The Spirit World

I recently purchased a book called the Encyclopedia of Spirits by Judika Illes. This book is fabulous! I have a great love for the written word and because of this I have a large collection of Pagan, Spiritual, and Mythological books.
I have read so many books that it is often hard to find something different then what has already been written. Well this book is it! It is quickly becoming one of my favorites.
Have you ever considered how spirits permeate our very existence? Well they do, from our language to modern marketing.
For example, if you want to give a woman the ultimate compliment, call her a Goddess. If you find her inspiring she is your muse.
Do you have an enemy? Then they are your nemesis, named for the Greek Goddess of justice and vengeance. Have you ever described a certain event like work as being in Hell? You just invoked Hel, the Norse guardian of the realm of death.
Wait, there is more! Think about some of the name brands and companies out there like Nike, Mercury, and Saturn. Perfumes, lipsticks and other cosmetics are frequently named after Goddesses.
Poems are full of spirits like Edmund Spenser's The Faerie Queen or various works by Yeats. Did you know that the 1st official ballet was inspired by the Witch Goddess Circe? I did not until I read this amazing book.
Images of spirits also surround us. Cemeteries are filled with assorted spirit images as well as your average run of the mill garden shop. Do people realize that the lovely lady in the shell that they have on their front lawns is the Goddess Aphrodite?
Pokemon characters are based on ancient Japanese spirits.
Spirits have traveled with humans from our earliest days and probably from day one.  Try to come up with one creation myth that doesn't involve a Supreme Creator, spirits of creation, or at the very least, some assistance from spirits.
What about death? What happens to us when we pass? Where do we go? Virtually every heaven, hell, or other realm of death is controlled by spirits of some form.
Spirits are involved with creation, birth, and death. Pretty much every aspect of life.
Spirits can also aid us as we travel on our life path. We should not fear them.  Working with spirits instills independence and personal responsibility. Anyone can have direct contact with deity, you do not need a mediator to aid you with this.  Working with spirits offers each individual direct access to the higher powers.
There are many benefits to working with spirits.
Spirits and the process of working with them bring joy.
To be in the presence of spirits is to be in the presence of the sacred.
Spirits help us fulfill our dreams, save us when we're in trouble, and provide healing when conventional medicine throws in the towel.
With all that said I would like to talk about some different spirits that you may or may not have heard of. I will also be adding some new ones weekly. Perhaps you would like to do your own research on certain spirits and try to initiate contact yourself.  You should definitely invest in this book, I can't say that enough.
I am going to open the book randomly and tell you about whatever spirit is on the page. There are so many spirits covered in this book that I think this would be the easiest way.
So today we will talk about.....
Kyane
Also known as Cyane
Origin: Greek; Sicilian
Classification: Nymph; naiad
Persephone was not the only victim of Hades. Her childhood friend, the Water Nymph Kyane was also utterly transformed by Persephone's abduction. Abbreviated versions of Persephone's myth usually indicate that no one came to her aid but that is not exactly true. In some variations the kidnapping of Persephone was witnessed by her friend Kyane who loudly protested but to no avail. Hades opened a path to his realm right at the freshwater spring over which Kyane presided and disappeared with Persephone.
Kyane was either so grief-stricken that she literally dissolved into tears becoming one with the water or Hades struck her mute so that she was unable to reveal what she had seen.  She may also have been rendered unable to leave her Sicilian spring, ever after dedicated to Persephone as well as to it's resident Nymph.
Kyane is closely associated with the color blue. Her hair may be blue. She may manifest as a mermaid and if so, her tail may be blue. Kyane is a melancholy spirit; she is the forgotten victim of Hade's attack and has never entirely recovered. She is the Goddess of the blues and blue moods as well as the literal color. She may or may not be among the Sirens. (There is a Siren bearing her name but it is not clear if they are the same spirit.)
Manifestation: As a beautiful girl, as a mermaid or as water. Kyane does not speak but can be very expressive.
Spirit Allies: Kyane may be venerated alongside Demeter and/or Persephone.
Color: Blue, cyan refers to the watery colors between blue and green.
Element: Water
Time: L'heure bleu or "the blue hour": the hour between daytime and darkness, just before nightfall and dawn, often characterized by vividly blue skies.
Messengers: Blue Birds
Offerings: Spring Water; blue flowers or any blue drink

That concludes todays post on the spirit world. As always I would love to hear your thoughts. Also, if there is a particular spirit that you would like me to include in future writings please let me know.
Brightest Blessings,
Kat
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