New Worlds of Body, Mind & Spirit Since 1901
2. Margaret Ann Lembo(Boynton Beach, FL) is a spiritual practitioner and owner of The Crystal Garden, a spiritual center and gift shop. For more than twenty years, she has led workshops and classes around the country. Her audio CDs (guided meditations and more) are distributed nationally. She is also the president of the Coalition of Visionary Resources (COVR). Visit her online at www.margaretannlembo.com.
3. In Wicca, a derogatory term for a person who joins a coven to discover their secrets for his or her own use, or to cause discord and strife within that coven or tradition. On internet forums, including those frequented by Pagans, a term describing a person who makes posts designed to stir up angry responses from or disagreements between those who regularly post to the form.
4. Kristoffer Hughes (Wales) is Chief of the Anglesey Druid Order, a Mount Haemus Scholar, and a member of the Order of Bards Ovates and Druids. He is a teacher, writer, workshop leader, and guest speaker at Paganconferences, camps, and festivals throughout the United Kingdom and Europe. Hughes is also a frequent contributor and consultant to Welsh and English television companies and France 5 network.
Hughes is the author of From the Cauldron Born.
5. Jody Baron (Plainfield, VT) has written over a dozen books as a ghostwriter of spiritual and New Age material. She is the founding moderator of The Abe Forum, an online discussion of the teachings of the Abraham-Hicks organization.
6. Large scale. Pertaining to the universe.
"Consciousness activation in the three lowest natural kingdoms is an unconscious and automatic process which gradually becomes a conscious one in the human kingdom. In higher kingdoms it is the result of self-initiated consciousness activity."
Laurency, H.T. The Knowledge of Reality, 1979, The Henry T. Laurency Publishing Foundation
Transliteration of the Hebrew word for "love." Sometimes transliterated as ahavah. Via Gematria, a form of Kabalistic numerology, it equals 13, also the numeration of the Hebrew letters in the word for "one." As the Kabalah holds there is only one deity, the number one represents God, and since the numeration of the letters in the word equal the numeration of those in "ahevah," this is taken to prove that God is love.
A Kabalistic method of Biblical interpretation and system for making codes. See Temurah.
(175?—242) A Greek philosopher from Alexandria, Egypt; little is known about him. However, he founded the school of Neoplatonism in Alexandria and is thus considered one of the founders of that system. There are no records of his writing, and we know of his teachings through his students, especially Plotinus.
Title given to those who followed the teachings of Ammonius Saccas. They received this name because they used analogies and correspondences when they interpreted myths and symbols, much as many occultists do today.
The “Soul of the World.” There has been a dual usage for this phrase:
1) As the World Mind or Global Consciousness, divided into spiritus mundi or world vital force and corpus mundi or the world physical body;
2) The divine essence that permeates everything, also known as Astral Light, Prana, Animal Magnetism, Spirit.
Individual animal awareness is primarily physical and emotional, but sharing in the mental substance of the species Group Soul. It is generally believed that accumulated mental activity leads individual animals to transmigrate into the human kingdom—but only those animals such as Cats, Dogs, Elephants and Monkeys that have been in close and constant association with human “owners.”
The rejection of socially established morality or religious laws.
An enormous disaster. The name comes from the last book of the Christian Bible and is from the Greek where it actually means “revelation.” That book has the revelations of St. John resulting from visions. Those visions describe the violent end of the age. Highly symbolic, numerous interpreters give different versions of the meanings of the book.
Greek word that means “to become divine” or “to ascend to a divine level.” Originally described the way a king was made divine in some ancient religions. In France and England this may have led to the belief in the Royal Touch (which see).
Early Christians changed the meaning of the word to mean that a person or group could partake of the divine nature and not that they could become divine.
A square stone block. In Freemasonry it represents the Mason and his spiritual advancement. There are two kinds, the rough ashlar and the smooth ashlar. It is also symbolic of the alchemical Philosopher's Stone, a representation of inner transformation as a result of spiritual work.
Remember that your Personal Human Consciousness is modeled on the Body of God. The Powers of the Universe are yours to learn and earn. You do have the Power, but you have to learn it, understand it, believe it, use it, and—above all—have faith in its reality.
The aspiration of the student (we are all students) towards growth and the attainment of Initiation should be a burning flame like a lover’s desire for his beloved.
Through astral projection and increased awareness, we accelerate our growth and gain understanding of the nature of our existence.
