Divination Through the Ages

Aeromancy

The art of foretelling future events by the observation of Atmospheric Phenomena, such as wind currents and cloud formation tore

Alectromancy

Derived from the Greek alectruo (cock) and manteia (divination), this is a method of divination using a cock or hen, which is placed in a circle of grain around which are placed letters of the alphabet. The letters close to where the bird pecks are gathered and assembled to answer specific questions.If a simple 'yes' or 'no' is required then only two piles of grain would be used

Aleuromancy

Derived from the Greek 'aleuron' 'flour' and manteia (divination) using flour.Sentences were written on slips of paper,each of which was rolled up in a little ball of flour.These were thoroughly mixed nine times and then divided among the participants,who would supposedly learn their fate.Anoter method used was sloshing out a mixture of flour and water from a bowl and interpreting the patterns of floury residue left on the bottowm and sides

Alomancy

Derived from the Greek halo (salt) and manteia (divination),this is a method of divination by interpreting random patterns using salt,probably following similar mithods to Aleuromancy

Akashic Records

Also refered to as the World memory.The akashic record is reputed to be an area of the Astral Plane which carries an imprint of everything that ever happened and contains detailed records of every soul's existence.Certain psychics are reputed to be able to 'read' this record and thus obtain information about humanity's past unavailable from any other source.Some believe the Akashic Record to be of use in determining an individual's 'Past Lives'

Alphitomancy

Derived from the Greek alphitomantis - divination using barley - this is a method of determining the guilt of a person by feeding him or her a specially prepared barley loaf.If the person suffers from indigstion,this is interpreted as a sign of guilt

Anthropomancy

Derived from the Greek anthropos 'man' and manteia (divination),this is a method of divination by raising the dead or from interpreting the movements in the entrails of dead or dying men

Aquarius - Zodiac Sign

7th sign of the Zodiac - 21 January - 18 February.Water -Carrier.Glyph & Origin-there are several links with the ater carrier and the glyph clearly resembles water waves,although the similarity to serpents has also been noticed.Ruling Planet & Grouping-Uranus,masculine,fixed & air.Associated colour-Electric Blue,Flowers-orchid,Gemstone-Aquamarine,Trees-Fruit trees,Food-a light diet is best,including fruits

Aries - Zodaic Sign

The Ram.The first sign of the Zodiac : 21 March - 20 April.Origin & gluph-the ram's horns,whichj may be traced back to Egypt.Ruling Planet: Mars, masculine, cardinal & fire.Associated colour-Red, Flowers-Thistle,Honeysuckle,Gemstone-Diamond,Trees-Thorn-bearing varieties,Food-Traditional rather than exotic

Ariolater

A diviner, a person who foretells the future from omens.The term is said to be from the Sanskrit hira (entrails),but some occultists trace its origin to the Latin ara (altar)

Arithmomancy

A term from the Greek arithmos (number) and manteia (divinition) relating to divination by numbers.Esoterically it is concerned with the science of correspondences between gods,men & numbers as taught by Pythagoras

Astragalomancy

A term derived from the Greek astragalos (dice / knucklebone) and manteia (divination) and applied to a method of telling the future from throw of dice or bones

Astrology

Horoscopes / Stargazing.Is the pseudo-scientific study of the influence of planets /celestial bodies on Earth and the human affairs / the future.One of most ancient of the surviving Esoteric Arts and evidence of a highly sophisticated system in Babylonian & Egyptian cultures that has survived.It was practised in Sumeria,the world's oldest civilzation in 4300 BC and may actually have had its beginnings in the depths of prehistory,since there is some evidence of a study of the night sky by people of the Old Stone Age

It is also one of the most widespread of the Esoteric Arts today, albeit in a corrupt form disowned by most serious Astrologers.For them a horoscope is strictly a map of planetary positions as they appeared at the moment of an individual's birth from the geographical location where that birth occured.The fundamental calculations are Astronomical, but Astrologers not only seek to find planetary positions in relation to the Zodiac ( that belt in the sky defind by the sun's passages against the background of fixed stars) but also in relation to specialist sub-divisions known as 'Houses'

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Austromancy

Divination by means of the winds and interpreting clouds shapes

Arcanum

In general the term means anything hidden,the plural 'arcana' being applied to all the esoteric wisdom of occult lore.The word is also used to denote any one of the twenty-two picture cards (the Major Arcana) of the Tarot pack

Astragalomancy

A term derived from the Greek astragalos (dice / knucklebone) and manteia (divination) and applied to a method of telling the future from throw of dice or bones

Axinomancy

A term derived from the Greek 'axine' (axe) and manteia 'divination' from the heating of an axehead in the embers of a fire.Another method recorded among the ancient Greeks is that of placing an Agate stone on a red-hot axe,its motion is taken to indicate the identity of someone guilty of a crime.The term also covers other methods of prediction or answering questions, by means of an axe

Cancer - Zodiac Sign

The 4th sign of the Zodiac. Dates 22 June - 22 July.Origin & Glyph: The glyph represents the breasts.Cancer probably came from ancient Babylon.Ruling Planet & grouping: Moon,feminine,cardinal & water.Associated Colour-Siver and Pastel shades,Flowers-White Flowers,especially the Rose & the lily,Gemstones-Pearl,Trees-none in particular,Food-dairy foods & Fish

Capricorn - Zodiac Sign

The 10th sign of the Zodiac. 22 Dec - 20 Jan.Origin & Glyph: It may have originated with a mythical sea-goat from ancient Babylon.The glyph, is said to represent a goat's head and a fish's tail.Ruling planet & Grouping: Saturn,feminine,cardinal & Earth.Associated colurs-Dark Colours,Flowers-Pansy & Ivy,Gemstone-Amethyst,Trees-Pine & Willow,Food-starchy foods & meat

Cartomancy

Divination by means of playing cards.The most popular form of such divination is performed using the Tarot

Celestial Bodies

In occult teachings, the Sun, Moon and five planets (apart from Earth) known to the Ancients - exercised great influence on earthly life and activity.Each had its own particular qualities and qualities and influences and of couse drove the Astrological Horoscope.The Sun - genuinesness,nobility, authority, the Moon - instinct, needs, motherhood, the sea, Mercury - observation,communication, skill and knowledge,Venus - beauty,love, the arts.Mars - courage, warfare, competition, Jupiter - generosity,judgement,travel, Saturn - severity,age

Ceroscopy

Divination by means of melted wax, which is poured onto cold water to congeal. The diviner foretells the future from the various shapes of the hardened wax

Cheiromancy

Chiromancy or Palmistry.A method of Divination and character interpretation by studying the lines and bumps on the palms and fingers. This is very ancient divinatory technique, formerly called Cheiromancy or Chiromancy.The technique was very popular in the Middle Ages, practitioners believing that the lines in the hand were stamped by occult forces and would reveal character and destiny.The lines, digits and bumps on the hands all have supposedly Astrological correspondeces, which indicate such factors as longevity, general health ,intellect,love, money and so on. In the fifteenth century the church banned the practice, and after the Enlightenment Palmistry became little more than a parlour trick

