recursal/Fanatic-Fandom huggingface dataset:
Kelpie

**Origin:** Scotland

Kelpies are shape-shifting Scottish water spirits usually found near running, moving water like rivers or streams. Kelpies are notorious for abducting people either just to drown them or to carry them back to their own realm to live among them, marry and have Kelpie children. They may abduct human women to be mid-wives or wet-nurses.

The Kelpie assumes the form of an attractive horse or pony walking alone on the shore. It looks docile and may make overtures inviting a person onto its back. It’s typically saddled and ready to ride and just looks like a friendly pony who has somehow gotten separated from its people. It’s a trick. If you get on the Kelpie’s back, it may walk nicely for a little bit, offering a pleasant pony ride but ultimately it plunges deep into the water. Kelpies are spirits: they don’t have to come up for air.

One would imagine that the simplest solution would be to just avoid strange, lone horses on the shore but many actively seek Kelpies because theoretically they can be commanded and controlled. The Kelpie’s Achilles heel is its bridle. Capture the bridle: control the Kelpie. Kelpies are not horses; they are spirits and thus can perform many magical functions. According to legend, Scotland’s Clan MacGregor is in possession of such a Kelpie bridle.

Kelpies may be oracular horse spirits to whom human sacrifices were once made.

Whether Kelpies also haunt lochs (including Loch Ness) or whether these are the exclusive stomping grounds of the Each Uisge, Scotland’s dangerous salt water horse spirit is subject for cantankerous debate. However, this is a fine detail that is probably irrelevant to either horse spirits’ victims.

**Manifestation:** The standard form taken by a Kelpie is equine. The clue to its true identity may be a mane and tail that won’t stop dripping even on a dry day. Kelpies are not restricted to equine form and may be full of surprises. Female Kelpies are described as manifesting in the form of beautiful women dressed in green.

**See Also:** Achilles; Each Uisge; Fuath; Green Lady

## Appearance in Modern Media

From Shin Megami TenseiFrom Fate Grand OrderFrom Reign of DragonsFrom Rage of BahamutFrom CuldceptFrom Puzzle & Dragon
## Information Source

Encyclopedia of Spirits: The Ultimate Guide to the Magic of Fairies, Genies, Demons, Ghosts, Gods & Goddesses by Judika Illes
Kitchen God

The Stove Master

**Also Known As:** Zao Shen; Tsao Chun

**Origin:** China

The Kitchen God traditionally lives by the hearth. His role is to protect family harmony by guarding the kitchen and dining areas, once considered the soul of the house. His presence in the kitchen is not abstract but entirely visible: his image once hung in virtually every Chinese household. Because he lives in the house as one of the family, he is privy to intimate knowledge. The Kitchen God sees, hears and knows all.

Although officially a guardian spirit, the Kitchen God is really a spy. He is the witness to what a family might prefer to keep private. With the Kitchen God around, what happens in the home does not stay in the home. His true function arrives at year end when each family’s Kitchen God is summoned to the Jade Emperor’s court to offer an annual report regarding what he has witnessed all year. The family’s fortunes in the New Year are dependent on his giving them a favourable review.

The Kitchen God has been popularly venerated since at least the second century BCE. He may derive from an old hearth spirit. Alternatively various myths describe how a man was deified, inheriting this position. (See Kitchen God’s Wife.)

**Iconography:** There are different versions of the Kitchen God’s identity and thus different images used for him. Many are sold just before Chinese New Year. Some show him as a dignified official. He may be depicted alone or with one or two wives and possibly as many as six daughters.

**Feast:** On the 23rd day of the final lunar month of the Chinese calendar, an offering table is prepared for the Kitchen God featuring only sweet dishes so that his tongue and words are equally sweet, not sharp, spicy, bitter or sour. Traditional foods include sweet oranges or tangerines; chicken; roast pork; cakes; candy; big bowls of cooked rice studded with candied fruits and lots of rice wine.

After he’s had time to eat, his image, which has hung in the kitchen all year is taken down. His mouth is smeared with something sweet and sticky like honey or molasses. (Either to further sweeten his words or to glue his gossiping mouth shut.) He is petitioned to be kind and only report good things about the family. His image is then burned, simply or with elaborate rituals; enabling his spirit to rise with the ascending smoke to the Jade Emperor’s Celestial Court. A new image, posted at the New Year, signals his return.

**Offerings:** The Kitchen God is quite open to bribery, which may be offered on a regular basis or just before he leaves for Heaven. Lavish offering tables; sweet liqueurs or spirit money may be given however the Kitchen God only accepts offerings from men, traditionally from the “head” of the family.

**See Also:** Jade Emperor; Kitchen God’s Wife

## Information Source

Encyclopedia of Spirits: The Ultimate Guide to the Magic of Fairies, Genies, Demons, Ghosts, Gods & Goddesses by Judika Illes
Henwen

*Ancient White One*

**Origin:** Wales

Henwen is a goddess of fertility, abundance, and prosperity venerated in the form of a great white sow, tended by *Coll ab Collfrewi*, one of Britain’s three great swineherds. He pastured her in a valley in Cornwall. All was well until Henwen conceived. A prophecy foretold that Henwen’s progeny would harm Britain, and so King Arthur attempted to capture and kill her. (An alternative version suggests that Henwen was specifically a threat to him.)

