recursal/Fanatic-Fandom huggingface dataset:
Pumpkin

(Curcurbita spp.)

Planet: Moon

Element: Earth

Energies: Healing, money

### Lore:

According to early American lore, if half a pumpkin is left exposed in the kitchen, negative energies will arrive to spoil the cooking.

The pumpkins carved with faces and lit with candles on the last night of October in the United States are related to the similarly prepared turnips carried by children in the U.K. They are created to scare away evil.

Pumpkins are sometimes featured in Samhain celebrations by Wiccans as symbols of the fruitfulness of the earth and of the God’s death beneath the sickle of time. These round, orange vegetables are also symbols of the Mother Goddess.

### Magical uses:

Add pumpkin dishes to health diets. Dry, roast, and eat the seeds, or enjoy such delicious treats as pumpkin pie and pumpkin bread. Pumpkin is also a nutritious money-attractant. Make a pumpkin pie and add cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg to flavour it with money-drawing energies.
Sunflower

(Helianthus annuus)

Planet: Sun

Element: Fire

Energies: Protection, success

### Lore:

Sunflowers were viewed as symbols of the sun by the ancient Incas of Peru. Gold crowns inspired by this flower were reportedly worn by solar priestesses during rituals.

Many Mexican gardens contain sunflowers, since their presence is thought to confer “luck.” Women still eat sunflower seeds for help in conceiving a child. In the United States, the seeds are gathered at sunset and eaten to gain a wish.

### Magical uses:

Hold your hands over a small bowl of roasted sunflower seeds. Visualize them bursting with the energies of the sun—protection, success, triumph. Then eat them to bring these powers inside yourself. Or, add to protective salads and other dishes.
Nanshe

Our Lady of Dreams; Lady of Abundance; The Queen Mother

**Origin:** Sumeria, Babylonia

Nanshe, the daughter of Sumerian deities Enki and Ninhursag, is a divine prophetess and an oracle. Her temple priests served as dream interpreters. Nanshe, herself, communicates via dreams. She is a goddess of personal and creative fertility who possesses the power to increase abundance. The Sumerian Hymn to Nanshe describes her as the benefactress of the cities she sponsors and the protectress of the weakest members of society.

Nanshe guards widows, orphans and refugees. She will not assist ingrates or the arrogant. Nanshe punishes those who offend her by afflicting them with mental illness, insanity and/ or torturous dreams. Nanshe determines fate. She has dominion over fishing, literal and metaphoric. According to the Sumerian Hymn to Nanshe, no other divine powers match hers.

**Favoured People:** Dream workers; dream interpreters; sleep therapists; Pisceans

**Attributes:** A fish within a water-filled vessel (intended as a uterine symbol); containers made of reeds that are never empty

**Consort:** Nindara

**Spirit allies:** Enki, Nisaba

**Creatures:** Fish

**Element:** Water

**Metal:** Silver

**Day:** New Year’s Day

**Sacred site:** The Sumerian city Nina, now modern Sorghul, Iraq

**Offerings:** Fresh water; wine; fruit; hot and cold prepared meals

**See Also:** Enki; Nisaba

## Information Source

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

The oven is another symbol of the divine. It encloses, performs a transformative process (cooking), and is warm and bright. Humans have used many types of ovens, from the mud-brick ovens of the Middle East to the earthen ovens used in both North America and Polynesia. Some cultures honoured an oven goddess, such as Fornacalia of ancient Rome.  Others, like the Chinese, see a male deity within its sun-like warmth. In Europe, the oven didn’t come into common use until the eighteenth century; the cauldron, a kind of portable oven,was used in its place.

