Ma Gu

The Hemp Princess
Origin: China
Also known as: Magu; Mago; Mako; Ma Ku; Madame Hemp
Ma Gu looks like a teenager, but she's an Immortal. Legend says this fifth-century Taoist shaman and alchemist was so adept she
could walk on water in her shoes. Her husband murdered her, dumping her body in a lake. Her primary temple stands where her body
washed ashore. Ma Gu still walks over the surface of the lake; many claim to see her, especially at the beginning and end of each lunar
month.
After she died, Ma Gu ascended to the celestial zone where she attained Fairy status and became Hsi Wang Mu's handmaiden. As
divine waitress, she serves the peaches of immortality to the Jade Emperor and the Heavenly Court. Ma Gu is venerated throughout
China. Her devotees and shrines suffered terrible persecution during the Cultural Revolution (1966–1976).
Her own life cut short by murder, Ma Gu abhors violence. Bloodshed is strictly tabooed in her sacred temple precinct: fishing and
hunting are banned by order of Ma Gu, who personally enforces the prohibition. Allegedly, violators
drown in her lake or become
hopelessly lost.
• Ma Gu is a goddess of good health and longevity.
• She presides over spiritually powerful, intoxicating substances.
• She protects women, who may call on her if they feel endangered.
The iconic image of Ma Gu bearing her dish of peaches (or alternatively the elixir of immortality) remains a standard
image for birthday greetings in China.

Favored people: Women, shamans, alchemists, mystic seekers
M anifestation: Ma Gu resembles a beautiful eighteen-year-old dressed in a shimmery, iridescent gown. She wears her hair in a
bun, but several strands inevitably loosen and fall to her waist. Her fingernails resemble long bird talons.
Iconography: The standard image of Ma Gu portrays her bestowing peaches of immortality and/or a mystic elixir, which may be
wine or an alchemical potion brewed from mushrooms or cannabis. This image is considered an auspicious birthday gift symbolic of
good health, longevity, and immortality.
Direction: East
Number: 6
Plants: Hemp (Cannabis spp.), mulberry
Creature: Snake
M ount: Ma Gu rides a deer and flies on a crane

Date: Her birthday, on the sixth day of the sixth Chinese month
Sacred site: Initially venerated in caves, she eventually had several large shrines:
• The Yue Gu Temple complex in Yantai, Shandong Province, contains her tomb.
• Ma Gu Temple on Mount Heng in Hunan, one of China's five sacred Taoist peaks, is now part of Magu Fairyland, a major
tourist attraction.
See also: Bao Gu; Eight Immortals; Fairy; Ho Hsien-Ko; Hsi Wang Mu; Jade Emperor; Ma Zu

Ma Zu

The Sea Angel; Lady of Heaven;
Princess of Supernatural Favor; Heavenly Mother;
Grandmother Ruby; Princess of Tides
Also known as: A-Ma; Matsu; Ma Zhu; Mazu; Tien Hau; Thien Hau; Tin Hau
Origin: China

Ma Zu (960–987 C E) currently claims over one hundred million devotees. There are over fifteen hundred Ma Zu temples
worldwide with over four hundred in Taiwan alone. Her shrines in homes, businesses, offices, and aboard boats are genuinely countless.
Before she was a goddess, Ma Zu was a girl named Lin Mo from a fishing village on Meizhou Island in Fujian. Her spiritual gifts
manifested early. Local people called her the Dragon Girl because of her psychic ability to predict changes in weather. Sailors sought
her advice before putting out to sea. At age thirteen, she began training with a Taoist monk who gave her charms and taught her secret
lore. (She is also described as a devout Buddhist who began praying and burning incense twice a day when she was ten, but this may be
a later attempt to bring a Taoist goddess into the Buddhist fold.)
This much-loved goddess bears several names:
• Her family named her Lin Mo.
• As a local goddess, she was called Ma Zu.
• When incorporated into the official Chin ese pantheon, Ma Zu was granted the title
Tien Hau or "Empress of Heaven."
Devotees call her Tien Hau and Ma Zu interchangeably.
At age sixteen, Lin Mo was praying for her father and brothers who were caught in a typhoon at sea when she fell into a trance. Her
soul traveled out to sea where she manifested to them and helped them stay afloat. Meanwhile, her body lay at home in a trance so deep
that her mother thought she was dead. Grief stricken, she shook Lin Mo, rousing her. (Alternate legend: Lin Mo's soul could not bear
her mother's grief and flew back to comfort her.) Lin Mo had time to rescue her brothers who later described their experiences, but the
trance did not last long enough for her to save her father.

When Lin Mo was sixteen, she and a girlfriend gazed at their reflections in a well and saw a Fairy looking back. The friend
panicked and ran away but Ma Zu knelt in reverence. The Fairy emerged, gave Ma Zu a copper scroll inscribed with mystic
symbols and taught her the magical art of life saving.

In 987, people saw Ma Zu ascend to Heaven from Mount Meifing on Meizhou Island accompanied by an escort of Fairies. Ma Zu
may have become an Immortal without dying, or her ascension may have followed her death. There are different versions of her possible
death:
• She committed suicide at twenty-seven ra ther than submit to an arranged marriage. (She may have taken a vow of chastity.)
• She drowned at age sixteen while searching for her father's drowned corpse.
Rather than resting in peace or dallying in Heaven, having departed the mortal plane, Ma Zu became even more active. Over the
years, an ever-increasing number of eyewitnesses have claimed to see her apparition mysteriously appear in the middle of the sea to

perform emergency rescues. Initially many of those rescued were local men who recognized her. They began venerating her image and
seeking her protection. Many testified to her miracles; shrines were built and veneration spread. Eventually her protection extended to
mandarins (government bureaucrats). By the twelfth century, she was incorporated into the official Chinese pantheon.
Because she protects seafarers, Ma Zu was a favorite goddess of Chinese immigrants, who built shrines for her wherever they
traveled. Ma Zu is venerated worldwide. Considered an exceptionally active and responsive goddess, Ma Zu protects travelers on the
seven seas as well as on the turbulent seas of life and love.
Riding clouds or traveling over oceans at high speed on a kind of magic flying carpet, Ma Zu can save people anywhere:
• If you are caught in a violent storm, call out Ma Zu's name, ideally with incense in your hand.
• If she rescues you, throw a feast in her honor. Invite guests, tell your story, and offer a portion of the food to Ma Zu.
Although she began as a goddess of sea safety, Ma Zu has evolved into an all-purpose goddess, fulfilling all her devotees' needs. She
performs miracles of healing and fertility and has dominion over commerce. Ma Zu banishes ghosts and evil spirits. She spiritually
cleanses areas where tragedies have occurred. For example, following the devastating 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami, a statue of Ma Zu
was broughtto Thailand's hardhit Phuket Island to purify the atmosphere, allay any restive ghosts and reassure would-be tourists
hesitating to return to the stricken region.
Favored people: Sailors, maritime merchants, those who fish, travelers on the sea
M anifestation: Those rescued by Ma Zu consistently describe her as dressed in red. During storms she sometimes manifests as a
fire ball traveling up or down the mast:
• Up is not auspicious as it's perceived that Ma Zu is leaving the ship.
• Down is favorable; Ma Zu is arriving and help is at hand.
Iconography: Ma Zu is often depicted with a black face like a Black Madonna.
Spirit allies: Ma Zu and Kwan Yin are compatible and will share altar space. Among the spirits traveling in Ma Zu's entourage is
Me Sanh, Chinese Goddess of Childbirth. Me Sanh frequently has her own shrines within Ma Zu temples.
Number: 9
Dates:
• Her birthday on the twenty-third day of the third month of the Chinese lunar calendar.
• Her ascension to Heaven on the ninth day of the ninth lunar month.
Sacred sites: A comprehensive list of Ma Zu shrines would fill a book. This is but a sampling:
• Heavenly Empress Palace on Meizhou Island, a temple complex built where she ascended to Heaven.
• Tien Hou Temple in San Francisco's Chinatown, established in 1852, is the oldest Chinese temple in the United States.
• Chua Thien Hau Temple in Los Angeles' China town was established in September 2005.
• A-Ma Temple in Macao (Macao is named for Ma Zu as are the Mazu Islands near Taiwan).
• Thian Hock Keng, the oldest Chinese temple in Singapore.
• Thien Hau Pagoda in Cholon, Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), Vietnam.
Offerings: Incense, fresh fruit, objects expressing marine or nautical themes: model ships, anchors, and rudders, for instance. To
invoke her powers as a fertility goddess, offer images of animals playing with their babies.
MA ZU SEA SAFETY RITUAL
1.

Place ashes taken from before her image into a red bag. Ashes may be taken from an official shrine, if appropriate, or you
can create your own by burning incense and paper offerings before an image of Ma Zu.
2.
Carry the bag or place the ashes like a talisman on your boat for protection, prosperity, and good fortune. If you have a
shrine on board, the ashes may be placed before Ma Zu's image, but in that case they should originate in a temple.

See also: Black Madonna; Dragon Queens; Fairy; Eight Immortals; Kwan Yin; Ma Gu; Miao Shan; Stella Maris and the
Glossary entry for Apparition

Ma'at

Lady of Heaven; Queen of Earth; Mistress of the Underworld; Eye of Ra; Daughter of Ra; Lady of the Judgment Hall
Origin: Egypt
Ma'at is a word, a concept, and a goddess:
• Ma'at is a word meaning "true," "genuine," "the real thing." Thus khesbet ma'at means "real lapis lazuli" as opposed to blue
paste.
• Ma'at, the concept, is a state of sacred harmony linking the mundane world with the divine. Ma'at, consisting of truth, justice,
and balance is a state of grace, which can be damaged by human actions and negative emotions like greed. An Egyptian
network of temples and divine rituals existed to maintain and preserve the state of Ma'at.
• Ma'at is the ancient, predynastic goddess who rules this state of grace. She is a goddess of truth, order, and natural ethical and
moral law, the spirit of what is right versus what is merely legal or lawful.
Ma'at is now most famous for the part she plays in ancient Egyptian after-life trials. At the final judgment, the dead individual's heart
is weighed against the feather of Ma'at. The heart must equal or weigh less than Ma'at's feather. If the heart's weight tips the scales,
that person is denied eternal life.
Ma'at is not only a goddess of the afterlife; she has historically been venerated as a personal goddess and held up as an example of
that righteous moral code, which ensures connection with the divine and the soul's survival. Ma'at is very closely associated with Lord
Thoth. They stand together in Ra's barque and are sometimes envisioned as married.
M anifestation: Ma'at is a beautiful woman who may have wings. She may wear her signature feather on her head.
Iconography: She is sometimes portrayed as a woman with an ostrich feather for a head.
Attribute: Ostrich feather, scales of justice
Consort: Thoth
Birds: Ostrich, vulture
Star: Vega
See also: Metis; Michael; Thoth

Mab
See: Maeve

Mabon

Son; Young Man; The Boy
Also known as: Maponus
Origin: Celtic

Mabon, a hunter spirit whose myth appears in the Welsh epic tale of "Culhwch and Olwen", is the son of Modron, whose name
literally means "mother." There's no mention of any father. Mabon, child of Modron literally means "Son, child of Mother." He is the
divine child, and like so many divine children he was menaced, then rescued.
Stolen from his mother at three nights old, Mabon disappeared for many years, held captive in the Underworld. King Arthur and his
cousin, Welsh hero Culhwch, searched for him, finally discovering and rescuing him from Gloucester Castle. By the time they released
him from his enchanted imprisonment, Mabon was the eldest of all living creatures. Mabon is a paradox: simultaneously the youngest
and oldest of souls.
Mabon is generally considered to be identical to Maponus who was venerated in Britain and Gaul. The Romans identified Maponus
with Apollo. His name is invoked on ancient curse tablets.
Sacred sites:
• Roman soldiers venerated Apollo Mapo nus near Hadrian's Wall.
• Maponus' sanctuary at Chamalières, now modern France, featured a therapeutic spring.
Day: Mabon, the harvest festival and Wiccan sabbat, coincides with the autumn equinox.
See also: Mothers; Rhiannon

Macarena, La

The Madonna of Hope; La Esperanza

La Macarena is a mysterious, beautiful, powerful Madonna. Her true title is Our Lady of Hope or La Esperanza, but she takes her
nickname from her home, the Macarena district of Seville, Spain. This Lady of Hope manifests somewhat differently than others.
Macarena is now intensely identified with a miraculous statue, credited to sculptor Luisa Roldán (1652–1706) who is famed for the
lifelike quality of her work. Some devotees insist that angels made the statue or at least assisted La Roldána. The image of Macarena is
ubiquitous in Seville, appearing in bars, restaurants, and taxis.
La Macarena's devotees come from all walks of life. She is venerated by various religious societies (confraternities), but she also has
two special constituencies:
• La Macarena is beloved by Gitanos, Seville's Gypsies.
• She is adored by bullfighters, not just locally but throughout Spain and Mexico.
Bullfighters traditionally invoke La Macarena's blessings before entering the ring. Her veil is sometimes used to miraculously heal
injured matadors. Her most famous devotee, Seville's own Joselito, "Little José", José Gomez Ortega (8 May 1895–16 May 1920),
was born in the Macarena neighborhood. At age seventeen he became the youngest to earn the title matador. Joselito spent a fortune
buying emeralds for Macarena. When he died, fatally gored in the ring, she wore black for a month, the only time she has ever dressed
in black.
Passionate veneration of La Macarena predates the image Roldán was commissioned to create. The image is a reflection of devotion,
not the other way around. Confraternities devoted to her were approved in 1595. Because of the intense passion she evokes and
because there has always been an unconventional element to her veneration, there has long been speculation regarding Macarena's
origins:
• Some theorize that her roots lie in the mysterious Saint Sara.
• Before Jews were expelled from Spain in 1492, Seville was the center of Kabbalistic veneration of a now mysterious spirit called
the Fallen Widow, possibly Mary Magdalen and possibly an early manifestation of Macarena.
La Macarena's rival is La Triana, another beautiful, miracle-working Esperanza statue, this one housed in Seville's Triana
neighborhood. La Triana, like Macarena, has a large Roma (Gypsy) fan base, but rather than matadors, she is beloved by
sailors and flamenco dancers. La Triana is (unofficially) considered the matron of the gay community. Her statue is housed in
the Chapel of the Mariners.

The statue of Macarena is damaged: she has a bruise on her right cheek, not as part of the original statue but inflicted by a drunk in
the crowd during a Holy Week processional. He threw a glass bottle at her image, striking her. A bruise emerged. Artists were hired to
repair the statue, but each time restoration was complete, the bruise mysteriously reappeared. (When the drunk sobered up and saw the
damage, he repented.
For the rest of his life, every Holy Week he walked before her statue, wearing chains on his feet and carrying a large cross. After his
death, his descendents took up his cross, continuing his penance.)
M anifestation: La Macarena is a gorgeous life-like, life-size statue of a beautiful, sorrowful woman, always exquisitely dressed.
(Her clothes are on display in a museum devoted to her.) She looks like a Fairy-tale queen. Her face glistens with crystal tears; she
wears a massive gold crown of stars.
Sacred site: The Basilica de la Macarena in Seville plus countless home altars.
Time: La Macarena is a star of Seville's Holy Week (the week prior to Easter.) Thousands throng the streets to greet her
passionately when she emerges from her basilica for her annual Holy Week parade through the district.
See also: Black Madonna; Black Madonna of Czestochowa; Maries de la Mer, Saintes; Mary Magdalen; Sara la Kali

Macha
Also known as: Mhacha
Origin: Ireland

Macha, ancient, powerful horse goddess of fighting and fertility, is among the most important deities of ancient Ireland. Along with
the Badbh and the Morrigan, Macha is among a group of goddesses concerned with Ireland's prosperity, welfare and safety.
Macha is simultaneously one and three mythic figures:
• Wife of Nemedh, leader of the Third Invasion of Ireland. She died of a broken heart after foreseeing Ireland's destruction.
• Ireland's warrior queen, who established Ulster's pre-Christian political center, Emhain Macha, which means "Macha's twins."
• The divine bride of the mortal Ulster widower, Crunnchu.
Macha's third and most famous incarnation features in a mysterious myth: Crunnchu, a wealthy widower, was very lonely until the day
a beautiful woman (Macha) sat down at his hearth. She spent the day performing his household chores without ever saying a word, or at
least not that first day. At night she accompanied him to bed and made love with him. She stayed; he prospered; they were happy; she
conceived.
All was well until Ulster's annual assembly loomed, attended by crowds from all over Ireland. Crunnchu wished to go but Macha
begged him to stay home. She warned that his departure would lead to tragedy, but he insisted. Finally she agreed with the proviso that
he must not say a word about her or their union. He gave his word and left while she stayed home.
The assembly featured a great horse race, which the king's horses won. Onlookers and sycophants extravagantly praised the horses
until finally Crunnchu, just unable to resist, cried out, "My wife runs faster than those two horses!" It may seem like an innocent boast,
but the king ordered Crunnchu trussed up and Macha rounded up to race his prize horses. Macha, already in labor, refused to go until
told her husband would be killed if she didn't. Arriving at the scene, she begged the assembled bystanders for help, crying, "Because a
mother bore each of you," but to no avail. She begged the king for a delay until after she gave birth, also to no avail. He insisted she
race.
Macha won her race readily, giving birth to twins before the king's horses even reached the finish line. Suddenly all the men
assembled were stricken with weakness as, just before she died, Macha delivered a curse. (A deathbed curse is considered the most
lasting and difficult to break.) Her curse applies only to men: whenever danger or oppression strikes, men who did not help her or put
the sacred right of motherhood above a king's pride are doomed to be as vulnerable and helpless as a birthing woman for five days and
four nights until the ninth generation. The only warrior exempt from Macha's curse is Cu Chulain, whose horse is named the Grey of
Macha.
An analysis of Macha's myth is found in Mary Condren's The Serpent and The God dess (Harper & Row, 1989). Although her

myth describes her "death", Macha is a living goddess who is very beloved by modern Wiccans and Neo-Pagans. She is a fierce spirit
of protection, fertility, and righteous ness.
Planet: Sun
Animal: Horse
Bird: Crow
Sacred site: Emhain Macha, Ulster's ancient capital, was named in her honor, as was Armagh, the county and city in Northern
Ireland, whose name derives from the Gaelic Ard Mhacha: "Height of Macha."
See also: Badbh; Demeter; Despoena; Fergus; Maeve; Morrigan; Rhiannon

Madama, La
Origin: Puerto Rican Espiritismo

When I first received a statue of La Madama, I wasn't sure why I was being given an image of Aunt Jemima. I soon learned that La
Madama is the powerful matron of fortune-tellers, psychics, mediums, and healers, but unless you're familiar with her, some of her
traditional images are indistinguishable from those of the pancake queen.
There is one dominant La Madama who presides over a host of Madama spirits:
• Devotees who seek protection and sponsorship without personal communion can focus on the one presiding spirit.
• Mediums or shamanically-inclined devotees may discover that they possess their own personal Madama spirit.
The name Madama is a generic term used in Espiritismo (Spiritualist) traditions to identify non-Hispanic, female spirits of African
descent. There are an infinite number of Madamas, just as there are an infinite number of guardian angels, Caboclos, or Pretos Velhos.
My Madama may not be the same as your Madama. La Madama spirits are souls of once-living women who were shamans, mediums,
diviners, and healers and so are naturally attracted to people in those fields. Extremely communicative, responsive spirits, they offer
training, initiation, advice, and oracles.
The tradition of working with these spirits derives from the Spanish Caribbean, but you'll note that the name is not La Señora. La
Madama is a Spanish quasi-translation of the French madame. In 1780, the Spanish government authorized Puerto Rican landowners
to import slaves from the French Caribbean. Some French landowners fleeing the Haitian Revolution resettled in nearby Puerto Rico.
As slavery was not abolished in Puerto Rico until 1873, some brought slaves with them.
Who is your Madama? Talk to her and find out. La Madama is activated via her image. Different methods are used to initiate
communication:
• Place a lit candle between you and her image in a dimly lit room, gaze at her image in a relaxed but attentive manner, and wait for
her to speak.
• Tie seven or nine kerchiefs together and placethem on her altar or around her image to signal your desire to communicate.
• Some Madamas communicate with devotees via dreams, mediums, or séances.
Personalize your Madama: adorn her with bead necklaces, toy snakes, real snakeskin, or whatever seems appropriate to you. Her
image is sometimes placed near the door as a barrier against evil (human, spiritual, vibrational, or generic). For this purpose the most
effective Madama holds a broom. Images, sold with and without brooms, come in all sizes from inches tall to virtually life-size. If you are
unable to find one, a traditional Aunt Jemima dressed in red is really a dead ringer. An old cast-iron Aunt Jemima may house a very
powerful Madama spirit.
La Madama, powerful healer, banishes demons, ghosts, and nightmares. She is invoked for prophetic dreams, especially dreams for
winning lottery numbers or general good fortune. Place her image by your bedside and tell her what you need before you go to sleep.
The appearance of La Madama, especially if unbidden, may indicate someone's destiny, talent, and aptitude toward mediumship,
clairvoyance, or healing.
Variations on the traditional La Madama include:
• La Madama Francesita dresses in the traditional folkloric costume of Martinique, including an elaborately tied madras
headwrap. She may be a Vodouiste.

• La Madama Negrita dresses in traditional African clothes as opposed to the standard Madama's Western garb. This form of
Madama is often represented by a handmade soft doll. She dresses in black and white as well as the usual red and white and is
profoundly identified with herbal healing.
Favored people: Fortune-tellers, psychics, mediums, traditional healers

Iconography: The traditional, mass-produced Madama is a statue of a cook or kitchen worker. A strongly built woman, she
usually wears a headwrap and a large white apron over a long red dress. Look for an image that makes good eye contact. Handmade
La Madama images may be more detailed and personalized. An image called Siete Potencias Madamas ("Seven Madama Powers")
serves as a protective amulet. Seven Madamas are portrayed. The largest holds a book while six smaller figures surround her.
The traditional image of La Madama is also sometimes used to represent the lwa Ezili Dantor.

Attributes: Broom with which to banish evil and perform cleansing rituals, fan
Colors: Usually red and white, sometimes black and white
Altars: Fortune-tellers, healers, and psychics may leave tools of the trade on the altar for La Madama to bless, purify, and
empower.
Offerings: Flowers; liquor; tobacco products including cigars or snuff; sea shells; cowrie shells; red fabric; fortune-telling devices
(tarot cards, crystal ball, bones); medicinal herbs; fruit; a basket filled with herbs, oils, and other botanical products plus a deck of
playing cards with which to tell fortunes
See also: Caboclos; Ezili Dantor; Lwa; Metresa; Preto Velho

Mae Nak
Also known as: Mae Naak; Nang Nak; Mae Naak Phra Khanong
Origin: Thailand

In life, Mae Nak, Thailand's most popular ghost, was a chieftain's daughter who rejected an arranged marriage with a rich merchant
to elope with Mak, a handsome but poor gardener. They went to Phra Khanong, a village east of Bangkok to labor as rice farmers.
(Due to urban sprawl, this village, site of Mae Nak's primary shrine, is now part of Bangkok.)
Mae Nak is estimated to have lived in the eighteenth or nineteenth centuries.

Nak and Mak, star-crossed, tragic lovers, adored each other and were deliriously happy until Mak was conscripted into the army,
leaving pregnant Nak behind. Al though not emphasized in most modern retellings, Nak was very much a stranger in the village: a young,
rich, pregnant girl unused to manual labor, left alone with no family or husband, at the mercy of not necessarily sympathetic strangers.
This may explain some of her ghost's later hostile behavior.
Nak had a slow difficult labor; her son refused to emerge from the womb. Mother and child died in childbirth, the type of death
associated with the most dreaded ghosts. Because of this, they were not cremated but buried in an attempt to confine their souls
underground.
Nak's soul would not stay buried, rest in peace, or travel to the appropriate next realm. The love Nak felt for Mak transcended
death. She traveled to him, found him injured on the battlefield, and cared for him. They eventually returned to their village together. (In

some versions of their myth, he's tended by Buddhist monks and returns home to find Nak and his son patiently waiting.) Again Mak
and Nak "lived" happily together.
Mak was unaware that Nak was dead as she was completely corporeal, at least to him, and behaved lovingly, at least to him. He
noticed the neighbors behaving strangely—cold and distant—but blamed this on them, not on Nak. Bad things happened to neighbors
who tried to warn Mak that he was living with a ghost and so they allowed him to remain in the dark.
Mae Nak's skull allegedly passed into the hands of the Prince of Jumborn, a royal collector of occult objects who is
considered the father of the Thai navy and is himself now popularly venerated as a guardian spirit. Since his death in 1923, the
whereabouts of her skull are unknown .

One day, Nak dropped a lemon through the floorboards of their home on stilts, fifteen feet above the ground. Not a problem: she just
stretched (and stretched!) out her hand, retrieving the lemon from the ground below. Mak realized something was up. A few more
macabre experiences and he fled, taking refuge with neighbors. Nak, enraged at Mak's abandonment, (clearly his love was not stronger
than death), transformed into a ghostly killer, snapping villagers' necks like twigs.
Nak fled to a Buddhist monastery where a monk/magical adept performed a standard Thai ghost disposal by forcing Nak's soul into
a pot, sealing it with magical cloth, and dropping it into the river. Mak remarried but he did not live happily ever after.
A fisherman accidentally released Nak, now absolutely livid with rage. She did not handle Mak's remarriage well and once again
became a dangerous, vengeful, bloodthirsty ghost. The monk advised Mak and surviving neighbors to create a graveside shrine for Nak.
Via rituals of appeasement, Nak was transformed into Mae Nak
(Mother Nak), a compassionate and often helpful ghost, now
venerated as a protective spirit.
Her shrine is on the outer edge of a large temple complex in Bangkok. She protects local residents but is popular throughout Thailand
and now worldwide. Mae Nak was featured in two of Thailand's earliest sound movies (1936, 1937) and a 1957 radio feature. She's
been the subject of an opera and several modern movies, most notably 1999's Nang Nak, which set box office records in Thailand,
even outselling Titanic. Nang Nak won the award for Best Picture at the 1999 Pan Asia Film Festival.
Despite the horror movies, Mae Nak is considered generally benevolent, if a little volatile. She is especially renowned for providing
winning lottery numbers and lucky numbers for gamblers. She reveals numbers through dreams and via Chinese fortune-telling sticks,
(known as Siem Si in Thai), which involves shaking a container of individually numbered sticks until one or more falls out.
Mae Nak likes to watch television, especially Thai movies. At home, leave the television on for her, especially when no one
else is around.

