Orphism, Orphic Mysteries [from Greek orphikos]

Orphism originally taught of the Causeless Cause on which all speculation is impossible; the periodical appearance and disappearance of all things, from atom to universe; reimbodiment; cyclic law; the essential divinity of all beings and things; and the duality in manifestation of the universe. It postulated seven emanations from the Boundless: aether (spirit) and chaos (matter), from which two spring the world egg, out of which is born Phanes, the First Logos; then Uranus (and Gaia) the Second Logos, with Kronos (and Rhea, mother of the Olympian gods) a later phase of the Second Logos; and Zeus, the Third Logos or Demiurge -- who starts a minor sevenfold hierarchy of emanation by begetting Zagreus-Dionysos the god-man, the divine son.

Characteristic of Orphic cosmogony is the important place given to the number seven. "The rise of the Orphic worship of Dionysos is the most important fact in the history of Greek religion, and marks a great spiritual awakening. Its three great ideas are (1) a belief in the essential Divinity of humanity and the complete immortality or eternity of the soul, its pre-existence and its post-existence; (2) the necessity for individual responsibility and righteousness; and (3) the regeneration or redemption of man's lower nature by his own higher Self" (F. S. Darrow).

The Orphic teachings were kept intact by the Golden or Hermetic Chain of Succession down to the days of the Neoplatonists after which (as symbolically told in the archaic story of Eurydice) they were killed -- obscured or lost, so far as the public was concerned. Their keynote was consecration to the mandates of the god within: perfect purity, perfect impersonal love, perfect understanding, and devotion to the interests of humanity.

The three Orphic mystery-gods were Zeus, the divine All-father; Demeter-Kore, the earth goddess as both mother and maid; and Zagreus-Dionysos, the divine son. This trinity finds its counterpart in Egyptian, Indian, Chaldean, Christian, and other religions. There were two forms of baptism, one purification by water, later adopted into the Christian ritual; and the other a ceremony in which the face of the neophyte was cleansed with a mixture of earth and bran, symbolizing the washing away of stains from the soul.

The ceremony of the Eucharist was also adopted by the Christians and as Orphic ritual forbade the use of wine (substituting for it a mead of honey and milk), in the rite as adopted by the primitive Christians the neophyte drank not only wine but also milk and honey. Under Orphism, the honey symbolized not only purification and preservation, or endless life and bliss, but the secret knowledge obtained during initiation. Bees, the gatherers of honey, were emblems of the reincarnating soul, as was the butterfly; and as the bees gathered the nectar from flowers and made it into honey, so the human soul in its various peregrinations gathers from the beings and things of life the mystic experience and stores it away in the chambers of the soul. Milk symbolized knowledge, which fed the inner man, as a child of eternity, just as milk feeds the human child.

Orphism flourished from before the 14th until the 6th century BC, and again, after some five centuries of obscuration, during the first four centuries of the Christian era. Plato, Empedocles, the Pythagorean teachings, some of the Greek dramatists and poets are our main source material for the earlier period, as well as the various Orphic fragments including the Orphic Tablets.

These Tablets, with the Orphic Hymns, consist of eight gold plates containing inscriptions, dating from about the 4th century BC. They consist of instructions given to the soul for its journey through the afterdeath worlds or states very reminiscent of the Egyptian Book of the Dead. The keynote is spoken by the soul: "I am a child of earth and of starry Heaven, but my race is of Heaven (alone). . . . Lo, I am parched with thirst . . ." For the later period we have the writings of the Neoplatonists and their opponents, the early Christian Fathers.

That the entire Orphic mythogony is intentionally allegorical does not invalidate that a great prehistoric religious reformer named Orpheus lived, worked, taught, and founded a religion as the outgrowth of a genuine Mystery school.

(See also: Orphism, Orphic Mysteries , Mysticism, Mysticism Dictionary)

Mysticism: The direct personal contact with one's concept of God, the Divine, or the Ground of Being.

Natal Chart: Your natal (birth) chart, or horoscope, is drawn from calculations based upon the date, time, and place of your birth. Every element of the horoscope (which, if it’s like most Western horoscopes, will be drawn on a circular wheel) is expressed symbolically. Each symbol in the chart represents a celestial body, sign, house, or aspect.

(See also: Mysticism , Magic, Shamanism, Paganism, Wicca)

Eggs

Eggs are symbolic of something new and fragile. They represent life and development in its earliest forms and, as such, the possibilities are limitless. At times, eggs can represent captivity or entrapment. Carl Jung said that eggs represent our captive souls. Therefore, the egg in your dream may very well represent you in the most profound sense. Are you trapped in a shell or did you break out of it and are now free to soar?