The oven’s purpose is to retain heat from the burning fuel and to provide the even temperature necessary for proper cooking. Gas or electrically heated ovens are fine for magical cooking. Modern microwave ovens work on a completely different principle to heat the food. As food magic is a traditional practice, it’s best to avoid microwaves and utilize the time-honoured, traditional tools of food preparation.
Mutus Liber

Mutus Liber (Wordless Book) Anonymous alchemical text for creating the Philosopher’s Stone. The Mutus Liber was first printed in France in 1677 and was reissued in 1702. Its origins and authorship are unknown. The content of the book consists only of 15 plates showing different stages of the Great Work, with no accompanying explanation. In true alchemical tradition, the images are meant to be interpreted and understood intuitively. Details missing from the images must come from a student’s spiritual study.
Protective Crystal Ritual

This crystal ritual is particularly effective for anyone feeling anxious about travelling or moving house. You will need a map of the journey involved. You may like to work by candlelight, in which case light a yellow candle for a journey of a short distance or duration and a blue one for major travel. You can also adapt this ritual for a house move, burning a brown candle for a move to or within a town or city and green for a rural or more isolated location.

Spread five or six protective crystals across the map from your home to your destination. Prepare a circle of protective incense sticks or cones, such as copal, juniper or lemon verbena, alternated with fern or frankincense incense for travel. Use holders or burners wide enough to collect the ash. (Incense combines the qualities of the Earth in its substance and of the Sky when lit and so is a very balanced form of magic, combining the Sky Father and Earth Mother, animus and anima energies, or yang and yin in the Oriental tradition.)

As you light the incense, say:

Far or near, guard my home, guide me safe o’er hill and foam, In darkest night, though apart, my home I carry in my heart.

While the incense is burning, make positive plans for your journey and focus on the most pleasurable aspects. When the incense is burned through, collect any ash and sprinkle a little over the crystals you placed over your home and destination.

Wash the crystals in sacred water or any source of running water and allow them to dry naturally. Take your home crystal on the journey with you and give the destination crystal to a loved one. If you live alone, bury it in a plant pot near the door to await your homecoming.

For a house move, bury the ‘new home’ crystal near the front door of your present property to create a happy atmosphere for the new owners or tenants. Bury the ‘old home’ crystal in the ground near your new front door when you move, to transfer positive energies with you and make the new home instantly yours.
Empress Jingu

**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 CE, 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.

**Manifestation:** 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; Milagro

## Information Source

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

Thomas Charnock (1526–1581) was an English alchemist. Thomas Charnock was born in 1524 in Faversham, Kent. In his early twenties, he became fascinated by Alchemy and travelled all over England in search of knowledge of it. In Oxford he met an Adept named “James S.” who took him on as apprentice and then bequeathed to him the secret of the Philosopher’s Stone when he died in 1554.

Charnock failed to write the secret down and lost it when the laboratory burned down soon thereafter. Fortunately for Charnock, he was able to learn the secret again from William Holloway, a prior of Bath. Holloway said he had hidden a flask of the Red Elixir in a wall at Bath Abbey, but when he had gone to look for it, he could not find it. He was so upset that he thought he would go mad. Holloway was old and blind when Charnock met him. Holloway swore him to secrecy and then gave him the secret.

Charnock worked for months and finally felt that he was nearing success. But his work was halted in 1557 when he was drafted into the militia to fight for the duke of Guise in his attack on Calais, France. The war was won by the English in 1558, and Charnock returned to England.

In 1562, he married Agnes Norden of Stockland, Bristol; they had two children, a son who died in infancy and a daughter. Charnock moved his family to Combwich, near Edgewater. He set up an alchemical laboratory where he worked until his death in 1581. In 1556, he wrote A Book of Philosophie, dedicated to Queen Elizabeth I. In it, Charnock boasted that he could make gold at risk of losing his head if he failed. The queen never put him to the test; the book eventually vanished from her possession.

About 100 years later, a roll of parchment was discovered in the wall of Charnock’s last home. It dealt with alchemy. According to Charnock, he finally succeeded in making the Stone in 1579, after labouring away at the task for 24 years.

## Information Source

The Encyclopedia of Magic and Alchemy Written by Rosemary Ellen Guiley
Melk

**Also Known As:** Malk; Plural: Mlouk

The Mlouk are the spirits summoned and venerated by Morocco’s Gnawa Brotherhood. Although the name resembles a Semitic word for “king” (Arabic: Malik, Hebrew: Melekh), it actually derives from an Arabic verb meaning “to own.” The Mlouk are literally the owners or possessors, all implications intended.

