Genius

Genius, the name given by the Italian races to theprotecting spirit or tutelar deity of a person, place, or thing. Every individual was supposed to have a genius (genius natalis), a spiritual second self, who influenced his conduct and fate. Later, an evil genius was also imagined, and a man's good and bad actions were attributed to his good and evil genius respectively. From this pagan notion was developed the idea that every person has a guardian angel. [Demonology, Familiar, Jinn, Neo-Platonism.]