LUNA MYST Pagan, Wiccan, New Age Glossary

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		NEW AGE GLOSSARY

		Please use this Lexicon as a guide to increasing your vocabulary, understanding words, phrases, cultures, spellings, meanings, origins, etc., all relating to the New Age Movement. Here you may enhance your understanding of Metaphysics and New Age religions and traditions. Words and phrases will be continually added making this an ever evolving resource. This is a living glossary, and suggestions are welcome for additions or corrections. Please send your comments to: GlossaryQuery
		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

A
Abracadabra: a magickal word from medieval times to rid illness, misfortune and demons. Believed to be from the Jewish mystical tradition of Qabala, but this is disputed by some, or the Gnostics during the 2nd century. Its root is the name of the Gnostic deity Abraxas, meaning "hurt me not", and written as such:
                   A                                A B R A C A D A B R A
                 A B                                A B R A C A D A B R
               A B R                                A B R A C A D A B
             A B R A                                A B R A C A D A
            A B R A C                               A B R A C A D
          A B R A C A                               A B R A C A
        A B R A C A D                               A B R A C
      A B R A C A D A                               A B R A
    A B R A C A D A B                               A B R
A B R A C A D A B R                               A B
A B R A C A D A B R A         or                  A              (See Abraxas)

Abraxas: (also Abracax) the Bailidian sects of Gnostics of the second century, claimed Abraxas as the name of the supreme god, and said that Jesus Christ was only a phantom sent to Earth by Abraxas. They believed that his name contained great mysteries, as it was composed of the seven Greek letters which form the number 365, which is also the number of days in a year. God has under his command 365 demi-gods or powers, to whom they attributed virtues, one for each day

Amulet: an Amulet is an object which has intrinsic power to give protection to its wearer, whereas a Talisman is specifically made to achieve a particular purpose. Amulets give protection by absorbing negative energies, while Talismans work by generating a positive force to achieve their objective. Both work like self charging solar batteries and are constructed in a way which links them with the appropriate planetary force concerned for the intention.

Ancients: a term used to describe any peoples, civilizations, or cultures that predate Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. Also mankind's ancestors.

Ankh: sacred Egyptian Key of Life. The ancient Egyptian "looped cross". It signifies eternal life

Aquarian Age: the New Age which begins (according to various calculations) between January 1, 1981 and May 5, 2012. Many New Agers believe the Aquarian Age will be characterized by a heightened degree of spiritual or cosmic consciousness.

Aromatherapy: the use of essential oils from plants, flowers, trees and herbs to achieve health, vitality and rejuvenation of the body, mind and spirit.

Aura: (oar-ah) the popular term for the human energy field. This field surrounds the body and its healthy maintenance is crucial for physical, emotional, mental and spiritual health. Clairvoyants often perceive the layer of the field known as the emotional body in different colors and can tell a lot about a person from this.

B
Banish: To magickally and/or ritually exorcise unwanted entities.

Bast: sacred Egyptian Goddess in the form of a cat.

Beltane: a Wiccan Sabbat and Celtic holiday held between spring and the onset of summer, between April 30th and May 1st. Also called Walpurgisnacht

Besom: (from Old English) a ritual broom. A witch's broomstick. European folklore has witches riding their brooms through the sky, which may be an uninformed explanation of astral travel. As a tool, the broom is used to sweep a sacred cross, ground a circle, or to brush away negative influences. Besoms were often mounted and “ridden” over crops in fertility rites. used to cleanse and purify sacred space.

Blessed Be: a term derived from the ritual of the Five-fold Kiss, it is a simple blessing commonly used by Wiccans and Pagans as a greeting or a goodbye. It also has the same usage as does Amen among the Christians

Book of Changes: (see I Ching)

Book of Shadows: traditionally handwritten book of rituals, spells, recipes, training techniques, guidelines, and other materials deemed important to a Witch or a coven. Used to practice magick.

Book of the Dead: also Egyptian Book of the Dead (known to the ancient Egyptians as The Book of Coming Forth by Day. A collection of ancient Egyptian religious and magical texts, hymns and formulas concerned with the ensuring the safe passage of the soul (Ka) through Amenti (the Egyptian afterworld). The Egyptians believed that knowledge of these formulas, hymns, and prayers enabled the soul to ward off demons attempting to impede its progress, and to pass the tests set by the 42 judges in the hall of Osiris, god of the underworld. The soul passing these tests was allowed to mingle with the gods. If it failed the tests, it was devoured by a monster that was part hippopotamus, part crocodile, and part lion. The texts of the Book of the Dead also indicated that happiness in the afterlife was dependent on the deceased's having led a virtuous life on earth. Part of the Book of the Dead is believed to have originated in the predynastic period of Egyptian history. In the 5th and 6th dynasties the Book of the Dead was inscribed on the sarcophagi in the pyramids of the kings and therefore became known as the Pyramid Texts. By the 18th Dynasty it was inscribed on papyri, which were frequently from 50 to 100 feet long and illustrated in color. These papyri were placed in or near the coffins of the dead and were sometimes called Coffin Texts

Brigid: Celtic goddess of rivers and water.

