recursal/Fanatic-Fandom huggingface dataset:
Charun

**Origin:** Etruscan

Charun is the Etruscan spirit of death. He is not the ferryman of classical Greek mythology but a psychopomp, a spirit who comes to collect souls and escort them to the afterlife. Some psychopomps wait until the person has died. They are purely escorts. Others actual deliver the coup de grace. Charun’s attributes are potentially instruments of violence, and so we can surmise that he takes an active role in the death process. He resembles modern Charos very much.

Charon, Charun, and Charos are all presumably the very same spirit.

**Manifestations:** He may appear as an old man with a beard, but he sometimes appears youthful. Charun has a hooked nose, snake-like hair, and the ears of a wolf. His skin is greenish or greyish in hue. Sometimes he has wings.

**Iconography:** Charun appears frequently on vases, urns, and sarcophagi. He is usually depicted with the door to the netherworld behind him.

**Attributes:** Axe, mallet, sword

**See Also:** Charon; Charos

## Information Source

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

This spell is designed to create prosperity. It works best if you have a job and are looking for a pay raise or bonus.

#### Items needed:

One large green pillar candle, dragon’s blood incense, incense burner and charcoal, dragon prosperity oil, a green silk pouch, five new coins (a penny, nickel, dime, quarter, and half-dollar), and an altar or small table.

#### To make dragon’s blood incense,

mix 1/2 tsp. dragon’s blood resin with 1/2 tsp. allspice, 1/2 tsp
myrrh resin, 1/2 tsp. dried orange peel, 1/2 tsp. sandalwood powder.
To the mixture add 3-drops cinnamon oil, and 3 drops orange spice oil.
To make dragon prosperity oil, mix 5 drops cinnamon oil with 3 drops orange
spice oil and 2 drops sandalwood oil in a small bottle.

The first thing you will need to do is engrave the figure of a dragon on the candle. This can be easily done using a ballpoint pen or a small sculpting tool. The engraving does not have to be an elaborate
work of art, just a simple outline will do.

Begin on the night of the new moon. Place the dragon candle on your altar with the incense burner in front of it.

Place the coins on the left side of the candle and the silk pouch on the right side.

Light the green candle and charcoal. When the coal is glowing red, sprinkle some incense on it. Pick up the penny, hold it tightly, close your eyes and visualize the dragon in his cave. See his treasure and all
 the wealth he guards.

In your mind’s eye, slowly approach the dragon. Show the dragon your coin. Then, with great respect, ask the dragon to expand your wealth as you say:

O great dragon of wealth and power,
I greet thee in this sacred hour.
Great good fortune on me now shower.
That my prosperity shall blossom and flower.

Stay with the dragon for a short time. Listen to what he says, and take heed of his advice. When the dragon begins to fade, leave his cave and return to the present.

Place the penny in the green silk pouch. Thank the dragon by saying:

I thank thee great dragon of power and might
For granting my wishes on this night.

Leave the candle to burn for four hours and then snuff it out.

Repeat this spell every night until all of the coins have been placed in the green pouch.

When the last coin has been placed in the pouch, allow the candle to completely burn out. The rite is then complete.
Gandharvas

**Origin:** India

Wild, rambunctious, male forest spirits, the Gandharvas are the sexy counterparts and companions of the Apsaras. Many, although not all Gandharvas are equine spirits. They are virile spirits, sometimes blamed for seducing, loving, and leaving young girls. They’re fertility spirits, and so the abandoned girls tend to be pregnant and left to face the music alone. (Alternatively, Gandharvas take the fall for illicit pregnancies.) Gandharvas may be invoked to heal infertility and miraculously cause conception. They may be petitioned for exceptional musical skills, too.

Gandharvas are celestial musicians. The Rig Veda calls them guardians of Soma.

**Favoured people:** Musicians

**See Also:** Apsara

## Appearance in Modern Media

From Age of IshtariaFrom Shin Megami TenseiFrom Blood BrothersFrom Kamihime Project
## Information Source

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

(Beta vulgaris)

Planet: Saturn

Element: Earth

Energies: Love, beauty

Lore:

Beets have been eaten for centuries by persons wishing to lengthen their life spans. Aphrodite, the ancient Greek goddess of love, was said to have used beets to maintain and increase her beauty.

The redness of this food dictates its use during harvest and for winter religious festivals such as Lughnasadh (August 1) and Samhain (November 1).

Magical uses:

Folk magic states that if a man and a woman eat from the same beet, they’ll fall in love with each other. While this may not be the case (love is far more complex), beets should be added to love-attracting diets. Cook and eat beets while visualizing yourself enjoying increased beauty. Remember: beauty is internal as well as external.
Cardea

**Origin:** Italy

In Latin, cardo is a door hinge or pivot. Cardea is the goddess of hinges. She controls the opening and closing of doors, literal and metaphorical. Ovid says her power is to open what is closed and close what is open. Cardea chooses whom to admit. Because of this power, she is invoked to protect children from malevolent powers. She can block their path so they can’t reach their victims. Conversely, Cardea is petitioned to open doors to good fortune, opportunity, and success.

Hinges are physically attached to doors. Janus, Lord of Doors, was so enamored with Cardea (who may or may not originally have been Carna) that he made her the goddess of hinges so that she would always cling to him. They may be venerated together.