Cleidomancy

Derived from the Greek 'kleis' - (key) and manteia (divination), this term is applied to a large number of diferent methods of foretelling the future through the use of a key. One method involved writing a question on a key and placing the key in the Bible, which was then hung in such a way permitted it to turn - the direction of the movement dictating the response. Another method involved placing the key in a clenched first and allowing a pregnant woman to touch one of the two proffered fists.If she touched the one in which the key was held, then it was claimed that the child would be a girl

Cleromancy

Divination by means of dice. Sometimes the term was used to denote any method of divination involving the throwing of small objects like dice

Crystal Gazing

Crystalomancy/Scrying. A method of Divination using a crystal ball, shiny stone,mirror or other reflective objects or surface until Clairvoyant visions appear.The art dates back to the ancient Egyptians and Arabs and practitioners aim to answer questions, solve problems, find lost objects or people and help solve crimes. The tools of scryers is called a Speculum, which can be any object - but is usually one with a reflective surface.The French physician and Astrologer Nostradamus used a brass bowl of water on a tripod. Dr John Dee, astrologer to Queen Elizabeth I, used a crystal egg and a black obsidian mirror. The steriotypical speculum is the crystal ball as popularised by gypsy fortune-tellers

Dactyliomancy

Derived from the Greek dakterlios (finger ring) and manteia (divination) - this term applies to a number of methods of divining the future with the aid of rings. Sometimes a ring is used as a pendulum at other times it is dropped into a blow of water, its position at the bottom determining the prediction or the response to a formulated question

Demonomancy

Divination with the aid of demons. It may be argued that all divinatory techniques are done with the aid of spirits and that virtually all popular methods of foretelling the future work through the agency of certain demons

Divination

An esoteric art often confused with fortune-telling, which it resembles superficially. True divinition seeks to discover the reality behind appearances and hence chart the most appropriate action for the inquirer, usually with emphasis on Spiritual benefit.For a classical example of a practical system of divinition see I Ching. Many tools can be used to aid in divinition

Dowser

A person who uses a psychic tool to locate underground water, mineral deposits or other unseen things

Dowsing

Natural ability in finding underground streams & minerals, using parallel rods,pendulum or forked stick. Dowsing is one of the most widely accepted of the esoteric arts to locate underground pipes or water sources, but one, which even today - lacks any satisfying theory, scientific or occult, as to how it actually works. Many local councils and water aurhorities employ their own dowsers to locate underground water sources and pipes

Earth Magic

The derivation of the term 'Geomancy' points clearly to its meaning as 'Earth Magic' but like so many terms, this one had undergone a metamorphosis since the dawning of the New Age. In Napoleonic times, Geomancy was a system of divination by means of dots, tapped in random lines with a pencil on a piece of paper. If there was any connection with the earth, it lay in the graphite of the pencil, or possibly a suspicion that the dots may orginally have been pebbles cast at random Today, however the term is used very differently, although perhaps not quite so precisely.It is associated wiht Chinese Feng Shui, with ley lines, dowsing, ch'i and megalithic sites. Sometimes though more rarely those interested will even postulate a linkage with the mystery of UFO's

Broadly speaking, modern theories of Geomancy suggest the ancients knew a great deal more about earth currents - the sort that dowsers my be picking up - than we do today. The planet is seen as something analogous to the human body and is criss-crossed by the planetrary equivalent of acupuncture meridians

Prehistoric peoples in Britain,Ireland, end Europe created megalithic monuments. Like Stonehenge or the menhirs of Brittany - to manuipulate these and certain cosmic currents or purposes we no longer understand, but which may have been associated with the fertility of the land

The dowser Guy Underwood, visited hundreds of megalithic sites and discovered almost every one was aligned in realtion to aspects of geodisic force perfectly discernible to his r. Underwood speculated that the philosophers and priests of the old religion seem to have believed that particularly when manifested in spiral forms (the geodisic force) was involved with the generative powers of Natuare, that it was part of the mechanism by which what we call Life comes into being

Even more telling was the work of Alexander Thom, a Professor of Engineering, who as long ago as 1934, was taken by the possibility that the ancients were as much engineers as he was.The insight dawned - the day he anchored his sailing boat in Loch Roag, in the Outer Hebrides, to take a look at a great stone circle on a nearby hillside. Staring along the avenue of menhirs, he noted they followed a north / south alignment and were pointing towards the Polar Star. But due to the precession of the equinoxes, the Pole Star was not in its present position in prehistoric times. So the megalith builders must have had some other means of determining true North.After his retirement ,Thom, began to take meticulous measurements at megalithic circles throughout the British Isles and Europe. What he discovered was astonishing. Every circle he examined was based on a single standard measurement he name a 'megalithic yard' of 2.72 feet.The circles themselves were astronomically aligned, the majority of them being huge machines for predicting eclipses of the moon. Thom's findings ran completely contrary to the orthodox archaeological theories of the day, but his published work contained his measurements and calculations, all of which could be - and soon were - checked for accuracy. It soon became evident he had made no mistakes

But even now, there is considerable controversy about what Thom's findings mean. Eclipses of the moon have no known effect on crops or the fertility cycles of human beings or domestic beasts.Nor do they mark any seasonal sub-division. Why then, did prehistoric humanity expend such time and energy predicting them? The Geomantic mystery remains

Chinese Hand Analysis

Western Palmistry is concerned with the lines and mounds of the hand as related to traditional Astrology. The fleshy mounds at the base of the thumb is know as the Mound of Venus, the pad at the tip of the index finger is related to Jupiter, and so on. Chinese hand analysis, by contrast, relies on the Law of the Five Elements, which is also found in Acupuncture. The Elements are not those of medieval Western alchemy (i.e Earth, Air,Fire, Water & Ether) but rather a peculiarly Chinese subdivision of Fire , Earth ,Metal, Water, & Wood, each related to the other in accordance with clearly defined laws. In hand analysis, the Elements are used to determine how and why the individual life means what it does

Chinese Symbolic Animal

The rich system of associations of the Chinese Twelve Earthly Branches (linked with the Zodaic) has penetrated popular astrological lore in Europe mainly though the names of the associated symbolic animals in their so-called years

Rat- Aries / Ox- Taurus / Tiger - Gemini / Hare (cat) - Cancer / Dragon - Leo / Snake - Vigro / Horse - Libra / Sheep - Scorpiea / Monkey - Sagittarius / Cock - Capricorn / Dog - Aquarius / Boar (pig) - Pisces

Electional Astrology

The casting and interpretation of astrological charts to determine suitable times for commencing any specific activity, such as marriage, travel, commerce, and so on.This system was used by the Astrologer Joan Quigley on behalf of President Ronald Reagan of the United States in the 1990's

Extispicy

Divination by means of entrails. This was probably the most frequent form of divination in the ancient world, although after the Roman period it fell largely into disuse in the West. The liver and intestines were the parts most closely examined. There is an ancient Babylonian clay model of a lamb's liver, devided into fifty-five separate zones of signigicance.The origns of the practice may lie in a primitive form of autopsy ,practised by pastoral tribes, if the animals's insides showed signs of ill-helath, it was time to move on. The extispices of the Roman religious colleges were the aruspices or augurs

