Judika Illes is the author of non-fiction books of folklore

Folklore

Folklore consists of legends, music, oral history, proverbs, jokes, popular beliefs, fairy tales and customs that are the traditions of a culture, subculture, or group. It is also the set of practices through which those expressive genres are shared. The study of folklore is sometimes called...

, folkways

Folkways

Folkways can refer to:*Folkways —theory by the sociologist William Graham Sumner.*Folkways Records—a record label founded by Moe Asch....

 and mythology

Mythology

The term mythology can refer either to the study of myths, or to a body or collection of myths. As examples, comparative mythology is the study of connections between myths from different cultures, whereas Greek mythology is the body of myths from ancient Greece...

 about the subjects of the occult

Occult

The word occult comes from the Latin word occultus , referring to "knowledge of the hidden". In the medical sense it is used to refer to a structure or process that is hidden, e.g...

, magic

Magic (paranormal)

Magic is the claimed art of manipulating aspects of reality either by supernatural means or through knowledge of occult laws unknown to science. It is in contrast to science, in that science does not accept anything not subject to either direct or indirect observation, and subject to logical...

, divination

Divination

Divination is the attempt to gain insight into a question or situation by way of an occultic standardized process or ritual...

, spiritualism

Spiritualism

Spiritualism is a belief system or religion, postulating the belief that spirits of the dead residing in the spirit world have both the ability and the inclination to communicate with the living...

, fairies, witchcraft

Witchcraft

Witchcraft, in historical, anthropological, religious, and mythological contexts, is the alleged use of supernatural or magical powers. A witch is a practitioner of witchcraft...

 and the paranormal

Paranormal

Paranormal is a general term that designates experiences that lie outside "the range of normal experience or scientific explanation" or that indicates phenomena understood to be outside of science's current ability to explain or measure...

. A certified aromatherapy

Aromatherapy

Aromatherapy is a form of alternative medicine that uses volatile plant materials, known as essential oils, and other aromatic compounds for the purpose of altering a person's mind, mood, cognitive function or health....

 consultant, she has taught introductory courses on the subject at Australasian College (2000–2002), and practices taromancy.
On her personal website, Judika explains that her interest in divination began while playing with a Tarot

Tarot

The tarot |trionfi]] and later as tarocchi, tarock, and others) is a pack of cards , used from the mid-15th century in various parts of Europe to play a group of card games such as Italian tarocchini and French tarot...

 deck at the age of six. Her first Tarot deck was the Builders of the Adytum

Builders of the Adytum

The Builders of the Adytum is a school of the Western mystery tradition based in Los Angeles which is registered as a non-profit tax-exempt religious organization. It was founded by Paul Foster Case and has its roots in both the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn and the Masonic blue lodge system....

 (BOTA) deck, which she described in a 2005 interview as "formidable and very esoteric," an unusual starter for a child of her age.

In an interview with Facing North, she attributed a childhood spent in the culturally diverse Queens

Queens

Queens is the easternmost of the five boroughs of New York City. The largest borough in area and the second-largest in population, it is coextensive with Queens County, an administrative division of New York state, in the United States....

 borough of New York City as a significant influence on her writing career. During her teen years, Judika frequented New York bookstores such as Magickal Childe and Samuel Weiser's, known for their metaphysical

Metaphysics

Metaphysics is a branch of philosophy concerned with explaining the fundamental nature of being and the world, although the term is not easily defined. Traditionally, metaphysics attempts to answer two basic questions in the broadest possible terms:...

 and occult collections, and Latino botanicas

She worked as a "telephone psychic" for Psychic Friends Network

Psychic Friends Network

The Psychic Friends Network was a telephone psychic service operating in the United States in the 1990s. The company's infomercials were aired frequently on late night television.-History:...

 from 1991 to 1993.

Judika Illes has a Bachelor of Arts in English and Communications from Rutgers College and earned a Graduate Certificate in Aromatherapy from the American College of Healthcare Sciences (previously known as the Australasian College of Health Sciences) in 1999. Her writing interests include mythology, folklore, astrology

Astrology

Astrology consists of a number of belief systems which hold that there is a relationship between astronomical phenomena and events in the human world...

