Labartu
Origin: Mesopotamia

Labartu, an ancient demon and disease spirit, is described as the "hag demon."
Assurbanipal, King of Assyria (died 626 BCE) had a vast library of magical texts collected from all over Babylonia. Labartu is the
subject of one such book.
Labartu lives in marshes or in the mountain wilderness. She attacks children and induces miscarriage. Labartu may manifest as a fever
demon. Texts describe protective measures: images of Labartu were formed and accompanying incantations chanted. Mothers and
babies were guarded via engraved stone amulets. Labartu's power is at its peak for the first nine days after a birth and so mother and
child were never left alone until this period of danger ended. Information is now scarce: Labartu was somehow associated with Ishtar
and is sometimes identified with Lamashtu.
See also: Al Karisi; Inanna-Ishtar; La mash tu; Lilith

Lada
Origin: Slavic

Spirit of love, beauty and spring, Lada was widely venerated throughout Slavic Europe as well as Baltic Lithuania. She was and
remains an extremely popular and beloved goddess. Lada lives inside Earth like a hibernating bear but emerges with the Vernal Equinox.
(Archaic myths of Persephone, prior to the advent of the Olympians, may have been similar.) Migratingbirds signal her imminent arrival.
Lada is the spirit of the awakening Earth. She is the spirit of awakening desire, too. Lada inspires people and animals to seek
companionship and sex. She inspires happiness, harmony and bliss.
Iconography: Lada is depicted in the company of birds and is often shown pregnant.
Consort: Lada's husband and male counterpart is Lado. Their children are Lel and Lelya.
Birds: All birds serve as her messengers but especially larks
Tree: Linden
Sacred time: Spring equinox
See also: Lado; Persephone

Lado
Origin: Slavic
Lado is the sacred partner and consort of Lada, Goddess of Spring. He is her male counterpart and is invoked for romantic

happiness and domestic bliss. Lado may be interpreted as "spouse"; it may be a title or epithet rather than a name. He is the essence of
springtime; the urge to find a partner and make merry. Lado may or may not be the male spirit venerated under the guise of John the
Baptist during the Russian Midsummer's Eve feast known asIvan Kupalo.
See also: Lada

Ladon
Origin: Greece

Gaia gave Hera a tree with magical golden apples as a wedding gift. The tree was planted in the Garden of the Hesperides. Ladon is
a giant snake or dragon appointed by Hera to serve as the tree's guardian. There are different versions of his origins. His father may be
Typhon or Phorkys. His mother may be Gaia, Keto or Echidna. If Keto is his mother, then Echidna is his sister. Depending on his and
their parentage, the Hesperides, the Nymphs who tend the Garden of the Hesperides may be Ladon's sisters.
In the most famous version of his myth, Heracles kills Ladon in order to steal some golden apples. In other versions, Heracles or
Atlas acting on his behalf, obtain the apples in a friendly manner from either Ladon or the Hesperides.
M anifestation: Ladon is huge and powerful. He may have two, three or even one-hundred heads. He is a mimic who can speak
with different voices and is fluent in many languages. Nothing indicates that he is hostile or violent as long as you're not trying to steal
what he's sworn to guard. He is lovable enough that the Hesperides are described weeping at his death.
Iconography: A big snake wrapped around an apple tree or a one-hundred headed dragon.
Constellation: Draco the dragon
See also: Atlas; Echidna; Gaia; Hera; Heracles; Hesperides; Keto

Lady Banana Ghost
Also known as: Phit Nang Tani
Origin: Thailand

Lady Banana Ghost names a species of tree spirit who live within certain types of small Thai banana trees. Each tree has its own
ghost. Lady Banana Ghost rarely emerges from her home without provocation. She will emerge upon the death of the tree (she does not
die with the tree but will be unhappy at being displaced) and is at the peak of her powers when the tree flowers, when she may
be
particularly active. Should the tree die while flowering, she may be really active.
Association between tree and ghost is no accident: this particular species of Thai banana is traditionally associated with
death and funeral rites. Tree trunks are used in funeral rituals. Because the tree is useful (leaves are also used to wrap food),
it's not avoided but they are maintained at a distance from residences, not placed too close to home .

Lady Banana Ghost has fun terrorizing solitary men. She'll emerge and do something scary (her sudden emergence may be sufficient)
just to see them run or scream. She doesn't really do any harm: she's a prankster out for some fun, not a vicious spirit. If you entertain
her by showing panic or fear, she'll leave you alone. Lady Banana Ghost can also be magnanimous and benevolent and is known to
offer alms to itinerant monks.
Lady Banana Ghost is an oracular spirit and is the subject of magic spells intended to force her to reveal information in dreams,
usually the identity of someone's true love or future spouse. She is not a willing participant and must be magically forced. However,

once coerced to serve in this manner, it's her turn to exert coercion. She may not go away but insist on regular offerings and a role as a
spiritual matron; haunting dreams and causing misfortune (usually of the romantic, domestic kind) until properly propitiated and a
working relationship established.
See also: Ghost

Lady of the Beasts
A sacred image, documented as far back as the Neolithic era, depicts a woman surrounded by animals. This is often a stylized
image: the animals tend to be those which would not normally congregate peacefully together. In the company of the Lady of the Beasts,
as she has been dubbed, lions lie down with lambs; predators play nicely with each other; birds perch safely on cats. The Lady of the
Beasts is a spirit of peace and prosperity. She is often, although not always, depicted pregnant. She may be a spirit of nature's bounty.

There may be one primeval Lady of the Beasts or many. Various goddesses fit the archetype.
Lady of the Beasts is an
anthropological term coined to describe images and the concept it evoked. However, the term has since entered the lexicon of modern
goddess devotees. Votive images, both traditional and modern, of the Lady of the Beasts are readily available as, for instance, one
painted by artist Hrana Janto and included in Amy Sophia Marashinsky's Goddess Oracle. Ladies of the Beasts include Aphrodite,
Artemis, Baba Yaga, Khadiravani, Kwan Yin, Kybele and Miao Shan. (See their individual entries for more information.)
The Lady of the Beasts is the beast master. She commands, controls and protects them. Those who work closely with animals may
seek her protection and matronage. The Lady of the Beasts may also be a priestess or shaman. Those who work closely with animal
spirits may assume the role in visualizations. (Just always be aware that flesh-and-blood beasts may not behave like spirit animals;
always use common sense and safety precautions to avoid injury to yourself and the animals.)
M anifestation: You will know the Lady of the Beasts by the animals that surround her.
Altar: Find an image that corresponds to your vision of the Lady of the Beasts and surround her with images of living creatures.

Lady Blue
Also known as: Madame Blue
Origin: China

Lady Blue is the companion and servant of snake goddess, Lady White. Her name may be Ching Ching or Siu Ching or at least
that's what she's called when manifesting as a woman. Her title, Lady Blue, refers to her true form as a bluish-green snake. She's often
described as a small snake but that may be only in comparison with Lady White who is pretty substantial.
Green Snake, a 1993 Hong Kong film starring Maggie Cheung, retells the legend of Lady White from the perspective of Lady Blue.
See also: Lady White

Lady Horsehead
Origin: China
Before she was Lady Horsehead, this goddess was a young girl whose wealthy father was kidnapped by pirates. In response, she
mourned intensely and stopped eating. Her mother feared that she would lose her daughter, too and so she offered the girl's hand in
marriage to anyone who could bring her father back.

A horse in their stables, secretly in love with the girl, ran off, rescued the father and carried him home. When the horse demanded his
bride, the outraged father killed the stallion, flayed him and hung the skin up. The horse skin "saw" the girl passing by, jumped off the
wall onto her and proceeded to carry her off. The Jade Emperor heard her cries and rescued her, bringing her to his celestial palace
where she is now his second wife and forever known as Lady Horsehead.
The strange myth of Lady Horsehead is reminiscent of the tale of Susano'o's attack on his sister Amaterasu's weaving
maidens. Beneath the superficial narrative lie all kinds of spiritual implications. The flayed horse's skin may refer to shamanic
rites.

Lady Horsehead is the goddess of silkworms and silk production. Until 20th century Communist sanctions on traditional Chinese folk
religion, she was actively venerated by women in silk-producing regions of China. Her blessings may be requested by anyone who
works with silk in any aspect.
Tree: Mulberry
See also: Amaterasu; Demeter; Jade Emperor; Susano'o

Lady of the Lake
Origin: Arthurian

The Lady of the Lake is the spirit who gave the magical sword Excalibur to Arthur and then reclaimed it after the Battle of Camlann.
(The sword in the stone broke; Excalibur was the replacement.) She is his spiritual matron. Lady of the Lake is a title; her identity is
unclear. Among the spirits described as being the Lady of the Lake are Argante, Morgan le Fay, Nimue and Vivian. Her association
with swords evokes the Scottish spirit, Scatach.
Compounding the confusion is that in Celtic cosmology, as in so many others,
every body of water has an in-dwelling, presiding
spirit. There are also water spirits who are not tied to any one location but may manifest in virtually any source of living water. Thus a
very wide variety of now little-known, mysterious Celtic goddesses may fit the description of the Lady of the Lake. The title may also
refer to her priestess; hence more than one may be addressed as Lady of the Lake, spirit and mortal.
King Arthur may or may not have died following the Battle of Camlann. Legends describe boats mysteriously appearing to ferry him
to the Isle of Avalon, either to heal and recover or because it is an afterlife realm. The Lady of the Lake may or may not be among the
gracious women who come to collect Arthur; however the island is described as belonging to her.
The Lady of the Lake is invoked for protection and by those who love precious, magical swords. She may be petitioned for entrance
to Avalon. The Lady of the Lake is the guardian of esoteric secrets and may be invoked for wisdom and guidance.
M anifestation: The Lady of the Lake appears as a beautiful, mysterious, dignified woman.

Iconography: The Lady of the Lake inspires artists; many images are available. Alternatively, substitute a Queen of Swords playing
card or the Ace of Swords tarot card, which depicts a disembodied hand, albeit a celestial one, proffering a sword.

Realm: The Lady of the Lake rules the Isle of Avalon but also manifests in lakes. When giving or reclaiming Excalibur, a mysterious
hand emerges from the center of the lake and then withdraws within.
See also: Argante; Morgan le Fay; Scatach

Lady of Lightning

Golden Light; Saint Mother
Origin: China
The Lady of Lightning, now also known as the Mother of Electricity presides over lightning, electricity, flashes of light and
electromagnetism. She causes and controls them. The Lady of Lightning also presides over the esoteric use of mirrors for divination,
protection and feng shui. She holds mirrors in her hands, moving them about; their flashes are lightning.

Lady Tung
Origin: Giarai

The Giarai are an ethnic minority living in Vietnam and Cambodia, much beloved by anthropologists for their elaborate funeral
traditions. Lady Tung is the Giarai weaving goddess of life and death.
Giarai tradition suggests that souls of the dead travel to an after-life village in the west where they live a parallel existence. Lady Tung
and her compatriot Lady Tai preside over a large, deep cave that is a threshold between the realms of the living and the dead. Once
upon a time, long ago, the living could enter this cave and visit with ancestors, friends and relatives but it got too crowded. Spirits
blocked the entrance to the cave with a huge tree trunk, thus separating the realms of the living and the dead.
Lady Tung presides over birth and death.
• When she weaves a new weft, a child is born
• When her thread breaks, someone dies
The Giarai believe in reincarnation; souls transition between different realms over life times. As weavers, Lady Tung and Lady Tai
preside over these transitions. They are fate goddesses. Humans are believed to have two incarnations in the realm of the living and two
in the realm of the dead. Having completed those four life/ death cycles, Lady Tung and Lady Tai transforms souls into spiders, which
wander Earth until transforming again into a dewdrop, they enter a newborn soul.
See also: Fates (1)

Lady of the Waterside
Origin: China

The Lady of the Waterside presides over a celestial realm filled with flowers. Each flower is linked to a living woman. Alternately,
one might say that, according to this southern Chinese spiritual tradition, each woman has a flower alter-ego, which contains her female
power; the essence of her fertility. Flowers and women are psychically, spiritually, magically linked. This realm and the flowers are
mystically connected to the birth process. The baby's body forms in the human realm but their soul-double is cultivated in flower pots in
the Flower World. When it's time to be born, each must cross the treacherous Hundred Flower Bridge so that soul and body are united
but luckily they are protected and guided by the Lady of the Waterside. The Lady of the Waterside is the flower goddess who guards
this realm of flowers and hence women's fertility and their unborn children.
See also: Flora

Lady White
Also known as: Madame White
Origin: China

Lady White, a powerful thousand-year old snake goddess, decided to explore the human realm, in some versions because she
seeks veneration. She assumed the form of an elegant, beautiful, wealthy woman as did her companion/servant, Lady Blue. Lady
White's true form is a big white snake while Lady Blue is a smaller teal one.
Lady White meets a young man and they fall in love. Of course, he has no idea she's a snake. Lady White is a master healer; she
teaches him her skills and they live happily ever after until a sharp-eyed monk recognizes that she's no ordinary woman. He resolves to
inform and rescue the husband. Whether or not he seeks or needs rescuing is irrelevant: the monk is offended by the relationship itself,
which he perceives as unnatural. (Hidden with this tale is a rebuke to the esoteric Taoist practice of human-spirit marriages.) Seeking to
banish them, he magically trapped Ladies White and Blue in an alms bowl, which he buried near the West Lake in Hang Zhou. The
seven-story Lei Feng Pagoda was built over the bowl in order to further imprison the snake spirits.
Lady White is the name and subject of a beloved story and perhaps the most popular Chinese opera. Her legend is retold in
countless renditions and in different media: opera but also novels, films, folktales; plays, television series, wood block prints, comics,
anime and cartoons. No source is considered canonical. Depending on the version, Lady White may be a heroine, a villainess or
something in between.
The first literary versions date from the 13 th century but the story dates back at least to the 7 th century CE. The first dramatization
was in the 14th century.
In the earliest versions, Lady White was depicted as a vicious, man-eating spirit. The priests and monks who intervened were heroic.
By the Ming era (1368–1644), she was portrayed as an ambiguous "good demon." She steals the elixir of immortality from Hsi Wang
Mu in order to save her husband. The monks who oppose her gradually evolved into villains. Although identified as a snake spirit, Lady
White resembles the Jade Maidens and Chinese Fairies who form sacred marriages with Taoist adepts, teaching them mystical secrets
of healing and alchemy.

M anifestation: Lady White transforms back and forth from white python to beautiful woman. She sometimes appears with a
woman's head atop a large serpentine body.

Sacred site: The Lei Feng Pagoda was allegedly built to permanently imprison Lady White. A legend circulated that if the tower
collapsed, Lady White would be free. However, even trapped underground, Lady White exerted her benevolent power: the tower
bricks are reputed to attract wealth and prevent illness and miscarriage. They were eagerly collected, perhaps contributing to the
tower's collapse in 1924, liberating Lady White and Lady Blue, now free to roam where they will. Lei Feng Pagoda was rebuilt in 2002
and is a pilgrimage spot for those who love Lady White.
See also: Benten; Fairy; Hsi Wang Mu; Jade Maidens; Janguli; Lady Blue

Laima
Origin: Baltic
Laima is the Goddess of Fate and Destiny. She dispenses qualityand quantity:
• Laima bestows good luck and bad; happiness and misfortune
• Laima determines the length of one's life
• She is a goddess of birth and death
Her name is sometimes interpreted as meaning "happiness" but it may derive from an Old Lithuanian word indicating wisdom. Her
name is also related to words for luck and fate. She is a particularly powerful goddess; the spirit above other spirits. Laima is the
daughter of Zemyna, the Earth Mother. Alternatively, Zemyna and Laima are sisters; daughters of the primordial Mother Zemyna of the
Marshes.
Laima supervises the birth process. She decides whether the baby will be born, what sort of mental capacity the child will possess as
well as physical attributes. She determines fate and how and when someone will die.
Laima was not worshipped as part of the official state cult; eventually many of her powers were assigned or appropriated by the male
spirit, Dievas. Myths sometimes depict the two deities in conflict with Laima generally winning arguments. Perhaps because she was not
favored by rulers but by farmers and peasants, active veneration of Laima survived long after official conversion to Christianity.
Seventeenth century Jesuits complained that offerings to Laima were still brought to her pillar stones.
Rituals honoring Laima were also done in the bathhouse: women joined together to sing to Laima and recite ritual poetry. Bathhouse

rituals dedicated to Laima were held prior to giving birth with a ritual feast in the bathhouse immediately afterwards. (Bathhouses also
traditionally doubled as birthing houses.) Only women took part. The birthing woman made fabric offerings (embroidered towels; vest;
sash) to the keeper of the sauna who, once upon a time, may have been Laima's priestess but post-Christianity still served as her
mediator. Rituals involved sacrificing a chicken which had to be killed with a ladle.

M anifestation: Laima may appear alone or in the company of the Laimos. Her throne is a golden stool. She may manifest as a
woman or as any of her sacred creatures. She commonly appears as a bear or cuckoo. In her guise as messenger of death, Laima takes
the form of a titmouse.
Tree: Linden
Sacred creatures: Bear, elk, cuckoo, duck, lamb, owl, swan, titmouse
Offerings: Traditionally flowers, flax, hand woven cloth and belts; offerings were traditionally made following successful happy
births

Sacred sites: Laima was associated with sacred stones, which marked locations of subterranean wells containing the water of life.
Laima sits near these stones on her golden stool spinning the thread of life. There are descriptions of Laima's stones in the Vilnius region
dating to 1836. She was also venerated within traditional bathhouses (similar to Russian bania or Finnish sauna).
See also: Fates (1); Kikimora; Laimos; Lalla Rekya; Laumès; Zemyna

Laimos
Origin: Baltic
The Laimos are Baltic destiny spirits and birth Fairies. Their leader is Laima. The Laimos are spinners and weavers: their thread is
human lives. There are apparently seven Laimos but in their capacity as birth Fairies, only three appear at a time. They may be distinct,
individual spirits or they may be multiples of Laima. She may be able to manifest as one spirit, three or seven. The Laimos appear at the
moment of the birth:
• One decides if the child will live at all
• One decides when the child will die
• One determines the quality of life during this allotted time
M anifestation: Laimos manifest as women, cuckoos or swans. Allegedly, if you can capture one in swan from, she'll transform
into a woman, engage in sacred marriage and bring you wealth and success.
See also: Fairies, Birth; Laima; Swan Goddesses

Laka
Origin: Hawaii
Laka, Hawaiian spirit of fertility, romance and women's power, is most famous as the presiding spirit of hula dancing which some
legends credit her with inventing. Laka is still actively venerated and honored by hula dancers. The remains of her shrine at Ke'e Beach,
Kauai are rarely without offerings. Laka is also the spirit of wild nature and the woodlands. She controls rain. Laka is considered a
reasonably benevolent spirit and is one of Hawaii's most beloved goddesses. Laka has an alter ego named Kapo who may be her sister
or mother. Alternatively the two names refer to different paths of one spirit with Laka as the consistent life-affirming aspect and Kapo as
the unpredictable, potentially dangerous aspect. Kapo has associations with death and negative sorcery, which Laka lacks. Some
legends credit Kapo with the invention of hula. The two spirits are frequently invoked and venerated together.