Like astral sex, astral love and romance are emotional and emotion is the substance of the astral plane.
The astral body—in contrast to a constructed thought form—is a non-physical replica of the physical body and can be used as an organizing matrix perceived to be ideally healthy. Upon re-engagement with the physical body, health images can be transferred for healing and rejuvenation.
Anything on the physical plane is replicated on the astral plane in non-solid astral substance that responds to feeing and thought.
Every physical action has an astral reaction, and nearly everything sexual is accompanied by emotion, the very substance of the astral plane. Love and Romance are likewise emotional, and these three are mostly associated together and function through the exchange of magnetic and electrical energies that engender excitement, pleasure, and built the magical potentials fundament to Sex Magick.
1. Instead of physical substance the astral world has its own unique substance that some writers refer to as “emotional” because it is the foundation for our emotional consciousness just as the physical substance is the foundation for our physical consciousness, and the mental world substance is the foundation of our mental consciousness.
A range of energy/matter substance of lessening density as the range of vibrations increases.
2. A generic term used to describe the malleable or "plastic" substance that comprises the astral plane.
A nine-step Out-of-Body induction and telepathic sending system.
In Astral Walk, a stage in which the astral body disengages the biological body. See: Astral Walk.
Suggested Reading – Slate, J.H. & Weschcke, C.L.: Astral Projection for Psychic Empowerment, 2012, Llewellyn
A person who believes there are no Gods. Although among some self-described "skeptics" atheism includes the lack of belief in anything not fitting into 19th-century materialistic philosophy, there are some people today who would note that this simply does not allow for the belief in ultimate deities. It can allow for the belief in other non-material things including spirits, ghosts, survival of the personality after death, and magick.
Focused awareness. Concentration. To "pay attention" is a conscious choice to limit perception and the work of consciousness to something specific.
2. Greek term meaning The Higher Ego or Individuality of Man; the “Father in Heaven.”
5. The human aura is the body’s external energy field which is a manifestation of the internal energy system’s central core.
An Eastern concept that we should our attention in our lives on the present, not dwelling on the past or the future. In this way we will supposedly achieve the most happiness.
A phrase coined by Carl Llewellyn Weschcke to express that concept of self-directed evolution. You, we all, are a "work-in-progress" towards fulfilling the potential of the Whole Person already existent as a "matrix" of consciousness into which we are evolving. To "Become more than You are" is the goal of everyone who accepts the opportunity and responsibility of accelerated development and Self-Empowerment.
From the reincarnation perspective, the continuum for individual existence is endless, with neither beginning nor end.
Disrespectful or disparaging of religious beliefs, irreverent, sacrilegious.
Something that shows disrespect or is disparaging of a religion.
The use of restraints, real or imagined, for power exchange during erotic play.
2. God, the supreme Godhead or universal soul. Despite the fact that Hinduism is described as a polytheistic religion, there are certain monotheistic aspects underlying the concept of Brahman. Interestingly enough the literal meaning of the word is growth or expansion.
The definition varies somewhat in different branches of Buddhism, but it can be understood as suggesting that the potential for Buddhahood is intrinsic in all beings and that it can be awakened through practice.
Like the other five planes of the three lower levels, there is “substance” as well as “laws” relating to its specific nature. The Causal shares the third level with the Mental Plane—which likewise has its unique substance, but the two share the characteristic of five dimensions (in contrast to the familiar three of the Physical and Etheric Planes of the first and lowest level).
2. Part of the soul located in Chokmah. It is Divine Will, the source of action.
3. That part of the soul in the Qabalah attributed to Chokmah manifesting as wisdom. The Divine Will. The Theosophical Buddhic Body.
Name for a circle with a single dot in the center. In astrology it is used to represent the Sun. Anciently, it was a symbol of the Egyptian solar deity Ra. In Neoplatonism it represented the soul in the spiritual world.
1. The spirit who acts as a kind of manager through which other spirits communicate to the medium during a séance.
2. In science (and in the scientific investigation of the paranormal—parapsychology), experimental proceedures instituted to prevent extraneous factors from influencing the results of an experiment.
The comprehensive records of the cosmos, which include our personal archives.
A phrase coined by Richard Bucke to describe his own experience of unity with the universal consciousness of the cosmos. Bucke believed this to be the goal of human evolution.
Each individual’s unique spiritual or cosmic makeup, which remains unchanged from lifetime to lifetime. Also known as a Spiritual Genotype.