Broomstick: a phallic symbol used in rituals and cleansing. (see besom)

Buddha: (Sanskrit - Enlightened One) there are many who have attained Buddhahood, or supreme enlightenment.. The best-known is Siddhartha Gautama Buddha (586-511 BC). He was born a in northeastern India and received spiritual enlightenment through meditation. During his lifetime, his spiritual insights and teachings became a major alternative to Hinduism throughout India. Diverse versions of his teachings can be found worldwide today.

Buddhism: World religion based on the spiritual teachings of Siddhartha Gautama Buddha. There are a number of versions or sects of Buddhism generally teaching paths to Nirvana (enlightenment or bliss) though the four noble truths (recognizing existence and source of suffering) and the eightfold path (correct understanding, behavior and meditation). Some variations of Buddhism include traditional Theravada schools of India, Mahayana Buddhism, which became very popular in China and Japan, and Tibetan Buddhism (Lamaism) in Tibet. Two more recent forms that have had great influence in America are Zen and Nichiren Shoshu Buddhism.

Burning Times: this is a term used to describe the period from the Middle Ages onwards in which witches were persecuted and burned at the stake, although, most executions were in fact by hanging, not burning.. The last known capital sentence for witchcraft in the West took place in Scotland in the early 1800’s. Figures vary on how many were killed during the hysteria, estimates range anywhere from 50,000 to as many as nine million. Most were women and children, only a small fraction were actually witches. Most were heretics or Christians accused of witchcraft by those who disliked them.

C
Call: invoking supernatural forces.

Celtic Cross: 1. The traditional cross of the Celts - a cross with a circle around it. 2. A Tarot spread in which cards are laid out in the form of a cross

Chakras: (shock-rah) the word chakra is derived from the Sanskrit for wheel. The seven major chakras are energy centres, perceived psychically as spinning wheels or vortices. Each has its own attributes and function. Many holistic therapies aim to balance the chakras, and so promote physical, emotional, mental and spiritual harmony.

Channeling: psychic communication in the physical world with other entities -- usually non-corporeal -- for example, dead human beings, spirits on a higher plane or aliens.

Circle: a protected area in which ritual work takes place or the boundary of a sphere of personal power cast by Wiccans, ceremonial magicians and others before performing their rituals. These rituals are usually performed within these magical circles. Also, circles are often formed by attendees at a séance.

Cosmos: the Universe; Carl Sagan's favorite subject and famous saying: "The Cosmos, is all that is, or ever was, or ever will be"

D
Dalai Lama: Tibetan dalai, "ocean," ; lama, "no one is superior to" Spiritual leader of Tibetan Buddhism, considered an emanation of Avalokiteshvara, an enlightened being who embodies the compassion of past, present, and future Buddhas. Each Dalai Lama, regarded as a reincarnation of the previous one, is identified through a combination of oracles, dreams, and visions. The present and fourteenth Dalai Lama, born in eastern Tibet in 1935, has lived in exile in India since 1959, nine years after the Chinese takeover of Tibet. He received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1989 for peaceful efforts to preserve Tibetan culture in his homeland and among refugee communities.

Dee, John: (1527-1608) English mathematician and astrologer, most noted for his studies in necromancy and alchemy, which drew the attention of royalty. He was born in London on July 13, 1527, educated at St John's College, Cambridge, and made a foundation fellow of Trinity College in 1546. After lecturing and studying at Louvain, Brussels and Paris between 1547 and 1550, he returned to England in 1551 and was granted a pension by Edward VI. Dee met the future Queen Elizabeth while she was being held under house arrest by Queen Mary. The two developed a friendship that lasted for the rest of their lives. As queen, Elizabeth gave Dee money...More importantly, she protected him from those who accused him of witchcraft. "Dee's house in Mortlake, near London, was for many years a major center of science in England. Dee salvaged many ancient scientific tomes that had been scattered when Roman Catholic churches and monasteries were ransacked during the Reformation, and his own library of more than 4000 books may have been the largest of its kind in Europe at the time. His preface to the English Euclid, translated by Henry Billingsley (1570), pointed out the practical applications of geometry and, together with several of his other words, fostered the revival in England of the mathematical arts. Dee spent the years 1583--89 in Poland and Bohemia with the astrologer and alchemist Edward Kelly, and became warder of Manchester college in 1595. He died in poverty at Mortlake in December 1608.

