A-Z Blog Hop: Zoroastrianism

Before there was Judaism, there was a religion called Zoroastrianism. This was a religion of Persian origin based on the teachings of a prophet Zarathustra (Zoroaster in Greek).  Zoroastianism may have been born as early as 650 B.C.E. and shares common origins with Hinduism.

The whole religion revolves the Dualism of two gods: Ahura Mazda (also known as Ohrmazd) , the creator, and is all good and Angra Mainya (also known as Ahriman) the “Destructive Principle”, who represents evil.  As Ohrmazd had six angelic beings (Amesha Spentas) through which he realized creation, Ahriman had six demonic (Daevas) beings through which he created all horrors in the world. They are:

Vahuman, the Good Mind who opposes Akoman, the Evil Mind

Artvahisht , Truth or Righteousness, who opposes Andra who freezes the minds

Shahrevar, Choice Kingdom or Material Sovereignty, who opposes Saru , the Tyrant

Spandarmat, Wisdom in Piety also the Earth, who opposes Naoghatya, Arrogance

Hurdat, Health, Wholeness, Salvation, who opposes Taru, the Evil Hunger

Amurdat, Life and Immoprtality, who opposes Zarika, Evil Thirst

There is a prophecy that in the end Ohrmazd will use the material world as a weapon and defeat Ahriman. It is said that the human soul is a spirit being called the fravashi. Both the human body and the fravashi are creatures of Ohrmazd and his wife/daughter Spandarmat. Humankind belongs to Ohrmazd and will return to him. However, the first primal man mated with Ahriman’s “Demon Whore,” so each person is free to choose between good and evil.

Daevas being defeated

Zoroastians believe their role in life is to cooperate with nature and lead a virtuous life. Unlike several other religions they oppose all forms of asceticism and monasticism. It is their duty to marry and rear children, for human life on earth is a necessity to defeat Ahriman. The soul is judged on good deeds on the” Bridge of the Requiter.” Depending on what you have done is whether you go to heaven or hell. If you are even, you go to place that is mixed. Punishment in the Zoroastrian hell is temporary. The final purge of sin takes place at the Last Judgment at the end of time.

All right, a lot of this was just a summary. Like all religions, this has much deeper roots. If you’re interested, you should read more about it. 

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A-Z Blog Hop: Yew Tree

The yew tree has been revered by mankind throughout the ages. This is a rather sturdy and resilient tree that has a unique way of growing new trunks from within the original root bole. Some of the English yews have been estimated to have been around 4,000 years old. Because of this, the yew is associated with immortality, regeneration, and rebirth.

The yew is also highly poisonous in all parts except for the fleshy part of the berries. So, throughout the ages, it has also been associated with death.  Over the centuries in Europe, it was commonly planted around or in cemeteries, partly to represent eternal life, and partly to keep the dead in their graves. To this day, yew is used in magical working involving protection, especially against spirits of the dead, and exorcisms.

Picture by Julian P Guffogg

Yew is connected to the Hecate, a Greek Underworld goddess who presided over witches and necromancy. Today, many Wiccans consider her to be the Crone aspect of the Triple Goddess and yew is still sacred to her. In Norse mythology, yew is one to the two tree associated with Yggdrasil, the world tree.  It is represented by the rune Eihwaz, which is the rune of mysteries of life and death.

The yew tree is lucky for Capricorns. It is also believed that a sprig of yew placed under your pillow will ensure you meet the person of your dreams, the good kind.  Yes is said to enhance magical and psychic abilities and induce visions, just be careful how you handle it. You know, the whole poison thing.

Are there any plants or trees that have special meaning to you?

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A-Z Blog Hop: Xipe Totec

Xipe Totec was worshipped by the Aztecs and their enemies as a god of penitence. Like many gods, he had both a good side and bad side. He is known as the flayed one because he flays his own skin to give food to humanity. This represents a seed losing its outer shell after germination. He is also a vampiric entity known as the night drinker who sucks the blood out of the souls of the dead who do not do the penance.

Mask associated with Xipe Totec

Xipe Totec is also a known trickster god. There’s at least one in every pantheon. And like most tricksters, his tricks have a harsh lesson. Once her came to a village disguised as a prophet. He told the people that their sins had manifested as a dragon that lurked outside of town and ensorcelled people. He convinced the town to bind the dragon and throw it over a cliff. He led the people to the illusionary dragon he had created. They bound it and took it to a cliff. However, when they tried to hurl from the cliff, Xipe Totec tricked their eyes and they fell to their deaths.

Who are some of your favorite Trickster gods?

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A-Z Blog Hop: Watchers

For N, I talked about the Nephilim. Today I will speak of their fathers, the Watchers. They were angels, the “children of heaven” who watched over mankind. They saw the beautiful daughters of man and desired them.  They decided to take them as wives; however their leader, Semyaza, was afraid he would alone be held accountable for their sin. The 200 angels swear an oath, binding them all together.

So, the Watcher descended from heaven and took the women. Not only did they create the Nephilim, but they also taught secret arts to mankind such as medicine, incantations, and knowledge of plants and herbs. Azazel, one of the most famous Watchers, taught alchemy, jewelry making, and  the art of making weapons of war.