Arthur assembled a host of knights against this one big pig but she escaped, tunnelling through Earth until she reached the sea. An ocean may stop a regular pig but not a goddess. Henwen plunged into the depths with Coll hanging on to her bristles the whole time. (It’s unclear if he’s just hanging on or if he was instrumental in trying to save her.) Periodically emerging, wherever she touched Earth, Henwen brought forth from her own body incredibly fine wheat and barley, plus bees that produce the best honey in Britain. She gives birth to an eaglet, a wolf, and a ferocious cat. (No domestic cats existed in Britain at this time, only wildcats.) Exactly what happened to Henwen is unclear. She was not captured and so is presumably still free and roaming.

A hidden goddess lurks beneath this legendary pig, possibly similar to that other great white sow, Cerridwen. Henwen was an oracular sow. Letter sticks formed from rods made of ash and carved with runic symbols were stuck into the ground. Henwen, when asked a question, would point her nose at different sticks in turn, spelling out an answer. Her oracular powers were only invoked in times of emergency. Invoke her for fertility, abundance, and adventure as well as prophetic answers.

**Offerings:** Ale, mead, barley wine

**See Also:** Cerridwen; Ogma

## Information Source

Encyclopedia of Spirits: The Ultimate Guide to the Magic of Fairies, Genies, Demons, Ghosts, Gods & Goddesses by Judika Illes
Giltine

**Origin:** Lithuania

Giltiné is a snake goddess of death. She roams cemeteries at night, licking coffins and corpses, collecting the poison of the dead, which she will then use on the living whenever their destined time comes. Unlike so many Angels of Death who only appear after someone has died to serve as escorts to the next realm, Giltiné actually pulls the plug: she terminates life.

Giltiné and Laima are sisters. Sometimes they work in tandem, as a pair of death goddesses. Laima distracts and comforts the dying person while Giltiné delivers the coup de grace. Giltiné has a venomous tongue like a serpent: she delivers the kiss of death. Alternatively she suffocates or strangles victims. Giltiné may be depicted with a sickle like the Grim Reaper, but allegedly she does not like shedding blood if only because it may mar her white dresses.

Giltiné can be delayed (a popular folklore theme), but ultimately she cannot be stopped. She magically opens all doors or locks. She cannot be prevented from entering or from performing her killing function, if it’s genuinely someone’s time to go. Giltiné usually takes her place at the head of the sickbed.

**Manifestations:** Giltiné manifests as a tall, cadaverously thin woman dressed in white. She may be wrapped in a shroud or in a romantic Gothic white dress. Giltiné can make herself so tiny she fits in a nutshell. Alternatively she manifests as a venomous snake or even just as a shadow. Giltiné may be invisible. She may manifest only as the sound of a whip cracking three times. The psychically gifted may sense Giltiné as a chill down the spine.

**Bird:** Owl

**Animal**: Snake

**Colours:** White, yellow

**See Also:** Laima; Psychopomp; Sbekhina

## Information Source

Encyclopedia of Spirits: The Ultimate Guide to the Magic of Fairies, Genies, Demons, Ghosts, Gods & Goddesses by Judika Illes
Chives

(Allium spp.)

Planet: Mars

Element: Fire

Energies: Weight loss, protection

Lore:

Chives may have been first grown in what is now Siberia, near the shores of Lake Baikal, one of the deepest lakes in the world. Chives were considered to be powerful aphrodisiacs.

Magical uses:

The great herbalist Gerarde stated that eating chives would surely “attenuate or make thinner,” and these mildly flavoured onions are worth trying if you’re adopting a weight-loss way of life. Though they are difficult to find fresh in grocery stores, they are easily grown at home. Chives even grow well in containers. For protection, tie a chive into a knot, add to food, and eat. Do this with visualization!

To be rid of a nasty habit or some personal problem that has been vexing you, tie the problem into a chive with a knot and bury. Do not uncover it.
Graeae

*The Grey Goddesses*

**Also known as:** Graiae; singular: Graia

**Origin:** Greece

The Graeae are sea spirit sisters whose parents are Keto and Phorkys. The number of Graeae is unclear. There may originally have been two:

* Pemphredo (“well-clad”)
* Enyo (“saffron-robed”: not the same Enyo as the one in Ares’ entourage)

A third named Deino (“The Terrible”) is sometimes added, and there is even occasionally a fourth. The Graeae live in a cave beyond the ocean in a place called Kistbene, “the land of rock roses.” The Graeae guard the road that leads to the Gorgons. Their most famous appearance in mythology is when Perseus, aided by Athena, forces the Graeae to betray the location of their sisters, the Gorgons.

**Manifestation:** The Graiae are described as grey-haired but with beautiful faces. This is usually considered to be a euphemism because they are also described as sharing one eye and one tooth between them. However, that may be meant metaphorically: the shared eye may refer to a lamp or other divination device like a crystal ball. The single tooth may refer to a shared weapon. The Graeae are described as being “born grey”: they were old at birth. They are also described as resembling swans.