Five Elements

In Chinese divination, these elemments or forces are seen to underlie the human presence in thelandscape.They are Wood-related to Spring, Sunrise, East, the colour Green and tall, slender shapes, Fire-related to Summer,midday,South,the colour Red and triangular shapes, Earth-related to no season or compass point,but to flat shapes and the colour ochre, Metal-related to Autumn, The West,the colour White, and round shapes, Water-related to Winter,night,the colour Black, and to all that is transient and irregular

Fortune-Telling

A low-level form of prediction practised at fairs by 'gypsies' using palmistry, card-reading, and crystal gazing primarily. It is not a term used by more serious practitioners

Gematria

A Kabbalistic system for discovering the hidden meaning of letters, words and sentences, using numbers and lettters of the alphabet.The system is based on the fact that the letters of the Hebrew alphabet have been accorded numerical equivalents, in which the numerical value of letters in words are added together to give specific values.Words of similar numerical values are regarded as having correspondences or analogies in accordance with a complex mystical sytem, which is used to determine the precise meaning and significance of the scriptures, or of a sacred building or holy object

Gemini - Zodiac Sign

The third sign of the Zodiac. 22 May - 21 June.Origin and glyph: two children, from Castor & Pollux of Classical Mythology, which are bright stars. Ruling planet and groupings: Mercury, masculine, mutable and air.Colour-yellow, although most are liked. Flowers - Lavender, Lily of the Valley, Gemstone-Agate, Trees-any tree producing nuts, Food-salads and fruit & fish

Geomancy

Associated with Feng Shui, Lei lines,dowsing, Ch'i and Megalithic sites

Glyph

A horoscope symbol for each sun and moon sign

In Astrology, a partricular graphical representation allocated to each sign of the zodiac and to the planets, which relates to an animal or something similar. These symbols are used, with others in constructing an Astrological chart

ARIES-The Ram-Representation - the ram's horns

TAURUS-The Bull-representing-the bull's head

GEMINI-The Twins-representing two childen

CANCER-The Crab-representing the breasts

LEO-The Lion-representing the heart,or the lion's tail

VIRGO-The Virgin-representing the female genitalia

LIBRA-The Balance-representing a pair of scales

SCORPIO-The Scorpion-representing the male genitalia

SAGITTARIUS-The Archer-representing the Centuar's arrow

CAPRICORN-The Goat-representing the goat's head and fish's tail

AQUARIUS-The Water-bearer-representing the waves of water or air

PISCES-The Fishes-representing two fish

These glyphs of the planet are all made up of essentially the same elements, the cross, half-circle and circle, all in different combinations.These pictorial representations are linked with the very early days of human beings, when communication was achieved using such graphical methods. As such,these elements each have a particular significance

THE CIRCLE-represents eternity, something without end- the Spirit

A DOT INSIDE A CIRCLE-represents the Spirit or Power beginning to come out

THE CROSS-represents the Material World

THE SEMI-CIRCLE-stands for the Soul

In some civilisations,the signs were attributed to parts of the body.The likeliest race to have adopted this were the Greeks, who also linked the signs to various plants

Groupings

In Astrology, the 12 signs of the Zodiac aresubdivided into a number of groups, themembers of each group sharing certain characteristics that provide additional information rather than primary details

The first grouping is the triplicities, or Elements:

ARIES,LEO,SAGITTARIUS - Fire triplicity

TAURUS,VIRGO,CAPRICORN - Earth triplicity

CANCER, SCORPIO,PISCES - Water triplicity

GEMINI,LIBRA,AQUARIUS - Air triplicity

The quadruplicities or qualities are:

CARDINAL-Aries,Libra, Cancer,Capricorn

MUTABLE-Gemini,Sagittarius,Virgo,Pisces

Another grouping is into positive and negative

or musculine and feminine

and equates to being extrovert (positive) on the one hand or introvert on the other

Gyromancy

Said to be a method of divination in which the diviner walks around a circle of letters until he/ she is too giddy to continue.The letters against which he stumbles are supposed to spell a prophetic messa

Haruspex

The Latin name for a diviner, originally derived from the Etruscan method of Divination, which involved the foretelling of future events from an examination of the entrails of slaughtered animals.The word may have been derived from the Sanskrit root 'hira' (entrails).A synonymous term is Extispicy

Hermann Prophecies

A series of prophecies (first printed around 1722) supposedly by a monk called Hermann.These consisted of a hundred sentences of a predictive nature and gained much popularity in France, especially during World War I as they prophesied the eventual downfall of Germany and the Hohenzollern Empire and the redistribution of German lands

Hexagrams

Special figures comprising broken (yin) and unbroken (yang) lines used in I Ching divination. A name given to a six-line figure made from two trigrams ( a triple combination of Yin and Yang lines. Within this figure the Chinese diviner will trace a second pair of trigrams,called the nuclear trigrams.The hexagram, its basic and nuclear trigrams, and the associations drawn between these three elements are combined by the diviner to give responses to questions. Sometimes a consultation of the classical text of the I Ching is also resorted to

Hildegard of Bingen

A twelfth-century German abbess who was known as 'the Sibyl of the Rhine', because of her visions and prophecies which occured throughout her life.She was a remarkable woman, founding two convents, getting involved in ecclesiastical politics, travelling long distances in pursuit of her duties writing hymns and a herbal. She died in 1179

Horary Astrology

The astrological art of interpreting specific questions in terms of a chart erected for the moment when the question is formulated - the word 'horary' meaning 'realing to the hours'

Horoscopes

A chart developed from your birth date that includes the patterns of the heavens at the exact time of your birth. Your personal horoscope is meant to be your guide to the future, providing predictions of what might happen. A Horoscope are is also an important element in Astrology which interprets the character and destiny of a person - occasionally a larger group- according to the position of the planets, usually at the time of the person's birth. A horoscope is cast on the basis of information given by the person and it is then interpreted according to systematic principles.The horoscope takes into account two main considerations - the circle of signs of the Zodiac (Aries, Taurus,Gemini,Cancer, Leo, Virgo,Libra,Scorpio, Sagittarius,Capricorn, Aquarius,Pisces) are they are crossed by the Sun, Moon an planets at different periods.And the Circle of 12 Houses around which the circle of the Zodiac turns

Casting a Horoscope is a complicated procedure that depends upon getting data and times right. Relevant factors are the position of Sun,Moon,planets and signs of the Zodiac - the ASPECTS of Sun,Moon and planets in relation to each other and the position of Sun,Moon,planets and signs of the Zodiac against the circle of 12 Houses

Certain planets are thought to be allied with certain activities and human propensities e.g Venus with love, the 12 Houses are though to be connected with certain areas of life, e.g the 2nd house with money, and the aspects are thought to be associated with helpful or unhelpful situations and possibiliites.Horoscopes remain important in the East and are growing in popular significance in the West despite scientific scepticism

Houses

In Astrology, the traditional HOROSCOPES figure is divided into 12 arcs, which are symbolically presented as being equal either in a spatial system or in a time system. This division is superimposed upon the projected celestial sphere, with the symbolic horizon line (usually) marking the cusps of the 1ste and 7th houses (the east point and west point respectively) The 10th house cusp marks the symbolic zenith, called the medium coeli, while the 4th house cusp marks the symbolic nadir, called the imum coeli

