B

Baal: Ancient deity from Asia, later known as king of hell and also known as Bael. He commands 66 legions, he is represented as three-headed: a toad's head, a cat's head and a man's head with a crown. His torso ends in spider legs. The Bible mentions him in plural and identifies Baal as an honorific demoniacal rank and not a name. He was also identified as Beelzebub (see. Beelzebub).

Baccharis: Herb known as "Gloves of Our Lady", it protects against charms.

Bacilogiro: Bearer of a wand that can find treasures in underground waters.

Baetylus (Baetyl): Circled rocks, maybe small black aerolites or meteorites, considered as divined and adored in ancient Mediterranean areas and East world. According to Greek-Roman mythology, this stone would be associated to Earth, Gea-Cibeles, since it would be the rock which replaced Zeus in order to hide him from Chronos and avoided to devour him. 

Basilisk: gr. Basiliskos, "small king". Mythological animal which kills by looking with its eyes. At first, it was identified with a deadly small snake which had a stain or horns for a crown, but its image evolved until it merged with a rooster, something common in Middle Ages. Legends said it was born from eggs, previously brooded by a toad. The only way to defeat it is to make it look at its own reflecftion. However, if someone look at it reflected, he won't die but get petrified. According to region, it is said it lives on caves, cemeteries, or houses enchanted with bad luck. In some places, roosters were sacrificed before turning seven years since it was believed they laid the egg of the basilisk.

Beelzebub (also Baal Zebub), its name means "Lord of the abysm" and "Lord of the flies" because of a linguistic mistake. He has huge and inflamed appereance, with an igneous ribbon. His skin is black and hairy, he has horns, bat wings, duck legs and lion tail. Christian literature considers it as one of the Demon Princes.

Behemoth: Biblical being with a monstrous size, created by God at the beginning of times on the land, being oppossite to Leviathan. Some tried to identify it with an ox, a rhino or an elephant, but it is simply an allegory of Jewish-Christian God power. In Middle Ages, this name was also given to a demon.

Belial (also Baalial): Its name is translated as "the one of corrupt benefit". It is the Beast of the Apocalypse an so it is also known as Satan. In modern demonology is a very attractive and a vicious demon on a fire carriage.

Belladonna: Plant with alkaloids that was used to prepare witch's oinments mixing it with henbane. Sleep-inducing effects with weightlessness have been identified as the origin of believing in witches on brooms flying to the coven.

Belomancy: (s.Bolomancy). 

Benefit, The: see Fortuna Maior.

Berkanan (and Bjarkan, Beorc): Sound rune /b/ associated in ancient world to birch and in modern days, to fertility and women. (s. article).

Beryllistica Divination art that interprets images formed in beryllium mirrors. 

Beast, The: Name of the Devil in Apocalipse, represented as a dragon of seven heads corresponding to seven towns that will fall. Also a name related to apocalipse number 666 and every demonic criature. An ocultist from XX century, Aleister Crowley signed often with this name to mock others or as a symbol of power.

Biastomancy: Divination by the sound of owls or their presence that is considered a bad omen.

Bible, The: Group of books (gr. biblos , book),considered sacred writings in Judeao-Christianism. Judaism only includes the Old Testament and the Torah while Christianity uses Old Testament and New Testament . However, according to Christianity, some books are canonical and others are not so there is no established canon for the term.

Bibliomancy: Divination by opening books, usually books with a sentimental link or a sacred book as the Bible. Generally is the first paragraph.

- Bilocation: A phenomenon in which a person, being or object can be found in two places at the same time. It is literally understood in many occasions, through History there has been search for different explanations from mysticism and psychology. A common example of them would be generalizing the idea of "astral projection". 

Bo'az: (s. also Yakin) Name of the left column in the bronze portico from Jerusalem Temple builded by Solomon. It is believed his name comes from Hebrew word "fortress" which appears in the Psalms. Esoteric orders have given dualist value to the columns, Bo'az represents feminity, passiveness, it is identified with the Moon, although this can change depending on the Order. Black and white are usually related to it, having wisdom and reign.

Bolomancy (or Belomancy): Divination of east ancient people, made by arrows in which you write a wish, a question or a name. Answers were obtained depending on the order in which they pull out the arrows from the quiver or were and how the arrows fell after shooting.

The most common botanomancy methods are examinating plant's growth with tags or signs with the question you want to answer and then analize inclination, speed or decomposition of the sprouts. Also, writing in the leaves and observe the freshness in the plant or the cut ones. Giving each tree or plant a specific power. It is different depending on area, religion or method since it can be medical or astrological as in Paracelso, or it can be popular. We do not count weather botanomancy.

Bottle: Although this is a game for many people, during some time a paper with a message was introduced in the bottle and it had to turn around between the people to see who was going to receive that luck.

Briefs: Very short magical formula that sick people or animals must carry on in order to heal. 

Buttons: as an amulet, the buttons of a jacket, specially military jackets (since this superstition born in First World War) must be odd. On the other hand, the enemy buttons keep away his bullets.