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PAIRIKA - (Zoroastrian) (was: Pariker) Beautiful fallen nymph-like beings that conspire with Azi Dahaka to steal rainclouds and cause drought. They take the form of shooting stars, and battle Tishtrya, the star Sirius.

PALLAS ATHENA - (Greek) The goddess of wisdom and orderly warfare, who sprang fully-grown from the forehead of her father, Zeus. She is the patron of the city of Athens, and her symbols are the olive tree and the burrowing owl. She is also famous as a weaver.

PARVATI - (Hindu) The wife of the god of destruction, Shiva, and the symbol of ultimate female power (the One God of Hinduism is asexual, but it is comprised of both masculine and feminine energy.) She is the mother of Ganesha and Skanda, and can assume many forms, from the beautiful and motherly Parvati to the warlike and terrifying Durga and Kali.

PERI - (Arabian) Indescribably beautiful heavenly nymphs common in the mythology of Persia and the Middle East. They can be kept on earth, as is the case with many nymphs, by stealing their robes while they bathe.

PHALEG - (Judeo-Christian) A descendent of Noah, and the architect of the Tower of Babel. He wished to build a tower that would reach the heavens, but as a divine punishment, all the workers began speaking different languages and construction ceased.

PHANTOM - (unknown) A ghost full of hatred and malice.

PHOENIX - (Greek) A fire bird that repeatedly dies and is reborn. Drinking its blood causes immortality. Every 500 years, in order to purify itself, it bursts into flames and is reborn. It is derived from the Egyptian firebird Bennu.

PHILEMON - (original) The mysterious person who lives in "Philemon's Space," which exists in the space between consciousness and unconsciousness. He gave the heroes of the Persona series their Personae, and helps guide them. "Philemon" was described by the psychologist Jung as a facet of the personality that sleeps within your subconsciousness, and guides you in your dreams when you're in trouble.

PICOLLUS - (Prussian) A demon that appears in a long Victorian-style overcoat when summon. According to de Plancey's Infernal Dictionary, Picollus was worshipped by the ancient Prussians and appeared to important people on their deathbed.

PIXIE - (English/Welsh) A small, playful, friendly fairy.

POLESOUN- (Slavic) A forest spirit that likes to confuse travellers and kidnap children.

POLTERGEIST - (German) A psychic phenomenon where household objects move around or strange noises are heard. (The name is German for "noisy ghost.") It is assumed to be a result of unconscious telekinesis, since it is often observed in houses with adolescent children.

POWER - (Judeo-Christian) Powers are warrior angels that battle evil spirits who attempt to wreak chaos through human beings.

PRINCIPALITY - (Judeo-Christian) A rank of angels that is somewhat hostile to humanity because of its sins.

PROMETHEUS - (Greek) One of the Titans who were deposed by the coming of the Olympian gods, Prometheus (Foresight) sided with the gods against the Titans and was allowed to remain on earth. Prometheus created humanity out of clay, but he felt sorry for his creations, who were defenseless compared to the wild animals. He stole fire from the hearth of the gods and brought it to earth, and when Zeus came to punish humanity, he taught humans how to burn sacrifices to the gods (and how to cheat the gods, but that's another story.) As a punishment for these two crimes - theft and teaching humans how to cheat - Zeus bound Prometheus to a mountain with unbreakable chains, and sent a giant eagle every day to tear out Prometheus' liver. Since Prometheus was immortal, his liver grew back overnight, and he could never die from the torture. He was eventually freed by Herakles. Another story is that Prometheus, with his ability to see the future, could tell which of Zeus' children would overthrow Zeus, but he refused to tell Zeus, thereby prolonging his torture indefinitely.

PUCEL - (Judeo-Christian) One of Solomon's 72 spirits, a former Power that taught geometry and the liberal arts.

PUCK - (English) A mischievous fairy also known as Robin Goodfellow. He is most famous for his role in Shakespeare's play A Midsummer Night's Dream.

PURSKI - (Thai) An incarnation of the Hindu god Vishnu with an elephant's head and a human body. It also has the Third Eye in the middle of its forehead. It is probably related to the Hindu god Ganesha.

PYTHON - (Greek) An enormous snake or dragon that lived on Mount Parnassus, guarding the Oracle of Delphi. The god of light, Apollo, slew the Python with his golden arrows as his first act after coming of age, and gained control of the Oracle of Delphi as a result. The Oracle was also known as the Pythia, which is derived from Python.

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z