Mae Nak is not easily bribed. She doesn't respond to coercion. She only helps when she feels like it. She accepts comparatively
minor gifts but you must give whatever was promised. She becomes angry if something perceived as hers is taken away or not received,
and we know what happens when she gets angry.
No need to travel to Bangkok. Mae Nak is venerated at home shrines and she also visits in dreams. Mae Nak offers protection
from disasters as well as general prosperity and good luck. She may be invoked for virtually any kind of aid however women
traditionally do not request help with conception and fertility for fear they will end up like her.
Iconography: Her shrine's votive statue, reputedly made from dirt gathered from seven cemeteries, is covered with paper-thin gold
leaf. Devotees apply sheets of gold leaf to her statue as offerings. The statue is periodically covered with cream to encourage the gold
leaf to adhere but with the additional result of making it feel like human flesh.
Sacred site: Apparitions of Mae Nak have been witnessed at her Bangkok shrine.
Offerings: Flowers, especially orchids; cosmetics; yellow candles; incense; fruit; pilgrimage; dresses, especially traditional Thai
clothing. Apply gold leaf to her statue and celebrate her by throwing a party in her honor. Spread her legend by showing movies about
her to others or giving copies of the DVDs. Find her skull and return it to her shrine. Gifts traditionally given to her baby include toys,
diapers, baby bottles, and whatever would please a baby or a new mother.

See also: Ghost; Mae Posop; Nang Takian (2); Phii Tai Tang Klom

Mae Posop
Also known as: Mae Phra Posop; Mae Phosop

Origin: Thailand
Once upon a time, rice required no labor or cultivation. All you had to do was gather it. Yesteryear's rice was far superior to our
own: each grain was silver, fragrant, and five times larger than a human fist. Unfortunately, one day, a bad-tempered widow husking rice
roughly smashed a grain with a piece of wood. The rice shattered and splintered, the pieces radiating out in all directions, one landing in
Mae Posop's lap.
Mae Posop is the rice mother, inherent in every single grain of rice. Furious at this disrespect, she levied a curse that prevented rice
from growing for one thousand years. People began to starve, and other deities attempted to coax Mae Posop into releasing rice. She
finally agreed but only with the following stipulations:
• Rice is now smaller, the size of the offending splinters, not the original grain.
• Rice must be cultivated with labor.
• All due respect must be given rice and Mae Posop.
Mae Posop is the mother of the rice crop. When rice plants begin to seed, that means she is pregnant. Women traditionally place
offerings in a bamboo basket, similar to giving gifts at a baby shower. In addition to her standard offerings, Mae Posop is given gifts that
pregnant women are perceived as craving, like sour fruits. Baskets are brought to the rice fields where women chant for her.
She is generous and fertile but tense and skittish. She panics easily. Any sudden shock or disturbance may cause her to flee. From the
time of seeding until the harvest, no men are permitted in the rice fields. Loud noises and morbid or scary discussions of death or
demons are forbidden. Failure of the rice crop is perceived as miscarriage.
As Thailand has become increasingly urban and rice farmers have moved to cities, Mae Posop may have evolved into
Nang Kwak.

M anifestation: Mae Posop is a beautiful woman with long dark hair. She wears a tiara and a sarong with a golden belt.
Attributes: A sheaf of rice stalks in her right hand and a bag of wealth in her left
Offerings: Flowers, perfume, combs, mirrors, sarongs, desserts
See also: Mae Nak; Nang Kwak

Mae Thoranee

Mother of the Earth; Earth Goddess
Also known as: Mae Phra Thoranee; Mae Torranee
Origin: Thailand
Mae Thoranee, guardian of Earth, cattle, people, and their possessions is the most popular Thai Buddhist female deity. Mae
Thoranee epitomizes the benevolent powers implicit in Earth, but she embodies divine feminine energy, too. Mae Thoranee protects
against physical, magical, and spiritual dangers.

• She is invoked at the beginning of the rice planting season to protect the harvest.
• Soldiers invoke her blessings before battle.
• Request her protection daily before taking your first step on Earth.
Mae Thoranee vanquishes malevolent spirits. She is requested to help overcome inner demons, too, including addictions, obsessions,
and compulsions.
To request Mae Thoranee's blessings, pray, petition, and then hold your breath while placing a bit of soil underfoot and on
top of your head.

Mae Thoranee may be petitioned for personal fertility. She is invoked for rain in times of drought:
1.
2.
3.

Place offerings in a bowl and place this on Earth.
Pour a libation of water onto Earth.
Speak to Mae Thoranee. Explain the need for rain and tell her that when rain arrives, you will return with more offerings.

There is no need for offerings to always accompany petitions, but vows
must be fulfilled immediately after she has granted your
request.
Vestiges of ancestor-veneration survives in the Thai Buddhist belief that merit, earned by doing good deeds, may be transferred to the
deceased, reducing their suffering in Hell, improving their karma, and helping them achieve rebirth sooner. In addition to other methods,
merit (essentially "karma points") may be accrued and transferred by offering alms or food to Buddhist monks who, in turn, chant
blessings and perform rituals. Merit-dedicating rituals involve pouring water into containers, chanting, and then pouring the water on the
ground. Mae Thoranee is invoked to witness these rituals. She uses her long hair to receive the water. (Some schools of Buddhism
perceive the implication that merit can be bought as offensive and heretical.)
According to legend, Buddha Shakyamuni, seated beneath the bodhi tree, vowed not to rise until he attained enlightenment. Demons
arrived to distract him, but Buddha touched the ground and invoked Mae Thoranee to witness his good deeds. Instantly emerging from
the ground, she twisted and squeezed her hair so that water representing Buddha's accrued merit emerged. Enough water flowed to
drown the host of demons.
M anifestation: Mae Thoranee is the essence of Earth, but she also manifests as a woman. Usually formless, she manifests only
when necessary as when summoned by Buddha. Mae Thoranee's hair is so long it touches the ground. Sacred literature describes her
as having black skin and green hair like rich, fertile soil and grass respectively, but she is often portrayed as a black-haired Thai woman.
Her eyes are the color of a blue lotus.

Iconography: Mae Thoranee is usually portrayed in the act of twisting her long, beautiful hair to squeeze out water. Statues of Mae
Thoranee are positioned to protect Buddha in Thai and Lao shrines. Her image is incorporated into the logo of the Thai Democrat
Party.
Offerings: Place offerings in or on Earth. Traditional offerings include water, rice, sugar cane, betel nuts, flowers, incense, or
candles.
See also: Buddha Shakyamuni

Maeve

She Who Intoxicates; The Inebriating One; The One
Who Is Like Mead
Also known as: Medb; Mab

Origin: Ireland
Maeve, Goddess-Queen, a powerful, wild warrior deity, sponsored and destroyed heroes. No king can rule Ireland unless he has
engaged in the Sacred Rite with Maeve and satisfied her. Maeve takes mortal kings as her consorts, contracting them in sacred
marriage, giving them their right to rule, and bestowing prosperity on the land, but only as long as she perceives them fit to rule. (Or until
she finds someone more fit.)
Maeve makes kings and breaks them, too. She can deprive men of their strength merely by being in their presence. Maeve rides
around the battlefield in her chariot: her potent presence "unmans" the warriors. She really has no need for that chariot. What do they
say about Superman? Faster than a speeding bullet? That's Maeve: she runs with the speed of a superhero, swifter than champion
racehorses. No one can catch her unless she wishes to be caught.
Maeve is a goddess of sex, fertility, death, and war. She is the essence of the power, promise and abundance of Earth. Her
name derives from the same root word as mead. She is a heady, intoxicating presence, a goddess of ecstasy.

Irish myth describes how Maeve manifested to Niall of the Nine Hostages as an old crone guarding a well. She gave him water, and
he agreed to have sex with her. In his arms, she transformed into a young, gorgeous woman and granted him kingship of Ireland. Fergus
is her first husband. She abandoned the second, Conchobar, once she perceived him unworthy to be king. She has several criteria for
choosing her third: his courage, fearlessness, and generosity must match hers, and he must not be jealous—this is crucial as she must
engage in sacred marriages. Of course, when he's unfaithful, she kills him.
Irish myths were transmitted orally. The first to write them down were Christian monks who sought to preserve them but clearly
disapproved of Maeve's rampant sexuality. (Maeve stars in the Ulster Cycle.) They did not represent her as a grand Pagan goddess but
as a lustful, violent, warrior woman, the archetypal Fairytale evil queen.
Maeve was not forgotten or relegated to storybooks. Too powerful to suppress, post-Christianity, she emerged as a Fairy queen. In
Ireland, she remained full-size, but in England and Wales, fierce warrior goddess Maeve, under the name Queen Mab, is reduced to a
flower Fairy, a tiny miniature spirit who rides a chariot pulled by insects.
Even when tiny, Maeve/Mab continues to exert her allure, emerging as the favorite Fairy queen of authors, playwrights, and poets:
• In Mercutio's famous Queen Mab speech in Romeo and Juliet, William Shakespeare describes her as the "Fairies' midwife...
no bigger than an agate stone" in an alderman's ring. "Her chariot is an empty hazel-nut" he writes, evoking ancient Ireland's
hazelnuts of wisdom.
• She stars in poems by Ben Jonson, William Butler Yeats, and Percy Bysshe Shelley.
• She is a fierce force in Mike Carey and John Bolton's 2007 graphic novel,God Save the Queen.
M anifestation: She frequently manifests with birds on her shoulders, or a bird on one and a squirrel on her other. Some scholars
think this indicates her primeval origins as a tree goddess. Maeve is an extraordinary shape-shifter, appearing as a female of any age or
appearance: from gorgeous goddess to frightening hag.
Color: Red
Creatures: Squirrels, birds, cattle, swine, wolves
Sacred sites:
• Cruachan, capital of ancient Connacht and center of her spiritual rites.
• The Hill of Tara, ancient seat of the High Kings of Ireland.
• Maeve's Cairn on Knocknarea Mountain, County Sligo, believed to be a Neolithic passage grave, dated approximately 3000
BCE
• Maeve's sacred pool on Clothrann Island in Lough Ree, now called Quaker's Island.
See also: Fairy; Fairy, Flower; Fairy Queens; Fergus; Macha; Nechtanand the Glossary entry for Marriage

Magajiyar Jangare

Heiress of Jangare
Classification: Bori
Magajiyar Jangare is the spiritual mother of all devotees of Bori spirits. She is not a spirit to be trifled with: the afflictions she
potentially causes include impotence, severe headaches, and pneumonia. However, she is generally a good-natured spirit who is not
easily angered. If you like Bori spirits, she probably likes you. Magajiyar Jangare is married to Sarkin Aljan Biddarene, Chief of the
Second House of Bori Spirits.
Color: White
See also: Bori; Sarkin Aljan Biddarene

Mahalat

The Dancer
Also known as: Mahlat; Mahalath; Makh lat
According to Jewish legend, Hagar arranged a marriage for her son Ishmael with the Egyptian daughter of the sorcerer Khasdiel.
Abraham disapproved and later made Ishmael divorce and banish his pregnant bride, who went to live in the desert where she gave
birth to Mahalat. When Mahalat grew up, the demon Agratiel (also known as Igratiel), Ruler of the Desert, fell in love with her. Agrat is
their daughter.
Khasdiel, Mahalat's grandfather, is described as a sorcerer, but his name appears among lists of angels on protective
amulets and talismans. Khasdiel's name is invoked on amulets intended to ward off Lilith.

Mahalat has also been romantically linked with her cousin Esau and with Samael the Poison Angel, but her primary relationship seems
to be her rivalry with Lilith. The two rendezvous annually on Yom Kippur, the Jewish Day of Atonement to war with each other.
Mahalat leads four hundred seventy-eight hosts of dangerous spirits as opposed to Lilith's four hundred eighty. (The numbers derive
from numerological calculations of their names.) The two demon-goddesses meet in the middle of the battlefield and shriek at each
other. Nothing indicates that they don't enjoy this war. To some extent they're shirking other responsibilities. Both are Accusing Angels
as well as demons; they really should be accusing people of sins and violations, not fighting with each other. (Another version says the
two demons are shrieking at the top of their lungs to drown out the sound of human prayer, which offends their ears.)
M anifestation: Consistently described as very beautiful, Mahalat is a compulsive, nonstop dancer. She dances while leading a
band of evil angels.
Spirit allies: Her daughter, Agrat bat Mahalat
See also: Agrat bat Mahalat; Lilith

Mai Dawa

Owner of the Bush; The Bow Man; The Short Man

Also known as: Mai Baka
Classification: Bori

Mai Dawa is the head of the eighth house of Bori spirits, the House of Archers and Hunters. Mai Dawa, courageous master hunter,
is afraid of nothing. He's a spirit hunter, not a regular hunter: his prey includes demons. Mai Dawa's primary wife is Barhaza, Inna's
younger sister. Details of his parentage are hazy.
The afflictions that Mai Dawa causes and controls include unexplained bleeding. His illness begins as a slight cold but accelerates. The
victim develops a head or bronchial cough but eventually coughs up blood. Because it's a progressive illness, Mai Dawa leaves time for
the victim to consult a shamanic healer who can prescribe treatment. Mai Dawa also possesses poison arrows for which no antidote
exists.

M anifestation: Mai Dawa crouches as he walks, like a hunter stalking prey, hence his epithet, the Short Man. He's not that short
when he stands up straight.
Attribute: Bow and arrow
Color: Black
See also: Barhaza; Bori; Inna; Ochossi

Mai Gizo

Owner of the Matted Hair
Also known as: Yero
Classification: Bori

Mai Gizo, son of Sarkin Fulani, renounced Islam and was banished from his father's home. Adopted by Pagan Bori spirits, he is
now considered one of them. He is volatile and unpredictable, considered among the most potentially dangerous of Bori, but that may
reflect tensions between Islam and the traditional Hausa religion to which Mai Gizo reverted.
Mai Gizo is blamed when humans renounce Islam: that renunciation is considered one of his afflictions. Others include chronic
headaches plus mental illnesses tenuously related to the compulsive rambling caused by his father, but intensified. Mai Gizo's victims
stop paying attention to cleanliness, hygiene, and personal appearance, not just a little but to the extreme. Their teeth rot. They stink.
Others avoid them. They wind up wandering aimlessly all by themselves. A difficult spirit to propitiate and appease, Mai Gizo's illnesses
are difficult to remove, even for the trained shamanic healer.
Attribute: Hatchet
Color: Black
Offerings: Alcoholic beverages and tobacco products
See also: Bori; Malam Alhaji; Sarkin Fulani

Maia

Queen of May
Origin: Greece
Classification: Nymph

In modern mythology books, especially those oriented toward children, Maia is but a mere footnote: her claim to fame is as
Hermes' mother and one of Zeus' few paramours able to avoid Hera's wrath. Maia, however, is not just someone's mother and
girlfriend. She is a great goddess in her own right, significant enough to have a month named in her honor. Veneration of Maia spread
from Greece to Italy and through Europe. She had a significant following in Marseilles, and some scholars consider her an archetype for
some Black Madonnas of southern France.
There is a reason Maia is given such short shrift in mythology books: very little is now known about her. She was among those female
spirits classified as Bona Dea: a "Good Goddess" whose rites and Myster ies were restricted to women. Nothing was written down or
documented, perhaps especially because it's intimated that her rites were licentious and sexy. No stories regarding Maia survive beyond
the birth of Hermes, but scholars believe she was once very significant based on references in ancient texts.
Maia's name means "nurse," as in to breastfeed. She's the eldest of the Pleiades, the Seven Star Sisters, daughters of Atlas. When
the goddess Callisto, was transformed into a bear, her son Arcas was raised by her good friend, Maia. Maia is a mountain goddess,
content to remain a wild cave dweller far from civilization. It's baby Hermes who, literally from the first day of his life, plots to advance
himself and his mother to Olympus.
Maia has a good relationship with Artemis and Dionysus but is a relatively solitary spirit. She has a consistently close relationship with
her son: Greek vase paintings depict them in deep consultation with each other. Post-Christianity, her month was rededicated to Mary.
Favored people: Women
M anifestation: A beautiful, bejeweled woman often depicted with upswept hair.
Iconography: Maia's image appears on coins from Pheneos, Arcadia (Hermes is on the flip side).
Bird: Dove
Animal: Pig
Element: Earth
Constellation: Pleiades

Time: The month of May is named in her honor. The first and fifteenth days of the month are especially sacred to her. (Once upon a
time, this would have corresponded with the new and full moons.) Sacrifices to Maia were incorporated into the Floralia Festival (23
April–3 May) when a pregnant sow was sacrificed to her on 1 May.

Altar: Place Maia's altar within a cabinet or reproduce some sort of cave space for her. She is a private spirit but may be
venerated alongside Artemis, Callisto, Hermes, Dionysus, and a host of Nymphs.
Offerings: Honey, cookies, and pastries in the shape of pigs
See also: Bona Dea; Callisto; Flora; Hera; Hermes; Nymph; Pleiades; Zeus

Maitreya
Classification: Buddha

Maitreya, Buddha of the Future, the essence of love and compassion will be the successor to our Buddha Shakyamuni. (Maitreya
will be Buddha number five.) Until then, he provides instruction at his celestial home. As with other messianic figures, over the centuries
many have claimed to be Maitreya, but his estimated arrival on Earth is circa 100,000 CE. His name derives from a root word indicating

"loving kindness".
Iconography: Maitreya is portrayed as a Bodhisattva; he holds a vessel containing the elixir of immortality.
Attribute: Golden stupa (a mound-shaped reliquary, symbolic of enlightenment)
See also: Amida; Bodhisattva; Buddha; Ma Gu

Malam Alhaji
Classification: Bori

Malam Alhaji is the chief of the third house of Bori spirits, the House of Koranic Scholars. Alhaji literally means that he has made
the pilgrimage (the Hajj) to Mecca. He is the younger brother of Sarkin Aljan Suleimanu.
The affliction Malam Alhaji controls is chronic coughing. He presides over a method of healing, which involves writing Koranic verses
onto a slate. Water poured over them absorbs the sanctity of the text and is then consumed.
M anifestation: He is envisioned as a dignified, elderly gentleman. Unlike other Bori spirits, he doesn't dance, even during
possession rituals. Instead he sits, fingers his rosary, and writes Koranic verses on a slate.

It is important to note that although Malam Alhaji is described as a Muslim scholar, he is not a Muslim spirit. Malam Alhaji
is a Bori spirit. Participants in Bori understand him as a Muslim, but conventional Islam does not accept or condone Bori
traditions and rituals. The paradox is that if Malam Alhaji was truly the conservative Muslim he is portrayed as being, he
would not participate in Bori but would condemn it.

Color: White
Tree: Baobab
See also: Arziki; Bori; Mai Gizo; Nakada; Sarkin Aljan Suleimanu

Malandros
Origin: Venezuela

Sometimes it takes a thug to beat a thug. Malandros are spirits of criminals (thieves, hoodlums, murderers) petitioned to protect
people against their living human equivalent. They are invoked and venerated by those who cannot avoid dangerous streets,
neighborhoods, and locations. The Malan dros are petitioned to travel beside you, serving as a spiritual bodyguard and protecting from
all danger. They are also invoked for justice, legal or otherwise. Because they are criminals, the Malandros are sometimes asked to fulfill
petitions other spirits might reject. They form a Maria Lionza court.
See also: Maria Lionza

Malinalxochitl

Beautiful Wildflower

Also known as: Malinal Xochitl
Pronounced: Mah-lee-nahl-show-chee-tul

The Aztecs spent centuries wandering, searching for their promised land, initially led by the warrior deity Huitzilopochtli and his
sisters. Tension developed between Huitzilopochtli and one sister, Malinalxochitl, an exceptionally beautiful, powerful spirit of witchcraft
and magic. He accused her of talking too much, asking too many questions, and sowing seeds of doubt. Huitzilopochtli persuaded the
Aztecs to leave her. Following his directions, they abandoned her with her attendants as they slept, just like Ariadne abandoned on the
isle of Naxos, slipping away to continue their migrations without her.
The name Malinalxochitl literally means "grass flower" or "wildflower," but it derives from two words,
Malinal and Xochitl,
describing two types of spiritual forces:
• Malinal is short for Malinalli, a force of untamed nature: it is what stands outside civilization. Malinalli names plants (technically
a type of wild grass but also wildflowers) that will not be domesticated. Malinalli, considered a female (yin) force, is associated
with death. The Cihuateteo and spirits of death are described and portrayed as wearing skirts made of malinalli.
• Xochitl, on the other hand, is a force of beauty and purity, a dynamic, sexual, creative force. (See also: Xochitl.)
Malinalxochitl is the crossroads where these forces meet. Even after her abandonment, the Aztecs remained conscious of her as a
formidable power hovering outside their civilization. She developed a reputation as a fierce sorceress.
Her son, Copil, a shaman, raised to despise Huitzilopochtli, vowed to avenge his mother. He rallied neighbors to destroy the Aztecs.
Instead, the Aztecs, under Huitzilopochtli's command, captured Copil. His still-beating heart was ripped from his chest and flung into the
middle of marshy Lake Texcoco. A nopal, or prickly pear cactus, grew from his heart, nourished by Copil's blood. Huitzilopochtli
revealed that the sign that marked their sacred destination was an eagle sitting on a cactus with a snake in its mouth. When the Aztecs
saw their sign, it was on the nopal growing from Copil's heart. The name of their capital city Tenochtitlan means "Place of the Prickly
Pear Cactus."
In the meantime, Malinalxochitl collected devotees, too. Because Aztec authorities considered her an enemy, she evolved into a
secret goddess. Devotees set up secret societies in Coatepec, Malinalco, and Michoacan, areas still renowned for magic, witchcraft,
sorcery, and shamanism. She is invoked for magical power and knowledge.
Malinalxochitl has power over venomous creatures like snakes, spiders, and scorpions.
Favored people: Magical practitioners
M anifestation: Malinalxochitl is envisioned as a beautiful young girl, a teenager.
Sacred site: The place where Malinalxochitl was abandoned is now called Malinalco, approximately twenty-five kilometers
southwest of Mexico City.

Date: The Aztecs traditionally considered Malinalli, the twelfth day of their calendar, with ambivalence at best. On one hand, those
born on this day are allegedly fated to be rebellious, difficult, or unlucky people—and to have their children torn away from them. On
the other, the day indicates the tenacious power of weeds, that which can never be completely uprooted or eradicated. It is considered
a positive day for the suppressed but not for those who suppress them.
See also: Ariadne; Cihuateteo; Coatlique; Coyolxauhqui; Guadalupe; Huitzilopochtli; Llorona, La; Malinche; Xochitl

Malinche
Also known as: Malinalli; Malintzin; Doña Marina
La Malinche (born circa 1500), the native woman who was Spanish conqueror Hernan Cortes' mistress and interpreter, remains
incredibly controversial. Is she a goddess or a whore? An unwilling accomplice, a traitor, a collaborator or an avenging angel?
Impassioned arguments are made for all those possibilities and interpretations.
La Malinche is shrouded in mystery. Even her real name is subject to speculation.
Malinche may be a Spanish corruption of
Malintzin, the affectionate diminutive for Malinalli, which is generally believed to be her name, if only because it resembles Marina, the

name by which the Spanish called her. Virtually no documented information regarding this woman survives. Whatever does exist derives
solely from Spanish sources. Although La Malinche translated for others, her own voice is silent. She is an ephemeral, if powerful,
presence. It is difficult to know what to call her. The names Malintzin and Malinalli are used within this encyclopedia to refer to her prior
to her encounter with Cortes and her transformation into Doña Marina and the infamous Malinche.
She was probably born near Coatza coalcos ("the place of the snake"), now part of Veracruz but then on the frontier between Aztec
and Mayan territories. Her father was reputedly a local ruler. When she was a child, her family sold or gave her to Mayan slave traders.
(Why this occurred is subject to speculation. Spanish chronicler Bernal Diaz who knew her personally wrote that her mother sold her to
ensure that a favored brother would inherit what was rightfully Malintzin's. A young slave was murdered and passed off as Malintzin; a
funeral was held so that no one would search for the princess.)

La Malinche may be the restless spirit (or one of them) who roams the night as La Llorona. Although elsewhere her name is
synonymous with "traitor", in Mayan regions, she is venerated as a goddess, sometimes alongside Guatemalan deity
Maximon.