, spellcasting

Spellcasting

Spellcasting is the act of casting spells and is most often found in a variety of communities. Within the Dungeons & Dragons and other fantasy roleplaying gaming communities, spellcasting is a skill often used by druids, clerics, and wizards. Spellcasting is also associated with occult communities,...

, spirit-working, herbalism

Herbalism

Herbalism is a traditional medicinal or folk medicine practice based on the use of plants and plant extracts. Herbalism is also known as botanical medicine, medical herbalism, herbal medicine, herbology, herblore, and phytotherapy...

 and traditional healing.

Her last name, Illes, is pronounced as you would with the "Ph" omitted from "Phyllis." Judith Illes was used as the byline for some of her Tour Egypt articles, rather than her Hungarian name, Judika.

Books

• The Encyclopedia of Mystics, Saints & Sages: A Guide to Asking for Protection, Wealth, Happiness, and Everything Else!. Harper Collins Publishers (2011). ISBN 978-0-06-200957-9.

• The Weiser Field Guide to witches: From Hexes to Hermione Granger, From Salem to the Land of Oz. Weiser Books (2010). ISBN 9781578634798.

• The Encyclopedia of spirits: the ultimate guide to the magic of fairies, genies, demons, ghosts, gods, and goddesses. Harper Collins Publishers (2009). ISBN 9780061350245.

• The encyclopedia of 5000 spells. HarperOne (2008). ISBN 9780061711237. Previously published as The Element encyclopedia of 5000 spells: the ultimate reference book for the magical arts. HarperElement (2003). ISBN 0007164653.

• Magic when you need it: 150 spells you can't live without. Weiser Books (2008). ISBN 1578634199. Previously published as Emergency Magic! 150 Spells for Surviving the Worst Case Scenario. Weiser Books (2002).

• Pure Magic: A Complete course in Spellcasting. Red Wheel/Weiser LLC (2007). ISBN 1578633915 and ISBN 9781578633913 . Previously published as Earth Mother Magic: Ancient Spells for Modern Belles. Fair Winds Press (2001). ISBN 1931412650.

• The Element Encyclopedia of Witchcraft: a complete A-Z of the entire magical world. HarperElement (2005). ISBN 0007192932.

Magazine Articles

The following articles by Judika Illes were part of her monthly column, Beauty Secrets of the Ancient Egyptians, published during 2000 and 2001 by the Egyptian Ministry of Tourism in its on-line magazine, Tour Egypt.

Ancient Beauty Secrets (monthly column series):

• Ancient Facial Secrets (Introduction), Vol. I, No. 1, June 1, 2000.
• Haircare and Wigs, Vol. I, No. 2, July 1, 2000.
• Perfumes of Ancient Egypt, Vol I No. 3, August 1, 2000.
• Ancient Egyptian Eye Makeup, Vol. I, No. 4, September 1, 2000.
• Nefertem, Ancient Lord of Perfume, Vol. I, No. 5, October 1, 2000.
• Tattoos in Ancient Egypt, Vol. I, No. 6, December 1, 2000.
• Henna, Vol. II, No. 1, January 1, 2001.
• Fertility Shrines of Ancient Egypt, Vol. II, No. 2, February 1, 2001.
• Tutankhamun's Perfume, Vol. II, No. 3, March 1, 2001.
• Flowers: The Fundamental Fashion Accessory, Vol. II, No. 4, April 1, 2001.
• The Beginning of the Book of Making an Old Man into a Young Man..., Vol. II, No. 5, May 1, 2001.
• Cats Eyes and Eye Make Up, Vol. II, No. 7, July 1, 2001.
• Glass Beads: "Fabulous Fakes" and the Birth of Costume Jewelry, Vol. II, No. 8, August 1, 2001.

Feature Articles published in Tour Egypt, 2000 - 2001:

• Hathor, Lady of Beauty
• Beauty Salts

External links

• Judika Illes personal website