Suggested Reading:
The soul’s unique spiritual identity that exists in perpetuity.
Suggested Reading:
Raised awareness of the cosmic scheme of our existence, accompanied by increased knowledge of our higher self. See Cosmic Actualization.
The energizing foundation of all reality, both tangible and intangible.
A way of explaining the universe and its processes. The word can be used in both scientific and religious contexts.
Modeled after the World Wide Web (WWW) of the Internet, the CWW recognizes existence of the Akashic Records imagined as “infinite-sized and capable data banks and servers, accurately accessed through a speed-of-light fast astral search engine using an imaginary keyboard and large monitor to call up and see those records we desire.
Also known as Crystallomancy, a technique typically using a crystal ball to engage and liberate the mind's psychic powers while promoting a state of general self-empowerment. Crystal gazing opens the channels of the mind and permits the free expression of multiple inner faculties.
A meditational technique generating an empowered mental state conducive not only to increased psychic awareness but personal insight as well.
A program to stimulate psychic faculties and awareness expansion using a crystal ball.
The collective name for ancient Roman local or personal deities of profit. They were worshiped and evoked to ensure successful business ventures. The deity Mercury eventually took over their functions.
The supposed taking over of the personality by an evil, non-physical entity.
Alternate name of the Astral (aka Emotional) Body.
“Men are not all mystics, though all must one day attain to the mystical union, each following his own road to bliss of which there are said to be seven. Upon one of them, especially, and possibly upon others, direct knowledge of the forces and intelligences of Nature and acquirement of the faculty of cooperating with them in which is sometimes called the Great Work which can be of much value.”
Raised awareness and understanding of past-life influences on our present growth and enlightenment.
1. Being given the right to do something, such as lead a magickal group. Sometimes a dispensation is given without having to go through usual trainings and/or initiations.
Name for the sixth plane or level up from the Physical. Alternate names include Submanifestal and Monadic.
Alternate name for the Astral (or Emotional) Body, but also the specific term for astral body that has separated from the physical body during sleep. Becoming conscious while in the Dream Body facilitates one particular form of Astral Projection known as “Lucid Dreaming.”
Spiritual beliefs and practices that center on the planet Earth. Some followers view the Earth as divine (see Gaia Hypothesis). The Earth may be related to as a goddess such as "Mother Earth." Others may view the Earth as being a source of spirituality and due respect and honor, often manifesting in the form of ecological awareness.
1. An altered state of consciousness that is unclearly defined but typified by sensations described as rapture, loss of self-control, trance, etc.
2. Bliss, an intense emotional state in which the individual is transported beyond the bounds of everyday consciousness.
1. A Latin term meaning "I."
2. That function of the Personal Consciousness that confronts the outer world.
The interpretation of a text in a way that seeks to prove or support presuppositions, opinions, biases, notions, beliefs, etc. about the text, rather than objectively and critically examining the meaning of the text. An exegesis attempts to discover the meaning of a text as written by the author or authors. An eisegesis filters the text through the beliefs of the interpreter.
Vital Energy, Prana, Chi. A term originally created by philosopher Henri Bergson (1859-1941) in his book, Creative Evolution (1907). Bergson's sister, Mina (AKA Moina), was married to one of the original heads of the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn and eventually became the head of the order.
An alternate name for the Astral Plane or World, because the nature and substance of the astral (emotional) plane or world may be best defined as emotional, i.e. “matter in motion,” and it responds to human feelings and emotions.
A substance such as a drug (or less often, a technique) used to create altered states of consciousness that allow us to experience the divine directly.
The vehicle for consciousness at the fourth level up from the physical. Here the self-identity of the individual as Monad or Soul is permanent and at the same time can experience others’ consciousness as his own and can also experience oneness with Universal Consciousness. The Essential Self no longer needs to incarnate in the physical world
The World at the fourth level up from the physical, and is characterized by six dimensions of Matter and Motion. It is the lowest for the four higher planes of our Solar System.
In the incarnation process, the “information” needed for the whole physical body and associated subtle bodies is brought down from the Causal level, through the Mental and Astral levels to form an actual “template” at the Etheric level to guide the formation of the embryo and its birth in relation to the pre-determined birth horoscope. It is this Template that provides the blueprint for the physical life.
The process by which living things develop, change, and diversify.
The interpretation of a text. Although this can mean a critical examination of any text (where "critical" means an in-depth analysis rather than a denunciation), it is especially associated with a study of a spiritual text such as the Bible.