In 1519, the Chontal Maya gave Cortes a gift of twenty women including Malintzin. He insisted on baptizing them. She was renamed
Marina, possibly because it resembles Malinalli. (If you switch the r in Marina to an l, the names are almost identical.) She was originally
assigned to Alonso Hernando Puertocarrero, technically the most noble of the Spanish party, but Cortes eventually took her for himself.
She was Cortes' interpreter, counselor, consort, and mother of his son, Martin. Malinche/Marina, who spoke Nahuatl and Mayan
languages and quickly learned Spanish, played a crucial role in the conquest. Cortes allegedly said that after God, she was the primary
reason for his victory.
Cortes is described as communicating with various Aztec leaders including Emperor Moctezuma but, in fact, the Aztecs spoke to
Malinche, who conveyed their meaning to Cortes. The Aztecs had an extremely hierarchical society, especially in terms of who could
address whom. By no means was it acceptable for a female slave from the hinterlands to address the emperor. Whether Cortes was
aware of this (and he may have been), Malinche was surely aware of her subversive role.
The Spanish referred to her with respect, calling her Doña Marina (Lady Mar ina). She is the only woman among the twenty whose
name was recorded. The Aztecs were very conscious of her power, too, but not in a good way. Whether or not the Aztecs really
thought that Cortes was a returning god (this may be Spanish fantasy), Malinalli was perceived as an avatar of their nemesis, the return
of the goddess Malinal xochitl.
When Moctezuma's successor, Emperor Cuauhtémoc surrendered on 13 August 1521, he addressed Cortes as the
equivalent of "Mr. Malinche". Whether this was intended to slight Cortes or because he truly perceived Malinche as the
dominant power is now subject to speculation.

The resemblance is greater than their names. Legend says that the beautiful teenage Malinalxochitl was abandoned for talking too
much. Beautiful, youthful Malinche talked a lot, too, sabotaging Aztec resistance by revealing plans to attack the Spanish army.
Malinche became the lightning rod for Aztec rage against the conquistadors. Perceived as a willing collaborator, not a slave, Malinche
became symbolic of betrayal to foreign interests:
• Malinchismo is a modern Mexican term that indicates betrayal.
• A Malinchista is a traitor to one's own people, a lover of foreigners.

Of course, she was not one of them. Instead, Malinche was among the most marginalized members of their society, a slave who must
have learned from a very young age to protect herself. Her romantic relationship with Cortes eventually ended and she was married to
another. Malinche, as the mother of Martin Cortes (born 1522), is frequently described as the mother of the first mestizo, those of
mixed indigenous Mexican and European ancestry. She may have had other children, too: when the Spanish first received Malinche, she
was accompanied by a small girl who is presumed to be her daughter. (Malinche kept the little girl close and personally cared for her.)
She may also have had one or more children with her husband. Malinche may be venerated as an ancestral spirit.
The mysteries continue: how, when, and where Malinche died is unknown. She disappears from history after March 1528. Rumors
suggest that she was killed by her husband, Juan Xaramillo, her body dumped in Mexico City's canals. This is possibly the basis for her

identification with La Llorona. If, however, she was truly an avatar of Malinalxochitl, then maybe she never died.
Malinche is identified with Mary Magdalen. (This is intended as an insult, implying that she was a prostitute.) So-called Malinche
Dances were once held throughout Mexico, usually coordinated with the feast of Mary Magdalen. Some dances portray her as a villain,
others as a prophetess who tells Moctezuma's future.
La Malinche is a spirit of empowerment, of refusing to be devalued—a goddess of the marginalized and angry. Invoke her when
survival is in doubt. She is the subject of many paintings, books, and films:
• José Clemente Orozco's painting Cortes and Malinche depicts them as Adam and Eve.
• She is the only woman in Diego Rivera's mural La Historia de México.
• Anna Lanyon's Malinche's Conquest (Allen & Unwin, 1999) describes the author's quest for the true Malinche.
Favored people: Translators, interpreters, slaves, the defamed, those who must please others in order to preserve their own safety
M anifestation: Described as very beautiful; Bernal Diaz said she had "manly valor."
Iconography: Although she was an Indian woman, traditional Mexican dance masks portray her as a blond European with goldcapped teeth. In artist Jesus Helguera's famed calendar print, she rides romantically cradled in Cortes' arms. Because she sits before
him on his horse, technically she leads the armed conquistadors who follow them. The tarot card for the Wheel of Fortune may be used
to represent her.
Date: 22 July, coinciding with the feast of Mary Magdalen
Sacred site: La Malinche, an inactive volcano in Mexico, is named in her honor.
See also: Llorona, La; Malinalxochitl; Mary Magdalen; Maximon; Quetzalcoatl and the Glossary entries for
Identification

Avatar and

Mami Waters

The Queen Who Lives in the Waters; Mother of the Waters; The More Than Beautiful Woman; The Crocodile Woman; The
Laughing Water Goddess
Also known as: Mami Wata; Mammy Waters; Mammywater; Madame Poisson

Origin: West and Central Coastal Africa Mami Waters—a complex, volatile spirit—brings joy, wealth, ecstasy, success, and
prosperity to her devotees. She causes and cures infertility, impotence, and various illnesses, especially chronic fatigue and venereal
diseases. She bestows health, beauty, and musical prowess.

The snake charmer most commonly associated with Mami Waters is also identified with Lubana, Martha the Dominator,
and various Bori spirits. In Haiti, the central snake charmer is identified as the lwa Reine Travaux "Queen of Works." The big
snake entwined around her is Damballah, and the smaller inset image is Ayida Wedo.

Mami Waters, snake goddess, emerged from her home in a lake to become the most successful traditional African deity of modern
times. While other traditional deities are marginalized by Christianity and Islam, Mami Waters is more popular now than ever. Fifteen
years ago, she was barely known outside Africa; now she is venerated worldwide. Mami Waters was prominently featured in New
York City's American Museum of Natural History's 2007 exhibition on mythic creatures.
A specific image served as her portal from obscure rural goddess to world power: Mami is identified with an iconic image of a snake
charmer, painted circa 1880 in Hamburg by a now-unknown artist. The model was a Hamburg zookeeper's wife. Later rendered as a
chromolithograph, it was distributed as a poster throughout Africa, evoking tremendous spiritual response. Even though it doesn't
resemble earlier images of Mami Waters, people looked at the picture and recognized her.

The image portrays a beautiful dark-skinned woman with long thick hair. Dressed as a snake charmer, she holds one large snake.
Another twines around her. Because her whole body is not shown—the image terminates beneath her hips—she could be a snakewoman or a mermaid. A smaller inset image depicts what may be the same woman (same costume, different hairdo) playing a double
flute and charming snakes.
Mami Waters is characterized by joie de vivre but is also described as emotionally remote, although not physically. She is a "living"
spirit, meaning that she sometimes manifests as a flesh-and-blood woman, physically, not just in dreams or visions. Many people
describe actual physical encounters with her, whether on a city street or by a stream or river. She has sex with those who appeal to her.
Although Mami also frequently manifests as a mermaid, in urban areas she may appear as a stylish young woman, so beautiful she
draws gasps, stops traffic, turns heads. If bejeweled, her gold is blinding in its brilliance. Her hair is long and wonderful. Her skin may be
literally white, like chalk, or she may be a very fair-skinned black woman.
Because of her skin color, some anthropologists consider Mami Waters a European importation, suggesting that she was inspired by
ship figureheads in the form of mermaids. However, her devotees
never consider her Caucasian. She is envisioned covered by or
embodying the essence of the white clay or chalk traditionally used to delineate death or to demarcate sacred or forbidden territory.
Mami Waters is a goddess of fertility and birth but also of death and danger, sometimes held responsible for drowning deaths, although
she also rescues people.
Mami Waters heals impotence, but if she really likes a guy, she may permit him to be potent with her alone, thus cutting him off
sexually from the human community. The men she most adores typically devote themselves exclusively to her, sacrificing other romantic
or sexual ties. They achieve positions of tremendous wealth and power, thanks to Mami Waters, but in true fairy tale fashion, must keep
their relationship with her a secret or their good fortune will evaporate.
Although now frequently portrayed as a classic mermaid with a fish tail, Mami Waters was originally a snake goddess: her
lower half is serpentine. Her iconic images usually feature a snake somewhere in the picture .

Mami Waters typically demonstrates interest in a person via illness, specifically medically inexplicable fatigue and malaise. The person
becomes remote and distant. No medical cause can be found. Health doesn't improve until the person contacts Mami Waters, either
directly or through her clergy. This malaise is perceived as a kind of spirit possession but more like that of a Zar spirit than Western
demonic possession. The person may dream about Mami Waters or her symbols constantly. Alternatively, they just daydream
compulsively. Sometimes infertility or the inability to bear a living child indicates Mami Waters' attempts at communication with women.
Like a Zar spirit, Mami Waters can be transformed into an ally: she can reverse all negative ailments she causes. She does not intend
them badly—she may not know a better way to signal someone's attention. She may in fact be a Zar spirit. Some consider her a Simbi,
and still others suggest that Mami Waters forms her own family of spirits and so there are many individual paths or avatars of Mami
Waters, not all identical.
• In Latin America, Mami Waters is syncretized to Martha the Dominator. Elsewhere she is syncretized to Eve.
• Nigerian author Flora Nwapa's 1966 novel, Efuru, explores a woman's relationship with Mami Waters.
Favored people: She allegedly has a soft spot for harpists and other musicians.

M anifestation: Whether as woman, mermaid, or half-woman/half-snake, she is consistently gorgeous and charismatic. She may be
accompanied by pythons that wrap themselves around her. She may wear an extremely expensive, even ostentatious, watch (even as a
mermaid—the watch is waterproof). If she has a cell phone, it's the most expensive model. Mami makes her presence known via the
sound of merry laughter.
Iconography: Her image is painted on walls of lottery parlors to bring wealth and luck.
Attribute: Golden comb, expensive wrist watch
Colors: Red, white
Creatures: Snake, crocodile
Element: Water

Sacred sites: She has shrines throughout Western and Central Africa, Europe and South and North America.
Rituals: Those called by Mami Waters are encouraged to spend time in water, whether herbal or enchanted baths or immersion in
living water (ocean, lake, river, spring).
Offerings: Traditionally, Mami Waters does not drink alcoholic beverages but accepts soft drinks. Her favorite is lemonade.
However, recent reports indicate she has developed a taste for Campari. Mami Waters likes tropical fruit and exotic, luxurious food.
She enjoys perfume, cosmetics, mirrors, and expensive sunglasses. She likes toys, especially Barbie or other fashion dolls.

See also: Aisha Qandisha; Ayida Wedo; Bori; Damballah; Ezili; Lalla Malika; Lalla Mira; Lilith; Lubana; Lwa; Melusine;
Mermaid; Sarkin Aljan Suleimanu; Sili Kenwa; Simbi Spirits; Zar

Manannan Mac Lir

King of the Land of Promise
Origin: Isle of Man

Manannan, son of the ancient sea deity Lir, is a sea spirit, too. Ocean waves are his horses. The sea is his cloak. He is a trickster, a
master of true magic, illusion, and sleight of hand. He controls the weather. Manannan presides over an Other-world realm named Mag
Mell, a joyous paradise populated by dead souls and other members of the Tuatha Dé Danaan. He serves as a psychopomp, ferrying
souls to his realm. Although Manannan is classified among the Tuatha Dé Danaan, it is widely acknowledged that he is older than that
family of spirits. He may be among the primordial spirits of Earth.
Manannan possesses a magical crane-bag filled with treasures:
• He owns a boat that requires no sails or oars but obeys the thoughts of its captain.
• He owns a horse that rides equally well on land or water.
• He owns a magic sword named Fragarach ("The Answerer") that penetrates any armor.
• He owns pigs that are slaughtered and consumed but are then reborn, fully grown the next day so that they can be eaten over and
over again.
M anifestation: His cloak of mist enables him to be invisible when he chooses. He wears a flaming helmet. Often envisioned as an
older man with long, flowing white hair and beard, he is a master shape-shifter and full of surprises.

Emblem: Some scholars think the Triskelion, the three-legged wheel which is the emblem of the Isle of Man, represents Manannan.
Element: Water
Sacred sites: He was the first king of the Isle of Man, named in his honor and still serves as the island's spirit guardian. In addition,
the spirit realm Manannan rules lies beneath the waves.
Day: Midsummer's Eve or the summer solstice
Altar: Decorate his altar with marine imagery
Offerings: Flowers, bundles of reeds and/or alcoholic beverages including Okell's Mac Lir wheat beer, which features his image
on the label.
See also: Aoife (2); Cliodna; Fand; Lir; Llyr; Manawydan; Psychopomp

Manasa

Queen of Snakes; Destroyer of Poison
Also known as: Manasi; Manasadevi
Classification: Naga
Manasa, sister of Vasuki, the Naga King, is a snake goddess who is extremely popular among women in parts of India. Manasa
heals, bestows, and enhances personal fertility. She grants wishes, protects against snakes, and provides wealth, abundance, and
success. Manasa is a healing spirit; her specialty is infectious and contagious illnesses including smallpox and AIDS.
Once upon a time, Manasa married the sage Jaratkaru and strove to be the perfect wife. One day Jaratkaru fell asleep with his head
in her lap. She didn't move for hours lest she disturb him, but finally the sun set and she knew it was time for him to perform important
evening rituals. Very, very gently and respectfully, she woke her husband. He was livid, claiming that he would have woken up on his
own at the right time. Accusing Manasa of breaking her vow of obedience, he abandoned her.
Manasa can allegedly heal any snake bite, even those for which no known antidote exists. Herpetologists who search for
unknown species might do well to cultivate a relationship with Manasa, just in case.

Ever since her husband's rebuke and rejection, she has been a touchy, somewhat hypersensitive spirit who demands respect and
devotion. She is jealous and may or may not be willing to share devotees with other spirits. (In other words, if you develop a close
relationship with her, she may prefer that you not venerate other spirits.)
Manasa demonstrates interest in people by causing their hair to mat. If she is aggravated or defending a devotee, her preferred
weapon is snake bite. Snakes are her messengers.
M anifestation: Manasa may manifest as a beautiful woman or a snake. She rides through the sky in a chariot drawn by snakes.
She may have one eye.
Iconography: A woman covered or surrounded by snakes. Alternatively she stands upon one. She is wreathed by a canopy of
seven hooded cobras.
Attribute: Lotus
Spirit allies: Nagas; she travels in Shiva's entourage and is sometimes called his daughter, but this may be intended to make her
subservient to him instead of a competitor.
Element: Water
Time: The Manasa Puja (feast) occurs during the Hindu month of Sravana.
Offerings: Flowers, fruit (especially bananas), milk, incense, vermilion powder, and/or terra cotta snakes.
See also: Mariamman; Naga; Shiva

Manat

Time; Fate; Destiny
Also known as: Menat; Manathu

Origin: Arabia
Manat is among the three pre-Islamic goddesses mentioned in the Koran. Less information about her survives than about her
compatriots Allat and Al-Uzza. Manat is a spirit of destiny and fortune, whether good or bad. The Greeks identified her with Tyche.
Manat's shrine, located between Mecca and Medina, was destroyed by order of the Prophet Muhammed.
M anifestation: A large black, uncut stone
Planet: Moon
See also: Al-Uzza; Allat; Tyche and the Glossary entry for Identification

Manawydan
Origin: Wales

Although recognizably the same spirit as Manannan, Manawydan's mythology is different. It is possible myths are lost, but in Wales
his associations with the sea are de-emphasized. Instead emphasis is placed on his relations with other spirits. Manawydan is the son of
Llyr, the brother of Bran and Branwen, and the husband of Rhiannon. However, he remains a potent magician and master craftsman just
as he is in Ireland and the Isle of Man.
See also: Bran; Branwen; Llyr; Manannan; Rhiannon

Maneki Neko
Origin: Japan

Maneki Neko, the Japanese Beckoning Cat, virtually unknown one century ago, may be the most ubiquitous amulet on Earth today.
The standard image of Maneki Neko depicts a Japanese bobtail cat holding up one paw in invitation. In Japan, the gesture of placing an
open-palmed hand up to one ear indicates come here. Maneki Neko is perceived as exerting a magnetic come-hither effect and so the
image should be placed near a door or window, looking out:
• A cat with a beckoning left hand invites business.
• A cat with a beckoning right hand invokes cash.
• Particularly hard-working Maneki Nekos keep both paws raised.
• Maneki Neko bells cleanse the aura while beckoning prosperity.
• Leopard-spotted Maneki Nekos are prized by politicians and those seeking votes. (The word for
leopard in Japanese is a
homonym for vote.)
It is important to appreciate that Maneki Neko is not just a doll or statue but radiates the power of a spirit in the same way that a
Daruma doll radiates the power of that Bodhisattva. (Sometimes Maneki Neko is costumed as Daruma or is portrayed holding a
Daruma doll in one hand, thus blending and magnifying their powers.) Maneki Neko is a benevolent cat spirit of abundance, wealth, and
protection.
Various legends attest to the roots of this image:
• A cat saves a samurai's life.
• A cat brings prosperity to a monastery.
• A cat brings economic success to its namesake cathouse, a bordello.
• A cat transforms into a courtesan to raise funds for the impoverished people she loves.

Although all these legends may be true, the last two best evoke Maneki Neko's documentable history. Maneki Neko first emerged
as a lucky amulet after previously popular phallic images were banned during the Meiji era (1868–1912). Cute Maneki Neko was the

substitute and quickly proved her worth. Maneki Neko may secretly and discreetly evoke the power of female genital imagery, coming
out of the closet just as her more explicit male counterpart was banished within. (See Konsei Myojin for further details.)
Although any Maneki Neko brings luck, different types of Maneki Neko images fulfill different needs. Cats are color coded:
• A white Maneki Neko brings luck and happiness.
• A gold Maneki Neko beckons wealth and prosperity.
• A black Maneki Neko serves as a spiritual guardian.
• A small black Maneki Neko worn as a charm allegedly protects against stalkers.
• A red Maneki Neko fosters good health.
• A pink Maneki Neko attracts romance and protects children.
• Tri-colored Maneki Nekos are considered especially auspicious
• A small Maneki Neko of any color worn around the waist protects against pain and illness, especially from arthritis.
No need to limit yourself to one Maneki Neko. Many fans accrue massive collections. Maneki Neko comes in all sizes. Many are
ornamented with assorted good luck charms to enhance their power. Maneki Nekos housed in bars frequently clutch bottles of beer
and are positioned to gaze at customers. Maneki Neko frequently masquerades as other spirits, including Okame and the Shichi
Fukujin.
Iconography: Maneki Neko statues are commonly manufactured with a slot in back so that they can serve as piggy banks.
Allegedly feeding the statue some coins on a regular basis makes Maneki Neko work even harder.
Attributes: The standard Maneki Neko holds a koban, a gold coin common during the Edo era (1603–1867) and wears a red
collar with a bell. More ornate Maneki Nekos wield attributes closely associated with other spirits especially Daruma dolls, the hammer
that identifies Daikoku and the red fish that is emblematic of Ebisu. The implication is that Maneki Neko wields their power as well as
her own.
See also: Bastet; Daikoku; Daruma; Ebisu; Fukusuke; Nang Kwak; Neko-Mata; Okame; Shichi Fukujin

Manes
Origin: Rome
Feast: 24 August
The Manes are Rome's deified ancestors. A modern term for "ancestor worship" is manism. Their name may mean the "kindly" or
"goodly ones," possibly an attempt to soothe and propitiate difficult spirits, sort of like hopefully addressing a snarling hound as, "Good
doggy!" The goddess Mania presides over this host of infernal spirits.
The Manes were originally envisioned as the benevolent dead, who must be consistently propitiated to stop them from becoming the
threatening dead like the Lemures. Manes eventually became a looser term, incorporating spirits associated with death like tomb and
cemetery guardians in addition to dead souls.
Spirit allies: Mania and Ceres are venerated alongside the Manes.
Day: 24 August, the Roman Festival of Mania. On this day the cover that shielded the entrance to Hades was lifted so that the
ghosts had easy access. Just to be on the safe side, however, the Manes are also traditionally honored and propitiated throughout the
entire year.
Offerings: Beans, bread, eggs, honey, milk, oil, wine, and roses
See also: Ancestors; Ceres; Ghosts; Lemures; Mania

Mania

Mother of Ghosts; Grandmother Ghost
Also known as: Mana; Manea; Manuana
Origin: Italy, possibly Etruscan
Feast: 24 August

The term mania derives from this goddess' name. Mania supervises the Manes, Spirits of the Dead. She is their Mother Superior
and leader. A goddess of life and death, her mania (lunacy, moon-illness, lunar-inspired madness) is a conduit to the divine.
Although the Manes are sometimes called the benevolent dead, they weren't always that benevolent, and neither is Mania. At the
New Moon nearest November 1, windows were shuttered, houses sealed up, and mirrors turned to face the wall. The Manes were
loose. (The Manes can slip in through cracks and use mirrors as portals.) Woolen dolls called maniae were hung over doorways with
garlic and poppies to serve as protection.
The Manes were accused of stealing children. Speculation exists that in ancient days, young boys were sacrificed to Mania at the
Festival of the Crossroads (the Compitalia) in exchange for her protection of the remaining family. This tradition was allegedly abolished
following the expulsion of the Etruscan kings and the founding of the Roman Republic. Poppies and garlic were substituted for human
sacrifice.
Post-Christianity, Mania lost her goddess status but survives in Italy as a dreaded night witch who haunts people's dreams. Her
afflictions include chronic nightmares, madness, and manias. She can be invoked to banish ghosts if she's feeling benevolent.
M anifestation: Mania appears alone in dreams but otherwise leads a host of spirits. She wears a mask, rarely if ever revealing her
face.
Attribute: Mania is associated with the fig hand ( mano fica ), her life-affirming protective gesture. The fig hand mimes sexual
intercourse: make a fist and thrust the thumb through the first two fingers. It repels the Evil Eye and ghosts. Mania commands ghosts.
The gesture lends you some of her authority. Make the sign of the fig hand whenever ghosts threaten. Fig hand amulets may be worn or
posted on a wall.
Consort: Mantus, overlord of a realm of death

Realm: Mania governs the subterranean Land of the Dead. For the Romans, this wasn't just some abstract realm someplace
underground: an entrance was located in the pit beneath the lapis manalis in the Roman Forum. This stone was lifted three times a year
in order to release the Manes, who emerged to accept offerings from the living before returning, shepherded by Mania in both
directions.
Offerings: Garlic, poppies
See also: Endymion; Ghost; Lara; Manes

Manitou

Manitou is a word for "spirit" used by the Anishinaubae (Ojibwa/ Chippewa) people of North America. Manitou literally means
"mystery" or "essence." The word refers to spirit beings but also to a quality, energy, or sacred power. There are countless Manitous.
Like Orishas and Lwa, some are concerned with people, but many others are not. Manitous may be benevolent, malevolent, or anything
on the spectrum in between. Many are guardian spirits of regions or specific departments of life.
See also: Lwa; Mishepishu; Nebaunaubae; Orisha; Windigo

Manjushri

Lord of Wisdom; The Gentle Voiced Lord; Glorious Gentle One; The Lamp of Wisdom
Also known as: Manjusri; Monju (Japan ese); Wen Shu (Chinese); Jam-dPal (Tibetan)
Classification: Bodhisattva; Bosatsu; Bud dha; Yidam

Manjushri, the first Bodhisattva, is the essence and spirit of wisdom, embodying the wisdom of all Bodhisattvas. Guardian of sacred
knowledge and spiritual seekers, his sword slices through illusions that cloud the minds of Buddhists as well as any other obstacles on
the road to enlightenment. Manjushri, Lord of Awareness, served as initiator of the Buddhas of the past and will fulfill this role for
Maitreya in the future.
Manjushri is a culture hero, too:
• The Manchu dynasty derived its name from Manjushri.
• Manjushri is considered the founding father of Nepalese culture.
Favored people: Students, calligraphers, knowledge seekers, those born in the Year of the Rabbit
M anifestation: Manjushri travels in the guise of a simple mendicant (begging) monk.
Attributes: Lotus, bow and arrows, book, flaming sword
Color: White
Creature: Dog

When Manjushri travels in the guise of a mendicant priest, he is always accompanied by a small dog like a Pekinese, Lhasa
Apso, Shi Tzu, or similar breed. Manjushri is not really a simple monk. Likewise, his companion is not really a simple dog but
actually a disguised celestial snow lion (also known as a lion-dog). When Manjushri's presence is urgently needed, his pet
assumes its true form and serves as his mount.

M ount: Kang-seng, the snow lion—a pre-Buddhist Tibetan spirit—serves as Manjushri's mount and appears on the Tibetan flag.
Direction: East
Time: He is the guardian of the Year of the Rabbit.
Date: New Year's Day is dedicated to Manjushri.
Sacred site: His home on Wutaishan (Five Terrace Mountain), one of China's four sacred Buddhist peaks. Many visions and
apparitions of Manjushri have been reported on the mountain since the Tang Dynasty.
M antra: OM AH RAH PAH CHAH NA DHIH
(Chanting his mantra allegedly enhances wisdom, memory, and the ability to study, learn, teach, and articulate one's thoughts.
Manjushri is associated with various mantras, some reserved for initiated adepts.)
See also: Avalokiteshvara; Bodhisattva; Bon spirits; Bosatsu; Buddha; Maitreya; Marichi; Yamantaka; Yidam
Glossary entry for Mantra

Marassa

and the

Also known as: Mabasa
Classification: Lwa
Feast: 28 December
The Marassa, Vodou's sacred twins, are spirits of paradox:
They are two distinct bodies who share one soul (or they are one soul with two bodies).
They are opposites who are simultaneously the same.
They are yin and yang, and yet they are one.
They are mirror reflections, but they represent both sides of the mirror.
They are the Creator's very first children as well as the very first dead.