Sin and corruption spread across the world. The archangels saw this and petitioned God to take action. So, God declared he would wipe the Earth clean with a flood. He ordered the archangel Raphael to bind Azazel and throw him in the darkness. Raphael did this and tossed him in a hole in the desert. God told Gabriel to destroy the Nephilim. He instructed Michael to tell Semyaza of the Watchers impending punishment, where they will be bound beneath rocks for 70 generations until the Day of Judgment.

Picture By carulmare

The Watchers begged the prophet Enoch to speak on their behalf, they begged for forgiveness. Though he warns the Watchers their petition will not be heard, he tried anyway. God refuseed the Watchers and said their children shall be called evil spirits. He told Enoch to inform the watches that they rejected Heaven and shall have no peace.

If you haven’t, you should read some stories of Azazel. They are pretty interesting. The Hebrews would send a goat into the desert, laden with the sins of the people, as a sacrifice for him. It’s where the term scapegoat comes from.

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A-Z Blog Hop: Vampires

Ah, the vampire, a type of monster that never seems to go out of style. The internet has been saying that vampires are a dead subject. Well, they are in a way, but not how they mean it. Bloodsucking fiends have persisted throughout history in cultures around the world. They’ve struck fear in the hearts of adults and children. They are one of the reasons you didn’t go want to go out at night. I did a related guest post about types of vampires a few weeks ago, which can be found here.  I’ve taken a few from that post and changed them for my own purposes. No, there are not any vampires in A Prescription for Delirium because trying to fit them in the story was like shoving a square peg into a round hole. However, there will be vampire appearances in the following books, starting with Omega Effect, which I am currently writing. Below are the eight vampire types that exist in my world. Be, warned, none of them sparkle.

“Nothing is too small. I counsel you, put down in record even your doubts and surmises. Hereafter it may be of interest to you to see how true you guess. We learn from failure, not from success!” –Dr. Abraham Van Helsing.

From the Journal of Andrei Van Helsing:

To my sons: I leave you my legacy, as my father left it to me, and his father before him. We are the few in the world that stand against those that feed upon humanity, the undead. Tales and rumors have spread. Here we must separate fact from fiction if we are to succeed. 

Though the term vampire was not used until the 1800’s, I find it a fitting term to describe what we hunt.

The Chiang-Shih: I have never traveled to Asia but my father Alexander traveled to China during his time. I remember him speaking of the vampires of the east.  I have taken his description from his journal, which I implore you to read for yourselves. They were described as nocturnal beasts with white hair and red eyes. Their fangs extend over their lips and they have long claws. Most are male, although there have been rare cases of females. These creatures are incredibly violent. One can usually be found by following a string of attacks and reports of rape on women. They have a supernatural strength, able to uproot trees to use as weapons, have the ability to fly, and shapeshift into animals. However, they cannot cross running water and can be destroyed with a stake of black thorn wood.

Churel or Chedipe: This is an exclusively female type originating from India. They can be identified with their unnaturally long, black tongues, unkempt hair, and backwards feet. They prey on young men, starting with the ones they were close to in life. They have been stories of these women being chosen by Kali herself, but I don’t believe in is true. The Churel has the ability to put an entire house in a trance like sleep and sneaks in to prey upon the men. They can shift their bodies in that of tigers. However, these creatures can be thwarted by a handful of seeds, for they must stop and count them. A stake made of the wood of a fig tree will destroy them.

Hantu laut: This is the Malaysian name for this type, though other words have been used such as siren or mermaid. These vampires can transform themselves into water and lure sailors or beach goers out into the water. They drown them and feed off of their blood. This is where the myth of mermaids comes from. However, they can be male or female. They must rest at the bottom of the body of water during the day. The sirens can travel out of the water, but if they are caught at dawn they die. They have power over the weather and the sea.  They can be staked with wood from an olive tree.

Asema: The vampires of South America. They live as an old man or woman by day. When night comes the creature sheds its skin and travels as mist or smoke. It this form it has the ability to drain the blood of a human through the pores of their skin or enter their lungs and cause them to cough up blood. Garlic is the best deterrent for this creature as with any vampire. If the creature does not return to its skin by dawn, it will be destroyed. When it is in its skin, it can be killed by a stake made of an oak wood.

Strigoi: The Slavs and Romanians have called these creatures many names and there are many tales of them. My Grandfather Dimitri wrote about a theory he’d developed when gathering lore about these creatures. This vampire was believed to pass through several stages. For the first 40 days it starts out as a shadow, and gradually gains power from the blood it has drank. It forms into an invisible jelly-like mass and then to a human body almost identical to the one it had in life. The males of this group have the ability to procreate with woman and produce the Dhampir, half vampires. These children have the ability to see the Strigoi in all forms and in the past were sometimes hunters, however, they can also become Strigoi themselves. The Strigoi cast no shadow, for they are but shadows themselves. They can be killed by a stake made of hawthorn wood.

Aswang Manananggal: This Filipino vampire detaches in head and entrails from its body and flies about feeding on human blood, flesh, and organs. It especially like feeding upon fetuses and had a long tongue to suck the fetus from the womb. The Aswang Manananggal has a birdlike familiar that acts a reconnaissance for prey. The Manananggal is usually a respected man or woman of the community by day. Malaysia has a similar vampire called the Penanggalan. They best way to destroy this vampire is to find the abandoned torso and cremate the body. If the head does not reattach by dawn it will be destroyed. It can also be killed by a stake made of cedar wood.

