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New Age Directory

 

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Cabala (Qabalah/Qabbala / Kabbalah / Kabalah): An ancient Judaic mystical text that discusses secret of divination & manifestation with symbols, numbers and wisdom. The word Kabbalah is derived from the Hebrew root kbl - ' to recieve- to accept and in many cased is used synonymously with 'tradition.Kabbalah is the Jewish mystical tradition, especially the system of Esoteric mystical speculation and practice tht developed during the 12th and 13th centuries. Kabbalisitic interest, at first confined to a select few, became the preoccupation of large numbers of Jews following their expulsion from Spain (1492) and Portugal (1495). Like every other Jewish religious 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 frequently used three forms of letter and number symbolism - Gematria, notarikon adn temurah

The Kabbalah is very old, dating back to at leat 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 twelfth and thirteenth 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 emanation and asserted that the world derived from the transcendent and unknowable God through a series of increasingly material manifestations - sephirot. The Sephirot form the cental 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

Each sephirot is a level of attainment in knowledge corresponding to the 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 Sephirot also comprise the sacred, unknowable and unspeakable personal name of God YHVH (Yahweh), the Tetragrammation. So sacred is the Tetragrammation that other names, such as Elohim and Jehovah, are substituted in its place in scripture.A more systematic presentation of the basic doctrine is contained in Moses Cordovero's Pardes rimmonium (Garden of Pomegranates,1548) Kabbalah,with its amulets, incantations,demonology,seals and letter 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

Cacodaemon: The term means 'evil spirit' in Greek (kakos daimon) and was the name given by some medieval astrologers to the twelfth house of the horoscope figure.The inference that the twelfth house rules evil things, or the demonic element of the personalaity, is rejected by modern Astrologers

Caddy, Eileen: Co-founder of the Findhorn Foundation whose 'still small voice within' guided the early development of the community.Caddy's book 'Foundations of Findhorn - Findhorn Publications 1978' tells how it all began in a caravan camped on a barren stretch of sand. Among her other books ar 'Footprints on the Path - Findhorn Publications1981' and Opening Doors Within - Findhorn Publications - 1987'

Caduceus: The name given to a number of different symbolic wands, first appearing in ancient Mesopotamian cultures around 2600 BC, consisting of two serpents or basilisks twisted around a rod. In Craeco-Roman mythology it was the white wand carried by Roman heralds suing for peace and the wand of Mercury (herald of the gods).Some occultists claim that the two entwined serpents symbolise the healing snakes of the demi-god Aesculapius and the symbol has been widely adopted as a symbol of the medical profession (a form of the caduceus is used in the badge of the Royal Army Medical Corps). In Hindu and Buddhist esoteric teachings the Caducues represents the two spiritual energies or healing forces that run up and down the human spine. For freemasons the Caduceus represents the harmony and balance between negative and positive forces, the fixed and the inconstant, the continuity of life and the decay of life

Camelot: The oldest known stories of Arhturian Legend, never refer to Camelot, the supposed capital of Arthur's realm. It first appears in Chrestien de Troyes - 12-century romance Lancelot and was taken up by Malory, who seemed to equate it with Winchester and made it the seat of the Round Table. There are several modern candidates for the site of the original Camelot, assuming it existed at all. One is the Roman city of Colchester, which in the original Latin was called Camulodunum.Anoter is an area around Tintagel in Cornwall, reputed to have been Arthur's birthplace. The River Camel flows through the area and there is also a town of Camelford. Perhaps thehottest possibility is the Iron Age earthwork Cadbury Hill, overlooking the Vale of Avalon to Glastonbury. The 15th-century antiquary,John Leland, wrote that local people referred to the hill fort as Camalat. The village of Queen Camel is close by and was once know simply as Camel. The river Cam flows nearby as well

If local place-names are any indication, then the site is further supported by the fact that the plateau at the summit of the hill is named as 'King Arthur's Palace', while there is also a 'King Arthur's Well within the earthwork itself. Most recent scholarly theory places Camelot in the south of Scotland, however , with the famous Round Table relegated to a mistranslation of the Scottish Gaelic term for a circular corbelled building of polished stone. Such buildings were popular as moratoria for the bones of saints throughout the Roman Empire and the Middle East. It is postulated that the prototype Arthur, fighting in an early Crusade, became involved in a religious cult of Mary Magdalene which he imported into Britain on his return. He caused the circular building to be erected as part of his religious observance and it became colloquially known as 'Arthur's O' on' - Arthur's Oven.The building actually stood until the early 1800's when it was demolished by a lcoal landlord, who used the stones to build a dam. A replica was, however, build from the orignal plans

Campbell, Joseph: The world's foremost authority on Mythology died in Honolulu in 1987. Born in 1904 in New York City, from first seeing Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show, at Madison Square Gardens and the museum of Natural History, he developed a life-long interest in Native American Indians.He began his career in 1934 as an insturctor at Sarah Lawrence College, where he taught for lamost 40 years.In his spiritual and scholarly and cross-cultural exploration of the world's mythologym he discoverd remarkable parallels. As he saw it, Myths are clues to the spiritual potentialities of the human life (Hero with a Thousand Faces - Paladin Books 1988) is his famous analysis of the spiritual quest in the myths of the world, His other major work on mythology is (The Mask of God - Penguin 1983). In 1988 a one-hour film production of (The Hero's Journey - The World of Josehp Campbell) aiared on national television in America,plus a six-part series of (Joseph Campbell and the Power of Myth) resulted in an explosion of popular interest in Campbell