Deism: Deism is a belief in God as revealed by nature and reason, not scripture and faith. Deism is a free-thought philosophy, much like Agnosticism, Atheism or Pantheism in that it rejects the dogmas and superstitions of religion in favor of individual reason and empirical observation of the universe. The Deist sees an order and architecture to the universe that indicates an intelligent Creator or First Cause. However, Deism itself makes no positive assertions about the nature of this designer and Deists disagree with any individual's claims to divine authority, including the individuals who wrote the Bible, the Koran, the Torah, the Bhagavad-Gita, and other works of fiction. Many of our Founding Fathers in the USA were Deists, and were determined to set forth a government separate from any religious doctrine, especially Christianity.

Divination: to use techniques to bring forth a desired thought, a wish, knowledge, or to find an answer. To divine an answer. Using the energies & spirits that surround us, to capture and visualize them through our minds.

E
Earthmother: feminine goddess, partner in a divine pair with father sky. The earth as a manifestation of consciousness and as an object of ritual and adoration. Eve, Isis, Mother Nature, etc. see also Gaia.

Enlightenment: a higher state of consciousness in which the person seems to transcend his or her ego, and becomes aware of his/her divinity, and that he/she is one with deity.

Empath: a person who can psychically tune in to the emotional experience of a person, place or animal.

Esoteric: unknown, hidden, or deeper knowledge or teachings that are possessed or understood by only a very few.

ESP: Extra-Sensory Perception. paranormal abilities such as precognition, telepathy, and clairvoyance.

F
Faerie: also faery, fairy, fairies. A tiny, mischievous often Enchanted being; a fairy. The land or realm of the fairies. also sprite.

Fate: 1. the supposed force, principle, or power that predetermines events. 2. A final result or consequence; an outcome. Many cultures have different words to describe this idea... Kismet, Karma, Destiny, Moira, Fortune, Luck, etc...

G
Gaia: (GUY-ah or GAY-ah) Mother Nature, Greek Earth Goddess, Mother Earth. A belief that Mother Earth gives birth to all of us, and to all life in general, and sustains us daily with nourishment from her own body. All life on Earth functioning symbiotically as a whole. This great scientific and spiritual truth has been celebrated by all ancient religions from the very beginning of time. But, during the fourth century, orthodox Christianity totally embraced the teaching of misogynic religion and the Holy Ghost changed gender from female to male, and Mother Earth ceased to be reverenced. Now a re-birth of interest in Gaia, are returning her to the great importance she is. (see also Oberon Zell)

Grounding: the connection of the human energy field with the Earth's energy field.

H
Halloween: (Wiccan Sabbat: Samhain) The term “Halloween” originally referred to All Hallows’ Eve, a Catholic observance of the night before All Saints’ Day. However, in modern American it has reverted back to its original Pagan roots.. A Wiccan religious high or holy day (see Wicca) . Celebrated on October 31st, children are encouraged to wear costumes and solicit candy door-to-door (Trick-or-Treat).

Hand-fasting: The Wiccan equivalent of a wedding ceremony. It is only legal if performed by a registered clergyman. Handfasting vows are meant to be renewed annually, and thus are a "safer" commitment than marriage unless made legal.

Hypocrisy: 1. Insincerity by virtue of pretending to have qualities or beliefs that you do not really have. 2. The practice of professing beliefs, feelings, or virtues that one does not hold or possess; falseness. 3. An act or instance of such falseness. 4. Preaching one thing, then doing the opposite... Republicans & Christians are the most perfect examples of hypocrisy.

I
Iblis: (Arabic, probably from Greek diabolos, "devil") Satan. A complex demonic figure in Islamic religious thought, understood as the fallen angel, the tempter, and the head of the hosts of devils.

I Ching: Traditional Chinese divination method that involves tossing three identical coins or objects six times and using the patterns they form to receive answers to personal questions from the I Ching or Book of Changes.

Iconoclast: (Greek, "image breaker") One who attacks and exposes the error of religious dogma or that attacks the use of images in worship.

Imbolc: Pagan holiday or Wiccan sabbat, celebrated on or about February 2nd.

Incantation: the spoken part of a spell.

Initiation: 1) An event, or doorway, that acts as an expansion or transformation of a person's consciousness. An initiate's consciousness has to some degree been transformed so that he now perceives reality from a higher perspective. There are many types of initiation, either of spiritual or social nature. 2) a ritual that elevates an individual to a higher office in a social or religious organization.

Inner Self: refers to the inner divinity from which the being and personality evolve. The Unconscious, the Subconscious, the Higher Self, The Christ.

Inquisition: A Roman Catholic tribunal that conducted ecclesiastical legal proceedings to identify and punish heretics. The first Inquisition was established in 1229.

Inquisition, Spanish: a series of official Roman Catholic investigations, lasting from 1479 to 1814, to identify and condemn heretics, witches and Jewish or Muslim converts to Christianity who continued to practice their original religion. In the sixteenth century, its scope was expanded to include Protestants. From the original Inquisition around 1229 through the Spanish Inquisition til 1814, perhaps millions were imprisoned, tortured, and even murdered. Aren't Christians wonderful???