Mlouk are invoked via rituals, incense, music, songs, and colors. Each individual Melk has songs, rhythms, fragrances, colors, and so forth that call him or her. Mlouk are both female and male. The various Mlouk derive from African shamanism, Sufism, and the Jewish Bible. (Moses is the Blue Melk.) Most are considered either Muslim or Jewish; a few are Pagan.

There are seven Mlouk troops who are identified by colors: purple, red, blue, black, green, yellow, and white. Each has a leader. For example, Lalla Mira is the Yellow Melk.

As with Vodou or Bori spirits, Mlouk appear during rituals in specific order. Male Muslim Mlouk appear first, followed by female Muslim Mlouk and then Jewish and Sudanese Mlouk, who appear together. Aisha Qandisha and Aisha Sudaniyya are considered Sudanese Mlouk. (In this context, the term Sudanese refers to sub-Saharan Africa in general and not just the modern nation.)

Mlouk are possessing spirits. They cannot be exorcised. The possessed person is inhabited by a spirit who can become either an ally or an enemy:

* If the human is a welcoming host, a symbiotic alliance is formed.
* If the human is not welcoming, then the spirit tenant who can’t be evicted causes trouble, anguish, and poor health.

**See Also:** Aisha Qandisha; Aisha Sudaniyya; Bori; Djinn; Lalla Mira; Mimoun; Sidi; Possession

## Information Source

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

**Pantheon**: Mayan

**Title**: Hidden Jaguar Sun

## Smite Lore

Xbalanque was born with vengeance in his heart.

As one of the Hero Twins, Xbalanque, and his brother Hunahpu, knew their lives would eventually force them to face the Lords of Death, chiefs of the Underworld who murdered their father, but first they would need to master the arts of hunting with blowguns and the violent ball game Pitz.

As a test of their strength, they decided to defeat the vain and evil bird-lord, Seven Macaw, who declared himself the Sun and the Moon and replaced his teeth with glistening jewels.

The Hero Twins fired their blowguns at the perching bird-lord, knocking out several of Seven Macaw's glittering teeth. Ferociously he came at them, but only snatched Hunahpu and tore off the boy's arm. Cleverly, the twins enlisted the aid of an elderly couple and advised them to pose as dentists. Seven Macaw sought to ease the pain in his mouth, so, as they were instructed, the dentists pulled the rest of Seven Macaw's teeth and replaced them with white corn. So humiliated was the great bird that he died of despair.

It would be many years and several trials later that, at last, the Hero Twins were able to challenge the Lords of Death and avenge their father, but their final victory allowed them to ascend to the heavens, where Xbalanque was immortalized as the moon, lighting the night for clever hunters everywhere.
Sekhmet

**Pantheon**: Egyptian

**Colours**: red and black

**Crystals and stones**: red or brown tiger’s eye.

**Authority**: Power

## Information

Sekhmet is the Ancient Egyptian solar and lion goddess created from the eye of Ra. She is sometimes pictured as a woman with a lion’s head and so is a good to evoke for courage, righteous anger, protection of the vulnerable, psychic protection and the correction of injustice. As an avenging goddess, she should be used only as a focus for positive rituals, for, like fire, her innate power can blaze out of control.

Sekhmet is the lion-headed goddess associated with Upper Egypt. She was called ” The terrible one,” ” She who is Powerful” and the “Eye of Ra” while she was in her protector form. A mighty solar goddess of fire, power, destruction and war her breath created the desert. She is an extremely protective deity and an excellent goddess to call upon if you feel you are under psychic attack Sekhmet will come roaring to your aid so long as your respectful of her power.
Sir Kenelm Digby

Sir Kenelm Digby (1601–1665) was an English alchemist. Sir Kenelm Digby was a colourful character, though of modest achievement in Alchemy. He is best known for his cures based on sympathetic magic. He was an original member of the Royal Society and was the first to note the importance of “vital air,” or oxygen, to plants. His primary interests lay in alchemy and Astrology.

Born on July 11, 1603, Digby was the oldest son of Sir Everard Digby. His father was executed for conspiracy, and most of his fortune was confiscated by the Crown. Son Digby nonetheless retained enough to live well. He attended Worcester College and was reputed to learn 10 to 12 languages.
In 1625 he married his childhood sweetheart, Venetia Stanley, and enjoyed a happy marriage. In 1627 he engaged in pirating on the Mediterranean and had some spectacular successes that earned him royal commendations and, undoubtedly, a financial reward.