A belief in a thing or idea, often without proof that what you believe in is valid or true, or in spite of evidence that it is not valid or true.
An expression describing Carl Llewellyn Weschcke due to his "behind the scenes" impact on bringing the "New Age" into manifestation.
An instinctive response conveying some "truth" about a person or situation. It is a kind of filter through which we experience reality. Also see "Operating System."
Of limited duration. This term especially relates to the idea of having a fixed ending. Opposite of infinite.
3. Together, the effluvia of the Lion and the Eagle, is the "First Matter," the original Creation. This First Matter is to be transmuted by the magickal imagination, by aspiration and inspiration and by the "Fire" which is the ecstasy. Ecstasy is, as it were, the magickal fire for transforming all into inspiration and aspiration.
The belief, fostered by Carl Llewellyn Weschcke among others, that humanity in the twentieth century struggled to create the first global civilization based on a commonality of Hollywood centered entertainment, international political organizations growing out of World War II and the Cold War, the European Union, a world economy, a common currency, universal education, universal human law, and free trade.
Global empowerment must begin somewhere. Becoming personally empowered can be seen as the first step toward empowering the globe and making the world a better place for present and future generations. The starting point is personal empowerment and grows person-by-person as psychic development leads from personal growth and development to the continued evolution of humanity as a whole in partnership with planetary consciousness.
A name for the halo or other indication of spirituality surrounding a person (or just their head) in spiritual and religious art.
The Greek word for "Knowledge," it came to mean a special knowledge of spiritual mysteries. People seeking this spiritual knowledge directly from the Divine were known as Gnostics. In Chaos Magick the Gnostic Trance is an intense state where you are deeply focused on your magickal goal.
We are told that we are made in God’s image: "So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them." (Genesis 1:26-27) Therefore we are to understand that the pattern of our Personal Consciousness was structured by Mother/Father/Creator/Source at the beginning of Existence itself.
The “Higher” always controls the “Lower.” What is magically created on the higher planes—Causal, Mental, and Astral—will precipitate action on the next lower plane, and if so “instructed” through ritual and intention will manifest as physical reality.
The highest level of Causal Consciousness functioning as the permanent “soul” that continues from incarnation to incarnation. It is designated as 47:1 in the Cosmic Involution Scale.
The highest level of the Causal Plane, designated as 47:1 in the Cosmic Involution Scale.
The collective consciousness of a community, herd, nation, ethnic group, or nation, reflecting and then reinforcing distinctive behavior, thoughts, and culture.
1. A specific polytheistic reconstructionist path based on aboriginal Germanic tradition.
2. Any polytheistic reconstructionist path which is also based on aboriginal traditions from Western Europe. Although this may include the British Isles, it is often primarily associated with Northern Europe including Scandinavia, as well as much of what is modern Germany. Examples include Asatru and Odinism, as well as some sects of Druidry. Although these groups can fall under the broad definition of Pagan, some people who follow the path of Heathenry do not consider themselves Pagan.
An adjective attached to things that have Greece, especially ancient Greece, as their source.
Beliefs, theories, or practices that are different from the beliefs, theories, or practices of some mainstream concept. Thus, the idea of what is now called continental drift was, at one time, considered a heresy. Today it is an accepted scientific belief. Often, heresies are not only different from mainstream concepts, but they are considered challenges. Most of the people killed during the Spanish Inquisition were accused of heresy by challenging the beliefs of the Catholic Church.
1) A general reference to levels above the physical—generally meaning Etheric, Astral, Mental and Spiritual.
2) A reference to levels above that being discussed, and generally meaning planes above the Spiritual or that our commonly grouped into the Spiritual Plane. Planes refer to a) levels of manifestation and b) levels of the Whole Person—as "bodies."
3. According to Donald Tyson, that which you really are, as opposed to what you think you are. The truest identity of the individual stripped of all transitory veils.
The Whole View. Seeing things from a fully organic perspective inclusive of all the levels of life, consciousness and manifestation. It’s all the "connections" seen at once.
An image wherein any fragment of the whole contains all essential elements of the whole, but to a lesser degree. Modern theorists, noting the holographic quality of DNA (i.e., every DNA molecule has the genetic code for the entire body), note that the body has holographic qualities and the mind may also be holographic. Symbolic of the concept that all things in the universe are infinitely interconnected.
Sacred. This can be used to refer to an object, place, image, ritual, or vision.