**Tree:** Hawthorn (place a branch over or beside a child’s bed or cradle to beseech Cardea’s blessings and protection)

**See Also:** Car; Carna; Janus

## Information Source

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

She Who Conceals

**Also known as:** Kalypso

Calypso (hider) In Greek mythology, daughter of Atlas and Pleione or of Oceanus and Tethys; sister of Hyas, the Hyades, the Hesperides, Maia, and the Pleiades, lives on an extremely remote island, Ogygia, far from mortals or deities. (According to Homer, anyway: the not quite so remote Maltese island of Gozo claims to be her residence.) Calypso is most famous for her part in Homer’s Odyssey. Shipwrecked Odysseus lives on Calypso’s paradise island for seven years as her lover and bore him two children, Nausinous (cunning sailor) and Nauisithous (in the service of the sea goddess). In the Odyssey, Calypso is described as a Nymph and a goddess. Odysseus calls her the “dread goddess with human speech.”

Calypso offered Odysseus immortality if he stayed with her, but he chose to return to his home and wife. Calypso at last received the command of Zeus to dismiss him. Hermes brought the message to Calypso and found her in her grotto. With much reluctance, Calypso obeyed the command of Zeus. She supplied Odysseus with means for constructing a raft, provisions, and a favorable wind.

Calypso is an ancient, pre-Olympian goddess. Her offer of immortality to Odysseus was sincere. This goddess of love, beauty, and seduction has powers over life and death. Calypso may have had a liaison with Hermes. She is matron of those who are selective with lovers, who seek only true love or particularly exciting liaisons, who’d rather be alone than with the wrong person.

Calypso, her garden, and her long affair with Odysseus are favorite subjects of artists, including Max Beckmann and Arnold Böcklin. Vanessa Williams is Calypso in Andrei Konchalovsky’s 1997 television miniseries, The Odyssey.

Fénelon, the French writer, in his romance Telemachus, which tells of the adventures of Odysseus’s son, has Telemachus visit the island of Calypso. As with his father, she offered him immortality (it is believed she was originally a goddess connected with death), but Meleager, who killed the Calydonian Boar the lad refused. Minerva (Fénelon uses the Latin names of the Greek gods), in the shape of Mentor, Telemachus’s friend, escaped with Telemachus by leaping from a cliff into the sea. They both reached a boat offshore. Lord Byron, in his long poem Childe Harold, alludes to this incident when he writes: “But not in silence pass Calypso’s isles.” Goza is sometimes identified as the isle of the goddess.

**Manifestation:** She is described as eternally beautiful.

**Tree:** Poplar

**Realm:** Calypso lives in a cave, which opens into a garden with wildflowers; fruiting vines, poplar, and cypress trees; and four fountains.

**Sacred site:** Calypso Cave on the Mediterranean island of Gozo

**See Also:** Atlas; Circe; Hermes; Zeus

## Information Source

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

Encyclopedia of World Mythology and Legend, Third Edition by Anthony S. Mercatante & James R. Dow
Cinnabar

Red sulphide of Mercury important in Alchemy. Cinnabar is called dragon’s blood and also has importance in magic.

When heated, cinnabar releases fumes of mercury, which condense in a silver magic mirror. Cinnabar is an ingredient in numerous formulae for the elixir, a form of the philosopher’s stone.
Hanuman

**Also known as:** Anjaneya

**Origin:** India

Hanuman, spirit of victory, heroism, and determination, may be a tribal monkey god incorporated into the Hindu pantheon. He is now an immensely popular and beloved Hindu deity with numerous shrines and temples dedicated to him. There are different versions of his birth:

* His parents are the King and Queen of Monkeys.
* He is the son of Anjani, an Apsara, and Vayu the Wind.

Hanuman is the divine child in the form of a monkey. Since earliest childhood, he demonstrated extraordinary powers: he is brilliant, powerful, and a trickster. Once when he was hungry, Hanuman jumped up to catch the sun because it looked like a mango. Hanuman cannot be harmed by weapons, fire, or water. He is the hero of the Ramayana, the one who engineers the rescue of Sita.

Reciting the hymn Hanuman Chalisa allegedly earns Hanuman’s blessings:

* Recite Hanuman Chalisa for forty mornings for blessings of health, wealth, success, happiness, wisdom, valor, and courage.
* Read Hanuman Chalisa 108 times and all obstacles are overcome. (English translations are available.)

Hanuman brings blessings of a clear, focused, unclouded mind. He removes obstacles from the paths of devotees. He protects against traffic accidents. His image is placed on mountainous or winding roads to provide safety for travelers. It may also be placed within the vehicle.

Hanuman is renowned as a celibate ascetic and for providing women with blessings of fertility.

**Favoured people:** Kickboxers; wrestlers; bachelors; women seeking to conceive

**Manifestation:** Hanuman is a monkey.

**Iconography:** Hanuman is depicted in the guise of a crowned monkey or a crowned monkey’s head on a man’s body. His recognizable image appears on many amulets from Bali, India, Myanmar, and Thailand, created for various purposes but especially victory, fertility, protection, and prosperity.

**Attribute:** Mace

**Sacred animal:** Monkeys in general but especially the Hanuman langur, also known as the common, gray and Entellus langur.