But the high days came to an end in 1633 when Venetia died and Digby, crushed, retired to Gresham College in London. There he immersed himself in medicine, chemistry, and alchemy. He collected manuscripts of purported alchemical secrets and conducted experiments.

His alchemical efforts met with little success, and some considered him to be credulous and deceitful. He had better success with medical “cures,” including a weapon-salve and a cure for toothache. The toothache remedy consisted of scratching the gums near the infected tooth with an iron nail and then hammering the nail into a wooden beam.

After his death in 1665, one of his alchemy assistants, Georg Hartmann, published a collection of Digby’s “rare chemical secrets.”

## Information Source

The Encyclopedia of Magic and Alchemy  Written by Rosemary Ellen Guiley
Raijin

**Pantheon**: Shinto

**Title**: Master of Thunder

## Smite Lore

Thunder is a terrifying element, trembling the very earth with its sound. Herald to storms, accomplice to lightning, thunder is primal, powerful and chaotic. Let this speak, then, of its master, the demon faced God, Raijin, who summons this force with the pounding of his great drums.

Ever in conflict with his equally fearsome brother, Fujin, Master of Wind, Raijin vies for control of the skies above the Realm of the Rising Sun. For mortals, their battles form dramatic storms and devastating tidal waves, but for the brothers, this is just friendly competition; an ongoing tournament to determine the strongest.

Though monstrous in appearance and intimidating in battle, Raijin is generous to his Faithful, clearing the detritus with lightning to leave rice fields all the more fertile. That doesn't stop parents from warning their children to hide when a storm comes, lest Raijin devour their bellies. Raijin no doubt finds this tale amusing but has yet to actually feast on any toddlers.
Serqet

**Pantheon**: Egyptian

**Title**: Goddess of Venom

**Other Names**: Serket

## Smite Lore

It is with fear and trepidation that man walks carefully near the serpent and scorpion. Not that these creatures could overpower him with strength or guile, but the fierce venom they carry is deadlier than any blade or arrow. Yet, for all the dread they induce, they never strike randomly or in anger. Poison of any kind is controlled and administered only to those deserving of such punishment. Serqet, Goddess of Venom sees to this.

Though crushing strangulation and pain await those touched by her sting, Serqet is not a deity of retribution but guardianship. The wakeless dead are embalmed and preserved for all time in fluids taken from Serqets beasts. Of the four sacred Canopic Jars which hold the internal organs of the mummified, Serqet is the watcher of one. And, though her strikes mean certain death, Serqet can cleanse poison as easily as apply it.
Radish

(Raphanus sativus)

Planet: Mars
Element: Fire

Energies: Protection

### Lore:

Wild radishes, eaten before breakfast, were once thought to protect the diner from being flogged and to enable one to overcome all obstacles and enemies.

### Magical uses:

Slice thinly and eat for protection, especially in salads with onions, bell peppers, and other protective foods.
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.

## Information Source

Encyclopedia of Spirits: The Ultimate Guide to the Magic of Fairies, Genies, Demons, Ghosts, Gods & Goddesses by Judika Illes
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 centre 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 honoured 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 uninitiated and cease to be mysteries. When a Mystery religion was suppressed or when a generation of its leaders was killed, 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.

## Information Source

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

**Also known as:** Chung-Li Ch'uan

**Origin:** China

Chung-li Ch’uan, Chief of the Eight Immortals, allegedly lived during the Chou Dynasty (1122–249 BCE). A great alchemist, he obtained the secrets of the Elixir of Life and the Powder of Transformation, better known in the West as the Philosopher’s Stone.

Once upon a time, he was a Taoist master who encountered a young woman dressed in widow’s weeds sitting beside a grave and fanning the ground over it. When asked to explain her actions, she said she had promised her late husband not to re-marry until the dirt over his grave was dry. She had found a man she wished to marry and was trying to hurry the process.