Intention: in magick and affirmation, the focus of the mind, the sense of purpose that leads to action.

Isis: an ancient Egyptian goddess of great power, wife and sister of Osiris and mother of Horus. After Osiris's murder by Seth, she collected his dismembered body and through her magic restored him to life in the hereafter. She was best known as a protective Mother Goddess, depicted as a falcon or a woman with outstretched wings.

J
Jagatha: (Sanskrit) the universe. The cosmos.

Jesus: 1). the leader of a group of religious radicals in Jerusalem who challenged the leaders of Judaism . (approximately 25 AD) 2). an avatar who was supposed to have attained a high level of attunement which enabled him to become a bodily vehicle for the christ for a period of three years. 3). an aspect of god, according to the jesus cults.

Jesus Christ: the mythological founder of the Christian religion. Christ is the Gnostic title of the only begotten Son of God. By giving this title to Jesus, the Christians are proclaiming that their Jesus is the only true manifestation of God.

Jinn: in Islam, an invisible order of beings, created of fire, who possess extraordinary powers and, like humans, are accountable for their actions. Some jinn are good, others evil. Angel. Also known as djin and genie.

K
Ka: in ancient Egyptian religion, one of the three aspects of the soul, a spiritual duplicate of the living person and recipient of postmortem food offerings. The astral or etheric body.

Kabbalah: (Also spelled Kabbala, Kabalah, Kabala, Cabala, Cabbala, Cabalah, Cabbalah, Qabala, Qabbala, Qabalah and Qabbalah - there are potentially 36 ways of spelling it.)
Generically, Jewish mysticism in all its forms. The Kabbalah is an ancient esoteric Jewish mystic system as it appeared in the 12th and following centuries.

Karma: (Sanskrit "deed," "action," "ritual," "result") a central Indian term with various meanings. 1) Any mental, verbal, or physical action or intention, especially a morally correct or textually prescribed activity. 2) The results or consequences of actions or intentions. 3) The Hindu principle of cause and effect, originally developed in South Asian religions, that determines one's past, current, and future existences. Everything we do produces some effect, now or later, on the physical or astral planes. Representing neither good nor evil, all actions and events cause corresponding actions and events in the past or future (including past and future lives through reincarnation). 4) Ritual activity, particularly the ancient Indian rites propitiating a pantheon of gods as prescribed in the Vedic texts. Ritual performance might be done to meet religious obligations, such as initiation into the community, to honor one's ancestors, or to fulfill individual desires such as wealth, progeny, or immortality. The results of ritual, which are also called karma, were sometimes interpreted as "unseen" (apurva), that is, postponed or not yet noticeable in order to explain apparently delayed consequences. While all could admit that actions would eventually bear consequences, the doctrine of unseen results provoked lively debate and reconsideration of the importance of ritual. 5) The erroneous western interpretation: That the good and bad deeds that we do adds and subtracts from our accumulated record, our karma. At the end of our life, we are rewarded or punished according to our karma by being reincarnated into either a painful or good new life.

O
OOBE: (Out of Body Experience) to experience leaving ones body while awake or meditating. Not a dream. The spirit or soul journeys from the body onto the astral plane. The body can be seen from a distance, but is not dead. Spirit will return to the body after the journey. Total awareness during the whole experience. Can be mastered to leave the body at will and travel anywhere, even far into the universe or other planets.

Omen: a sign or event which is interpreted as being a sign of good or evil in a future event.

P
Pagan: a non-Christian. from the Latin word pagani meaning country-dweller.

Panentheism: the belief that God is all that exists. God is at once the entire universe, and transcends the universe as well. Subtly different from Pantheism.

Pantheism: the belief that all that exists is God, and all that exists IS God.. This God is an all-encompassing, impersonal principle or force of which everything is a part.. A central doctrine for most eastern religions and New Age groups. This leads naturally to the concept of the divinity of the individual, that we are all Gods. They do not seek God as revealed in a ancient text or as exists in a remote heaven; they seek God within the self and throughout the entire universe.

Pyramid: a solid figure with a polygonal base and triangular faces that meet at a common point. A massive monument of ancient Egypt having a rectangular base and four triangular faces culminating in a single apex, built over or around a crypt or tomb. Any of various similar constructions. Believed by some to hold great energies and powers.

Q
Qabalah/Qabbalah: See Kabbalah

Quantum Healing: a term coined by Deepak Chopra in his book Quantum Healing. He asks the question, Why, when your body mends a broken bone, it is not considered a miracle, but when your body cures itself of cancer, it is? Copra suggests that the two phenomena come from the same cause - the body is able to do much more than we suppose it can. He calls this ability to heal and cure from within "Quantum Healing." He says it is an expression of the intelligence possessed by the body within each of its cells.