Hydromancy

A name given to various different methods of predicting the future by means of water.One technique supposedly involved a basin full of water which, at the command of the diviner, is activated by spirits in order to vibrate to a point where it appears to boil and give off meaningul sounds.Methods of disturbing water - by means of suspended rings or by means of pebbles being dropped into the bowl - are also describe as legitimate hydromantic techniques and some diviners are supposed to read from the reflections on the surface or from the colour of water as well as from the movement of water in fountains

I Ching

Also called the Book of Changes. An ancient Chinese method of divination consisting of sixty-four hexagrams, each with a different meaning.A system of profound philosophy.The subdivision of phenomena into negative & positive forces, yin & yang

I Ching,the name of a sacred book,which froms the basis for an ancient Chines divinatory system.The I Ching is one of the central texts of Confucianism and one of the earliest works of Chinese Literature.It consitsts of sixty-four hexagrams,each of which is made up of six divided or undivided lines.A hexagram is decided by the results of tossing three coins three times or by tossing fifty yarrow stalks.The solid lines represent the Yang,or male active energy, the broken lines represent Yin,or female receptive energy.Yin and Yang have other attributes,they can be construed as light and dark or positive and negative

This is not the same opposition as good and evil, but rather that of the Sun and the Moon.The diviner can provide guidance on specific questions by interpreting the figures,but it is also possible to refer to a sequence of texts relating to each of the hexagrams in the text of the I Ching itself

The foundation of the I Ching dates back to thousands of years ago in Chinese history and consists of a main text,possibly originating in the second millennium BC,with additions possibly dating from the first millennium BC and a treatise on the text,the Ten Wings,credited to Confucius and written at the end of the first millennium BC.Although rejected by the emphasised by Westeners interested in Eastern mysticism. The work was translated in the 19th century by James Legge and Richard Wilhelm. Wilhelm's translation included a forward by the psychoanalyst Carl Jung,who saw the text as a means of accessing the subconscious through meditation upon the symbols

Intuition

It is generally defined as knowledge arrived at spontaniously, without conscious steps of reasoning or inquiry. The keyword here is 'conscious' for it may be that the talent derives from a logical process of which we are consciously unaware. But many experts remain wary of this explanation since it runs contrary to what we know of the general workings of the unconscious mind

Kabbalah

The word 'Kabbalah' is derived from the Hebrew root kbl ' to receive, to accept' an in many cases is used synonymously with 'tradition.Kabbalah is the Jewish mystical tradition, especially the system of esoteric mystical speculation and practice that developed during the twelfth and thirteenth centuries.Kabbalistic interest, at first confined to a select few, became the preoccupation of large numbers of Jews following ' their explusion from Spain (1492) an Portugal (1495).Like every other Jewish religion expression, Kabbalah was based on the Old Testament revelation but was enormously developed and expanded. The revealed text was interpreted with the aid of various hermeneutic techniques.Of the many methods available, the Kabbalists most frequent used three forms of letter and number symbolism: Gematria, Notarikon and Temurah

The Kabbalah is very old, dating back to at least the first century AD, and much of its knowledge was passed on orally within the priesthood or within groups of the priesthood.The major written texts date from the 12th & 13th centuries.The classic document of the Kabbalistic tradition - the Zohar (Book of Light), was compiled by Moses de Leon about 1290.The doctrine of creation was build on a theory of emanations and asserted that the world derived from transcendent and unknowable God through a series of increasingly material manifestations (Sephirot)

The Sephirot form the central image of Kabbalistic meditation, the Sephirothic Tree of Life, which describes the path of descent from the divine to the material realm and the path of ascent to the highest level of attainment in knowledge, corresponding to energy centres in the body, and is also divided into four interlocking sections or 'Worlds' which constitute the cosmos: Emanation (Atziluth), Creation (Briah), Formation (Yetzirah) and Action or Making (Assiyah).Through contemplation and meditation, similar to Eastern yogic disciplines, the Kabbalist ascends the Tree of Life

The Serhirot, also comprise the sacred, unknowable and unspeakable personal name of God: YHVH (Yahweh), the Tetragrammaton. So Sacred is the Tetragrammaton that other names, such as Elohim, Jehovah, are substituted in its place in scripture. A more systematic presentation of the basic doctrine is contained in Moses Cordovero's Pardes rimmonim (Gardern of Pomegranates -1548). Kabbalah, was a major influence in the development of Hasidism and still has adherents among Hasidic Jews. The Kabbalah, with its amulets, incantions, demonolgy, seals and letters and number mysticism, had a profound influence on Western magical tradition. The Tetragrammaton especially was held in great awe for its power over all things in the Universe, including demons

Kahuna

Literally, Keeper of the Secrets. A traditional Hawaiian doctor-priest-teacher, a practitioner of the Huna magico-religious system, who has mastered the various arts of healing and prophecy

Kelley, Edward

Partner of Dr. John Dee, in numerous magical and alchemical experiments. Kelley, who had his ears cropped for coining, seems to have been a mixture of psychic and charlatan. He died a pauper and later reincarnated as Aleister Crowley - or so Crowley believed

Leo - Zodiac Sign

The fifth sign of the Zodiac. 23July -23 August.Origin & Glyph: It probably originated in ancient Egypt, from the constellation, the Glyph resembles the Lion's tail.Ruling Planet & Grouping: Sun, masculine, fixed fire.Associate Colour: Gold & Scarlet, Flowers: Marigold,Sunflower, Gemstone:Ruby,Trees:Citrus, Walnut, Olive,Food: honey & cereals,most meat s & rice

Libra - Zodiac Sign

The 7th sign of the Zodiac. 23 September - 23 October.Origin & Glyph: The element of the scales may have several origins, possibly from their use in weighing harvests, the glyph is similar to a yoke;Ruling Planet & Grouping: Venus, masculine, cardinal & air.Associated Colour-Blues & Pinks. Flowers-Bluebells, large Roses.Gemstones-Sapphire.Trees-Ash,Apple.Food-cealm most fruit & spices

Life Maps

Potential conditions for soul development that each person is born with. Their free will to make life choices determines whether they will meet their potential

L-rod (Dowsing)

A tool for dowising.Commonly used for pointing out waterveins,mineral deposits ect. The rod consists of two metal rods bent at a right angle and that swings easily with the use of tubes placed over the short ends

Life Work

The plan for your soul's development using your present lifetime

Lucid dreaming

A dream that starts in your dream state and continues into your waking state

Magic

'Magic' is one of those words everybody understands, but nobody seem able to define.Aleister Crowley attempted to do so with the insight that 'Magic' is the art of causing change in accordance with will - a definition so wide that it would cover the drinking of a cup of tea.Dion Fortune modified Crowleys' expression to produce her famous statement ' Magic is the art of producing changes of consciousness in accordance with the Will' This is the definition most widely accepted by New Age occultists, even though plainly it could be taken to refer to the act of going to sleep.J.H.Brennan has suggested in his published work that magic should be seen as the art of generating synchronistic effects (i.e. meaningful coincidences) to order.Magic is, in fact, slightly easier to describe than define.In its modern form, it almost alwasy involves 1. Communication with or entry into Alternative States or reality or 2. Manipulation of subtle energies associated with the Cosmos or the human body