Cambrion: A name given in the post-medieval period to the semi-human offspring of either an incubus or a succubus

Cancer: The fourth 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

Capra, Fritjof: Almost the personification of the New Age physicist Fritjof Capra received his Ph.D from the University of Vienna and engaged in research in the field of High-Energy Physic at several European and American universities. But it was his work 'The Tao of Physics - Fontana 1983' which catapulted him into international prominence. An immensely readable book on an extremely difficult subject, it sold more than half a million copies in a dozen translations and profoundly influenced a whole generation of Physicists as well as attracting an enormous following of lay readiers. The book was based on an insight which dawned on Capra in 1969 when he experienced the movement of subatomic particles as the Dance of Shiva, believed by Hindu mystics to underlie the whole of manifesttion

Capricorn: The tenth 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

Caput Mortuum: The term in Latin means 'death's head' and was derived originally from Alchemy,where it was used to denote the residue after an alchemical operation such as distillation or sublimation

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

Carey, Ken: Ken Carey live with his family on a remote forest farm in southern Missouri. In 1979 he began channelling via Entity named Raphael. Many finding the resulting books - The Starseed Transmissions, Terra Christa and The Return of the Bird Tribes (all Uni-Sun 1988) remarkable

Carnac: If Glastonbury is the magical capital of Britain, then Brittany, and more particularly the district of Carnac - must surely be the magical capital of France.Certainly it has one of the most dramatic collections of megalaiths to be seen anywhere in the world, line upon line of menfirs marching across the countryside for miles.According to legend, these standing stones were formed when the Christian Saint Cornely was pursued by an army of pagans until he reached the sea shoreand could go no further.In desperation, he called on God to turnhis pursuers into stones, which God did.Saint Cornely the n madee off in a bullock cart. In fact the megaliths predate Christianity by about 2,000 years. Orthodox archaeologists look on the site as a huge burial ground which includes grave mounds, stone tombs and circles.More adventurous New Age researchers are not quite so sure. They point out that certain leys begun in Britain seem to continue in Carnac. Professor Alexander Thom investigated the area and found that, as in British sites, there were clear Astronomical alignments in evidence among the stones

Casdreer Idris: This Welsh mountain, in Gwynnedd, is surrounded by occult legend.It is said to be the seat of a legendary giant, Idris with a water-spirit dwelling in the lake.Llyn Cau, below the summit.Nearby is a crag known as the Devil's Rock

Case, Paul Foster: An American occultist best known for his work on the Tarot, Paul Foster Case, claimed to be the US head of the Golden Dawn and insisted he was in touch with the Secret Chiefs of that Order. He subscribed to the widespread esoteric notion that the Tarot pack came into being when Masters of Wisdom decided to synthesize the entire esotric tradition into a series of symbols.But where the usual belief states that this took place before the Flood in order to preserve the wisdom, Case set the meeting around AD 1200 in Fez,Morocco. During his most active years, he founded the Builders of the Adytum, an occult centre in Los Angeles and wrote several excellent books on the Tarot. He died in 1954 at the age of 70

Castaneda, Carlos: One of the most widely known investigators of Shamanism in the New Age is the anthropologist Carlos Castaneda, whose books about the Yagui sorcerer, Don Juan Matus, have sold world-wide in their millions. Castaneda began his career as Carlos Arana (or Aranha) - the spelling is uncertain - but changed it when he acquired American citizenship in 1959. Between that year and 1973, he undertook a series of degree courses in anthropology at the University of California. For the first of these, he travelled in 1960 to the American South-West for the purpose of investigation the Indian use of medicinal plants

While there he met Don Juan.Don Juan was a brunjo, one who cures by means of magical techniques, and an expert on plant hallucinogenics, notably Peyote, the Psychedelic Cactus. He had been born in Mexico in 1891 and spoke Spanish fluently. Despite sticky beginnings, a strong bond developed between Don Juan and the young Anthropology student. The brujo eventually invited Castaneda to become his apprentice and Castaneda agreed. Castaneda's first four books are largely the storey of that apprenticeship and the experiences he underwent and the magical theories Don Juan put forward to explain them. All his books were immensely readable and the Flower Power culture of the sixties, fascianted by hallucinogenics, could harldy get enough of them. At the centre of Don Juan's magical system lay three plants, all hallucinogenic. These plants were Peyote, Jimson Weed and a species of psylocebic mushroom.The old brujo condidered each a key to communication with a specific Entity or Force. To him, for example, Peyote was the physical manifestton of a being he called Mescalito.To eat the cactus was to put yourself in a state in which Mescalito could reach you and in which you became gradually aware of the signs this Entity wrote in the mundane world. Communication with Mescalito and other inward beings was the first step towards making them your allies. Castaneda's apprenticeship involved frequent use of the hallucinogenics, notable the 'little smoke' as Matus called the psylocebic mushroom.The fungus was dried and finely powdered and then inhaled through a pipe