Quarter Days: old Celtic festivals of Samhain, Bride, Beltaine, and Lughnassad. These days are believed to be especially important for charms, spells, and divination. These days are also believed to be lucky for journeys, love, and new ventures.

Quarters: the north, east, south, and west parts of the circle.

Qur'an: (Arabic, "recital") The Qur'an, or Koran, is the Sacred Scripture of Islam. Muslims claim it to be the actual words of God, spoken to the Prophet Muhammad by the Angel Gabriel, between c.610 and his death (632). The text contains 114 chapters (suras), arranged--except for the opening sura--approximately according to length, beginning with the longer chapters. It is generally believed that the standard text of the Koran, adopted during the reign of the caliph Uthman (644-56), is based on the compilation of one of Muhammad's secretaries, Zayd Ibn Thalbit.

R
Reading: information given to a person by a medium, intuitive or psychic in response to questions asked. May involve past, present and future events. Palm reading or Tarot reading are examples.

Rede: a tenet, rule, doctrine, or law. For example the 'Wiccan Rede'

Reiki Healing: a Japanese "laying on of hands" healing technique to tap the Universal Life Energy and use it to heal and balance living beings. It is, based on the knowledge that an unseen energy flows through all living things and is connected directly to the quality of health.

Reincarnation: belief that after a person dies, he returns again to the earth, inhabits a new body, and does this as many times as needed to achieve spiritual perfection. Whereas Hindus typically believe that reincarnation includes transmigration of souls between animal, plant, and even inanimate forms, New Agers believe reincarnation is limited to human and celestial forms. Reincarnation generally assumes a doctrine of karma. The idea is the basis for the practice of attempting past life regression.

Resurrection: in Christian mythology: Being raised from the dead. It specifically refers to that future time when we shall all receive new bodies when Jesus returns at the end of time, when the last trumpet is blown. New Age teaching: The Greek word ανάστασίς which is translated 'resurrection' in the King James translation of the Bible, means literally 'rising up'. In most usages, it would be better translated 'ascension'. It is not the raising of the body from the grave, but rather the raising of the consciousness to a higher, spiritual level. (see Ascension)

Roberts, Jane: author and channeler of aspirit entity called Seth.

Rune Casting: an ancient Nordic and Germanic oracle dating to around 800 A.D., involving the use of twenty-five tiles, each inscribed with a letter from the Viking alphabet; divination technique allowing one to tap into answers in the subconscious or higher self for insight and advice.

Runes: Symbols of ancient Norse and Germanic alphabets the symbols of which were ascribed magical properties and used mainly for charms and inscriptions, on stone, wood, metal, or bone. Perhaps derived ultimately from the Etruscan alphabet, the runic alphabet was spread throughout Europe, Russia and Britain by Viking invaders, and Rune usage was at its height during the Dark Ages. There were several different systems of runes. In Britain the earliest alphabet had 24 letters divided into three groups of eight. The groups were named after Norse deities: Freya, Hagal, and Tiu. The use of runes had died out by the fifteenth century as the Roman Catholic Church eclipsed paganism. In the late nineteenth century German occultists revived interest in runes, which became associated with Teutonic racial superiority. The Nazi swastika is the runic symbol for Thor's hammer, also symbol of the Earth Mother, and the runic S symbol was used by the SS, the Nazi secret police. There are many types of runes, alphabets of Anglo-Saxons, and Norse, and modern Wiccan runes, are just a few. To "read" the runes, they are usually tossed randomly after deciding a subject, and then deciphered based on their positioning

S
Sabbat: one of the eight Celebrations of Paganism and Wicca. See also Wheel of the Year.

Samhain: (sow-wen) Sabbat held on the eve of November 1st, also called Halloween and celebrated by most people (religiously or not) on October 31. Pronounced Sow -wen

Scrying: a method of divination using a crystal ball, shiny stone, dark mirror, bowl of water or other reflective object or surface until psychic visions appear. The art dates back to ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia, and practitioners aim to answer questions, solve problems, find lost objects or people, and help solve crimes. The tool of scryers is called a speculum, which can be any object, but is usually one with reflective surface. The French physician and astrologer Nostrodamus used a brass bowl of water on a tripod. Dr. John Dee, astrologer to Queen Elizabeth I, used a crystal egg and black obsidian mirror. The stereotypical speculum is the crystal ball as popularized by gypsy fortune-tellers.

Shaman: (Siberian Tungus language) a spiritual leader, a medicine man/woman or witch doctor. While a medicine man will tend to the sick, working with herbs, barks and the like, the shaman works more on the psychological level. He will go down on "a journey" for the benefit of the one who is ill; he will direct sacrifices, he will seek out new knowledge, and he will accompany the spirits of the dead on their journey to the afterlife. The Eskimos, Maoris, Polynesians, Mongolians and the American Indians are some of the peoples that believe in the abilities of shamans.