Doppelsauger: One of the most horrifying of all vampires, simply because they are all dead children. They all feed off of woman, they especially like new mothers whose breasts are full of milk. In their true form, every part of the Doppelsauger decays except for the lips, however they can cast an illusion upon themselves. They can be staked by wood of juniper.

Opyri: This is the type you would know best, for it is the children of our enemy Dracula. We have worked an wiping this line out, unfortunately his line, like him has a tenacity to continue on.

Dracula himself can resurrect through the bloodline of those he has cursed, such as us. They have control over flesh and blood. This includes the ability to produce pheromones that can memorize a person (especially women), to shapeshift, or turn into blood itself. He can be killed and, this group above the others, are especially susceptible to holy items. It is believed because Dracula cursed god at his moment of creation.

Interested? Do you like stories about angels, demons, and the supernatural? Pick up a copy of "A Prescription for Delirium" available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Smashwords.

A-Z Blog Hop: Uriel

Uriel, whose name means “fire of God” or “God is my light” is one of the most important angels. He has been described as an archangel, a seraph, and a cherub. He is usually depicted as one of the four primary angels along with Michael, Gabriel, and Raphael. Though he’s not official by Catholic standards, he is in many Jewish texts.

Uriel is portrayed as stern and punishing. According to Enoch he is the head of the seven archangels. He supposedly presides over Tartarus or Hell, where he punishes sinners by burning them in everlasting fire and hanging blasphemers by their tongues over unquenchable fires.  And most people think angels are kind.

But, Uriel is not all fire and brimstone. It was believed that Uriel gave the gift of the Qabalah to humanity, along with the Metatron. He led Abraham out of Ur and has interpreted prophecies for the good of humanity. He revealed heavenly mysteries to Ezra and has answer deep questions about evil and justice. He also serves as a guide to luminaries.

So, do you have a favorite angel?

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A-Z Blog Hop: Tree Ghosts

Trees have been a favorite haunting place for restless spirits. In northern India, shrines are built under trees to honor some of these spirits. In America a well know story is of Mrs. Linnie Jenkins and her crying pecan tree.

On April 12, 1981, Mrs. Linnie complained to her relatives of her pecan tree making awful noises. When her brother, sister-in-law, and others went to inspect the tree, they heard the crying sound but couldn’t find the cause. Some claimed the house was built on an ancient Indian burial site and the sound was of an Indian warrior spirit crying.

Word spread and the story was reported to the media. People came to stand in Mrs. Linnie’s yard just to listen to the tree. As the numbers grew Mrs. Linnie began charge a fee to discourage the crowds. It was reported that more than 5,000 people came to visit Mrs. Linnie’s pecan tree. Within a month the noise began to weaken and a copper tube was drilled into the tree the serve as a megaphone. The noise died altogether by April 30^th.

Explanations were given, such as beetles or gasses produced by souring wood in the tree. One far-fetched one was that seals in a subterranean sea were making whimpering noises. However, no proof was given, so this remains a small mystery to this day.

A Pecan tree photo by Carabou

Have you had any encounters with tree ghosts?

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A-Z Blog Hop: Sefer Raziel

The angel Raziel stands on the peak of Mount Horeb (where the Ten Commandments were given to Moses by God) and proclaims the mystical secrets to humankind. According to lore, the he created the first book ever written. The Sefer Raziel is made of sapphire or “angel’s tears” and is one of the most important texts on angel magic. It reveals secrets and mysteries of creation, including the wisdom of the 72 letters of the name of God and its 670 esoteric mysteries, and 1,500 keys, which were not even given to the angels. It also contains information on the five names of the human soul, the seven hells, the divisions of the Garden of Eden and the types of angels and spirits that have dominion over things in the world. Jealous angels coveted the Sefer Raziel and many thefts were attempted.

An excerpt of the Sefer Raziel

In actuality, it is believed that the Sefer Raziel was written in the 13^th century by different anonymous writers. The Jewish mystic Eleazar of Worms was believed to be one of them. In the Middle Ages, the book was highly revered and it was believed that mere possession of it would prevent fire. By the 19^th century, there were 25 editions of it, though probably not in sapphire.

So you know of any old occult texts? Heh, can you tell me where I can get a hold of them, especially ones I precious gems?

A-Z Blog Hop: Runes

Odin (Woden), the supreme god of the Norse pantheon wished to obtain mystical knowledge. He impaled himself on Yggdrasil, the World Tree with his own spear and hung there for nine days and nine nights. As he neared death, 18 runes appeared to him. As he grabbed the last one, he died.  He decided to share the secret of runes once he was resurrected.

Runes have been used for a variety of magical work including healing, divination, charms, and spells. In the Dark Ages magicians inscribed spells made of runes on wands, swords, chalices, and stone tablets to accomplish whatever they desired.  They could be used as amulets for protection or even inscribed on buildings. Runes also had the power to keep the dead in their grave, or to resurrect the dead. Divination was one of the most important uses. The runes were cast and their meanings were interpreted by readers. Because of this, runes were associated with the Norns, the three Fates of past present, and future.

Runes were almost snuffed out along with other pagan practices during the 14^th century when the Inquisition began their crusade. A law was passed in Iceland in 1639, forbidding anyone from using runes. If you did, you were considered a witch and treated accordingly.

German occultists revived interest in the early 20^th century. They associated runes with racial supremacy. When the Nazis came to power, they adopted two runes that are now infamous: the swastika, the rune of Mother Earth and hammer of Thor, and the sig or S rune, which became the trademark for the SS.