Chung-li Ch’uan offered to help. He invoked spirits, then, borrowing her fan, he struck the ground with it. It dried completely. The widow was so ecstatic that she ran off, thanking him, leaving the fan in his hands. He went home and described his experience to his own beautiful, much younger wife, who expressed strong disapproval of the widow’s desires, protesting (perhaps too much) that she herself would never behave in such fashion. Chung-li Ch’uan was inspired to prove a point.

Using spells, he made his body seem dead while his soul assumed the form of an extremely handsome young man in which guise he aggressively courted his own wife. She held out for a few days but then agreed to marry him. Chung-li Ch’uan in disguise advised her that her late husband’s brains were required as an ingredient for a potion. Intending to fulfill her new lover’s request, she opened the coffin, only to witness the corpse come alive and the new lover vanish. Devastated and humiliated, she hung herself. Chung-li Ch’uan set his house on fire including all his possessions, keeping only the fan and a copy of the I-Ching. Chung-li Ch’uan is invoked when his magical or alchemical knowledge is needed; however, it is his powers of resurrection and his ability to bestow longevity that are generally most sought.

**Iconography:** Chung-li Ch’uan is usually depicted as a fat man with a big naked belly. He always grasps his primary attribute, the magical fan with which he resurrects the dead.

**Attributes:** Fan, peach of immortality

**Offerings:** Incense

**See Also:** Eight Immortals

## Information Source

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

**Pantheon**: Norse

**Title**: The Glorious One

## Smite Lore

Amongst the snow-capped forests of the frigid north resides the hunter-God of Glory, Ullr. Reserved, secretive, Ullr does not represent the tankard downing, boast bellowing contemporaries of the Norse Pantheon, but pays respectful tribute to glory in all its forms.

Glory is in the silence of snowfall, in the honourable victory earned from single combat, in the perfect curve of a yew bow firing an arrow true. Dotted across the lands of the Faithful, shrines to Ullr can be found in remote, secluded hideaways. It is there that glory is found in the sanctity of a vow, once sworn, never broken, and bound by a ring, no matter how crude, then buried in the earth to weather the ages of time.
Olive

(Olea europaea)

Planet: Sun

Element: Air

Energies: Spirituality, health, peace, sex

### Lore:

The olive was sacred to Aten in ancient Egypt. Olive oil, which was in great demand in the ancient world, actually led to the downfall of Greece. Farmers began growing olives almost exclusively while ignoring food crops. This began Greece’s dependence on imported foods. When import lines were cut, Greece and its populace suffered.

Oil was used in hundreds of ways in the ancient world, but it was always linked with religion. It was necessary for the creation of the scented oils used in both religious and magical rituals. In Greece, olive oil was the most popular ingredient for these purposes. The Romans disdained the use of butter in cooking. They moistened bread with olive oil (as we use butter) and also cooked food in oil.

Magical uses:

Add olives or olive oil to spirituality inducing diets. Olives are perfect for post-ritual feasts. Small amounts of olive oil can be added to health diets. Visualize! Olives are also eaten for peace and for the release of stress. If this isn’t a problem, olives (and the oil) are suitable for arousing sexual desire.
Ymir

**Pantheon**: Norse

**Title**: Father of the Frost Giants

## Smite Lore

As far as it is known, Ymir has long been dead.

In Midgard, in the North, it is believed that Ymir’s skull is the sky, his flesh the earth, and his blood the sea. Though, these claims could merely be the boasting of proud Odin and his brothers, who take credit for slaying the first jotunn and fashioning the earth from his body parts.

At the beginning of time, the Realm of Fire, Muspell, and the Realm of Ice, Niflheim met at the place called Ginnungagap; the void of space. Steam rose and froze again, and from that primordial mixture, Ymir, King of the Frost Giants took shape. From his body dripped other beings that would become the ancestors of Gods, Men, Dwarves, and of course, Giants. Even the mighty Odin must claim Ymir as his grandfather. Yet Ymir, like all giants, was an evil creature and led his Giant brethren against the Gods. After ages of warfare, Odin and his brothers slew the Giant-King and forged the world from his remains.

