Adept. An adept is an individual identified as having attained a specific level of knowledge, skill, or aptitude in doctrines relevant to a particular author or organization. Etymology[edit] The word "adept" is derived from Latin adeptus 'one who has attained' (the secret of transmuting metals).[1] Authors[edit] H. P. Blavatsky[edit] Although Madame Blavatsky makes liberal use of the term adept in her works[2] to refer to their minor function as caretaker of ancient occult knowledge. Alice Bailey[edit] In Alice Bailey's body of writing she outlines a hierarchy of spiritual evolution and an initiatory path along which an individual may choose to advance. Orders[edit] Various occult organizations have steps in which an initiate may ascend in their own magical system. Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn[edit] A∴A∴[edit] Aleister Crowley, who formed the A∴A∴, restructured the Golden Dawn system.
Temple of Set[edit] The Temple of Set calls their steps degrees, and places adept second. See also[edit] Notes[edit] Wicca. This pentacle, worn as a pendant, depicts a pentagram, or five-pointed star, used as a symbol of Wicca by many adherents. Wicca is a diverse religion with no central authority or figure defining it. It is divided into various lineages and denominations, referred to as traditions, each with its own organisational structure and level of centralisation.
Due to its decentralized nature, there is some disagreement over what actually constitutes Wicca. Some traditions, collectively referred to as British Traditional Wicca, strictly follow the initiatory lineage of Gardner and consider the term Wicca to apply only to such lineaged traditions, while other eclectic traditions do not. Terminology[edit] Application of the word Wicca has given rise to "a great deal of disagreement and infighting".
Beliefs[edit] Beliefs vary markedly between different traditions and individual practitioners. Theology[edit] Duotheism[edit] The God and the Goddess[edit] Pantheism, polytheism and animism[edit] Afterlife[edit] Hermeticism. Philosophy based on the teachings of Hermes Trismegistus Hermeticism, or Hermetism, is a philosophical system that is primarily based on the purported teachings of Hermes Trismegistus (a legendary Hellenistic combination of the Greek god Hermes and the Egyptian god Thoth).[1] These teachings are contained in the various writings attributed to Hermes (the Hermetica), which were produced over a period spanning many centuries (c. 300 BCE – 1200 CE), and may be very different in content and scope.[2] In 1964, Frances A.
Yates advanced the thesis that Renaissance Hermeticism, or what she called "the Hermetic tradition", had been a crucial factor in the development of modern science.[7] While Yates's thesis has since been largely rejected,[8] the important role played by the 'Hermetic' science of alchemy in the thought of such figures as Jan Baptist van Helmont (1580–1644), Robert Boyle (1627–1691) or Isaac Newton (1642–1727) has been amply demonstrated.[9] Etymology[edit] History[edit] Ritual. A priest elevates the Host during a Catholic Mass, one of the mostly widely performed rituals in the world. A ritual "is a sequence of activities involving gestures, words, and objects, performed in a sequestered place, and performed according to set sequence. "[1] Rituals may be prescribed by the traditions of a community, including a religious community.
Rituals are characterized by formalism, traditionalism, invariance, rule-governance, sacral symbolism and performance.[2] Rituals of various kinds are a feature of almost all known human societies, past or present. The field of ritual studies has seen a number of conflicting definitions of the term. One given by Kyriakidis is that a ritual is an outsider's or "etic" category for a set activity (or set of actions) that, to the outsider, seems irrational, non-contiguous, or illogical. Etymology[edit] The English word "ritual" derives from the Latin ritualis, "that which pertains to rite (ritus)". Characteristics of ritual[edit]
Western esotericism. Western esotericism (also Western hermetic tradition, Western mysticism, Western inner tradition, Western occult tradition, and Western mystery tradition) is a broad spectrum of spiritual traditions found in Western society, or refers to the collection of the mystical, esoteric knowledge of the Western world. This often includes, but is not limited to, philosophy, meditation, herbalism, alchemy, astrology, divination, and various forms of ritual magic. The tradition has no one source or unifying text, nor does it hold any specific dogma, instead placing emphasis on spiritual "knowledge" or gnosis and the rejection of blind faith.