Shamanic Therapy: belief in psychic healing techniques and mediumship skills as practiced by tribal "medicine men" such as those among the Native Americans and in various parts of the Orient; the practices of mediumship and healing techniques of a Shamanic priest.

Shamanism: the religion of many of the ancient less-developed civilizations of the world. Some societies today are shamanistic. Shamanism is characterized by the ability of the Shaman to communicate with the spirit world to provide healing, guidance or wisdom.. The shaman's soul is sometimes believed to leave the body during a trance at which time the shaman will speak with beings from the other worlds or assume animal forms.

Sigil: a magickal seal or glyph.

Solitary: a witch who practices alone instead of within a group or coven.

So Mote it Be: a phrase used often in rituals to close an incantation. It literally means, "So may it be." Amen.

Spellcrafting: the ancient practice of creating spells by various means. Writing incantations.

Stonehenge: the most famous prehistoric megalith (standing-stone monument) in Europe, located 8 miles north of Salisbury in Wiltshire, England. Excavations and radiocarbon dating have revealed that Stonehenge had an exceptionally long history of use as a ceremonial or religious center or both. Stonehenge was constructed in three major phases over the period from around 3500 BC to 1100 BC. It originally began as a circular ditch including a bank with a ring of 56 burial pits â€” named 'Aubrey holes' for their seventeenth-century discoverer, John Aubrey. Around 2100 BC a double circle of bluestone menhirs (large, rough-hewn standing stones), thought to have come from the Preseli Mountains of southwestern Wales was erected within the earlier ring. In the final stage of construction, from around 2000 BC, a circle of about 30 upright stones (made from local sandstone called 'sarsen') were set up, their tops linked by lintelstones to form a continuous circle about 30 meters (100 feet across). At a later date, around 1550 BC, the bluestones were finally rearranged in the circle and horseshoe whose remains survive today. Stonehenge is unique because of its long period of use and the precision of its plan and its architectural details. The traditional thesis that Stonehenge was a Druid temple is untenable, because the Druids did not appear in Britain until a few hundred years before the Christian era. In recent years many attempts have been made to interpret Stonehenge as a prehistoric astronomical observatory, or some form of solar temple. All that can be said with confidence is that from around 2000 BC onward the structure's axis of symmetry pointed roughly in the direction of the sunrise at the summer solstice. Some New Agers believe that the site has mystical powers or energy.

Synergy: a principle which states that the outer and inner (unseen) work together to create.

T
Talisman: the word Talisman comes from the ancient Greek word Teleo, meaning to consecrate or magically charge. From ancient times, Magical Talismans have brought protection, power and prosperity to the wearer. They may take many forms but usually are made of metal, paper, or cloth and worn as a pendant. Magical symbols or sigils are written about it. (see also Amulet)

Taoism: (DOW-ism) a Chinese religion and philosophy that sees the universe as engaged in ceaseless motion and activity. All is considered to be in continual flux. The universe is in a trinsically dynamic. This continual cosmic process is called the "Tao" by the Chinese. The process is described in terms of Yin and Yang. (see: Yin/Yang.) Tao is that which is formless, yet the mother of all forms, and that which is timeless, yet prior to all manifestations, and that which does nothing, yet leaves nothing undone. At the base of Taoism is Lao Tzu's adage "Forget right and wrong, and it will be better for everyone."

Tarot: a type of oracle. Usually consists of a deck of seventy-eight cards used in divination. Divided into the Major Arcana (twenty-two cards with archetypal significance) and the Minor Arcana (fifty-six cards of four suits: wands, swords, cups, and pentacles). A gifted tarot reader will be able to interpret the cards in a meaningful way for the individual who is receiving the reading.

U
UFO: acronym for Unidentified Flying Object. Spacecraft with no known human-made origin. Flying saucer. Possible Alien intelligences.

Uncasting: to open the circle at the end of a ritual or magickal rite.

Unction: the act of annointing.

Underworld: afterworld, Hades, Hell, Nether-Regions etc.

Unicorn: a mythical horse-like creature with a twisted horn coming from his forehead. Generally depicted as having the head and body of a horse, the hind legs of a stag, the tail of a lion, and having a long tapering horn growing from the middle of its forehead.

Unitarianism: 1) The doctrine that God is exclusively one person. Unlike monarchianism or modalism, which view Jesus as a manifestation of the unipersonal God, or subordinationism, which views Jesus as a secondary divine being , Unitarianism views Jesus as a mere human being. 2) The Unitarian movement that originated in late 18th-century New England and to the denominational body that merged with the Universalists in the 20th century to form the Unitarian-Universalist Association.

Unitarian Universalist Association: A denomination formed in 1961 by the merger of the American Unitarian Association (the principal religious body teaching Unitarianism) and the Universalist Church in America (which emphasized universalism). While the two parent denominations were rooted in liberal Christianity, the UUA does not even profess to be a specifically Christian body. Its churches exhibit an eclectic blend of liberal Christianity and humanism.