**Flower:** Rock roses (Cistus spp.), which are also sacred to sea goddess, Aphrodite

**See Also:** Athena; Gorgons; Keto

## Information Source

Encyclopedia of Spirits: The Ultimate Guide to the Magic of Fairies, Genies, Demons, Ghosts, Gods & Goddesses by Judika Illes
Flower Fairy

**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 favourite 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:** Fairy, Green Fairy, Gabriel

## Information Source

Encyclopedia of Spirits: The Ultimate Guide to the Magic of Fairies, Genies, Demons, Ghosts, Gods & Goddesses by Judika Illes
Fairy Wishing Spell

For this spell, you will need a small white birthday candle, a silver coin, seven moon cookies (sugar cookies cut into crescent moons), and a secluded wooded area where you can be alone.

As you walk through the woods, keep a close eye out for Fairy circles, small circular areas surrounded by inedible red fungi with white spots. It is believed that fairies meet within these rings to celebrate their magickal rites. When you find a fairy circle, carefully place your coin in the centre of it. Set the candle on top of the coin, light it, and make your wish.

When the candle has completely burned out, place the moon cookies around the coin, state your wish aloud, and then walk away. If you return to the spot and your coin and candle are gone, you will know that your wish has been granted.

## Information Source

The Witch's Master Grimoire by Lady Sabrina
Centella Ndoki

**Also known as:** Centella Endoki; Mari wanga; Mama Wanga; Mama Huanga

**Origin:** Congolese

Centella Ndoki is a spirit of the Afro-Caribbean spiritual tradition, Palo. She is the owner of the cemetery, gatekeeper of the portal between life and death. She is the Queen of the World, among the most powerful forces in the universe, if not the most powerful. Because Palo rituals may involve working with dead souls, Centella Ndoki is an exceptionally significant spirit in this tradition. She may or may not be the same spirit as Oya. Like Oya, Centella Ndoki has associations with the marketplace and storms as well as the graveyard.

In traditional Congolese culture, ndoki refers to someone possessing great reserves of magic power. The power is neutral; it may be used for good or ill depending on the desires and intent of the individual.

**Home:** Present petitions and offerings in the graveyard; that’s where you’ll find her.

**See also:** Oya

## Information Source

Encyclopedia of Spirits: The Ultimate Guide to the Magic of Fairies, Genies, Demons, Ghosts, Gods & Goddesses by Judika Illes
Daikokuten

*the Great Darkness; The Great Blackness*

**Also known as:** Daikoku; Daikoku-sama

**Origin:** Japan

**Classification:** Kami

Daikoku pounds out money with his golden mallet. He is the lord of wealth, food, and worldly success. Daikoku, guardian of the household, is the kami of good fortune and an abundant harvest. As Lord of the Kitchen, he is not only venerated in homes but is the special deity of chefs, cooks, restaurateurs, and those who serve in the food industry.

Daikoku is one of the Shichi Fukujin, the Seven Spirits of Good Fortune. He is associated with the Year of the Rat, guardian of those born in that year.

The very first Bank of Japan ten-yen note, issued in l885, featured an image of Daikoku and is known as a Daikoku satsu.

**Manifestation:** Daikoku is a big, friendly, smiling man.

**Iconography:** Daikoku usually wears traditional Japanese robes and a black hat. He carries a loaded sack over his left shoulder and his mallet in his right hand. He is often portrayed seated atop bales of rice.

**Attributes:** A golden mallet, which he shakes in the direction of those he wishes to bless with luck and prosperity; a sack slung over his left shoulder

**Spirit allies:** He is venerated with Okuninushi and with Ebisu. He may be Ebisu’s father. Daikokuten is also venerated alongside Benten and Marishi as a triad of lucky spirits.

**Day:** Although he may be petitioned anytime, Kinoene Day, Elder Rat Day, usually celebrated 19 November, is the traditional time to petition Daikoku for good fortune.

**Animals:** Rats, mice

**Altar:** Place his statue and/or altar in the kitchen.

**Offerings:** Mochi (sticky rice cakes); sake; incense

**See Also:** Benzaiten; Ebisu; Kami; Marishi; Okuninushi; Shichi Fukujin

## Appearances in Modern Media

From Tower of SaviorsFrom Shuumatsu no Valkyrie/ Record of RagnarokFrom Monster StrikeThe servants of Daikokuten
## Information Source

Encyclopedia of Spirits: The Ultimate Guide to the Magic of Fairies, Genies, Demons, Ghosts, Gods & Goddesses by Judika Illes
Echidna

**Origin:** Greece

Echidna, the snake woman, is the daughter of Gaia the Earth. (An alternative myth suggests that she’s the daughter of Keto and Phorkys.) Typhon is her brother, lover, and father of her children: Cerberus; Orthrus, the Chimera; Hydra; the Nemean lion; Ladon; and the sphinx (or at least the Greek sphinx).

