Creating Circles and Ceremonies: Rituals for All ... - reading...

Appendices 277
Hagiel— Beautiful green-eyed angel of love and
beauty, appearing exactly as the Greek Goddess
Aphrodite.
Shekinah— “Mercy of God.” She comes forth on
the Sabbath and blesses the union of husband and
wife. She is considered the mystical Bride of God.
Sophia— Spirit of wisdom; she is not an angel, but
rather is considered to be an emanation of the
Godhead.
Uriel— Angel of salvation, with dominion over
thunder and terror. Uriel was sent to Noah to give
warning of the coming flood.
Demons are fallen angels who were cast down into
hell (the Underworld) after the great war in heaven,
in which the rebellious Lucifer (“Light-bringer”)
was defeated by Jahveh. As with the angels, demons
also are ranked in ten orders, each ruled by an arch-
Demon. The arch-demons in order of rank are:
Satan & Moloch— “Twins of God.” Rulers over
Shahul, the “triple hell,” or grave hell of
supernals.
Beelzebub— Supreme chief of hell and demon of
the hinderers.
Lucifuge Rofacale— Lucifer, “King of Hell,” administrator
of justice; demon of the concealers.
Astaroth— Demon of fertility and the smiters.
Asmodeus— Demon of arsonists and wrath.
Belphegor— Demon of hagglers, discoveries, and
ingenious inventions.
Bael— Demon of the ravens of death; makes men
invisible and gives wisdom.
Adramelech— “Poison of God.” High chancellor
of hell and president of the high council of devils.
Lilith— The first woman, created before Eve; refused
to submit to Adam; mother of succubi and
incubi; demon of the obscene ones.
Nahema— Demon of “The Five Accursed Nations.”
Saints were once living men and women whose exemplary
lives and posthumous miracles earned them
spiritual immortality as patrons to be called upon
by the faithful. They are primarily associated with
the Roman Catholic Church, which claims sole
power to sanctify. Here are only a few of the thousands
of saints recorded, and their feast days:
St Augustine of Hippo— Patron of brewers. Aug. 28.
St Barbara—A martyr who became the protector
of women who resist oppression.
St Brigit— The “Mary of the Gael,” she is buried
at Downpatrick with St. Columba and St. Patrick,
with whom she is the patron of Ireland. Her name
is also written as Bridget and Bride. Feb. 1.
St Christopher— Patron of travelers, invoked
against storms, plagues, etc. July 25.
St Dominic— Patron of astronomers. Aug.8.
St Francis of Assisi— Patron of animals, merchants,
and ecology. Oct. 4.
St Joan of Arc— Patroness of soldiers and of
France. She was condemned to death as a heretic,
sorceress, and adulteress, and burned at the stake
on May 30, 1431, at 19 years of age. May 30.
St John the Baptist— Last of the Old Testament prophets
and the precursor of the messiah. June 24.
St Jude— Patron of desperate causes. Oct. 28.
St Luke— Patron of physicians and surgeons. Oct. 18.
St Mary the Blessed Virgin— “Mother of God,”
mother of Jesus, wife of St. Joseph, and greatest
of all Christian saints. Feast of Immaculate Conception
Dec. 8. Feast of the Assumption Aug. 15.
St Mary Magdalen the Penitent— Patroness of
prostitutes and repentant sinners. July 22.
St Monica— Patroness of wives and abuse victims.
Aug. 27.
St Nicholas— Patron of children, prisoners, and
captives. Patron saint of Russia. Dec. 6.
St Peter— “Gatekeeper of Heaven.” Prince of the
apostles and the first pope; June 29.
St Valentine— Patron of love, young people, happy
marriages. Feb. 14.
Norse-Teutonic Pantheon
There are two races of Norse gods, the Aesir
and the Vanir. The Vanir may have been the gods
of a more advanced grain-raising people who
moved into the territory of the worshippers of the
Aesir, who mostly lived by herding cattle. After a
long conflict, the two groups made truce. To ensure
this peace they traded hostages and intermarried.
The Vanir were given their own dwelling-place
of Vanaheim in Asgard.
The twelve Aesir are:
Odin— God of wisdom, inventor of the runes, and
chief of all the gods, he is called “All-Father.” He
traded one eye for a drink from the Well of Wisdom.
His two ravens Hugin (thought) and Munin
(memory) bring him news from all the worlds.
His wife is Frigg.
Frigg— Wife of Odin, goddess of love and fertility,
and patron of marriage and motherhood.
Vili— Brother of Odin and co-creator of humans.
Ve— Brother of Odin and co-creator of humans.
Vidar— Son of Odin, god of silence and revenge,
the second strongest of the gods (after Thor).
Loki— God of fire and ally of the frost giants, he is
the chaotic trickster, crafty and malicious, always
plotting against the gods. His wife is Sigyn.
Hoder— Blind god of winter, twin brother of
Balder. His wife is Skadi, the queen of northern
snows and skiing.