Christianity: water that has been blessed by a priest. Used for
Magick: water used for blessings, banishing, purification, etc. Often combined with salt to represent the union of water and earth. May be blessed by leader of ritual or (among Pagans) by High Priest or High Priestess. My be replaced by wine or fruit juice.
Extreme pride or arrogance that often involves assuming greater skill or knowledge than one actually possesses. Typically used as a description of the cause of a fall from a position of power.
Traditional Polynesian, especially Hawaiian, spiritual system that includes theological, psychological, practical, and magickal concepts.
In many Western traditions, illumination means an ecstatic state resulting from contemplation of the divine. In many Eastern traditions, it means the experience of dissolving into the divine.
A spiritual belief that God (or Gods) exist as part of the physical world and can have direct interaction with humans. Many Pagan religions believe in an immanent deity or deities. The opposite of a belief in the transcendency of deity. See: Transcendent.
A record of one's past incarnations on this earth plane.
A process of preparation in the spirit realm for embodiment on the earth plane.
Suggested Reading:
Slate: Beyond Reincarnation
The sense of what makes a person different from all things external to himself or herself.
The belief that each person has a "Divine Spark" or part of the Divine Creator at his or her core. As the person evolves and grows in wholeness, he or she becomes more and more closely identified with that Divinity until an ultimate unity is accomplished.
An innate behavior, especially as a response to a given stimulus. Instincts may exist since birth–implying a genetic or past life influence—or may result from conscious or subconscious mental programming. As a general rule, animals with lesser or damaged frontal brain lobes tend to function instinctually whereas animals with greater thinking capabilities can choose to act contrary to instinctual prompts.
A group procedure designed to merge the physical realm with the spiritual without the involvement of a spiritual medium.
Suggested Reading:
Slate: Beyond Reincarnation
An expression used by some to indicate a state of mind where we “turn off” or silence our emotions, thoughts, and daily cares so that we may participate more effectively in a ritual.
1. An Egyptian word that directly translates as "star." In Thelemic concepts it is the actual identity of the physical self, your real essential personality as opposed the the personality you generally present. See Khu.
Ancient Egyptian term. The etheric double. Food, incense, oils, etc. were left in the tomb to prolong the existence of the KA. Attributed to Malkuth.
This motto was inscribed on the 6th-century B.C.E. temple of Apollo at Delphi and quoted by several ancient writers, some of whom attributed it to Solon. It has been since been quoted thousands if not millions of self-help, motivational and spiritual writers and teachers.
The process of self-discovery, of self-knowledge, of self-understanding is endless until such time as we become one with the Highest Self. The process of self-knowledge is the process of becoming more than you are.
Transliterated from the Hebrew in multiple ways, its meaning is dependent upon the context wherein it appears. Thus, it can mean world, universe, or forever.
Aleister Crowley’s Book of the Law, channeled to Crowley by an entity known as Aiwaz, and considered the holy book of the Aeon of Horus and the foundation of Crowley’s spiritual tradition, Thelema.
A weak electric field surrounding every living organism that acts like a "matrix" to guide its development. It is the Etheric Body.
The energy that is possessed by all living things.
The "journey" through life that each person makes. It is the "story" of one single life-time.
The Light that is characteristic of the astral and higher planes. It is this “Living Light” that is the foundation of the Cosmos itself and the source of Spirit or Akasha, the element from which all the other elements are derived. It gives meaning to the phrase “Let there be Light” that is the true beginning of all.
Associating an I AM sentence and symbol with a full description and image of that which is desired. Then the sentence and symbol are vehicles for the entire operation and are used in self-hypnosis to convey the desired goal to the subconscious.
1. The aspect of the body, mind, and spirit that is focused on the physical world and attractions to physical things as opposed to more spiritual ideas.
2. The conscious mind and the subconscious mind, together, are the Lower Self.
Latin for "light" it is pronounced "lux," and rhymes with "toots," as in "toots a horn." Mystically, each letter is related to Egyptian deities: Isis, Apophis and Typhon, and Osiris, respectively. It also corresponds to the Gnostic supreme deity IAO.
The Cosmos and the Individual Person reflecting each in the other: "As above, so below."
Referring to a religion focused upon the worship of a goddess or goddesses, or where the female deities are considered more important than the male deities. Preferred by some over the term “matriarchal” as the suffix reminds them of the negative, controlling and limiting aspects sometimes found in patriarchal religions.