Today runes are popular for divination, like tarot cards. Do you have a method of divination that you like?

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A-Z Blog Hop: Qabalah

As mention earlier this week, qabalah (kabbalah) is the mysticism of Judiaism. It was first used by a Spanish philosopher, Ibn Gabirol in the 11^th century. It was founded on the Torah but is not an intellectual or ascetic discipline. Qabalh is the science of letters, the universal language from which all things were created. It creates words and sounds in ritual. According to a Qabalist, Franz Bardon, the kabbalist uses the science of letters and their spoken word becomes reality.

There are four overlapping branches of qabalah:

Classical or Dogmatic Qabalah: The study of the Torah and the central texts of the kabbalah.

The Practical Qabalah: Concerns magic, such as how to make talismans.

 Literal Qabalah: Concerns the relationship between the letters of the Hebrew alphabet and numbers.

The Unwritten Qabalah: Concerns the study of the tree of life.

Of the four branches, the Practical, Literal, and Unwritten Qabalah have shaped the practice of Western magical ceremony along with Hermetic principles.  The Tree of life is a ladder map that depicts the descent of the divine into the material world. Therefore, it shows the path a person can ascend to the divine while still in a mortal body. Each sephirah (step) is a state on consciousness and level of attainment of knowledge. The 10 different steps are arranged in groups for better understanding of their meanings. The Tree is split into three pillars, Mercy on right, Severity (also called the Tree of Knowledge) in the center, and Mildness on the left. All together, the Tree of Life comprises unity and creates the five dimensions: the three of the physical world, time, plus the spiritual world.

Tree of Life (US Public Domain)

In the magical part, each sephirah has associations an occultist must learn, such as magical tools, planets, chakras, sounds, perfumes, and tarot cards. The Tree of Life represents and alphabet of symbols that is the basis for a spiritual language that can be understood by humans, god, and angels. The symbols are used to invoke images subconsciously and to construct specific visions.

Has anyone ever used the qabalah, either alone or with other traditions?

A-Z Blog Hop: Possession

A lot of people have visions of scenes of the Exorcist when they think of possession. Actually, most forms of possession are not demonic. It is the takeover of one’s body by a non-corporeal entity.  Since ancient times, gods and other spirits have possessed people and interfered with human affairs. Possession is usually not wanted but many traditions view is as a great honor. Show here are some of the forms of possession.

Demonic Possession: The demon takes up residence in a person’s body and controls (or at least influences) his or her thoughts, words, and actions. The demon can lay in hiding for periods of time, so the person seems normal and then the person will exhibit bizarre behavior. During these times the person in entranced and it may take time to return to normal. Usually, the person is under the sway of multiple demons. Demons stay in a person unless exorcised, causing strife and turmoil both in physical and mental health to the point of death, sometimes by suicide. According to the Catholic Church, possession can be caused by making pacts with the Devil or demons, playing with Oujia boards, or being the victim of a curse or spell. Signs of demonic possession are superhuman strength and levitation that is accompanied by fits, convulsions, or contortions, revulsion to holy objects, or knowledge of the future. It’s not just Christianity that holds to demonic possession, but cultures around the world believe it. It is a part of everyday life in Hinduism. The victim is usually a woman who sees her personal problems to be caused by evil spirits. In Japan, the kitsune, or fox fairies, are known to possess people. They will usually leave if offerings are made to them.

Possession by Djinn: A Djinn will possess a human out of desire or on a whim. It will attack the weak, vulnerable, and insane. Djinn’s will also possess those they feel have wronged them. The Djinn will make people babble, have supernatural strength, and run unnaturally fast.

Possession by the Holy Ghost:  After the Resurrection of Jesus, the apostles became possessed with the Holy Ghost. Flames appeared above their heads and they spoke in tongues they didn’t know. These types of possession are all voluntary and are considered a “religious altered state of consciousness.”

Spirit or Deity Possession: In many Non-Western cultures and shamanic traditions, voluntary possession is used to communicate with gods and spirits for help in solving problems or divining the future. Possession by a god shows the possessed is worthy of that god’s attention and is a great honor.  Vodun is a good example of t religion that practices such acts. Their religious practices feature rites where the loas are invited to possess. The possessed lose all consciousness, completely becoming the loa.

Mediums: The fascination with the afterlife is still strong today. During the 19^th century, the medium religious movement spread like wildfire. These people, believed to have the ability to contact the dead, would perform séances where they would give their bodies up to the dearly departed. Many of these were fake, but the practice still continues to a much lesser degree today.

A-Z Blog Hop: Ornias

During the construction of Solomon’s Temple there was a workman’s boy who was tormented by a demon. Ornias, the demon, would appear at sunset and take half of the boy’s wages and food. Then, he’d suck his soul out of his thumb. Solomon noticed the by becoming sickly and asked him about it. Solomon prayed to god for the power over the demon. The archangel Michael gave Solomon a magic ring with a seal engraved upon it.

 “You shall imprison all the demons, male and female, and with their help you shall build Jerusalem when you bear this seal of God,” Michael told him.

Solomon gave the ring to the boy and told him to fling it at the demon’s chest and order him to go to Solomon.  The next sunset, Ornias appeared as fire and the boy threw the ring.

“Come! Solomon summons you!” the boy shouted.