Favored people: Hula dancers: if you already dance, consider yourself under her protection. To establish a connection, learn hula.
No need to be a professional dancer; it's sufficient to love hula and make a sincere attempt to learn to the best of your abilities.

M anifestations: Like Hawaiian spirits in general, Laka has many forms. In womanly form, Laka is a beautiful, graceful dancer. She
also manifests in the forms of her sacred plants.
Color: Yellow: Laka's color was traditionally obtained by dyeing with turmeric, known in Hawaiian as olena.
Tree: Lama tree "Hawaiian ebony" (Dios pyros sandwichensis)
Plants: 'Ilima plant (Sida fallax); ti plant; maile; lehua blossoms
Sacred sites: Ka'ana located on the slopes of Maunaloa in western Molokai claims to be where Laka first danced the hula
• Laka's remains are rumored to be secretly buried somewhere beneath the hill Pu'u Nana in Molokai.
• The ruins of Laka's halau (temple and school) are at Ke'e Beach, Kauai: walk up the hill to the shrine to place offerings on her
rock altar.
Festival: Molokai's annual Ka Hula Piko festival celebrates Laka and the birth of hula each May.

Altar: Traditionally temporary structures formed from entwined branches and decorated with ferns, flowers and plants. A block of
Lama wood placed on the altar and covered with yellow tapa cloth represents Laka.
Offerings: Traditionally Laka was offered a daily drink of 'awa, also known as kava; also maile vines and leis
See also: Hi'iaka; Kapo

Lakshmi
Also known as: Laxmi; Mahalakshmi; Shri Devi; Kamala ("Lotus")
Origin: India
Lakshmi, Lady of Wealth, Good Fortune and Beauty bestows abundance. Lakshmi is the spirit of luxury and happiness. She brings
vitality to all living things. She is one of the most beloved spirits of modern India. Lakshmi is actively venerated by some one billion
Hindus as well as Buddhists, Jains, goddess devotees and independent practitioners around the world. Almost by definition, she is
lovable. She is everything that is good, sweet, pleasurable and joyful.
Lakshmi bestows fertility, health and wealth. Her lucky white elephants shower Earth with rain and abundance. She is the very
personification of good luck and fortune. The only negative thing one might possibly say about Lakshmi is that, in the manner of fortune,
she is fickle. She won't do anything bad but she gets bored easily. If not properly venerated or enticed to stay, she'll just leave, taking
her gifts (joy, wealth, luck) with her.
Henna contains Lakshmi's essence. Ornament yourself with henna to feel Lakshmi's presence and invoke her blessings.
This must be done in a sacred, respectful, manner, however, or consequences may be negative rather than positive. Disrespect
the henna, disrespect Lakshmi!

Lakshmi is venerated on home altars in attempts to keep her near. Lakshmi expects devotees to expend some effort: simply posting
her image and leaving it there is insufficient. Light candles, incense and/or lamps (butter or oil are traditional) and place before her image;
on a daily basis, if possible. Shop keepers place her image near the cash register to stimulate sales; also lighting lamps in her honor.
M anifestation: Lakshmi is characterized by opulence. Her skin may be golden. Light radiates in her wake. The tremendous
quantity of her jewelry causes her to become a vision of flashing, glowing light.

Iconography: Her very recognizable iconic form first appeared in approximately the third century B CE. Lakshmi may have two or
four hands. She carries a coffer: golden coins shower from her hands. Lakshmi is always depicted with a lotus flower. She may hold
one or sit or stand on one. She is frequently depicted with a pair of elephants who pour water over her or in the company of Ganesha.
Milk may flow from her ample breasts.
Attributes: Conch shell; wheel; mace; box; lotus
Element: Water
Flower: Lotus
Tree: Bel Tree (Aegle marmelos)

Plant: Tulsi or Holy Basil. Tulsi may be Lakshmi incarnate. A legend says that in a fit of anger, the goddess Sarasvati, her rival,
transformed Lakshmi into the herb.
Animals: Cow, Elephant
Bird: An owl serves as her mount.
Day: Friday
M etal: Gold

Consort: In her earliest manifestations, Lakshmi was an independent deity who was worshipped without a male partner. However,
she is now considered Vishnu's wife.
Symbol: 6 pointed star (hexagram; satkona) signifying the union of female and male principles resulting in creativity and abundance

Sacred time: During Diwali, the Hindu festival of lights, Lakshmi roams Earth searching for places to spend the night and distribute
her gifts. People greet Lakshmi by illuminating their homes, roofs, gates and gardens with tiny earthenware oil lamps.

Sacred sites: Lakshmi Narain Temple in Jaipur and the Lakshmi Narayan Temple in New Delhi, built in 1938, popularly known as
the Birla Mandir.
Offerings: Fruit, flowers, candy, incense, milk, beads, coins
See also: Alakshmi; Ganesha; Lalla Malika; Mami Waters; Sarasvati; Vishnu

Lalinn, Madame
Also known as: Madame La Lune
Origin: Haiti
Madame Lalinn is the Kreyol moon goddess: she is the moon herself, the woman in the moon and the spirit essence of the moon.
She is a very visible goddess: you'll find her in the sky at night. Madame Lalinn is invoked to oversee and bless lunar magic. She
presides over dream spells and may be petitioned for luck, beauty and fertility. Madame Lalinn will help open the third eye. She is an
oracular spirit who presides over scrying: the art of prophesy via gazing into smooth surfaces, usually glass or liquids but moon-gazing
may be very effective, too. Madame Lalinn is the matron of magic mirrors and crystal balls.
Color: White
Time: Night

M etal: Silver
M ineral: Mica
Offerings: White candles; lunar imagery; silver charms and beads, white cakes, crescent rolls, white rice, bowls of water, mirrors,
pearls, mother of pearl, abalone shells
MOON WATER
Make moon water by exposing a bowl of fresh spring water to moonlight. Moonlight infused water has myriad magical uses:
• Place the bowl under your bed to enhance conception
• Bathe in it to enhance beauty
• Bathe magical tools to enhance their powers
• Place a small hand mirror inside the bowl of water face up so as to absorb the moonlight: voila! You have a lunar enhanced
magic mirror for scrying
• Add quartz crystals or crystal wands to the water to cleanse and intensify their power
See also: Chang'O, Lady; Kybele; Luna; Selene

Lalita
Origin: India
Lalita is a dawn goddess from southern India. She is the epitome of feminine beauty and has dominion over abundance, success,
happiness and love. She is the embodiment of erotic energy, whether used for sexuality, procreation or metaphysical purposes. She is
the spirit of the rising sun, hope and fresh beginnings. Lalita is incorporated into the Hindu pantheon as a path of Parvati and/or Durga.
(See Glossary entry for Path.)
M anifestation: Lalita appears as a ravishingly beautiful sixteen-year old. She may be vividly, blindingly bright: Lalita emanates the
light of the sun but her heat is that of the early morning, not the potentially destructive burning noon rays.
Iconography: In addition to statues, Lalita is venerated in the form of a yantra, a geometrical image containing and transmitting the
essence of the divine being. Lalita's yantra is particularly complex consisting of nine intersecting triangles, four facing up, five facing
down.
Planet: Sun
Color: Red
Flower: Red lotus
See also: Aurora; Durga; Eos; Parvati

Lalla

Lalla is a Berber word, which literally means Lady. It is an honorific, a term of respect, for women in Morocco. It is used for
human women but is also the most widespread term of address for female spirits, common to both Muslims and Jews. The same term is
used to address female Muslim saints, female Jewish saints, female Djinn or other female spirits. These spirits are virtuallyalways
addressed with the honorific and so Lalla has become part of their names.

Lalla Haoua

Madame Love
Also known as: Lady Eve

Haoua is the Arabic version of the name Eve. Lalla Haoua is the Eve of Garden of Eden fame. Perhaps because she tempted Adam
with that apple, in North African folk traditions, Lalla Haoua is venerated as a spirit of love, invoked for romantic happiness and to find
one's true love. Perhaps because she is considered the mother of all people, she is the primordial ancestress and thus protective of her
descendents.
M anifestation: A beautiful woman or a snake
See also: Lalla

Lalla Malika
Origin: Morocco
Classification: Djinn

Lalla Malika, daughter of a King of Djinn, is beautiful, elegant, flirtatious and coquettish. She likes men, especially married men.
Lalla Malika engages in sacred marriages. (See the Glossary entry for Marriage.) As her favorite partners are already wed, it's crucial
to negotiate terms with her. Men engaged in marriage with Lalla Malika must receive her permission to continue relations with their
wives or other women. Lalla Malika is a good-natured spirit but keep boundaries clear to avoid any unpleasantness.
Lalla Malika expects devotees to be elegant and stylish, too. Male devotees are expected to be well-groomed and clean shaven. She
expects them to wear clean clothes and cologne. Is fine cologne beyond the budget? Not a problem: Lalla Malika provides
economically and otherwise for her devotees. Lalla Malika is particularly renowned for keeping devotees out of prison.
Although she's powerful enough to do so, Lalla Malika doesn't generally engage in harmful attacks on people. What she does is
withdraw her presence, leaving a void where once there was joy. Lalla Malika is ritually summoned by the Gnawa and Jilala
brotherhoods.

Favored people: Lalla Malika has a soft spot for men, especially charming, handsome, fun, suave, well-groomed men. If they're
married, she likes them even more.

M anifestation: Lalla Malika consistently manifests as a happy, laughing, positive spirit. She brings a sense of merriment in her
wake. Lalla Malika likes to tickle people. She signals her presence by making people giggle. Lalla Malika speaks French and wears
clothing embroidered in gold thread.
Color: Purple, violet; pink, mauve
Incense: Oud (agarwood); sandalwood

Homes: Lalla Malika lives in armoires and clothes closets. Place altars and offerings there. Fill her closet with beautiful clothing and
luxuries.
Offerings: Lalla Malika loves perfume! Luxurious, multi-colored garments
See also: ' Aisha Qandisha; Djinn; Genie; Lakshmi; Lalla; Lalla Mira

Lalla Mimouna
See: Mimouna, Lalla

Lalla Mira
Also known as: Lalla Mira al-Mtiriyya; Lalla Mira bent Hartya
Classification: Djinn
Lalla Mira is among the most powerful and famous Djinn, beloved and feared. Her origins are unknown but she is believed to be a
native Moroccan, possibly first emerging amongst Berber tribes. Lalla Mira is an oracular spirit invoked for healing, fertility, protection,
abundance but her major concern is love.
A very independent spirit, Lalla Mira comes and goes where she likes. She's assertive, not shy and may aggressively select her own
devotees. Lalla Mira is not married but is flirtatious with a reputation for seducing (and sometimes preying upon) married men. Lalla
Mira is a jealous, demanding spirit. Female devotees are expected to consistently wear her colors.
It is easy to sensationalize Lalla Mira but it must be emphasized that she has been loved and venerated for centuries. People credit
her with their good health, happiness and the very existence of their families. Yet she is a volatile spirit who engages in very different
kinds of relationships with different devotees.
Lalla Mira is a complex spirit: providing some devotees with romantic and sexual happiness but denying these gifts to others. Lalla
Mira has three types of devotees: women; men and those specific men with whom Lalla Mira engages in ritual marriage. (See Glossary
entry for Marriage.) She expects these men to be honored by her attention and possibly to find complete fulfillment with her.
Unfortunately many of the men she prefers are already married. Lalla Mira is a coquettish spirit: the fact that they are married may
increase their appeal.
In general, Lalla Mira finds lovers andspouses for her devotees (sometimes aggressively so!). She prevents illness and heals infertility.
She can cause men to be irresistible to women. If Lalla Mira seeks a relationship with a man herself, she signals her interest via erotic
dreams. These dreams are not mere fantasies but actual visitations. Lalla Mira may appear in her own form and identify herself but she
often appears to a man in the form of a woman he already knows and loves.
If she loses interest, the dreams will cease but if she genuinely seeks a relationship, they will continue, possibly increasing in frequency.
Initially pleasurable, they can become debilitating unless a relationship is negotiated and established and the man becomes her active
devotee in waking hours as well as when asleep. If this is problematic, the renowned Moroccan saint Sidi Ahmed may be invoked to
help negotiate the relationship.
Lalla Mira may object to male devotees having relationships with other women, even their wives. Objections are made manifest via
illness or by the increasingly obsessive behavior of the dreamer who may become so all-consumed he is no longer able to function.
Lalla Mira is invoked to foretell the future through a spirit medium via ritual possession. She is summoned via taridja
drums and the fragrance of her favorite perfume mixture burned in an incense burner: coriander: black and white benzoin
resin; oud (agarwood); salabane resin (also known as Boswellia or frankincense), turpentine and lots of sugar so that her words
will be sweet.

Men who are married when Lalla Mira makes overtures must establish that they wish to continue relationships with their wives
(presuming that they do); some sort of schedule is worked out. Unmarried devotees are expected to request Lalla Mira's permission
and blessings before marrying. Should she allow a man to marry, then wife, children and possibly future descendents are expected to
serve Lalla Mira, too. (The woman may already be her devotee: Lalla Mira likes match-making and is more inclined to permit devotees
to marry.)
If Lalla Mira is angry, vengeful or in a bad mood, she will lash out. Her attack usually manifests as sudden paralysis. Those who are
hysterical, whether laughing or crying, are particular vulnerable to her attack.
To counteract an attack or placate Lalla Mira:

• The victim should dress in Lalla Mira's colors
• Place henna in the victim's hands and nose (this can be a ball of henna or a bit of henna paste; it doesn't necessarily have to be
painted)
• Sponsor a henna party in Lalla Mira's honor: hire belly or tribal dancers as well as henna artists: for women only!
• Dancing the hadra for Lalla Mira may help but only if it's done well. Lalla Mira attacks those who dance the hadra incorrectly.
(Hadra is an ecstatic trance dance.)
Colors: Orange, bright yellow
Plant: Henna (Lawsonia inermis)
Element: Water
Time: Lalla Mira is most likely to be encountered in the late afternoon, when she likes to take a stroll.

Sacred site: Lalla Mira lives within the houses of devotees but is also associated with healing
wells, springs and bath houses.
Hammam Lalla Mira is the oldest hammam (bath house) in Essaouira, Morocco. Originally named for a sultan's daughter, it was used
mostly by the Gnawa community who renamed it for Lalla Mira. Offerings were brought to her here and her blessings invoked. It is now
incorporated into the first eco-hotel in Morocco, the Hotel Lalla Mira Essaouira.
Offerings: Lalla Mira expects devotees (especially women) to wear her colors; candles, eggs (raw; unbroken); sponsor dances in
her honor from the Gnawa and Jilali brotherhoods.
See also: Aisha Qandisha; Djinn; Genie; Kalu Kumara; Lalla Malika; Lalla Rekya Bint El Khamar

Lalla Mkouna Bent Mkoun
Origin: Morocco
Classification: Djinn
Lalla Mkouna is the benevolent Djinn who serves as the guardian of the hearth and by extension, guardian of the home. Lalla
Mkouna keeps malevolent Djinn out of the home. She is propitiated and activated with offerings of incense when a family is ready to
move into a new home. Her protection is particularly crucial if the home is literally new, as in new construction, not merely a family's
new residence: Djinn are attracted to brand new buildings. They may move in, even during construction, and then become territorial,
attempting to force humans out.
M anifestation: Lalla Mkouna is manifest in three stones placed on the hearth.
Altar: Place offerings on the stones of the hearth or in the hearth
Offerings: Incense on a regular basis; when a girl first menstruates, she should touch the three stones of the hearth with a bloody
finger.
See also: Djinn; Lalla; Mazzik

Lalla Rekya Bint El Khamar
Also known as: Lalla Reqya; Lalla Raqya; Lalla Rkia
Origin: Morocco

Classification: Djinn

Lalla Rekya Bint El Khamar (literally Lady Rekya Daughter of the Red One), is a Queen of Djinn who presides over bathhouses
and fresh water springs. Lalla Rekya may be Lalla Mira's sister. Lalla Rekya rules the Djinn who live in or frequent the hammam
(bathhouse; among the Djinn's favorite haunts). She is a diplomatic, mediating Djinn who maintains spiritual peace. (The hammam is
integral to Islam but also to non-Islamic spirits.)
She is a benevolent Djinn who serves as a guardian of women in the hammam. She is invoked for protection by women against any
malevolent Djinn lurking in the bathhouse. Lalla Rekya is greeted upon entering the hammam and her protection requested. She is
thanked when leaving and bid goodbye. Babies are traditionally brought to the hammam on or near their first birthday and formally
introduced to Lalla Rekya amidst celebrating and feasting. An oil lamp with twelve floating wicks is lit in her honor. (Indicating that this is
a special occasion; usually she's given seven wicks.)
Lalla Rekya also heals menstrual and reproductive disorders and is petitioned for fertility.
Color: Red

Sacred sites: Lalla Rekya lives in the bathhouse. All of them. She also presides over a miraculous healing spring named in her
honor in Sefrou in the Middle Atlas Mountains of Morocco. Her spring allegedly cures madness and mental illness. An annual festival is
held in her honor.
Offerings: Lalla Rekya receives offerings at night. Traditional offerings include menara (small clay vessels used as oil lamps) with
seven wicks; incense and perfume.
See also: Djinn; Lalla; Lalla Mira

Lamashtu

The One Who Roams About; Daughter of Heaven; The Kidnapper; The Eraser
Origin: Sumeria

Although Lamashtu is typically described as a demon, she's really a goddess, albeit potentially a very dangerous one. Lamashtu is
the daughter of Anu, Sumerian Lord of the Sky. Lamashtu may show different faces to different people similar to her compatriot and
contemporary, Lilith. Like Lilith, Lamashtu is associated with witchcraft, infertility, miscarriage and the death of babies. Like Lilith,
Lamashtu is connected with Inanna-Ishtar although exactly how is no longer understood.
Sumerians and Assyrians apparently viewed Lamashtu as a completely evil spirit: worse then most because Lamashtu is not a justice
spirit. She doesn't cause suffering as retribution or as commanded by high authorities. Lamashtu's hostility towards people is
unexplained but basically she causes suffering because she feels like it.
Lamashtu prevents conception, causes miscarriage and kills newborns (crib death). She causes illness, specifically fevers and
inflammation and if that's not sufficient, she notoriously taunts those she persecutes. Lamashtu is counteracted by her rival, the demon
Pazuzu. He has his own bad reputation as a plague bringer however he protects against Lamashtu, although whether because he feels
sorry for people or because the two spirits hate each other so much is subject for conjecture. Wear or post images of Pazuzu to provide
safety from Lamashtu.
On the other hand, among various ancient Semitic cultures, Lamashtu was considered a fierce but protective guardian. She is the
deity who protects those lacking protective deities. Amulets bearing her name were hung on all doors of a house although whether this is
to protect against her or to invoke her protection is now unknown. Perhaps like Lilith, Lamashtu will not cause harm where she sees her
name.

