Glossary of Key Terms and Symbols
Abyss: In occult terms, the symbolic realm of spiritual challenges that lie between material reality and higher enlightenment.
Adept: A practitioner who has reached a high level of skill and wisdom in magick or esoteric disciplines.
Aether: The fifth element in ancient and medieval philosophy, representing the divine essence and spiritual energy pervading the universe.
Akasha: In Hindu and occult philosophy, the ethereal substance believed to contain all information and be the medium of the soul.
Alchemy: A mystical practice combining chemistry, philosophy, and spirituality aimed at transformation, often symbolized by turning base metals into gold.
Anima Mundi: The “World Soul,” a concept describing a connection between all living things on Earth, forming a single organic entity.
Ankh: An ancient Egyptian symbol of life and immortality, often used in spiritual practices.
Apocrypha: Ancient religious writings excluded from canonical texts, often containing esoteric or mystical teachings.
Archon: In Gnosticism, a powerful being that controls aspects of the material world.
As Above, So Below: A Hermetic principle suggesting that the macrocosm reflects the microcosm, and vice versa.
Astral Light: A term in Theosophy for the ethereal substance that carries spiritual impressions and connects all beings.
Astral Projection: A technique where practitioners aim to separate their astral body from the physical to explore other realms.
Astrology: The study of the influence of stars and planets on human affairs and natural phenomena.
Aura: An energy field surrounding living beings, believed to reflect physical and emotional health.
Banishing Ritual: A magickal procedure performed to dispel negative energies or entities from a space or one’s aura.
Bindrune: A rune symbol created by combining two or more runes, used in Norse magick.
Book of Shadows: A personal or coven-based book containing spells, rituals, and magickal knowledge.
Book of the Dead: An ancient Egyptian text containing rituals and spells for guiding souls in the afterlife.
Cabala/Kabbalah: Jewish mystical and esoteric tradition focusing on understanding the nature of divinity, the universe, and the soul.
Caduceus: A staff with two serpents entwined, associated with Hermes and representing wisdom and balance.
Ceremonial Magick: A form of ritual magick involving elaborate ceremonies and invoking deities or other entities for specific purposes.
Chakras: Energy centers in the human body, according to Hindu and Buddhist traditions, each associated with different aspects of physical and spiritual health.
Chronomancy: Divination related to time, involving knowledge of events in the past or future.
Circle Casting: The act of creating a protective, sacred space for performing magickal work.
Clairaudience: The ability to hear sounds or voices beyond ordinary perception, used in mediumship and divination.
Clairvoyance: The ability to perceive events or objects beyond the scope of normal senses.
Daemon: In occultism, a supernatural being or spirit guide that can assist practitioners in rituals and spiritual work.
Daemon (Alternate usage): In philosophical and psychological terms, a guiding spirit or inner drive.
Demiurge: In Gnostic belief, a lesser god responsible for creating the physical world, often seen as flawed or tyrannical.
Divination: The practice of seeking knowledge of the future or unknown through various methods such as tarot, scrying, or astrology.
Egregore: A collective thought-form or entity created through the combined beliefs and intentions of a group.
Eldritch: A term meaning strange or otherworldly, often associated with supernatural or eerie qualities.
Elemental: A spirit associated with one of the four classical elements: earth, water, air, or fire.
Elixir of Life: A mythical potion believed to grant eternal life or spiritual enlightenment.
Enochian: A system of angelic magick derived from the works of John Dee and Edward Kelley, involving a unique language.
Esotericism: The pursuit of hidden or inner knowledge, often dealing with mystical or spiritual truths.
Evocation: A ritual to summon spirits or entities into a defined space, typically for assistance or guidance.
Familiar: A supernatural entity or spirit animal that aids a practitioner in their magickal work.
Geomancy: Divination using earth or stones, often practiced by reading patterns in soil or sand.
Gnosis: Direct, experiential knowledge of the divine or higher truths, emphasized in Gnostic and mystical traditions.
Golden Dawn: A prominent 19th-century magickal order known for its teachings on ceremonial magick and Hermetic principles.
Grimoire: A magickal book containing spells, rituals, and instructions on summoning spirits.
Hermeticism: A philosophical and spiritual tradition based on the writings attributed to Hermes Trismegistus, emphasizing hidden knowledge.
Hierophant: A person who leads or teaches spiritual mysteries, often seen as a conduit for higher wisdom.
High Magick: Ritualistic, often ceremonial magick aimed at spiritual transformation rather than material results.
Hypostasis: The divine or spiritual essence of a being, often discussed in Gnostic and philosophical traditions.
Immanence: The belief that the divine exists within all aspects of the material world and within each individual.
Invocation: A ritual to call upon a deity, spirit, or energy to reside within the practitioner or within a ritual space.
Kundalini: In Hinduism, a form of divine energy believed to be located at the base of the spine, which can be awakened through meditation.
Left-Hand Path: A form of spiritual practice that often emphasizes self-deification, autonomy, and exploring taboo or darker aspects of spirituality.