Cathars: Arthur Guirdham, formely Chief Psychiatrist of the Bath District, unearthed substantial evidence that both he and a number of his friends and acquaintances were reincarnations of 13th century Cathars.The story of his discovery, told in his 'The Cathars & Reincarnation - Spearman 1970' is no more fantastic than the history of the Cathar sect itself

Catharism was rooted in ancient Gnosticism, but had its immediate development as a western offshoot of the Bogomils. It appeared in Europe around AD 1140 and spread rapidly in southern France, northern Italy and , to a much lesser extent, Germany. By 1208, the religion had grown so strong that Pope Innocent III declared a Crusade against it, unleashing a war which lasted 20 years.The war ended with the Treaty of Meaux in 1229, but the Cathars, largely driven underground still suffered as heretics under the Inquisition established by Pope Gregory IX. In 1244, 200 members of the sect were massacred at Montsegur, a tragedy from which the movement never really recoverd, although a neo-Cathrist sect appeared in Toulouse as late as the Second World War

The central philosophy of the Cathars was a dualism in which the power of evil, known as the Monster of Chaos, was teh weaker force , but the personification of good, God, was not all-powerful.Their ideas on Christ were equally unorthodox, they believed the crucifixion to be fictitious, that Jesus' real mission was carried through on another plane and that His work on Earth was to warn humanity that the God of the Old Testament was really a demon who had created the material world

Cayce Edgar: America's most famous psychics of the 20th centuary.Sleeping Prophet.Today, many hundreds of New Age doctors and literally thousnads of their patients world-wide are using curative techniques developed - by a man with no medical training whatsoever, who did his best work while unconscious.This man. Edgar Cayce, is regarded as one of the most remarkable Psychics of the 20th century

Edward Cayce was born on a farm near Hopkinville Kentucky on 18 March 1877. First hints of psychism came early. At the age of seven, he told his parents of a meeting with his dead grandfather and there are some suggestions he may have had a vision of an Angel. While playing baseball, he suffered a blow to the back that caused sufficient damage to necessitate a stay in bed. While suffering from the injury, he suddenly ordered his mother to apply a certain type of poultice to the damage area.She did so and he arose next moring cured. He had no memory at all of the experience - a situation which was to be repeated frequently through his life. By 1898 - at the age of 21 yars old, Cayce had become a sales man for a wholesale stationery company - and was teetering on the edge of becoming one of the most remarkable healeres the world had ever known

During self-induced trance state he would prescribe his own cures. Cayce's cures were far too numerous and well attested for any conroversy to surround them now.But he was not a 'faith hearler' in the accepted sense of the term. He did not engage in any laying on of hands and ran not therapy sessions. His real skill lay in diagnosis, which he carried out psychically, in many cases without even having to see the patient.Often his conclusions flatly contradicted orthodox medical opinion,but time and again Cayce would be proven right and the doctors wrong. His methods of treatment varied from perfectly orthodox prescriptions like castor oil through homoeopathy and osteopathy referrals to bizarre medicaments like bedbug juice. The one thing they had in common was that they worked.

From medical 'readings' Cayce went on to 'life readings' - evaluations of the patient's destiny. An orthodox and somewhat fundamentalist Christian while in his waking state, Cayce was profoundly disturbed to discover that while in trance he delivered life readings which included past lives and evoked an aeons-long history of humanity dating to the fabled ' lost continent of Atlantis'

By the time of his death in 1945, he had successfully treated many thounads of patients, often referred to him by medical practitioners

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

Centuries: French physician and astrologer, born in Porvence, whose predictions of the future have fascinated people for centuries.Nostradamus was taught medicine at the Unviersity 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

Cerberus: The three-headed dog of Greek mythology, which was the guardian of the gate of the infernal regions

Cerne Abbas Giant: The huge outline of a naked giant cut in the chalk hillside above this Dorset village is an ancient fertility god.His erect phallus is 9.1 metres in length. The nearby earthwork know as the Trendle formed a meeting place where the cult of the god was celebrated. Even today, women are said to make the seven times circuit of the figure in the hope of becoming pregnant

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

Chain of Being: The name given to an ancient belief in an immutable Order in Creation, ranging from the highest Spiritual levels to the lowest inanimate objects on earth.This chain, or hierarchy, of beings is visualised as stretching as it were from the Throne of God to the very centre of the earth. Developed as a philosophical idea by Plato, added to by Aristotle, elaborated by the Neoplatonists, this has become a stock image underlying many philosophies and cosmological conceptions. Hell alone (because it had rebelled from the order of things) was not connected to this chain - yet the vision of Dante, resting as it did upon the redemptive thesis of theology, embraced even Hell in his view of chain