Magic Square

A magic square is a square array of numbers with the property that the sum of each row , each column, and each diagonal is the same. Magic squares have been found in ancient writings from many parts of the world, and in some cultures they were though to possess magical or supernatural powers.An n-by-n magic square (magic square of ordern) contains n rows and n columns of numbers, which make up its n x n (n square) elements.A magic square remains a magic square if the same number is added to each element or if each element is multiplied by the same number.Adding corresponding elements of two magic squares produces another magic square

Mage

An archaic English word for a magician, from Magus

Magus

Originally a member of the priestly caste in ancient Persia.It's plural form is Magi (as in the Magi who sought the infant Christ).In their rites were elements of Shamanism - they appear to have had no temples and performed their rituals on mountian tops - and early Hindu thinking, including that of reincarnation.The term is now commonly used for a possessor of occult wisdom, also in the English form of mage

Mahabharata

An epic poem of ancient India, the Mahabharata is 100,000 stanzas long, or 15 times the size of the Bible.It is around 3,000 years old and means 'The Great History of the Bharatas (or Mankind).It is a repository of myths, fairy tales and archetypal characters and source of spiritual wisdom

Central to the Mahabharata is the Bhagavad Gita, Arjuna's famous dialogue with Krishna on the eve of the great battle between the Pandavas & Kauravas ove the succession to the kingdom.The war threatens to destroy mankind, and is a war fought with armaments and machines suspiciously familiar to our own high-tech New Age

Flying machines (usually called vimanas) abound in the epic.From one of them, the villain Salva hurls 'rockets,spears, missiles, spikes, battleaxes, three-bladed javelins, flame-throwers without pause'. Krishan, the hero, defends himself with 'shafts' that behave like anti-ballistic missles It is fairly obvious that certain terms like 'arrow' have a very different meaning in the original epic than they now carry in translation.One special 'arrow' was a weapon so powerful that it could not be used safely since it would damage both sides in a contest and hence it had been banned by the gods as an instrument of war Krishna's 'favourite fire weapon' was a disc capable of cutting a flying machine in two.Something called an "Agneya Weapon' was described as a 'blazing missile of smokeless fire'. A thick gloom covered the battle ground.Fierce winds started up and in a description that is virtully identical to that of a nuclear explosion

Major Arcana

The twenty-two cards that do not belong to one of the four suits of cards in the Tarot. Each card has a specific theme and represents archetypal or major forces in your life

Medicine Men

In the American Indian tradition, 'medicine' stands for the attributes - good or bad, that are inherent in all objects and can be interpreted and used by the skilled practitioner. Medicine men were known for their ability to walk on red-hot stones and cinders without injury, and even to put re-hot coals into their mouths.They claimed the ability to work both good and harm on other people at a great distance and practised many forms of OOBE,communicating with the spirits,Claivoyance including scrying and gazing into the surface of a bowl of water

Medium

The term ' Medium' applies to those who allegedly have the ability,conscious or unconscious - to communicaste with the spirits of those that have passed on to the spirit world or those who perform paranormal feats and channel the Universal Life Force for healing & messages.Mediums have been know by various names - such as Oracle, soothsayer, wizard,cunning woman,wise woman,medicine man,prophet,shaman,fortune-teller,witch doctor, mystic priest & channeller.Mental mediumship uses techniques such as Clairaudience,Clairvoyance,Clairsentience or Automatic writing to communicate, whilst physical mediumship involves rappings, apports, levitation or movement of objects and other paranormal phenomena.Mediums usually claim to communicate with spirits through one or more entities called 'controls (spirit guides) which usually remain permanently with the medium.Prevailing theory among parapsychologists hold that controls are not external spirits but secondary aspects of the medium's own personality that become externalised. Although Spiritualism itself is a relatively recent movement, it began in the 19th century, there are clear parallels between mediumstic phenomena and certain Shamanic practices dating back to prehistory

Ming Shu

Chinese Astrology, literally ' the reckoning of Fate'.It involves both character and personality delineation, as well as divination and prediction.In Chinese Astrology, the hour,day,month and year are know as the Four Pillars of Fate and it is the year that is most significant.Other factors too are relevant, particularly the interaction of the Five Elements - Wood,Fire, Earth,Metal and Water, which exert influence at different times in an individual's life

Originally Chinese Astrologers had reckoned the years by the 'Twelve Earthly Branches' supposedly to mark the 12 years it takes the planet Jupiter to complete its orbit of the sky.About 1,000 years ago, when Buddhism was the dominant religion in China, the monks exchanged the Twelfe Brances with more memorable names of 12 animals Rat,Ox,Tiger,Hare,Dragon,Snake,Horse,Sheep,Monkey,Rooster,Dog & Pig.These are regarded in popular Chinese Astrology as direct indicatorsof personality, although the Five Elements help to provide a deeper personality portrait

Minor Arcana

Cards belonging to the four suits in the Tarot that represent four seasons, the direction, the elements, the four parts of your body, and the physical, mental, spiritual and soul. They are meant to help you focus on your direction in your life journey

Mirrors

Since ancient times, mirrors as well as all smooth, reflective surfaces, have been used for Divination, Magic and repelling evil.They have also been greatly feared for their power to steal the soul. In recent times, mirrrors have been used as tools in psychic development to increase Clairvoyanace and to gain knowledge of so-called past lives.Divination with mirrors is call Crystalomancy,Catoptromancy and Scrying.In the west, magic mirrors were particularly popular from the Middle Ages to the 19th century.They wereused by all classes of society, but escpecially by magicians, witches, sorcerers and cunning men and women.Catherine de Medici and Herry IV often consulted their magic mirrors. Dr John Dee, the royal magician to Queen Elizabeth I, used a crystal egg and a black obsidian mirror.In more recent times, mirrors as magic tools have fallen out of widespread popular fashion, but are still used by diviners, psychics and students of Psychism.Mirrors are more commonly used for divination in the East than in the West

Moon

The Moon is associated with witchcraft, magic and sorcery, and is considered to be the source of witches' power.The ancient witches of Thessaly were said to have the power to draw the Moon down from the sky at their command.A Symbolic ritual of drawing down the Moon is still performed in modern witchcraft.Witches hold their meetings, called 'circles' or 'esbats' and perfrom their magic spells in accordance with lunar phases.The waxing Moon is propitious for growth,achievement,good fortune & healing spells.The waning Moon is propitious for banishing spells and the undoing of harm and negative influences.The Moon itself is believed to cast a spell, one may become moonstruck beneath its silvery rays.The term 'mania' derived from 'moon' means ecstatic revelation ' lunacy' means possessed by the spirit of Luna.Nights of the full Moon provide the greatest power for magic and the world of spirit

In folklore, those cursed by Lycanthropy are said to turn into Werewolves under the spell of the full Moon. In Astrology, the Moon exerts a powerful force in horoscopes and in daily affairs.As the Moon moves through the Zodiac, different creative forces are brought into play and when the Moon is between signs, it is a time of uncertaintly and instability

