Quotes from Judika Illes

Other fragrances are believed to enhance psychic ability—the ability to perceive spirits. These include lilac, rosemary, violet, and wisteria. The fragrance of myrrh is traditionally believed to open portals to spirit realms.

a woman's phases are inconsistent or unreliable, they can be realigned by strengthening her affinity with the moon, the tides, and other lunar forces

According to legend, after the suppression of the Knights Templar in 1312, surviving Templars went into hiding in Scotland where they eventually resurfaced as Freemasons. An "Unknown Master" received these Templar secrets and fashioned seven degrees linked to knightly titles.

The Changing Light at Sandover, an over five-hundred-page epic poem by Pulitzer prize-winning poet, James Merrill (3 March, 1926–6 February, 1995) was inspired by what he called his "twenty-year adventure around the Ouija board," during which he spoke to dead friends and a wide assortment of spirits.

while amulets bearing the image of Medusa protect against harmful magic spells.

Yes, every once in a while, negative experiences occur: a ghost gone astray or an angry spirit encountered. Some spirits are less pleasant than others. Yet this shouldn't be cause for panic; these situations can be effectively dealt with, if you know what to do.

Cleopatra identified herself as an avatar of love goddess Aphrodite.

Any power (light, dark, masculine, feminine) may be used for good or evil; it is how it is used that affects the outcome. The power in itself is neutral.

Magic, at its most basic, is the science of Earth's hidden powers.

Not only are magical texts among the oldest surviving pieces of literature, but many scholars and anthropologists suggest that it was the need to record spells and divination results that stimulated the very birth of writing.

literary annexes known as Houses of Life.

Earth: the tangible realm of mortal people and creatures • Spirit World: the realm of deities and spiritual beings—angels, fairies, djinn, and so forth • Dreamland: experiences in dreams really happen; just on a different plane of existence • Realm of the Dead: the after-life

Charovnik: This Russian term means "spellcaster" or "wizard" but also indicates a book of spells or grimoire. Among the legendary volumes listed in an old Russian index of prohibited books is something called Charovnik allegedly dedicated to teaching transformation skills. No copy of the book is currently known to exist.

The Cruciatus Curse, which first appeared in the fourth Harry Potter novel, derives squarely from this source. In magical parlance, "crosses" are life's challenges and trials. Someone suffering from a "crossed condition" exists under a dark cloud. Uncrossing spells remove these crosses. Cross candles are burned to eliminate life's hardships.

average person has five dreams per night, typically of increasingly greater length. Many mystic traditions suggest that the last dream of the series, the one just before waking, usually possesses the most spiritual significance.

Coordinate feeding, appeals, spells, and rituals to coincide with times when spirits are most receptive or at the peak of their powers:

The term incense now refers to any material used to produce a fragrant aroma when burned, but it originally referred specifically to gum resins exuded by Boswellia trees. As the word began to be used more generally, these gum resins became known as frankincense, meaning true (frank) incense.

The following spirits are safe for everyone: • Archangels Gabriel, Michael, and Raphael • Bodhisattvas Jizo and Kwan Yin • Orisha Obatala • Taoist spirit Miao Shan

According to Taoist belief, any fox that attains fifty years of age can shape-shift into a standard human.

Worst-case scenario: malevolent spirits have appeared. Low-level spirits will likely be at least temporarily dispersed by: • Bells and chimes • The presence of iron • Firecrackers and other sudden loud noises, like the shattering of pottery and plates • Clattering metal percussion instruments: castanets, cymbals, sistrums, or tambourines. If you have no such instruments, then bang metal pots and pans. • Peals of sincere, hearty laughter Amulets,

Fascinated? Many old grimoires containing these rituals, such as The Black Pullet or The Grand Grimoire, remain in print.)

Communication with other realms, including those of the spirits and the deceased • Soul retrieval and other forms of healing • Location of lost or stolen items, in particular buried treasure

The symbol of the medical profession is the caduceus, Hermes' double-snake entwined staff. (The emblem is often identified with Asklepios, the Sacred Physician, however his staff only has one snake.)

Black, in Egyptian cosmology, was the color of fertility and life everlasting—the color of good, rich soil without which there is no survival.