Universal Life Church: a controversial church founded by Bishop Kirby Hensley in Modesto, CA, as protest against the tax exemptions given to churches. Originally it was an attempt to force the IRS to drop its exemptions for religions. It professes no doctrines and encourages its minister and members to believe and teach whatever they choose. Bishop Hensley proudly professed to be unable to read.

Universal Religion: the belief that, since all is God, then only one reality exists, and all religions are simply different paths to that ultimate reality. The universal religion can be visualized as a mountain, with many spiritual paths to the summit. Some are hard; others easy. There is no one correct path. All paths eventually reach the top. Believers anticipate that a new universal religion which contains elements of all faiths will evolve and become generally accepted worldwide. (See Bahai)

Universalism: 1) The doctrine that all people will eventually receive salvation and eternal life. Many different groups hold to universalism from various perspectives and for diverse (and sometimes opposing) reasons. This doctrine is prevalent in liberal Christianity (among both Protestants and Roman Catholics), as well as in the New Age movement and in most non-Judeo-Christian religions. 2) A movement dating from the late 18th century that originally affirmed universalism on the basis that Jesus’ redemptive death paid for the sins of all people. As universalism developed it came to affirm that people are acceptable as they are and that no atonement or redemption from sin is needed or provided.

Universe: from the Greek meaning "the whole thing" The entire physical reality. This includes the physical, the astral and the spiritual. There is a diversity of opinion as to whether the universe is external to God or is contained within God. Most modern New-Agers believe that the universe and all reality is contained WITHIN God.. see also Jagatha

Valhalla: in Norse mythology, the banquet hall where the principal god, Odin, played host to the Einherjar, the souls of warriors who had died a courageous death in battle. Valhalla was the largest building in Asgard, the heavenly home of the gods, and it constituted one of Asgard's 12 realms. There the Einherjar feasted while awaiting the final battle of the world, Ragnarok. The Einherjar were brought to Valhalla by Odin's warlike maidens, the Valkyries, who were sent out by Odin to gather the souls of heroes as they fell on the battlefields. The name Valhalla is derived from the Old Icelandic term Valholl, meaning "hall of the slain." The Norse Vikings were a warrior people, and in their warrior religion, stories of Valhalla played an important role. There was no other "heaven," and warriors who did not die valiantly in battle went to the murky, miserable underworld. And unlike the Christian concept of heaven, Valhalla itself was not a place of eternal reward.

Valkyrie: (German) In Scandinavian mythology a female power of death who chooses those who are going to die on the battlefield.

Vampire: 1) A person who, for sexual or ritual reasons, drinks the blood of others. 2) The vampire is usually believed to be a restless soul of a heretic, criminal or suicide — that refuses to join the ranks of the dead but instead leaves its burial place — in its original body or taking possession of another's corpse — and becomes a bloodsucking creature in order to continue enjoying the pleasures of the living. The belief in vampires dates back to antiquity. Ancient Mesopotamians feared that corpses not properly buried would rise from their graves and attack the living to suck their blood. Homer's Illiad tells of Odysseus traveling beyond the Gates of Hercules to the land of the dead where he pours out blood to attract them that he might gain information from them. Western notions of the vampire come primarily from Slavic folklore, especially as it was interpreted by the author Bram Stoker in his novel Dracula (1897). In some isolated regions of eastern Europe, peasants still hang wreaths of garlic over their doors — a preventive measure cited in Dracula — as protection against evil spirits, but many other aspects of Stoker's story may have been his own invention.

Vasanta: the Hindu deity of Spring.

Venus: 1) The second planet from the Sun, sometimes called the 'Morning Star'. or Lucifer. 2) The Roman goddess of beauty and sensual love, identified with the Greek Aphrodite (which was less directly sexual), in some accounts said to have sprung from the foam of the sea, in others to have been the daughter of Jupiter and the nymph Dione; for the Greeks, Zeus and a Titan. Some scholars view her as a manifestation of the Phoenician goddess Astarte. Venus was married to Vulcan (Hephaestus), but had affairs with Mars (Ares) and many other gods and demigods. Cupid (Eros) was the product of one of these affairs, this time with Mercury (Hermes).

Virtues: positive magickal properties of objects like herbs, stones, and creatures.

Vision Quest: Native American spiritual practice for opening up to the universe and perceiving a clairvoyant vision of your personal guide for the purpose of prophecy, protection and discovering your life's purpose. Traditionally a time of fasting and praying.

Visualization: the practice of 1) Forming clear mental images often used in magick to focus and direct energy to a visualized goal. 2) Imagining a scene, a person, or an object with intense clarity. This is often done through a meditation with a written "visualization journey" which allows the practitioner to enter an imagined place to make personal discoveries. Also known as "guided imagery," It involves the attempt to bring about change in the material realm by the power of the mind.