Chakras: A Yogi term, derived from the Sanskrit for 'Wheel' used to denote a series of circular vortices on the life force of a person, at which points of energies are received, transformed and distributed. Energy centres which exist within the human Aura for the purpose of absorbing,transforming & distributing Universal energy of prana or ch'i.Chakras are believed to play an important role in physical,mental and emotional health and in spiritual development.They are invisible to ordinary sight, but Clairvoyants describe them as small depressions in the bodies of Spiritually undeveloped persons but as larger coruscating and blazing whirlpools in more highly developed dividuals

There are 7 main chakras: the root chakra, the sacral chakra, the navel chakra/ Solar chakra, the Heart chakra, the tHroat chakra, the Frontal chakra (Third Eye)- located between the eyebrows and the Crown chakra - located at the top of the head .There are also many Secondary chakras situated all over the body developed systems, usually involving visualization to stimulate the chakras for the sale of good health and / or mystical enlightenment.When the kundalini, coiled at the spine, is aroused, it rises up through the chakra

The term chakra itself means 'wheel' and is used because the centres appear to spin when viewed by Clairvoyant sight. Both Eastern & Western Traditions have

Chamuel (Archangel - Judeo-Christian): Also known as Camael, Charmuel,Camiel, Camiul. Camniel, Cancel, Jahoel,Kemuel,Khamael,Seraphiel or Shemuel.Chamuel's name means 'he who sees God' or 'he who seeks God'.Chamuel is usually on the list of the seven core archangels, and he is considered a powerful leader in the angelic hierarchy known as the 'Powers'.The Powers are angels who oversee protection of the wold from fearful and lower energies.They act like bouncers who turn away anyone who would attempt to overtake the world in a negative way. He is said to protect our personal world too.He helps us seek out important parts of our lives, such as love relationships,friends, careers,lost items and our life purpose.Chamuel workds with us to build strong foundations for our relationshops and careers so that they are long-lasting,meaningful and healthy.Archangel Chamuel is very kind,sweet and loving.You'll know he's with you when you feel butterflies in your stomach and a pleasant. He helps with career,life purpose and lost items-finding,Relationships-building and strengthening,Soulmates-seeking out & World Peace

Channel: A conduit for something to pass through. A psychic channel is a person who has another Spirit or Entitiy communicate through them

Channelling: Similar to mediumship. The process by which a medium can communicate information from nonphysical beings, such as Spirits,Deities,demons,aliens through entering a state of Trance or some other form of altered consciousness. Channelling has existed in all cultures throughout history.In primitive societies a designated person - a priest, shaman, oracle or similar individual - had the responsibility of communication with the nonworldy beings. The priestly caste of ncient Egypt communicated with the gods through trance, the ancient Greeks revered their oracles, the prophets and saints of Judaism, Christianiy and Islam received the will of God in a form of channelling. In the 19th century, the claims of Spiritualism to be able to communicate with the dead attracted a large following and in the same period Madame Helena P.Blavatsky, cofounder of Theosophy, claimed to be able to channel the wisdom of various Tibetan adepts. Interest in channelling revived in the west during the 1970's and 1980's with the growth of the New Age movement. Both Seth material and A Course in Miracles are examples of channeled texts.Recent non-physical entities who have been channelled are Lazaris, Ramtha, & Emmanuel

Chanting: One of the oldest routes to changes in consciousness - chanting is believed to achieve its effect in three ways 1. Prolonged chanting can lead to hyperventilation or conversely, hypoventilation, both of which infulence blood oxygen and blood carbon-dioxide levels, with consequent effects on the brain 2. Mantra-like repetition has a direct effect on the mind, often leading to trance states if sufficiently prolonged . 3. Sound itself, properly directed through chanting - has a vibrationary influence on the Chakras of the human body

Chamuel ( Judeo-Christian - Archangel): Also known as Camael,Camiel,Camiul,Camniel,Cancel, Jahoel,Kemuel, Khamael, Seraphiel, Shemuel.Chamuel's name means ' he who sees God' or 'he who seeks God'.Chamuel is usually on the list of the seven core archangles and he's considered a powerful leader in teh angelic hierarchy known as the 'powers'. The Powers are angels who oversee protection of the world from fearful and lower engergies.They act like bouncers who turn away anyone who would attempt to overtake the world in a negative way. If you are fearful about world events, Chamuel will comfort, protect and intervene

Chamuel also protects our personal world to.He helps us seek our important parts or our lives, such as lvoe relationships, friends, careers, lost items and our life purpose.Chamuel works with us to build strong foundations for our relationships and careers so that they are long-lasting meaningful and healthy Archangel Chamuel is very kind, loving and sweet.You'll knwo he's around you - when you feel butterfleis in your stomach and a pleasant tingling in your body.He helps with Careeer,life purposes and finding lost items, building & strenghenin Relationships, seeking out Soulmates & World peace

Charm: Derived from the Latin 'carmen' (song) this is a magical formula intended to be sung or recited to propitiate a spirit or achieve some desired effect.The charm is often a part of the ritual involved in making an Amulet or Talismans

