intuitive healer one with the ability to locate, diagnose, and cure disease with ESP and healing touch alone.
invocation an appeal to or conjuring up of a god, goddess, or spirit.
jinx that which brings bad luck.
joss stick in Chinese religious tradition, a fragrant incense burned to ward off evil.
juju the black magic used by West African witch doctors to cast out demons. Also, an amulet, charm, or fetish.
Key of Solomon any one of various versions of a famed medieval grimoire, allegedly originating with King Solomon and giving information on conjurations, invocations, and curses. It is famous for providing details on invisibility, animal sacrifices, and the summoning of demons or spirits, and even gives advice on what clothing to wear when practicing sorcery.
lampadomancy divining the future by reading fire, especially a flame in a lamp.
left-hand path the practice of sorcery or black magic.
lepanthropy the ability to change into a rabbit or hare.
levitation the act of floating in midair, by an object or a person, through supernatural means.
libanomancy divination technique in which the smoke rising from incense is read for signs or omens.
libation in witchcraft and Wicca, any water or wine used in rituals and usually poured on an altar or in a fire.
Litha in Wicca, the celebration of the summer solstice, from June 20 to 23. Originally, celebrants leapt over fires to promote fertility.
lithobolia evil spirits who rain down rocks at people or their houses.
loa in voodoo, a spirit who takes control of someone during a trance.
loco in voodoo, a spirit of healing.
lots, casting of divination technique employing thrown dice or marked bones.
magic AND the occult 319
Lourdes in 1858 in France, the town near a grotto by the River Gave de Pau, at which 14-year-old Ber- nadette Soubirous claimed to have seen the Virgin Mary some 18 times, which has since been validated by the Catholic Church as the site of no less than 67miracles, especially healings, and is now visited by 5 million people a year, who take a drink of the water there to bring about their own healings.
love potion concocted by a witch, an aphrodisiac, sometimes intensified by the use of incantations and spells.
luck ball in hoodoo, a charm wound inside a ball of yarn and worn.
lycanthropy the ability or power to transform oneself into a werewolf.
macumba a form of voodoo of Brazilian origin.
mage an accomplished magician.
magic modern illusions created by stage performers through explainable and nonmystical techniques.
magical thinking psychological term referring to the belief that everything in the universe is interconnected and full of mysterious powers that can be tapped.
magick original spelling for the art of supernatural witchcraft, as distinguished from the magic of modern-day entertainers and sleight-of-hand artists.
magick candle in medieval witchcraft, a candle made of human fat, which glowed brighter when brought near the location of buried treasure.
maledict to curse or hex.
malediction a curse or a hex.
maleficia the misfortunes that befall those who cross a sorcerer.
malkin a cat who serves as a witch's familiar.
mambo a Haitian voodoo priestess.
mandrake a highly poisonous plant used in medieval witchcraft and, according to folklore, the most powerful of all magical ingredients. Spirits were thought to inhabit the roots, which look like little men, and it was believed that these roots could be asked questions, to which they would shake or nod their heads.
manifesting the taking on of magical powers by ordinary humans, brought about by simply using creative visualization and by willing one's wishes onto the universe.
medicine dance among Native Americans of the Plains in North America, a dance employed to summon helpful spirits.
medicine lodge among various tribes of North American Native Americans, a structure where rituals were held.
medicine man in primitive cultures, one who is thought to possess mystical powers and has the ability to summon supernatural help. Also known as a shaman or a witch doctor.
medium one who acts as a receptor or channel to receive spirits or spiritual messages.
mesmerism hypnotism or the practice of spellbinding. Also, animal magnetism.
meteoromancy divination through the observation of meteors.
metoposcopy the reading of someone's forehead to determine their character or future.
mistletoe plant widely believed by the druids to hold magical, healing properties.
mojo bag in modern witchcraft, a red flannel bag filled with herbs to ward off disease and negative energy.
mugwort in witchcraft, a healing herb also known as Saint John's plant (not to be confused with St.- John's-wort). It was believed that sleeping on a pillow full of it would enhance dreams and strengthen psychic abilities. Sachets of it were also thought to aid in astral projection and to ward off evil spirits.
mumbo jumbo in the western Sudan, a shaman who protects against evil spirits. Also, a fetish. More widespread, a magical-sounding incantation that may or may not be meaningless.
myomancy divination through analysis of the squeaks and squeals of mice and rats, practiced in ancient Egypt and Rome.
mysticism belief in the spiritual world or other dimension that cannot be perceived by the human eye.
nagalism the worshipping of serpents.
Nazca lines geometric lines and shapes created by the clearing of stones and topsoil from the Peruvian desert by the Nazca people, from 200 b.c. to a.d. 600. Because of the massive scale of the lines, they are often speculated to be the work of aliens.
necromancy divining the future by communication with the dead.
nephelomancy divining the future by studying the speed and characteristics of clouds.
nimbus the glowing aura around a deity.
numerology the study of numbers as an influence in one's life.
obeah a belief system originating among African and Caribbean blacks, characterized by the use of magic ritual.
obeah-man one who practices obeah.
occulta cult activity of medieval times, often featuring black magic and witchcraft.
occultist one who studies mysticism and the occult.
oculomancy divination through interpreting the characteristics of the eyes.
Odic force named after the god Odin, a mystical force thought to emanate from magnets and crystals.
offering in Wicca, a gift presented to the goddess or horned god.
oinomancy divination through the reading of patterns in spilled wine.
old religion, the witchcraft.
omen a sign of things to come; a portent.
oneiromancy divination of the future through the interpretation of dreams.
onomatomancy divination through the interpretation of the letters in one's name.