Dictionary of Magic & Occultism K - L

Kabbalah body of mystical Jewish teachings
based on an interpretation of hidden meanings
contained in the Hebrew scriptures.
Kabbalah is Hebrew for “that which is
received,” and also refers to a secret oral tradition
handed down from teacher to pupil.
The term Kabbalah is generally used now to
apply to all Jewish mystical practice.
karmic law Karma is the Sanskrit word for
“deed.” In the Eastern religions of Buddhism
and Hinduism all deeds of a person
in this life dictate an equal punishment or
reward to be met in the next life or series
of lives. In this philosophy, it is a natural
moral law rather than a divine judgment
which provides the process of development,
enabling the soul into higher or
lower states, according to the laws of cause
and effect to be met.
knockings/rappings Tapping sounds said to be
coming from deceased spirits in an attempt
to communicate with or frighten the living.
left-hand path In occult tradition, a practitioner
who practices black magic.
leprous From the Greek, lepros, meaning
“scale.” Something resembling the symptoms
of or relating to the disease of leprosy,
which covers a person’s skin with scales or
ulcerations.
loa A spirit that is thought to enter the devotee
of the Haitian voodoo, during a trance
state, and believed to be a protector and
guide that could be a local deity, a deified
ancestor or even a saint of the Roman
Catholic Church.
lupinomanis Having the excessive characteristics
of a wolf, such as being greedy or ravenously
hungry.
lycanthropy The magical ability in legends
and horror stories of a person who is able
to transform into a wolf, and take on all of
its characteristics.