Yet there are other whispers. Rumours that Ymir, though not a God, was still a Primeval Being, and as such cannot truly be destroyed. Perhaps he only lies dormant in Niflheim, the realm of ice, eager to return and wreak vengeance upon Odin in his kin.
Morya

Master Of Wisdom

**Also Known As:** El Morya Khan; Master M.

**Classification:** Ascended Master

Morya, a member of the Great White Brotherhood, was allegedly one of Madame Blavatsky’s own spirit guides, helping her establish the Theosophical Society. Morya is the Chohan or Chief Adept of the First Ray. His incarnations allegedly include Abraham, King Arthur, and Sir Thomas More. Morya was also Melchior, one of the three Magi. Morya is associated with the throat chakra.

**Iconography:** The traditional image of Morya depicts him as a bearded man with vividly blue eyes.

**Day:** Tuesday

**Colour:** Blue, white

**Gemstones:** Lapis lazuli, diamond, sapphire and star sapphire

**See Also:** Ascended Master; Madame Helena Blavatsky; Great White Brotherhood

## Information Source

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

Goddess of Dawn; Queen of Heaven; The Diamond Sow

**Also known as:** Marici (Sanskrit); Marishi; Marishiten (Japanese)

**Classification:** Buddha; Yidam

Marichi is a goddess, a full-fledged Buddha, and a powerful guardian spirit. She began her incarnation as an Indian goddess of the morning sun. (In Vedic traditions, she is considered male.) Her Sanskrit name means “a ray of light.” When Marichi was incorporated into Buddhism, her veneration spread throughout the Buddhist world.

Marichi protects against natural disasters and dangers deriving from any kind of living being, including malefic people, thieves, criminals, muggers, enemies, animals, and vicious spirits. She is invoked for protection when traveling.

Marichi is particularly popular in Tibet and Japan. In Tibet, she is considered a Buddha, the female counterpart of Manjushri and hence associated with acquisition and protection of wisdom. She may appear in the entourage of Green Tara.

In Japan, she’s called Marishiten. By the eighth century, she was the matron deity of the Samurai and warrior classes. Goddess of mirages, she controls perceptions: how and what people see. Thus she can block, obscure, or confuse what an enemy sees. Marishiten determines who will win or lose battles. Because she is profoundly associated with success, Japanese merchants began to venerate her in her guise as Lady of Victory and Wealth.

**Favoured people:** Warriors (literal and meta-phoric)

Marishiten is the Matron of Zen warfare. Contemplating and venerating Marishiten or her images allegedly enables one to reach a state of transcendent fearlessness and selflessness. With no worries about life, death, winning, or losing, a warrior can make truly clearheaded strategic decisions.

**Manifestation:** Depending on her aspect, she is very beautiful, very fierce, or both. She is strongly identified with pigs (either wild or domestic) and may signal her presence via some sort of porcine reference.

**Iconography:** She is portrayed on Tibetan mandalas with three faces and multiple arms (six, eight, twelve, or fourteen). The more arms she has, the more weapons she can wield. As Red Marichi, a wrathful form of Marichi, she has a sow’s head on a woman’s body.

**Attributes:** Vajra (ritual dagger), sewing needle, bow, arrow, medicinal plant, noose

**Time:** Marichi is most often invoked at the crack of dawn.

**Creature:** Sow

**Mount:** Marichi rides a boar or pig. Sometimes piglets pull her chariot. Alternatively she rides atop a lotus drawn by pigs or boars.

**Numbers:** 7, 9

**Planet:** Sun

**Sacred site:** Japanese mountain peaks and volcanic craters are named in her honor.

**Mantra:**

OM MARICHI (YE)\* MAM SVAHA (\* Ye is not pronounced; it is a space holder indicating a pause for emphasis.) Among other purposes, her mantra is used to promote acquisition of wisdom and insight and to protect travelers.