Ornais screamed and promised riches if the boy would give the ring back to Solomon, but the boy refused. He bound the demon and delivered him to Solomon. The king found him at the gates and questioned him. Ornias claimed to have been an angel that fell from heaven and now resided in the constellation Aquarius. He explained that demons fly up to heaven to spy on god and fall when they grow exhausted, thus they are falling stars.

Solomon bound Ornias and forced him to cut stones from the quarry. He was the first of the demons that Solomon bound to build his temple. Nothing like demonic slavery to get the job done.

In my series the Van Helsing Organization, the angels don’t dwell in the stars. They are a part of one of the Thrones of the Seven deadly sins.

A-Z Blog Hop: Nephilim

Angels descended from heaven to watch over humanity. As they did this, their lust for human women grew and they bred with them. The result was the Nephilim, who were supposedly giants.  Nephilim means “fallen” or “those who were cast down.” In Genesis 6:4, however, it’s suggested that the Nephilim were around before the angels descended.  It states: “They were the mighty men that were of old, the men of renown.”

God grew angry at the corruption that spread from cohabitation of angels and man. He decided to destroy not only the humans but all life on earth. He chose Noah and his family alone to survive the Flood. And it rained for forty days and forty nights.

However, not all the Nephilim perished. They have been mentioned throughout other books in the bible. In numbers that are the Anakim, so big that the men are like grasshoppers. Enoch 15:8-9 states that they shall be called evil spirits on earth and they will dwell both on earth and in the earth, making them demons.

Nephilim play a large part in the book I’m currently writing (Book 2 of the Van Helsing Organization) but they are not the giants as mentioned in the bible. Nor are they evil. They can be the children of angels, but some can also be considered the children of other pantheons. The Greek heroes would have been Nephilim in my mythology.

Do you like stories about angels, demons, and the supernatural? Pick up a copy of "A Prescription for Delirium" available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Smashwords.

A-Z Blog Hop: Magic

The word magic is common in our age; for me it’s more common than for others. But it means different things to different people. Most view it as fantasy or fraud, only to be ridiculed. Others hold to the tradition that it is the heart of all esoteric traditions and is found in religious teaching.  Here are some of the ancient traditions that gave Western magic its roots.

Assyrian/Babylonian Magic: So this is close to where it all began. Humans began with offering prayers up to spirits or gods for protections. Incense, whispers and chants were often used in conjunction to this. When they began to get results the practice became more refined. They expressed the power in the natural word such as stones and in the stars themselves. Gods were attributed to celestial bodies and used in forms of magic. To them, magic was complete order, there were no accidental happenings.  Numbers played an important part in their magic. In fact the tower of Babylon was built with specific specifications. You traveled through seven steps, of stages of wisdom and knowledge. One you finished the final stage you could obtain the eighth stage, which was the eternal and divine.

Egyptian Wand showing the procession of gods

Egyptian Magic:  This was a major development in most Western Traditions. It was practiced by priests and included the arts of spell casting, divination, necromancy, making talismans and amulets, and magic in medicine. The Egyptians believed that illness was the cause of demons and thus the cures involved exorcisms. One of the most important parts of Egyptian magic was the proper use of words and names of power.  Most incantation involved a string of names, not all of them in the same language.

Greek and Roman Magic: In a culture that thrived on gods, daimones (spirits), celestial intelligences, and the dead, magic was rich in Greece and Rome. Their magic was of sympathetic bonds that enabled magic at a distance. It was the Hermetic principle “As above, so below” which means that the microcosm reflects the macrocosm.  Though all magic arts were practiced, the Greeks devoted great attention to destiny, the prophecy of oracles, and astrology. Both Greeks and Romans practiced divination and Oneiromancy, the magic of dreams. Thurgia was an exalted form of magic that that had religious overtones and was akin to ritual magic. Many practitioners believed that through Thurgia, they could bring divine powers to earth and ascend their souls to heaven.

Jewish Magic:  Most of the magic was borrowed and adapted from other cultures such as the Canaanites, Babylonians, and Egyptians .Most of it was concerned with protection from demons and gaining blessings. Most of the magic was attributed to the wisdom of King Solomon which was the basis for the Key of Solomon, one of the most important handbooks for Western Magic.  Angels were belived to be the ones who taught humans magic, mainly the Watchers. The magic was organized into systems to conform to Old Testament laws forbidding sorcery. The names of God and angels were incorporated into the incantations. This later became the Kabbalah or Qabalah.

Symbol from the Key of Solomon

There are many, many more magical traditions out there. Many borrow and build on the others until we have what is Western magic today. You can say that Wicca practices a mix between high magic (ritual or ceremonial magic) and natural magic (magic using herbs, metals, stones and such), while, from what I understand, orders such as the Golden Dawn stick more to high magic.

Do you have a favorite magic tradition?

Do you like stories about angels, demons, and the supernatural? Pick up a copy of "A Prescription for Delirium" available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Smashwords.

A-Z Blog Hop: Lycaon

So, I was going to do lycanthropy today, but I changed my mind when I read about this myth. You see, I love Greek and Roman Mythology. OK, I love lot of mythology, but they would be my favorite. Today’s post still has to do with wolf-men. It’s the story of Lycaon.