M anifestation: Lamashtu may appear as a woman or a lion-headed woman. She may have feet like a bird. She is characterized by
loose, disheveled hair, long nails, dirty hands and a restless nature. She howls like a dog.
Iconography: She is depicted suckling pigs and dogs or carrying double-headed snakes.

Animal: Those pigs and snakes, plus lions
Number: 7
See also: Demon; Lamia; Lilith; Pazuzu

Lamia
Origin: Greek or Berber (Amazigh)

In Greek mythology, Lamia was a Libyan queen loved by Zeus. Their relationship lasted long enough to bear at least two children.
Hera, Zeus' jealous wife, discovered the affair and retaliated by either stealing or killing Lamia's children. Lamia was so distraught that
she ripped her own eyes right out of her head. In grief, rage and desolation, she moved into an undersea cavern and transformed into a
vengeful, evil spirit who steals other women's children. (An alternative version says that Zeus pitied her after Hera's attack and so he hid
her in a cave,transformed her into a monster and gave her permission to attack other women's children.)
• Lamia may be an indigenous Berber spirit, demonized by Greeks
• She may be Poseidon's daughter
• She may be a shark goddess
• She may be all of the above
Lamia's name is related to a word meaning "gullet". Lamia may be interpreted as "single shark" or "lone shark". Lamia's son is
definitely a shark spirit. She is among the goddesses named as Scylla's mother.
Lamia has two distinct manifestations: one corresponds to classical Greek myth and the other to her origins as a dangerous marine
spirit. It's not entirely clear that they are the same spirit despite the fact that they share the same name. (See below Lamia of the Sea.)
The Lamia that corresponds to the Greek myth is not associated with underwater attacks or any sort of water mythology. She's a
child-stealer, plain and simple. This Lamia is accused of stealing children (she's blamed for children who literally disappear);
miscarriage, stillbirth, crib death or the deaths of young children. It is possible that this Lamia is actually derived from the Sumerian
goddess Lamashtu. This Lamia is a shape-shifter who can take the eyes out of her head to keep watch even when she's sleeping. She
can send her eyes on scouting missions so that she can stay in one place but see another.
See also: Hera; Lamashtu; Lamia of the Sea; Lamiae; Poseidon; Scylla; Zeus

Lamia of the Sea
Also known as: Lamia of the Shore
Origin: Greek

Lamia of the Sea is an ominous sea spirit who roams the modern Greek coasts. It is not entirely clear whether she is the same as
child-killing Lamia. She more closely resembles the Sirens. This Lamia is dangerous, too, but in different ways.
Lamia may be a mermaid or a woman who emerges from the sea. Sometimes she dances on the shore or on the waves. Sometimes
she stands waist deep in water and sings beautiful, passionate love songs in a seductive voice. Men are drawn to her; they may not
realize that she isn't a mortal woman but if they yield to her allure, they'll end up at the bottom of the sea. Antidote: stick a blackhandled knife into the water to disarm her.
Lamia sometimes emerges from the water, usually in mermaid form, to inquire whether Alexander the Great yet lives. Tell her yes and
you'll be fine. Confirming his death enrages her and she'll drown you.
M anifestations: A mermaid; a beautiful woman; a waterspout or whirlwind
See also: Exotika; Gorgon; Lamia; Mer maid

Lamiae
Also known as: Lamias
Origin: Greek

The name Lamia may be interpreted as meaning "single shark" but the plural, Lamiae are ominous spirits associated with snakes.
(Each individual Lamiae is a Lamia.) These Lamias are perceived as threatening to men as well as children. They are succubus-like
spirits who creep up on sleeping men, hold them spellbound with sexual fantasy while consuming their flesh and draining their blood.
Sometimes Lamiae manifest as women of easy virtue who solicit young men, especially those who are robust and well fed. Once
alone however, the men are consumed, literally; their bones picked clean. In the Middle Ages, the term Lamia became a synonym for
witch; it is now sometimes used to indicate a female vampire. They thirst for blood. Like baby-killing Lamia, these Lamiae can remove
and replace their eye balls at will; magically directing their movements to facilitate sight. (Their eyeballs can gaze behind their back; out
the window; across the hall and so forth.)
Lamiae still haunt modern Greek folklore. They live with dragons in caverns and deserts but sometimes try to insinuate themselves
into households possibly so that they can eventually attack. Their sneak attacks are more effective, however, than these long range plots.
Lamiae tend to be inept, gluttonous, stupid, and not very clean. Well-fed Lamiae become lazy and corpulent.
The tip-off to their true identity is their absolute inability to do any sort of housework, especially cook. They literally cannot boil water
and never seem to learn. They sometimes display gratitude towards those who help them out of their inevitable kitchen troubles.
They may be bloodthirsty vampires but the Lamiae bear a reputation for honesty (if only because they're not smart enough to lie) and
for keeping promises.

M anifestation: Lamiae many manifest as women or as beautiful women from the waist up but snakes below. John Keats in his
poem, Lamia describes her as a snake disguised as a woman. Modern Greek folklore suggests that the clue to identifying the Lamiae lie
in their feet. They may be mismatched or there may be more than two. One may be of bronze or there may be an animal foot: a donkey,
goat or ox foot.
See also: Aisha Qandisha; Baba Yaga; Diablesse; Exotika; Kumiho; Lamia; Lamia of the Sea; Vampire

Lampades
Origin: Greece
Classification: Nymphs; Chthonic spirits

The Lampades, infernal Nymphs, inhabit Hades. Their origins are murky: they may or may not be daughters of Nyx and/or the
various river deities of Hades. The Lampades serve in Hekate's entourage: they are her lamp-bearers, servants, and companions. Their
torches serve to illuminate the night. The Lampades are spirits of prophesy and justice.
Whether or not it is safe for humans to encounter or witness them is up to the Lampades to decide or subject to their whim. If the
Lampades so desire, then the sight of their lit torches will drive a viewer mad. Alternatively, their torch light can reveal lost, hidden or
necessary information. They may be invoked for assistance.
Should one find oneself in trouble with the Lampades who, like many Nymphs, have a teasing nature, appeal to Hekate to make them
behave. They will obey her and may be venerated alongside her. They may also be venerated alongside Nyx, Artemis, Demeter and/or
Persephone.
Attribute: torch
See also: Artemis; Chthonic Spirit; Deme ter; Hades; Hekate; Nymph; Nyx; Perseph one; Styx

Lan Ts'ai Ho

Also known as: Lan Caihe
Origin: China

Lan Ts'ai Ho is one of the Eight Immortals, the Taoist adepts who never died but attained immortality. Lan Ts'ai Ho is sometimes
described as a "strolling singer" which makes her sound like a modern busker but once upon a time in East Asia, traveling female
priestesses and shamans incorporated songs into their rituals. Lan Ts'ai Ho wandered the streets chanting until one day, allegedly after
becoming intoxicated at an inn, she ascended to the sky on a cloud.
Some people feel very strongly that there can only be one woman amongst the Eight Immortals and since Ho Hsien-Ko is undeniably
female, Lan Ts'ai Ho is sometimes described as a hermaphrodite or transvestite. (And that is the argument: there can only be one
woman so she must be something else even though the earliest portrayals depict her as female. There were many female Taoist adepts;
they were not a rare breed. It is not unreasonable for one-quarter of the Eight Immortals to be female.)
Favored people: Lan Ts'ai Ho is the matron saint of florists.
M anifestation: Lan Ts'ai Ho wears a blue gown with one shoe on and one shoe off.
Attribute: Magic wand; basket of flowers
See also: Amida Buddha; Bao Gu; Eight Immortals; Ho Hsien-Ko; Hsi Wang Mu

Langsuir
Also known as: Langsuyar
Origin: Malay

Langsuir are Malaysian vampires; the wrathful spirits of women who died giving birth. The trauma of delivering a still-born child may
also allegedly transform women into Langsuir. There are different versions of the Langsuir's origins and how she manifests. According to
one myth, Langsuir rise from the grave forty days following death, hungering for blood. The Langsuir roams about, searching for victims,
her first choice is infants; however she is a threat to all. The Langsuir has a hole in the back of her neck with which she feeds on blood.
(Unlike Hollywood vampires, she doesn't sprout huge teeth and suck with her mouth.) The Langsuir can be rehabilitated and allegedly,
despite forty days in the grave, many are very beautiful: if you cut off her hair and stuff it into the hole in her neck, the Langsuir is
allegedly transformed into a docile, obedient creature. Legends tell of tamed Langsuir who have married and gone on to live normal
lives. However, they must be kept very serene and sedate, virtually tranquilized. Dancing, high spirits, any kind of enhanced emotion
may cause her to revert to her vampiric Langsuir nature.

M anifestation: The Langsuir has long hair with which she hides the hole in her neck. She may manifest or travel in the form of an
owl. Modern descriptions of sightings of the Langsuir often correspond to standard East Asian ghost women who wander in filmy white
shroud-like garments.
See also: Aswang; Vampire

Lantukh
The lantukh is a kind of Jewish house spirit, sometimes described as an imp, hobgoblin, sprite or little demon. There are male and
female lantukhs. They live in corners of homes: behind the stove, in the basement, sometimes in wood sheds, usually one per home. The
Lantukh is usually emotionally attached to the house: it may love, actively dislike or be neutral towards the people with whom it lives.

The lantukh can be a prankster. It may amuse itself by frightening people but it rarely causes harm. The lantukh may become very
attached to the people with whom it lives and may consider him or herself as part of the family. If so, then the lantukh will work diligently
to help and protect them. Author Isaac Bashevis Singer tells the story of a lantukh who cared for a bed-ridden widow and her blind
daughter. Every night, the lantukh went out to find food and chop wood for the household.
If the lantukh doesn't like the family, it will just play tricks. If it really can't stand them, it may attempt to force them from the home by
ever-escalating tricks. They are generally not malicious or harmful, though. Lantukh may derive from Lutin. A lantukh appears in S.
Ansky's 1904 epic, Ashmeday.
M anifestation: The lantukh resembles a little imp or goblin; they're about the size of toddlers but can make themselves invisible at

will
Animal: Lantukh adore crickets: they bring them food and protect them.
See also: Ashmodai; Demon; Kikimora; Kobold; Lutin

Lara
Also known as: Larunda; Muta; possibly Mana

Lara was a beautiful Italian Naiad who talked too much. She revealed Jupiter's secret affair with Juturna to his wife, Juno who put
an end to the liaison. Jupiter punished Lara by cutting out her tongue, rendering her mute, hence her secondary name, Muta. Muta is a
fierce, frightening spirit who sometimes visits in dreams. She doesn't speak and she doesn't actually cause harm but her presence is so
menacing and wrathful, that she is the stuff of nightmares.
Lara and Mercury are the parents of the guardian spirits, the Lares who may have been conceived and born prior to Lara's run-in
with Jupiter. An alternative version, suggests that rendering this talkative spirit speechless wasn't deemed sufficient punishment: Jupiter
transformed her from a water spirit to a spirit of the dead. Jupiter ordered Mercury to conduct Lara to the Underworld. Mercury, too,
is known for his loquacious nature: perhaps Lara'a plight touched his heart. He took his time transporting Lara and
that's when the
Lares were conceived and born.
See also: Juno; Jupiter; Juturna; Lares; Manes; Mania; Mercury; Naiad

Lares

The Night Watchmen
Also known as: Lases (Etruscan); Lassi
Origin: Italy
Feast: 23 December, the Larentalia

Lares are guardian spirits. Lares is plural but that's fitting because they virtually always manifest in pairs. (The singular is Lar.) They
are household spirits who protect family, home, land and the family's property. (Once upon a time, Lares protected family slaves.) The
meaning of their name is unknown and their exact nature is also mysterious. Are they protective land spirits who, by extension, became
family guardians as more and more houses were built on land or are they protective, benevolent ancestor spirits who, by extension,
guarded a family's entire property including land?
Lares may be the children of Lara and Mercury. They may be paternal ancestors, too. Lares are completely benevolent and never
harmful, at least not towards those they protect. Lares are found inside the home, on the property they protect and also at crossroads.
They make their home with the family they protect, usually dwelling by the hearth or beside the chimney. Family kept altars to them in

their home, usually featuring statues of the Lares. Shrines were also erected at crossroads. These shrines were usually open in all
directions so that the Lares could travel as needed.
The Lares and the Manes, spirits of the dead, are entwined: whether or not they are the same or different types of spirits is subject to
heated debate. Lara is the mother of the Lares while Mania leads the Manes. However, many believe Mania and Lara to be two names
for one spirit, hence the confusion regarding the spirits they rule.
M anifestation: Lares usually come in pairs, either in human form or as snakes.
Iconography: Lares are usually depicted as two young men with a watch dog; if depicted in serpentine form, then they may be
crowned.
Sacred animal: Dog; snake
Altar: Lares are venerated and propitiated inside at the hearth and outside at crossroads.
See also: Ancestor; Lara; Manes; Mania

Larva
Plural: Larvae
Origin: Rome

Larvae are ghosts; Roman spirits of the dead. The Romans had various categories of ghosts and ancestral spirits: although there is
plenty of speculation, the distinctions between them are now not always clear. The Larvae may or may not be identical with Lemures.
Larvae are generally assumed to be malevolent ghosts who take pleasure in scaring or harming humans.
Larva literally means "mask" and they may have been celebrated, dispersed or invoked via masking rituals. During the Middle
Ages, the Latin term Larvatus was used to indicate anyone wearing a mask and/or possessed by spirits.
A spirit named Larva appears in the manga/ anime Vampire Princess Miyu but he is identified as a shinma, translated as "goddemon".
See also: Ghost; Lemures; Manes

Latona
This is the Roman name for Leto. SeeLeto.

Laughing Buddha
See: Buddha; Hotei; Jambhala

Laumès

Origin: Baltic
The Laumès are beautiful Baltic Fairies. They have power over wealth, abundance and fertility, which they bestow or remove as they

desire. Although they are forest-dwelling Fairies, they are friendly and mingle with people. (And with less available forest, the Laumès
may have little choice but to mingle.)
Laumès protect children and orphans. They are also sometimes accused of kidnapping children although not to harm them. Laumès
steal children in order to love, mother and keep them. Laumès can be a bit volatile and hot-tempered but they can be very generous,
compassionate, good-hearted spirits. They are skilled at traditional "women's work" (spinning, cooking, laundry) and have been known
to help out in times of need.
Traditionally, Laumès lived in forests, beside sources of water and stones. The Laumès may serve Laima and/or Ragana.

M anifestation: Laumès fit the stereotype of the beautiful, long-haired, alluring Fairies. They are usually described as naked
although presumably wear clothes if they want.
See also: Fairy; Laima; Ragana

Laveau, Marie

The Queen of Conjure; The Pope of Voodoo
Also known as: Mamzelle Marie Laveau; the Widow Paris; Marie Glapion

Marie Laveau proclaimed herself Pope of Voodoo and few would argue. Voodoo priestess, spirit medium, diviner, philanthropist,
community leader and spell-caster, she is credited with formalizing and establishing the tradition of New Orleans Voodoo.
Marie's own personal spiritual blend of Hoodoo, Haitian Vodou and Roman Catholicism profoundly influenced New Orleans
Voodoo and eventually the entire world of magic and mysticism. Her influence cannot be overstated. She is sometimes credited as the
inspiration for the Spiritual Churches of New Orleans, however others greatly resent any association with magical traditions like Voodoo
and Hoodoo.
Marie's life and death are cloaked in mystery. She was born a free woman of color in New Orleans of mixed African, European and
Native American ancestry. Her date of birth is variously given as 1783, 1794 and 1801. By approximately 1850, Marie Laveau was
recognized as the leader of the New Orleans Voodoo community. She worked from her home, at 152 Saint Ann Street, offering
personal consultations and leading rituals. Her cottage was demolished in 1903. The site is now 1020–1022 Saint Ann Street.
The spelling "Voodoo" is used to delineate the New Orleans-style branch of the spiritual tradition other wise spelled
"Vodou" or "Vodoun" .