Necromancy

Divination by raising the spirits of the dead, one of the claimed Black Arts practised by witches and magicians.The classic case of Necromancy is the Witch of Endor,described in the Bible (1 Samuel 28), who summonded the spirit of Samuel in the presence of Saul.This biblical episode was widely accepted as irrefutable evidence for the existence of witchcraft

The idea bedind necromany was that the dead could see the future and could be conjured into describing it.It is unlike other forms of divination in that its tools are not part of the world around us.It goes back to legends of descents to the Underworld and visits from the dead, such as are recorded in Shakespeare's play 'Hamlet' , but in its trappings and rituals it is more a branch of Black Magic than of regular divination, which relies on the person of the diviner being in tune with the phenomena he or she is assessing

Nostradamus, Michael (1503-1566)

French Physician and Astrologer, born in Provence, whose predictions of the future have fascinated people for centuries. Nostradamus was taught medicine at the University of Montpellier and acquired fame as a doctor by treating victims of the plague, but he eventually turned more to Astrology and Metaphysics. He travelled widely through Europe.In 1555 he completed the 'Centuries', a book of more than 900 predictions about the fate of France, the world and celebrated persons of his time.He became a celebrity, admired and reviled in equal measure.By his own calculation, his prophecies extended to the year 3797.The title of the book refers to the fact that the contents are arranged in sections of 100 verses each.An expanded version was published in 1558.His prophecies are written as four-lined rhymed verses (quatrains) in vague,often cryptic language.His fondness for Astrology, anagrams and his penchant for sprinkling his verses with Hebrew, Latin and Portuguese words further complicate interpretation of his predictions.Some interpreters say the verses can be applied to anything or nothing ,wheras others claim that various verses foretold such occurances as the Great Fire of London in 1666,the deaths of several monarchs, details of the French Revolutions, the rise of Napoleon and Hitler and World War II, including air battles and tank battles.Because Nostradmus included very few dates in his prophecies and because, additionally, he did not organise them into a chronological order, the verses have been constantly re-interpreted since their publication.'The Centuries' remains a classic of occult literature and hundreds of studies of it have been published

In a secluded backroom of a house in the French town of Salon de Craux on a day in 1550, Nostradamus began the first time a very curious magical ceremony, the ultimate results of which were to echo down through the centuries to our present New Age.Like most magicians, Nostradamus believed in s Spiritual borderland, peopled by its own inhabitants.He also believed that somewhere in the Northern wilderness there were areas where the two worlds overlapped and beings from one could meet and communicate with beings from the other.But no-one had yet found the exact location of the overlap, it did not matter, for there were age-old magical techniques which allowed communication almost anywhere.Nostradamus was about to use one of them now

He carried a special divining wand of laurel.Set up before him was a tripod brazier on which was a vessel filled with water.It seems probable he used on e of the ponderous Judaeo-Christian rituals preserved in the 'grimoires' of his day, now resting in our museums.It is known, however that at the climax of his evocation, he struck the brazier with his wand, then dipped first the fringe of his robe, then one foot in the water At this point, the form of a Spirit appeared in the vapour above the bowl.Nostradamus convulsed violently and his body shook under the impact of the experience.It seemed to him the Spirit dictated a four-line verse and Nostradamus carefully wrote it down.It was the first of a thousand he was to write down and they were to make him famous for centuries. With the New Age, revival of interest in the works of Nostadamus, considerable credence has been given to the belief that he set the end of the world in 1999.In fact, Nostradamus' prophecies continue for some thousands of years after the date

Numbers

Numbers are of great significance in occultism because they readily form an Esoteric Code and at the same time they conform to a system that cannot be altered.This point also means that occultists often see numbers as the key to understanding the Universe - seeing them as something that exists beyond human invention and manipulation.There are innumerable languages, but there is ony one set of numbers.Words can be tampered with, their meaning can change, but numbers have an eternal permanency.They have another virtue.There are basically only nine of them, even although their combinations are infinite.For this reason, occultists have evolved systems of reducing the endless variety of names into the more classifiable taxonomy of numbers

To convert any name into its defining number, there is a simple grid. First write down the numbers 1-9.Then under the numbers write down the 26 letters of the alphabet, in three rows of 9 an one row of 8.Write down your name,, as you normally use it, together with the number of equivalents for each letter.Add the numbers. If the addition comes to two figures or more, add these together and repeat the process until you reach a single figure.This, the 'digital root' is the corresponding number to your name.Occultists believe that this number is of great significance in a person's life, and if known, can give a very good indication of the individual's nature.In a further process, you can add the vowels only to establish what is known as your ' heart numer' - which is said to reveal you hidden inner nature, or the consonants only, to real your external nature - this is a distinction that goes back to written Egyptian and Hebrew, where the consonants only were written down.Numerologists also establish the 'Birth number', found by adding the number values of the letters in the birth month to the actual date, so that 5 November 1980 comes out as 5+11+1+9+8+0=34=3+4=7. Your birth number and your number may not harmonise with each other, and such a conflict will be expressed in your own nature.The number values, briefly expressed, are as folows ONE=positive,single-minded, ambitious,inventive,selfcentered TWO=Even-tempered,tactful,modest,indecisive THREE=bold, witty, versatile,charming,lightweight FOUR=solid,practical,efficient,rather dull,melancholic FIVE=restless,speculative, adventuorous,unconventional SIX=harmonious,domestic,reliable,loyal SEVEN=scholarly,mystically inclined,withdrawn,dreamy EIGHT=strong-willed,struggling,drudging,veering from success to failure NINE=idealistic,visionary,passionate,impulsive,unorthodox,naive

Serious students of numbers make use of their own numbers in various ways, making use of numbers that happens to correspond, checking the numbers of potential friends or business partenrs,doing certain things on dates that contain their numbers and so on.They do not regard the number as the product of sheer chance, but as part of the harmonious working process of the entire Universe

Numerology

Is to analyse the hidden meaning of a word by adding and subtracting the numerical counterparts of letters.It is a curiosity of Hebrew and several other ancient alphabets, that its letters have numerical counterparts.This meant that words could be expressed as numbers and led to the development of Qabalistic gematrica - a system whereby hidden correspondences between unrelated things and events sought out through anaylysis of the numbers produced by the spelling of their names

Essentially the same thinking lies behind the occult art of Numerology which, in any recognizable modern expression, seems to draw on the speculations of Pythagoras for its inspiration.Since the English alphabet has no numerical equivalents, these are assigned to it. In its simplest form, the assignments are A=1/ B=2 / C=3 / D=4 / E=5 / F=6 / G=7 / H=8 / I=9 after which the sequence is repeated with J=1 / K=2 / L=3 /M=4 /N=5 /O= 6/P=7/ Q= 8/R= 9/S= 1/T=2 /U=3 /V=4 / W=5 /X=6 /Y=7 /Z=8

To analyse the hidden meaning of a word, its assigned numbers are added together - then 'reduced' (by adding together the individaul digits of any number larger than 9) so that a single figure number is eventually obtained.This figure is then interpreted according to traditional associations.Unfortunately there are many different assignments of figures to letters, not all of them stopping at 9.Futhermore the traditional interpretations of the reduced numbers can often vary widely, with the result that Numerology is not always taken seriously by most occultists