The Marassa rule thresholds; they span divides; they encompass, embody, and resolve contradictions. Their name derives from a
Kikongo word, Mabasa, meaning "those who come divided" or "the one who comes as two."
They are mystic, sacred, powerful, mysterious spirits. They are children, but they are ancient. The Marassa are profoundly potent
healers and guardians of children. Do you want children? The Marassa provide and protect fertility, too. If asked, they will guard babies
in the womb and oversee the childbirth process.
Of course, what is reproduction but the union of polarities? It takes two to make three. Another of the Marassa's paradoxes is that
"the one who comes as two" may really come as three. In esoteric Vodou cosmology, twins are perceived as incomplete. They await
the third who completes them, the delayed triplet. The twins are forerunners of this third. The single child born after twins is considered
even more magically powerful.
The Marassa are traditionally fed and represented by special three-chambered ritual bowls, one chamber per child. The
bowls are also emblematic of procreation and generation: yin and yang, male and female, opposing energies will create a third .

The Marassa typically manifest as rambunctious, capricious, playful but demanding children. Traditionally the first lwa honored at
Vodou ceremonies (after invocation of Papa Legba, gatekeeper of the spirits), the Marassa race in like children who can't wait to get to
where they're going. They crave sugar, toys, and treats. It is crucial to recall that although the Marassa resemble children, they are not
children but potent spirits who like to manifest in the guise of children. Devotees are sometimes tempted to parent or discipline them.
Don't. The Marassa don't need vitamins, vegetables, or anything "good" for children. Attempts to parent them may indicate to the
Marassa that you have forgotten their true sacred nature.
Powerful and responsible spiritual bodyguards, they may be invoked to guard children. The Marassa love children and may
spontaneously assume guardianship. They are also superb, enthusiastic guardians for toy stores, candy stores, commercial spaces
specializing in children's birthday parties, any kind of place that fills children with joy. Set up an offering table for the Marassa and
request that they protect the establishment and keep business booming.
The Marassa's personal feast day, 28 December, coinciding with the Roman Catholic Feast of the Massacre of the Holy Infants, is
devoted to:
Protection of living children.
Celebration and commemoration of children who have died.
Solace and comforting the families of dead children.
Traditional rituals include a big party honoring the Marassa. Invite lots of children and encourage them to be proxies for the Marassa,
stand-ins who help consume offerings of cakes, cookies, and soda.
The Marassa are sometimes considered the children of Saint Nicholas and the lwa Clairmesine. A standard
chromolithograph of Saint Nicholas depicts him standing beside two children inside a tub. Sometimes there is a third who
kisses his foot. These children are interpreted as the Marassa and the third child .

The Marassa have the attention span of spoiled kids. Do not make them wait for promised offerings. They are not vicious or violent
spirits but will throw some major hissy fits and tantrums. It is also crucial to treat them equally or they may get jealous and fight; never
offer just one slice of cake, for instance. Either give sufficient quantity for sharing (a big bowl of individually wrapped candies, fudge cut
into numerous squares) or clearly delineate a share for each. Marassa usually manifest as either two or three. Ask them to identify how
many of them there are so that you can make appropriate offerings.
The Marassa may be Fon creator spirits Mawu-Lisa in disguise.
The Marassa are syncretized to Saints Cosmas and Damian.
Three Marassa are often envisioned as female.
They are syncretized to the Charites Three Graces; Saints Faith, Hope and Charity; and Saintes Maries de la Mer.
Favored people: Children in general, twins and other multiple births as well as the single child born after multiple births regardless
of age, parents whose children are dead
M anifestation: The Marassa may be male, female, or a combination. Ask them to let you know so you can give appropriate gifts.
The Marassa often manifest directly to children. The phenomenon known as imaginary friends may actually be visitations from the
Marassa.
Iconography: Images of any of the saints or sacred beings with whom they're syncretized may be used to represent the Marassa.
Attributes: Palm branches and leaves
Days: Monday, Friday
Colors: Black, white
Time: The Season of the Twins is the month between 6 December (Feast of Saint Nicholas) and 6 January (The Feast of the
Epiphany).
Altar: Hungry children are cranky and troublesome, so keep full bowls of candy or popcorn on their altar at all times so they can
snack when they wish.

Offerings: The Marassa have the appetites of growing children. Give them treats that make kids happy: candy, cookies, honey,
popcorn, toys, and fun, fizzy drinks. Wrap food up in banana leaves. Throw parties for them, inviting other children to come feast with
them. Consciously bringing joy to children is in itself an offering to the Marassa.
Do not give the Marassa vegetables or leafy greens. It insults them. On a superficial level, these rambunctious kids don't want to eat
their vegetables, but the deeper subliminal implication is that they require botanicals because you think their own innate miraculous
powers of healing are insufficient. If any herbs are needed, they'll tell you. (The Marassa sometimes specify herbal prescriptions and
remedies during ritual possession. They may also do so during dreams.) Regardless of what you feed your own children do not feed the
Marassa anything like sugarless, wheat-free cake. They have no allergies. They will never have health problems. Just give them whatever
makes a child's eyes light up with glee.
See also: Charites; Clairmesine; Dioscuri; Ibeji; Maries de la Mer

Mari (1)
Also known as: Mayan
Origin: Basque (Euskara)

Mari, great goddess of the Pyrenees and eldest of the Basque deities, dwells within deep caverns. She controls storms and is
intensely identified with lightning. Emerging from her caves, she flies through the air encompassed in flames. Her caves are filled with
enchanted gold and gems which, if stolen, transform into coal.
An all-powerful goddess, she is head of the Pagan Basque pantheon. The meaning of her name is unknown although many interpret it
to mean "lady". Devotees must uphold her moral code: Mari despises lying, thieving, and bragging. She is a queen and must always be
treated with due respect. Removing anything from her sacred sites is forbidden and incurs swift punishment. It is considered good
manners to request her permission before entering any place associated with her. Do not sit in her presence.
Mari is a global traveler with an impeccable sense of direction. Allegedly if you call her name aloud three times when lost,
she will appear overhead to provide directions. (Remember, she's a shape-shifter!)

Mari provides accurate oracles. She can produce miracles of healing, fertility, rescue, and protection. Traditionally Mari heals via
herbs and the water dripping from stalactites. Post-Christianity, Mari was redefined as a Queen of Witches. Her devotees were arrested
by the Inquisition and accused of practicing witchcraft. Even so, her veneration survived. Mari remains an extremely popular goddess.
She is as hostile toward Christianity as it has historically been toward her. Although she will share devotees with other Pagan deities, she
does not tolerate anything redolent of Christianity.

M anifestation: Mari has a massive repertoire of forms including a woman, a woman with bird feet, a tree, a tree radiating flames, a
woman radiating flames, gusts of wind, lightning, rainbows, a cloud, and birds. She sits, spinning or combing her hair. She may sit on a
golden throne or at the entrance to a cave.
Iconography: She is portrayed as a woman with the full moon behind her head.
Attribute: Comb, distaff, sickle
Consort: Maju, also known as Sugaar, the Dragon Lord of Thunder
Day: Friday
Planet: Moon
M ount: Horses pull her chariot; she rides a lightning bolt or travels in the form of a fireball. Sometimes she rides a sheep or goat.
Animal: Snake, goat
Birds: Crow, vulture
Sacred sites: Numerous places in Basque territory are named in Mari's honor. She is venerated in caves, within stone circles, and
atop mountains. Mari inhabits the highest peaks of Pyrenean Mountains like Aizkorri, Amboto, and Muru.
Elements: Earth, fire, water
Color: Red
Offerings: Flowers and candles. It is traditional to leave cash or stones within caves as gifts for Mari.
See also: Aatxe; Mari (2); Pelé

Mari (2)

In addition to the now more famous Basque goddess named Mari, there is another Mari, a mysterious water goddess worshipped in

the Amorite city-state also called Mari, located on the right bank of the Euphrates in what is now Syria. It is now unknown whether the
city was named after the goddess or vice-versa. The city of Mari was at the peak of its power circa 2900–2370. Hammurabi
conquered it in 1759 BCE. The city was abandoned in the eighth century BCE.
The Sumerian word mar may be interpreted as "womb" or "sea". Scholars speculate that the Amorites may have been the first to
venerate Asherah, Lady of the Sea. Mari may or may not be the same goddess as Asherah. Alternatively Mari may be the goddess of
the star-gazing Nabataeans and/or the mysterious dolphin goddess whose image appears throughout the Middle East. This Mari may or
may not be the goddess of the same name who is currently venerated in the modern Feri tradition.
See also: Al-Uzza; Allat; Asherah, Lady of the Sea; Atargatis; Mari (1); Maries de la Mer

Maria Lionza

La Reina; The Queen
Also known as: Maria Leonza
Origin: Venezuela
Maria Lionza names a goddess (maybe two) and a spiritual tradition:
Maria Lionza is a snake goddess with dominion over love, romance, sex, fertility, and abundance invoked for protection, success,
and virtually anything a devotee desires. Her origins are the subject of diverse legends: common factors are her green eyes and a giant
anaconda.
Maria Lionza was first venerated by Venezuela's Indians. A prophecy foretold that the birth of a green-eyed child among them was a
harbinger of disaster. Sure enough, the green-eyed baby girl was born right before the Spanish Conquest. Different tribes have different
versions of what happened to her and how she became a goddess:
• She may have been closely guarded or sent to live alone on a mountain.
• An anaconda fell in love with her and she became its queen.
• Thrown into a lake as a sacrifice for an anaconda spirit, she emerged as a goddess.
• When she saw her reflection in a lake, she transformed into an anaconda.
• Some or all of the above.
Maria Lionza rules nature, all living waters, animals, and plants. In addition to sources of water, her sacred sites include mountains
and caves. Maria Lionza punishes those who harm or kill wild animals as well as those who cut down forest trees. Originally a local
jungle goddess, her veneration spread: she is now the primary focus of a rapidly expanding religion named after her. Devotees, known
as Marialionceros, call her Venezuela's spiritual queen.
Yara, Caribe deity of love and nature, was venerated in what is now the Venezuelan state of Yaracuy, meaning "Yara's
Place." After the Spanish Conquest, devotees trying to integrate her into Catholicism began calling her Santa Maria de la
Onza ("Saint Mary of the Jaguar or Cougar"). Eventually this evolved into Maria Lionza.

After World War II, secular authorities attempted to suppress religious aspects of Maria Lionza, celebrating her as a national myth
instead. Meanwhile, attempts were made to re-envision sexy Maria Lionza to resemble the Virgin of Coromoto, an apparition of Mary
who in 1651 appeared to the chief of Venezuela's Coromoto Indians and encouraged him to abandon the forest, join the Spanish
settlement, and convert to Christianity. On 7 October 1944, Pope Pius XII declared the Virgin of Coromoto Patroness of Venezuela.
The traditional image of Maria Lionza depicts her as a green-eyed Indian woman, living amongst animals in a jungle paradise. After
World War II, a secondary iconic image evolved depicting a beautiful, crowned, and usually
brown-eyed Creole woman wearing a
blue-and-white colonial-era gown. (Blue and white are Mary's colors.) This image may be the original goddess or her daughter,
sometimes identified as Venezuela's first mestiza ("woman of mixed European and Indian descent").
Mother and daughter may be venerated side by side. Legend says that the original Maria bore a conquistador's child. (She was

allegedly the lover of the infamous Lope de Aguirre, the Wrath of God, who did have a
mestiza daughter, Elvira.) Alternatively, the
second image is a Spanish girl who escaped into the jungle where she was allegedly worshipped by Indians. Both images of Maria
Lionza are ascribed similar powers. Maria Lionza is syncretized to the Virgin Mary, especially Our Lady of Coromoto and, as Santeria
becomes more popular in Venezuela, increasingly identified with Yemaya.
Mara Lionza, the spiritual tradition, is a blend of indigenous Venezuelan, African, Spiritist, and Christian religions. Spirits venerated in
the Maria Lionza tradition are divided into courts. For example:
• The Court of Africans includes the Seven African Powers.
• The Celestial Court includes angels and official saints.
• The Court of Indians is led by Guaicaipuro.
• The Court of Liberators is led by Simon Bolivar.
• The Court of Vikings is led by Thor under the nom de guerre Mr. Barbaro.
A devotee addresses the court that best fulfills his needs. Thus the Warrior Court is invoked to fight hexes or curses. Each court is
identified with a color, although there is debate as to which court is assigned which color. Maria Lionza, the goddess, presides over
these courts. Her own personal court—the inner circle—is called the Three Potencies and consists of Maria, Guaicaipuro, and Negro
Felipe. The image of Maria as Spanish princess is used, thus the three spirits represent Europe, Africa, and South America, the three
continents from which modern Venezuelan culture derives.
Legends of Maria Lionza inspired William Henry Hudson's 1904 novel,Green Mansions: A Romance in the Tropical Forest.
M anifestation: Maria Lionza manifests as a beautiful naked jungle goddess or a crowned, bejeweled princess wearing Spanish
clothing.
Iconography: The most famous image of Maria Lionza is the twenty-foot-tall statue that loomed over the freeway bisecting
Venezuela's capital city, Caracas, placed there in 1957 by dictator and devotee Marcos Pérez Jiménez. Maria is portrayed as a nude,
voluptuous Indian woman riding a tapir. The statue evolved into a public shrine with devotees dashing across five lanes of heavy traffic
to lay flowers at her feet. Pollution, humidity, and constant traffic vibrations damaged the statue, which broke dramatically on 6 June
2004, splitting apart at the waist, the top half toppling backwards. Many perceived this as a harbinger of disaster.
Color: Blue
Creatures: All of them, but a blue butterfly serves as her special messenger.
Element: Water
Sacred site: Maria's home, Mount Sorte approximately 180 miles west of Caracas, declared a national park in the 1980s.
Time: The pilgrimage to Sorte on 12 October coincides with the day Columbus arrived in Venezuela. Holy Week is also
considered sacred, but people visit all the time.
Altar: Reproduce a jungle ambience on home altars.
Offerings: Flowers, fruit, incense, candles, water, champagne, black coffee, pilgrimage
See also: Barbaro, Mr; Guaicaipuro; Malandros; Malinche, La; Negra Francisca; Negro Felipe; Seven African Powers;
Thor; Yemaya

Mariamman
Also known as: Amman
Origin: Tamil (India)

Mariamman, Goddess of Smallpox, a Tamil tribal goddess with dominion over wind, rain, and moisture, is among Earth's guardian
spirits. Popular and powerful, she was incorporated into the Vedic Hindu pantheon, eventually traveling around the world.
According to Hindu myth, Mariamman's husband, ascetic sage Jamadagni, perceiving that his faithful wife had momentarily lusted in
her heart for another and had thus become impure, ordered their son to behead her. The son did as told but was overcome with grief
and depression. The father, feeling sympathy for the son, eventually relented. Telling his son to gather Mariamman's head and body, he
taught him a secret resurrection formula. The son, nervously hurrying, immediately recognized his mother's head on the pile of recently
executed female corpses but accidentally joined it to the body of a low-caste woman allegedly killed for committing all kinds of
unspeakable (sexual, violent, transgressive) vices. The result was that Mariamman's Brahman mind was overwhelmed by her tribal
body. (Is a metaphor intended? You bet.)
Her husband expelled her from her home. Mariamman then revealed herself as a wrathful, rampaging goddess. Ravaging the region,
she was unstoppable until deities seeking to propitiate her offered her dominion over smallpox. With the ability to cause and cure this
dread disease, she was assured constant worship. She remains among the most popular goddesses of Southern India, the southern
counterpart to northern Sitala.
Mariamman's myth is a forerunner of horror movies like Peter Lorre's Mad Love, in which an executed murderer's hands
are surgically grafted onto someone else, who then feels overwhelmingly compelled to kill .

In the early twentieth century, South Indian traders brought Mariamman to Vietnam where she found new devotees, mainly of
Vietnamese and Chinese descent, especially female entrepreneurs, transport workers, service industry workers, and students. After
several generations, she is considered a local goddess, associated with success and prosperity more than illness. Venerated outside a
traditional Hindu context, she is considered a powerful purveyor of miracles.
Mariamman heals all illnesses associated with redness, heat, and rashes, including chicken pox and measles. She is invoked for
virtually everything, including protection, progeny, and prosperity.
• In India, she is syncretized to Durga and Parvati.
• In Vietnam, Mariamman is identified with Ba Den and Kwan Yin.
Iconography: As a tribal goddess, she is sometimes venerated in the form of a stone tipped with a sharp point and/or dyed red. In
Hindu context, she is envisioned as a very beautiful woman, seated on a throne or a lion; sometimes her face is red.
Attributes: Trident, bowl, spear, sword
Colors: Red, yellow
Tree: Neem
Animals: Snake, lion
Offerings: Incense, oil lamps, red flowers, pumpkins
See also: Ba Den; Babalu Ayé; Jari Mari; Kwan Yin; Manasa; Sitala

Marichi

Goddess of Dawn; Queen of Heaven; The Diamond Sow
Also known as: Marici (Sanskrit); Mari shi; Marishiten (Japanese)
Classification: Buddha; Yidam
Marichi is a goddess, a full-fledged Buddha, and a powerful guardian spirit. She began her incarnation as an Indian goddess of the

morning sun. (In Vedic traditions, she is considered male.) Her Sanskrit name means "a ray of light." When Marichi was incorporated
into Buddhism, her veneration spread throughout the Buddhist world.
Marichi protects against natural disasters and dangers deriving from any kind of living being, including malefic people, thieves,
criminals, muggers, enemies, animals, and vicious spirits. She is invoked for protection when traveling.
Marichi is particularly popular in Tibet and Japan. In Tibet, she is considered a Buddha, the female counterpart of Manjushri and
hence associated with acquisition and protection of wisdom. She may appear in the entourage of Green Tara.
In Japan, she's called Marishiten. By the eighth century, she was the matron deity of the Samurai and warrior classes. Goddess of
mirages, she controls perceptions: how and what people see. Thus she can block, obscure, or confuse what an enemy sees. Marishiten
determines who will win or lose battles. Because she is profoundly associated with success, Japanese merchants began to venerate her
in her guise as Lady of Victory and Wealth.
Favored people: Warriors (literal and meta-phoric)
Marishiten is the Matron of Zen warfare. Contemplating and venerating Marishiten or her images allegedly enables one to
reach a state of transcendent fearlessness and selflessness. With no worries about life, death, winning, or losing, a warrior can
make truly clearheaded strategic decisions.

M anifestation: Depending on her aspect, she is very beautiful, very fierce, or both. She is strongly identified with pigs (either wild
or domestic) and may signal her presence via some sort of porcine reference.
Iconography: She is portrayed on Tibetan mandalas with three faces and multiple arms (six, eight, twelve, or fourteen). The more
arms she has, the more weapons she can wield. As Red Marichi, a wrathful form of Marichi, she has a sow's head on a woman's body.
Attributes: Vajra (ritual dagger), sewing needle, bow, arrow, medicinal plant, noose
Time: Marichi is most often invoked at the crack of dawn.
Creature: Sow
M ount: Marichi rides a boar or pig. Sometimes piglets pull her chariot. Alternatively she rides atop a lotus drawn by pigs or boars.
Numbers: 7, 9
Planet: Sun
Sacred site: Japanese mountain peaks and volcanic craters are named in her honor.
M antra: OM MARICHI (YE)* MAM SVAHA(* Ye is not pronounced; it is a space holder indicating a pause for emphasis.)
Among other purposes, her mantra is used to promote acquisition of wisdom and insight and to protect travelers.
See also: Buddha; Eos; Manjushri; Tara, Green; Vajra; Vajravahari; Yidam

Maries de la Mer, Saintes
Also known as: Three Ladies of Egypt; Saint Marys of the Sea

Sometime after the crucifixion of Jesus circa 33 CE, a small boat fled Roman-occupied Judea or Alexandria, Egypt. It is unclear
whether the boat never had sails or oars or whether these were lost at sea before landing in what is now France's Camargue region. The
passenger list on that little boat may have included Joseph of Arimathea, Saints Lazarus and Martha, and possibly as many as four
women named Mary:
• Mary Magdalen

• Mary of Bethany
• Mary Jacobe
• Mary Salomé

Upon reaching France, the party split up to have their own adventures. Mary Jacobe and Mary Salomé stayed together, and they are
now the two saints venerated as Maries de la Mer: the "Marys of the Sea." Among the group of women who stood at the cross
witnessing the Crucifixion, Mary Jacobe and Mary Salomé may be the Virgin Mary's sisters, thus Jesus' aunts. They may be the
mothers of Saints John and James, Greater and Lesser. (Anothervery unofficial theory suggests that they are Jesus' sisters.)
Although there are only two Saintes Maries de la Mer, they are venerated as a trinity alongside the mysterious Sara, who may have
met them in France or traveled with them on the boat. Depending on the version of the myth one prefers, she was their young Egyptian
servant or the daughter of Jesus and Mary Magdalen, in which case smuggling Sara to safety may have been the reason for the flight to
France. The Maries are Sara's caretakers, or she is theirs.

Although there may have been four Marys, they are usually envisioned as three: Mary Jacobe and Mary Salomé with either
Mary of Bethany or the Magdalen, either because one didn't accompany them or because Bethany and Magdalen are
considered the same woman. The two constants are Mary Jacobe and Mary Salomé.

Their boat disembarked at an ancient settlement called Ra or Ratis, then a city of three goddesses—Artemis, Isis, and Kybele were
venerated on its acropolis since at least the fourth century B CE. These three goddesses are interpreted as corresponding to the three
Marys, with holy child Horus corresponding to Saint Sara.
In 1448, René of Anjou, King of Pro vence, found relics for which he had long been searching, identifying these bodily remains as
those of les Maries de la Mer. A church was built for them and the town renamed in their honor. Marie Jacobe and Marie Salomé are
official saints. Saint Sara is not and for a long time was only openly venerated by Roma (Gypsies), who were the only ones permitted to
enter her crypt. In the context of the Gypsy pilgrimage, the two Marys are subordinate to Sara but still holy.
Coffin-shaped reliquaries allegedly containing Jacobe and Salomé's relics are carried in annual processionals to the sea, accompanied
by statues of Sara and the saints, which are dipped three times into the Mediterranean before being returned to their shrine. Allegedly
simultaneously dipping tarot cards or other divination tools quickly into the sea enhances their power, but only if accomplished when all
three statues are in the water.
Saintes Maries de la Mer are invoked for all blessings, especially healing and happiness.
Sacred site: The French seaside town of Saintes Maries de la Mer, once called Sainte Marie de Ratis or Notre Dame de la Mer
(Our Lady of the Sea)

Time: The Roman Catholic feast of Mary Jacobe is 25 May, coinciding with that of Saint Sara. Roma from around the world begin
converging on Saintes Maries de la Mer during previous weeks. This is the big festival. A second festival coinciding with the feast of
Mary Salomé on 22 October includes another procession to the sea.
Offerings: Navettes (traditional French pastries in the form of their boat), candles, incense, fabric, pilgrimage
See also: Artemis of Ephesus; Horus; Isis; Kybele; Marassa; Mary Magdalen; Sara la Kali

Marinette
Also known as: Marinette Bwa-Chèche (Marinette of the Dry Arms)
Classification: Lwa
The Haitian Revolution was initiated at a Vodou ceremony at Bois Caiman when a priestess (Mambo) sacrificed a black pig,
invoking the lwa, Ezili Dantor, and Ogun. Marinette may be that priestess, now deified and a lwa herself. (She still maintains positive

relationships with Dantor and Ogun.) Marinette, a mysterious, solitary lwa, belongs to the Petro and Bizango pantheons.
Marinette had a difficult life. She is a bitter spirit who prefers to be alone. People disappointed her. Rather than being celebrated as a
heroine, she was first aggressively pursued by French colonial forces, then denied glory when Haitian revolutionary leader Toussaint
L'Ouverture banned women from battle front-lines. Even now she is frequently dismissed as an evil spirit while her male contemporaries
are lionized. She is a spirit of rage and frustration but also, in her way, a spirit of justice.
She is a controversial spirit. Many insist that she should never be invoked, as she is dangerous and hostile. She is certainly not a spirit
for beginners. (You can't fool her: as a priestess, she can immediately distinguish an adept from a novice.) Marinette is never enshrined
or invoked within the home (or inside buildings, period), as it is considered unsafe—she literally burns with rage and has a tendency to
burn down buildings while within them, whether intentionally or not.
Marinette is invoked by secret societies as well as experienced initiates and sorcerers to provide disciplinary action against
malefactors. She chafes at abuse of power and liberates devotees from bullies and oppression.
• Marinette is the matron of werewolves and loups-garoux.
• Marinette is syncretized to Joan of Arc or the Anima Sola.
M anifestation: Marinette is described as left-handed, symbolic of her willingness to work with sorcerers for hire and to fulfill less
than ethical requests. Her eyes are red, indicating her state of rage. Her appearance is avian. Her hands and feet may resemble claws.
Element: Fire
Attributes: Cross, stake
Colors: Black, red
Bird: Screech owl
See also: Ayizan; Bizango Spirits; Ezili Dantor; Ezili Ge Rouge; Lilith; Loup-Garou; Lwa; Ogun

Mars
Also known as: Mamers; Marmar; Marmor; Mavors; Maris

As the father of Romulus, Mars is literally considered the father of Rome. He is an ancient spirit who was venerated throughout the
region, possibly originally by the Etruscans. His name is not of Indo-European derivation. Although now most famous as the lord of war,
in his earliest incarnation he was a spirit of agricultural fertility and an aggressive, protective guardian of fields and boundaries.
An old Roman prayer requests that Mars banish visible and invisible ailments, trouble, disasters, and inclement weather.