Marie (or at least her name) pops up constantly in popular media. She is the subject of countless novels and several biographies:
some thoughtful; others sensational. In life, she was a courageous, sharp, intelligent, compassionate woman who ministered to the poor
and ailing and actively worked to rescue slaves.
Marie was magically long-lived in the nature of an alchemist or Taoist adept. According to legend, when Marie got old, she entered
the waters of a lake, submerged and reemerged as if she were decades younger. She essentially shed her skin in the manner of the
snakes with which she is so closely associated. Devotees considered this proof of her power.
Skeptics, however, believe this was how she surreptitiously retired and passed power to her daughter, also named Marie who
continued her mother's practice. Some believe Marie Laveau died on June 15, 1881. Others believe she never died but kept
regenerating herself and her power. Thus there may be one eternal Marie Laveau or a secret multi-generational dynasty of powerful
priestesses. Some consider that Marie has now ascended to the status of a lwa. She is sometimes counted among the Ezili family of
spirits.
Marie continues to protect devotees She is traditionally invoked for practical matters especially healing and legal assistance but she
can also be requested to serve as a spiritual guide, especially for those seeking to learn and practice Vodou (whether Haitian or New
Orleans.)

M anifestations: Many claim to have seen apparitions of Marie in New Orleans, either in the form of a woman, a snake or a large
dog.
Iconography: Altar images are available; she is usually envisioned as a tall, regal woman wearing a turban or Creole-style head
wrap.
Colors: Blue, white, pink
Numbers: 3, 7
Sacred site: Her grave in New Orleans' oldest cemetery, St Louis Cemetery Number One; thereis some controversy as to exactly
which Marie is buried here, mother or daughter. The tomb is inscribed Marie Glapion, which may be the married name of the mother or
the maiden name of the daughter. Traditionally people knock on the tomb three times to request Mamzelle's attention or draw three Xs
in red brick or chalk on the tomb. (Marking the tombstone is sometimes vehemently discouraged by cemetery authorities.) Offerings are
left at her grave. Some believe that another tomb nearby, also marked with Xs, is Marie's true grave.

Long-standing rumors suggest that the Marie buried in the grave commonly attributed to her is really High Priestess Marie
Comtesse, the late 19th century Voodoo Queen known as La Comtesse. If so, then La Comtesse seems willing to perform
miracles even under another spirit's name .

Offerings: Pilgrimage to her grave, seven dimes; seven sterling silver charms or beads; red anisette; absinthe; flowers; candles; salt
water; hair ornaments and hair dresser's supplies and tools; Creole food; gifts inspired by Voodoo and/or Roman Cathol icism

See also: Agoussou; Black Hawk; Blavatsky, Helena; Eight Immortals; Ezili; Fairy, Green; Hidden Company; Ma Gu; Ma
Zu; Pleasant, Mary Ellen

Laverna
Origin: Etruscan
Laverna is the matron of charlatans, con artists, card sharps; plagiarists; counterfeiters; thieves and bamboozlers of all kinds. She is
the goddess of illegally gotten funds and goods. She is invoked by the light-fingered for blessings and protection. Author Charles
Godfrey Leland, an authority on Italian witchcraft, describes Laverna as the "patroness of pilfering."
Laverna may also be petitioned for protection from crime and for the return of stolen articles; however, be forewarned: Laverna's
sympathies tend to be with the thieves. She is invoked to avenge theft. She may be sympathetic towards you if you know who
committed the crime: Laverna gets annoyed with shoddy crime and bungling.
In her earliest incarnation, Laverna seems to have been a goddess of darkness, night and the underworld. Thieves traditionally
operate under cover of the night and so Laverna became their matron. She became identified with the criminal underworld rather than
the underworld realm of death.
Laverna is also identified with illicit pregnancy. Both men and women may request her assistance when pregnancy is inconvenient,
embarrassing or worse. She's not a moralist: Laverna will help dead-beat dads escape obligations and assist women whose pregnancies
threaten to wreck their lives.
Laverna continues to adapt: in recent years she has become associated with media piracy; bootlegging and illicit downloading.
Laverna is traditionally worshipped in silence. Her name may derive from the verb Levare meaning "to lift" as in literally to lift a load but
also to lift your wallet.
Favored people: Thieves (especially clever thieves and shysters; as opposed to thugs)
M anifestation: Laverna is a great shape-shifter. She has a clever, sardonic wit. Allegedly those who first invoke her see only her

head.
Those who prove to be bunglers will see only her body. Clever thieves who find favor in her eyes witness Laverna with head and
body intact.
Sacred site: Rome's Lavernal Gate (Porta Lavernalis) on the Aventine Hill was named in her honor. She had a sanctuary there as
well as a sacred grove on the Via Saleria, the ancient highway that cut across the Apennine Chain from Rome to the Adriatic Sea.
Highway robbers invoked Laverna's aid. Thieves traditionally rendezvoused at Laverna's shrine to divvy up their plunder.
Offerings: Tools of the trade
See also: Furina; Hermes; Levana; Mer cury

Lazdona
Origin: Lithuania
Lazdona is the guardian goddess of nuts, nut bearing trees and nut groves. Very little information about her survives but she is cut
from the same cloth as Austeja, Baltic bee goddess. Bees and nuts have a sympathetic, symbiotic relationship. Lazdona may be
venerated alongside Austeja about whom more information is preserved.
Favored people: She extends her matronage to those who tend nut trees or those for whom nuts bear particular significance. She
may be invoked to protect those who suffer from nut allergies.
Sacred creatures: Squirrels; birds who bury nuts and thus cause the trees to proliferate
Offerings: Nuts; products of nuts such as hazelnut liqueurs or nut bread; cultivate nut trees in her honor; those who suffer from nut
allergies may honor her by making financial contributions toward the proliferation of nut trees from afar; images of nuts crafted from
wood, crystal, metal or other materials may also be offered.
See also: Austeja

Leanan Sidhe

The Fairy Lover
Also known as: Leanhaun shee
Origin: Ireland; Isle of Man
Classification: Sidhe
The Leanan Sidhe, translated as "Fairy lover", are beautiful Fairies who haunt wells and springs in search of human lovers. Should
they accept her love, they are hers forever. Unfortunately, that's usually not very long, at least not among the living.
The Leanan Sidhe's lovers aren't long-lived but there is compensation: the Leanan Sidhe magically infuses them with poetry and
literary skills. The Leanan Sidhe is blamed for the brief lives of many of Ireland's greatest poets but credited with bestowing or
enhancing talent.
It is not entirely clear whether the Leanan Sidhe consciously, vampirically saps the life essence from her lovers; whether contact with
her simply proves too life-draining for mortals or whether the Leanan Sidhe brings her lovers to live with her in an Afterlife.
M anifestation: Leanan Sidhe manifest as women; white does or fawns

See also: Aisha Qandisha; Fairy; Fairy, Green; Gunlod; Sidhe; Vampire

Lechusa, La
Also known as: La Lechuza

La Lechusa, an owl spirit, haunts the Mexico-United States borderlands. Lechusa literally means owl. There may be one Lechusa
or many. Traditional Lechusa myths describe nocturnal attacks on men. Attacks are not random: La Lechusa punishes the unfaithful. Her
usual targets are menout drinking, carousing or canoodling instead of being home with those to whom they've sworn their troth. In some
ways, La Lechusa resembles Lilith whose name also refers to owls.
La Lechusa may be a primordial owl spirit. However other theories suggest that La Lechusa names ghosts of women who died
brokenhearted due to a cheating lover or husband. Alternatively, she is a resentful, jealous ghost; angry that her spouse has remarried or
found new love and seeking revenge.
La Lechusa is not obscure but is the subject of many alleged sightings and experiences. The story has degenerated in recent years into
a horror tale: La Lechusa is now a shape shifting witch out to cause indiscriminate harm, similar to ancient striges, shape-shifting malefic
witches. If these witches exist, they are not the same as the supernatural Lechusa. Horror-story Lechusa resembles Bloody Mary:
people summon her, allegedly to cast spells on their behalf, but perhaps just to see whether she exists. If they summon her wrong, she
attacks them.
Owls are silent hunters. Lechusa is the master of the surprise attack. However, she usually signals her presence via scratching noises
on the roof or by particularly eerie hooting sounds. The spell that protects against La Lechusa is extremely similar to the notorious
aiguillette, the binding spell intended to ensure a man's fidelity:
1.
2.
3.

Form seven knots in a ribbon, cord or rope (basically whatever you have at hand.)
Say a prayer as you form each knot, similar to praying over rosary beads
Do not stop until all seven knots are complete and seven heartfelt prayers have been said: it is crucial to maintain total focus
for this protection spell to work.

M anifestation: La Lechusa is a great white owl. How great? Some descriptions say she's the size of a woman. Sometimes La
Lechusa is completely owl. Sometimes she's half-owl and half-woman and sometimes she's described as an owl with a woman's face.
See also: Bloody Mary; Ghost; Lilith; Vila

Legba
Origin: Dahomey

Legba is the affectionate name by which the West African spirit Eshu Elegbara is often called. Eshu Elegbara appears in the
mythologies of various West African people under very similar names (basically all variations on the same name). In Dahomey, he is
specifically called Legba.
In Fon cosmology, Legba is the youngest of the Creator Mawu-Lisa's twelve children. The original intent was to divide the universe
between these twelve but it was apportioned in order of birth and so by the time it was Legba's turn, nothing was left. Mawu-Lisa
compensated him by appointing him messenger and mediator between spirits and humans. Legba sees all; hears all and knows all. It is
crucial to keep him happy and propitiated because otherwise he will not relay messages to the spirit world or may even deliberately
mess them up.
Iconography: Legba is depicted as a giant, thrusting phallus
See also: Eshu Elegbara

Lei Shen

Lord of Thunder
Also known as: Lei Gong
Origin: China
Lei Shen creates thunder but he has more than weather on his mind. Lei Shen passionately despises wasting food. He aims his
thunder boltsat food-wasters. He is an impatient, bad-tempered spirit who does not negotiate.
M anifestations: Lei Shen has a blue face, a bird's beak, bats' wings, and clawed feet.
Attributes: Hammer and drum

Leken Marpo

The Red Master of Life
Also known as: Laihansorogdog
Origin: Mongolia
Leken Marpo is a pre-Buddhist Mongolian war deity who now rides alongside Begtse and protects the Dharma. In iconography,
Leken Marpo is usually depicted at Begtse's left.
Attributes: A spear, a noose and a banner
M ount: A wild, fierce blue wolf
See also: Begtse; Bon Spirits; Eight Dharma Protectors

Lemures

Origin: Rome
The Lemuria, oldest Roman commemoration of the dead, was held on three odd days in May—May 9 th , 11 th , and 13 th . During
these days, the dead walk the Earth and must be propitiated. The Romans called these walking revenants Lemures, hence the name of
the festival in their honor. Lemures literally means ghosts or spirits of the night . They were understood as the angry, volatile,
dangerous dead and so appeasement and protection was crucial. The Lemures and their festival are the reason why marrying in May is
considered unlucky and dangerous: too much joy and celebration invites unwelcome attention from these resentful and powerful ghosts.
According to Roman poet Ovid (43 BCE–circa 18 CE), the holiday derives from the death of Remus, whose death at the hands of his
brother Romulus is reminiscent of the biblical Cain and Abel. Remus' blood-stained ghost appeared to Romulus and demanded a
festival in his honor. Remuria eventually became Lemuria. (Some scholars suggest that the festival predates the arrival of the Romans in
the region and has its origins in an Etruscan holy day.)
There is a description of the festival in Book 5 of Ovid's Fasti. The paterfamilias, the male head of the household, arose at midnight.
He made the life-affirming gesture of the fig-hand (thumb between first and second fingers mimicking the sexual act) and then cleansed
his hands in pure water. He walked barefoot through his home, spitting beans while saying "
With these beans I redeem me and
mine." This ritual was repeated nine times. At the conclusion, the paterfamilias ritually bathed, then banged on metal pots and pans

proclaiming "Begone, ancestral spirits!" nine times. Lemures who did not go away but haunted the living were exorcised via rituals
including drumming and percussion.
Lemures are the souls of the dangerous dead: drowning and murder victims and executed criminals. The Romans believed that those
who died childless were among those cursed to become Lemures. Alternatively, those whose families no longer survived to placate
ancestors were also so doomed. They could be prevented from rising by burning black beans around the grave during funeral rituals.
Lemurs, the primate species and the lost continent of Lemuria take their inspiration from the Lemures.

See also: Ancestors; Ghost; Larva; Mania

Leprechaun

Origin: Ireland
The stereotype of the leprechaun involves lucky charms and pots of gold at the end of the rainbow. True leprechauns are members
of the Fairy folk, a type of sidhe. They are unusual because, in a realm dominated by females, leprechauns are virtually exclusively male
spirits.
The name leprechaun derives from the Gaelic leith brog "one shoemaker." He is a cobbler, the only professional sidhe. While the
other sidhe are out dancing and reveling, the leprechaun is hard at work. He is, however, always seen working on only one shoe rather
than a pair, which may be a shamanic reference. (References to shoes, especially only one shoe, are often oblique references to
shamanism. Ancient shamanic dances were often performed with one shoe on and one shoe off or featured dance steps that mimicked
limping.) He works on shoes continually, with time off only for an occasional spree. The leprechaun is fabulously wealthy: he buries his
treasure in pots and is reputedly a skillful but not always nice practical joker. He may be invoked for financial aid.
Leprechauns may or may not be the same type of spirit as clurichauns. If not, they are closely related. Like leprechauns, clurichauns
are virtually exclusively male. The clurichaun may be the nocturnal form of the leprechaun, out on a bender after a hard day's work.
Alternatively, some perceive clurichauns to be leprechauns lacking a work ethic. Unlike hardworking, wealth-accumulating
leprechauns, clurichauns spend all their time drinking. They are virtually always soused although they allegedly retain their good manners,
unlike the reputedly sometimes surly leprechaun. Clurichauns come out at night to drink, party and play pranks on people. (In olden
days, many were butter thieves. They still like to raid the pantry.)
The only occupation for which the clurichaun displays enthusiasm is as guardian of wine and liquor cellars. The clurichaun will protect
your cellar from thieves and can allegedly prevent wine from spoiling and bottles from breaking or leaking. Simply request his presence
and explicitly leave him a sample of whatever you have in stock. Leave him offerings on a regular basis lest he decide to begin serving
himself. (He may, anyway.)
Leprechaunism is another name for Donohoe Syndrome, a rare genetic disorder characterized by delayed or diminished growth and
facial features perceived as elfin.
M anifestation: Leprechauns are described as small, wizened men wearing a shoemaker's leather apron.
Iconography: Leprechauns are highly commodified spirits; their image used to sell breakfast cereal, beer, and anything even
remotely Irish. In recent years, leprechauns, reenvisioned as "evil Fairies" have evolved into villains of horror movies; however this
distorted image has no relation whatsoever to true leprechauns who may be grouchy but are by no means vicious killers.
See also: Sidhe

Leshii

The Forest Lord
Origin: Russia

The Leshii, male Russian forest guardians, weep when trees are cut down. Leshii is both singular and plural: they comprise a distinct
category of spirits. There is more than one Leshii under the dominion of Musail, the Forest Tsar. Different Leshii have dominion over
different parts of the forest; each has his own territory so to speak.
This explains the migrations of forest animals, especially unexpected ones: Leshii gamble at cards with each other, wagering with
animals as their stake. When one Leshii loses to another, animals are transferred from one part of the forest to another.
The Leshii are mischievous, sometimes dangerous trickster spirits. Woodcutters, in particular, are targets: the Leshii hide their axes or
cause accidents. The Leshii gets people lost in the woods by using ventriloquism or mimicking familiar voices or sounds to lure
'intruders' deeper into his forest.
Leshii are usually found in the company of bears and wolves. Wolves are their very favorite animals. In Slavic areas, wolves were
once considered rulers of the forest, the true local kings of beasts. The Leshii, like Faunus, mediates between wolves and domestic
herds. Like Faunus, the Leshii doesn't speak or at least not like a human. He makes forest noises instead, echoing the sounds of
animals, birds or the rustling of trees. Sometimes the Leshii is described as singing although never with human words. Many people
describe encountering the Leshii or witnessing them in the forest. Those with actual encounters with the Leshii were often struck at least
temporarily mute.
The Leshii sometimes leaves the forest looking for people. He is among those spirits accused of replacing children with changelings.
The Leshii also allegedly carries off (and marries) women, although notably he prefers unattached women or those trapped in unhappy
unions. Sometimes women are stolen to serve as midwives, wet-nurses, or nannies for his other women.
Legends suggest that if those kidnapped by the Leshii refrain from eating his food, they can escape his domain. Those who escape
are described as looking wild and distraught; some have lost powers of speech (others allegedly have lost their minds) however still
others exhibit new magical powers and knowledge, becoming exceptionally skilled shamans and magical practitioners, gifts bestowed by
the Leshii.
Not all encounters with the Leshii are unhappy. Allegedly if you encounter him but get him to laugh, you'll be safe. Sometimes the
Leshii befriends people; allegedly they must then make a pact to never wear a cross or take communion. Whether this is because the
Leshii is the devil or whether this is because he is an exclusively Pagan spirit who reserves his favors for fellow-travelers is subject to
interpretation. The Leshii, a beast master, sometimes offers spirit-familiars (animal allies) to people he loves.
The Leshii may preside over a realm of death. Ancient Pagan Slavs once buried their dead in groves. Until the 19th century, Russians
often buried suicides and unbaptized babies in the forest. According to legend, souls of those who die without last rites wander in the
forest under the care and supervision of the Leshii. (See also: Berchta.)

Favored people: The Leshii insists on allegiance to Paganism. Unlike other spirits who may don the masks of saints in order to
accommodate devotees, the Leshii brooks no compromise. Allegedly hunters seeking his protection and gifts must remove their crosses,
swear allegiance to the Leshii and no longer swallow the host but bring it to the Leshii as proof it wasn't consumed.

M anifestation: Allegedly, the Leshii casts no shadow and leaves no footprints. He commonly manifests in various forms:
• The Leshii manifests as a man. The clue to his true identity is that something is wrong with his appearance for instance, his clothes
are on backwards or his shoes are on the wrong feet.
• Sometimes he appears as a man whose size dizzyingly shifts from tiny to large.
• He manifests with goat's horns and hooves, sometimes with black fur and wings.
• Other frequent manifestations include pigs, rabbits, ravens, roosters, wolves, burning fir trees and mushrooms, especially amanita
muscaria
However, the Leshii is a master shape-shifter who can assume the guise of specific people. This is one way he lures people into the
forest: You think you're following someone you know who eventually disappears; morphs into another form or is revealed as really the
Leshii.
Attribute: Club
M ount: Leshii ride storm winds.