Source: Dream Lover Incorporated, http://www.dreamloverinc.com

(See also: Dream Archives, Meaning of Dreams, Dream Interpretation, Dream Dictionary, Dream Dictionary - Eggs , Meaning of Dreams about Eggs , Dream Interpretation Eggs )

Prana (Sanskrit). Life-Principle ; the breath of Life.

(See also: Prana , Theosophy, Spirituality, Body mind and Soul, Spiritual Dictionary,)

Love

For most of us, love is a full-time obsession . We are concerned about the love of our parents, children, co-workers, friends, and many, many others. There is nothing more important to our emotional, psychological, or spiritual well-being than love. It is a vital part of any growth process. We need to have a healthy dose of self-love so that we can, in turn, love the world. Dreams may be filled with images of love, friendship, compassion, and lust. In the end, it is all about acceptance and belonging. To be loved is to feel accepted and have a sense of belonging. In our dreams we may be trying to figure out this mystery called love. The dream may be wish-fulfilling or compensatory in nature. It may be spiritual or practical, but always deals with a significant part of our psyche or our daily lives.

Source: Dream Lover Incorporated, http://www.dreamloverinc.com

(See also: Dream Archives, Meaning of Dreams, Dream Interpretation, Dream Dictionary, Dream Dictionary - Love , Meaning of Dreams about Love , Dream Interpretation Love )

Reincarnation Reimbodiment; specifically reinfleshment, the repeated imbodiment of the reincarnating ego in vehicles of human flesh on this earth. The unexhausted desire for earth-life draws the ego back to this globe, where it gathers to itself the material for a reincarnation and thus is finally born from a human womb. The process is repeated almost numberless times until the evolution of the inspiriting monad has reached a stage when reincarnation is no longer required. The interval between successive incarnations may be roughly estimated at 100 times the length of the preceding earth-life -- a rule obviously subject to many exceptions.

(See also: Reincarnation , Mysticism, Mysticism Dictionary)

Astrology: Astrology is a science that examines the action of celestial bodies upon all living beings, non-living objects, and earthly conditions, as well as their reactions to such influences. The study of the stars is one of the oldest sciences known to humankind, tracing its origins back to ancient Sumer and even earlier. The astrological arts were well known to the Egyptians, Hindus, Chinese, Persians, and the great civilizations of the ancient Americas.

Astrology is the progenitor of astronomy, and for many years the two existed as one science. Nowadays, astronomy is considered an "objective" science of distances, masses, speeds, etc., while astrology is a "subjective" and intuitive science that not only deals which the astronomical delineation of horoscopes, but can also be called a philosophy which helps to explain the spiritual essence of life.

(See also: Astrology , Magic, Shamanism, Paganism, Wicca)

paranormal healing: Field of metaphysical health-related practices.

It encompasses absent healing, Bach flower therapy, Bioplasmic healing, channeling, faith healing, the laying on of hands, LeShan psychic training, magnetic healing, psychic dentistry, psychic healing, psychic surgery, psychosynthesis, remote diagnosis, Seicho-No-Ie, self-healing, shamanism, the Simonton method, spirit healing, spirit surgery, spiritual healing, and Therapeutic Touch.

(See also: Paranormal healing , Body Mind and Soul, Alternative Health, Alternative Health Dictionary)

bodhi-pakkhiya-dhamma (bodhi-pakkhiya-dhammaa): "Wings to Awakening" - seven sets of principles that are conducive to Awakening and that, according to the Buddha, form the heart of his teaching:

(1)         the four frames of reference (see satipatthana);

(2)         four right exertions (sammappadhana) - the effort to prevent unskillful states from arising in the mind, to abandon whatever unskillful states have already arisen, to give rise to the good, and to maintain the good that has arisen;

(3)         four bases of success (iddhipada) - desire, persistence, intentness, circumspection;

(4)         five dominant factors (indriya) - conviction, persistence, mindfulness, concentration, discernment;

(5)         five strengths (bala) - identical with

(6)         seven factors for Awakening (bojjhanga) - mindfulness, investigation of phenomena, persistence, rapture (see piti), serenity, concentration, equanimity; and

(7)         the eightfold path (magga) - Right View, Right Attitude, Right Speech, Right Activity, Right Livelihood, Right Effort, Right Mindfulness, Right Concentration.

 (See also: Bodhi-pakkhiya-dhamma , Buddhism, Body Mind and Soul)

Kundalini: Kundalini is a concept often spoken of in relation to the charkas. Mythologically, Kundalini is a serpent Goddess who lies asleep at the base of the spine, coiled three and one half times around the first chakra, awaiting unfoldment. When she is awakened through any of a number of techniques, she unfolds and rises through the center of the body, piercing and wakening each chakra as she goes. When she has risen to the top or crown chakra, then all of the chakras have been opened, and a person is said to experience enlightenment.