Although the protosciences were widespread in the ancient world, the rise of modern science was born from occult varieties of Western Esotericism reinterpreted in the "Age of Enlightenment" and is documented within the field known as the History of science. Definition[edit] As a category, Western esotericism has been defined in various ways. History[edit] Left-hand path and right-hand path. The Baphomet, from Eliphas Levi's "Dogme et Rituel de la Haute Magie", 1854, adopted symbol of some "Left-Hand Path" belief systems.
The terms Left-Hand Path and Right-Hand Path refer to a dichotomy between two opposing approaches found in Western esotericism, which itself covers various groups involved in the occult and ceremonial magic. In some definitions, the Left-Hand Path is equated with malicious Black magic and the Right-Hand Path with benevolent White magic.[1]:152 Other occultists have criticised this definition, believing that the Left-Right dichotomy refers merely to different kinds of working, and does not necessarily connote good or bad magical actions.[1]:176 Terminology[edit] There is no set accepted definition of what comprises the Left-Hand Path and what comprises the Right. Early proponents of the terms, such as Madame Blavatsky, believed that they were essentially conflatable with Black Magic and White, although some later occultists have criticized this notion.
Esotericism. Esotericism (or esoterism) signifies the holding of esoteric opinions or beliefs,[1] that is, ideas preserved or understood by a small group of those specially initiated, or of rare or unusual interest.[2] The term derives from the Greek, either from the comparative ἐσώτερος (esôteros), "inner", or from its derived adjective ἐσωτερικός (esôterikos), "pertaining to the innermost".[3] The term can also refer to the academic study of esoteric religious movements and philosophies, or to the study of those religious movements and philosophies whose proponents distinguish their beliefs, practices, and experiences from mainstream exoteric and more dogmatic institutionalized traditions.[4] Although esotericism refers to an exploration of the hidden meanings and symbolism in various philosophical, historical, and religious texts, the texts themselves are often central to mainstream religions.
For example, the Bible and the Torah are considered esoteric material.[7] Etymology[edit] Definition[edit]
Indigo children. Indigo children, according to a pseudoscientific New Age concept, are children who are believed to possess special, unusual and sometimes supernatural traits or abilities.[4] The idea is based on concepts developed in the 1970s by Nancy Ann Tappe[5] and further developed by Jan Tober and Lee Carroll. The concept of indigo children gained popular interest with the publication of a series of books in the late 1990s and the release of several films in the following decade. A variety of books, conferences and related materials have been created surrounding belief in the idea of indigo children and their nature and abilities. The interpretations of these beliefs range from their being the next stage in human evolution, in some cases possessing paranormal abilities such as telepathy, to the belief that they are more empathetic and creative than their peers.
Origins[edit] Sarah W. Claimed characteristics[edit] Descriptions of indigo children include: Other alleged traits include:[8][10] Invocation. An invocation (from the Latin verb invocare "to call on, invoke, to give") may take the form of: These forms are described below, but are not mutually exclusive. See also Theurgy. Supplication or prayer[edit] As a supplication or prayer it implies to call upon God, a god or goddess, a person, etc. When a person calls upon God, a god, or goddess to ask for something (protection, a favour, his/her spiritual presence in a ceremony, etc.) or simply for worship, this can be done in a pre-established form or with the invoker's own words or actions.
As alternative to prayer[edit] An invocation can also be a secular alternative to a prayer. In this usage, it is comparable to an affirmation as an alternative for those who conscientiously object to taking oaths of any kind, be it for reasons of belief or non-belief. A form of possession[edit] To "invoke" is to "call in", just as to "evoke" is to "call forth". Command or conjuration[edit] Self-identification with certain spirits[edit] References[edit] Magnum opus (alchemy) Colors of the magnum opus seen on the breastplate of a figure from Splendor Solis The Great Work (Latin: Magnum opus) is an alchemical term for the process of creating the philosopher's stone. It has been used to describe personal and spiritual transmutation in the Hermetic tradition, attached to laboratory processes and chemical color changes, used as a model for the individuation process, and as a device in art and literature.