Plant/fungus: Amanita muscaria (fly agaric; toadstool)
Animals: All of them, but each Leshii is allegedly accompanied by a huge white wolf.

Altar: Tree stumps and fallen logs serve as altars; leave offerings there or wrap food in a clean cloth, tie it up with a red ribbon and
leave at a forest crossroads.

Offerings: He likes simple, traditional Rus sian food offerings like blinis or kasha plus salted bread; cookies; candy; hard boiled
eggs with shells dyed red (onion peel in the boiling water may turn the trick as will other natural dyes). He is propitiated with really good
jokes. (He decides if they're good.) The Leshii is a passionate cardplayer and gambler. In Northern Siberia, hunters allegedly earned
the Leshii's alliance with gifts of playing cards with the suit of clubs removed.
See also: Faunus; Gran Bois; Leshovikha; Persephone

Leshovikha
Origin: Russia

Female Leshii are called Leshovikha. Descriptions of the Leshii apply to the Leshovikha too except where gender-specific. Leshii
and Leshovikha inhabit a parallel universe within the forest. They are romantic spirits who dance within whirlwinds together.
Wanderers in the forest sometimes witness the Leshovikha giving birth. Wait respectfully until she's finished, then, at an appropriate
moment, cover the baby. If you happen to have a shawl or blanket, that's perfect; if not, use a piece of your own clothing. Do not offer
Christian prayers or make the sign of the cross over the baby as this enrages the mother. If these actions are performed graciously, the
Leshovikha will offer you a gift:
• If you tell her that the opportunity to be of service is its own reward, your future will be filled with good fortune.
• If you request payment, she will give it to you: it will magically materialize in your hands but once you leave the forest, whatever
was given will evaporate into ashes and dust.

M anifestation: Like their male counterparts, the Leshovikha are skilled shape-shifters who take many forms, most typically as an
old hag with long pendulous breasts. When they get in her way, she flings them over her shoulders. She also manifests as a beautiful
naked woman or as a thin, spectral woman dressed in a white sarafan, the traditional Russian folk dress.
See also: Leshii; Vila

Lethe
Origin: Greece

Lethe names a river that runs through Hades. Drinking its waters causes amnesia. Dead souls entering Hades were required to sip
Lethe's waters in order to forget and wholly abandon their previous lives. The waters may also have sedative properties. According to
one myth, Medea used Lethe River water to sedate the dragon that guarded the Golden Fleece, thus enabling Jason to steal it.
Lethe is also the name of the presiding spirit of the Lethe River. She is the goddess of oblivion. She may be invoked to forget that
which is too painful to bear. She also has the power to sever bonds lingering from past lives. Spirits usually have control over the
antidotes to their domain, too. Lethe may be able to reawaken memories or reverse loss of memory. Lethe is sometimes used as a name
for the realm of death; a synonym for the realm of Hades (but not the deity: they are clearly two distinct, very different spirits.) Lethe
may have ruled an afterlife realm before the ascension of Hades and the Olympian spirits.
Lethe is the sister of Thanatos. She may be the mother of the Charites and the daughter of Eris.
Sacred tree: White cypress

Element: Water
Time: Night
See also: Charites; Charon; Eris; Hades; Medea; Olympian Spirits; Thanatos

Leto

The Obscure One; The Hidden One; The Forgotten One
Also known as: Latona (Rome)

Mythology books are often dismissive of Leto: she's portrayed as just one of Zeus' many girlfriends. Her sole significance is giving
birth to Apollo and Artemis. However, Leto is a significant goddess in her own right and was the primary deity worshipped in the
Anatolian kingdom of Lykia.
There are various versions of her myth; what they all have in common are wolves, Leto's sacred creatures. Leto is a wolf goddess.
Leto is the granddaughter of Gaia and Uranus and hence Zeus and Hera's cousin. Her mother is Titan Phoebe and her father is Polos,
the pole star. She traveled to Delos, the island where she gave birth, in the form of a wolf.
Another version recalls that Zeus arrived in Greece with Northern invaders. Leto may have been his original wife who followed once
the Olympian pantheon was established. Her ancestral home is described as Lykis, "Wolf Land" possibly Anatolian Lykia, which
according to legend adopted its name from Leto's wolf escort.
Another myth suggests that Leto traveled to Greece from Hyperborea in the shape of a wolf or in the company of wolves. She may
already have been pregnant with Apollo or she may have carried him in the form of a wolf pup.
Hera allegedly cursed Leto so that she would only be able to give birth in a place where the sun doesn't shine . The actual phrase
may be "wolf light": Leto must give birth where only wolves see. Hera is made out to be the villainess of the myth; portrayed as violently
jealous and shrewish however what she may be doing is protecting her position as primary goddess. Leto is doing more than sleeping
with Hera'slawfully wedded husband: Leto is invading her turf. It is Leto's son, not Hera's, who is Zeus' favorite. Notably, Leto and her
children survive the birth intact; the only fatality is Hera's ally, a dragon who Apollo searches out to destroy.

In some myths, Leto is the mother of twins, Apollo and Artemis. In others, only Apollo is her child. Artemis, a kindred spirit
is her ally. Archaeological evidence suggests that Artemis was worshipped in Greece long before Zeus or Apollo. Describing
this ancient goddess as Leto's daughter may have been a way to incorporate both into the Olympian pantheon. All three spirits
(Leto, Artemis, and Apollo) have profound associations with wolves.

Myths make Leto sound helpless: she seems dependent on the protection of others including her newborn son. Yet she is a powerful
witch; quite capable of taking care of herself. When cowherds annoy her, she simply turns them into frogs.
Leto was worshipped along coastal Ana tolia. She was the primary goddess of Lykia, the Wolf Land, now in modern Turkey. The
Lykians spoke a language related to Hittite and were the cultural bridge between Greece and the Levantine Coast. One myth says that
Hera pursued Leto with her children to Lykia immediately after the birth. A Lykian version however says that the birth really took place
there, not on Delos. In Lykia, Leto was considered a Great Mother Goddess similar to Kybele or Asherah.
William E. Gladstone (1809–1898), most famous as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom during the reign of Queen Victoria, was
also an expert on Greek mythology. He identified Apollo as a divine child and savior and Leto as his holy mother. Gladstone
conjectured that she was a forerunner of Mary, Mother of Christ. Leto may be among the Pagan goddesses who masquerade under the
guise of the Black Madonna. It is theorized that her name means "Lady" or "Stone."
Leto was worshipped as a guardian of families, mothers and children. As goddess of the grave, her protection extends into the realm
of death. (Wolves are among the creatures traditionally believed able to traverse boundaries between realms of life and death.)
Sacred birds: Quail, Rooster

Sacred creature: Wolf

Sacred site: The Temple of Leto, called the Letoon, was the most important sanctuary in Lykia. The ruins are still visible. Leto was
worshipped here alongside Artemis, Apollo and Nymphs. Each possessed their own temple within the complex; the largest was
dedicated to Leto. Leto's temple dates back to the fifth century BCE. Veneration continued until the 7 th century CE.
See also: Apollo; Artemis; Asteria; Dione; Hera; Themis; Zeus

Leucotheia

The White Goddess
Also known as: Leukotheia; Leucothia
Origin: Greece

Leucotheia is the sea goddess who, in Homer's Odyssey, saves Odysseus from drowning. She lent him her veil, which he wore like
a belt, enabling him to escape his wrecked ship and swim to shore. Once safely aground, he returned the veil by throwing it into the sea.
(This veil wasallegedly identical to the purple cloth given those initiated into the Cabeirian Mysteries of Samothrace as protection from
the sea.)
There are at least two sea spirits called Leucotheia, literally "white goddess":
• Halia, a Nymph from the island of Rhodes, was the sister of the Telchines and the beloved of Poseidon to whom she bore six
sons. When Aphrodite was first born from the sea and seeking dry land, she sought to land on Rhodes but was denied
permission by Halia's sons. In revenge, Aphrodite struck them mad and they raped their mother. Halia threw herself into the sea
and emerged as Leucotheia, the White Goddess.
• Ino, daughter of King Cadmus of Thebes married Athamas, king of the prehistoric, pre-Hellenic Minyan people of Boeotia. Ino
may be Semele's sister. When Zeus needed to hide Dionysus, his son with Semele, Ino and her husband sheltered the baby, Ino
serving as his wet-nurse. They incurred the wrath of Hera who infected Athamas with a murderous rage. After he killed one of
their children, Ino grabbed the other and sprang into the sea. (Alternatively, Ino was struck mad and she threw herself and the
children into the sea.) She emerged from the waves, however, transformed into Leucotheia.
Leucotheia is also an honorific used for Greek river goddesses and the inspiration for poet Robert Graves' 1948 epic study
of the psychological and mythological origins of poetry, The White Goddess.

Ino was venerated throughout Greece unlike Halia whose veneration was more localized. An oracular shrine was dedicated to Ino in
Laconia: questions or petitions were accompanied by barley cakes tossed into her sacred pool.
• Offerings that sank indicated an affirmative answer: Ino favored you
• If they float, you and your petition have been rejected
Leucotheia protects against the dangers of the sea, especially drowning.
Favored people: Sailors; travelers on the sea; swimmers; children
Bird: Seamew
Plant: Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis: literally the rose of the sea)
See also: Aphrodite; Arachne; Cabeiri; Hera; Nymph; Poseidon; Semele; Telchines; Zeusand the Glossary entry for Mystery

Levana

The Lifter
Origin: Rome
Levana has dominion over newborn babies. Her name refers to a Roman birth ritual:
1.
2.

The mother placed the brand new baby on the ground.
The father could acknowledge paternity (or not) by lifting the baby or not.

The Roman paterfamilias ruled his family like a god. He could acknowledge and claim a child or he could deny the child his home or
have it abandoned and exposed to face virtual certain death. Levana's name derives from the Latin verb
levare, "to lift up" as in
levitate or elevate. Levana is the spirit who lifts up the baby; the paterfamilias performs the ritual but he is the proxy for Levana.
With the abolition of Roman religion, Levana faded into obscurity. She is the subject of Thomas de Quincey's prose poem, "Levana
and Our Ladies of Sorrow." According to de Quincey, Levana only reveals her face in dreams.
Women may invoke Levana to instill paternal instincts into the fathers of their children.
See also: Laverna

Li Tieh-Kuai
Also known as: Li Tieguai; Iron Crutch Li; Tekkai; Tieh-Kuai
Origin: China

Li Tieh-Kuai is among the Taoist Eight Immortals, perhaps the most ancient of the eight. Once upon a time, centuries ago, he was a
great shaman who spent much time soul journeying, until one day he experienced the shaman's nightmare. Li Tieh-Kuai journeyed in the
most traditional shamanic manner: by lying down in a trance state and sending his soul out of his body. To those unfamiliar with the
process, he would look comatose, even dead, until his soul returned to reanimate his body. If the body is moved, disturbed or worse,
then the soul cannot return but is forced to wander incorporeally. Li Tieh-Kuai had a disciple who routinely guarded his body while he
soul-journeyed. However, during one fateful soul journey, the disciple was called home to his mother's deathbed. The trance lasted
seven days. Road-cleaners found his body, presumed him dead and had him cremated. When Li Tieh-Kuai's soul flew home; there was
no body to rejoin. Li Tieh-Kuai's soul searched desperately for a recently deceased body to enter. Only one fresh cadaver was
available and so Li Tieh-Kuai, once strong, powerful and handsome was forced to occupy the body of an old lame beggar.
Li Tieh-Kuai is among the most beloved of the Eight Immortals. He is invoked for healing, longevity and fertility (especially for sons).

M anifestation: He looks like a frail old beggar leaning on an iron staff or crutch but don't be fooled: he is very sturdy and if
annoyed wields his crutch as a weapon.

Iconography: He appears as beggar leaning on his crutch, often accompanied by a young boy carrying a gourd containing the elixir
of life.
Attributes: His iron crutch and a pilgrim's gourd, from which a scroll escapes indicating his power to leave the body
Sacred animals: Deer; crab; bat
See also: Eight Immortals; Primal Woman of the Nine Heavens

Liber

Also known as: Liber Pater (essentially Papa Liber)
Origin: Italy; Rome
Feast: 17 March

Liber is the primordial spirit of libido and vitality. He is the essence of life; male procreative energy. Liber is the spirit of irrepressible
fertility, invoked to stimulate agricultural abundance. At his most primordial stage, Liber was partnered with his female counterpart,
Libera, the yin to his yang. He was then partnered with Ceres, spirit of grain. Liber protects all kinds of seeds: plants as well as sperm.
Eventually Liber was identified with Dionysus. The name Liber is sometimes used to indicate Dionysus but they were originally distinct
spirits.
Liber was served by older priestesses. His festival the Liberalia celebrated boys who hadcrossed the threshold into manhood. At the
Liberalia, boys removed clothing identifying them as children and donned the
toga virilis , official men's clothing marking them as
Roman citizens. The festival incorporated processions in which a huge wooden phallus was carried through fields and streets; repelling
the Evil Eye and beaming fertility energy to women, animals and land. At procession's end, a matron deemed exceptionally virtuous was
chosen to place a wreath over the phallus.
Games held in Liber's honor were wild and raucous, as befitting his nature. By the Roman poet Ovid's day (43 BCE-circa 17C E),
the games were suppressed in favor of a calmer joint celebration with Ceres on 19 April. Liber's games were briefly revived in the 4 th
century until the abolition of Pagan religion. Saint Augustine wrote disapprovingly of Liber's phallic processions.
Attribute: Phallus
Sacred day: 17 March (the Liberalia)
Plant: Ivy

Offerings: His traditional offering was a cake called a libia formed from honey and olive oil; phallic imagery; fruits and vegetables;
packets of seeds
Liber, Libera and Ceres form the Aventine Triad named for Rome's Aventine Hill. This was a rustic part of the city; the
deities worshipped here were beloved by the masses as opposed to official government deities. It was also a center for Mystery
and fertility traditions.

See also: Ceres; Dionysus; Libera and the Glossary entry for Mystery

Libera
Origin: Italy
Libera is the feminine counterpart of Liber. She is the goddess of libido; spirit of irrepressible female vitality. Liber guards seed;
Libera makes sure that seed is planted in a fertile, nurturing environment. The relationship between Liber and Libera is not entirely clear.
She may be his:
• Sister
• Wife
• Daughter
• Some or all of the above
In their most ancient manifestations, Liber and Libera may have been the Italian equivalent of sacred yang and yin energy. Eventually

Liber was considered to be the spouse of Ceres with Libera as their daughter. Under Greek and Roman influence, Libera became
identified with Persephone. (The logic being that if Ceres is identified with Demeter; then her daughter must be Persephone.) Liber and
Libera were also identified with Dionysus and Ariadne. Less is now known about Libera than Liber possibly because no matter how
offended later Christian commentators were by Liber's phallic processions, Libera's, which displayed vaginal images, must have been
even more shocking.

One version of their myth suggests that Liber died when Libera conceived. Liber was reborn as her child and in the process
Libera became Ceres, the Corn Mother. Liber is the corn, eternally born, cut down and born again.

Iconography: Statues of Libera sometimes depict her as Persephone or Ariadne. She may also be represented by cleft stones or
images of female genitalia.
Attribute: Vulva
Sacred day: 17 March, the Liberalia
Offerings: Vulva shaped candles
See also: Ariadne; Ceres; Dionysus; Liber; Persephone; Proserpina

Libitina

Lady Death
Origin: Italy
Libitina is the goddess of death, corpses and funerals. She is Holy Death; her name became a synonym for death itself. Roman
undertakers who may be understood as her priests were called libitinarii. It is theorized that she was originally a goddess of death and
the life force: her name may be related to libido. However, eventually her associations with death became dominant.
Libitina's sanctuaries were in sacred groves, often located in the center of those gardens of death, the graveyard. Roman undertakers
maintained offices in her temples. Her temple was where you would go to report a death and make funeral arrangements. Everything
necessary for a funeral was housed in her sanctuary. Offerings were made to her following a death in the family.
Favored people: Libitina is the matron of undertakers, gravediggers, funeral workers and anyone who earns a living or profits from
death.
M anifestation: Libitina appears as a looming black-robed, dark winged presence. Her face is generally obscured. She hovers like
a vulture or large bird of prey awaiting the precise moment of death.
Offerings: Libitina was traditionally given coins and money. Cemetery maintenance and improvement would be an appropriate
offering. Legend has it that one gate of the Forum was dedicated to her on behalf of fallen gladiators.