His associations with war came to the fore when he later became intensely identified with the Greek war spirit Ares—and when
Rome emerged as a military power. Martial, a synonym for warlike, derives from his name (martial arts, martial plan, martial law). A
society of priests dedicated to him opened and closed the military calendar with martial dances. Mars is a spirit of prophesy: spears
housed in his shrine provided an oracle via their spontaneous movement. They were understood as the voice of Mars himself.
Mars presided over Rome's conquest of Europe, North Africa, and the Middle East. He was the favorite deity of Roman soldiers
who carried him wherever they conquered. He became very popular in Gaul, now mainly modern France, however here, as in other
Celtic regions, Mars' associations with healing, fertility, and protection were emphasized, possibly because of ambivalence toward the
Roman occupation. Mars is a warrior against illness, sterility, and death. Veneration of Mars may survive in veneration of Saint Martin
of Tours and Saint Maurice.
Favored people: Farmers, soldiers, mercenaries and those born under the zodiac sun signs Aries and Scorpio, as well as those
born in March.
Iconography: In ancient days, Mars was venerated in the form of a spear. This is recalled in the form of his glyph which now also
serves as a universal symbol for the male gender: ♂.
Attributes: Shield, spear
Consorts: Vacuna, Vitula, Venus
Bird: Woodpecker
Animals: Wolf, horse, bull, boar, ram
Day: Tuesday (in French: Mardi)
Number: 3
Planet: Mars
M etal: Iron
Trees: Fig, bay laurel, dogwood, oak
Color: Red
M onth: March
Feast: 1 March, Rome's original New Year's Day prior to calendar reformation, is his birthday. He is venerated alongside his
mother, Juno. Other festivals include 27 February, 14 March, 17 March, 19 March, 23 March, 1 October, 15 October, and 19
October.
Sacred sites:

• His temple on Rome's Palatine Hill.
• Rome's Field of Mars (Campus Martius).
• Paris' Field of Mars (Champ de Mars).
• The site of his Gallic temple in Boulognesur-Mer is now the largest crypt in France,
mother of Crusader king Godefroy of Bouillon.

housing the tomb of Ida of the Ardennes,

See also: Ares; Bellona; Janus; Juno; Lenus; Loucetius; Venus; Vesta and the Glossary entry for Identification

Mary Magdalen
Also known as: Mary Magdalene; Maria Magdalena
Feast: 22 July
Mary Magdalen is described as Jesus Christ's beloved companion. But what does that mean? Volumes have been filled attempting
to answer that question. Passionate debate rages with no sign of abatement:
• Was she among Christ's most dedicated disciples?
• Was she among the women who raised funds to support Jesus and his disciples?
• Was she a repentant sinner?
• Was she a prostitute and, if so, what kind? Secular or temple priestess?
• Was she Jesus' wife?

Whoever she was, she is an extremely significant character in the New Testament. Mary Magdalen is the only woman mentioned who
is never identified in relation to a man: she is not identified as anyone's wife, sister, or daughter. (Unless you believe her to be the same
woman as Mary of Bethany, in which case she is the sister of Lazarus.) She is also the first person to witness the resurrected Christ.
Part of the problem resolving Mary Magdalen's identity is the popularity of the name Mary. It seems that virtually every other woman
in first century Judea was named Mary. There are so many Marys in the New Testament that their identities become confused. In the
Church's early years, the identities of these women were left ambiguous.
In Hebrew, the word Migdal, from which Magdalen derives, means a "tower," "castle," "fortress," or "raised-up place."
Her name may be interpreted as Mary from the fortress or Mary who is the fortress. The name is also evocative of the "high
places" associated with worship of the Hebrew goddess Asherah.

In Eastern Christianity, Mary Magdalen, Mary of Bethany, and the unnamed woman of Luke 7:37–50 "who was a sinner" are
considered three distinct individuals. In Roman Catholicism, Pope Gregory the Great (540–604 C E), a great devotee of the Virgin
Mary, declared these three women to be one and the same. Eventually a fourth, "the woman taken in adultery" from John 8:3–11, was
also included. Mary Magdalen is also often confused and conflated with self-avowed, repentant harlot Saint Mary of Egypt.
Many are offended by the suggestion that Mary Magdalen was Jesus' wife. However, these suggestions were not invented by Dan
Brown, author of the 2003 bestselling novel The Da Vinci Code, nor by Michael Baigent, Richard Leigh, and Henry Lincoln's 1982
study, The Holy Blood and the Holy Grail . These rumors date back to the early days of Christianity and stem mainly from Gnostic
sources. The Magdalen is a pervasive presence in Gnostic texts. The Gospel of Mary, estimated written in the early second century is
sometimes attributed to her. (Less than eight pages of original text are available.)
The Gospel of Philip refers to Mary Magdalen as Jesus' "companion," using a Greek word indicating "partner" and "consort."
Philip the Apostle was a devotee of John the Baptist before he became a disciple of Jesus. The Gospel of Philip, attributed to him and
believed written in the late second century although possibly based on earlier sources, describes three women who "always walked with
the master. Mary his mother, sister and Mary Magdalen called his companion. For 'Mary' is the name of his sister, his mother and his
companion."

The Magdalena is a comic-book heroine (Top Cow Comics) descended from Mary Magdalen and Saint Sara and secretly
employed by the Vatican. She wields the Spear of Destiny and battles vampires.

Mary Magdalen is the secret keeper. She is the repository of sacred mysteries. Her modern identity may depend upon the eyes of
her beholders. Mary Magdalen is venerated by Christians, Jews, and Pagans alike. Mary Magdalen is a Christian saint. Her official
hagiography says she traveled to France as a missionary. Others insist that she is the founder of an alternative and now secret spiritual
tradition. This theory, the basis for The Da Vinci Code, is also based on Gnostic texts such as the Pistis Sophia, which portrays Mary
Magdalen in conflict with Peter, considered the first pope and founder of the Church. Still other people perceive that Mary and Jesus
were adepts in secret spiritual traditions devoted to Isis or Asherah of the Sea. Alternatively Mary Magdalen was a priestess of
Atargatis, whose symbols are doves and fish. Some consider her an avatar of any or all of these goddesses.
In the 21 st century, Mary Magdalen has emerged as an independent goddess, venerated by goddess devotees around the world.
Whether as saint or goddess, Mary Mag dalen is invoked for miracles of love, romance, safety, and fertility. She may be asked to
protect those who are burdened or threatened by secrets. Mary Magdalen is a constant presence in classical art and popular culture.
Favored people: Beauticians, hairdressers, aromatherapists, perfumers, pharmacists, lovers
M anifestation: She is sometimes described as having naturally red or henna-reddened hair.
Attributes: An alabaster jar or box of perfumed unguent or solid perfume, a skull, an egg
Plant: Spikenard (Nardostachys grandiflora)

Constellation: Mary Magdalen is identified with the constellation Virgo, interpreted as resembling a lone woman holding the divine
child.
Sacred site: The cave at Sainte-Baume, near Marseilles, where one legend says she lived for thirty years.
Offerings: Candles, Galilean or French wine, sugar skulls, alabaster or other ornamental eggs (give her Fabergé eggs for a true
miracle and if you can afford it); burn myrrh incense in her honor
See also: Asherah of the Sea, Lady; Atargatis; Black Madonna; Helen of Troy; Isis; Macarena, La; Malinche; Mari (2);
Maries de la Mer; Sara la Kali

Matilda of the Night
Also known as: Mallt-y-Nos
Origin: Wales
Once upon a time, Matilda was a beautiful, irreverent Norman lady who loved hunting so much that she proclaimed that if there was
no hunting in heaven, she'd rather not go. Apparently, there is no hunting in heaven—after she died, Matilda became a leader of the
Wild Hunt. She travels with Arawn and his hounds, but sometimes she takes the dogs out by herself.
The story is sometimes told as a pious warning, but within may be a reminder that many of the Normans who accompanied William
the Conqueror were still Pagan. Ma tilda still rides and hunts, which is what she loves to do. Annwn, the Afterlife with which she is
affiliated, is a paradise, not a hell.
See also: Annwn, Hounds of; Arawn; Wild Hunt

Matuta

Also known as: Mater Matuta
Origin: Rome
Mater Matuta is the goddess of the dawn light but also has dominion over infants and sea travel. Her festival incorporated elaborate
theatrical rituals enacted by Roman ladies of status in precisely this order:
• A slave woman brought into Matuta's temple was then driven out with slaps and blows.
• The women carried their sisters' children in their arms to receive Matuta's blessings.
Exactly what these rituals meant to the Romans is now unclear, but the first part is often interpreted as a reenactment of Dawn
vanquishing malefic nocturnal spirits. The second part may represent Matuta's nurturing the sun, who is not her child but a relative.
Alternatively it's a reminder to entrust your children to family, not to strangers or slaves. This was a women's Mystery tradition. There
may have been an accompanying myth that is now unknown. (See the Glossary entry for Mystery.)
Matuta is invoked to protect your sister's children. An aunt must perform the invocation, not the mother.
Favored people: Newborn babies whom she protects. Obviously, others may petition on their behalf.
Feast: 11 June, the Matralia; before revision of the calendar, this was very close to the Summer Solstice.
Spirit ally: Fortuna shares the same feast day. The two goddesses had temples next door to each other in the Forum Boarium.
Sacred sites: Harbors and ports where she also possessed shrines
Offerings: Cakes, traditionally baked in terra cotta; flowers
See also: Bona Dea; Fortuna

Maui

Maui of a Thousand Tricks; Maui the Wise; The Super-Super Man
Origin: Polynesia
Maui, trickster hero, is a beloved magician spirit renowned throughout Polynesia. Maui of a thousand tricks is subject of a thousand
tales. He helped the creator deities complete the world and personally brought many gifts to humanity, sometimes challenging the
authority of the deities in order to do so. Maui famously snared the sun in the sky, but he also controlled the winds, arranged the stars,
and stole fire for people. Maui fished up the Hawaiian Islands and New Zealand's North Island, too.
There are different versions of his origins. He may have two divine parents or just one. His mother is usually Hina. Chants,
invocations, and magic spells attributed to Maui are repeated by devotees in the belief that they strengthen and empower.
M anifestation: A skilled, tricky, inventive shape-shifter
Attributes: Canoe, hook
Constellation: Scorpio (in Hawaiian astrology: Maui's fishing hook)

Sacred sites: Places throughout Polynesia are associated with him. For example, he snared the sun from Maui's Mount Haleakala.
See also: Hina

Maximon

The Old Man; The Uncle
Pronounced: Mah-shee-mon
Also known as: Maam; Don Pedro; Saint Simon; Brother Simon; Brother Peter
Origin: Maya
Christian missionaries who came to Guatemala to convert the local people encountered the primordial Mayan deity Maam.
Attempts to syncretize him to Saint Simon backfired. Instead of the Mayan god fading discreetly into the identity of the saint, Maximon,
as he became known, took on a whole new life and personality of his own: defiant, rambunctious, anti-social. The Church then
attempted to syncretize him with Judas Iscariot or even Satan, but it was too late. All they did was enhance Maximon's outlaw image
and make his devotees love and admire him even more.
The name Maximon is often interpreted as deriving from Maam and Simon. Another theory suggests that it derives from Maam and
ximon, a Mayan word that may refer to a bundle or the act of "tying up", essentially creating a bundle. (The use of bundles as sacred
objects is not uncommon in indigenous American spiritual and magical traditions.)
Although his wardrobe has been updated and modernized, Maximon is an ancient, primordial spirit. He has survived numerous
attempts to suppress his veneration and is now more popular than ever, venerated throughout the Americas and Europe. He is generally
benevolent, associated with healing, prosperity, and protection. In Guatemala, Maximon is traditionally invoked for protection for or
from anti-government forces. Nothing is beyond his assistance or outside his jurisdiction, but he is a trickster. Be wary.
Maximon is invoked to heal addictions. He may be invoked on behalf of someone else who cannot or will not ask him
themselves. It is not necessary to tell the person that you have requested Maximon's blessings on their behalf. The deal is
between you and Maximon.

Maximon is a crossroads spirit. He mediates between the living and the dead, people and spirits. He serves as a bridge between
malevolent and benevolent spirits. Maximon is an extremely responsive spirit who works for comparatively modest offerings. He will
accept requests on behalf of others, especially addicts. Make offerings, and then tell him what the other person needs. However, even if
the other person reaps the blessings, Maximon is doing you the favor: you must fulfill any vows.
Maximon is invoked in numerous magical spells, rituals, and operations:
• Place his image in shops to stimulate better business and for luck, money, and protection. Maximon foils and/or punishes shoplifters and thieves.
• If someone abuses you, whisper your needs directly into the ear of Maximon's image. Place the person's photo under
Maximon's left foot, or write a note and place it there.
• Coil a rope around his image (even around his neck!) to show him that you need his help capturing someone's heart (or hobbling
competing suitors); whisper in his ear to tell him what you need.
• Wrap a rope around his image to keep your spouse from running off with another.
Maximon often accumulates an extensive wardrobe. He is a fastidious spirit whose clothes must be kept clean. The rinse water used
when hand-washing his clothes may be preserved as Holy Water or magically charged water. It allegedly has magical and healing
powers.
M anifestation: Maximon may indicate his presence via the smell of cigar smoke when no cigars are present. He visits in dreams.
Iconography: The oldest images of Maxi mon consisted of masks and mysterious wrapped bundles. However a modern votive
image has also evolved possibly based on the only known existing photograph of shaman, wizard, and Maximon devotee Francisco
Sojuel (died circa 1907), credited with crafting the first modern Maximon mask. This image depicts Maximon as a mustached man

wearing a black suit and a Stetson or similar hat. He is usually, but not exclusively, depicted sitting. The modern image closest to his
ancient one consists of a bundle of fabric topped with one or more Stetson hats.
Votive images range from pocket-size to life-size. The mouth of his statue may be open so a real cigar may be inserted. Alternatively,
the statue may be designed so that the cigar can be placed in his hand. Ashes and stubs from offerings are collected and preserved.
Placed in a small charm bag, they serve as amulets, allegedly bringing good luck. Sometimes tubes are inserted into statues so Maximon
can actually "drink". Liquor passing through his system is then reserved for ritual use.
Colors: An elaborate color scheme is used to communicate with Maximon. Those who are experienced candle-burners may
choose to retain their own candle color associations, but the following color chart is commonly used to communicate desires and
petitions to Maximon. Burn the color candle that closest represents your needs:
• Black: Protection from envy, jealousy, enemies, and the deliberately cast Evil Eye
• Blue: For good luck, employment
• Brown: Protection from resentment and the accidentally cast Evil Eye
• Green: Business, prosperity, cash
• Light Blue: Cash, travel, education, and happiness
• Pink: Hope, health
• Red: Love, fidelity
• White: Protection of children
• Yellow: Protection for adults
Time: Guatemalan festivals coincide with Holy Week, culminating on Good Friday.
Sacred site: Maximon is the subject of innumerable home shrines, but his major public shrine is in Lake Atitlan, Guatemala.
Offerings: Hats, silk scarves, flowers (he likes bougainvilleas, carnations, and gladioli), fruit, tobacco products especially cigars,
copal incense, water, Coca-Cola, tequila, aguardiente. An elaborate offering when you really need a big favor or as fulfillment of a vow
is forty candles plus copal incense.
See also: Ajitz; Malinche

Mayahuel

Lady Maguey; The Woman of Four Hundred Breasts
Also known as: Xochitl
Origin: Aztec
Mayahuel is the spirit of the maguey plant ( Agave americana), also known as the century plant, among the most sacred botanicals
of preconquest Mexico. The maguey's gifts (and thus Mayahuel's) include food, shelter, drink, medicine, soap, cloth, thread, needle,
baskets, blankets, and paper. Maguey thorns were used as ritual bloodletting instruments. Last but not least, maguey is made into the
alcoholic beverages pulque and mescal. (Tequila is made from a different type of agave.) Pulque was the most common alcoholic
beverage in preconquest Mexico.
Different legends connect Mayahuel to maguey. She may have always been a plant goddess or she may have been a mortal peasant
woman who discovered maguey and offered it to the spirits. They were so delighted that they instantly transformed her into a spirit, too.
The essence of vitality, libido, and fertility, Mayahuel has dominion over Earth, the night sky, intoxication, drunkenness, and
hallucinations.
• Mayahuel can correct female reproductive rhythms and is invoked for fertility.
• She is a spirit of healing and sacred ecstasy.
M anifestations: Mayahuel is a beautiful woman or a maguey plant.

Iconography: Her main icon is a blooming maguey, but she is also depicted as a birthing woman with big breasts and open legs,
seated on a turtle. In the Borgia Codex manuscript, she nurses a fish. She is sometimes envisioned with four hundred breasts, a
reference to maguey's aguamiel, the milky sap from which pulque is made.
Attributes: Two cups, presumably containing pulque
Elements: Earth, water
Consort: Xochipilli
Creatures: Snail, rabbit
Time: Mayahuel is linked to the Aztec rabbit day.
Offerings: Maguey plants or any products of maguey, including pulque and mescal. Mescal is sometimes sold in ornate,
handcrafted artisanal bottles fit for a goddess.
See also: Xochipilli; Xochitl

Mazzik

The Injurer; The Harmer
Classification: Demon
Origin: Jewish
Mazzik may be a specific type of spirit or a blanket term for various Jewish categories of possibly malicious spirits including Ruhin,
Shedim, and Lilim. The plural is technically Mazzikim or Mazzikin, but many just call them Mazziks. Mazzik may be understood as a
generic term for "demon." The Mazzik is generally a relatively low-level demon. Jewish demonology traditionally reserves its largest
concerns for possession by dybbuks (ghosts, disembodied souls).
• Dybbuks are a crisis.
• Mazziks are a fact of life.
Maskim are ancient Mesopotamian spirits. Their name is translated as "Those Who Lay Ambushes." Surviving Babylonian clay
tablets recount exorcisms and incantations used against them. There are fourteen Maskim:
• Seven reside beneath Earth and cause earthquakes and epidemics.
• Seven reside over Earth and are destructive, malevolent wind and storm spirits.
Underworld Maskim live in Ereshkigal's court, serving as her messengers and throne bearers.
The name Mazzikim may derive from Maskim. Although the names are essentially the same, the spirits are not identical.
Mazziks are rarely possessing spirits. They tend to attack only if angered or unhappy. Most Mazzik-lore assumes coexistence.
Invisible Mazziks are ever-present, and so the best defense is to know how to live with them. The Jewish equivalent of Feng Shui is
largely concerned with maintaining peaceful relations with demons.
Mazzikim, like Djinn, prefer uninhabited wild places (deserts, fields, forests), bathhouses, and old-fashioned outhouses. They like
ritually impure places and slaughterhouses. They love deep shadows: moon-shadows, shade trees, and especially nut trees. Mazzikim
linger under roofs and rain gutters on moonlit nights, possibly a stimulus for protective gargoyles, which may guard against them. They
love ruins and cemeteries.
What appears to be unoccupied land may not be. It is dangerous to construct homes or buildings on land that is already claimed by
Mazziks, as with the Fairy Roads of Ireland. Are there a disproportionate number of accidents? Is the death rate unusually high? This

could be a sign that Mazziks are asserting land rights. If it's not Mazziks, fasting, praying, and good deeds should improve the situation,
but if there isn't a marked improvement relatively soon, the simple solution is:
move! Preferably somewhere far, where provoked
demons won't follow.
• Don't construct new buildings on unoccupied land. (There may be a good reason it's unoccupied.) If you must build, make it
look as impermanent as possible—a tent may not evoke a Mazzik's fury. Stone houses imply permanence, which the demons
may perceive as arrogant and an insult.
• Don't move into a new house at all. Look for an older home with a happy, healthy history. Don't move into a home previously
occupied by people with more than their fair share of illness and bad luck. Once upon a time, in medieval European Jewish
communities, people were paid to live in new homes until safety had been established.
• If an old house is demolished in order to replace it with a new one, keep the windows and doors in the same old places. Mazziks
are famously not the geniuses of the spirit world —move their usual entrance and they will constantly bang their heads. Their
standard response isn't to learn the new locations but to strike out at whoever took the old ones away. (That's why they're
demons, not research assistants.)
• Mazziks don't like to have their movement impeded. They have a tendency to throw fits and cause trouble if they can't get in or
out. Don't make doors and windows absolutely air-tight: leave tiny cracks or holes, even a keyhole, so they can travel through.

A legend describes Hungarian Jews who settled in a previously unoccupied place. Their death rate suddenly soared. They prayed,
fasted, wondered what they had done wrong but to no avail. One day the leader of their community encountered what appeared to be a
band of people whose leader rode a lion using a snake as a bridle. This demon leader advised the community leader to leave; the land
was already claimed. The people left, and their death rate immediately receded back to normal.
Mazziks aren't all bad. They can be benevolent or beneficial toward people. They are sometimes summoned to reveal the future. If
they deem the questioner worthy, Mazziks will tell the truth. If not, they may answer a summons to appear but refuse to answer or
cooperate. (Alternatively they may lie or tell deceptive half-truths.) The King of the Mazzikin is named Kafzefoni. The angel Jophiel
protects against him and his two wives, the Dreary One and the Little Leper.
Certain types of bad luck are associated with Mazziks:
• A disproportionate number of bereavements in a family, especially of children.
• Women whose husbands die. (Anyone may be a widow once but surviving multiple husbands may indicate demonic interference
à la the biblical Book of Tobit.)

Contact with Mazzikim may cause illness characterized by alternating fever and chills. Mazziks may not intentionally inflict illness.
Sensitive people, especially children, may simply react negatively to their presence. Should you survive a Mazzik-attack, it's
recommended that you and yours avoid the scene of the attack, lest the demon is awaiting another opportunity to try again Amulets and
appeals to protective spirits, especially guardian angels will keep Mazziks away or at least keep you safe
M anifestation: Mazziks can shape-shift. Favored forms include dogs, frogs, and goats. They may appear as people, too.
Plants: Caper bushes, nut trees
Direction: North
Offerings: Water as well as oil and breadcrumbs, which may be cast on the ground

See also: Demon; Djinn; Dybbuk; Eresh kigal; Lilim; Mahalat; Raphael; Shedim; Siddhe and the Glossary entry for Pos
session

Medea
Origin: Georgia by the Black Sea
In the epic myth of Jason and the Argonauts, Jason is presented as the hero who stole the Golden Fleece. Really Medea

accomplished the task. She orchestrates their escape from Colchis with the fleece, too. If anyone is a hero in that story, it's Medea and
yet she's more famous as a notorious villain, a mother accused of killing her sons, possibly to protect them but possibly to spite their
father.
Greek mythology presents Medea as an enchantress, witch, priestess, and shaman. She is Circe's niece and Hekate's chief priestess.
Medea is not Greek. She was a Georgian princess from Colchis, a place the Greeks then associated with the ends of the Earth. Her
associations with witchcraft and herbalism were perceived as threatening, frightening and foreign.
Eventually, according to myth, Jason rejected Medea in favor of a proper Greek princess, Glauce of Corinth. This action is allegedly
what stimulated Meda to murder her sons. Depending on the version of the myth, Medea either killed herself too, or she escaped in a
chariot pulled by dragons, sent by Hekate or Hera.
Medea may be a villain elsewhere, but she is a goddess in Georgia, where people scoff at the notion that she would kill her children.
One legend suggests that the boys escaped with Medea. Another says that she didn't kill them—they were killed by Corinthians who
perceived them as a threat to Jason's future Greek children.
• Medea and her sons were venerated in Georgia.
• Her two young boys were venerated in Corinth but possibly as propitiation so that they wouldn't harm their murderers.
Medea is a goddess of magic, witchcraft, and fertility. She is a healing goddess. In the legend of Jason and the Argonauts, Medea
presides over the huge healing garden attached to the temple of Hekate. She may be a deified priestess. Medea comes from a family of
deities including Circe, Helios, Pasiphae, and Hekate. Why shouldn't she be a goddess, too?
• Italian myth suggests that when Medea fled Greece, she traveled to Italy where she became Angitia.
• Because Medea was the only mortal to effectively refuse Zeus' advances, Hera honored her with immortality.
• Medea may be married to Achilles in the afterlife.
• Medea's myth is preserved in Euripides' play Medea, first produced in 431 B CE. Opera diva Maria Callas plays Medea in Pier
Paolo Pasolini's 1969 film, Medea. She is also the subject of several operas.
• Medea is a maligned heroine in German author Christa Wolf's 1998 novel, Medea.
Animals: Snake, dragon
Planetary object: Medea is the name of a large asteroid.
Offerings: Georgian wine, flowers, herbs, perfume, incense, images of snakes
See also: Achilles; Angitia; Circe; Helios; Hekate; Hera; Pasiphae; Zeus

Medusa
Origin: Libya

Medusa, the most beautiful and only mortal Gorgon sister, is a sea spirit. Poseidon courted her. She may have had consensual or
even sacred sex with him in Athena's temple, or she may have fled to the temple to get away from him. Pursuing her, he raped her there.
Either way, Athena was furious. She transformed Medusa into a terrifying creature with snakes for hair and a face that literally turned
those who gazed at her to stone.
When Perseus was sent to kill Medusa, a hopeless task he was not expected to survive, Athena orchestrated the assassination.
Perseus beheaded Medusa while she slept, but her severed head retained its power to paralyze and turn viewers to stone. Perseus used
it as a weapon before surrendering it to Athena. Pegasus, the winged horse, emerged from Medusa's severed head, apparently
conceived during her tryst with Poseidon, who often manifests as a stallion.
That's the Greek myth. Other legends suggest that Medusa is a Libyan snake goddess. She may be Athena's mother, a closely
related spirit, or possibly even the identity Athena left behind when she moved from North Africa to Greece. Athena's participation in
the destruction of Medusa may be interpreted as the goddess destroying her own past. Alternatively she desired Medusa's power.
Athena wore Medusa's head on her aegis and shield. Another myth suggests that Athena possessed more than Medusa's head: she
flayed Medusa and wore her skin.
Medusa is not just a minor sea spirit. She is a goddess of menstrual power and hence female power. There is an ancient metaphysical
belief that menstrual blood is the single most spiritually and magically powerful substance on Earth. It can be used to destroy or

overwhelm any other power.
Snakes are traditionally associated with menstruation. Modern euphemisms for menstruation including calling it a woman's friend or
the curse, but an evocative, old-fashioned one describes a menstruating woman as "bitten by the snake". A German folk belief,
documented as late as the eighteenth century, suggests that if a menstruating woman's hair is buried in Earth, it will become a snake. In
southern Asia, there's an ancient belief that menstruation indicates possession by snake spirits.
Coral is allegedly Medusa's blood, which spilled into the sea and was petrified. Medusa heads were traditionally carved as
coral cameos for an extremely powerful protective amulet .