Echidna was born in a cave and dwells deep in a cave. She is a great goddess, mother of a pantheon of spirits, an alternative to the Olympians. Modern children’s mythology books often dismiss Echidna as a cave monster. Her children are vilified as monsters; Heracles was deputized to kill many on behalf of Zeus. Hesiod described her as ageless and immortal. She was worshiped as an earthquake goddess in Phrygia, now in modern Turkey.

Echidna is a guardian of Earth’s treasures. She is a repository of ancient wisdom. She canbe a protective guardian. Earthquakes are the result of Echidna, the great snake, uncoiling and moving about. She is invoked to prevent earthquakes or to provide safety and minimize the damage should one occur.

**Manifestation:** Echidna is a beautiful woman from the waist up; below the waist, she is a snake. She may have wings and/or a double-tail. She possesses a snake’s venom.

**Altar:** Echidna is a very private and primordial spirit. An altar in a quiet cave or grotto is best. Altars within homes should be placed in quiet corners. She may be venerated alongside Typhon, her children, Keto, and/or Gaia. Decorate altars with serpentine imagery or images of her children.

**See Also:** Car; Gaia; Heracles; Hydra; Keto; Kybele; Ladon; Olympian Spirits; Pborkys; Sphinx; Typhon; Zeus

## Appearances in Modern Media

From Fate Grand OrderFrom Monster StrikeFrom Blood BrothersFrom Kamihime ProjectFrom Puzzle & DragonFrom Shin Megami TenseiFrom Rage of BahamutFrom Age of IshtariaFrom Divine Gate
## Information Source

Encyclopedia of Spirits: The Ultimate Guide to the Magic of Fairies, Genies, Demons, Ghosts, Gods & Goddesses by Judika Illes
Helios

*The Watcher; The Untiring Eye; The All Seeing, Ever Watching*

**Pantheon**: Greek/Roman

**Classification:** Titan

**Authority**: Power

## Information

Helios, known to the Romans as Sol, is the sun as well as the original spirit of the sun worshipped in Greece. He was eventually superseded by Apollo. Very little information now survives regarding his actual veneration, but Helios was not a remote deity. Scholars consider that he was an extremely important pre-Hellenic deity. He was actively venerated and possessed many shrines.

Oaths were taken in Helios’ name. Helios sees all and knows all, at least if it occurs during daytime. He is the witness to all crimes committed in daylight hours. Hecate witnesses all crimes committed at night. The relationship between the two deities is mysterious. Helios’ wife is named Perse, sometimes a title for Hecate. Hecate may also be his cousin or descendent. When Persephone cannot be found, Hecate leads Demeter to Helios, who ultimately reveals Persephone’s fate.

Helios is the illuminator, both literally and metaphorically. According to Greek mythology, he ascended the heavens in a chariot drawn by winged snow-white horses to give light and in the evening when the sun sets at night, Helios is visiting his other realm—either a realm of spirits or the realm where he lives with his mother, wife, and kids. His children with Perse include Circe; Phaeton; Aietes, the father of Medea and Pasiphae, the mother of Ariadne and the Minotaur. He had other children, too, born of mortals and goddesses.

Homer wrote: ‘Drawn in his swift chariot, he sheds light on gods and men alike; the formidable flash of his eyes pierces his golden helmet, sparkling rays glint from his breast and his brilliant helmet gives forth a dazzling splendour. His body is draped in shining gauze, whipped by the wind.’

He is especially associated with the life force and renewing health and energy.

**Favoured People:** Helios’ children can be detected by the golden glint in their eyes.

**Manifestation:** A radiantly handsome man crowned with the sun drives a flaming chariot drawn by fire-breathing horses (or incendiary oxen) across the sky.

**Animals:** Helios owns cattle, one for every day of the solar year.

**Spirit allies:** His sisters, Eos and Selene

**Sacred Sites:** Many of his shrines, located on mountaintops, were rededicated to Saint Elijah, who also drives a fiery chariot. Helios owns Rhodes, given to him by Zeus. He married Rhodos, who may be the indigenous goddess of the island or Poseidon’s daughter. Together they have seven sons, the Heliadae.

**Offerings:** Gymnastic competitions were held in his honour.

**See Also:** Apollo; Ariadne; Circe; Demeter; Eos; Hecate; Pasipbae; Persephone; Poseidon; Selene; Zeus

## Appearance in Modern Media

From Rage of BahamutFrom Age of MythologyFrom Dawn of GodsFrom Rangers of OblivionFrom Age of IshtariaFrom Shin Megami Tensei
## Information Source

A Guide to Occult Power of White Magic by Dr S.P. Bhagat

Encyclopedia of Spirits: The Ultimate Guide to the Magic of Fairies, Genies, Demons, Ghosts, Gods & Goddesses by Judika Illes
Furina

**Also known as:** Furrina

**Origin:** Etruscan or Italian

Furina is the ancient and mysterious matron goddess of thieves and robbers. Her name derives from the same root word as “fortune.” Furina was not a forbidden or suppressed goddess venerated only by miscreants. She was officially incorporated into Roman state religion. Furina had her own annual festival. She had a priest, a temple, and a sacred grove on the Janiculum ridge alongside the Tiber’s west bank. (The site is now occupied by the Villa Sciarra.) Furina may have been associated with a spring in her grove. Some scholars theorize that she was originally a spirit of the watery depths.