This story comes from Ovid’s Metamorphoses. You see, Jupiter (Zeus) was angered at the murder of Julius Caesar and the increasing wickedness of the human race. So, he did what he was known to do. He took a human guise and traveled around to check on the state of affairs. One night he entered the home of King Lycaon who was known to be an inhospitable tyrant. Jupiter revealed himself as a god and the people bowed to him, except for Lycaon, who laughed in disbelief.  He proposed a test to determine if Jupiter was truly a god.

Lycaon took a hostage that had been sent to him by the Molossian people and killed him. He then cooked and served his limbs as food for the god. When Jupiter saw this he became enraged and destroyed the entire house with fire. Lycaon escaped the flames, but not Jupiter’s wrath. For his crime, the Lycaon was turned into a werewolf.  Ovid describes his change as:

“There he uttered howling noises, and his attempts to speak were all in vain. His clothes changed into bristling hairs, his arms to legs, and he became a wolf. His own Lycaon savage nature showed in his rabid jaws, and he now directed against the flocks his innate lust for killing. He had a mania, even yet, for shedding blood. But, though he was a wolf, he retained some traces of his original shape. The greyness of his hair was the same, his face showed the same violence, his eyes gleamed as before, and he presented the same picture of ferocity.”

This myth is possibly connected to the cannibalism practiced in the cult of Jupiter Lycaeus. The cult believed a person who ate human flesh was turned into a wolf and spent ten years in the wild. Afterwards, they could take human form, but only if they consumed no more human flesh.  This is a pretty interesting myth for where werewolves came from.

Do you know any myths in other cultures about the origins of werewolves?

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A-Z Blog Hop: Kappa

Hokusai, detail of a bestiary drawing showing a kappa

In the depths of Japan’s bodies of water lives an imp known at the kappa. It looks like a monkey with a beak that is the size of child with webbed hands and feet. On its back is a tortoise shell and it has a protrusion that hold a jelly substance that is the source of its power.

Portrait of one of the kappa in front of JR Tono Station in Iwate Prefecture, Japan by Iwatebud

The kappa enjoys luring people into deep treacherous waters so they drown. Then the imp enters the boding and devours its blood and organs. It especially likes the liver. Some stories tell of the kappa losing its arm. It will promise people favors, such as not attacking local villagers or teaching someone to heal, in exchange for its arm back.

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A-Z Blog Hop: Jeanne Des Anges

There have been many different cases of demonic possession recorded in history. The Catholic Church itself has not been immune to such incidents. One of the most famous fraudulent cases was the Loudun Possessions that took place in an Ursuline Convent in Poitiers, France. It all started with a woman called Jeanne.

Now, this is no movie heroine; she wasn’t beautiful or kind at all. She was born in 1602 and suffered from tuberculosis as a child and this stunted her growth and left her with a hunchback.  Because of this she developed a rather nasty attitude where she mocked others and considered everyone to be her enemy. Even her parents couldn’t stand her and tried to ship off to her aunt who was a prioress at a nearby abbey. She was sent home after three years. So, when she was old enough she was sent to the Ursuline convent where the nuns tolerated her because of her family’s wealth.

When she found that the prioress was retiring, she made herself indispensable and used ingratiating behavior to gain favor. It worked as she became mother superior at the age of 25. Around this time, Jeanne developed a sexual obsession with a priest named Father Urbain Grandier.  She offered him a position as Ursuline’s director but her refused, saying her was not worthy and was too busy with parish duties. Jeanne took this as a grave insult and allied herself with growing enemies of Grandier.

So, how does this story evolve into possession? Well, as usual rumors were spread of nightly visits of incubi that resembled the priest. Soon a plot was conceived in which Grandier was accused of bewitching the nuns. They even went as far as to call in exorcists. Word began to spread even farther that the nuns were plagues by demons and the demons blamed Father Grandier.  This escalated into public exorcisms in which the nuns, Jeanne in particular convulsed on the floor and growled.  In her autobiography, Jeanne wrote she didn’t believe she was plagued by demons because she’d made no pact, but later wrote that she’s had a disturbance of the mind during that time. She began to believe her own hype.

Cathedral of Bayeux (France, Normandy), exorcism by Saint Exupère (painting by Rupalley) picture by Philippe Alès

So, during one of the exorcisms in which two magistrates attended, two “demons” confirmed she had made a pact and blamed it on poor Father Grandier, whose only crime was that he was sexy. Despite the very little evidence, Grandier was found guilty of consorting with demons and was executed.

After the execution the show continued.  Jeanne even developed a false pregnancy that was supposedly brought about by one of the demons inside here (there were many).  The new exorcist, Father Surin dedicated his attention to trying to rid Jeanne of her devils, if not through exorcism then he would elevate her soul. For a long time, she dislike Father Surin but had a turnabout, stating that she wanted to become a saint. This thing continued for years, with so-called miracles coming to pass and more exorcisms. By the time she died, Jeanne was escalated to sainthood.

Do you believe exorcisms are real?

Do you like stories about angels, demons, and the supernatural? Pick up a copy of "A Prescription for Delirium" available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Smashwords.

A-Z Blog Hop: Iblis

In my April post for D, I mentioned Iblis being the name for the Devil in Islam. And as the Devil has many tales so does Iblis.  His name is Arabian for despair.  He is described as the father of the djinn and an angel.