Lieu Hanh
Also known as: Thanh Mau (Holy Mother)

Origin: Vietnam

One of the Jade Emperor's beautiful Fairy princess daughters broke a precious jade bowl in Heaven and as punishment was
temporarily exiled to Earth. She assumed the identity of a Vietnamese girl named Lieu Hanh in Tien Huong Village, Nam Dinh Province.
Depending on the version of the myth, she may or may not have been born a human princess. She married and was happy but died
three years later (but really returned to Heaven as a Jade Fairy Princess).
The story could end there except that the princess' stay on Earth among people had moved her profoundly. She had developed
tremendous affection for people and perceived that they needed her help. Lieu Hanh consciously chose to return to Earth to help the
needy and provide protection from danger and evil. Over the centuries she has appeared in many forms.
Lieu Hanh is famous for her mastery of poetry and painting. She plays the flute. Lieu Hanh is mistress of creative and cultural arts and
able to transmit talent and inspiration to others. She is identified with traditional chao van music, now used to invoke her protection and
help. Lieu Hanh communicates via spirit mediums.
Number: 3
Feast: Festival from the first to the tenth day of the third lunar month; the third day of the festival commemorates the anniversary of
Lieu Hanh's death.
Sacred site: Lieu Hanh has three primary Vietnamese shrines:
• Tay Ho Temple near the West Lake in Hanoi
• Van Cat-Tien Huong Pagoda in Dam Dinh Province, where Lieu Hanh was born
• Song Temple in Thanh Hoa Province, site of another incarnation
Lieu Hanh is venerated alongside the Jade Emperor and Kwan Yin (Vietnamese: Quan Am). She may be worshipped in Taoist or
Buddhist context.
See also: Jade Emperor; Kwan Yin

Lilinoe
Origin: Hawaii

Lilinoe is among Hawaii's snow goddesses. She is the younger sister of Poliahu and like her sister, a great rival of volcano goddess
Pelé. The sisters are the antithesis of Pelé: spirits of snowy mountains (hence wet mountains) rather than fiery ones. Lilinoe is the spirit of
dead and extinguished fires. Her name literally means "fine mist." She is the spirit of mist and fog, which so often enshroud the mountains
with which she is associated.
She serves as Poliahu's handmaiden and combs out her sister's long hair daily. Lilinoe married Nana Nu'u, the mortal who survived
the primordial flood. He lives in a cave on Mauna Kea, the mountain Lilinoe calls home. She may be venerated alongside her sisters but
keep them apart from Pelé or else sparks will fly.
Sacred sites: Mauna Kea and Haleakala (East Maui Volcano)
Color: White
See also: Kahoupokane; Pelé; Poliahu; Waiau

Lilith

Screech Owl; Beautiful Maiden; Dark Maid; Flame of the Revolving Sword; Maid of Desolation; Night Demon; Hand of
Inanna; The Night Witch; The Howler

Also known as: Lilitu (Sumeria); Lilis (Yiddish)
Origin: Sumeria
No spirit possesses a more fabulous history than Lilith, among the most primordial of spirits and the most modern. Few, if any, are
more powerful. Her earliest appearance in recorded history is in Sumeria where she is somehow associated with Inanna. Although
identified as a wind spirit, Lilith has profound associations with trees. She is a wild, free spirit who cannot be chained or contained. In
the Sumerian myth of the Huluppu Tree, Inanna makes the transition to an urban, settled agricultural environment. When she instigates
the chopping down of the sacred tree Lilith calls home, Lilith flees, remaining a spirit of the wilderness.
The Kabbalists identified Lilith as the spouse of Samael, chief of the evil angels. On the other hand, Lilith also reputedly
sits at YHWH's side in Heaven, his consort following the exile of the Shekhina and thus the most powerful intercessor of all,
literally able to whisper in God's ear.

Jewish legend identifies Lilith as Adam's first wife, the true first female, created not from Adam's rib but from Earth simultaneously
with him. Adam and Lilith's relationship quickly became contentious. She refused to take direction from him, specifically refusing to lie
beneath him during sex. Lilith demanded to be treated as an equal rather than a subordinate, basing her claim on their common origin.
When Adam attempted to force her, Lilith uttered the secret, ineffable name of the Creator and flew away, initiating the first divorce.
Lilith makes appearances in Sumerian, Babylonian, Assyrian, Canaanite, Hebrew, Mandaean, Persian, Sabaean and Arabic myth and
folklore. She may linger in Christianity under the guise of some Black Madonnas. She is an
omnipresent figure in Jewish myth and
folklore. A book of Jewish fairy tales without Lilith is about as likely as a book of Mexican folklore without La Llorona.
Lilith demands acknowledgement. Her name appears only once in the Jewish Bible (Isaiah 34:14) and even that reference is
ambiguous since it may also be literally interpreted as "screech owl." Lilith is the suppressed goddess who refuses to disappear. If she's
not venerated, then she will be feared.
Spirit of darkness and night, Lilith is both angel and demoness of conception. Blamed for miscarriage; stillbirth, crib death and
infertility, Lilith the baby killer also bestows fertility when and if she chooses. She has dominion over sexual desire, erotic dreams and
sacred sex magic. Emphasizing the ambiguity of her personality, Lilith herself has revealed the tools that will guard against her:
• Rue and iron ward her off
• Lilith has vowed not to cause harm wherever she sees her name(s) posted.
• The simplest amulet to prevent Lilith from causing harm involves casting a charcoal circle on the wall. Within the circle write
"Adam and Eve, Out Lilith!"
• The Seal of Solomon (hexagram; Jewish star) protects against Lilith and diseases or harm that she causes. For maximum
effectiveness, it should be made of iron or fine silver
Lilith once encountered the Prophet Elijah who immediately recognized her and demanded new improved protective measures. Lilith
revealed her other names to him and vowed not to cause harm anywhere she saw or even heard those names. Unfortunately the names
were not immediately graven in stone: allegedly thirteen or seventeen names were given to Elijah but more variations exist today. For
safety's sake, these are the possible names:
• Abeko
• Abito
• Abnukto
• Amizo
• Ayil
• Batna
• Bituah
• Elio
• 'Ik
• 'Ils
• Ita
• Izorpo
• Kali

• Kea
• Kakash
• Matruta
• Odam or Odem
• Prtsa, Partsha; Partashah or Partasah
• Prta, Patrota, Petrota
• Podo
• Raphi
• Strina
• Tlto
Lilith despises sanctimonious people and punishes the prudish. She enjoys ensnaring hypocrites but is a protective guardian spirit
towards those she perceives as her children, especially her daughters. (See Lilith, Daughters of.) Lilith has dominion over all aspects of
sex, fertility andchildbirth. She is immensely powerful; potentially vicious and will fearlessly eliminate any evil threatening those whom she
guards.
Lilith resists attempts to classify or pigeon hole her. She breaks boundaries like the chains she abhors. Her name is synonymous with
"witch." She is frequently depicted as a vampire or succubus. She is a Queen of Demons and an Angel of Prostitution. Lilith leads 480
hosts of destroying angels and dangerous spirits. (The number is derived from numerology based on the numerical value of the letters in
her name.) Yet 13 th century Spanish Kabbalists described Lilith as a ladder on which one can ascend to the rungs of prophesy.

M anifestations: Lilith possesses many forms, appearing as an old crone or beautiful young woman. She may appear as a woman
from head to waist; flame underneath. Lilith dresses in crimson. She wears forty ornaments less one. Her hair may be black or red but it
will be distinctive, either because it is beautiful or because it is disheveled or both. Amid cultures where women's hair is traditionally
bound and/or covered, Lilith's is loose and long. She manifests in animal form too, typically as a large black cat, black dog or owl. Even
when in human form, Lilith may display bird's feet, claws or wings.
A seventh century BCE tablet from what is now Northern Syria depicting Lilith as a winged sphinx is accompanied by an
incantation in a Phoenician-Canaanite dialect intended to assist birthing women: Oh, Flyer in a dark chamber, Go away now,
oh Lili!

Iconography: The Sumerian Burney Plaque, (circa 2300 BCE) is generally identified as Lilith. It depicts her as a winged naked
bird woman holding the ring and rod of power and flanked by owls. Her taloned feet stand atop reclining lions.
Attribute: A flaming sword; Lilith's myth contains mysterious references to hands:
• In Sumeria, Lilith is the Hand of Inanna.
• In the Kabbalah, Lilith is known as the Handmaid.
Decorate her altar with images of hands, especially the hand-shaped amulet called hamsa.
Colors: Black, red

Planet: The moon is Lilith's lantern; her power increases with the waning moon. Lilith is also the name given to three distinct space
phenomena: Earth's hypothetical second moon (Dark Moon Lilith); the apogee of the moon's orbit (the furthest point from Earth) and
an asteroid
Star: Algol, known in traditional Jewish astrology as "Lilith's Star".

Element: Lilith has associations with air, water, earth and fire. Hebrew myth has her created from earth. In Sumeria, she began her
incarnation as a wind spirit. She manifests as fire. The Zohar, holy book of the Kabbalists, explains that Lilith is nourished by water
while the south wind spreads her influence. Lilith is as frequently found living in wells as she is in trees.

Creatures: Lilith loves all wild animals but has a special affinity for jackals, hyenas, wild cats, black cats, black dogs, ostriches,
snakes, dragons, spiders, and unicorns.

Bird: The owl is her sacred bird and messenger.
M ount: Lilith rides a dragon in which form she may also manifest.
Time: Lilith rules solstices and equinoxes and is associated with the zodiac sign Scorpio.
Flower: Lily
Places: Lilith is happiest in desolate wilderness, far removed from civilization. She loves forests, crossroads, seacoasts and
especially the desert. When Lilith fled from Adam, she went to dwell in a cave in the desert on the shores of the Red Sea, reputedly still
her favorite place. When she approaches people, she makes homes for herself in trees and wells. Provide them for her to keep her
close.

It is difficult to imagine a spirit with more media presence than Lilith. Her appearances are too innumerable to list: Lilith
herself or characters named in her honor appear on stage, screen and television. She appears in poems and novels as disparate
as Goethe's Faust or Marie Corellis The Soul of Lilith. Lilith is a constant presence in comic books, most famously as Marvel
Comics' Lilith, Daughter of Dracula, which emphasizes her vampiric reputation. Lilith is also Vampirella's mother. The television
series Supernatural features a vicious killer demon named Lilith. The subject of many paintings, she was a great favorite of PreRaphaelites like John Collier and Dante Gabriel Rossetti. Lilith Magazine, the feminist Jewish magazine, was founded in 1980.

Offerings: Frankincense; plates of jam; tea; doll babies and images of the animals she loves; trees; create a wilderness for her.
Offerings may be placed on an altar or outside.

See also: Agrat bat Mahalat; Aradia; Ardat Lili; Ashmodai; Herodias; Inanna; KTRT; Lechusa, La; Lilith, Daughters of;
Lillu Spirits; Lilyi; Llorona, La; Medusa; Naamah; Shedim

Lilith, Daughters of
Also known as: The Liliot; Lilim
Origin: Jewish

According to some legends, Lilith is sterile; hence her resentment of pregnant women. In other legends, however, Lilith is the mother
of hosts of spirits. The Daughters of Lilith may be among that host. These daughters may be her actual daughters or Lilith's female
entourage. The term may be intended metaphorically, too. Daughter of Lilith is a Jewish term indicating a witch. It may be understood to
indicate any of Lilith's mortal female devotees.
The spirits called Daughters of Lilith are accused of tempting chaste women to aggressively assert their sexuality. They seduce men
and lure them to ruin. (They may kill them or just ruin them socially.) Lilith's Daughters rendezvous at spiritually powerful trees. They live
within mirrors. Women were cautioned against gazing at mirrors so as not to invite the attention of Lilith's Daughters. They can allegedly
possess someone who is gazing intently within. This may actually indicate their role in mirror-gazing divination, similar to crystal ball
gazing. Lilith herself is traditionally ambivalent towards mirrors. Shards of broken mirror are among the magical tools used to ward her
away.
The Lilim guest stars in Neil Gaiman's 1997 novelStardust.
See also: Bloody Mary; Lilith

Lilith-Zahriel

The Great Lilith
Origin: Mandaean

Lilith-Zahriel is a Mandaean path of Lilith. According to their sacred text, the Ginza Rabba ("The Great Treasure"), Lilith, daughter
of the King and Queen of the Underworld, was married to the King of Light or his son. Her dowry is a crown, a magic mirror and a
pearl. Their marriage unites the celestial and subterranean realms; Lilith bears a son who possesses knowledge of both realms. He later
defends his mother against charges of being a child-stealing demoness instead revealing her to be a loving, benevolent spirit who sits on
the beds of laboring women in order to comfort them, not harm them.

Flower: Lilies especially Lilium candidum, also known as the Madonna lily whose petals are sometimes perceived as incorporating
the shape of a hexagram.
See also: Aradia; Lilith

Lillu Spirits
Origin: Sumeria
The Lillu are a clan of primordial storm and wind spirits, many of whom developed a reputation as being vampiric or are described
as incubi and succubi. Among these related spirits are:
• The Lillu, male spirits; Sumerian hero Gilgamesh's father may have been a Lillu
• Lilitu (Sumerian name for Lilith)
• Ardat Lili (possibly Lilith's handmaiden)
• Irdu Lili (Ardat Lili's male counterpart; possibly Lilith's servant)
See also: Ardat Lili; Lilith; Vampire

Lilyi
Origin: Transylvania; Romani (Gypsy)

Lilyi is the second child and first daughter of Ana, Fairy Queen of the Keshalyi and the Demon King of the Loçolico. When Ana an
the king's son Melalo grows up, he desires a wife; however he has no female counterpart. There is no other half Keshalyi-half Loçolico.
His father is sympathetic but his mother seeks only her freedom and continues to reject her husband's affections.
Melalo the magician devised a solution: he advised his father to cook a fish in donkey's milk, thus producing a very traditional love
potion. While Ana slept, the king bathed her vulva with the liquid (the traditional method of administering the potion) and then had sex
with her. Nine days later, Ana gave birth to Lilyi, Spirit of Catarrhal Illness.
Lilyi has a human head but a fish body. She's not a mermaid and is grotesque rather than seductive or beautiful. Nine sticky filaments
hang from each side of her head. If these filaments penetrate human flesh, catarrhal illness immediately ensues. (Catarrh involves swelling
of the mucus membranes.)
The name Lilyi resembles Lilith. Like Lilith, Lilyi is the first female of her kind. Although she is described as having a person's head on
a fish body; in drawings, Lilyi looks downright owl-like.
See also: Ana; Keshalyi; Lilith; Loçolico; Melalo; Mermaid

Ling Chui Na
Origin: China

Ling Chui Na is a midwife spirit venerated by women who have had children or would like to have children. She is the guardian of
children, especially those under sixteen years of age. Ling Chui Na was allegedly once a living person born near Fuzhou during the Tang
Dynasty (618–907). She is invoked for any aspect of conception, pregnancy and childbirth as well as for caring and guarding children.
Ling Chui Na supervises a large staff of female birth spirits. A host of 36 spirits is at her right side; a further seventy-two spirits await her
instructions hovering at her left. Her devotees traditionally abstain from eating duck.
Attributes: A horn to summon her host of heavenly helpers and a magic sword to drive away enemies and evil influences
Sacred day: Ling Chui Na's birthday is the 15th day of the first month of the Chinese lunar calendar.

Offerings: Set a table of food for her; offer her any kind of cooked meal with the exception of duck. (A water demon once tried to
drown Ling Chui Na but four ducks bravely and spontaneously came to her rescue. Ling Chui Na vowed never to eat duck again.) Burn
candles, incense and spirit money. (See the Glossary entry for Spirit Money)

Lir
Origin: Celtic; Irish
Lir literally means "the sea." He is an ancient sea spirit, now most famous because of the many other spirits who are identified as his
children as for example Manannan mac Lir. Undoubtedly many myths are lost: that so many powerful spirits are identified as his children
signifies his own importance. One surviving myth describes Lir's displeasure at not being chosen King of the Tuatha Dé Danaan.
Sacred site: Lir has dominion over the sea; he lives alone beneath a big hill in County Armagh.
See also: Llyr; Manannan Mac Lir; Tuatha Dé Danaan

Lisa, Papa
Origin: Haiti
Classification: Lwa
Papa Lisa is a lwa who travels in Ezili's entourage. His dwelling place is within trees. Ceremonies invoking and honoring Papa Lisa
are held in December and January near water. An offering table for him is placed in the water. (These ceremonies are the subject of
paintings by renowned Haitian artist Lafortune Felix.)
Day: Friday
Colors: Blue, green, white
See also: Ezili; Lwa

Lleu Llaw Gyffes

The Bright One of the Skillful Hand
Origin: Celtic; Wales

Lleu Llaw Gyffes, the divine warrior, is the Welsh path of the Celtic spirit, Lugh. Lleu Llaw Gyffes is the subject of a complex,
mysterious myth, which begins with his surprise birth to the lunar goddess, Arianrhod. She is not a nurturing, welcoming mother but
subjects him to harsh taboos, which restrict his power and growth. She denies him a name, weapons and a wife: three rites of passage
required for a man of this culture.
The myth portrays Arianrhod in an unflattering light unless one interprets it in the context
of an older lunar goddess desperately
attempting to maintain her own power in the face of a tricky, skillful, brash, aggressive solar spirit. Lugh was among the most significant
Gaulish deities. His Welsh and Irish myths describe his entry into their societies, the relationships he forms with some pre-existing local
spirits and the resistence with which other spirits greet him.
Lleu Llaw is a master magician. He is clever and crafty, in all senses of that word. He is invoked to find solutions for insoluble
situations and for victory when the odds are against you. In myth, Lleu Llaw does not have a lot of luck with women. His mother,
Arianrhod, seems to wish he would just go away. His wife, Blodeuwedd, plots to kill him. It's likely that he's a better ally for men.
Sacred bird: Eagle; raven
Sacred tree: Oak
See also: Arianrhod; Blodeuwedd; Loucetius; Lugh

Llorona, La

The Weeping Woman; The Wailing Woman; The Woman in White
Pronounced: Hyo-rro-na (roll that 'r'!)
Origin: Mexico
La Llorona is witnessed roaming cities or near riverbanks on moonlit nights, dressed in white; her face often sheathed in a white veil.
La Llorona means the weeping or wailing woman and sometimes she's heard, not seen. Something in her weeping and wailing terrifies,
spooks and unnerves those who encounter her.
La Llorona is a fixture of urban legends and popular entertainment and so there are now different versions and myths regarding this
ghostly apparition. In recent years, her name has become a catch-all for any threatening nocturnal wraithlike woman-in-white. As with
La Lechusa, the same name may be used to indicate different spirits.
The earliest documented sightings of La Llorona occurred in 1502 in the Aztec capital city, Tenochtitlan, now Mexico City and are
now interpreted as harbingers of the Spanish conquest. La Llorona was witnessed wandering the streets, lamenting over the fate of her
children, constantly repeating, "Oh my children! Your destruction has arrived. Where can I take you?" She would then vanish into the
lake. This La Llorona is a goddess who bewails the fate of her human devotees, her spiritual children. She is most likely the goddess
Cihuacoatl. Franciscan friars forbade people from uttering Cihuacoatl's name under threat of severe punishment and so euphemisms
were employed.
Recent variations of her myth describe Llorona as a factory owner's lover/employee. She may be the victim of sexual
harassment; forced into a relationship to maintain a needed job. Unbeknownst to the local populace, toxic chemicals
emanating from the factory have poisoned their river. The woman drinks from this river; subsequently bearing two badly
disfigured children. The factory owner rejects the woman and their children and fires her from her job, leaving her
economically devastated and socially compromised.