**See Also:** Buddha; Eos; Manjushri; Green Tara; Vajra; Vajravahari; Yidam

## Information Source

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

Pantries were once common to every home. Today, most of us fill cupboards with staples and canned foods. The pantry is ruled by the element of earth and the moon; because it is a container that houses food, it’s intimately linked with the Mother Goddess. For our purposes, your kitchen cabinets constitute a pantry. The magical cook should keep a stock of basic culinary ingredients: salt; sugar(if you use it); honey; maple syrup; herbs and spices; whole grains; flours of all types; cornmeal; vinegar; and vegetable oils and other similar foods, stored in airtight containers. As a place where food is stored, the pantry should be protected. A rope of braided garlic or chilli peppers hung in or on the pantry will serve it well. While hanging the rope, visualize the vegetable’s forceful energies driving away anything that would contaminate the food.
Mayahuel

*Lady Maguey; The Woman of Four Hundred Breasts*

**Also Known As:** Xochitl

**Origin:** Aztec

Mayahuel is the spirit of the maguey plant (Agave americana), also known as the century plant, among the most sacred botanicals of preconquest Mexico. The maguey’s gifts (and thus Mayahuel’s) include food, shelter, drink, medicine, soap, cloth, thread, needle, baskets, blankets, and paper. Maguey thorns were used as ritual bloodletting instruments. Last but not least, maguey is made into the alcoholic beverages pulque and mescal. (Tequila is made from a different type of agave.) Pulque was the most common alcoholic beverage in preconquest Mexico.

Different legends connect Mayahuel to maguey. She may have always been a plant goddess or she may have been a mortal peasant woman who discovered maguey and offered it to the spirits. They were so delighted that they instantly transformed her into a spirit, too. The essence of vitality, libido, and fertility, Mayahuel has dominion over Earth, the night sky, intoxication, drunkenness, and hallucinations.

• Mayahuel can correct female reproductive rhythms and is invoked for fertility.

• She is a spirit of healing and sacred ecstasy.

**Manifestations:** Mayahuel is a beautiful woman or a maguey plant.

**Iconography:** Her main icon is a blooming maguey, but she is also depicted as a birthing woman with big breasts and open legs, seated on a turtle. In the Borgia Codex manuscript, she nurses a fish. She is sometimes envisioned with four hundred breasts, a reference to maguey’s aguamiel, the milky sap from which pulque is made.

**Attributes:** Two cups, presumably containing pulque

**Elements:** Earth, water

**Consort:** Xochipilli

**Creatures:** Snail, rabbit

**Time:** Mayahuel is linked to the Aztec rabbit day.

**Offerings:** Maguey plants or any products of maguey, including pulque and mescal. Mescal is sometimes sold in ornate, handcrafted artisanal bottles fit for a goddess.

**See Also:** Xochipilli; Xochitl
Sweet Potato

(Ipomoea batatas)

Planet: Venus
Element: Water

Energies: Love, sex

### Lore:

An English cookbook of 1596 includes the preparation of a sweet potato tart intended to excite sexual desires.

Those sweetened, orange tubers often served at Thanksgiving are actually sweet potatoes, not yams. Yams certainly do exist and are eaten in large quantities in Africa, Central and South America, and the West Indies, but not in the U.S. True yams are massive tubers, growing to as long as seven feet and tipping the scales at more than one hundred pounds. Compare these to our “yams” of November and you’ll readily see the difference.

### Magical uses:

Cook and eat sweet potatoes to expand your ability to receive as well as to give love. Flavour with cinnamon, ginger, and a dash of honey or sugar to further empower them with loving energies. Or, prepare them with visualization and share with a mate for enhanced sexuality. Inform your partner of the food’s power.
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 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.

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 Christain 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.

## Information Source

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

**Pantheon**: Roman

**Title**: Keeper of the Wild

## Smite Lore

It is no coincidence the fields and forests surrounding the Mediterranean are a haven to shepherds, farmers, and wildlife. They're guarded by aged Sylvanus, a benevolent spirit of nature, whose glittering eyes and easy grin match the vibrant life that grows in these lands.

Companion to all woodland creatures, both mundane and fantastic, Sylvanus has been seen with fawn and wolf, nymph and satyr, and even trees come to life. He protects and nurtures those that respect his domain.