Voodoo, Vodou: (African, "divine spirits") African-Christian new religion born in Haiti, whose followers worship the "divine spirits" in life and rituals and accept possession by those spirits for healing and spiritual guidance.

Voynich Manuscript: the Voynich manuscript is a mysterious illustrated book with incomprehensible contents. Named for the man who discovered the book. It is thought to have been written approximately 400-600 years ago by an unknown author in an unidentified script and unintelligible language. Over its recorded existence, the Voynich manuscript has been the object of intense study by many professional and amateur cryptographers, including some top American and British codebreakers of World War II fame (all of whom failed to decipher a single word). Dubbed 'The Most Mysterious Manuscript in the World'.

W
Wand: easily the most recognized tools of the druid, magus, wizard, or witch. A traditional tool used in magick, wicca, and wizardry. Wands are used to draw energies or direct energies and to direct the user's will or intention. Remember, the magick is in the individual, not in the wand. A magick wand only acts as a focus of the user's own magical power or intention. A staff may be used as a wand also.

Waning: the lunar phase when the moon is getting "smaller" (more crescent-like). This is the time when magick that involves banishing things, breaking habits, and getting rid of things is to be performed. Opposite of waxing.

Ward: a protection spell.

Warlock: (Old English- wærloga, 'traitor', 'the one that breaks faith', literally 'oath liar') 1] A wizard, a sorcerer, a magician, a male witch; an evil spirit; a sprite; an imp; a man who holds the key that unlocks secret and supernatural powers; a man who practices black magick. a man who practices magick and/or witchcraft; a man skilled in the magical arts. 2] It is a common misconception that male witches are called warlocks. The term was used to describe men who pretended to be witches in order to penetrate covens and betray them during the Burning Times. Male witches usually use the term witch or Wiccan.

Waxing: the lunar phase when the moon is getting "larger" (nearing the full moon). This is the time when magick that involves growth and bringing things to you is best performed. Opposite of waning.

White Magic: rituals performed for benign purpose, such as healing or fertility. Many North American or European adherents of modern Neo-Paganism or Witchcraft employ the term for their rituals and practices.

Wicca: (Anglo-Saxon, "wise one.") an earth or pagan religion and magical system dedicated to the Goddess and God which uses ceremonies or rituals to achieve communion with the natural forces. The religion founded in England in 1938, is a modern reconstruction of ancient witchcrafts. A common creed is, “An Ye Harm None, Do As Ye Will.” Modern Wicca owes much to the influence of Gerald B. Gardner

Wiccan Rede: the code by which most Wiccans live by: "And It Harm None, Do As Ye Will.", thought by some to have been originated by Aleister Crowley.

X
Xenomancy: a type of divination by observing the first stranger to be found or who appears.

Y
Yama: the Hindu god of death, also the five Hindu moral commandments.

Yahweh: according to many scholars, a possible spelling of the Hebrew letters YHVH - i.e. Jehovah. One rendering of the name of God as written in Hebrew.

Yin/Yang: Chinese Taoist terms referring to the active and passive principles of the universe. Yin refers to the female or [in-active] negative force; Yang to the male or active force. These two polar forces continually interplay with each other. Both are necessary and both must be harmonized for proper function. This Yin and Yang also flow through the human body so that a balance is required to maintain health.

Yule: The pagan winter Sabbat. Also called Winter Solstice.

Yule Log: The traditional log burned at Christmas ceremonies which most likely came from a pagan tradition for Yule celebration.

Z
Zell, Oberon: Born in 1942, Oberon Zell-Ravenheart co-founded the Church of All Worlds in 1962. Incorporated in 1968, CAW became the first Neo-Pagan church to obtain full Federal recognition in the US. First to apply the terms "Pagan" and "Neo-Pagan" to the newly emerging Nature Religions of the 1960s, and through his publication of the Green Egg (1968-1975; 1988-96), Oberon has been credited with being instrumental in the coalescence of the Neo-Pagan movement.

In 1970, Oberon formulated and published the theology of deep ecology which has become known scientifically as The Gaia Thesis. With his soulmate, Morning Glory, he founded the Ecosophical Research Association, whose projects have included raising Unicorns, chasing Mermaids, visiting ancient sacred sites and exploring the Underworld.

Oberon Zell is a Master Artist/Sculptor and is the primary sculptor of The Mythic Images Collection, producing museum-quality replicas and beautiful original devotional figurines and wall plaques of Gods, Goddesses, and mythological creatures. His artistry is stunning, and his Masterful creation of the Millennial Gaia Sculpture will be his legacy. See this creation here:

Zephyr: The west wind. (In Greek Mythology): Greek god of the west wind.

Zodiac: The band of twelve constellations along the plane of the ecliptic through which pass the sun, moon and planets across the sky. This process is called precession of the equinoxes. Each constellation, or sign, is attributed symbolic significance and associations that describe or affect various aspects of life on Earth.