**Favoured people:**Thieves, robbers

**Element:** Earth; possibly water

**Time:** After dark

**Feast:** The Furinalia was celebrated on 25 July.

The name Furina now applies to a genus of venomous Australian snakes.

**See Also:** Fortuna; Laverna

## Information Source

Encyclopedia of Spirits: The Ultimate Guide to the Magic of Fairies, Genies, Demons, Ghosts, Gods & Goddesses by Judika Illes
Celestial Dew

Celestial dew is condensed moisture with alchemical properties. Dew is considered a gift of heaven or the gods, sent down to Earth, and thus has a special purity. In Alchemy, dew gathered in the morning is Prima Materia for the process of making the Philosopher’s Stone.

Paracelsus used Dew in his medical treatments. He captured dew on plates of glass under various astrological auspices, which he believed imbued themselves into the dew itself. He gave the dew to patients to ingest.
Gold

Gold is the most precious metal that is the goal of Alchemy. Gold has ruled the fates of empires and nations. It is so valued and so rare that if all gold in existence from the time the Earth began were melted into a single cube, it would measure less than 19 yards square.

During the height of alchemy in the Renaissance, European nobility and royalty hoped that alchemy would provide a magical means of unlimited wealth. Alchemists were hired to transmute base metals such as lead and copper into gold or even silver—sometimes under threat of death if they failed.
Much counterfeit “alchemical gold” was circulated, but some alchemists reportedly were successful. According to Paracelsus, there are three types of gold in alchemy: astral gold, elementary gold, and vulgar gold.

Astral gold “has its center in the sun, which communicates it by its rays to all inferior beings. It is an igneous substance, which receives a continual emanation of solar corpuscles that penetrates all things sentient, vegetable, and mineral.”

Elementary gold “is the purest and fixed portions of the elements, and of all that is composed of them. All sublunary beings included in the three kingdoms contain in their inmost center a precious grain of this elementary gold.”

Vulgar gold “is the most beautiful metal of our acquaintance, the best that Nature can produce, as perfect as it is unalterable in itself.” Paracelsus said that the philosopher’s stone is elementary gold, or “living philosophical gold,” “living sulphur,” and “true fire.”

Gold is the metal of the sun, solar magic, the male principle, light, power, divine intelligence, purity, and spiritual enlightenment. In spiritual alchemy it represents the attainment of a refined and high level of consciousness. Chrysaor, the magic sword of gold, is symbolic of supreme spiritual determination.

Gold also symbolizes all that is superior. Since ancient times, it has been prized for its healing properties and power in amulets. The ancient Chinese used gold leaf in unguents, believing it to be a restorative to the entire body.
Cyhyraeth

*The Weeper; The Griever*

**Origin:** Wales

The Cyhyraeth is a Banshee-like spirit from Glamorganshire, Wales. She is rarely seen but is most frequently heard crying and moaning. The Cyhyraeth is a death omen. Like the Banshee or Caointeach, some are associated with specific families. They wail when a member of the family dies far from home. Others weep in association with multiple deaths affecting a community. The sound of her weeping may foretell epidemics or disaster. She is not a killer but a harbinger. She may deliver warnings, if only we knew how to interpret or react to them.

She frequents crossroads and lingers near water. She may be related to the Washers at the Ford. The Cyhyraeth makes herself visible alongside the Glamorganshire coast just before shipwrecks. She wanders weeping, accompanied by corpse-lights (will-o'-the-wisps or phantom lights). In a Christian slant on her legend, she guides the souls of those who perished in shipwrecks to the nearest church cemetery.

**See Also:** Banshee; Caointeach; La Llorona; Pixie; Washer at the Ford

## Information Source

Encyclopedia of Spirits: The Ultimate Guide to the Magic of Fairies, Genies, Demons, Ghosts, Gods & Goddesses by Judika Illes
Colours

Some spirits have specific colour associations. Where applicable, these preferences are included in individual entries. Altars, offerings, gifts, and candles may be colour-coordinated to suit spirits. In other words, if a spirit's sacred colour is identified as blue, then burn blue candles or decorate an altar with a blue cloth.

Different colours are understood as mystically representing different needs and desires, and so colours are also coordinated with needs and desires of petitioners, especially with regards to burning candles. Following is a list of standard colour associations, but remember, magic and spirituality are intensely personal. If you possess your own associations, then use your own language of colours.

* **Black**: fertility, protection against malevolent forces, healing of chronic illness
* **Blue**: peace, tranquillity, 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, represents the power of the blank slate, may also substitute for any other colour, if necessary
* **Yellow**: romance, love, sex, growth, prosperity, good fortune, abundance

## Information Source

Encyclopedia of Spirits: The Ultimate Guide to the Magic of Fairies, Genies, Demons, Ghosts, Gods & Goddesses by Judika Illes
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 rendevous 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 matter. (This is mentioned in individual wiki 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.

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 how 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.