**Sacred sites:** There are many shrines and temples dedicated to Hanuman.

**Days:** Tuesday, Saturday

**Offerings:** Traditionally butter or butter carvings; lamps fueled by clarified butter (ghee)

**See Also:** Anjani; Sita

## Appearance in Modern Media

From Shin Megami TenseiFrom Reign of DragonsFrom Monster StrikeFrom Age of IshtariaFrom Kamihime Project
## Information Source

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

A cube is the Earth, the material world, the four Elements, the foundation of the cosmos. Cubes represent wholeness and also Truth because the view is the same from every angle. Cubes also symbolize solidity and firmness and in allegories represent the persistence of the virtues. Chariots and thrones often are represented as cubes.

In alchemy, the cubes is the squaring of the circle, or completion and wholeness. It also represents salt.
Green Jade Mother

*Lady of the Azure Clouds; Old Mother*

**Origin:** China

The Green Jade Mother is the Jade Emperor’s sister. They once ruled Heaven together; then they descended to Earth at T’ai Shan, the sacred Taoist mountain in China. There, brother and sister brought Creation to life, creating plants, birds, fish, and animals. The Green Jade Mother created people, too. Together with the Jade Emperor, she ruled over Earth from T’ai Shan.

Exactly what happened next is unclear, but the Jade Emperor now rules alone, a remote, bureaucratic figure. The Green Jade Mother has faded into obscurity even on her sacred mountain. She is called the Old Lady of T’ai Shan. The mountain is now dominated by her husband and daughter. The Green Jade Mother’s daughter bears the title “Lady of T’ai Shan” and is popularly venerated alongside her father. (All have been somewhat eclipsed by Kwan Yin, who now shares altar space on T’ai Shan.)

**Sacred site:** The Green Jade Mother has a small cave shrine near the summit of T’ai Shan.

**See Also:** Jade Emperor; Kwan Yin; Nu Kwa; Lady of T’ai Shan; Lord of T’ai Shan

## Information Source

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

**Origin:** Japan

Hannya are Japanese horned female spirits and they are dangerous. The Hannya doesn’t need an iron club like her male compatriots, the Oni. The power of a woman scorned trumps iron weapons. According to folklore, women who die while consumed with rage and jealousy transform into Hannya, vengeful, powerful spirits. Women who committed suicide because they have been spurned, insulted, rejected, or scorned by lovers are believed especially likely to become Hannya.

The Hannya lingers on Earth, a malicious, destructive ghost, her anger overriding any residual human emotions or conscience. Hannya are perceived as negative, dreadful creatures; it is a terrible fate to become a Hannya, and so the implicit message is that women must avoid, suppress, and sublimate rage, anger, jealousy, and other dangerous emotions lest they, too, become rampaging evil spirits.

The Hannya mask, maybe the best known of Japanese Noh masks, has sharp fangs and horns and bears the name of the spirit it portrays. Older Hannya masks appear more serpentine than modern ones, where the emphasis is on horns. Hannya who are sometimes described as “snake Demons” may originally have been snake spirits.

**Manifestations:** The Hannya may sprout actual horns or her hair may form horn shapes.

**Animal:** Snake

**See Also:** Obake; Oiwa; Okiku; Oni; Yokai

## Information Source

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

**Pantheon**: Egyptian

**Title**: God of Earth

## Smite Lore

Behold the rumble from the deep, for it is the bellow of rock and stone. A titan of immortal ages has awoken from fitful slumber to crush all who tread upon his realm. A lumbering giant, patient, deliberate, unmovable; he is Geb, God of Earth.

When a mortal’s heart is weighed in the halls of Ma’at, Geb sits among the Gods in judgment. Those burdened with guilt and regret are claimed by Geb and dragged through the earthen crust to the underworld. Hearts free of such heaviness are taught words of power and ascend to the sky.

Ah, the sky.

It is but the one thing Geb longs for. In his eye, she is glorious sapphire, an unreachable object. But it was not always so. Once, the earth and sky were as one, Geb and Nut, Goddess of the Sky, locked in a lover’s embrace. Ra deemed their union unfit and sent Shu, God of Wind, between them. In his rage, Geb thundered and broke the earth, but for naught, Nut was now forever out of reach.
Though his desire has not weathered with the ages, Geb has rested peacefully for time immemorial, nurturing Mankind through bountiful harvest and stable ground for pyramids and palaces.
Ferronia

**Also known as:** Feronia

**Origin:** Italy

**Feast:** 15 November

Little information now survives regarding this ancient, mysterious deity. Ferronia may have started as an Etruscan or Sabine spirit, eventually adopted by Romans. Her rites included fire-walking. Devotees walked or danced over glowing coals and burning ploughshares.

She is a goddess of abundance, prosperity, and freedom. Her Roman temple featured a sacred stone. If a slave sat on that stone, their freedom was instantly granted. (It’s not clear exactly what kind of machinations were necessary in order to reach this stone.) The spirit of Ferronia allegedly still haunts the traditional marketplaces of Italy, territory she once ruled. Having been banished, post-Christianity, Ferronia apparently refused to abandon her old stomping grounds but transformed from a benevolent spirit of freedom and prosperity into a bad-tempered witch in the guise of a shabby, elderly, muttering beggar-woman.

Don’t let her disguise fool you: she’s still working magic. Those who are polite and kind to her discover themselves blessed with good fortune. Those behaving otherwise are treated to very effective (and feared) curses.