"What is the meaning of life?" is one of the most challenging questions any of us will ever confront. We can say that our Life's Purpose is "to grow, to become more than we are," but purpose and meaning may not be exactly the same thing. "Meaning" may be either personal or for all of us. Either way, it is probably best discovered for oneself. Meditate on it often.
The foundation of the conscious mind. What we don’t remember slides into the subconscious mind where it not only remains available for recall but can act either for or against our best interests. Any experience loses its value if we cannot remember it.
Memory is found in Chesed as part of Ruach, the Conscious Self.
The fourth body. The mental body "thinks" in abstract rather than emotional form. The lower mental body unites with the astral and etheric bodies as the personality for current incarnation. The higher mental body is home to the Soul between incarnations.
The third plane up from the physical/etheric between the Astral and the Spiritual Planes. It is the plane of abstract consciousness, where we find meaning, patterns, the laws of nature and mathematics, number, and form. It is the plane where all thought is shared. It is the upper home for the Akashic records shared with the astral.
The mind is the non-physical aspect of identity often linked to the physical brain. It is the location of consciousness.
A beneficial phenomenon of astounding impact. Often attributed to supernatural, and especially divine, intervention.
The fifth, or spiritual, body that is separate from the personality and is a function of the Soul.
The astral body temporarily housing the soul after death of the physical body.
The physical universe of which we are a part. Especially the living things on the Earth.
Any religious or spiritual path that accepts nature as divine or as having spiritual value.
Also see Nephesch.
(Qabalah). A part of the soul located in Yesod; the etheric double linked to the physical body by prana. It links the physical body (Guph) and the rational mind (Ruach). The etheric body is the Lower Self or lower subconscious with primal instincts and drives. It is the Theosophical Linga-Sharira.
Also see Neschamah.
(Qabalah) The "Real Ego." It is one of the three highest parts of the soul, along with Chiah in Chokmah and Yechidah in Kether that collectively compose the Higher Genius, the source of intuition. In the Theosophical view it is the Higher Manas attributed to Binah and manifesting as the faculty of understanding and intuition.
The belief that human consciousness has expanded to accept new beliefs and possibilities.
A belief, sometimes associated with the "New Age," that human evolution continues and is in the process of producing a new species with expanded awareness, various spiritual powers, more immune to common diseases, longer lived, more altruistic, and consciousness-sharing. The New Man is less dependent upon governments, does not identify himself with race or nationality, is free of gender-bias, is mostly vegetarian, and self-supportive.
Latin for potential, it refers to the concept of a force or entity that guides what occurs in either a singular location or entire world. It also referred to a the cult that viewed the Emperor as having this numen, so he could be seen as having the power of a living god without actually calling him a god.
Today sociologists use the term to describe supposed magickal power within an object such as a talisman or religious fetish.
2. Derived from the Latin numen, it is used today to mean the experience of the presence of a divinity. It was popularized by Rudolf Otto in his book, The Idea of the Holy (original German title Das Heilge) who believed that the numinous experience could lead to a belief in deities, the possibility of spiritual transcendence, the supernatural, etc.
3. Containing divine power or divine presence, imbued with spirit. More generally: capable of evoking fear, trembling, and fascination.
A religious concept that a deity is all good and therefore cannot do evil. Traditionally a Christian concept, it creates a problem in monotheistic theology: if God is all good and created all things, where does evil come from? The result is the invention of a “source of evil” (the devil). Unfortunately, this means that the Devil has power that approaches that of God, resulting in two deities rather than the single deity Christians profess.
Unanswerable questions surrounding the concept of an omnipotent being. Example: Could an omnipotent being create a stone so heavy he could not lift it? If he could not create a stone that heavy, he’s not omnipotent. If he could create a stone that heavy and could not lift it he’s not omnipotent.
All powerful. Monotheistic religions tend to believe their deity is all powerful. In Christianity, it is an idea associated both with God and with God’s religious and temporal representatives (religious leaders, kings and other rulers). In Pagan traditions, most gods and goddesses are are limited and not considered omnipotent.
Hebrew name for the veil in front of the Holy of Holies. In the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn, it was used to represent the separation between the Outer and Inner Orders.
A little-known spiritist religion centered in Jamaica. One of its sources is African religions, so it has similarities to Voodoo.
The concept that two opposites can combine to form a greater whole. Although given names such as male/female, microcosm/macrocosm, magnetic/electric, etc., perhaps the best demonstration is that of an electric battery where you need both the positive and negative poles to allow energy to flow and power devices.