## Information Source

Encyclopedia of Spirits: The Ultimate Guide to the Magic of Fairies, Genies, Demons, Ghosts, Gods & Goddesses by Judika Illes
Dominions

In the Pseudo-Dionysian hierarchy, the fourth highest order of angels, who regulate the duties of other angels and make known the commands of God. Dominions also are channels of mercy. The term dominion refers to “lordship,” “rule,” or “special meaning.” Use of the term dominions as a class of angels occurs in apocryphal writings inﬂuenced by the New Testament passages that suggest designations of heavenly powers. For example, Ephesians 1:21 states that God has raised Christ far above “all rule and authority and power and dominion and every name that is named” and Colossians 1:16 states that in Jesus Christ all things visible and invisible in heaven and earth are created, “whether thrones or dominions or rulers or powers.”

The Testament of Adam describes dominions as rulers over earthly kingdoms who decide the outcome of wars; in battles they are angels riding on red horses. 2 Enoch states that when Enoch is taken to the seventh Heaven, he sees “an exceptionally great light, and all the ﬁery armies of the great archangels, and the incorporeal forces and the dominions and the Origins and the Authorities, the Cherubim and the Seraphim and the many-eyed Thrones.” (20:1).
The Ethiopic translation of 1 Enoch refers to “angels of dominions.” The Apocalypse of Zephaniah sees “angels who are called lords” when he is taken to the ﬁfth heaven. In Rudolph Steiner’s three-tiered structure of the angelic realm, the kyriotates may equate with dominions. St. Augustine agreed with St. Paul that there exist seats (Thrones), dominions, Principalities, and Powers in the heavens, but he did not know speciﬁcally what they are or the differences between them.

According to Agrippa, dominions are associated with the air element. They help humans overcome their enemies. In Kabbalistic lore, dominions—along with Powers and Virtues—form one of four triplicities of intelligible hierarchies. They are one of the ruling angelic orders of Hesed (Mercy), the fourth sephirah of the Tree of life. Dominions are sometimes equated with Hasmalim.

## Information Source

Encyclopedia of Angels by Rosemary Guiley
Full Moon Love Spell

Items needed: One red candle and one white candle, 1 tsp. each of ginseng, jasmine, and lovage, three drops each of rose oil, lavender oil, and violet oil, a small white plate, a piece of parchment paper, and one 9” strip of red ribbon.

On the day of the full moon, melt the red candle in a double boiler. When the wax has melted, mix in the herbs and oils. Remove the pan from the stove and stir the wax as it begins to cool. Chant the following over the wax.

Mother of the moon, goddess of love,

Descend to me from far above.

Within this wax passion inspire

That I shall have the one I desire.

When the wax has cooled, but not solidified, dip the white candle in it so that the herbal wax mixture thoroughly coats the candle. Allow the candle to dry. Then, beneath the full moon, inscribe your name on one side of the candle and the name of the one you desire on the opposite side of the candle. Hold the candle to your heart as you repeat the previous chant. Fill the candle with all your love and desire. When you feel the candle has been thoroughly charged, light it. Visualize you and the one your desire together. Allow the candle to burn out.
Gajasura

*Elephant of the Asuras*

**Origin:** India

Ganesha’s head didn’t come from just any old elephant. Gajasura, an elephant Asura, adored Shiva. His devotion and veneration pleased Shiva so much that he offered to grant Gajasura any wish. Gajasura asked to have Shiva in his stomach. His wish was fulfilled. There are two interpretations of this wish:

* Gajasura loved Shiva so much he wished to have him always near.
* Those perceiving Asuras as Demons consider it an assassination attempt.

Parvati, Shiva’s true love, was devastated and requested Vishnu’s help. Vishnu disguised himself as a wandering musician and coerced Brahma into accompanying him on the tabla. Nandi, Shiva’s mount, masqueraded as a dancing bull.

Gajasura was so impressed with Nandi that he offered the musicians any gift. They requested that he return Shiva. Gajasura acquiesced but knew that the act of disgorging Shiva would kill him. He requested that his elephant head be preserved and given so much importance that everyone would worship it. Eventually, that head wound up on Ganesha’s shoulders.

**See Also:** Ashura; Ganesha; Nandi; Parvati; Shiva

## Information Source

Encyclopedia of Spirits: The Ultimate Guide to the Magic of Fairies, Genies, Demons, Ghosts, Gods & Goddesses by Judika Illes
Eight Dharma Protectors

Defenders of the Law

**Also known as:** The Dharmapalas; Eight Terrible Ones

**Origin:** Tibet

The Dharmapalas or Dharma Protectors are guardians of truth and defenders of Buddhism. Although fierce, wrathful deities, they are simultaneously Buddhas and Bodhisattvas and so beings of sublime compassion and wisdom. They wage merciless war against enemies of Buddhism and evil spirits who prey on their devotees.

There are hundreds of Dharmapalas, but some are more widely venerated than others. The eight most popular and significant are known as the Eight Dharma Protectors:

* Begtse
* Hayagriva
* Kubera
* Mahakala
* Palden Lhamo
* Tsangpa Drakpo
* Yama
* Yamantaka

Seven are male; Palden Lhamo is the lone female. They are known as the terrible ones because of their ferocious appearance, but they are terrible in righteousness, not evil.