The Qur’an mentions his name nine times, seven of which are in reference to his fall from Allah’s grace. One states he was one of the djinn and he broke the Lord’s command. Another says he was treated as an angel. When Allah created Adam, he ordered the angels to bow down and worship him. Iblis refused because Adam was made of dust and beneath Iblis, who was made of fire. Allah curse Iblis and booted him from heaven. Hmm, sound familiar anyone? Iblis managed to persuade Allah to delay any other punishment until judgment day. So, he was allowed to roam the earth and lure men to si so he may destroy them.

In an alternate version, Allah sent his angels down to Earth to destroy the djinn for rebelling against the divine laws. The angels won the war, killing many of the djinn. They captured Iblis and took up to heaven to be “educated.” The remaining djinn formed a new nation and Iblis left heaven to become their king.

In another legend, Iblis promised any animal who carried him into paradise three magical words that would bestow immortality. The serpent agreed and carried Iblis in his mouth. Iblis, being djinn, was made of smoke, so this was easy. Iblis spoke to Eve through the serpent’s mouth and convinced her to eat from the tree of knowledge.

I always find connections between religions of different cultures fascinating.  It proves to me over and over how connected we are, despite distance and limited means of travel in the past.  Are there any stories that you have heard from different countries that are connected?

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A-Z Blog Hop: Hand of Glory

Fair warning:  this post is going to be gruesome. This is a gross little magical item that comes in handy for thieves. A Hand of Glory is the severed and preserved hand of a criminal that can render people powerless in fear or make people fall asleep. It allows thieves to break into houses.

The grimoires of witches stated that the right hand of a murderer should be cut during a lunar eclipse. Of course, those come around less than a blue moon, so as a backup, you cut off the hand while the corpse still hung on the gallows. The hand was wrapped in a piece of the corpse’s burial shroud (if they had one) and drained of blood. Then it was placed in an earthen jar and pickled in a mix of saltpeter, salt, and pepper for weeks. Vervain was wrapped around the hand and it was baked, either in the August sun or an oven. The hand was dipped in wax so the fingers could be burned like candles, or the hand was fitted with candles to burn.

Picture by Marcel Trindade

The hand of glory is burned to cast a sleeping spell on a house. If the thumb didn't light, then someone in the house couldn't be enchanted. According to lore, the only thing that could extinguish a hand of glory was milk. Yep, milk is good for many things besides building strong bones. Another way to protect you home from thieves armed with a hand of glory is to spread ointment made from the blood of screech owls, the fat of white hens, and the bile of black cats around every entry.

So, are they any magical items that you like in particular?

Do you like stories about angels, demons, and the supernatural? Pick up a copy of "A Prescription for Delirium" available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Smashwords.

A-Z Blog Hop: Golems

There are legends of golems throughout the world. The roleplaying game, Dungeons and Dragons, has golems of many varieties, from flesh to stone to metal. Golems supposedly came from kabbalistic tradition, though there have been tales of the creation of being from magic in other cultures like the ancient Greeks and Egyptians.  According to kabbalistic lore, a golem is an artificial living creature created using the sacred names of God.

One of the most famous legends about the golem is from Prague.  A Rabbi used his magical prowess to combine the four elements fire, water, air and earth to give life to a sculpture made out of mud. The golem, Joseph, was created to protect the Jewish people of Prague against Anti-Semitic attacks. He was even given a special amulet that made him invisible.

There is a lot of conjecture about the size of the golem. Some say he was huge, while others say he was normal sized. Apparently, he was hard to tell apart from humans, except he couldn't speak. This was probably because in order to give him life, a clay tablet had to be inserted into his mouth.  There are tales that he started out small and grew to a huge size. He did indeed grow stronger. And with more strength he became harder to control and grew destructive.

Old New Synagogue in Prague by Petr Broz

One day the people found the golem destroying the Rabbi’s house while he was in the synagogue singing psalm 92. The Rabbi rushed home and removed the tablet from the golem’s mouth. He never revived him again. The golem was supposedly placed in the attic of the synagogue.  The stairs were removed and entrance was forbidden for centuries. However, when the attic was explored but no golem was found.

Are there any tales of created life or golems that are your favorites?

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A-Z Blog Hop: The Flying Dutchman

Beware on the high seas for the Flying Dutchman, mateys. All right, it’s not actually Davy Jones’s ship, but it is a rather famous ghost ship with several variation of the legend.

In the Dutch version, Captain van Straaten vowed to sail around the Cape of Storms, now known as the Cape of Good Hope during a bad storm. The ship was lost and it is said the ship and its crew of dead men are condemned to sail the spot forever.  Seeing their ship during stormy weather is an omen for disaster. The Germans say the Captain was named von Falkenberg and the ship can be seen in the North Seas. In this tale, the Devil visited the ship often and played dice on deck with the captain for his soul. The captain lost, of course, and was condemned to sail the seas for eternity. Hmm, now I see where the movie got the dice game. In the British version, the ship was sailing in the Cape of Good Hope and a storm arose. The crew begged the captain to turn to a safe port, but he refused. He challenged God to sink his ship. Instantly an apparition appeared. The captain told it to leave, but it remained. So, he drew his pistol and fired on it. The gun exploded in his hand. Then the apparition cursed him and his crew to sail forever. In another legend, a goddess appeared on deck and was mistreated. So, she cursed the ship to sail until the end of days.

In 1923, a ghost ship believed to be the Flying Dutchman was seen by four sailors at the Cape of Good Hope. According to the fourth officer, it was seen 15 minutes past midnight, which is supposed to be the witching hour.