Medusa embodies menstruation's protective powers. Statues of Medusa were used to guard Pagan Greek temples. Her image was
used in Byzantine Greece to protect pregnant women and newborns. The image of her severed head remains a powerful protective
amulet. She may also be accessed as a living goddess by those seeking menstrual, serpentine mysteries.
The technical term for the image of Medusa's severed head is gorgoneion.

M anifestation: Medusa may manifest as the beautiful goddess she was prior to her transformation or in her classic monster form
with contorted face and snake locks. She may also manifest as a mermaid.

Iconography: Medusa is usually portrayed as the monster she became after her transformation by Athena. Most frequently, only
her severed head is depicted. Sometimes, however, she is portrayed as a living woman. Her face is a Gorgon's mask, but her body is
that of a woman dressed and girded for battle. Modern images of mermaids, some with snakey hair, are also sometimes labeled
Medusa, but these are usually modern Gorgon mermaids. In 2008, the Mattel company produced the "Barbie Doll as Medusa", a
collector's doll that portrays a beautiful, sexy pre-transformation Medusa. She wears snake jewelry and a chiffon fishtail skirt. Her hair
forms long curls that, according to Mattel, foretell the serpents that will become her hair.
Planet: Moon (many, including Orpheus' disciples, have seen Medusa's face in the moon)
Star: Algol, usually considered a star of ill-fortune, is traditionally perceived as representing Medusa's eye. Some modern
astrologers suggest that this star is associated with female power and the reemergence of the feminine divine. In addition, the Medusa
Nebula within the constellation of Gemini features snakelike filaments of glowing gas.
Creatures: Lions, snakes
Offerings: Coral, anything serpentine, menstrual blood stained pads or garments
See also: Arion; Athena; Despoena; Gor gons; Iodama; Lady of the Beasts; Lilith; Mermaid; Metis; Pallas; Poseidon

Melalo
Origin: Romani (Transylvanian Gypsy)

Melalo the master magician is the first child of Ana, Queen of the Keshalyi, and her husband, King of the Loçolico. Melalo is
considered the most dangerous of her children and an exceptionally powerful demon. His name means "filthy," as in dirty but also
obscene.
Melalo, an expert on love and fertility magic, is the mastermind who orchestrates the births of his siblings, disease demons one and all.
The king of the Loçolico is genuinely in love with Ana. He seeks to have sex with her because he desires her. Melalo, however, hates
people and encouraged his father's pursuit of his mother so that she would continue to produce disease demons to kill people and stop
them from multiplying. On the other hand, Melalo and his sister/wife Lilyi have many children to whom they are devoted.

Melalo causes mental illness and strokes. He stirs up rage, deliberately instigating rape, murder, and wanton destruction. He is
described as ripping out human hearts with his claws.
M anifestation: Melalo resembles a two-headed bird with dull green plumage.
See also: Ana; Bitoso; Keshalyi; Lilyi; Loçolico; Minceskro; Poreskoro

Melk
Also known as: Malk; Plural: Mlouk

The Mlouk are the spirits summoned and venerated by Morocco's Gnawa Brother hood. Although the name resembles a Semi tic
word for "king" (Arabic: Malik, Hebrew: Melekh), it actually derives from an Arabic verb meaning "to own." The Mlouk are literally
the owners or possessors, all implications intended.
Mlouk are invoked via rituals, incense, music, songs, and colors. Each individual Melk has songs, rhythms, fragrances, colors, and so
forth that call him or her. Mlouk are both female and male. The various Mlouk derive from African shamanism, Sufism, and the Jewish
Bible. (Moses is the Blue Melk.) Most are considered either Muslim or Jewish; a few are Pagan.
There are seven Mlouk troops who are identified by colors: purple, red, blue, black, green, yellow, and white. Each has a leader. For
example, Lalla Mira is the Yellow Melk.
As with Vodou or Bori spirits, Mlouk appear during rituals in specific order. Male Muslim Mlouk appear first, followed by female
Muslim Mlouk and then Jewish and Sudanese Mlouk, who appear together. Aisha Qandisha and Aisha Sudaniyya are considered
Sudanese Mlouk. (In this context, the term Sudanese refers to sub-Saharan Africa in general and not just the modern nation.)
Mlouk are possessing spirits. They cannot be exorcised. The possessed person is inhabited by a spirit who can become either an ally
or an enemy:
• If the human is a welcoming host, a symbiotic alliance is formed.
• If the human is not welcoming, then the spirit tenant who can't be evicted causes trouble, anguish, and poor health.
See also: Aisha Qandisha; Aisha Sudan iyya; Bori; Djinn; Lalla Mira; Mimoun, Sidiand the Glossary entry for Possession

Melkart

King of the City
Also known as: Melquart; Tyrian Heracles; Ba'al Melqart
Origin: Phoenician; Canaanite
Melkart, chief deity of the city-state Tyre, now in modern Lebanon, was venerated across the Mediterranean coast of Europe and
North Africa, especially in Carthage. He is lord of the sea and sky, credited with discovering the Tyrian purple dye extracted from
mollusks, from which Phoenicia made her fortune. (Alternatively the dye was discovered by Melkart's lover, the Nymph Tyros, or his
dog.) The earliest known written reference to Melkart derives from the ninth century BCE. Hannibal is Melkart's most famous devotee.
Ba'al Melkart may or may not be the same Ba'al that the prophets railed against in the Old Testament. His great temple in Tyre
served as the architectural prototype for Solomon's Temple in Jerusalem. The Greeks and Romans
identified him with Heracles.
Heracles was also widely venerated—references to him in Phoenician areas or formerly Phoenician areas may refer to the Greek deity
or to Melkart.
M anifestation: He resembles classical images of Heracles—a huge, powerful man.
Consort: Astarte, Astronoë, and Tyros are among the goddesses with whom he is linked

Planet: Sun
Element: Water
Color: Purple
Animal: Dog
M ount: Seahorse
Sacred sites: In addition to Tyre and Carthage, Melkart had temples in Cadiz, Ibiza, Cartagena, and what is now Cape Saint
Vincent, the southwestern-most point in Europe.
See also: Astarte; Ba'al; Heracles; Nymph; Solomon

Melusine

Also known as: Melusina
Origin: France
Raymond of Poitou was riding through a medieval French forest when he discovered Melusine, a beautiful, solitary woman bathing
in a freshwater spring. He fell madly in love with her and asked her to marry him. She agreed on the condition that once a week, on
Saturdays, she be given utter, total privacy. He agreed.
All was well for a while. Melusine and Raymond had several children. Some of the children had unusual features, exceptionally large
teeth for instance, or tusks. It's unclear whether it was the children's appearance that whetted Raymond's curiosity or if he ever
wondered why he had met Melusine bathing all alone in the middle of a lonely forest, but after several years, her Saturday ritual of
locking herself away and disappearing for the day became too much for him. Consumed with curiosity, he spied on Melusine. He
discovered her all by herself, bathing in a huge tub of water, but she was not the woman he knew; instead she was part woman, part
dragon—complete with wings and a serpent tail.
When she realized her privacy had been broached and her secret revealed, Melusine flew away. She never returned to her husband,
but she periodically returned to see her children.
Various legends describe why Melusine is a dragon-woman. In some it is a result of a curse. In others, that's just her natural form—
she's a goddess. Melusine's true home may be the Celtic afterlife paradise, the Isle of Avalon. She is an ancestral spirit. Many claim to
be descended from her. When a member of her family dies, even now Melusine or a dragon allegedly manifests, flying overhead and
weeping.
That one day of privacy was apparently necessary for Melusine's survival. She may be petitioned by those who seek time to express
private, secret aspects of their personalities or who need time to allow hidden talents to emerge. She is a goddess of magical and
spiritual wisdom.
Melusine may mean "sea mist," "marvel," or "wonder."

M anifestation: Melusine may manifest as a woman, but her true form is a dragon woman: winged woman above the waist,
serpentine tail below. In whatever form, she is exceptionally beautiful.
Iconography: Melusine is sometimes por trayed as a mermaid rather than a snake-woman.
Element: Water
See also: Mami Waters; Toyotama-Hime; Vouivre

Meness
Also known as: Menuo; Menulis
Origin: Baltic

Meness is lord of the moon and guardian of the dead. He is also a chthonic spirit of Earth. It was believed that the old waning moon
lived underground, while the young new moon lived in the sky. Meness is invoked for health and good fortune. Always address Meness
as if he were a prince.
Meness is closely associated with Saulé, Goddess of the Sun to whom he was once married. Meness is fickle, changeable, like the
moon—the marriage ended when he fell in love with Ausriné, but he still hangs around the silver gates of Saulé's palace, flirting with her
daughters.
M anifestation: Meness is the moon. He wears a cloak of starry night.
M ount: Meness' chariot is drawn by gray horses.
See also: Ausriné; Chthonic Spirit; Saulé

Menthe
Also known as: Minthe
Classification: Nymph

Although long-standing, the marriage of Hades and Persephone is not generally considered a love match. Hades apparently wished
to marry Persephone in order to strengthen his position as Lord of Death in the same way that his brothers Poseidon and Zeus forced
themselves upon their brides, Amphitrite and Hera. It was a strategic alliance. Hades' heart really belonged to another, the Nymph
Menthe.
Hades and Menthe may have been lovers before his marriage. An alternative myth suggests that Persephone's coldness toward her
husband drove him into another's arms. Either way, when Persephone's mother Demeter discovered this affair, she was outraged and
transformed Menthe into the humble mint plant so that everyone would trample her. (Another version suggests that Persephone herself
discovered the lovers and performed the transformation.)
The joke was on the enraged goddess, whether mother or daughter: the transformation did not halt the affair and it only served to
increase Menthe's powers. When mint is trampled underfoot, it releases its signature seductive aroma. Mint remains among the most
beloved of all herbs.
Hades and Menthe continued their affair. Menthe was worshipped alongside Hades at some of his shrines, sometimes discreetly,
sometimes not. Menthe's powers are manifest in mint plants. Many species are aphrodisiacs with profound healing powers. They are
potent cleansing agents; hence the popularity of mint flavored toothpaste and facial cleansers. Menthe is an erotic goddess who may be
invoked for assistance with love, healing, and spiritual cleansing. Mint also has contraceptive properties. Peppermint and spearmint were
allegedly the favorite plants of Roman prostitutes. Menthe is a goddess of contraception. She heals digestive ailments.
Favored people: The other woman
M anifestation: Fresh mint plants evoke Menthe's presence. She also manifests as a beautiful woman dressed in green.
Spirit allies: Menthe and Hades may be venerated together. Keep Menthe far from Demeter and Persephone.
Offerings: Fresh mint plants, mint scented cosmetics, mint tea, Crème de Menthe liqueur, mint juleps, and peppermint candy
See also: Amphitrite; Daphne; Demeter: Hades; Hera; Kura; Nymph; Persephone; Poseidon; Zeus

Mephitis
Also known as: Mefitis; Mefite
Origin: Italy
Sometimes healing springs smell foul; that's the abode of Mephitis, Goddess of Fumes. She presides over noxious vapors
and
healing. Mephitis has dominion over emanations, especially those that smell foul or that have some sort of profound effect on the body.
Thus she presides over poisonous gas and sulfur springs. Mephitis specifically protects against malaria, once a serious health problem in
Italy before its many swamps were drained. She is also petitioned to avert bad smells from sewers. Lakes and grottoes associated with
Mephitis may be gates to the Underworld. She is a threshold spirit who lingers between realms.
Mephitis was an Italian goddess, possibly originally Sabine or Samnite, whom the Romans inherited. She was widely venerated
throughout southern Italy. A fourth-century BCE wooden statue identified as Mephitis was found near Benevento, later famous for its
witchcraft traditions. Mephi tis is now an obscure goddess, but her name is firmly entrenched in modern vocabulary:
• Mephitic is a synonym for malodorous.
• Mephites are lakes, grottoes, or other sources of water that exude poisonous or noxious vapors or steam.
• Mephitis mephitis is the scientific classification assigned to skunks.
Mephitis is petitioned to protect against negative effects of these emissions. She is also invoked to reap their healing benefits where
applicable.
Sacred site: Mephitis had a temple near Ampsanctus on the Appian Way. The temple precinct included a cave that gave off
suffocating vapors. She also had a shrine in Lucania in southern Italy.
See also: Diana; Palici

Mercury
Also known as: Mercurius
Origin: Italy

Mercury is a trickster spirit who is happy to masquerade as other spirits. Long ago the Italian deity Mercury was syncretized to
Greek Hermes. The two are now virtually indistinguishable, but they are not the same spirit. Mercury is urban, while the roots of Hermes
lie in the rustic countryside. Hermes has a broader base of interests, while Mercury is a spirit of money, finances, and prosperity. His
name is related to words like merchants, merchandise , or commerce as well as mercenary, a soldier of fortune.
• In Rome, Mercury was most closely associated with commerce.
• In Celtic areas, where he was very beloved, he was also associated with prosperity, fertility, and healing. (This may derive from
identification with local Celtic deities or with Hermes.)
He had no official consort in Rome, but in Celtic regions Mercury was paired with various Gaulish goddesses, especially Rosmerta.
Following the advent of Christianity, his role and many shrines were reassigned to Michael Archangel.
In Roman influenced Teutonic regions, the name Mercurius was applied to Odin, possibly because of physical resemblances. Both
deities traditionally dress as travelers. (See the Glossary entry for Identification.) This is well-documented beginning in the first century
CE and continuing to the High Middle Ages. (For example, twelfth century historian Geoffrey of Monmouth writes explicitly of the
identification of the two deities.)
Mercury assumed Odin's associations with magic and occultism, not present in his original Italian form. (Alternatively, Odin's true
nature peeks out from behind the mask of Mercury.) By the medieval era, Mercury was profoundly associated with alchemy and
ceremonial magic as he remains today.
Mercury is a generous spirit but his temperament is mercurial. He loves practical jokes and word games. Always be exceptionally
careful how you phrase petitions to him, paying close attention to nuance and implication, lest he give you what you accidentally asked

for, rather than what he knows very well that you desire. Mercury has quicksilver intelligence and wit. He is easily bored. Keep him
entertained and he'll be more likely to keep you happy, healthy, and prosperous. Although Mercury patronizes the dishonest, he may
also be invoked to protect against them.
Favored people: Merchants, perjurers, forgers, counterfeiters, alchemists, astrologers, ceremonial magicians as well as those born
under the zodiac signs Gemini and Virgo. People born when the planet Mercury was retrograde, regardless of sun sign, are also
Mercury's special children.
M anifestation: He wears a traveler's cloak and either a broad-brimmed traveler's hat or a winged cap. He went native in Gaul
and is depicted wearing a torc; sometimes in Gaul, his hat is replaced by horns and he resembles Cernunnos.
Iconography: Mercury is a popular subject of ancient as well as Renaissance art. He may be the inspiration for the Magician tarot
card, which may be used to represent him.
Attributes: Caduceus (staff with two entwined serpents), money bag. In Gaul he also sometimes has a drawn sword indicating that
he aggressively guards devotees' finances.
Creatures: Rooster (cockerel), tortoise
Day: Wednesday (in French: Mercredi)
Date: 15 May, the Festival of the Mer curalia
Planet: Mercury
M etals: Quicksilver/mercury and zinc
Plants: Dog's Mercury ( Mercurialis perennis ) and other members of the potentially dangerous Mercurialis plant family, also
known as the Spurge family. Mercury also rules kitchen herbs like anise, dill, and fennel.
Spirit ally: Neptune—together they support the maritime trade.
Sacred site: His temple on the Aventine Hill dedicated in 495 BCE was associated with the formation of a brotherhood of
merchants.
Offerings: Mercury Head Dimes, Mercury-brand cars and tools of magic
See also: Asklepius; Hermes; Michael; Morgan Le Fay; Odin; Rosmerta

Meretseger

She who Loves Silence; Lioness of the Summit; Lady of the Necropolis
Origin: Egypt

Meretseger, guardian of the Necropolis, lives atop a pyramid-shaped mountain overlooking Egypt's Valley of the Kings. She
protects graves from tomb raiders and treasure hunters. Meretseger protects the righteous but punishes malefactors. Laborers who lived
and worked in the Valley of Kings feared her wrath, lest their actions be misunderstood as threatening graves.
Meretseger's punishment is usually administered via snake bite or scorpion sting, but just staying far from snakes isn't sufficient to
avoid her justice. Meretseger can also inflict blindness. She is not a hard-hearted goddess, however. She responds to repentance and
can heal afflictions associated with her, whether or not she personally caused them. Meretseger, cosmic security guard, protects the
living as well as the dead, especially against snakes and venomous creatures.

M anifestation: Meretseger may manifest as a cobra or a woman with a cobra's head, a cobra with a woman's face peeking out
from the hood, or a cobra with three heads: snake, woman, and vulture.
Bird: Vulture
Animals: Snake, lion
Offerings: Incense, fresh water and images of snakes

Mermaid
Nearly every culture on Earth possesses mermaid lore. They appear all over the world. Those lacking oceans have fresh-water
mermaids who inhabit springs, lakes, wells, rivers, and swamps. Archaeologists in the Middle East have excavated three-thousandyear-old bronze images of mermaids.
In general, mermaids share the following traits and talents:
• The power of prophecy.
• The ability to grant wishes and fulfill petitions.
• The power to bestow or remove fertility, prosperity, and abundance.
• A volatile temperament to varying degrees.
• Mermaids are not inclined to turn the other cheek; they are vengeful if angered or wronged.
Many but not all mermaids are skilled healers and quite a few are psychopomps leading dead souls to their next realm. Mermaids are
associated with female sexuality and power. Cultures bearing ambivalence toward that power often portray the mermaid as dangerous
and alluring, the seductress with evil intent. Mermaids eventually became symbols of lust and sin for the medieval Church.
Iconography: Images of mermaids appear as carved motifs in European cathedrals, including Auxerre, Basel, Beauvais, Cologne,
Freiburg, and Lyons. They often appear holding or nursing babies similar to a Madonna with child.
Attributes: Fish, seashells, musical instruments, human babies and especially combs and hand mirrors. In English,
comb is an
innocuous word with a single meaning. The Greek word for "comb," kteis, also signifies "vulva" and "seashell." The Latin word for
"comb," pecten, can signify "vulva," too.
Element: Water
Planet: Moon
Amulet: Coral is traditionally perceived as the petrified menstrual blood of mermaids and thus an exceptionally powerful protective
charm.
A list of mermaids may be found in the appendix.

See also: Medusa; Psychopomp; Vampire Mermaids

Merrow
Also known as: Murdhuacha (Gaelic)

The Merrow are Irish mermaids. There are mermen, too, but they have little interest in people and hence little contact. Female
Merrows, on the other hand, display interest in human life and so sometimes emerge from the water.
The Merrow's little red hat distinguishes her from other mermaids. She needs it to navigate between watery and terrestrial realms.
Capture the hat and capture the Merrow. Legends describe men stealing her hat in order to marry the Merrow. She usually makes a
good wife and adapts to human society. The hat must remain hidden, though, because if she regains it, she will return to the sea,
abandoning her husband, children, and whatever life she has created on land, no matter how happy, content or in love she may be. (It's
unclear whether the Merrow chooses to go or whether the hat exerts an irresistible lure.)
Merrows are reasonably gentle mermaids. As with others of their kind, they sit on rocks, sing alluringly, and create distractions;
hence, they are blamed for shipwrecks. Merrows also have a tendency to manifest just before storms, so their appearance may be
perceived as a dreaded harbinger. Merrows possess magical skill and knowledge, which they use on behalf of those humans they love
or for whom they feel loyalty.
An Irish legend suggests that in addition to banishing snakes, Saint Patrick transformed recalcitrant Pagan women into
mermaids.

Favored people: Their descendents: characterized by webbed digits and/or scaly skin.

M anifestation: Merrows are shape-shifters. They appear as beautiful mermaids, but on land may sprout legs and resemble human
women. (The tip-off to their true identity may be inexplicable water dripping from hair or clothing.) They also emerge from the water in
the form of small, hornless cattle.
Attribute: That jaunty little red hat
Offerings: Flowers (real or crafted from paper or clay), candy, fruit, wine
See also: Kua; Lorelei; Mermaid; Morgan Le Fay; Nixie

Meskhenet
Also known as: Meshkent; Meshkhenet
Origin: Egypt

Meskhenet, Goddess of Childbirth, protects laboring women and newborn babies. She is a mistress of magic and an expert on
charms, spells, and incantations. Meskhenet is a spirit of destiny who may reveal or ordain the child's future at birth. She also assists
with rebirth into the afterlife, following a person's death.
Favored people: Midwives

M anifestation: She manifests as a beautiful woman wearing a headdress in the form of a cow's uterus. She sometimes appears to
laboring women in her guise as the Four Meskhenets: dancing girls. They also dance at Khnum's side, chanting incantations and
banishing evil.
Iconography: A brick topped by a woman's head
Attribute: The birthing brick on which Egyptian women would kneel during labor
Emblem: Cow's uterus
See also: Anubis; Fairy, Birth; Hathor; Isis; Khnum; Ma'at

Metis

Wise Counsel
Metis, daughter of Oceanus and Tethys, is an ancient goddess of wisdom and cleverness. Metis gave Kronos the emetic potion that
caused him to vomit him up the children he had swallowed.
Metis married Zeus. She is his first or second wife, depending on whether one counts Dione. Prophesies foretold that Metis was
destined to bear incredibly brilliant, wise children. You would think most fathers would be happy about this, but not Zeus.
• Metis' first child, Athena, was destined to equal her father in wisdom and courage.
• Her second child was destined to conquer his father, just like Zeus and Kronos had conquered theirs.

Zeus determined that there would be no second child. He outfoxed Metis. When she was pregnant with Athena, he played a shapeshifting game with her. She took various different forms, and when she became a tiny fly, he swallowed her. The implication is that he
killed and consumed her, somehow managing to rescue daughter Athena, who later emerged full-grown in full battle gear from Zeus'
head.
Another theory suggests that Metis exists within Zeus: he is able to draw on her wisdom, with or without her permission.
Alternatively, Athena—who was born full-grown—is Metis. Athena's insistence on virginity and chastity is her way of staying safe: Zeus
will never permit the birth of the second child. (Erichtonios, the child she must keep secret, may be that child.)
• Metis may originally derive from North Africa, possibly related to Ma'at.
• Metis, Athena, and Medusa may form a trinity of closely related spirits.
M anifestation: Metis is a skilled shape-shifter, a talent that led to her undoing.
Element: Water
See also: Athena; Dione; Erich tonios; Kronos; Ma'at; Medusa; Oceanus; Zeus

Metresa
The Caribbean island of Hispaniola is divided into two nations: Haiti and the Dominican Republic. Although Vodou has historically
been associated with Haiti, related traditions exist in the Dominican Republic, too. The Dominican tradition is usually spelled Vodo or
referred to as the Twenty-One Divisions. Metresa is the term used to describe Vodo female spirits. It is a Spanish adaptation of the
French word Maîtresse or, in English, Mistress.
See also: Anaisa Pyé; Lubana; Lwa; Ma da ma, La; Metresili

Metresili
Classification: Metresa
Metresili derives from Metresa Sili or Maitresse Ezili. Metresili is the Dominican path of Ezili Freda Dahomey. Just as Ezili is
beloved in Haitian Vodou, so Metresili is among the most beloved Metresas. Like Ezili, Metresili is syncretized to Our Lady of
Sorrows. Unlike the wanton Ezili, however, Metresili has a reputation as a conservative and chaste, albeit romantic, spirit. She is
invoked for love, romance, and prosperity.

Iconography: Metresili is represented by the traditional image of Our Lady of Sorrows—a beautiful woman whose heart is pierced
by swords.