Chardin, Teilhare de: Sometimes referred to as the greatest Christian thinker of modern thinker, the Jesuit priest Teilhard de Chardin combined careers as a philosopher, theologian and palaeontolgist.The most fundamental expression of his philosophy came in his The Phenomenon of Man - Fontana 1968 - a difficult book which argues that humanity is on the verge of a leap of consciousness similar to that which humans must have experienced as primeval entities when they first began to think

De Chardin believed the new consciousness would be similar to mystical enlightenment in that it was likely to have collective and cosmic elements which would have the effect of drawing individuals closer to God. His theory was certainly an attempt to reconcile Roman Catholic theology with the findings of modern science. Some critics have been unkind enough to describe the attempt as ' last ditch'

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

Chela: Oriental terminololgy.The pupil of a guru

Ch'i: in Chinese a universal energy generated by the sun and utilized within the human body.The concept of Ch'i appears to be virtually identical to the Hindu Prana. Manipulation of this energy, which manifests in the negative / positive polarities of yin / yang, forms the basis of medical Acupuncture. Control of the energy is also involved in Chinese Yoga and some brances of the Martial arts

Ch'i Kung: Ch'i gung, Ch'i gong & Quigong ,Ch'i kung is Chinese Yoga, a system closely related to the more familiar Indian yoga,meditation and certain Oriental marial arts in background and philosophy

Chinese medicines sees the body as a matrix of energty pathways - acupuncture - through which ch'i the vital energy flows. Ch'i kung seeks to manipuolate this energy, focusing on the goal of health rather than muscular fitness.Benefits from the practice range from inxcreased energy and stamina to a more centred disposition, and the system is extremely popular in a variety of forms in modern China. In its more esoteric aspects, the meditation practises of Chinese yoga concentrate on arousing a Kundalini- type of energy throughj the Chakras in order to achieve enlightened states and / or magical powers

Chimaera: The Greek for 'she-goat' , but in Greek mythology a monster with a goat's body,the head of lion and a dragon's tail

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

Chinmoy, Sri: Sri Chinmoy Kumar Ghose was born in Bengal in 1931 and spent 20 yars on Sri Aurobindo's ashram. An exponent of Bhakti (devotional) Yoga, he travels all over the world. He has written over 50 books and also claims to paint the higher realms of meditation and composes music to take listeners to higher states of awarenss

Chiromancy: Cheiromancy 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

Chiropractic: Devised by Dr Daniel Palmer, Chiropractic is similar to Osteopathy, being based on the idea - that the displacement of the vertebrae, causes disease.The main difference is in the different styles of manipulation of the joints

Chohan: A term used among Theosophists and in New Age circles to describe an ascended master's specialty.e.g. someone might be a Chohan of love & enlightenment

Christian Science: More properly referred to as the Church of Christ Scientist, Christian Science is the religion founded in the latter half of the 19th century by Mary Baker-Eddy. The sect differs from orthodox Christianity in that central to its philosophy is the belief that neither evil nor matter exist in any ultimate sense, but the most dramatic statement of Christian Science beliefs undoubtedly lies in the realm of health and healing. Broadly speaking, Christian Scienetists consider that disease is usually caused by fear and that healing occurs when Truth enters the sick individual. From this stems the fact that practising members of the Church will not take drugs and in fact, tend to shy away from most orthodox forms of medicine - preferring to use their own Spiritual resources. The movement's most definitive and authoritative source book is still Mrs Eddy's 'Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures', which originally published in 1875

Christian Science grew very rapidly in America in its early years and while it had little or no missionary impetus, it had crossed the Atlantic and taken root in England, Germany & Switzerland before the end of the 19th century. By 1936, there were some 238 000 recorded Christian Scientists in the US, but it is believed the numbers have declined in most Sttes and in Britain since then. It may, however be fair to say that the influence of Christian Science has always outweighed its numerical strength

Chuang Tzu: The 'hermit of Meng', Chuang Tzu, who lived in the fourth century BC, was one of the greatest of the early Taoists, and an advocate of getting back to Nature

Circle: A gathering of people for the purpose of investigating or expriencing super-normal or psychic phenomena. In the past they were sometimes called 'circles' - because participants - called 'sitters' sat around a table (or on chairs arranged in a circle) in order to link hands, in the belief that boosted the Psychic forces that encourage paranormal manifestations. Generally Seances involve a medium who enters a trance-like state and contacts a 'spirit friend' or 'spirit helper'. The spirit then communicats with the gathering though the medium, either mentally or directy using the medium's vocal chords.In the nineteenth century, Seances were dominated by Phsyical manifesations, such as Rappings,Stange smells,Levitation and Materialisation, most episodes of which were eventually exposed as having been fraudulent.Because of these fraudulent associations, the term 'Seance' has fallen into disease and modern Psychic researchers and mediums use the term 'Sitting'

Clairagustine: This means 'tasting clearly'.It is the abililty to sense a certain taste with the mouth and tongue without any contact with the food or beverage and by means of this the person receives a message that is linked to this state.'Smelling clearly' is also generally included in this category - this is the ability to smell something thatdoes not necessarly exist independently in the inhaled air,but rather comes in order to transmit a message that is linked to smell