Have you ever seen an apparition? Perhaps not a ghost ship, but something else?

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A-Z Blog Hop: Empusa

Long ago when the world was a lot younger that it is now, the Greeks walked around in their togas wax rhetoric and worshiping their gods. They didn't speak of the things below out of fear it would bring their attention. One of things was the empusa.

The empusa is considered to be a vampire but is more of demon because it is not undead. It has no shape of its own; instead it has many guises, such as a beautiful young woman to lure its prey. It enters the body of its victim and consumes the flesh and blood.

The most known story appears in The Life of Apollonius of Tyana by Philostratus.  Apollonius was a philosopher and willworker who was believed to have performed great feats of magic.  The story starts out with a young man named Menippus who met a beautiful woman as he walked along the road to Cenchreae. She was an empusa, of course, and he fell under her spell. Apollonius was skeptical and attended their wedding. She claimed to be the owner of the gold and silver trappings of the house as well as the servants. Apollonius revealed that she was a vampire intent on devouring Menippus. It broke her spell and all her gold, silver, and servants disappeared.  She weeps and begs Apollonius not to reveal her true identity but he does with his awesome powers. She admits that she was luring Menippus in order to eat him. And so he is save from a horrible fate.

Are there any types of vampires or demons that are your favorites?

Do you like stories about angels, demons, and the supernatural? Pick up a copy of "A Prescription for Delirium" available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Smashwords.

A-Z Blog Hop: Devil Made Me Do It

Grab your crosses and bible folks. Today we’re going to be talking about the Devil. Now, before you get upset it’s always good to know your enemy. You can fight against it better if you have knowledge. So, let delve into the depths of darkness and meet the Devil.

So, the term devil is derived from the Greek diabolos which means slander or accuser. This word actually came from the Hebrew word Satan. Now, according to Hebrew lore, Satan was an angel, the tempter of humans. The Devil evolved over the centuries from Satan, Lucifer, and the pagan deities Pan or Cernunnos.

In many religions evil is represented in the form of gods that are not wholly evil. As Christianity spread, these gods became devils or evil and were some of the beginnings of the Devil himself. For instance, The Egyptian Set personified more of a dark side than many of the other. As the evil brother of Osiris, her represents chaos and destruction. Added in were a few demons from other cultures, like the offspring of Tiamat from Mesopotamia.

One of the most interesting predecessors would be Angra Mainyu or Ahriman of Zoroastrianism. He is the personification of evil, the exact opposite to Ahuru Mazda or Ohrmazd who is the personification of all good. It is said that Ahriman will be defeated by the coming of the Savior. Yes, there are a lot of parallels between this, Judaism, and Christianity.  Even Islam has something like it. It is a Djinn known as Iblis. Both Zoroastrianism and Iblis will have their own posts later this month.

In the New Testament of Christianity the Devil becomes more personal and is represented as an antagonist of God. He has legions of fallen angels that are not turned demons and is poised to wage war on God. Jesus, the Son of God, is sent to Earth to defeat him since the Devil had power over the physical world. In Revelations it is said that Christ will return to defeat the Devil and bind him for a thousand years before destroying him. And thus, the dualism of Christianity has come to be, with a god of light and and god of evil and darkness.

In A Prescription for Delirium, devils are the Fallen Angel. Yes, Lucifer is among them, so he can be considered the Devil, but the book doesn't focus on him. The difference between demons and devils in the book is their origin. However, it doesn't

 matter as much to Gabby. She’s willing to kill both and in large numbers.

I love hearing from you. Are there any gods from mythology that you think may have attributed to the Devil?

Do you like stories about angels, demons, and the supernatural? Pick up a copy of "A Prescription for Delirium" available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Smashwords.

A-Z Blog Hop: Curses

I’m sure you can all imagine an old crone hunched over a small doll or figurine, muttering as she lays a curse upon her victim. Well, the thing is it wasn't just witches that cast curses. A curse is a type a spell intended to bring misfortune down upon someone else. This could be bad luck, harm, illness, and sometimes death. Though anyone can lay down a curse, the most dangerous were those laid by someone in authority, like a priest or priestess, someone with magical skill, or someone who had no other way to see justice done, like women of the poor.

Curses could take effect immediately or lie in wait for years. Some have even been laid upon families, affecting generations. Deathbed curses are the most effective, since the curser’s life force goes into it. A lot of victims are not told they are curse so they won’t find a witch to remove it for them. However, having the victim know can be just as deadly as the curse itself because the victim can cause his own demise.

Witch Dall Curse by Malcolm Lidbury

Curses call upon supernatural powers to effect a harmful change. The most known way of cursing someone is with a figure or effigy that represents the victim. These could be of wax, cloth, wood, or clay and had something associated with the victim attached to it such as hair, nails, clothing, or even dust from his footprint.  The effigy was melted or burned and as this happened the victim would suffer and die when the figure was destroyed. Sometimes the figures were stuck with pins, knives, or thorns. I think most of us have seen movies with the voodoo dolls. In Ireland there were cursing stones that were turned over as a curse was recited.

Though Wiccan practitioners frown upon curses today, other practices still use them. My main character Gabby in A Prescription for Delirium had the curse of immortality put upon her. Have you ever heard of interesting stories about curses?

Do you like stories about angels, demons, and the supernatural? Pick up a copy of "A Prescription for Delirium" available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Smashwords.