The Eight Dharma Protectors are among the most popular subjects of Tibetan art. Images of them are contained in most Tibetan Buddhist temples. They are perhaps the most significant subjects of devotion for ordinary Tibetans. In Tibetan folk religion, the Dharmapalas are considered somewhat akin to guardian angels. Over generations, many families share devotion to specific Dharma Protectors similar to the way generations of a family may venerate saints. Many clans and families claim affiliation with specific Dharmapalas. (Not necessarily one of the eight; there are hundreds.)

**See Also:** Begtse; Bodhisattva; Bon Spirits; Buddha; Hayagriva; Kubera; Palden Lhamo; Yama; Yamantaka

## Information Source

Encyclopedia of Spirits: The Ultimate Guide to the Magic of Fairies, Genies, Demons, Ghosts, Gods & Goddesses by Judika Illes
Coventina

**Origin:** Celtic Britain

**Classification:** Mermaid

Coventina is a water spirit presiding over the Carrawburgh River, Northumberland, once the Roman settlement of Brocolitia. She heals illness, restores fertility, and was venerated by colonizing Romans as well as Celts. The Romans identified her with Minerva. Her temple surrounded a pool fed by a sacred spring. Although now her only known shrine, she was not a local goddess but was also venerated in northwestern Spain and in Narbonne in Southern Gaul. She was not an insignificant deity—no little mermaid. The language used by the Romans indicates that they considered her to have the rank of a state deity.

Her spring and well were enclosed in approximately 130 CE. The shrine was very popular in the late second and third centuries. In 391 CE, the Theodosian Edict abolished Paganism and ordered the closing of Pagan temples and shrines. Evidence indicates that devotees attempted to hide Coventina’s shrine by placing building stones over the well.

**Attribute:** Water lily or water lily leaf

**Sacred site:** Coventina’s shrine was at Carrawburgh on Hadrian’s Wall.

**Offerings:** Among the offerings recovered from her shrine are terra-cotta ex-votos in the form of parts of the body; as many as 16,000 coins and a bronze incense burner inscribed with Coventina’s name; jewelry; pins (usually indicating petitions for safe childbirth)

**See Also:** Mermaid; Minerva

## Information Source

Encyclopedia of Spirits: The Ultimate Guide to the Magic of Fairies, Genies, Demons, Ghosts, Gods & Goddesses by Judika Illes
Gran Pays

The cemetery may be envisioned as a necropolis: a city of dead souls. The Haitian name for the dead residents of the cemetery that you are personally unable to name is Gran Pays or “Great Country.”

To enlist the aid of an entire cemetery or to summon supernal assistance when you don’t know who to ask or, for whatever reason, prefer not to approach a specific strange grave, address the cemetery at large:

1. Enter the cemetery with a candle and pick up a stray rock or stone, one not affiliated with any specific grave.
2. Holding the rock in one hand and the candle in the other, address the community of souls requesting, “Grand Community! Please, I need you to do me a service.”
3. Explicitly but very politely explain what you need.
4. Place the stone under a tree (the original Haitian ritual recommends a fruit tree so that your plan bears fruit, but the type of tree will depend on cemetery location).
5. Place the candle on or beside the stone and light it.
6. Leave and don’t look back.
7. If the Gran Pays or a specific ghost fulfills your request, return with offerings of gratitude.

**See Also:** Ghosts

## Information Source

Encyclopedia of Spirits: The Ultimate Guide to the Magic of Fairies, Genies, Demons, Ghosts, Gods & Goddesses by Judika Illes
Eight Immortals

**Also known as:** Pa Hsien; Ba Xian

**Origin:** China

The Eight Immortals are Taoist spirits who, though each also venerated separately, are venerated together as a group to reinforce each other and provide even greater inspiration, wisdom, healing, and protection, similar in manner to the Seven African Powers or the Shichi Fukujin (Seven Spirits of Good Fortune). The Eight Immortals are spiritual guardians, advisors, and tutors. Allegedly historic people who achieved immortality through mastery of Taoist alchemy, some are even documented.

* They offer instruction to those deemed worthy and ready to receive it.
* They offer help and protection to the needy and desperate.

There are at least one thousand Immortals, but the ones classified among the eight are the most popular and widely venerated. Symbolic of good fortune, their images are ubiquitous. Although individual members may vary, the standard group includes:

* Cao Guo-Jiu
* Chang Kuo-Lao
* Chung-li Ch’uan
* Han Hsiang-Tzu
* Ho Hsien-Ko
* Lan Ts’ai Ho
* Li Tieh-Kuai
* Lu Tong-Pin

**Iconography:** They are often depicted together, crossing the sea in a boat. In addition to images of the individual eight, they are sometimes represented by their attributes: sword, fan, flower basket, lotus, flute, gourd, castanets, and fish drum.

**Sacred site:** In addition to their individual shrines, they are venerated together in Taiwan’s Temple of the Eight Immortals.