Feast day: 15 September
Colors: Pink, white, light blue
Offerings: Pink roses, pink champagne, rosé wine, pink and red carbonated drinks; pink liqueurs; heart-shaped milagros; oldfashioned lace Valentine hearts
See also: Ezili Freda Dahomey; Lwa; Metresa and the Glossary entries for Milagro, Path, and Syncretism

Miach
Origin: Ireland
Classification: Tuatha Dé Danaan

Miach is the father of healing herbs and the patron of herbalism. He is the son of Dian Cecht and is Airmid's brother. When Nuada,
Ruler of the Tuatha Dé Danaan, lost his hand in battle, he also lost his throne. Only someone with no physical imperfections was allowed
to rule. Dian Cecht, Sacred Physician, fitted him with a silver prosthetic hand, but the throne was given to Bres, who proved to be an
inadequate ruler. Dian Cecht's children, Airmid and Miach, determined to heal Nuada so he could reclaim his throne.
They located Nuada's severed hand, which had been buried, removed the silver prosthetic, and placed the original hand on the
stump, chanting an incantation:
Sinew to sinew; nerve to nerve;
joint to joint

In three times three days and nights, Nuada was good as new and fit to reign again. Dian Cecht was unhappy: his children had
publicly shown themselves to be greater healers than he. His anger was specifically directed at his son. He challenged him by slicing into
Miach's head with a sword and challenging him to heal. Miach did. Dian Cecht repeated the action, this time slicing deeper. Again,
Miach self-regenerated. Three times, Dian Cecht repeated the action; each time Miach was able to heal himself. Finally, Dian Cecht cut
open his head and removed the brain, and Miach was dead. After he was buried, 365 healing plants sprang from his grave, one for each
day of the year, one for every illness.
See also: Airmid; Dian Cecht; Nuada; Tuatha Dé Danaan

Miao Shan
Also known as: Kwan Yin
Origin: China

Once upon a time, there was a king who had no children but desperately wanted them. Well, what he really wanted were sons. He
petitioned the Lord of T'ai Shan, offering tremendous sacrifices. His petition was heard, and the king's wife shortly had three babies, but
they were girls. The king was terribly disappointed but was finally appeased by the thought that he would gain son-in-laws via his
daughters' marriages.
The eldest two were amenable, but the youngest, Miao Shan—the future Kwan Yin, Lady of Compassion—refused. She wished to
lead a spiritual life in a convent, causing bitter conflicts with Dad. Miao Shan tried to compromise by offering to marry a doctor so she
could help him relieve suffering. That wasn't the kind of son-in-law Dad had in mind; he sought politically advantageous marriages.
Eventually he seemed to relent, sending Miao Shan to the Monastery of the White Sparrow, but it was a ploy. He gave instructions
that she be treated so miserably that she would run home, give up her dreams, and beg to be married to her father's choice. Miao Shan

was ordered to wash, cook, and care for all five hundred nuns by herself, an impossible task. Then the miracles began:
• The Mother of the Great Bear sent a dragon to dig Miao Shan a well.
• A tiger brought wood for the fire.
• Birds gathered vegetables.
• The Spirit of the Hearth prepared all the meals.
Not impressed by these miracles, the king was enraged when he realized his plans had been foiled. He ordered the convent burnt
down with all the nuns inside. Miao Shan quenched the fires with a fresh miracle. Enraged, the king ordered her beheaded. Even when
the sword broke upon touching her neck, her father would not relent and recognize her holy nature. Finally, she was strangled to death.
She continued performing miracles after death. Miao Shan became the center of a tremendous cult in Western China. She received a
peach of immortality from Hsi Wang Mu and joined the Chinese pantheon as a goddess of eternal patience, mercy, and compassion.
In approximately 1100 CE, an official named Chiang Chih Ch'i visiting the Hsiang Shan monastery was given a text,
which purported to reveal Kwan Yin's true identity: she was really Princess Miao Shan. Events associated with her earthly
incarnation had occurred on the site where the monastery now stood. The monastery quickly became a major pilgrimage for
Kwan Yin devotees.

This myth has an alternative ending: Following various spiritual post-death trials, Buddha appeared to Miao Shan and gave her a
Peach of Immortality. She could have journeyed to Heaven but instead chose to stay on Earth for as long as there was one breath of
human suffering, and thus Princess Miao Shan evolved into the Bodhisattva Kwan Yin.
Miao Shan, once the focus of a significant spiritual tradition, is now virtually entirely absorbed by Kwan Yin. Statues of Kwan Yin are
used to represent Miao Shan (or vice versa.) Offerings and other pertinent information regarding veneration of Miao Shan are found in
the entry for Kwan Yin.
Attribute: A giant pearl of such luminosity that it serves Miao Shan as a night light; the pearl was a gift from the Dragon King for
saving his son.
See also: Bao Gu; Dragon Kings of the Sea; Hsi Wang Mu; Lady of the Beasts; Kwan Yin; Ma Zu; T'ai Shan, Lord

Michael

Captain of the Lord's House; Prince of the Heavenly Host
If there was ever an angelic popularity contest, it's likely that Michael Archangel would win. Michael is beloved by Pagans, Jews,
Christians, Muslims, and the unaffiliated. His name means "who is like the Lord." Statement or question? You decide.
Michael is head of the Lord's Army. He crushed the Rebel Angels. Legend has it that if Lucifer could only have persuaded Michael
to join him, Heaven would have been overthrown.
Michael is the angel of righteousness—he does what is right. He cannot be bribed. He is allegedly among the few angels who know
the Ineffable Name of Power.
Michael is invoked for protection from anything that frightens you. If you are worried about the safety of loved ones, Michael may be
petitioned on their behalf. He accepts petitions from one person on behalf of another. He is the archangel of justice and may be invoked
to provide justice for crimes committed against you. He is the special protector of victims of rape and may be invoked for protection
against sexual abuse.
An old verbal charm invokes Michael's vigilant protection:
Michael to the right of me,
Michael to the left of me,

Michael above me,
Michael below me,
Michael within me,
Michael all around me,
Michael, with your flaming sword
of cobalt blue, please protect me.
This charm's power is enhanced by simultaneously visualizing being surrounded by cobalt blue flames emanating from Michael's
sword. Further appeals may be added at the end of the charm. (For example, Michael, please protect my cat, my dog, my true love
and so forth. Be as specific as possible. Name and visualize your desire.)
Michael has dominion over fire magic and candle spells. He is the angel of fire safety, also invoked for safety at sea. He is the patron
of those suffering from sea sickness or motion sickness. Moroccan folklore suggests that precipitation (rain, snow, hail) falls from a
celestial reservoir or sea. Michael presides over this sea. Precipitation only occurs according to his command.
Michael serves as a psychopomp, escorting dead souls to the next realm and guarding them on their journey. Russian folklore
envisions him as a ferryman bringing good souls toward Paradise's radiant light. Michael guards the gates of
Paradise. At the Final Judgment, he will weigh the souls of the dead.
Michael is the Angel of Insomnia, which he both heals and causes. According to Jewish legend, the reason King Ahasueros couldn't
sleep in the Queen Esther story is because the Creator sent Michael to afflict him with sleeplessness.
Michael makes frequent public appearances. Apparitions of Michael have been recorded in Mexico, Italy, and France.
Most recently, in 1995 and 1996, Egyptian Christians and Muslims witnessed numerous apparitions of Michael in the Church
of Saint Michael in the village of Kafr Yusuf Samri. He appeared in various forms both with and without wings. Miracles
recorded include exorcisms, healings, and multiplication of oil .

John Travolta played the warrior angel in the 1996 movie, Michael.

Favored people: Theoretically Michael as humanity's defender is everyone's guardian, but he is also specifically patron of
firefighters, warriors, paratroopers, radiologists, fencers, sword smiths, knights, ambulance drivers, artists, mariners, and law
enforcement officers. Judaism, Coptic Christianity, and Roman Catholicism all claim him as their special patron. He also favors
professionals who utilize scales, including chemists, pharmacists, bakers, and grocers, possibly also drug dealers and weight watchers.

M anifestation: Michael takes many forms ranging from a classical winged angel to a being of brilliant, blinding light to a head of
garlic. Garlic contains his essence and is thus more than just a protective amulet; it is an actual manifestation of Michael.

Iconography: Michael is frequently portrayed as a winged Roman soldier. He is commonly portrayed with a dragon; this is now
interpreted as representing his victory over Lucifer, but this image may hark back to the days when Michael was worshipped as a deity
in Babylonia and Persia. He may once have ridden that dragon. (Sometimes a devil is substituted for the dragon.)
Attributes: Shield, sword, and scales
Planets: Sun, Mercury
Plant: Angelica archangelica, garlic
Elements: Fire, water

Direction: Various directions are attributed to him, usually south or east; the Kabbalah places Michael on the right side. (Gabriel,
his compatriot, is on the left.)
Colors: Red, silver, and cobalt blue
Date: 29 September, the feast of Michael mas. Coptic tradition recommends the twelfth of each month for requesting protection

and help from Michael.
Sacred sites: Michael is the patron saint of France. Mont-Saint-Michel in Normandy was dedicated to Michael in 708 CE after
the archangel appeared to Aubert, Bishop of Avranches, in a series of dreams, ordering him to transform it into a shrine dedicated to
him. Pilgrimage to Mont-Saint-Michel allegedly guarantees smooth passage to the next life. (The waters here demonstrate some of the
strongest tides on Earth.) Mont-Saint-Michel bears a mystical reputation, sometimes associated with the Grail. It may be part of an
aligned chain of sacred standing stones including Delos, Delphi, and Mount Carmel.
Offerings: Frankincense, myrrh, angelica, garlic. In Sicily, he is given sugar and sweet liqueurs.
See also: Belié Belcan; Gabriel; Hermes; Ma'at; Mercury; Ogun; Peacock Angel; Raphael

Mictlancihuatl

Lady of Death
Origin: Mexico

Mictlancihuatl is Queen of Mictlan, the Aztec realm of death, which she presides over with her husband, Mictlantecuhtli. She guards
the bones. Mictlancihuatl also presides over the Aztec festival of the dead, which evolved into the modern Mexican holiday Dia de los
Muertos ("Day of the Dead"). She is sometimes described as having been destined to become Lady Death. Sacrificed as an infant, she
was essentially born to die. The spirit La Santissima Muerte may be a modern manifestation of Mictlancihuatl.
Color: Red
Bird: Owl
Time: The fifth hour
Feast: Day of the Dead, culminating on 2 November. The length of the festival—days to weeks—depends on location.

Mictlancihuatl and Mictlantecuhtli, partners in death, are venerated together. They may be petitioned for peaceful, painless
death at the appropriate time.

See also: Mictlantecuhtli; Santissima Muerte

Mictlantecuhtli

Lord of Death
Also known as: Tzontemoc
Origin: Mexico
According to Aztec cosmology, there are thirteen celestial levels and nine Underworld levels. Souls of the dead must pass through
each lower level until reaching the very last, Mictlan, during an arduous journey that takes years to accomplish.
Mictlantecuhtli is Lord of Mictlan, the Aztec realm of death. His wife and partner is Mictlancihuatl. Those who die uneventful deaths

enter his realm. At the beginning of this world, Quetzalcoatl went to Mictlan to gather old bones in order to create a new race of people.
When Mictlantecuhtli wouldn't give them to him, Quetzalcoatl stole them.
In Javier Hernandez's comic book El Muerto: The Aztec Zombie, Mictlantecuhtli seeks the return of traditional Aztec religion.
M anifestation: Mictlantecuhtli, a bloodstained skeleton, wears paper clothing, owl feathers, and a collar made of eyeballs. (Paper
clothing was a traditional offering to the dead.)
Attribute: Skull
Direction: North or south
Time: The eleventh hour
Animals: Dog, bat, spider
Bird: Owl
Offerings: Once upon a time, the Aztecs buried loved ones with valuable gifts to be presented to Mictlantecuhtli upon arrival in
Mictlan.
See also: Mictlancihuatl; Quetzalcoatl; Xolotl

Mimi
Origin: Australia

The Mimi are a species of powerful, profound, yet tricky and mischievous spirits who live within crevices of rocks and caves in
Arnhem Land, Australia. Mimi are immortal. They may be the souls of primordial people who lived on the land before the aboriginal
people and taught them survival and creative skills. They appear in various Dreamtime legends.
Mimi blow on cracks in rocks, and the rocks respond by opening and allowing them inside. Sometimes Mimi are friendly toward
people; sometimes they're not. (They allegedly occasionally eat people, although their primary food is wild yams.) Mimi enjoy dancing
and singing and are credited with teaching songs and dances to people. They also taught the art of cave painting, and the oldest cave
paintings are attributed to them. Mimi protect animals, guarding the balance between them and people. For instance, although Mimi
protect kangaroos, they also taught people how to hunt and cook them.
M anifestation: The Mimi are tall and so thin, they won't go outside when it's windy, lest their necks snap like twigs.
Creatures: Snakes, kangaroos, wallabies

Mimir
Origin: Norse
Mimir is a lord of wisdom. He is the keeper of a well at the base of Ygdrassil, the World Tree. He stands halfway immersed within
the well. (Alternatively his severed head guards the well.) The well is a source and repository of hidden wisdom. Drinking from it
bestows the gift of prophecy. Odin wanted the wisdom and gifts that the well bestowed, but unable to steal it from Mimir, he struck a
deal: Odin sacrificed one eye to drink from the well.
Mimir may or may not be Odin's uncle, brother of his mother, Bestla. He is an Aesir spirit, sent as a hostage to the Vanir to ensure
peace between the two pantheons. The Vanir sent Freyr, Freya, and Njord, three of their most significant spirits, to the Aesir. Angered
because they felt that the Aesir had not sent equally powerful hostages, they beheaded Mimir and sent his head to Odin. Odin used

herbs to preserve Mimir's head and prevent it from decaying, and then chanted spells over the head to magically activate it. Odin
consults with Mimir's head before the final apocalyptic battle of Ragnarok.
There are different reports as to what's exactly in the Well of Mimir: water or mead? After Odin hung for nine days on the World
Tree, Mimir revived him with a drink of mead. Mimir drinks mead every morning.
Mimir himself is a font of wisdom. He is accessed via dreams, visualizations, and shamanic journeys.
M anifestation: Mimir is a speaking oracular head.
See also: Aesir; Angerboda; Bran; Freya; Freyr; Maeve; Njord; Odin; Vanir

Mimoun, Sidi
Origin: Morocco
Classification: Djinn; Melk

Sidi Mimoun, King of Djinn, may have traveled from Guinea to Morocco with the ancestors of the Gnawa. Because he is a king,
Sidi Mimoun is able to restrain, exorcise, or control other Djinn. Sidi Mimoun is invoked during healing rituals by the Gnawa
Brotherhood. He causes and heals seizure disorders including epilepsy. He is also associated with hysterical disorders and mental illness.
Sidi Mimoun is the Black Melk. His emblem is a black veil, which demarcates his sacred space. When requesting his assistance, toss
a black veil over the person requiring healing. Sidi Mimoun is also invoked to protect children. Place the baby or child for whom you
seek protection under a black veil when requesting help from Sidi Mimoun.
Consort: Lalla Mimouna
Color: Black
Days: Saturday, Sunday
See also: Djinn; Melk; Zagaz

Mimouna, Lalla
Origin: Morocco
Classification: Djinn
Lalla Mimouna lives in wells and deserted houses. She likes to seduce traveling men but will attack both men and women. Lalla
Mimouna is married to Sidi Mimoun. She has a sanctuary in Marrakech.
Colors: Blue, black
Incense: Hasalban (rosemary)
See also: Djinn; Mimoun, Sidi

Min

Lord of the Eastern Desert; Lord of Foreign Lands
Origin: Egypt
Min is the lord of male sexuality, virility, and fertility. The gifts he bestows on devotees include sexual energy, vitality, vigor, and
fertility. Min ensures production of healthy sperm and semen and may also be petitioned to bestow fertility to women. During the New
Kingdom (1567–1085 BCE), Min was honored during pharaonic coronation rites to ensure the pharaoh's sexual vigor and to guarantee
a male heir.
Min is paired with Nephthys and also sometimes with Isis, either as a son or a consort. He may be an avatar of Osiris. Min also has
other functions. He is a storm spirit with control over precipitation and is associated with the agricultural harvest. He was the lord of
caravan routes through the desert, protecting merchants from various potential dangers emanating from spiritual and human sources as
well as from the desert itself.
Favored people: Travelers, nomads, merchants, hunters
Attribute: Thunderbolt
Color: Black, white
Creatures: White Bull, Ram
Tree: Palm
Planet: Sun
Element: Air
Sacred sites: Min's most important sanctuaries were at Koptus (Qift) and Akhmim (Panoplis). His temple was among the last, if
not the last, to be abandoned following the abolition of traditional Egyptian religion. Min rules desert roads. Historically, he ruled the
caravan routes that left Koptus, journeying through the desert to the Red Sea.

Offerings: Min was traditionally offered a portion of the harvest. In addition, he was given lettuce, but not just
any lettuce. The
Egyptians possessed a special phallic-shaped lettuce with a milky residue reputed to have aphrodisiac properties. Substitutions are
appropriate but some attempt should be made to maintain the phallic nature of the sacrifice; cucumbers or large endives might be more
appropriate than plain lettuce leaves or a head of iceberg. Phallic-shaped ex-votos may also be offered.
See also: Isis; Nephthys; Osiris

Minceskro
Origin: Romani
Ana, Queen of the Keshalyi, distraught that she was the source of monstrous disease demons, asked her son Melalo how she could
become sterile. He advised her to bury herself in a dung heap. She did as he suggested, but a dung beetle slipped inside her body. Ana
conceived and gave birth to Minceskro, her eighth child, a female demon who causes blood disorders and illnesses characterized by
blood abnormalities (anything with elevated or lowered white blood cells, for instance). Minceskro married Lolmischo. Their children
cause red diseases: measles, smallpox, and scarlatina.
See also: Ana; Keshalyi; Lolmischo; Melalo

Minerva

Also known as: Menerva; Menrva
Origin: Italy
The Romans received Minerva from the Etruscans, who may or may not have received her from the Italian tribes. Minerva was
worshipped throughout Italy. The origin of her name is unclear, but it is believed to be related to
mental. She has dominion over the
intellect, mental processes, and activities.
The Romans identified Minerva with Greek Athena. She is now so subsumed by Athena that it is difficult to disentwine the two
goddesses, although they were originally distinct. The rites of Brigid in Kildare are described as resembling those of Minerva.
In her guise as Minerva Medica, Minerva presides over the medical profession and healing arts.

• In 1899, Guatemalan President Manuel Es trada Cabrera (1857–1924) initiated and tried to promote Feasts of Minerva, which
involved honoring teachers and students.
• The most famous modern Minerva may be Harry Potter's Minerva McGonagle.
Favored people: Artisans, artists, crafts people, teachers, philosophers, musicians, writers, poets

Iconography: Images of Athena are generally used to portray Minerva. The Queen of Spades playing card traditionally represents
Minerva.
Attribute: Embroidery tools
Spirit allies: She was worshipped with Juno and Jupiter as part of the Capitoline Triad.
Feasts:
• 19 March-23 March, Festival of Artisans; Minerva is honored by artisans, artists, and teachers.
• The full moon in June; flautists honor Minerva.
Sacred sites:
• She was venerated alongside Juno and Jupiter on the Capitoline Hill.
• Her temple sanctuary on the Aventine Hill was a center for the arts.
• Rome's Church of Santa Maria Sopra Min erva was built over Minerva's temple.
See also: Athena; Brigid; Juno; Jupiter; Sulis; Victoria

Minona
Origin: Fon (Benin, formerly Dahomey)

Minona, powerful spirit of magic, lives deep within the forest. She presides over women and the home. Minona is either the mother
or the sister of Legba, with whom she is closely associated. Minona can be a bit of a trickster, too.
• Minona grants personal fertility to women.
• She bestows and enhances agricultural fertility.
• She teaches women every type of magic plus divination via palm kernels.
Favored people: Women
Attribute: Spindle

Sacred site: Minona lacks official shrines. Instead, women create personal shrines in their homes.
Offering: Fruit, flowers, efforts to preserve African rainforests
See also: Eshu Elegbara; Legba

Mishepishu
Also known as: Mishupishu
Origin: Cree, Ojibwa
Classification: Manitou

Mishepishu is a horned water spirit from North America's Great Lakes region. He lives at the bottom of rivers and lakes. If
Mishepishu was an Asian or European spirit, he would automatically be classified as a water dragon. Mishepishu must be propitiated
and appeased so he won't cause storms or sink boats.
Mishepishu is the guardian of copper. He punishes those who collect copper without obtaining his permission. However, he
sometimes does allow people to cut copper from his horns. Hunters invoke Mishepishu's assistance via copper charms. (The charms
are then ritually destroyed.)
M anifestation: Mishepishu is described as having a cat-like face. His horns are copper.

Iconography: Mishepishu appears on rock paintings. Traders and merchants learned that the Native people north of the Great
Lakes liked guns with brass side plates ornamented with images of dragons—they interpreted these as Mishepishu.
Offering: Tobacco
See also: Manitou

Mixcoatl
Also known as: Camaxtli; Camastli

Mixcoatl, the cloud serpent, Lord of the Hunt, is a deified hunter and warrior, the first to use flint to start a fire. Originally a spirit of
the Chichimeca and Otomi, his role was taken over by the Aztec Huitzilopochtli. His mother is Cihuacoatl. In some traditions, Mixcoatl
is Quetzalcoatl's father. He is also the father of Coatlique's four hundred sons. Mixcoatl governs the stars and the Milky Way and is
closely associated with Tezcatlipoca.

M anifestation: Mixcoatl's body is ornamented with painted red-and-white stripes, sort of like a candy cane. The black mask he
wears is trimmed with stars.
Attributes: Bow, arrows, basket covered with netting
Element: Fire
See also: Cihuacoatl; Coatlique; Huitzilopochtli; Malinalxochitl; Quetzalcoatl; Tezcatlipoca

Mnemosyne

Memory
Origin: Greece
Mnemosyne, daughter of Gaia and Uranus, lay with Zeus for nine nights in order to conceive nine Muses. She and Achelous are
sometimes considered the parents of the Sirens.
According to legend, prior to Mnemosyne, memory didn't exist. She may be invoked to help preserve memory and to access pastlife memories.
See also: Achelous; Muses; Sirens; Zeus

Moirae

The Fates
Origin: Greece

The Moirae live together in a cave by a spring from which white water gushes. They are the original Fates, Goddesses of Destiny. In
Greek, moira indicated a portion, lot or share. The Moirae determined one's allotted portion or fate. They are eternal and were once
considered even more powerful than the gods. Their names are:
• Lachesis
• Clotho or Klotho
• Atropos

The Moirae represent the waxing, full and waning moons: creation, existence and destruction, birth, life and death. Clotho the Spinner
puts the wool around a spindle. Her sister Lachesis the Sustainer measures the thread and spins the wool. Atropos the Cutter snips the
spun thread.
The Moirae are usually described as daughters of Nyx. An alternative genealogy describes them as daughters of Themis and Zeus,
perhaps as a way to make them subject to Zeus.
M anifestation: They are described as wearing white
Atropos is the oldest, smallest, and most powerful of the Moirae. The potentially deadly alkaloid atropine is named in her
honor.

Attribute: Brass pestle as well as a spindle, scroll and scales
Planet: Moon
See also: Fates (1); Fates (2); Kali; Nyx; Persephone; Polyboea; Shiva; Themis; Zeus

Mokosh

Moist

Also known as: Mokosha; Mokosz
Origin: Slavic

Mokosh is the spirit of moisture. She is an ancient spirit but was also the preeminent female deity of the later Slavic official pantheon.
She is manifest in dampness and liquids. Mokosh protects mother's milk and semen. Rain is considered to be her milk. Czechs invoked
her aid during times of draught.
As late as the sixteenth century, Christian authorities were complaining that Slavic women "went to Mokosh." Pilgrimages to Mokosh
stones in the Ukraine reportedly continued through the nineteenth century as women petitioned her for good health and fertility.
Favored people: Those who work with sheep in a manner that is not harmful to the sheep.
M anifestations: Mokosh manifests as a woman and as stones, especially those that are breast-shaped.
Iconography: Mokosh is portrayed spinning beside a well.
Attributes: Mokosh carries a spindle and/or a child.
Creature: Sheep
Offerings: Grains
See also: Zemyna

Mononoke
Origin: Japan
The word Mononoke may theoretically be used to refer to any kind of spirit. Hayao Miyazaki's 1997 film, Princess Mononoke,
may be translated as "Princess of the Spirits," but the word is also specifically used for a kind of possessing spirit. Mononoke are spirits
that can inhabit inanimate objects. Mononoke live near shrines, temples, and cemeteries but can slip inside objects and appliances.
According to Japanese tradition, once a year, inanimate objects become animated: they come to life. It is their annual
opportunity to administer justice, rewarding or punishing humans as they deem fit .

Some Mononoke are the stuff of nightmares, like doors or walls with eyes. Other Mononoke are your favorite household appliances
now come to life. Many have prankster inclinations. Some are hostile to people and enjoy scaring them. Mononoke sometimes display
poltergeistlike activity and occasionally are genuinely destructive. Mononoke can be exorcised.
See also: Oiwa; Poltergeist; Tsukumogami; Yokai

Mo'o
Origin: Hawaii
Classification: Akua, Aumakua
Mo'o are gigantic dragon-like water lizard deities. Although that is their true form, Mo'o can shape-shift into the form of people.
They can also possess humans (voluntarily and involuntarily).