Ogam / Ogham

Ogam is an ancient alphabet of the Celtic languages.Many standing stones bear ogam inscriptions.The alphabet has 20 letters, in groups of five, made from straight lines cut across a single vertical stave.Although there is little direct evidence, it seem that the alphabet was used for divinatiory purposes by incising the letters on the end of twigs then casting the twigs and examinng the patterns in which they fell

Omen

A supenatural sign or event presaging a future event.There are two basic kins of omen: the normal occurances of nature e.g.hooting of owls or howling of dogs, which are interpreted in a specific context to augur good or bad fortune, an unusual occurrences, such as flights of sacred birds, or eclipses or comets, that are believed to be direct manifestations of the gods. Dreams have provided omens for thousands of years.Some are obscure and hve to be interpreted.Others are precognitive, such as warning of impendng disasters

Oneiromancy

The interpretation of dreams as a means of Divination from Greek oneiros 'dream'.The method used was often the so-called 'incubatory sleep' in which a person slept in a particular building or cave, after some from of purification and possibly consuming some narcotic substance.When he or she awoke, the priests or priestesses of the place would assist in interpreting the dream.This form of divination was practised in ancient Greece but was also widely used by the Celtic peoples

Open Channel

An Altered State of Consciousness in which you are open to the information flow and energies of other Entities

Oracle

A method of divination and prophecy in which gods or spirits are consulted through a human medium.In ancient Greece, the voices or mediums of the oracles were sibyls, women priests who lived in caves regarded as the shrines of deities.The most famous Greek oracles were at Dodua, where Zeus was though to give answers through the rustling of oak leaves, and at Delphi, where Apollo supposedly spoke through a priestess.In both cases, oracular responses came so ambiguoulsy that it was difficult to prove them wrong.A famous Roman oracle was at Cumae, where the sibyl, was said to have drawn inspiration from Apollo

Ouija board

A board game that is designed to ask questions of Spirits, who can answer with a yes / no or by spelling out answers. Caution is adviced. A board and pointer used for divination and to contact the Spirit World.The namecome from the French for yes 'oiu', and the German for yes 'ja'.The board, which has the letters of the alphabet, the numbers 0-9 and the words 'yes' and 'no' printed on it, is placed on the table.Participants rest their fingertips lightly on the pointer, a heart-shaped device with three felt-tipped legs.One person poses a question, and the pointer is then supposed to move to answer the question

Similar board-type instruments were used for divination in ancient China and Greece.In the mid-nineteenth century a similar device, the Planchette, came into use in Europe.The modern Ouija board is marketed as a game, originally called 'Ouija Talking Board ' and was developed in the late 1890's by an American, William Fuld, who sold the patent to the Parker Brothers game company in 1966

Ouija boards became popular during and after World War I, when many people were desperate to communicate with loved ones killed in the fighting. Parapsychologists regard the Ouija as a means to tap into the subconscious.Critics claim that it is dangerous in that users have no control over repressed material, which may lead to psychological trauma.Most Christians denominations condemn it as dangerous - tinkering with potentially harmful occult forces and a tool of the devil

Palmistry

Cheiromancy / Chiromancy. System of character analysis.Based on the study of the creases, pads, skin texture and colour of human hand.Linked to Astrology. Palmistry is a method of Divination and character interpretation by studying the lines and bumps on the palms and fingers.This is very ancient divinatory technique, formerly called Cheiromancy or Chiromancy.The technique was very popular in the Middle Ages, practitioners believing that the lines in the hand were stamped by occult forces and would reveal character and destiny.The lines, digits and bumps on the hands all have supposedly astrological correspondeces, which indicate such factors as longevity, general health ,intellect,love, money and so on.In the fifteenth century the church banned the practice, and after the Enlightenment Palmistry became little more than a parlour trick

Pendulum

A tool for dowsing that consists of a strong or chain with a suspended weight used in pinpointing (dowsing). Used for certain types of psychical activity e.g map dowsing for water

Pisces-Zodiac Sign

The 12th sign of the Zodiac. 19 February - 20 March.Origin & glyph:There are numerous links between the two fishes and various deities from history, including Jesus Christ.The glyph represents two fish, linked but also refers to the physical & spiritual side of a person.Ruling Plantets & grouping:Neptune,feminine,mutable & water.Associated colour-Sea Green,Flowers-Water Lily,Gemstone-Moonstone,Trees-Willow,Food-Exsesses should be avoided,salad foods are very suitable

Planchette

An instument designed for use in a Seance. It is a sort of mounted pencil on castors, which permits the hand to rest yet move freely to the supposed direction of the Spirit control as in Automatic Writing and drawing.It is said to have been invented by a French Spiritualist name Planchette in 1853

Planets

The 5 planets known at the time, plus the Sun an Moon - were known to theancient world as the moving stars and their movement were carefully checked and forcast by civilisastions as remote from each other as the Chaldeans in the Middle East and the Maya in Central America. Their movement gave the planets a special significance, and they were from a very ancient time assigned correspondences with metals, colours, which relate to ritual practices.For the Sun-Gold & Yellow, Moon-Silver & White,Mercury-Quicksilver & Grey,Venus-Cooper & Green,Mars-Iron & Red,Jupiter-Tin & Blue,Saturn-Lead & Black

Postcognition

A visual image that shows how an event from the past actually happened
Power animal

A spirit animal that acts as a guide

Precognition

The ability to obtain information by extra-sensory means. The knowing of something that may happen in the future

Premonition

The feeling that something is going to happen in the future

Psi

An umbrella term used by parapsychologists to describe paranormal phenomena such an ESP

Psychic

The ability to obtain information from sources that have no scientifically proven basis, such as intuition or the supernatural. Person who possesses such paranormal abilities as telepathy, precogniton, clairvoyance, clairaudience or clairsentience etc

Psychometry

The ability to gain intuitive impressions of an object's history an association merely by handling it.Help with police work to provide vital clues

Runes

Runes: An ancient Norse & Germanic alphabet from approx A.D. 200 to 1200, to the symbols of which were ascribed magical properties and which were used mainly for charms and inscriptions on stone,wood, metal or bone.In legend, the runes come from the Volsung, a Nordic people who were the guardians of the forests as they grew again after the last Ice Age.Perhaps derived ultimately from the Etruscan Alphabet, the runic alphabet was spread throughout Europe,Russia & Britain by Viking invaders & travellers, from Norway to Constantinople and rune usage was at its height during the Dark Ages

There were several different systems of runes.In Britain the earliest alphabet had twenty-four letters divided into three groups of eight.The groups were named after Norse deities: Freya, Hagal and Tiu.Runes were carved on stone, bone or wood and were cast in a form of Divination.These use of runes had died out by the 15the century as the Roman Catholic Churc eclipsed paganism.In the late 19the 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 and also a symbol of the Earth Mother, and the runic S symbol, was used by the SS, the Nazi secredt police