**Favoured people:** Beggars, refugees, slaves

**Manifestation:** Ferronia haunts old-fashioned markets in the guise of an old, homeless beggar woman. She’s unlikely to be sweet and charming; rather, she is none too clean and worse for wear. She tends to accost people: be polite. The things she asks for are usually small: spare change, cigarettes, a bite to eat, maybe even a smile is sufficient. Her blessings and curses should be taken seriously.

**Consort:** Soranus

**Animal:** Wolf

**Sacred sites:** Now she is Queen of the Marketplace but, once upon a time, she had temples, including one in Rome’s Campus Martius. She was venerated with Soranus at Mount Soracte.

**See Also:** Befana; Soranus

## Information Source

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

**Also known as:** Frau Gode; Frau Wode

Frau Gaude, the Boar Hound Goddess, roams the streets during the Twelve Nights of Christmas and especially on Christmas Eve, accompanied by a pack of hell hounds with glowing eyes. She used to ride in an old-fashioned carriage. These days she may drive a hearse or an SUV. People are advised to keep their doors and windows shut. Otherwise, one of her dogs may slip inside to sit beside the fire (or the radiator, as the case may be—not having a fireplace won’t protect you). If the dog is left alone, all will be well. If someone tries to dislodge the dog, or shoo it away, Gaude’s puppy will tear the person to pieces. And that’s not the worst of it.

People have attempted to kill the canines, but they’re spirit dogs: they don’t die. Instead, the dog transforms into a rock that returns to life as a dog every midnight. It doesn’t matter if the rock is removed from the home; the dog returns howling at midnight. Every howl is an individual curse directed at the family in the house. (Curses include illness, accidents, and general disasters.) The only one with the power to remove these curses (and the dog!) is Frau Gaude, but she only performs curse removal services on Christmas Eve.

Frau Gaude heads her own Wild Hunt or travels in Berchta’s entourage. She is a pre-Christian Germanic dog goddess, originally a psychopomp and spirit of healing. By only removing curses on Christmas Eve, Frau Gaude may be attempting to reassert her veneration. Alternatively it’s a ploy by old devotees to excuse continued devotions. No one can blame you for attempting to remove a curse, but if you’re busy petitioning Frau Gaude on Christmas Eve, clearly you’re not at midnight mass.

Frau Gaude rewards those who do her a good turn with gifts of prosperity. She is also known as Frau Wode, essentially Mrs. Woden (Odin). Speculation as to her true identity runs rampant. Odin likes the ladies, and she may be his local wife. However, some suspect that she’s really Odin in drag.

**Spirit allies:** Among the spirits who travel in her entourage are Frau Gaude’s twenty-four daughters who may appear in the guise of dogs or women. At least some of her hunting hell hounds are believed to be enchanted young women, transformed into dogs by wicked sorcerers.

**Offerings:** Give Frau Gaude offerings comparable to Berchta; also offerings on behalf of dogs, her own or boar hounds in general.

**SEE ALSO:** Berchta; Odin; Wild Hunt

## Information Source

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

*Just Retribution*

**Pronounced**: Dye-kee (rhymes with Nike)

**Origin:** Greece

Dike is the goddess of righteous judgment and punishment. She is an avatar of her mother, Themis, but fiercer. Dike is the Accuser. She reports human wrongdoing to her father, Zeus.

Dike lived among mortals during a Golden Age when peace reigned over Earth, hence her excellent vantage to report on human sins and crimes. Initially there were few crimes to report, but gradually human behaviour worsened. Conflicts and wars began. Dike doesn’t have to actually witness crimes; she feels them. Lies, slander, unethical behaviour, and so forth actually cause her to feel pain.

She begged humanity to behave, but over time, they listened to her less and less. Overwhelmed, she withdrew into the mountains. As matters on Earth deteriorated, Dike kept ascending, basically trying to put distance between herself and people until finally she reached the sky. Zeus took pity on her and transformed her into the constellation Virgo. She hasn’t completely retired, however. To commune with her, locate the constellation in the sky or gaze at images representing Virgo.

**See Also:** Nike; Themis; Zeus

## Information Source

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

**Also known as:** Han Xiang-Zi

**Origin:** China

Han Hsiang-Tzu, one of the Eight Immortals, was the favourite student of another Immortal, Lu Tung-pin, and the nephew of famed scholar, statesman, and Neo-Confucianist, Han Yu (768–824 CE). Han Yu wanted his nephew to study and strive for a court career. Han Hsiang-Tzu devoted himself to music and magic instead. He wandered the countryside, Orpheus-style, playing his flute and charming birds and predatory animals. His flute can make flowers bloom and resurrect the recently dead.

Conflict and reconciliation between nephew and uncle is a large part of Han Hsiang-Tzu’s myth. Taoism was then under siege by Confucianism and Buddhism: Han Hsiang-Tzu vigorously defended the old order. Eventually Han Yu ran afoul of the government and was exiled for penning a protest against Buddhism: he is often portrayed reading from the scroll containing that protest, standing beside Han Hsiang-Tzu.