When the boy Cyparissus went travelling with his pet deer, Sylvanus accidently allowed wolves to hunt the peaceful animal. So stricken with grief at the loss of his pet, the child succumbed to despair and died. Wracked with guilt, Sylvanus transformed the child into the Cypress tree, whose sap weeps like the saddened child.
Old and wise, Sylvanus views the passing of time with ease and understanding. His laughter is the wind in the leaves, his touch the sprout of flowers from the earth, and his voice the call to calm the most savage beast.
Negro Felipe

**Pronounced:** Neh-gro Feh-lee-pay

The historical Negro Felipe (literally “Black Philip”) was an escaped slave from Cuba who played a prominent role in the Cuban struggle for independence. He served as Simon Bolivar’s aide before being murdered by Spanish colonists in Venezuela. Now among the most beloved of the spirits of Maria Lionza, he is venerated independently and as one of the Très Potencias, the triad consisting of himself, Maria Lionza, and Guaicaipuro. Felipe is head of the African Court and a member of the Court of Liberators. Originally from Cuba, Felipe serves as the spiritual link between Maria Lionza and Cuban Santeria, increasingly popular in Venezuela.

Negro Felipe is invoked for protection from enemies.

**Iconography:** A handsome black man with military bearing, wearing a red turban and a military uniform

**Consort:** Negra Francisca

**Colour:** Dark blue

**Offerings:** Rum, tobacco products

**See Also:** Guaicaipuro; Maria Lionza; Negra Francisca

## Information Source

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

Mercury is one of the most important substances in Alchemy. The metal mercury is part of every stage of the Great Work of the creation of the Philosopher’s Stone and has numerous symbolisms. Mercury, or Mercurius, is the Roman name for the Greek god Hermes, the central mythological figure in the Hermetic arts.

The metal mercury, or quicksilver, is liquid at room temperature, lending it the qualities of substance and of liquid spirit. It is both volatile and fixed, masculine and feminine, and thus is symbolized by the Hermaphrodite. Alchemists believed that they could extract mercury from any metal, thus giving it great importance in the transmutation of base metals into Gold and Silver. Mercury also is a solvent and thus purifies.

As a spirit or vapour, mercury is associated with the biblical “spirit that moves upon the face of the waters,” the breath of God. Zosimos called mercury “divine water.”

Mercury also is a Symbol for the Prima Materia.
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.

Not all spirits will engage in this type of relationship with people. Among the most associated with marriages are Djinn, Iwa, Sidhe, and Zar.

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 Iwa 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 devotees who 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.

## Information Source

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

Ever since Vulcan, son of Jupiter, created thunderbolts in his underground forge, the power of metal magick as been a closely guarded secret. In Western alchemy it was believed that the metals found on earth were influenced by their corresponding planetary rulers. Each metal was then named after a planet, imbued with the planet’s attributes, and incorporated into daily life through the days of the week. By using the corresponding metal, one was supposed to be able to control the forces that prevailed each day.

## Gold

The metal of the sun, gold governs Sunday and is associated with strength, power, success, achievement, wealth, and masculine energy.

## Silver

The metal of the moon, silver governs Monday and is associated with the feminine mystique, intuition, instinctive wisdom, spiritual and psychic understanding, fertility, and magick.

Iron:

The metal of Mars, iron governs Tuesday and is associated with war and aggression. It also stands against injustice and exudes masculine force and power.

## Mercury

The metal of Mercury, it governs Wednesday and is associated with communication, business, selling oneself and being heard. It holds the power of influence.

Tin:

The metal of Jupiter, tin governs Thursday and is associated with wisdom, idealism, expansion, and ambition. It is good for legal problems and career, and is a masculine force.

Copper:

The metal of Venus, it governs Friday and matters of the heart, love, emotions, lust, sex, and fertility. It is good for relationships and health and is a totally feminine force.

Lead:

The metal of Saturn, lead governs Saturday and is associated with change, transition, formation through restriction, and learning through trial and error. It is considered to be related to the first law of Karma: limitation.
Candle Ritual for Love

Scratch the zodiacal glyphs for yourself and a lover on candles of the appropriate colour then light the candles. Move them closer to each other over a period of three days while speaking words of love and desire to increase the love energies. For the first two days, blow out the candles, sending the light to wherever your lover is. On the third day, leave the candles to burn down, allowing the wax from the two candles to merge.

In the melded wax, cut the shape of a heart and on this scratch your entwined zodiacal glyphs. Wrap the symbol in white silk and leave it on a window ledge from the waxing to the full moon.
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."

## Information Source

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