Clairaudience: This ability is also called 'audio'. It is the ability to hear spirit voice and other sounds from other dimensions. This means 'clear hearing' in French and is used to denote the faculty of supranormal hearing, that is, the perception of sounds, voices and music not audible to normal hearing.The phenomenon occurs in Mystical and Trance experiences, Shamans, Prophets, Priests, Saints and Mystics thoughout history have been guided by Clairaudient voices, usually interpreted as the voice of God, Angels, Spirit guides or some other spiritual or divine essence.The ancient Greeks believed that 'Diamons' - intermediate beings between human beings and the gods, whispered advice in the ears of men.The Bible contains many episodes where God sends messengers to Prophets and Kings, and throughout history certain famous men and women, Joan of Arc, for expample, are recorded as seeing visions and hearing voices of Angels.Messages from the dead, perceived using the faculty of Clairaudience, were a prominent features of spiritualist seances

Clairsentience: This means 'feeling clearly' extrasensory feeling.An ability close to intuition.It is a peson's ability to sense messages or information,as well as the feelings of other people who are either far away from him or near to him. It permits awareness of psychical manifestations which cannot be perceived in any other form. The term 'Clairsentience' means in French, 'clear sensing' and is the faculty of superphyical sense perception. It overlaps with other psychic abilities, such as Clairaudience,Clairvoyance and is the Psychic perception of smell,taste, touch, emotions and physical sensations, registered either internally or externally. A commonplace example of Clairsentience is the 'sensing' of an 'atmosphere' in a haunted building.Various parapsychologists call the person who has clairsentience a 'feeler'

Clairvoyance: Clear seeing.Ability to obtain information at a distance by ESP.This means 'clear seeing' in French and is the faculty of supranormal sight, the ability to perceive objects or people that cannot be discered through the normal senses.It overlaps with other Psychic abilities such as Clairaudience,Clairsentience, Telepathy, Psychometry and remote viewing.Clairvoyance normally requires some form of communication with the Spirits or or other nonphysical sessences who give, or pretend to give, the desired knowledge.The ability has been acknowledged and used in all cultures throughout history - by Prophets, Fortune-tellers ,Shamans, Wizards,Witches and seers of all kinds.Western science began to investigate the phenomenon in the19th century, when subjects treacted by Mesmerism - displayed Clairvoyance and other Psychic abiliies. Since then a substantial body of evidence has been accumulated to suport the existence of Clarivoyance.As well as appearing to be a general ability among humans, it also appears to exist in animals

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

Climacterics: From ancient times it has been believed that certain years in the course of life - are more liable to danger or changes than others. The most important of the climacterics are the septenary years 7,14,21,28 etc. which are associated with lunar periodicities linked by such occultists as Madame Helena P. Blavatsky and Rudolf Steiner with the soul's growth

Cloud Dissolving: Making clouds disappear by concentration of thought and will. Claims that cloud dissolving is proof of the existence of Psychokinesis - are rejected by most experts, who point out that most fair-weather clouds usually disappear on their own accord within about twenty minutes of forming.Nevertheless, Psychic control over weather patterns, making the Sun appear, or making it rain, is an ancient skill claimed by Shamans in many cultures around the world.In the United States, various American Indian tribes have rain dance ceremonies. How effective these ceremonies are remains unknown

Cloud of Unknowing, The: One of the most famous of all Christian mystical works 'The Cloud of Unknowing' was written in the fourteenth century by an author who is himself or herself unknow.The work teaches that a knowledge of God is impossible through the exercise of reason, only love will penetrate the 'cloud of unknowing' that stands between the individual and the divine

Cluricaune: The same as the Leprechaun. In Irish folklore, an elf with evil tendencies.He has knowledge of hidden treasure and is the 'fairies' cobbler

Cockatrice: Also known as a Basilisk.A mythical monster - sometimes used in heraldry. It has the wings of a bird, the tail of a dragon and the head of a cock, its name being derived from the belief that it was hatched from a cock's egg by a serpent.The power of its eyes is so terrible that its glance can kill

Cocytus: In classical Greek usage the name of one of the five rivers of Hell, along whose banks the unburied would wander for a century

Collective Unconscious: Phychologist Carl Yung postulates the existence of the bed-rock level of the psyche common to all humanity.This 'Collective Unconscious' as he called it, was - he believed, a mental reflection of physical brain structure. According to Jung's theories, the Collective Unconsciousness is the subjective home of many mythic elements, including the archetypes

Colour Therapy: Colour appears to have an effect on us both psychologically and physiologically. At the most mundane level we are aware that different coloured decors can have an effect on our moods, but research also shows that blue light has a calming effect and lowers blood-pressure whereas red light has the opposite effectr.The Luscher Colour Test devised in the 1940's, by Dr Max Luscher, is a personalaity test which uses colour preferences to reveal psychological make-up.Colour therapy is th4e use of colour or coloured light as an aid to healing

Columbia,Saint (521-597): A most curious episodes recorded in Adamnan's Life of Saint Columba, writtenfrom direct knowledge.Columba's follower, Oran, died and was buried in a chapel on Iona.But before the grave had been filled, the dead monk sat up and cried out that he had seen strange things, and that neither Heaven nor Hell were as they had been led to believe.Columba,horrified, called for earth to be thrown into the grave to stop Oran's mouth forever