**Favoured people:** Han Hsiang-Tzu is the patron of musicians.

**Emblems:** Flute, castanets, crucible (because he’s an alchemist, too)

**See Also:** Eight Immortals; Lu Tung-pin

## Information Source

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

This is a list of charms

## Charm of The Yellow Rose

Dab a small amount of your favourite perfume or cologne on a tissue. Take a long-stem yellow rose, and with great feeling and emotion, charm it with the following verse:

The stars above, in darkness shine,

With light that fills the heavens divine.

So bright with radiance our love glows,

It outshines the sun and dims all foes.

Wrap the rose in the scented tissue and place in the refrigerator. As soon as possible, find the opportunity to give it to the one you love.

## The Marriage Charm

Bind two small gold rings together with a white ribbon. Hold the bound rings in both hands as you chant the following over them:

With body and spirit

As these rings entwine

Unite our souls

Our essence combine.

Place the rings in your pocket or purse. Carry them with you whenever you are with the one you wish to marry.

## Charm of Success

Purchase a small gold or brass sun disk pendant from a jewellery or department store. Hang the pendant in your window so that the sun will shine on it ever day. Allow the pendant to absorb the sun’s rays for one week. Then on a Sunday morning, stand in the rays of the sun, and,
holding your pendant, chant the following charm over it:

Through sun and will, and patient skill,

Within this disk I now instil,

That I shall fare successfully,

For this is what I will to be.

## Protection Charm

For this, you will need a pentagram pendant and a bowl of saltwater. Holding the pendant in your left hand and the bowl of saltwater in your right, turn to the West. Slowly pour the water over the pendant as you speak the following charm:

Elements of earth and sea

Return to all by power of three.

That which may be sent to me

Unless I have summoned it to be.

I am protected from this night

By the spirits of power and might
Damona

*The Divine Cow*

**Origin:** Celtic

Damona is a Celtic goddess of healing, venerated in Burgundy. She was venerated together with consorts, but also alone as an independent goddess. Her veneration isn’t dependent on her relationship with other spirits.

Damona presided over sacred spring and healing shrines, which featured incubation of healing dreams.

* She was venerated alone at Bourbonne-les-Bains.
* She was venerated alongside the Celtic deity Borvo at Bourbonne-Lancy.
* She was venerated alongside Apollo Moritasgus at Alesia, now Alise-Sainte-Reine.

In addition to her relationships with Borvo and Apollo Moritasgus, Damona also had other consorts about whom now almost nothing is known.

**Iconography:** Her only known image is a carved stone head crowned with stalks of grain. A snake curls around her hand.

**Attribute:** Ear of wheat

**Sacred animals**: Snake, cow

**Offering**: Burgundy wine

**See Also:** Apollo

## Information Source

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

**Origin:** Sabine or Oscan

Flora is the spirit of blossoming flowers and springtime. She embodies the flowering of all nature, including humans. Flowers indicate the promise of reproduction. Flowers lead to fruit as surely as sexual intercourse leads to babies. Flora is the spirit who embodies both the pleasures of the moment and the promise of the future. She is the spirit of the pleasures of the flesh.

**Manifestation:** A lush beautiful woman crowned and adorned with flowers

**Flowers:** Although, by definition, all flowers are sacred to Flora, her favourites are fragile, transient lupine (bean) blossoms.

**Festival:** Her festival, the Floralia, is considered the mother of all May Day festivities. Celebrated annually from April 28th through the beginning of May, the Floralia honoured the female body. Beautiful Flora may be understood as the original Queen of the May.

The festival was celebrated in the nude until the third century CE, when Roman authorities demanded that revelers be clothed. The festival survived in this fashion until the following century, when all Pagan festivals were banned.

**Offerings:** Flowers! Italian lupini beans; flower waters and sexy floral perfumes; honey; spring water

**See Also:** Carna; Lady of the Waterside; Maia

## Appearances in Modern Media

From Age of IshtariaFrom Kamihime ProjectFrom Unison LeagueFrom Rage of BahamutFrom Sid Story
## Information Source

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

**Origin:** Russia

The Domovoi is a Russian house spirit. His primary function is to protect the family, property, and animals associated with the home where he resides. He protects the family living in his home and warns them of impending disaster. (If a family member is awakened in the middle of the night by a cold, hard, furry hand, disaster looms.) The Domovoi is sometimes a harbinger of death; if the Domovoi dons the clothing of the head of the household or is witnessed imitating this person, his or her death is imminent. The Domovoi is most frequently witnessed as night. The domovik lives behind the stove.

The Domovoi may be an ancestral spirit. Address him respectfully as “Sir,” “Master,” “Uncle,” or “Grandpa.” The Domovoi may live in the big traditional Russian stove or in liminal areas: the cellar, attic, or over the home’s main entry threshold. It’s traditional to leave offerings in areas of the home he’s known to frequent.

The Domovoi may be attached to the house, but some Domovoi become quite attached to people. If you move, it’s crucial to formally notify the Domovoi of the move and request that he accompany his family to their new home. When a family moves, fire from the old stove is carried to the new, where it is lit to welcome the domovik into his new quarters. The domovik watches over family members, keeps hostile spirits from entering the house, and, like the brownie, does household chores. But if family members displease him, he makes poltergeist-like noise disturbances. His harshest punishment is to burn down the house.