(See also: Kundalini , Magic, Shamanism, Paganism, Wicca)

essential oils

Fluid extracted from botanical sources and preserved in pure form. Some are poisonous when taken internally, and many report irritations when applied directly to the skin. Used in Aromatherapy, usually in blends diluted with basic carrier oils.

(See also: Essential oils , Body Mind and Soul)

Pleadian messages

Series of UFO teachings conveyed to Eduard Meier, 1975-

(See also:   , Body Mind and Soul)

Love:

1. If the dream involves happiness in love, then happiness and contentment lie ahead.

2. If the dream involves an illicit or forbidden love, the dreamer is hiding things—perhaps even from herself.

3. If the dream is of observing the love between two other people, this portends the consummation of some of the dreamer's own hopes and wishes.

4. If the dream involves choosing between two rival lovers, the dreamer faces a difficult choice.

Astrological parallel: Venus.

Tarot parallel: The Lovers.

Source: Astrocenter, http://astrocenter.astrology.msn.com/msn/DreamDictionary.aspx

(See also: Dream Archives, Meaning of Dreams, Dream Interpretation, Dream Dictionary, Dream Dictionary - Love , Meaning of Dreams about Love , Dream Interpretation Love )

Ardan. See ERIDANUS

(See also:     Ardan , Mysticism, Mysticism Dictionary, Occultism, Occultism Dictionary)

Bodha (Sanskrit) (from the verbal root budh to acquire understanding, awaken, know)

Wisdom, knowledge, perception, consciousness. As an adjective, knowing, understanding, awakening; as a proper noun, knowledge personified as a son of Buddhi.

(See also: Bodha , Mysticism, Mysticism Dictionary, Occultism, Occultism Dictionary)

(See also:   , Mysticism, Mysticism Dictionary, Body mind and Soul)

Flying : Dream Interpretation Dictionary - Flying

Flying.

Some flying dreams are terrifying; others are exhilarating. Dreams of flying can reflect a sense of control. This includes wishing you had control over something you donÕt, struggling to stay in control or fearing you wield too much control.

Source:  Dr. Gail Saltz, http://msnbc.msn.com/id/4961404/

(See also: Dream Interpretation, Dream Dictionary, Meaning of Dreams, Dream Interpretation Flying , Dream Dictionary Flying )

Dream Interpretation Pool

A swimming pool is a symbol of social gaiety, unless it was empty, dirty, or in poor condition, in which case it is a warning against gambling or speculation. A garden pool is a happy omen for love affairs. To dream of playing pool suggests that you would benefit from cultivating new interests and new companions.

Source: Dream-Land, http://www.dream-land.info

(See also: Dream Archives, Meaning of Dreams, Dream Interpretation, Dream Dictionary, Dream Dictionary - Pool , Meaning of Dreams about Pool , Dream Interpretation Pool )

Spiritual Gifts

According to Christian doctrine, special abilities given by God to worthy believers. Every Christian has at least one

Following is a list of the gifts arranged in two groups.

• The first are gifts that require supernatural intervention and are possessed only by true Christians.
• The second are gifts that do not require supernatural intervention. Even non-Christians can have the second group of gifts.

A further issue is whether or not the gifts are still in use today. Some believe they ceased with the apostles and the completion of the writings of the Bible) and they are no longer needed for the building up of the body of Christ (Eph. 4: 12). Others believe the gifts are still in use but not in the pure apostolic sense. In other words, they are still in use but not in the same way possessed by the apostles. Instead, they are available to the believer if and when God decides it is beneficial to use them.

The first group of spiritual gifts are: Salvation, Word of Wisdom, Word of Knowledge, Faith, Healing, Miracles, Prophecy, Distinguishing of Spirits, Tongues, and Interpretation of Tongues.

The second group of spiritual gifts are: Serving, Teaching, Exhortation, Giving, Leading, and Showing mercy.

(see Psychic Gifts)

(See also: Spiritual Gifts , New Age Spirituality, Body Mind and Soul)

 Atma:

The real Self, one's Divinity. God, the substance of everything, the spark of God within. The Atma is unchanging, immortal.

(See also:  Atma , Body Mind and Soul)

Food

People often dream about food. All types of food are a consistent part of a dream life. Anything from meat to elbow macaroni comes up through our unconscious and leaves vivid memories upon awakening. Food is symbolic of a large variety of things. It could symbolize pleasure and indulgence. To the perpetual dieter, the dream could have a "compensatory" function where the food that is denied to the individual during the day shows up in the dream state. Dreams could additionally symbolize physical, mental, spiritual and emotional nourishment.

Source: Dream Lover Incorporated, http://www.dreamloverinc.com

(See also: Dream Archives, Meaning of Dreams, Dream Interpretation, Dream Dictionary, Dream Dictionary - Food , Meaning of Dreams about Food , Dream Interpretation Food )