Comfort Zone: A place or state of mind where you feel safe and little or no anxiety

Conan Doyle,Sir Arthur (1859-1930): The creator of Sherlock Holmes took a keen interest in arcane subjects such as Spiritualism, Spirit photography etc.The events he was most excited by, like the Cottingley 'Fairy' photographs taken in 1917, by two young girls, Frances Griffiths and Elsie Wright, have subsequently turned out to be fakes by which Sir Arthur - and many others - had been fooled

Confucianism: It is difficult to be certain whether Confucianism should be classified as a religion, a philosophy or simply a social system. At various times, different scholars have emphasized one or other aspect of Confuciasm in order to define it more exactly. To complicate things further, not all elements of Confucianism derive from the sage Confucius. What is really meant by Confucianism is a loose collection of ideas and beliefs given stature and coherence by being attributed to King Fu-tze.In outline, the cosmology of Confucianism teaches that at the beginning of time there was a single cosmic cell containing Ch'i, which was made to pulsate by the creative force of Tao. The cell subsequently split to produce the yin / yang differentiation so pervasive in all branches of Chinese thought. Where Taoism holds that the Tao represents the ultimate mystery, to Confucianism the nature of Tao is perfectly obvious - it is the rules of conduct, etiquette and ceremonial, the guide to all social action. Since Confucianism does not support any belief in the survival of a soul, its impact traditionally tended to be on the here rather thn the hereafter.Within thefamily unit, the system taught respect for auathority, veneration of the old by the young and loyalty as the supreme virtue. It was a short step to extraplate these doctrines to the State which was seen - and sometimes even saw itself - as a macrocosm of the family

Confucius: Anglicized version of the name of the most famous of all Chinese sages, Kung Fu-tze, who lived from 550-480 BC. Hisconservative philosophy, which strongly supported the State and family unit, became so influential that it is no exaggeration to say much of the traditional Chinese view of the Universe, the gods and morality came to be based on his doctrines. After his death, a cult followingt developed with shrines to the sage in agreat number of temples, noatable those in the administrative centres.Much Confucian wisdom is contained in the 'Analects', a collection of sayings attributed to the sage.Many are remarkably appropriate to our present culture e.g. The superior man understnad what is right. The inferior man understands what will sell

Conjuration: The practice of raising Spirits by means of carefuly formulated rituals. These rituals take many different forms, many of them described in the Grimoires, especially the Grand Grimoire, which contains probably the earliest printed account of the manufacture of Pacts with Demons

Consciousness: When Greek texts state that ancient heroes like Ulysses spoke with the gods or fought against the siren's song, they are not recording a myth, according to an intriguing New Age theory.Rather they are describing a literal experience, but one which has far more to do with the evolution of the human psyche than religious experience. The theory suggests that consciousness, as we currently experience it, is a very recent development, a mutation occurring within historical times.Prior to its appearnce, the common pattern of human mentation was very different from what it is today. The actions of individuals were often controlled not by conscious decisions, but by prompting of the unconscious which manifested not as a 'voice' within - but rather as hallucinatory instructions apparently emanating from the outside world. Small wonder our ancestors believed so fervently in gods and spirits, they conversed with them daily. But whatever the state of consciousness throughout history, one fact has remained contant, humanity's need to change it. The search for consciousness-altering drugs and techniques has been an obsession of the species for millnnia

Esoteric techniques such as Pathworkings, the procedures of Yoga Meditation, and the central visionary experience of mysticism, all involve alterd states of consciousness and have attracted the attention of many New Age Scientists , including John Lilly, who used an isolation tank in an attempt to understand his own mind better through sensory deprivation

Conscious Mind: The surface of the mind, the communication center where you process thoughts and ideas

Cordelia (England,Wales, Ireland - Deity): Also known as Creiddylad,Creudylad. Cordelia is said to be the beautiful goddess of spring and simmer flowers and of flower fairies.Shakespear portrayed Cordelia as the daughter of King Lear in his play of the same name.However, she's actually the daughter of the sea god, Lir, so she was born a sea goddess.Cordelia is celebrated on May 1, during Beltane, an ancient celebration marking the beginning of summer, when the weather is warm enough to allow ranchers to let cattle out of their pens and into the fields.She helps with Celebration, Courage,Gardening & Flowers,Joy, Life changes & Stress manangement

Cosmic Consciousness: A term coined by the psychologist R.M.Bucke in 1901 to describe the ecstatic experience of illumination which gives insight into the meaning of the Universe

Cosmology: Cosmology is a term used to denote a theory, usually esoteric or religious, of the nature of the Universe and how it came into being.There are as many differing cosmologies as there are esoteric systems and religions. The best known Western cosmology is the orthodox Judaoe-Christian, which postulates a specific moment of creation by a pre-existent Deity who stands outside his handiwork and a Universe essentially maintainded by Hierarchies and Celestial beings