The Domovoi should also be formally introduced to any new horses living with or belonging to the family. Request his care and protection for the horse. Otherwise, if this is not done, the Domovoi may play tricks: tangling the horse’s mane, for instance, stealing its food, or moving its tack and grooming supplies so that you must search for them. He can also ride a horse to exhaustion at night. Once upon a time, Russians purchased horses in the color that their Domovoi preferred. The Domovoi grooms his favorites, braiding their manes and tails.

There are other types of domoviks, each of which has its own small domain: the chlevnik, who lives in the barn; the bannik, who lives in the bathroom; and the ovinnik, who lives in the kitchen.

**Manifestations:** The Domovoi is usually heard, not seen. He likes to be invisible. His presence is revealed only by rustling noises. When visible, the Domovoi resembles a tiny old man with grey, tangled, locked hair and a bushy beard. He may be entirely covered in soft, downy fur, including his palms and soles. However, the Domovoi is a shape-shifter and may also manifest as a dog, cat, frog, rat, mouse, or other animal.

**Animal:** Horse

**Offerings:** Kasha, bread, old-fashioned bast sandals (hang them up in the yard; he’ll find them)

**See Also:** Kikimora

## Information Source

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

The Encyclopedia of Ghosts and Spirits by Rosemary Ellen Guiley
Chemharouch

**Also known as:** Shamharush; Chamharouch; Shemharush

**Classification:** Djinn

Address him as Sidi or Lord: Chemharouch is King of Morocco’s Djinn. If other Djinn are giving you trouble, complaints may be addressed to Sidi Chemharouch. Although he is a Djinn, Sidi Chemharouch is also venerated as a saint in Marrakesh and elsewhere in Morocco. Sidi Chemharouch may be buried at the foot of Mount Toubkal, North Africa’s highest peak. His grave, at the end of a deep gorge, beside a waterfall in the village of Sidi Chemharouch is believed to be a survival of a pre-Islamic shrine but, as of the time of this writing, non-Muslims are forbidden to cross the bridge leading to his shrine. Pilgrims visit all year round. There is little that Sidi Chemharouch cannot accomplish.

**Days:** Thursday, Friday

**See also:** Aisha Qandisha Paths; Aisha Sudaniyya

## Information Source

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

*Giver of Life*

**Origin:** Italian

**Classification:** Nymph

Egeria is the wise Nymph who resides with Diana in the Forest of Nemi. She is Diana’s servant and assistant midwife and may be venerated independently or together with Diana. Plutarch reported that Egeria’s spring gushed from a giant oak. Her waters allegedly conferred wisdom, prophetic vision and fertility. She may still be invoked for these gifts.

Egeria is a spirit of wisdom and healing. She was the lover and advisor to Numa Pompilius, second king of Rome (after Romulus), and is credited with helping him establish official Roman state religion.

**Manifestations:** A beautiful woman or a mermaid

**Element:** Water

**Sacred sites:** Egeria is venerated in wells, springs, and grottoes within groves.

**Offerings:** Libations of spring water or milk; terra-cotta ex-votos similar to modern milagros have been found in her spring at Nemi; milagros formed of any material may be offered to her now.

**See Also:** Diana; Mermaid; Nymph; Milagro

## Information Source

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

**Pantheon**: Greek

Circe’s very name is synonymous with “sorceress.” The original divine witch, she is no minor spirit, but a goddess of tremendous power. Daughter of Helios and Perse, an Oceanid, Circe comes from a family of divine enchantresses. Relatives include Hekate, Pasiphae, Ariadne, Medea, and Angitia. Circe’s most famous appearance is in Homer’s Odyssey, but she appears in other Greek myths, too. Circe performs the cleansing rituals that purify Jason and Medea after their murder of Medea’s brother, Circe’s nephew.

According to Homer, Circe dwells in a marble palazzo on the Isle of Aiaia (also spelled Aeaea), named for magical Greek vowels. She spends her days singing and weaving, habits associated with the Fates. Circe is a shape-shifter but is most famous for transforming others. When Odysseus and his crew, trying to return home from the Trojan War, land on Aiaia, they discover an island paradise ruled by Circe and populated by her beautiful handmaidens and strangely human-seeming wild animals.

Circe transforms male visitors into lions, baboons, and other animals, but mainly pigs. Her transformations aren’t random: she reveals the true animal identity within each man. Odysseus alone is saved from this fate because Hermes, one of Circe’s old boyfriends, warns him, revealing an herbal antidote to her magic, a mysterious plant called moly.

Hermes advises Odysseus not to reject Circe’s advances: he stays with her for years, fathering their son, Telegonus. Circe indoctrinates Odysseus into shamanism, teaching him how to journey to Hades, interview dead souls, and return. She is his primary tutor. Foreseeing the future, she offers Odysseus invaluable travel advice. Without Circe, it’s doubtful that Odysseus would ever have reached home.

**Manifestations:** Homer called her “the fair-haired goddess.” She is eternally young, sexy, and beautiful, but she is a great sorceress and can appear in any form she wishes, with one caveat: as a descendent of the sun, her eyes glint with brilliant light. That’s the telltale clue to her identity.