The original Llorona is a harbinger of death and doom. She doesn't cause it; she may even be attempting to prevent it by issuing
warnings. This Llorona is a kindred spirit of the Banshee except that she wails rather than screeches. Her appearance is a warning of
impending disaster to those who hear or see her. After the Conquest, La Llorona became identified with La Malinche; mistress and
interpreter of Hernan Cortes. Hostility towards Malinche, popularly perceived as a collaborator, colored perceptions of La Llorona
who is now frequently blamed for her children's doom. This modern Llorona resembles a hybrid of Malinche, Cihuacoatl, Medea and
Aisha Qandisha.
Encounters with La Llorona increased and the legends changed. (Alternatively different spirits are operating under the same name.)
La Llorona evolved into a ghost who lures adults and children to watery graves. There are many variations on her theme but all involve a
woman wailing for her dead or lost children who she may have killed. The basic theme involves a woman who has children with a man
who eventually abandons her for some sort of selfish reason. In response, she drowns their children although her motivation varies
depending on legend:
• She wants to win her husband back
• She wants to pay her husband back
• His abandonment has caused her to lose her sanity
• She seeks to protect the children from a life of poverty, exploitation and abuse
In some versions she then drowns herself, too but is doomed to search eternally and frantically for her lost children; drowning those
who obstruct her or get in her way.
La Llorona is among the most frequently encountered spirits. Sightings now radiate beyond Mexico City throughout the Western
Hemisphere. She has been encountered as far north as the United States and as far south as Peru. Her story varies depending on
location; spirits haunting different locales may not be the same. She is also a staple of horror entertainment, which often ignores any of
her traditional themes but presents her as just another scary, violent ghost. Traditionally, although Llorona may cause harm, she is herself
a tormented, grieving soul.

The Dark Lord of Chalma and Our Lady of San Juan de los Lagos are among those traditionally invoked to protect agains
La Llorona. They have allegedly come to the rescue of those confronted by La Llorona.

La Llorona has evolved into a sort of boogie woman used to threaten children: parents warn their kids that if they play alone near the
river or stay out after dark, La Llorona will get them. That said, La Llorona sometimes rescues children. (A benevolent Llorona is
depicted in Gloria Anzaldúa's 2001 children's book, Prietita and the Ghost Woman.)
La Llorona is feared but also propitiated so that she will not cause harm. Goddess Llorona has been reemerging in recent years: a cult
of devotion has developed in Mexico City and Honduras (places historically associated with La Malinche). La Llorona is blamed for
unexpected death but has also been successfully petitioned to protect young Latina mothers, especially those in dire straits.
M anifestation: You'll know her if you see her and especially if you hear her. Her wail will make your hair stand on end. La
Llorona is usually described as being magnetically beautiful.
Color: White
See also: Aisha Qandisha; Banshee; Cihua coatl; Lechusa, La; Malinche; Medea; Rachel

Llyr

Origin: Celtic; Welsh

Llyr is the Welsh counterpart of the Irish Lir, King of the Sea. Like Lir, he is now most famous as the father of prestigious, powerful
children including Bran, Branwen and Manawydan. Both Welsh and Irish mythology were originally exclusively oral traditions. Both
were eventually documented on paper by later Christian commentators who loved the tales but who were, at best, ambivalent towards

the inherent Pagan aspects. (It's impossible to entirely eliminate Pagan elements. Presumably myths that were truly objectionable were
just not documented.)
The Irish monks who recorded Irish myth acknowledged that the characters they described were deities; their Welsh counterparts
did not. Thus tales about what are clearly supernatural beings appear to be about heroes or just unusual people. Llyr's identity as Lord
of the Sea has been eliminated but he and his son, Manawydan are identifiably the same spirits as Lir and Manannan about whom so
much more information survives. Vestiges of Llyr's myths may survive in William Shakespeare's tragedy, King Lear.
See also: Bran; Branwen; Lir; Manannan Mac Lir; Manawydan

Loçolico
Origin: Transylvanian Romani (Gypsy)

The Loçolico are chthonic spirits who live deep within Earth but frequently travel above the surface. On one such expedition, the
King of the Loçolico saw and fell madly in love with Ana, the beautiful, magical, gentle Queen of the Keshalyi, Fairy-like spirits. Love
was not mutual. Not one to take "no" for an answer, the King directed his Loçolico to attack the Keshalyi. Many Keshalyi were
devoured; the entire species would have been exterminated had not Ana agreed to marry the king in exchange for the safety of the rest
of the Keshalyi. The Loçolico are vicious spirits but their word is good: they uphold their vow and no longer harm the Keshalyi.
Ana lives atop a mountain; the Keshalyi live inside. This union of spirits of heights and depths resulted in the birth of dreaded disease
spirits. However, the complex myth describing each disease demon's birth essentially serves as a shamanic diagnostic method for
determining illness and cures.
See also: Ana: Bitoso; Chthonic Spirits; Demon; Fairy; Keshalyi; Lilyi; Lolmischo; Melalo; Poreskoro; Tçaridyi; Tçulo

Logunedé
Also known as: Logun Edé; Laro
Classification: Orixa
Logunedé, primarily venerated in Brazil, is the child of Oxum Iponda, a forest dwelling path of Oshun and either Erinle or Oxossi.
Logunedé spends half the year living in the river with Mom and the other half living in the forest with Dad. (Both Erinle and Oxossi are
forest dwellers.) Logunedé, an androgynous spirit, spends part of the year living as a female, the other part as a male. Logunedé, spirit
of pleasure, gets to be a sexy mermaid and a brave hunter.
Like Erinle and Oshun, Logunedé is a spirit of beauty, luxury and wealth. In his male path, Logunedé is closely allied with Ogum and
Oxossi. Together they fight as valiant warriors against malevolent magic and malicious spirits.
Although very powerful, Logunedé is a sweet natured spirit who maintains good relations with most of the orixas. Regardless of
parentage, Ogum is credited with being the onewho raised and educated Logunedé; teaching healing, metalworking and shamanic skills.
Once while traveling the path between river and forest, Logunedé encountered Omolu (Babalu Ayé) who offered further instruction in
healing, witchcraft and magic. Logunedé is extremely well-versed and multi-faceted.
Logunedé is invoked for spiritual and physical protection but also for wealth, success and love. Logunedé is petitioned for the
courage to be true to oneself regardless of whatever anyone else thinks. Logunedé defies boundaries and refuses to be pigeonholed.
Logunedé is syncretized to Michael Archangel and is sometimes considered the spiritual matron/patron of gay, lesbian, bisexual and
transgendered people.
Attribute: Bow and arrows; scales; mirror
Animal: Armadillo
Colors: Amber, coral, light blue, yellow and/ or green

Day: Thursday
Logunedé is the subject of a song by Brazilian musician, Gilberto Gil.

See also: Babalu Ayé; Erinle; Michael; Ochossi; Ochun; Ogun; Orisha;and the Glossary entry for Path

Loki
Origin: Norse

Loki is a mysterious, contradictory spirit, perhaps the ultimate trickster. Loki is usually classified as a Jotun (giant) but was
conceived when lightning (his father) struck a leafy oak (his mother) and so may be some kind of primordial fire spirit. His name is
related to an Old High German word meaning "shooting star." Loki was born from the spark of life but his own children include the
goddess of death and the wolf of doom.
Loki lives among the Aesir spirits and is Odin's blood brother. He is Thor's traveling companion; ostensibly his friend. Yet he
conspires against them and is responsible for the death of Baldur. At the same time, he is instrumental in obtaining many of their most
precious tools and attributes. Loki is the mother of Odin's prized eight-legged steed Sleipnir. Loki constantly leads the Aesir into danger
and then proceeds to rescue them as with the myth of Idunn's apples or the theft of Thor's hammer.
Loki's motives and loyalties are never clear. Part of this confusion is because Norse mythology was committed to paper by later
Christian commentators who identified Baldur with Christ. Extending the metaphor, Loki was identified with Judas or Satan. It is difficul
if not impossible to find sympathetic portrayals of Loki. (And yet with Loki, there is always an exception: in a traditional ballad from the
Faeroe Islands, after Odin and Hoenir, another Aesir spirit, fail, Loki rescues a young boy from a troll in response to prayers directed to
him by the boy's parents.)
If Odin masquerades in the guise of Santa Claus, as some believe, then Loki may be the original persona behind Santa's
dangerous helpers like Krampus or Black Pete.

Loki is more than a trickster and a plotter; he is a skilled inventor, artisan and craftsman. He is a font of obscure knowledge. He is
nosy and extremely observant. He has a malicious streak and a vicious, cutting humor although he is also the only one able to make the
goddess Skadi laugh following the death of her father. In the poem, the Lokasenna, the other deities seek to keep Loki from entering
Aegir's hall where they are feasting. He enters anyway and abuses them: publicly exposing their secrets and accusing them of cowardice
until Thor returns with his hammer and forces Loki to be quiet.
Favored people: Loki is the patron of spies; moles; trouble-makers; plotters; secret agents; double agents; double crossers; those
operating under cover. (He may or may not be a reliable patron.)
M anifestation: Loki is a master shape-shifter. He can appear in any guise. Loki's transformations are not merely superficial: when
he appears in the form of a gorgeous white mare, the transformation is so complete that s/he gives birth to Sleipnir. Loki who enjoyed
sexual relations with many of the Norse goddesses is allegedly very handsome and charming when he wishes to be.
Consort: Angerboda is also his sister, possibly his twin, and alter-ego. Both frequently assume other names and disguises. It's
unclear whether some myths reference Angerboda or Loki in disguise as for example the giantess who refuses to weep for Baldur.
Loki's second wife is Sigyn who shares Loki's exile following Baldur's death.
Sacred animals: Wolves, snakes, possibly spiders
Star: Sirius, known as Lokabrenna ("Loki's Brand" or "Loki's Torch") in traditional Norse astrology

See also: Aegir; Aesir; Andvari; Anger boda; Balder; Hel; Idunn; Jotun; Odin; Skadi; Thor

Loko
Also known as: Papa Loko; Papa Loco; Loko Atisou; King Loko
Origin: Dahomey (Benin)
Classification: Lwa
Feast: 19 March
Papa Loko, a primal root lwa, is the spirit of the very first Vodou priest
(houngan), a master magician and healer. He is the
presiding spirit of Vodou and is now also associated with ceremonial magic. Papa Loko is a ritual specialist and an authority on esoteric
arts and history. He is the guardian of sacred sanctuaries and religious secrets; the lwa of vegetation and discipline. Botan icals including
herbs and trees communicated directly to him, revealing their secrets and powers.
In Africa, Loko is perceived as an ancestor of the royal family. His veneration was limited to the priest-kings; he is not a spirit of the
masses. Having arrived in Haiti with victims of the slave trade, however, Papa Loko evolved into a more generalized spirit, associated
with religion, rather than royalty.
Loko is an ancient African name and has nothing to with the American slang word "loco" meaning crazy or insane, which
entered common usage in the 19 th century. Papa Loko is an extremely erudite, sane spirit who must always be treated with
respect.

Papa Loko is a ritual specialist. He is not overly concerned with independent practitioners and is not usually their patron. However,
he offers spiritual guidance to those considering or seeking formal initiation into Vodou and may be
invoked as needed. He is also
petitioned for healing and empowerment.
Papa Loko is syncretized to Saint Joseph and is feted on Joseph's feast day. Like Joseph, Loko assumes the paternal role for those
who may not literally be his children. Papa Loko travels in the company of Papa Legba.
Favored people: Vodouistes; Papa Loko is especially sympathetic toward men
Attribute: Keys
Consort: Ayizan may be his wife
Colors: Gold; yellow; white; sometimes red and white
Sacred creatures: Butterfly; roosters, especially fighting cocks; snakes
Sacred tree: Mapou (the Haitian revolution began under a Mapou tree during a Vodou ceremony at Bois Caiman)
Offerings: White rum; white rice; white foods; healing herbs; efforts on behalf of the reforestation of Haiti (i.e. plant trees)
See also: Ayizan; Eshu Elegbara; Gran Bois; Legba; Xtabay

Lolmischo

The Red Mouse
Origin: Romani (Gypsy)
Lolmischo is the seventh child of Ana, Queen of the Keshalyi. Ana was suffering from a severe skin ailment and her son Melalo
advised that she'd be cured if she'd let mice lick her skin. This turned out to be true but in the process, one mouse penetrated her body
causing Ana to conceive and give birth to Lolmischo, a male disease demon. Lolmischo causes eczema by running up and down on
sleeping people's skin.
Color: Red
See also: Ana; Keshalyi; Melalo

Long Do

The Dragon's Belly
Origin: Vietnam

Long Do literally means the dragon's navel. He is the patron spirit of the city of Hanoi and the guardian of the land on which it is
built. He must approve building projects or anything that affects or disturbs the land. Although he sometimes manifests as a frail, elderly
man, that's a guise: he is a potent dragon with powers over the air. Long Do raises storms so powerful they can topple buildings.
Long Do appears to people in dreams. He has various manifestations and may appear as:
• A golden dragon
• An elderly man with a long white beard
• A man dressed in boots, purple robes and a red hat riding a golden dragon
Long Do refers to the dragon itself. When he appears as a man, he is addressed as the Lord of the Dragon's Belly or the Dragon's
Navel. His close ally is the river deity, To Lich. The two are enshrined together in Hanoi's ancient Bach Ma Temple.
Favored people: Long Do is the patron spirit of the ceramics industry

M anifestation: Long Do's presence in whatever form may be accompanied by the sounds of celestial music and beautiful,
intoxicating fragrance.

Long Mau
Origin: Vietnam

Long Mau, daughter of the King of the Sea, protects mothers and new born babies. She may beinvoked for assistance during every
step of the conception/pregnancy/birth process. She is venerated alongside Ma Zu and Me Sanh, Goddess of Fecundity in temple
shrines as well as on home altars.
M anifestation: Long Mau appears as a beautiful, serene woman in an elaborate headdress.
Color: Red
Sacred site: Long Mau is enshrined in the Thien Hau Temple in Cholon, Ho Chi Minh City.
Offering: Incense

See also: Dragon Kings of the Sea; Dragon Queens; Ma Zu

Long Mu

Mother of Dragons
Origin: China
It's the stuff of fantasy: someone brings home a beautiful stone only to discover it's really a dragon's egg. Long Mu means "Mother
of Dragons" and that's what happened to her. Before she was a goddess, Long Mu was a young girl from a poor family in southern
China, born circa 290 BCE. She went to the Xi River, a tributary of the Pearl River, daily to fish, bathe and do laundry. One day, she
found an exquisite white stone, brought it home and life was never the same.
The stone turned out to be an egg: five little water snakes hatched from it. Long Mu treated them as if they were her own children.
Although her family was poor, she saved the best food for the snakes and fed them by hand. They, in turn, became very devoted to her,
too, traveling to the river with her and helping her fish.
The snakes kept growing and it soon became apparent that they were not snakes at all but dragons. Their devotion to their adopted
mother did not diminish. When the area was hit by drought, the dragons summoned rain. Grateful villagers in awe of the familial
relationship between woman and snakes began calling her Long Mu: Mother of Dragons . After death, she was deified. Long Mu
remains a very popular goddess.
Long Mu is the goddess of mothers, children, family relations and loving devotion. She is invoked to instill feelings of loyalty and
responsibility between those who love each other, whether related by blood or even of the same species.
Sacred day: Her festival is celebrated in the first week of the fifth month of the Chinese lunar calendar.

Sacred sites: Long Mu is enshrined in two temples in China: the Long Mu Ancestral Temple in Yuecheng, renovated as recently as
1985 and the Baisha Temple in Zhaoqing.

Lono
Also known as: Ono; Rongo
Classification: Akua
Lono is a spirit of agriculture, healing, romance, games and sports venerated throughout Polynesia. In Hawaii, he was considered
among the four major deities alongside Ku, Kane and Kanaloa. He is a spirit of peace and fertility.
Lono initiated the Makahiki season, the Hawaiian season which was dedicated to him. Makahiki lasted for four consecutive lunar
months. Work and war were forbidden. Instead time was devoted to spiritual ritual, feasting and sports.
Lono is manifest in precipitation, weather and natural phenomenon. He is rolling thunder, rainbows, earthquakes, whirlwinds and dark
clouds.
Attribute: Triton shell
Animal: Pig
Plants: Cultivated plants
Star: Sirius
See also: Akua; Kanaloa; Kane; Ku

Lorelei
Origin: German

Lorelei is the name of a spirit and the big rock in the Rhine River on which she sits. Lorelei, the most famous of the Rhine Maidens,
is a Sirenlike mermaid who sits on her rock in the Rhine, combing her long hair and singing. The Lorelei rock is located in a particularly
hazardous juncture of the Rhine, characterized by swift, treacherous currents. Lorelei's voice distracts fishermen and boaters from the
dangers and they crash, many drowning.
Different legends explain her history and actions:
• She was a girl who, betrayed by a faithless lover, threw herself into the Rhine and was transformed into this alluring but deadly
mermaid
• She was a local woman whose true love, a sailor, drowned and so she threw herself into the river to join him
• It's also possible that these legends camouflage an ancient Pagan goddess
The name Lorelei derives from two old Rhine dialect words: lureln (murmuring) and ley (rock). An alternative interpretation defines
Lorelei as lurking rock . The reason Lorelei is more famous than the other Rhine Maidens is because of the success of Heinrich Heine's
1827 poem of the same name, which eventually became a well-loved song. Sylvia Plath's 1956 poem also titled Lorelei may pay tribute
to the Rhine Maidens in general.
The Rhine Maidens are the mermaids of the Rhine River. They are among the stars of Richard Wagner's operatic Ring
Cycle.

Sacred site: The Lorelei rock is on the Rhine's eastern bank near Sankt Goarshausen, Germany.
See also: Lamia of the Sea; Mermaid; Siren

Loucetius

Brightness; Lightning

Loucetius is a British deity venerated together with the goddess Nemetona at the healing spring sanctuary at Bath. His name seems
to be a Latinized form of Lugh and they are presumably the same spirit.
See also: Lugh; Sulis

Louhi

Louhi, Mistress of the North Country, appears in the Finnish national epic, the Kalevala. She is a Finnmark (Finno-Ugric) witch
who protects the Pohjola, the back country or North Land. She may, in fact, be its ruler. Tuonetar, queen of the Finnish realm of death,
may be her sister.
Louhi controls winds, fog, illness and wild creatures. She is a master spell-caster and the mother of the beautiful, alluring Maid of the
North. The name Louhi is etymologically related to a word indicating a magical, shamanic trance. Louhi features prominently in the
mythof the Magic Sampo, an enchanted device that grinds out salt, flour and gold from thin air.