Lesser Key of Solomon: A famous grimoire detailing the names and summoning rituals for various spirits and demons.
Ley Lines: Invisible lines connecting sacred sites or areas of high energy, thought to be channels of earth’s energy.
Luciferianism: A belief system that venerates Lucifer as a symbol of enlightenment, wisdom, and individual freedom.
Magick: The art of creating change in conformity with will, often through rituals, spells, or other mystical practices.
Malkuth: In Kabbalah, the lowest sephirah on the Tree of Life, representing the physical world.
Mandala: A geometric symbol in Hindu and Buddhist spirituality representing the universe and used for meditation.
Mantra: A word or phrase repeated during meditation to focus the mind and invoke certain energies or deities.
Monad: A concept describing a singular source or essence from which all things emerge.
Necromancy: The practice of communicating with the dead, often to predict the future or gain secret knowledge.
Nyx: In Greek mythology, the goddess of night, sometimes evoked in occult traditions.
Occult: Knowledge of hidden or mystical practices and beliefs, typically related to supernatural, mystical, or magical phenomena.
Pathworking: A meditative practice where one imagines or visualizes traversing various symbolic paths or realms for spiritual growth.
Pentacle: A five-pointed star within a circle, often used as a symbol of protection and connection with the five elements.
Philosopher’s Stone: A legendary alchemical substance believed to transform base metals into gold and grant immortality.
Psychopomp: A guide or deity that helps souls transition from the physical world to the afterlife.
Qliphoth: In Kabbalah, the shadow side of the Tree of Life, representing impure or negative spiritual states.
Right-Hand Path: Spiritual practices emphasizing harmony, selflessness, and alignment with higher spiritual laws.
Ritual: A set of structured, symbolic actions performed to invoke or honor deities, direct energies, or achieve specific outcomes.
Rune: A letter in a set of ancient alphabets used for divination and magick, often associated with Norse traditions.
Sanskrit: An ancient language of India, often used in spiritual texts and rituals in Hinduism, Buddhism, and Jainism.
Scrying: A form of divination where one gazes into a reflective surface, such as a crystal ball, to receive visions or messages.
Sephiroth: In Kabbalah, the ten attributes or emanations on the Tree of Life representing aspects of the divine.
Servitor: A created entity within Chaos Magick designed to fulfill specific tasks or serve the practitioner.
Shadow Work: A practice in spiritual growth focused on integrating repressed or unconscious parts of oneself.
Sigil: A symbol created with magickal intent to bring a specific desire or manifestation into being.
Solar Deity: A god or goddess associated with the sun, often representing power, illumination, and life.
Solstice: The longest and shortest days of the year, often celebrated as spiritual or magickal events.
Soma: An ancient Vedic ritual drink said to grant immortality and divine inspiration, often associated with altered states of consciousness.
Spiritus Mundi: The collective unconscious or world spirit, as described in esoteric and literary traditions.
Summoning: Calling forth a spiritual entity or being, typically through a ritual.
Talisman: An object imbued with magickal properties, created to bring protection, luck, or other benefits.
Tarot: A deck of 78 cards used for divination, self-reflection, and spiritual insight.
Telepathy: The ability to communicate thoughts or emotions without using the senses, often viewed as a psychic power.
Thelema: A spiritual philosophy developed by Aleister Crowley, emphasizing the law of “Do what thou wilt.”
Third Eye: The energy center in the forehead, associated with intuition, psychic ability, and insight.
Totem: A spirit animal or symbol representing a person’s or group’s spiritual identity.
Tree of Life: A Kabbalistic symbol representing the spiritual path to enlightenment, composed of interconnected sephiroth.
Trance: A state of altered consciousness often used in shamanic, mystical, and magickal practices.
Tulpa: In Tibetan mysticism, a thought-form or mind-made entity brought into existence through focused intention.
Vibration: The belief in the power of sound or spoken words to create change or manifest specific energies.
Veil: A symbolic barrier between physical reality and hidden spiritual realms, often alluded to in mystical practices.
Vortex: A place or symbol believed to contain concentrated spiritual energy, often used in ritual or meditation.
Watcher: An angel or celestial being associated with ancient knowledge, often depicted as observing or guiding humanity.
Wicca: A modern pagan, witchcraft religion that emphasizes nature, duality, and the cycle of the seasons.
Widdershins: Moving counterclockwise, often associated with banishing or reversing spells.
Yggdrasil: In Norse mythology, the World Tree that connects the heavens, earth, and underworld, symbolizing interconnected realms.
Yin-Yang: A Taoist symbol representing the duality and balance of opposing forces in the universe.
Yoga: A spiritual and physical discipline originating in ancient India, often used for achieving higher states of consciousness.
Zodiac: The twelve astrological signs corresponding to specific periods of the year, used in astrology to interpret personality and fate.
Zohar: The central text of Kabbalistic mysticism, offering interpretations of the Torah and spiritual wisdom.