**Sacred animal:** Pigs

**Sacred plants:** Alders, enchanter’s nightshade, junipers, and mandrakes

**See Also:** Angitia; Ariadne; Calypso; Fates (1); Hades; Hekate; Helios; Hermes; Medea; Oceanid; Pasiphae; Scylla

## Appearances in Modern Media

From Fate Grand OrderFrom Tower of SaviorsFrom Monster StrikeFrom Age of IshtariaFrom Blood BrothersFrom Kamihime Project
## Information Source

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

**ORIGIN:** Greece

Ganymede was a Trojan king’s gorgeous young son, described as the handsomest boy in the world, the male equivalent of Helen of Troy. His beauty attracted Zeus, who transformed into an eagle and abducted Ganymede, carrying him up to Olympus to be his lover. Another version of the myth suggests that Eos stole Ganymede away first, only to have Zeus cut in on her romance. Ganymede was appointed official cupbearer in Olympus. It’s not entirely clear if Ganymede was general cupbearer to all the Olympians or exclusively Zeus’ private servant. Eventually Zeus placed Ganymede in the heavens as the constellation Aquarius. Modern astronomers are most familiar with Ganymede as the largest of Jupiter’s moons. (Others include Zeus’ lovers, Callisto, Europa, and Io.) If you need an intercessor with Zeus, Ganymede is a top choice.

In some versions of the myth, the eagle that captures Ganymede in its talons is Zeus in disguise. In others, the eagle is Zeus’ servant, Aetos. Aetos is no ordinary eagle but a spirit, born from Earth, like the Dactyls. He grew up to be a very beautiful boy and Zeus’ very close, personal friend. Hera didn’t just hate Zeus’ female lovers: she transformed Aetos into an eagle. Zeus was never able to break Hera’s spell, so he kept Aetos close to him at all times as his lightning bearer.

The name Ganymede became synonymous with homoerotic beauty and homosexual love. In seventeenth-century French, the word ganimede was defined as a “passive homosexual partner.”

**Favoured people:** Ganymede is the patron of wine stewards.

**Sacred bird:** Cockerel

**SEE ALSO:** Callisto; Dactyls; Eos; Europa; Hebe; Hera; Io; Zeus

## Information Source

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

The Five Sisters are guardian spirits of the Himalaya Mountains. Their ranks include:

* Dirghayusi (she rides a snow lion)
* Sugati (she rides a dragon)
* Suganthi (she rides a stag)
* Sumukhi (she rides a wild ass)
* Sumati (she rides a tiger)

The Five Sisters only concern themselves with people who venture into their mountains. If you’re trekking in the Himalayas, their favour is essential. If the sisters like you, they’ll aid and protect you, so it’s extremely important to stay on their good side. If you aggravate them or if they take a dislike to you, their weapons include storms, icy cold weather, accidents, and avalanches.

**Favoured people:** Hermits and spiritual seekers who dwell in Himalayan mountain caves

## Information Source

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

*Regent of Hell*

**Also known as:** Emma-O; Emma; Enmaten; Emmaten; Emma-sama; Enma-sama; Emma-Daio

Enma, Japanese Buddhist Lord of Hell, a path of Yama, Lord of Death, is the most powerful of the Kings of Hell. He rules Jigoku, the hell realm of Japanese Pure Land Buddhism. After death, Enma decides whether a human soul has been sinful or virtuous and determines their next destination. During life, people are cautioned to behave ethically because Enma is always watching. Enma is served by Oni. His primary opponent is the Bodhisattva Jizo.

Enma and his son, Koenma (“Little Enma”), run the Spirit World in the Japanese manga/anime series YuYu Hakusho.

**Manifestation:** Enma-sama is a large, imposing red-faced, black-bearded man.

**Flower:** Spider lily (Lycoris spp.)

**See Also:** Amida Buddha; Datsueba; Jizo; Kings of Hell; Oni; Wanyudo; Yama

## Appearances in Modern Media

From Monster StrikeFrom Hoozuki's CoolheadednessFrom OnmyojiFrom Dislyte as Yanluo Wang
## Information Source

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

(Capsicum spp.)

Planet: Mars

Element: Fire

Energies: Protection

### Lore:

From archaeological evidence found in Mexican caves, chili peppers seem to have first been cultivated 9,000 years ago. The Aztecs are said to have used chili peppers in rituals designed to exorcise spirits from possessed persons.

Chili peppers were recently banned from one state’s prison system because the burning vegetables could be used as weapons. Curiously enough, during the seventeenth century, Spanish invaders were repelled in some parts of SouthAmerica by the smoke from burning chilis.

In contemporary New Mexico, the core of a red bell pepper is still burned on a Friday night to prevent evil from harming humans.

### Magical uses:

Though there are dozens of varieties, the most commonly seen in U.S. markets are jalapeno, cayenne, and “bell” peppers. Add any of these to diets designed to guard against negative energies. Chile rellenos, stuffed (vegetarian or otherwise) peppers, and jalapeno jelly are three examples of protective foods.

By the way, all peppers (except black pepper) are members of the same family. If you don’t like extremely hot peppers, try the milder pepperoni (theones served in Italian restaurants), a dash of cayenne, pimento, or the sweet, firmly fleshed bell peppers in your magical protective diet.
Dwarves

**Origin:** Germanic; Norse

Dwarves are famous as Snow White’s cuddly forest companions, but there’s nothing dopey or silly about Dwarves. The fierce, warrior Dwarves of J. R. R. Tolkien’s Hobbit and Lord of the Rings series of novels are truer to form. Dwarves are ancient, primeval Earth spirits, more likely to live within mountains, mines, or otherwise underground than in messy little forest cottages. Some Dwarves live near trees under great rocks or even within rocks.