Mo'o are guardians of water. They have dominion over dreams at night and storytelling during the day. (The Hawaiian word
translated as "myth" is mo'olele.) Mo'o possess the power to reanimate and/or deify the dead.
Individual Mo'o may serve as personal guardians of specific families and lineages. They are considered part of the family (and may, in
fact, be ancestral spirits) and thus expect to be honored and propitiated by their family members. Their long serpentine vertebrae are
emblematic of their role as ancestral spirits. Each vertebra is a link in the ancestral chain, the family tree.
Mo'o offer protection and bestow abundance, health, fertility, and prosperity.
M anifestation: Their true form is as a gigantic water lizard, but they shape-shift in many forms, not limited to those of humans or
lizards. For example, in one Hawaiian myth, a Mo'o takes the form of fog and torrential rain in an attempt to obstruct the goddess
Hi'iaka.
See also: Hi'iaka; Kihawahine; Klu; Mo'o Inanea; Nagas;and the Glossary entry for Possession

Mo'o Inanea
Origin: Hawaii
Mo'o Inanea's name is sometimes interpreted as the "self-reliant dragon." She raised the primordial woman Hina and introduced
her to Ku, arranging their marriage. She then traveled to Hawaii with them. Mo'o Inanea is among the highest-ranking Mo'o.
Sacred sites: A clay pit on Oahu is among the places Mo'o Inanea calls home.
See also: Hina; Ku; Mo'o

Morgan Le Fay
Also known as: Morgana Le Fay; Mor gaine Le Fay; Fata Morgana

Morgan Le Fay literally means "Morgan the Fairy." Morgan probably derives from the Welsh word for "sea,"
mor; Celtic
mermaids are known as morgans or in Ireland, merrow from the Gaelic muir. Although now most famous as King Arthur's half-sister,
Morgan Le Fay is older than the Arthurian Saga. One theory suggests that Morgan was originally a Celtic death goddess, similar to an
angel of death or a psychopomp.
Morgan is the ruler of the Celtic paradise, Avalon, the Isle of Apples. She is sometimes envisioned as a mermaid. She may be an
aspect of Celtic war goddess, the Morrigan. A theory suggests that Arthurian tales of Morgan and Avalon recall a shrine on a small,
isolated British isle, a Pagan outpost that survived invasions and Christianity at least for a while.
Morgan first appears in the Arthurian sagas in Geoffrey of Monmouth's twelfth-century Life of Merlin as a healer. Morgan leads the
Nine Holy Women of Avalon who tend Arthur's wounds following the final Battle of Camlan. In this version, she's not Arthur's sister.
They fall in love, and he promises to stay with her in Avalon. By end of the twelfth century she was portrayed as Arthur's sister but was
still benevolent. By the thirteenth century, a different story emerged and Morgan was transformed: Cistercian monks
composed the
Prose Lancelot (also known as the Vulgate Cycle) between 1230 and 1250, which describes the adventures of Lancelot of the Lake
and the Quest for the Holy Grail.
Morgan also has powerful roots in Italy, where she is called Fata Morgana. (Fata is Italian for "Fairy.") Fata Morgana is
also the name of a fatal mirage, an optical illusion that lured sailors to their deaths in the Straits of Messina. The goddess
Morgana was held responsible.

Frustrated by the popularity of romances with not-so-hidden Pagan sympathies, Cistercian scribes determined to remake these

romances as religious allegories and in so doing, demonstrate the superiority of spirit over flesh, male over female, Christian over Pagan.
They believed it was blasphemous to attribute powers of healing and prophecy to women who were unaffiliated with religious orders.
New elements were added to the story: incest and demonic possession, with Morgan the wicked witch as Arthur's primary antagonist.
Morgan emerged as the sorceress supreme, an expert in botanical magic, especially poisons. She was consistently portrayed as a
heartless, plotting, but beautiful monster. Morgan Le Fay remains a ubiquitous presence in popular culture, usually as a villain but
occasionally as a heroine:
• Morgan is a Pagan priestess and heroine in Marion Zimmer Bradley's 1982 novelThe Mists of Avalon.
• She is a primary antagonist in Bryan Davis' series of Christian fantasy novels,
Dragons in Our Midst in which Morgan is
envisioned as an avatar of Lilith
• Helen Mirren, Helena Bonham Carter, and Julianna Margulies are among the many actresses who have portrayed Morgan
• Sir Edward Burne-Jones, Anthony Fred erick Sandys, and Aubrey Beardsley are among the artists inspired to paint portraits of
Morgan.
• Morgaine Le Fey is among the many powerful witch characters featured in DC Comics
Morgan Le Fay is a spirit of healing, love, and romance. She is the mistress of illusions, hallucinations, visions, and dreams. She may
be invoked for magical instruction, and spiritual guidance. Her functions as a psychopomp may also be requested.
M anifestation: Morgan is a brilliant shape-shifter who can assume virtually any form.
Bird: Crow
Sacred sites: Morgan is no simple woodland Fairy but has substantial real estate holdings:
• She rules an underwater kingdom possibly near Brittany.
• She rules a Fairy paradise near or on Mount Aetna called Mongibello (or Mongibel).
• She has a castle staffed with beautiful Fairies near Edinburgh.
• She lives on the magical Isle of Avalon.
See also: Aeronwen; Aetna; Fairy; Lilith; Marichi; Mermaid; Merrow; Morrigan; Oberonand the Glossary entry for Avatar

Morozko

Father Frost
Origin: Russia
Morozko is responsible for the ferocity of Russian winters. Whatever he touches with his staff instantly freezes. Morozko can raise
or lower the temperature and cause snow to fall. His daughter is the Snow Queen.
In a famous Russian fairy tale, a step-mother sends her step-daughter out into the forest at night, assuming that Morozko in the guise
of freezing weather will kill the girl. Morozko does find the girl, but when he inquires whether she's cold, the girl answers so politely and
bravely that even his cold heart is touched. Father Frost makes her a fire and sends her home with gifts the next morning. The stepmother then sends her own daughter out into the woods at night, presuming that she'll come home with valuable gifts, too. The spoiled
girl whines and complains to Father Frost, who lets her freeze to death.
Morozko is petitioned for snow and for safety from snow.
The 1966 Russian film Morozko features a kinder, gentler Father Frost. He doesn't kill the step-sister, only humiliates her.
M anifestation: Morozko signals his presence with the abrupt sound of ice cracking or trees snapping from the weight of snow.
Attribute: An icy scepter; anyone who touches his scepter instantly falls asleep and will allegedly never awake.

Morpheus

He Who Forms

Morpheus is the Lord of Dreams, son of Hypnos, Lord of Sleep. His name derives from the same root as metamorphoses. The
drug morphine is named in his honor.
Morpheus is petitioned for anything having to do with the dream process. He can protect against frightening dreams but is also
invoked for prophetic or more frequent dreams.
Morpheus is the star and title character in Neil Gaiman's comic series, The Sandman.
Flower: Opium poppy (Papaver somniferum)
See also: Hypnos; Nyx; Oneirei; Somnos; Thanatos

The Morrigan

Phantom Queen
Also known as: Morrigu, Morrigna
Origin: Ireland

The Morrigan is a powerful spirit of birth, death, sex, destruction, and fertility. She is among the goddesses associated with Ireland's
well-being and sovereignty. Her name is variously translated as "Great Queen," "Sea Queen," " Phantom Queen," or even "Terrifying
Queen. " She is an oracular, prophetic spirit who can reveal the future and anyone's destiny—that is, if she feels like it. The Morrigan is
a headstrong, passionate goddess who does as she pleases. She is among those goddesses serving as Washers at the Ford.
• The Morrigan may be one spirit.
• The Morrigan may be a triple goddess (a trinity: three manifestations of one).
• The Morrigan may name a triad of distinct goddesses—usually Badbh, Nemain, and Morrigan, but sometimes Macha is
included.

The Morrigan is most famous as a war goddess. She may instigate battle or meddle with it. The concept of minding her own business
does not exist: Battle is her business. Anything that captures her interest is her business. The Morrigan is also renowned for giving sound
battle advice. She advised the Dagda on how to deal with the Fomorians.
The Morrigan determines war's outcome, bestowing victory to whichever army or warrior she favors, but she has a reputation for
being capricious. Her favors can never be taken for granted. Her frenzied war-fury unnerves armies. Her shriek is deadly.
More than just a battle goddess, the Morrigan is also a goddess of life, birth, and sex. She is sometimes identified as a mermaid. On
Samhain, the beginning of the Celtic dark half of the year, the Morrigan stands astride a river with one foot on either bank to engage in
the Great Rite—sacred, transformative, ritual sex—with the Dagda (Ireland's All-Father).
M anifestations: Her many manifestations include, but are not limited to:
• A beautiful woman
• A hag
• A crow
• A deer (doe or stag)
• A white heifer with red ears and no horns
• A black eel long enough to coil three times around the legs of Cu Chulain, a giant man
Birds: Corvids: crow, raven, rook

Creatures: The Morrigan owns a herd of enchanted, magical cattle.
Color: Red
Day: Samhain (the night of 31 October and 1 November)
See also: Aeronwen; Badbh; Dagda; Maeve; Macha; Morgan le Fay; Nemain; Washers at the Ford

Morts, Les

The Dead
Pronounced: Mor, or in Kreyol: Mo
Origin: Vodou

Les Morts literally means "the dead" in French, but if one thinks of death as disappearance or as severing links between people,
then in Vodou cosmology, no one really dies. In the words of Bob Dylan, "Death is not the end." The soul does not die, nor does it
depart for some remote, distant afterlife. Instead, it remains close at hand, albeit usually invisible to the living.
Dead souls travel through an abyss to Ginen, Vodou's ancestral afterlife realm. Ginen lies beneath the sea but may be accessed via
mirrors and water. This journey is a transformative process; upon arrival, the benevolent and beneficial dead transform into ancestors,
both literal ancestors and spiritual ancestors. (And the not-so-benevolent dead? You know them as ghosts.) Ties between living and
dead are not severed. Les Morts communicate their wisdom and elucidate mysteries to the living.
Les Morts communicate via dreams and visions as well as certain types of divination, especially mirror and crystal-ball gazing and
scrying in pans of water.
Les Morts may be invoked for practical information but, they will also engage in philosophical discussions. Ask them to reveal secrets
of the afterlife. They can be especially benevolent toward those who are terminally ill and essentially already have one foot in the grave
as well as for those who are morbidly, overwhelmingly afraid of death.
Offerings: Basins of water, candles, flowers, any type of food or drink you think they might enjoy, with the caveat that offerings
containing salt may or may not be accepted.
See also: Ancestor; Ghost; Gran Pays; Lwa; Phii Ruan

Morya

Master of Wisdom
Also known as: El Morya Khan; Master M.
Classification: Ascended Master
Morya, a member of the Great White Brotherhood, was allegedly one of Madame Blavatsky's
own spirit guides, helping her
establish the Theosophical Society. Morya is the Chohan or Chief Adept of the First Ray. His incarnations allegedly include Abraham,
King Arthur, and Sir Thomas More. Morya was also Melchior, one of the three Magi. Morya is associated with the throat chakra.
Iconography: The traditional image of Morya depicts him as a bearded man with vividly blue eyes.
Day: Tuesday

Color: Blue, white
Gemstones: Lapis lazuli, diamond, sapphire and star sapphire
See also: Ascended Master; Blavatsky, Madame Helena; Great White Brother hood

The Mothers
The Mothers are goddesses of birth, fertility, prosperity, abundance, death, and rebirth. Relatively little is now known about them.
What knowledge exists is based on interpretation of archaeological evidence. However, based on the sheer prevalence of the Mothers'
images and how widespread they were, clearly the Mothers were once wildly popular throughout pre-Christian Europe. Their
veneration seems to date from a very early era. The Mothers were venerated in both Celtic and Teutonic regions and by the rich and
poor, men and women alike. At Pesch in the Lower Rhine, over one-hundred-sixty altars dedicated to the Mothers have been
discovered, most offered by soldiers.
There may be one, two, or three Mothers. In Aquitaine, two are portrayed, one significantly older than the other, possibly a mother
and daughter. The Romans identified the Mothers with the Parcae or Fates.
Iconography: The most typical votive image of the Mothers depicts three seated women. The middle one is usually significantly
younger than the others. She has long flowing hair while the others wear distinctive headwear, something like a big linen bonnet. All may
wear robes. One or more Mothers may expose one breast like a nursing mother. When only one Mother is portrayed, she is typically
envisioned seated with something on her lap, usually an egg or a loaf of bread. Sometimes she holds a lap dog.
Attribute: The Mothers are depicted with babies, fruit, grain, and big loaves of bread. Other attributes include: horn, spindle,
distaff, sphere, box, scroll (interpreted as the Scroll of Destiny), basket of fruit.
Spirit allies: The Genii Cucullati.
Creature: Lap dog, snake (both animals identified with healing in Celtic regions)

Feast: Mothers' Night traditionally coincided with the winter solstice or the new moon nearest the winter solstice. Ancient Germans
considered it the equivalent of New Year's Eve. According to the monk and historian called the Venerable Bede (circa 672–May 25,
735 C E). Mothers' Night was the most important Pagan festival in eighth-century Britain and coincided with Christmas Eve. Little
information about the holiday survives. Divination was practiced. Dreams experienced on this night were considered prophetic.

Sacred sites: They had shrines throughout the Rhineland, often at healing springs as well as in Aix-les-Bains in France and
Chichester and York in England. The Mothers may have been venerated at the site now called Les-Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer. Some o
their shrines were huge temple complexes; others were rustic sanctuaries and domestic altars.
Offerings: Fruit, bread, wine, flowers
See also: Bethen; Genius Cucullatus; Maries de la Mer

Mountain Spirit
Also known as: San Shin
Origin: Korea
San Shin literally means "Mountain Spirit." Approximately 70 percent of Korea is covered by mountains. Technically each peak
possesses its own presiding Mountain Spirit: they are many and diverse, yet simultaneously one and unified.

The Mountain Spirit, a pre-Buddhist, shamanic spirit, is among the most beloved and popular Korean deities. Korean Buddhist
temples sometimes contain a Shaman Hall, an area designated to honor earlier, ancestral spirits. These halls may be of varying sizes and
may honor any number of spirits. If only one is honored, it is almost inevitably the Mountain Spirit.
San Shin the Mountain Spirit is the essence and epitome of yang (male) energy. He bestows personal fertility in general but is also
renowned for specifically providing male children—but you must advise him if this is important to you. He may also be invoked for
longevity. His attendants carry the peaches of immortality. San Shin is the master of mysticism and may be petitioned for spiritual
guidance and instruction.
Iconography: The Mountain Spirit is consistently depicted as a kind, smiling, old, white-bearded man, usually accompanied by a
tiger. He may cradle a tiger cub in his arms. He may or may not lead an entourage of spirits.
Attributes:
• Double-gourd containing the alchemical elixir of immortality
• Feather fan indicating his power to summon winds and other spirits
Creature: Tiger
Plant: Pullocho, the Korean name for Reishi mushrooms, also known as Ling Zhi in Chinese. Although technically now considered
a fungus, Pullocho, at least according to Korean folklore, is the Herb of Immortality.
See also: Hsi Wang Mu; Ma Gu

Mpungu
Origin: Congolese
A Mpungu is a Congolese spirit. The plural is Kimpungulu. These spirits form the pantheon of the Afro-Cuban spiritual tradition,
Palo. The term Nkisi is sometimes used as a synonym for Mpungu, but technically a Nkisi is an object that contains a Mpungu.
See also: Lucero; Nkisi

Mrityu

Lady of Death
Origin: India

In one myth, Brahma is responsible for creating the world. Creation multiplied all by itself and Earth became terribly overcrowded.
Contemplating Creation, Brahma scowled. Mrityu, dressed in red, emerged from that scowl.
Mrityu literally means "death." She did not wish to be the goddess of death. When she learned her function, she began to weep—her
tears became diseases. Mrityu was so distressed, she wept even more, and then she ran away. She hid in a lotus flower. She hid in the
depths of the sea. Wherever she hid, Brahma found her. He patiently explained the importance of her function:
• Without death, the wheel of life cannot turn.
• Without death, there is no rebirth or reincarnation.
Mrityu lives within the crematorium and within cremation grounds. Those visiting these places must perform purification rituals when
leaving to ensure that Mrityu doesn't follow them home. Unlike Yama, Mrityu doesn't only deliver death strictly on schedule. She also
strikes when she feels like it or when angered; thus it is extremely important to keep her propitiated.

Mrityu has the power to overturn the decrees of fate.
See also: Yama

Mullo (1)
Origin: Celtic
Mullo is a Celtic deity who was once very popular in what is now northwestern France, especially Brittany. He is a spirit of healing
whose specialty was eye ailments. His shrines included therapeutic baths. The Romans identified him with Mars. The meaning of his
name is now either unknown or may indicate a link to mules, as Mullo is Latin for "mule."
Sacred sites: Mullo had shrines in Allonnes (Sarthe), Crâon, and Rennes, France.
Offerings: Coins, ex-votos (milagros), especially in the shape of eyes
See also: Mars

Mullo (2)
Also known as: Mulo; the plural is Mulé
Origin: Romani (Gypsy)

In the Romani language, Mullo literally means "dead one" or "one who is dead." Theoretically everyone becomes a Mullo at death,
but the average Mullo who rests quietly in peace isn't the stuff of legends.
• The word Mullo may be used to indicate a fetch or spirit-double.
• Mullo names revenants who return to haunt loved ones and relatives left behind.
A Mullo may be protective, benevolent, dangerous, or malignant. Some return to protect loved ones. A Mullo may simply long for
the presence of its loved ones and do no harm (or at least not intentionally). Others are hungry ghosts, lusting for sex, vitality, the
essence of life, or yang energy. The Mullo may vampirize the living, not by drinking blood but by absorbing their aura or life-essence. A
Mullo may return every night to have sex with former partners. Although not necessarily intended badly, this may ultimately have a
debilitatingly vampiric effect, drawing out their life essence.
A Mullo appears in the fifth season of the television series Charmed to deliver a warning to a loved one.

The most dangerous Mullo tend to be deceased children, especially stillborn children. The Mullo is active after dark, but it is most
powerful at the exact moment of noon. According to Romani cosmology, at this precise moment, everything belongs to the Mullo, to the
realm of death. It's theorized that this is because at this moment, the shadow does not exist or is not visible.

M anifestation: Mullo take various forms. A Mullo may appear as an obviously reanimated corpse—akin to a Hollywood zombie
—as a pale specter like a classical ghost, or as odd, disembodied lights.
Date: The Mullo is considered especially powerful and dangerous on New Year's Eve, the threshold between the old and new
years.
See also: Ghost; Hone-Onna; Pixie; Vam pire

Murugan
Also known as: Murukan; Muruga
Murugan, originally the chief deity of the Tamils of Southern India, was eventually identified with Karttikeya, Shiva's son. Murugan
is a spirit of fertility, birth, death, and victory. In his original incarnation, he joined his mother, Korravai, on the battlefield to feast on the
dead.
Bird: Rooster
See also: Karttikeya; Korravai; Mariam man; Shiva

Muses
Origin: Greece
Their mother is Mnemosyne, Goddess of Memory. Their father is Zeus, chief of the Greek gods. The Muses are nine-tuplets, born
from their parents' nine-day ritual marriage at the summit of Mount Olympus. (Hesiod said the Muses were from Macedonia.) The
Muses were originally mountain Nymphs. An alternative version of their birth says their parents are Gaia and Uranus. Their name
derives from a root word meaning "mountain."
THE STANDARD LIST OF M USES
• Kleio: "Giver of Fame," Muse of History
• Euterpe: "Giver of Joy," Muse of the Flute
• Thalia: "The Festive," Muse of Comedy
• Melpomene: "The Singer," Muse of Tragedy
• Terpsichore: "Lover of Dance," Muse of the Lyre
• Erato: "The Awakener of Desire," Muse of Dance
• Polymnia: "She of Many Hymns," Muse of Storytelling
• Urania: "The Heavenly," Muse of Astronomy
• Kalliope: "She of the Beautiful Voice," Muse of Heroic Song
The Muses are catalysts and bestowers of divine inspiration and talent. They may be petitioned en masse, individually, or in any
combination. Thus, for instance, a dancer may invoke Erato alone, if so desired. The Muses have a longstanding rivalry with the Sirens.
These two groups of spirits should not be invoked together. Keeping them far apart is recommended.
M anifestation: The Muses may appear as women or birds.
Spirit allies: Apollo and Orpheus. The Charites share the Muses' abode as does Himeros, Eros' double.
Sacred sites: The Muses are traditionally associated with springs, mountains, and pastoral landscapes. Their shrines were known
as Museums. Modern museums are under their dominion.
• They had a sanctuary on Greece's Mount Helicon and shrines throughout Macedonia.
• The Muses have palaces and dance grounds at the summit of mythic Mount Olympus.
See also: Apollo; Charities; Eros; Erotes; Gaia; Mnemosyne; Orpheus; Sirens; Zeus

Muso Koroni

The Knowledgeable One; The Pure Woman with the Primeval Soul
Also known as: Nyalé; Mousso Koroni
Origin: Bamana/Bambara

According to myth, Muso Koroni, Leopard Goddess of Mali, is the world's first female while the first male was a blacksmith. Muso
Koroni is among those spirits involved with the magical traditions of smithcraft. Originally a divine Creatrix, she traveled as a whirlwind
sparking the process of creation.
Veneration of Muso Koroni was severely repressed by Islam. She is now considered a dangerous spirit who must be carefully
controlled. Demoted from goddess to witch, she is called the Mother of Chaos. The epitome of primal womanhood, Muso Koroni is
now perceived as chaotic, defiant, and unruly. Every human being is believed to possess a fragment of her wild, primeval nature. This
wild part is called wanzo and in Mande tradition is the feminine force of chaos, which is excised from men via circumcision so that they
become completely masculine.
Muso Koroni has dominion over witchcraft. She presides over women's secret societies and is invoked in love magic.
M anifestation: Muso Koroni appears as a black panther, a many-breasted woman or as a little old lady with white hair who
haunts granaries. Muso Koroni is identified with hot, dry winds that evaporate moisture.
Color: Black, associated with fertility and black fertile soil
Elements: Fire, air (wind)
Offerings: Smiths traditionally craft metal images of her in the form of candelabra. Her spirit is invoked when the lamp's cups, filled
with shea butter, are lit.
See also: Artemis of Ephesus; Lilith; Oya

Mut

Lady of Heaven; Queen of Deities; Mother of the Mothers
Origin: Egypt
Her name means "Mom." Mut, the vulture goddess, is the spirit of maternity. So potently fertile that she conceived and gave birth to
herself, Mut, an extremely beloved goddess, was venerated throughout Egypt. She bestows personal fertility and protection.
Although originally a local goddess, she became a national goddess during the New Kingdom (approximately 1550–1070 BCE).
During this era, the brides of Pharaohs, queens of Egypt, served as Mut's chief priestesses. Originally venerated as an independent
goddess, as Mut became increasingly popular, she absorbed characteristics of other goddesses. Eventually a marriage was arranged
between Mut and the state deity Ammon and Mut assumed the role of the less popular Amonet. Mut is sometimes identified as the Eye
of Ra.
M anifestation: Mut appears as a crowned vulture, a white vulture, or a woman who may have wings and/or wear a vulture
headdress.
Iconography: Later depictions of Mut portray her as a lioness, a cow, or a cobra-headed goddess, but this may derive from
identification with other goddesses, especially Sekhmet.
Attribute: Ankh, the symbol of life
Spirit allies: Mut and Ammon are the parents of Khonsu. The three spirits are venerated together as the Theban triad.

Bird: Vulture, especially griffon vulture (Gyps fulvus)
Flower: Blue water lily (Nymphaea caerulea)
Sacred sites: Temples were dedicated to her throughout Egypt and Nubia; her popularity cannot be overemphasized. Her primary
shrine was at Karnak, where Mut had a sacred lake in the shape of the crescent moon.
Offerings: Incense. If you wish to give a traditional, lavish offering, give two hand mirrors: one silver, one gold. You are
symbolically giving her the moon and sun.
See also: Ammon; Amonet; Khonsu; Nekhebet; Sekhmet

Mylitta
Also known as: Milidath
Origin: Assyria

Mylitta descended to Earth in the form of a flaming, falling star that landed in the freshwater spring named Afqa, source of the
Adonis River in Lebanon. A shrine set up for her beside the spring was dedicated to sacred sex or debauchery, depending on who's
telling the tale. Sparks and flames from ritual fires that fell into the waters were believed to possess revitalizing power, symbolizing the
union of fire and water, the male and female principles.
Mylitta may be a completely distinct spirit or an Assyrian name for Astarte, Aphrodite, and/or Inanna-Ishtar. Reputedly every
Babylonian woman, regardless of class or status, was expected to sit in the courtyard of Mylitta's temple at least once during her
lifetime. There she awaited the first stranger who desired to engage her sexually. The man signaled his choice of the women by throwing
a coin into her lap. She could not refuse. Proceeds went to the temple. The women expected guaranteed fertility in return. What the men
expected beyond sex is unknown. The accuracy of this legend, based on the writings of Herodotus, is also not known.
An ancient pilgrimage road once ran along the Adonis River valley to the river's source at Afqa, where Adonis and Astarte (or
Aphrodite or Mylitta) were venerated.
Mylitta is petitioned for fertility and to spark your love life.
Creatures: Goat, turtle
See also: Adonis; Aphrodite; Astarte; Inanna-Ishtar

Myrrha
Also known as: Smyrna
Origin: Phoenicia
Either Princess Myrrha or her father, king of Assyria or a Phoenician kingdom, aggravated Aphrodite. As punishment, she
compelled Myrrha to conceive an incestuous passion for her father. Myrrha plied her father with liquor and seduced him. They had
rapturous sex for twelve nights, at which point one of two things happened:
• Myrrha repented and ran off to hide in the forest, vowing to kill herself.
• Dad repented and chased Myrrha around with a knife, vowing to kill her.
Either way, Myrrha ended up transformed into a myrrh tree to preserve her life. Most versions have Aphrodite affecting the
transformation. In the meantime, Myrrha had conceived Adonis.

In the original Semitic version of this myth, Adonis is the product of a virgin birth. The later story may have evolved after veneration of
Adonis spread to Greece. The back story involving his scandalous conception suited the Greek cultural need to establish paternity. The
shame of incest would explain why the story had previously been secret.
Myrrh trees weep resin, These are traditionally understood to be Myrrha's tears .

Many scholars perceive the origins of Christianity in veneration of Adonis and his mother. Myrrha and Mary may be variants of the
same name. Both are associated with virgin birth and resurrecting sons. Myrrha may be a suppressed great goddess. The myrrh is not
just any tree, but is traditionally an emblem of primal womanhood, mercy, and fertility. Myrrh incense is associated with Isis and Hathor,
the great goddesses of Egypt. There is no reason to assume that Myrrha is a lesser goddess. Myrrha may be accessed via the fragrance
of myrrh incense.
Offering: Myrrh
See also: Adonis; Aphrodite; Hathor; Isis