably accept most offerings if given with respect and a sincere heart.

Thor is a prominent member of the Viking Court in the Venezuelan spiritual tradition of Maria Lionza, where he goes

under the nickname Mr. Barbaro.

See also: Aesir; Barbaro, Mr.; Jotun; Loki; Maria Lionza; Odin; Perkunas; Shango; Sif

Thoth

Lord of Divine Words; Lord of Books

Also known as: Tehuti; Djehuti

Origin: Egypt

Thoth is primeval: he is from before Creation. In some Egyptian myths, Thoth is the supreme creator. He created himself by speaking

his own name. Even when he is not supreme creator, Thoth still does his fair share of creating. Thoth invented writing, gambling, star-

gazing, engineering, geometry, botany, medicine, mathematics, and magic spells. He is the founder of alchemy and is the author,

according to Egyptian myth, of the world’s very first book called The Book of Thoth , a collection of magic spells and rituals so

powerful that it had to be hidden away.

Thoth taught veneration of the spirits. He invented rules of sacrifice and composed hymns and prayers. Thoth is credited with writing

some of the Egyptian Book of the Dead: The Book of Going Forth by Day.

Thoth is Ra’s right-hand man. Without Thoth, Isis and her siblings would never have been born. Thoth may have taught Osiris the arts

of civilization that Osiris then taught to humanity. Thoth, a master magician, taught Isis everything he knew. She is perhaps the only one

who surpasses his magical knowledge, although, according to myth, even Isis still needs his assistance and advice once in a while.

Thoth is kind, benevolent, patient, wise, and generous. He is what is considered a “cool” deity; he calms and soothes impassioned

situations. In one legend, only Thoth can safely subdue a rampaging goddess threatening to destroy Earth.

As befitting a shaman, Thoth lives in many realms at once:

• He travels among the living, teaching his magical skills.

• He serves as the official scribe in the Hall of the Dead.

• He rides in the solar barque beside Ra and thus lives in the realm of spirits.

The English name, Thoth, is based on the Greek pronunciation of the Egyptian Tehuti. His name is related to Egyptian words

indicating “moon,” “measure,” “ibis,” and “crystal.”

• The Greeks identified Thoth with Hermes and Hermes Trismegistus.

• In Neil Gaiman’s novel American Gods, Mr. Ibis runs a funeral parlor with his partner Mr. Jacquel.

Favored people: Scribes, secretaries, authors, magicians, shamans, sorcerers, witches, alchemists, occultists, librarians

M anifestation: In his guise as patron of scribes, Thoth has an ibis’ head. As a master magician, he manifests as a baboon.

Although ibis and baboon are his most common forms, Thoth is a master shape-shifter. He could be anything or anyone.

Attribute: Ink pot, palette, ankh, scepter

Consorts: Ma’at and Seshet are identified as Thoth’s wives.

Spirit allies: Hathor, Ma’at, Isis, Seshet

Planet: Moon

Days: Thoth rules the equinoxes

Bird: Ibis

Animal: Baboon

Color: White

Sacred sites: His primary shrine was in Khemennu (renamed Hermopolis by Greeks); he also had an important shrine in the holy

city Abydos as well as others throughout Egypt.

See also: Anubis; Hathor; Hermes; Isis; Ma’at; Obatala; Osiris; Seshet; Sekhmet; Set; and the Glossary entry for

Identification

Thyone

Lady of Inspired Frenzy; Ecstatically Raging

Origin: Greece

Thyone is the goddess who presides over the Dionysian Mysteries, known in Rome as the Bacchanalia. Thyone is the name given to

Semele after she was brought to Olympus from Hades by her son, Dionysus. Coincidentally, when Dionysus was in hiding as an infant,

one of his wet-nurses was also named Thyone. It’s possible that this was Semele incognito (in the same manner that baby Moses was

secretly given to his true mother to nurse after his rescue by Pharaoh’s daughter).

See also: Dionysus; Hades; Semele; Zemele

Tien Hau

Tien Hau, a Chinese title meaning “Empress of Heaven,” usually refers to the goddess Ma Zu.