Gods, Goddesses, Saints, Demons, Devas, Djinn, Fairies, Nymphs, Ghosts, Spirit Guides, Animal Totems, Orishas, Angels, and Guardians … that’s just a few of the many kinds of spirit beings. Considering how many people vigorously deny their existence, the extent to which spirits permeate modern human culture is astounding.
You don’t have to believe in spirits to be surrounded by them. In fact, it’s pretty hard to avoid them, even if you remove organized religion from the equation. Every where you turn, every where you look, there will more than likely be a reference to the Spirit World. Our language is full of references to the realm of spirit. For example:
- Days of the week: Wednesday Thursday and Friday were named after Norse Gods – Woden, Thor, and Frigga
- Commonly used words: Siren, nemesis, and aphrodisiac have their origin in Roman and Greek mythology
- Brand names: Nike, Mercury, Ajax, and Pandora call upon the power of the respective Deity
Books, movies, and television would barely exist if we removed every reference to the spirit world. Pokemon characters are based on ancient Japanese spirits. Clearly, the spirit world is important to people, one way or another, for one reason or another, even if only for entertainment. So let me repeat: Spirits permeate human culture.
Spirits have traveled with humans from our earliest days, maybe even from Day One. Just try to find a creation myth from anywhere in the world that doesn’t involve a Supreme Creator, spirits of creation, or at the very least, some assistance from a spirit.
Spirits create the universe. Spirits hang the sun and moon in the sky. Spirits are the sun and moon and the sky! Typically spirits create us. Check the myths: inevitably anything important is a gift from a spirit. The alphabet is credited to the Egyptian God Thoth, along with the calendar and the first book in the world.
Spirits are involved with creation, birth, and every aspect of life. Literally our spirit guides, they journey through life with us, teaching us, protecting us, haunting our dreams, inspiring us, sometimes scaring us, accompanying us every step of the way and beyond.
This little website, The Powers That Be is intended to be a sort of encyclopedia of the inhabitants of the spirit world. I hope you enjoy your visit and find something interesting and useful.