Female characters are given short shrift in Finland's heroic epic, the Kalevala; most interpretations of Louhi are negative.
She is painted as an evil witch. An exception is a retelling of the portion of the saga devoted to Louhi and her daughter in
Ethel Johnston Phelps' The Maid of the North (Henry Holt & Company, 1982).

See also: Tuonetar

Loup Garou
Plural: Loups Garoux

The loups-garoux of Haiti and the French Caribbean are a fusion of Breton werewolf traditions and African secret sorcerers'
societies. Although technically loup garou translates as werewolf; Caribbean loups garoux transcend the technical definition of
werewolves as men who transform into wolves and back: Island loups-garoux are predominately female, unlike the predominately male
European werewolf. Ability to transform may be passed from mother to daughter. Alternatively, some loups-garoux are members of
secret societies who obtain their powers from lwa like Marinette. There is also a traditional belief that barren women consumed with
rage, anger, frustration and resentment involuntarily transform into loups-garoux. This person may not wish to be a loup-garou. She may
resist as hard as she can only to uncontrollably transform at night.
Unlike regular werewolves, loups-garoux can fly. Their violent attacks may be random but children of enemies are particularly
vulnerable. Loups-garoux suck children's blood in the manner of a vampire rather than a traditional werewolf. Children may be
consumed; those that are not killed may develop intestinal worms that resist medical treatment. A shamanic herbalist may be required to
affect a cure.
Loup Garou is the name of a song and album by singer, Willie Deville.

Certain plants are used to ward off loups-garoux. They are not taken internally; they are not necessarily a cure for loups-garoux
initiated illness. The presence of the plants around a building or home should prevent the loup-garou from approaching. If loups-garoux
threaten, cultivate any or all of these plants including:
• Acajou (Swietania mahogani): Caution! This plant may cause miscarriage
• Atiyoyo, a.k.a. Grand Basilic (Ocimum gratissimum)
• Avé (Petiveria alliacaeae)
• Bamboo (Bambusa vulgaris)
• Bois couleuvre, a.k.a. snake plant (Cap paris jamaicensis)
• And especially Kalanchoe pinnata whose nickname is loup-garou
M anifestation: During the day, she looks like an ordinary woman but at night, the loup garou transforms into a winged monster.
When loups-garoux travel through the sky, they produce a luminescent trail, reminiscent of a comet.
Numbers: 7; 13
Time: The seventh and thirteenth nights of each month (approximately the waxing half and full moons)
See also: Aswang; Bizango; Lwa; Marin ette; Vampire

Lu Tung-Pin

Also known as: Lu Dongbin
Origin: China

Lu Tung-pin, born circa 750 CE, is one of the Eight Immortals. A scholar and recluse, he became a Taoist adept and attained
immortality at age fifty. Lu Tung-pin was the student of another Immortal, Chung-li Chuan. Both men are sometimes considered the chief
of the Eight Immortals. Lu Tung-pin is a genuinely helpful spirit who seeks to help people in need. He provides miracles of healing: he
responds to petitions from those who are ailing. He banishes malicious spirits and rids the world of evil.
Lu Tung-pin fell in love with his fellow Immortal, Ho Hsien-Ko but she did not share his sentiments. (Alternatively, she rebuffed him
because she had taken a vow of chastity.) Rumor has it that ever since then, Lu Tung-pin has been jealous of happy lovers. Be discreet
about your successful love life when in his presence. Allegedly, couples who invoke him together or who visit his shrine together are
fated to break up.
Favored people: Lu Tung-pin likes the ladies. He is also the patron spirit of barbers. (And if you're a good-looking lady barber,
you may assume that it's likely that you have Lu Tung-pin's patronage.)
Iconography: Lu Tung-pin is usually depicted dressed in the robes of a scholar.
Attributes: Sword, usually worn across his back and the Taoist fly-brush
Sacred site: Lu Tung-pin is the primary deity enshrined in Taiwan's Zhinan Temple.
Offerings: Lu Tung-pin enjoys a drink: be generous with alcoholic beverages.
See also: Chung-li Chuan; Eight Immortals; Ho Hsien-Ko

Lubana
Also known as: Filomena Lubana; Mai tresse Luban; Metresa Lubana; Loubana; Luban
Classification: Metresa
Origin: Dominican Republic

Lubana is a cemetery spirit; the sacred snake of the charnel house. She is a spirit of birth, death, life, and sex who unblocks roads,
removing obstacles from the paths of her devotees. She opens the gates of opportunity. Lubana is a cleansing spirit who removes
negativity and spiritual and psychic toxins (snake venom as antidote). Can she remove a curse? Yes, she can.
Lubana began her incarnation as a Congolese Simbi spirit. Transported to the island of Hispaniola by the slave trade; she was a
comparatively obscure local spirit until the late 20 th century when the image of Mami Waters arrived in the Americas. The German
circus poster of a snake charmer that catapulted Mami Waters to worldwide fame served as a portal for Lubana, too. Dominican
immigrants brought Lubana to the United States; her fame continues to increase.
Congolese snake spirits were transported to the Caribbean; so was an old traditional style of Iberian spellcasting, incorporating
verbal petitions to aggressive spirits requesting that they impose the spell-caster's will on others. For instance, Spanish love/domination
spells invoke Saint Martha the Dominator, requesting that she force an errant man to return to the spell-caster so subservient that he's
crawling on his belly like a snake. Lubana is now invoked in virtually identical love-spells whose goal is to force a man to crawl after the
woman he once scorned, begging on his knees. (If the spell goes correctly; the man
wants to do this. He feels compelled. He's
unresisting.)
Although Lubana is also commonly called Filomena, she is not identified with the young virgin martyr, Saint Philomena.
Instead, she is syncretized to Saint Martha the Dominator. In Latin America, the snake-charmer image associated elsewhere
with Mami Waters was identified as Saint Martha who is usually depicted with a dragon or great reptile.

Snake Oil, a mass produced condition oil (magical formula oil), is used to dress Lubana's candles and summon her. Serpentineinspired fine perfume oils like Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab's Snake Oil may also accomplish this purpose. If you want to visit her,
Lubana lives in the cemetery.
M anifestation: Lubana's true form is a snake but she may also manifest as a woman who displays serpentine behavior (hissing,
slithering, sticking out her tongue ...). She may have snakelike physical features. Regardless of form, Lubana doesn't speak: she hisses
or communicates telepathically. (Telepathically she may use words and be quite articulate.)

Iconography: The image most frequently used to depict Lubana is that of the snake charmer more commonly associated with
Mami Waters. Votive statues based on that image are now mass produced and may be labeled Martha the Dominator (Santa Marta
Dominadora). Different versions of the statue exist; some hew closely to the old poster even duplicating the hairstyle; others depict her
with significantly fairer complexion. Martha/Lubana wears a green dress and holds a snake. A small boy sitting on her lap holds a
smaller snake. The second figure in the old poster has been reinterpreted as a child saved from a snake by the snake charmer.
Spirit allies: She works closely with Anaisa Pyé, Sili Kenwa, Baron Del Cementario, and other Barons.
Day: Monday
Sacred date: 29 July (feast day of Saint Martha)
Colors: Green, black, purple
Animal: Snake
Number: 5
Altar: Her offerings are traditionally placed on the floor, although theoretically, a snake climbs anywhere.

Offerings: Cigars; unsweetened black coffee; Malta beverage (not malt liquor; Malta is a type of carbonated drink whose primary
ingredient is barley, which is allowed to ferment or "malt"). Malta is available worldwide, sold under different brand names; it may also
be sold as champagne cola, although it's neither champagne nor cola; however, beware: although Malta may be called champagne cola,
not every champagne cola is Malta.
TRADITIONAL OFFERING FOR LUBANA
1.
2.

Place one whole, unbroken, raw egg on a bed of coffee grounds
Drizzle with honey and Malta and serve

See also: Anaisa Pyé; Barons; Baron Del Cementario; Damballah; Intranquil Spirit; Mami Waters; Sili Kenwa; Simbi

Lucero
Also known as: Lucero Mundo (Light of the World); Lubaniba; Nkuyo
Origin: Congo
Classification: Nkisi

Lucero is among the most beloved spirits of the Afro-Cuban religion, Palo, which is based on Congolese spiritual traditions. Lucero
is a divine messenger, master of the crossroads and guardian of the soul. He closely resembles Elegba (Eshu Elegbara) but whether or
not they are the same spirit is subject for passionate debate:
• Some describe Lucero as a descendent of Elegba.

• Some identify Lucero as a Cuban path of the Haitian crossroads spirit, Maitre Carre four (who also may or may not be Elegba)
• Lucero may also be an independent Congolese crossroads spirit.
Lucero and Eshu Elegbara are easily mistaken for each other. They rule similar dominions. Even their images are similar: both spirits
are venerated in the form of a concrete head embellished with cowries. However, Lucero's head is kept discreetly in a cabinet or similar
enclosed, dark place, not placed openly behind the door as is done with Eshu Elegbara's image. Lucero guards travelers and opens
avenues of opportunity. Small travel-sized Lucero cement heads are marketed.
Both spirits are tricksters however Lucero is more temperamental and volatile than Eshu Elegbara. (In this way, he more closely
resembles Maitre Carrefour.) He shares Eshu Elegbara's solar associations but unlike Eshu, Lucero is never depicted as a child or
elderly man. Lucero's name derives for the Spanish word indicating the morning star. Like Eshu Elegbara, Lucero may be associated
with the Christian devil but is also syncretized to Saint Anthony.
Iconography: Lucero's image is a cement head packed with magical herbs and dirt gathered from the crossroads, cemetery and
forest. Cowrie shells form his eyes, ears and mouth. Coins are affixed to the bottom of the image, usually five nickels. Lucero's sigil
consists of a pair of crossed arrows, two suns and two crosses.
Planet: Sun; Venus
Colors: Red, black
Offerings: Cigars; rum in which spicy hot peppers have been steeped
See also: Carrefour, Maitre; Eshu Elegbara; Nkisi

Lugh

Master of All Skills; The Shining One
Also known as: Lug; Luc
Origin: Celtic
Feast: 1 August

Lugh, Lord of Craftsmanship, Light, Victory and War, is a master builder, harper, poet, warrior, sorcerer, metalworker, cupbearer
and physician. It's hard to envision anything at which Lugh does not excel.
Lugh was venerated throughout the ancient Celtic world. Modern scholars perceive him as especially significant because his
veneration indicates the existence of pan-Celtic spiritual traditions. (Celts once ruled a huge swathe of continental Europe before being
forced to the very edges of the continent.)
At least fourteen European cities are named for Lugh including Laon, Leyden, Loudon and Lyon. Lyon's old name was Lugdunum,
meaning "Lugh's Fort." That city is believed to have been his cult center. Its coins bore the images of ravens, which may be a reference
to Lugh. Carlisle in England, the former Lugubalium, is also named in Lugh's honor. Some theorize that Lugh's name is reflected in an
older name for Paris: Lutetia. The Romans identified Lugh with Mercury. Many European churches dedicated to Michael the Archangel
are believed to have been built over sites once dedicated to Lugh. Post-Christianity many of Lugh's sacred functions were reassigned to
saints like Patrick and Luke.
Lugh apparently traveled westward through Europe. Irish and Welsh myths describe his first appearance in their pantheon. He is
greeted with resistance from women in Wales. His first public act in Ireland is to join battle with the Tuatha Dé Danaan (his father's
people) against the Fomorian, his mother's people. Lugh chooses allegiance with the paternal line; the myth may be interpreted as
indicating the beginnings of patriarchy in Ireland.
Lugh's name is spelled variously depending on location. Lugh is the Irish spelling; in Wales he is Lleu Llaw Gyffes, the
"Bright One of the Skillful Hand." In Europe, he was called Lugos, meaning "raven."

Favored people: Lugh is the patron of artisans, crafts people, poets and artists. He also protects and guides physicians, soldiers
and warriors of all kinds.
M anifestation: Lugh is described as shining, handsome, charming and witty. He has a silver tongue to match his skillful hands.
Attributes: Magical spear, harp
Bird: Raven
Animal: Lion; horse
Consorts: Lugh has different consorts in different locations but he was frequently linked to Rosmerta.
Spirit allies: Lugh shared the city of Lyon with Kybele and Paris with Isis. In battle, Lugh used his own weapons but also those
belonging to Manannan.
Festival: 1 August, the festival of Lughnasa. Lughnasa means "the marriage of Lugh." Lugh the sun and the Earth Mother renew
their wedding vows annually during the full moon in August and invite all to gather and revel with them. Lughnasa celebrates the
consummation of their sacred relationship.
Once upon a time, Lughnasa was a four week festival: the last two weeks of July and the first two weeks of August, roughly
corresponding to when the sun is in Leo, the astrological sign that belongs to the sun and epitomizes its power. In modern Irish Gaelic,
the month of August is Lunasa. However, the modern Wiccan sabbat of Lughnasa is almost always devoted solely to the eve of July
31st leading into Lughnasa Day on August 1st.
Planet: Sun
Plant: Red corn cockles

See also: Aine; Arianrhod; Blodeuwedd; Isis; Kybele; Lleu Llaw Gyffes; Loucetius; Manannan; Mercury; Michael;
Rosmerta; Tuatha Dé Danaan

Luna
Origin: Italy
Luna is the presiding spirit of the moon, personification of all its powers and forces. There was originally very little myth associated
with her however she was eventually identified with the Greek lunar spirit, Selene who does have an
extensive mythology. The two
names are now used somewhat synonymously: Luna is described as "the Roman name for Selene." Children's mythology books
frequently combine Luna's name and Selene's myths.
Luna's powers affect women, fertility and the sea. She may be invoked to intensify or ameliorate lunar forces or petitioned for favor
when astrological lunar phases are inauspicious.
Sacred days: Roman festivals honoring Luna were held on 31 March, 24 August and 29 August
Sacred sites: Luna: Earth's moon bears her name. On the Earthly realm, Luna had a temple on the Aventine Hill and another on
the Palatine dedicated to Luna Noctiluca "Luna Who Shines By Night"
See also: Lalinn, Madame; Liber; Seleneand the Glossary entry for Identification

Lutin
Also known as: Luition (Old French)
Origin: French

Lutins are French house spirits, described as resembling goblins or imps. They're tricky and a bit temperamental but not malevolent,
evil or harmful. If they like the people in whose house they live, they will serve as guardians. If angered, they play tricks: they'll hide your
shoes, mismatch your shoes, tie the laces together or hide pebbles in them. They'll blunt knives and scissors. They can make themselves
invisible but you may hear them giggling at your discomfiture.
Lutin refers to the male of this spirit species. Females are known as Lutines.

Lutin can be charmed and bribed into becoming guardians. Be very nice and polite to them and leave food offerings for them in the
kitchen after dark. They'll have a bit of whatever you're having except that they dislike salt. Salt placed strategically around a house
keeps Lutins away. In exchange for kindness, affection and regular offerings, however the Lutin will guard children, animals, house and
land. They will perform household chores at night while the family sleeps.
M anifestation: They may resemble small people or manifest as domestic animals, especially horses and white cats.
Attributes: Lutins own hats which provide invisibility, typically a red hat with feathers
Colors: Red, white
See also: Kikimora; Kobold; Lantukh

Lwa

The lwa are the spirits of Vodou. The word lwa is both singular and plural. It's an African word. Lwa is the modern Haitian Kreyol
spelling. The French spelling is loa.

However, many names are used to indicate these very same spirits. You will also find them called:
• Les Mystères (the mysteries)
• Les Invisibles (the invisible ones)
• Les Anges (the angels)
• Zanj (Kreyol version of the FrenchAnges)
• Les Racines (literally roots; technically all ancestral spirits are lwa, too)
• Les Saintes (the saints: because virtually every Vodou lwa is syncretized to a Roman Catholic saint)
Lwa may be angels or saints but they are not gods. Vodou is a monotheistic faith: there is only one God, Bondye (from the French
Bon Dieu, the Good God). Bondye created the world and is the source of ultimate appeal but is remote, distant and busy. Along with
the rest of the universe, Bondye created the concept of delegating and that's where the lwa come in. The lwa serve Bondye but are each
in charge of some aspect of existence. As with angels, anything you can think of has a presiding lwa.
The Vodou pantheon is large: there are over one-thousand lwa and more constantly appear. Some lwa were created as spirits but
others were once human. Any powerful, charismatic person may become a lwa after death. Some lwa, known as root lwa, are
particularly ancient. Archaeological evidence indicates that Vodou-like religious practices have existed in West Africa for at least four
thousand years.
Lwa are generally divided into two pantheons, known as nations
(nanchon in Kreyol): the Rada and the Petro. They dominate

Vodou but there are other subdivisions too including the Bizango, Ibo, Congo and Nago Nations. The Barons and Gédés may also be
considered their own subdivision. Although they belong to different nations, they are all lwa.
There is an infinite variety of lwa:
• Many like Ezili Freda traveled from Africa to the Caribbean with the slave trade
• Some may be indigenous Haitian spirits as some suspect Papal Zaka to be
• A few come from Europe, like Madame Brigitte or Madame Charlotte
Most lwa live in their special realm beneath the sea but others reside in caves, springs, stones, trees and waterfalls. They are ever
present. The lwa communicate, heal and prophesy via ritual possession. Although lwa are specifically the spirits of Vodou, many are
gregarious and eager to work with people and thus also engage in relationships with independent practitioners.

See also: Agwé; Ayida-Wedo; Ayizan; Azaka; Barons; Bizango Spirits; Brigitte, Madame; Charlotte, Madame; Damballah
Ezili; Gedés; Gran Bois; Kel Asuf; Lisa, Papa; Loko; Marassa; Marinette; Ogun; Petro; Rada; Simbi
and the Glossary entries for
Identification and Syncretism