A candidate or person who has petitioned to enter a religious or magickal order. Although amongst occultists it most often relates to people entering magickal groups, it is often used to describe a person who seeks to become part of a Pagan tradition such as Wicca.
A man who has been given the power, usually through a ritual, to officially perform religious rites. Thus, a man who facilitates a ritual such as a Wiccan ritual. In some Pagan traditions, all male initiates are considered priests. It was also a negative term among some Pagans referring to Christian priests who were seen as greedy, power-hungry, etc.
A term used to describe a person, often a male, who receives inspiration, information, or insights, or direction communication from a divine source which projects into the future.
A term used to describe a woman who receives inspiration, information, or insights, or direction communication from a divine source which projects into the future.
A test or requirement used given to someone seeking to join a coven or magickal group to see if they have the discipline to learn a lesson or perform a task. If they show the determination and discipline to complete the quest, it implies that the person will complete their training so the magickal order or coven doesn’t waste time training someone only to have that person leave before completing the training. Assigning such a quest is not currently popular.
A collection of concepts, opinions, beliefs, practices, etc. concerning the nature of the divine and the universe, and how humans interact with the divine. Eventually, the collection becomes accepted as the “rules” of the religion and is known as “dogma.”
A term meaning remaining or residual. For example, when you stroke a piece of iron with a magnet, the iron keeps some of that magnetism. This is called remanent magnetization.
The term is also used by dowsers to mean the imprint of energy remaining in an area after an object has been moved. This remanence can last for a long time. It explains why some dowsers may be able to find a previous location of an object even though that object is no longer there.
To give something to the gods, spirits, or your higher self in payment for something you are requesting simply to honor them. Examples of sacrifices include such things as giving up chocolate for a period of time to giving a percentage of your earnings to charity.
A person who is still looking for a spiritual and/or magickal path to follow.
Similar to a self-dedication, the practice of initiating oneself into a particular magickal, Pagan, or other spiritual path. Since initiation into a system usually requires someone who has previously been initiated performing the ritual for another, many members of structured groups do not accept self-initiation.
A practice based on the Jungian psychological concept of The Shadow, the idea that each of us have some very hidden aspects of the self, aspects that most people might consider dangerous or negative. There are many techniques for the actual practice of Shadow Work; however, the basic concept is to use reflections provided by the people, situations and things that we draw to us as we untangle things we cannot see on our own.
A Latin phrase that means, "without which not." In other words, an essential or the essential element.
The belief that the soul or personality survives physical death and can communicate with the living or even reincarnate.
A term used by some people as a title or name for the ultimate source of everything in the universe. This is preferred by some people as “The All” is genderless. Some Pagans use the term to describe the ultimate divinity from whom manifested the male god and female goddess. Others may use the term as a title of the Goddess, Mother Earth, Mother Nature, etc.
A study, usually spiritual or religious, of the matristic religion. Used by some Pagans in preference to “theology” which, at least linguistically, is focused toward the study of male deities.
Communion with the deity. According to Burgo Partridge (A History of Orgies, 1958), the Greeks used (among other sexual practices) some SM-type activities in order to achieve the ecstatic state of theolepsy during the festival known as the Dionysia (rites dedicated to the god Dionysus).
The study of religion. Some people use this term to refer to the study of patriarchal religions like Christianity.
See: Thealogy.
An imprecise expression that refers to the idea that everyone or every thing is composed of three parts. It’s hazy because there are different interpretations of the three. To some it means the physical body, the mind and the soul [who you are]. To others it means body, mind, and spirit [the energy that animates the body and mind].
A spiritual belief that God (or Gods) exist outside of the physical world and that humans cannot have a direct interaction with the deity or deities. To communicate with a transcendent deity requires some sort of intermediary. The opposite belief is that of an immanent deity or deities. See: Immanent.
The belief that after physical death, the soul of a person can migrate to another body, such as that of a newborn child, animal, or even an object that is not generally considered to be alive.
The boundary between the manifest physical universe and the unmanifest, unknowable source of all.
4. Yoking or union; an Indian spiritual tradition closely related to Tantra. While most Westerners think of Yoga as a form of exercise characterized by various asanas (postures), there are many ways to practice Yoga, and some of them do not involve physical postures at all. It can be useful to think of Yoga as a state of mental stillness, accompanied by a feeling of union or merger with all that is.