Qabalistic cosmology, by contrast, suggest a sort of condensation of the Universe out of a pre-existent, eternal and essentially unknowable field of unmanifestation.This picture leaves God (or at least any God who can be known to humanity) immanent in creation and identified with the totality of the Universe

Oriental cosmology tend to be cyclical in nature, like the Hindu concept of the 'Breath of Brahma' which sees the Universe as emerging from the body of the divine , developing and changing through a series of ages or Yugas - then being reabsorbed in a final cataclysm, only to re-emerge to begin another cycle

Several New Age Authors have remarked on the similarities between modern scientific theories of cosmic origins and structure and the ideas put forward within several ancient cosmologies. The Big Bang Theory,for example, postulates a specific instant of 'creation' from which all else flowed, thus equating quite closely with the Genesis myth - that God created the heaven and earth and all that in them is

Stead State theory, which considers that matter is continually emerging from nowhere to cause the expansion of the Universe, obviously runs parallel to Qabalistic and Oriental notions of manifestation from an unknowable source

Although similarities between ancient systems and modern thought are often eerily exact when one allows for the difference in terminology, psychologists tend to interpret this as indicative of the fact that the human mind works in essentially the same way whatever the time or culture

Coral: In ancient times Coral was regarded as a Talismanic protection, even without the addition of pictures or symbols. It was used as a charm against whirlwinds, shipwrecks and fire

Cosmology: Of the nature of the universe and how it came into being

Course in Miracles, A: A self-study course designed to help change one's perception. The Course is a channelled text e.g it was heard as a kind of inner dictation. It came through Dr Helen Schucman, a respected research psychologist as Columbia University's School of Physicians and Surgeons in New York. She was helped in the transcription of the text over a period of seven years by Dr William N. Thetford, the head of the psychology department in which she worked. The 'Course' is summed up in the Introduction. Nothing real can be threatend.Nothing unreal exists.The distinction between truth and illusion is a major one. The 'Course' teaches how to distinguish between the voice of the ego (fear) and the voice of inner wisdom (love).Although Christian in its language, the 'Course' deals with Universal spiritual themes and not with religious doctrines. First published in 1975 , many hundreds of thousands of people from all kinds of spiritual backgrounds have been profoundly affected by 'A Course in Miracles'

Coventina (United Kingdom - Deity): Coventina is a Celtic goddess who oversees the sprites and water nymphs.She's a goddess of rain,rivers, lakes, streams, ponds,oceans and water-based creatures.Coventina loves the cattrails and lily pads by riverbanks.She heals those who swim in the water while invoking her.Conventina also helps with the growth of vegetation near beaches,rivers,lake fronts & islands.In ancient times, people would throw coins into a well associated with Conventina to request her assistance-This is said to be the origin of the 'wishing well'.Because of the bounty of coins, Coventina represents abundance in all ways.Legend also associates her with flying fish, and today she can be invoked to flry in airplanes safely and fearlessly.Coventian is primarily considered a British divinity,although she helps out worldwide. Becasue of her relationship to water, Coventina can swim into Psychic domains and help with Psychic abilities and prophecy,Purification & cleanliness,Water cleanliness and supply,Swimming, Healing with water, Environmentalism,Dolphins & cetacaens & Abundance

Creative Imagination: A technique developed by the psychologist Carl Jung which enabled certain of his patients to use their visual imagination in order to enter the archetypal realms of the Collective Unconscious.Jung's technique of guided reverie has distinct similarities to Qabalistic Pathworking, an ancient form of occult practice and to fantasy role play - a comparatively recent form of indoor game

Crop Circles: Large circular depressions or patterns that appear in the middle of grain fields when the crop is quite high. Most crop circles have been found in the southeast of England since early 1980's but others have been reported in the United States and mainland Europe.Some have been exposed as hoaxes, but others remain unexplained.Crop circles range in diameter from as small as 3 metres to over a 100 mettres.They appear overnight, and no tracks leading up to them are found suggesting some external force from above is responsible.Some theories blame natural causes, such as earth energy lines,whirlwinds, freak weather conditions or excess irrigation, others claim that the depressions are made by UFO's or are communications from other intelligent life forces

Crystals: Energies.Transmitters,Transceivers and Healing Energies

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

Cupping: Specialized form of therapy from China.Combining elements of acupunture & moxibustion largely used to treat back pain & muscular disorder. Unlike acupunture and acupressure, cupping can only be used on areas of the body notably the back, which present a relatively flat surface. Traditionally, the cups are of wood, notabley bamboo, although glass is sometimes used.The are heated, usually by inserting a burning taper or a piece of moxa inside, until a partial vacuum is created. The taper is then removed and the cup immediatley placed on the relevant body part.The partial vacuum creates, suction, causing the cup to adhere. It is left in place for a few minutes, then gently prised off. Since the suction produced is quite strong, blood is drawn into the surface vessels, leaving a temporary, reddish-pink mark and stimulating any acupuncture point in the area

 

Main info sources

The Aquarian Guide To The New Age-Eileen Campbell & J.H.Brennan

Dictionary Of The Occult-Geddes & Grosset

Archangels & Ascended Masters -Doreen Virtue,Ph.D