The magnum opus has been carried forward in new age and neo-hermetic movements which sometimes attached new symbolism and significance to the processes. It originally had four stages:[1][2] The origin of these four phases can be traced at least as far back as the first century. The magnum opus had a variety of alchemical symbols attached to it. Birds like the raven, swan, and phoenix could be used to represent the progression through the colors. In another example from the sixteenth century, Samuel Norton gives the following fourteen stages:[9]
Sacred mysteries. Wrisberg epitaph in Hildesheim Cathedral, showing distribution of the divine graces by means of the church and the sacraments, or mysteries. By Johannes Hopffe 1585. The term sacred mysteries generally denotes the area of supernatural phenomena associated with a divinity or a religious ideology. The term has two senses, which often overlap: Religious beliefs, rituals or practices which are kept secret from non-believers, or lower levels of believers, who have not had an initiation into the higher levels of belief (the concealed knowledge may be called esoteric).Beliefs of the religion which are public knowledge but cannot be explained by normal rational or scientific means. Although the term "mystery" is not often used in anthropology, access by initiation or rite of passage to otherwise secret beliefs is an extremely common feature of indigenous religions all over the world. Pre-Christian religious mysteries[edit] Christian mysteries[edit] Eastern Orthodoxy[edit] Other religions[edit]
Sacred geometry. As worldview and cosmology[edit] The belief that God created the universe according to a geometric plan has ancient origins. Plutarch attributed the belief to Plato, writing that "Plato said God geometrizes continually" (Convivialium disputationum, liber 8,2). In modern times the mathematician Carl Friedrich Gauss adapted this quote, saying "God arithmetizes".[2] At least as late as Johannes Kepler (1571–1630), a belief in the geometric underpinnings of the cosmos persisted among scientists.
Closeup of inner section of the Kepler's Platonic solid model of planetary spacing in the Solar system from Mysterium Cosmographicum (1596) which ultimately proved to be inaccurate Natural forms[edit] Art and architecture[edit] Geometric ratios, and geometric figures were often employed in the design of Egyptian, ancient Indian, Greek and Roman architecture. In Hinduism[edit] Unanchored geometry[edit] Music[edit] See also[edit] Notes[edit] Further reading[edit] External links[edit] Sacred geometry at DMOZ. Sacred bull. Stone Age[edit] Aurochs are depicted in many Paleolithic European cave paintings such as those found at Lascaux and Livernon in France. Their life force may have been thought to have magical qualities, for early carvings of the aurochs have also been found. The impressive and dangerous aurochs survived into the Iron Age in Anatolia and the Near East and was worshipped throughout that area as a sacred animal; the earliest survivals of a bull cult are at neolithic Çatalhöyük.
Bronze Age[edit] Mesopotamia[edit] The Sumerian Epic of Gilgamesh depicts the killing by Gilgamesh and Enkidu of the Bull of Heaven, Gugalana, first husband of Ereshkigal, as an act of defiance of the gods. Egypt[edit] Eastern Anatolia[edit] Crete[edit] The Bull was a central theme in the Minoan civilization, with bull heads and bull horns used as symbols in the Knossos palace. Indus Valley[edit] Cyprus[edit] In Cyprus, bull masks made from real skulls were worn in rites. Levant[edit] Hellas[edit] Eucharist analogies[edit]
Μάγος. Enochian chess. The game, while complex, was in actual use; Georgie Yeats, wife of poet William Butler Yeats, relates actually playing the game as a part of her occult training in Golden Dawn circles.[6] Her husband took part in some of these games, as did MacGregor Mathers.[5] On the other hand, the full set of the rules is not well presented in the Golden Dawn material handed down; Donald Tyson has observed that the game has "numerous weird little quirks" that "make it impossible to actually play in any satisfactory manner".[7] Notes[edit] Further reading[edit]
Ἕνωσις. Spiritual evolution. Emanationism. Emanationism is an idea in the cosmology or cosmogony of certain religious or philosophical systems. Emanation, from the Latin emanare meaning "to flow from" or "to pour forth or out of", is the mode by which all things are derived from the First Reality, or Principle. All things are derived from the first reality or perfect God by steps of degradation to lesser degrees of the first reality or God, and at every step the emanating beings are less pure, less perfect, less divine. Emanationism is a transcendent principle from which everything is derived, and is opposed to both Creationism (wherein the universe is created by a sentient God who is separate from creation) and materialism (which posits no underlying subjective and/or ontological nature behind phenomena being immanent).
Origins[edit] (Kleinham, 2007) writes: Underlying the worldview of traditional cosmology is the idea that the universe is an emanation of a unitary divine principle. Occultism[edit] See also[edit] References[edit]
קַבָּלָה. Στοιχεῖον. Ἱερός. Κοσμολογία. Μαντεία. Ἀστρολογία. Table of correspondences. Αλχημεία. Merkabah. Seal of Solomon.