New Age investigators are more fortunate in that they will usually be asked to invest no more than the price of a paperback book and a little of their time.Today 24 basic runic sybols are usually cut into runestones (which may actually be ceramic or wooden) and used for divination in conjunction with a twenty-fifth, blank stone.There remain, however, persistent rumours of a potent system of rune magic in which the ancient Nordic powers are used to change the future, not simply forecast it

Ruling Planet

In Astrology, the Planet, that is predominant for each sign of the Zodaic, that is, the planet that appears in the ecliptic (the animal path that the Sun apparently forms in the heavens) at the time of the sign. Each planet rules one sign, except Venus & Mercury, which each rules two

There are additional features and weightings given to the rulings, known as exaltations, detriment and fall. Each planet is exalted when it is in a particular sign from which it works well and with which there is a notable similarity, resulting in more significance being attributed to it in an interpretation. Each planet also has a sign of detriment, when the planet is said to be debilitated.The sign opposite to exaltation is called the fall sign.This is when the planet is thought to be weak

Planet:Sun / Ruling in:Leo / Exalted in:Aries / Detrimental:Aquarius / Fall:Libra

Planet:Moon / Ruling in:Cancer / Exalted in:Taurus / Detrimental:Capricorn / Fall:Scorpio

Planet:Mercury / Ruling in:Gemini & Virgo / Exalted in:Virgo / Detrimental:Sagittarius / Fall: Pisces

Planet:Venus / Ruling in:Taurus & Libra / Exalted in:Pisces / Detrimental:Aries/ Fall:Virgo

Planet:Mars / Ruling in:Aries / Exalted in:Capricorn / Detrimental:Libra / Fall:Cancer

Planet:Jupiter / Ruling in:Sagittarius / Exalted in:Cancer / Detrimental:Gemini / Fall: Capricorn

Planet:Saturn / Ruling in:Capricorn / Exalted in:Libra / Detrimental:Cancer / Fall:Aries

Planet:Uranus/ Ruling in:Aquarius / Exalted in:Scorpio / Detrimental:Leo / Fall:Taurus

Planet:Neptune / Ruling in:Pisces / Exalted in:Leo / Detrimental:Virgo / Fall:Aquarius

Planet:Pluto / Ruling in:Scorpio / Exalted in:Virgo / Detrimental:Taurus / Fall:Pisces

Before William Herschel discovered Uranus in 1781, there were only 7 planets (including the Sun & Moon) and therefore three futher planets ruled two signs.Saturn ruled Aquarius as well as Capricorn, Jupiter ruled Pisces as well as Sagittarius, and Mars ruled Scorpio as well as Aries

Sagittarius - Zodiac Sign

The ninth sign of the Zodiac. 23 November - 21 December.Origin & glyph:The origin is unknown, but the glyph, represents the arrow of the Centaur.Associatated colours-Purple,Deep Blue,Flowers-Carnations,Gemstones-Topaz,Trees-Oak,Ash and Birch,Food-Good Food, is enjoyed but overindulgence should be avoided,specifically currants and the onion family

Scorpio - Zodian Sign

The eight sign of the Zodiac.24 Octover - 22 November.Origin & Glyph: the origin of the scorpion is unknown, although it appears in numerous guises in ancient history.The glyph sumbolises a serpent's coil, and is linked with male genitalia.Associate colour-Deep Red, Flowers-Dark red flowers such as Geranium,Gemstones-Opal,Trees-thorn-bearing variety,Food-foods with strong flavours

Syncretism

The process by which systems of belief, which once were separate and which arise from different sources, begin to blend and to take elements from one another.This is particularly marked in modern occultism, although it has always been a feature, since practitioners have always been interested in what they could discern about other teachings.The development of mass global travel and of electronic media has accentuated this trend to the point where many occult processes are combined.The same person may use the Tarot and the American Indian Medicine wheel or combine Kabbalistic and Tibetan means of divination.This potentially confusing procedure is justified by the underlying resemblances of all occult studies.They share the same intention, which is of seeking harmony with the invisible and not fully understood forces that rule the Cosmos

Tarot

A deck of cards designed for Psychic purposes to help interpret past, present and future.Used in divination and other form of magical practice

The Tarot is a deck of playing cards used for Divination and fortunetelling.The Tarot was brought from the East to Italy in the 14th century by gypsies or returning Crusaders.The origin of the cards is obscure, and theories that the Tarot is based on the Hebrew alphabet or on Egyptian or Hindu mythology have not been conclusively proved.It seems likely that it first began as a card game and gained further significance later, and is still the basis of a game, 'les tarots ' in french 'tarocchi(trumps) in Italian, played in France and Italy

In 1781 a French Occultist, Antoine Court de Gebelin linked the Tarot pack to what he called 'The Book of Troth'- the divine Egyptian founder of all magic.In the 19th century the occultist Eliphas Levi further linked the Tarot pack to the Kabbalah,finding many symmetries, although there is nothing in the Kabbalah that corresponds to Tarot cards.These ideas were taken up by some of the members of the Order of the Golden Dawn, notably Arthur Edward Waite and Aleister Crowley, and their work has given us the divinatory Tarot pack still in very widespread use today

The Tarot deck consists of 78 cards, which are divided into two groups.The Minor, Or Lesser Arcana -the precursor of the modern deck, is made up of 56 cards divided into four suits.The wands suit corresponds to the modern clubs suit- cups to hearts, swords to spades and pentacles to diamonds.Each suit has 14 cards, with numbered cards from ace to ten and four unnumbered face cards,king,queen,knight and knave.(The four knight cards have been eliminated in the modern deck).The Major, or Greater Arcana consists of 22 cards, each bearing a title and a picture, such as the Hanged Man, the Wheel of Fortune, Judgement and the Moon, rich in occult and astronomical symbolism. 21 of the cards are numbered.The twenty-second card the Fool - numered 0, is analogous to the modern joker

In fortune-telling either the full pack or the Major Arcana alone is used.The relationship of one cared to another, as laid out in number of different configurations, is as important as the significance of each individual card. As can be seen, the Tarot is not a fixed system.New variants are always being brought forward, seeking to make the Tarot relevant to cultures where it was not previously known, like that of the American Indians.It is very much and evolving tradition

Taurus - Zodiac Sign

The second sign of the Zodiac. 21 April - 21 May.Origin & Glyph: the bull's head, which has links with early civilisations in Egypt.Ruling planet & grouping:Venus, feminine, fixed and Earth.Associational colour-Pale Shades,especially Blue,Pink & Green,Flowers-Rose,poppy & Foxglove.Gemstones-Emerald,Trees-Apple,Pear &Ash,Food-generally like their food

Virgo- Zodiac Sign

The 6 sign of the Zodiac. 24 August - 22 September.Origin & Glyph: the Egyptian goddess of grain (Nidaba) was probably the origin, and in old pictures the Virgin is shown bearing an ear of corn and holding a child, the glyph is the female genitalia.Ruling Planet:Mercury, feminine, mutable and earth.Associated colours-Grey,Green,Brown, Flowers-Bright small flowers, eg. buttercup,Gemstones-Sardonyx,a white,brown banded variety of onyx) Trees-Nut producing varieties, Food-root vegetables

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