Dwarves are guardians of Earth’s treasures and master craftsmen. They know occult secrets in general, as well as the mysteries of metals, gems, and minerals. Crystal healers may call on them in visualizations for advice and knowledge. Dwarves are masters and teachers of smithcraft. They craft magical swords and magical jewelry. Dwarves are frequently described as greedy, but they may simply be protecting troves of treasure they have been entrusted to guard.

Dwarves are spirits of fertility and abundance. They heal and enhance personal fertility for humans as well as animals. Once upon a time, Dwarves were the subject of genuine veneration, although post-Christianity they were recast as Demons, blamed for bringing disease and trouble. They are stubborn, proud spirits and not likely to accept surreptitious veneration.

Dwarves are touchy and volatile. Always address them respectfully: they are elders of the Earth. They are suspicious, cynical spirits who assume, possibly correctly, that others are always out to steal their treasure. If they can be persuaded otherwise, if you do not Demonstrate acquisitive behaviour, they can be exceptionally generous. They bestow knowledge and skill. Although they may not part with their own treasure, they have been known to craft special gifts for devotees. They know the secrets of healing; they can recognize illnesses modern medicine is unable to diagnose and can remedy infertility.

Norse cosmology classifies Dwarves as Dark or Black Elves. Dark or Black refers to their dwelling place, not their appearance, although Dwarves of the mines are likely as covered with soot and grime as any other miner. Light Elves live above ground in the sunlight; Dark Elves or Dwarves spend their time in subterranean realms. They may be affiliated with the Vanir spirits. They crafted Freya’s priceless necklace, named Brisingamen. Dwarves forged the treasures of the Aesir spirits including Odin’s magic spear and Thor’s invincible hammer.

**Favored people:** Smiths, masons, miners, shamans, herbalists, warriors, healers

**Manifestation:** They resemble small but sturdy and exceptionally strong humans.

**Offerings:** They are masterful bargainers and know the worth of what they produce and possess; Dwarves are not shy: they’re likely to inform you what they wish to receive; don’t be afraid to bargain-respectfully, of course! In the meantime, Dwarves like to drink hard liquor and have hearty appetites.

**See Also:** Elves; Freya; Knockers; Kobolds; Odin; Thor; Tommy knockers; Vanir

## Information Source

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

**Also known as:** Gedé Nimbo; Ninbo

**Classification:** Gedé

Gedé Nibo is the son of Baron Samedi and Madame Brigitte. Ogun is his godfather. Gedé Nibo is the bridge between Barons, Gedés, and Lwa.

He is the prince of the cemetery, the phallic lord of the dead. Gedé Nibo is a great healer and a tremendous guardian of children.

Gedé Nibo straddles the borders between death and life, sex and death, and between genders, too. Nibo may wear mixed feminine and masculine attire. A witty trickster with an eye for a joke, he is simultaneously macho and feminine. Gedé Nibo is variously described as pansexual, transgendered, and also homoerotic.

**Manifestations:** His traditional apparel includes a riding coat, old pants, a crooked hat and a black scarf around his neck, but he enjoys sowing confusion.

**Colour:** Black

**Offerings:** In addition to the usual offerings made to Gedés, Gedé Nibo accepts cash. Bring it to the cemetery for him.

**SEE ALSO:** Barons, Baron Samedi; Madame Brigitte; Gedés; Lwa; Ogun

## Information Source

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

Ezili Zandor is the matron of the Haitian sorcerers’ secret societies known as The Red Sects. She is a great sorceress and the Bizango spirit queen of transformation: Red Sect members travel at night in the form of black cats, black pigs, crocodiles, horses, leopards, owls, and wolves. Ezili Zandor is a spirit of justice but may be invoked by devotees for less than just goals.

**See Also:** Bizango; Ezili; Marinette

## Information Source

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

Heinrich Khunrath (1560–1601 or 1604) was an influential German alchemist. Heinrich Khunrath’s work blends philosophical elements of Rosicrucianism, the Kabbalah, and Paracelsian thought.

Khunrath was born in 1560 in Leipzig. He obtained his medical degree in 1588 at the University of Basel, Switzerland, and entered the court of Emperor Rudolph II.

Khunrath believed that revelation comes through the “book of Nature.” He saw the philosopher’s stone symbolized in Christ. His most important alchemical work is Amphitheatrum sapientias aeternae (“The Amphitheater of Eternal Wisdom”), printed in 1602. Khunrath never finished the manuscript.

Amphitheatrum is magical and mystical. It states that the path to understanding the mysteries of the macrocosm can be found through Christ, the Stone, and God. Khunrath gives 365 daily meditations, as well as alchemical interpretations of biblical texts, especially Proverbs, and also the Wisdom of Solomon, an apochryphal work.

One of the engravings in Amphitheatrum shows Khunrath, as an alchemist, kneeling in prayer in his laboratory. Another well-known engraving is of the emerald tablet, depicted as an engraved triangular stone topped by a flame.

Different dates and places are given for Khunrath’s death. He is said to have died in Antwerp in 1604. According to Arthur Edward Waite, he died in obscurity and poverty on September 9, 1601, in Dresden.

## Information Source

The Encyclopedia of Magic and Alchemy  Written by Rosemary Ellen Guiley