**See Also:** Bao Gu; Shichi Fukujin

## Information Source

Encyclopedia of Spirits: The Ultimate Guide to the Magic of Fairies, Genies, Demons, Ghosts, Gods & Goddesses by Judika Illes
Faun

**Origin:** Italy

Fauns manifest as men with goat’s legs and horns, similar to Pan and the satyrs. Fauns are among the spirits in the retinue of Faunus. Like satyrs, they have a reputation for being lascivious, wild, and lustful. Artist Franz von Stuck’s 1918 painting, “Faun and Nixe” depicts a faun carrying off an exultant Nixie.

The title of Guillermo del Toro’s 2006 Spanish language movie, El Laberinto del Fauno, was translated into English as Pan’s Labyrinth, but it literally means “The Faun’s Labyrinth.” The Greek deity Pan does not appear in the movie. The character played by actor Doug Jones is a faun.

**See Also:** Faunus; Pan

## Information Source

Encyclopedia of Spirits: The Ultimate Guide to the Magic of Fairies, Genies, Demons, Ghosts, Gods & Goddesses by Judika Illes
Fukurokuju

**Also known as:** Fukurokujin

**Origin:** Japan

Fukurokuju is Lord of Wealth, Happiness, and Longevity. He is believed to derive from a Chinese Taoist spirit but is now considered the kami of popularity. He is among the Shichi Fukujin, the Seven Spirits of Good Luck. Fukurokuju is often found in the company of Jurojin; the two are happily venerated together. Together, they may double the blessings they bring.

**Manifestation:** He is an elderly man with a long, white beard and an unusually shaped bald head with an exceptionally elongated forehead. Once you know what he looks like, he’s hard to miss.

**Iconography:** Some images emphasize the phallic appearance of his head.

**Attribute:** Long staff with a scroll attached

**Animals:** Bat, stag, tortoise

**Bird:** Crane

**See Also:** Jurojin; Kami; Shichi Fukujin

## Information Source

Encyclopedia of Spirits: The Ultimate Guide to the Magic of Fairies, Genies, Demons, Ghosts, Gods & Goddesses by Judika Illes
Exotika

**Origin:** Greece

Greek spirits aren’t only ancient or Classical: the Exotika are a pantheon of modern Greek spirits. Exotika means “things outside” or “things beyond.” They are non-Christian spirits existing in Christian context. From a Christian perspective, spirits are either allied with God or the devil. The Exotika are spirits who are non- or pre-Christian, thus they are generally considered malevolent or, at least, outside the pale of safety.

**See Also:** Charos; Gello; Gorgon; Kallikantzari; Lamia of the Sea; Lamiae; Neraida; Zeus

## Information Source

Encyclopedia of Spirits: The Ultimate Guide to the Magic of Fairies, Genies, Demons, Ghosts, Gods & Goddesses by Judika Illes
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

## Information Source

Encyclopedia of Spirits: The Ultimate Guide to the Magic of Fairies, Genies, Demons, Ghosts, Gods & Goddesses by Judika Illes
Damballah La Flambeau

**Also known as:** Danballah La Flambo

**Classification:** Lwa

Sometimes Damballah the world snake is not so calm and detached; sometimes the snake is fiery.

Damballah La Flambeau (“Damballah the Torch”) may or may not be an aspect of Damballah, the Petro path of a lwa usually associated with Rada rites. Damballah La Flambeau may or may not be the same spirit as Simbi La Flambeau.

Damballah La Flambeau is the fiery source of generative energy, the big bang that starts the world turning. Damballah La Flambeau is a magnificently powerful magician who can remove all curses and spells (as well as cast them). There is no illness that Damballah La Flambeau cannot heal.

**Manifestation:** Damballah La Flambeau is a great red snake.

**Offerings:** Eggs dyed red; hibiscus juice

**See Also:** Damballah; Lwa; Petro; Rada; Simbi La Flambeau

## Information Source

Encyclopedia of Spirits: The Ultimate Guide to the Magic of Fairies, Genies, Demons, Ghosts, Gods & Goddesses by Judika Illes
Grann Ezili

*Grandmother Ezili*

How did Ezili Freda become a courtesan, anyway? Her grandmother sold her. Ezili’s beauty was perceived as the ticket to family stability. Grann Ezili arranged her courtesanship and profits from it financially. (In some versions, she’s Ezili Freda’s mother, not her grandmother.) She is the matron spirit of sex workers, especially madams. She is invoked by sex workers for protection and prosperity. She is syncretized to Saint Anne.

On the positive side, Grann Ezili is a spirit of female wisdom who may he invoked to reveal the secrets of the ages. She is a font of romantic, sexual, financial, esoteric, occult, and folkloric knowledge.

**Manifestation:** An old, once beautiful woman, now crippled by arthritis. She drags herself along with a cane.

**Colors:** Pink, white

**Offerings:** Similar to what would be given to Ezili Freda Dahomey

**See Also:** Ezili; Ezili Freda Dahomey

## Information Source

Encyclopedia of Spirits: The Ultimate Guide to the Magic of Fairies, Genies, Demons, Ghosts, Gods & Goddesses by Judika Illes