aznewage

New Age Dictionary  C

Cabala, Cabalah:

See Kabbala

Cadent Houses:

In astrology, the third, sixth, ninth and twelfth houses of the horoscope,  representing compromise.

Cain, Mark of:

In the Bible, a mark placed on Cain's forehead by God after the murder of Abel to prevent Cain from being killed (Genesis 4:15). In popular understanding, its meaning has been reversed, and the mark is interpreted as branding Cain a murderer.  According to Mormonism and other Christian sects, the mark placed upon Cain was a black skin.  This was passed on to his descendents and was passed through the deluge by Ham's wife, whom tradition says was a descendent of Cain and was Black. 

 Caliph:(from Arabic khaleefa, "successor" to the Prophet Muhammad)

Supreme Arab religious and temporal leader of Islam from 632 to 1258 according to Sunni doctrine. Actually, after the ninth century, the caliph's powers were assumed by competing kings, sultans, and, in religious affairs, the religious notables (ulama). Shia factions contested his legitimacy on behalf of their imams.

Call:

Invoking supernatural forces.

Callanish:

A megalithic stone circle in Scotland.

Calvin, John, (1509-64)

 French Protestant theologian of the Reformation.. From 1523 to 1528 he studied in Paris. His opinions gradually turned to disagreement with the Roman position, After his father’s death in 1531 he returned to Paris, where he pursued his own predilection—the study of the classics and Hebrew. He came under the humanist influence and became interested in the growing rebellion against conservative theology.   He experienced about.1533 what he later described as a “sudden conversion,” and he turned all his attention to the cause of the Reformation. In 1534 he began the work of systematizing Protestant thought in his Institutes of the Christian Religion, considered one of the most influential theological works of all time. Completed at Basel in 1536 and later frequently revised and supplemented, the original work contained the basic Calvinist theology.

Calvinism:      

A system of Christian interpretation initiated by John Calvin. It emphasizes predestination and salvation. The five points of Calvinism were developed in response to the Arminian position (See Arminianism). Calvinism teaches: 1) Total depravity: that man is touched by sin in all parts of his being: body, soul, mind, and emotions, 2) Unconditional Election: that God’s favor to Man is completely by God’s free choice and has nothing to do with Man. It is completely undeserved by Man and is not based on anything God sees in man, 3) Limited atonement: that Christ did not bear the sins of every individual who ever lived, but instead only bore the sins of those who were elected into salvation, 4) Irresistible grace: that God's call to someone for salvation cannot be resisted, 5) Perseverance of the saints: that it is not possible to lose one's salvation. 

Campbell, Joseph:(1904-1988)

Born in New York City, he is best known for his book and PBS series, The Power of Myth, which teaches all religions contain common mythological themes..

Cancer: (Greek - crab)

The crab, fourth zodiac sign; ruler of the Moon; of the watery element; key words: tenacity, nurturing energy.

Candlemas:

Pagan holiday and Wiccan sabbat held on or about February 1.

Canon:       

General term for an authoritative set of sacred writings.The canon of Christian scripture consists of the 39 books of the Old Testament and the 27 books of the New. The Canon is closed which means nothing more can be added to the Bible, even if missing pieces or genuine inspired writing of the Apostles were to be discovered.  This is a custom of Christianity. . 

Canon Episcopi: 

An important document in the history of the Christian Church. Written prior to the 15th century, it was the official word on witchcraft until the 19th century.  It describes witches as deluded heretics, who worship "Diana, the goddess of the Pagans."

 Canon Law:

The body of church regulations that govern the life and practice of the Roman Catholic, Orthodox, and Anglican churches.

Cantor:

European designation of traditional Jewish liturgical leader (Heb. hazzan). In medieval Judaism, the cantor rather than the rabbi led the worship service. In many forms of contemporary Judaism, where the rabbi directs the service, the cantor's role is limited to leading chants and hymns.

Capricorn:

Sea-goat, tenth zodiac sign; ruler of Saturn; of the earthy element;

Capnomancy

Divination using the smoke of an altar or sacrificial incense

Cardinal:

A Christian designation for the suburban bishops, parish priests, and deacons of the church at Rome. In the early Middle Ages they were formed into a college, which governed the Roman church after the death of a pope. Today there are both residential cardinals in Rome and nonresidential cardinals; their main task is the election of a pope, who is ordinarily but not necessarily chosen from among their numbers.

Cardinal Directions, Cardinal Points:

North, East, South, and West. Symbolized by the circle in magic (which connects the points), the four elements, and the watchtowers.

Cardinal Signs:

In astrology they are: Aries, Cancer, Libra, Capricorn which carry  initiatory energy. 

Cardinal Virtues:

 Also known as natural virtues, in Christian tradition, they are prudence, justice, temperance, and courage. Roman Catholicism places great emphasis on the cardinal virtues, while Protestantism stresses the theological virtues of faith, hope, and charity. 

Cargo Cult:

 Religious movements in Melanesia whose participants await the arrival of an abundance of goods and a social utopia. 

Carmelites:

 Members of a Catholic religious order that originated as an organization of lay hermits near Haifa on Mt. Carmel ca. 1200. Around 1238 conditions in the Latin Kingdom of Jerusalem forced the Carmelites to emigrate to Europe. There, Innocent IV (1247) approved changes in their life-style that included permission to settle not only in desert sites but in the towns of Europe. At that time the Carmelite hermits became friars. Hermitical origins and a mendicant status created the basic Carmelite tension between solitude and (ministerial) community. There are two branches of the order: Carmelites of the Ancient Observance and Discalced Carmelites, with women and men and lay affiliates in both.

Carole:

A circle dance in which the participants hold hands and concentrate of linking themselves with all humanity and raising human consciousness.

Castaneda, Carlos:(1931-1988)

Author of The Teachings of Don Juan series. He helped popularize Native American shamanism, the hallucinogenic peyote, and New Age occultism.

Cathari

The adherents of thewidespread European Christian group which flourished in the11th and12th centuries.  It was known by various names and forms (see Bogomils ,Albigenses). Catharism descended from the original Gnostics.  They rejected the outward forms of the Church, and believed in an extreme form of dualism. They were persecuted by the Inquisition and were completely wiped out by the 15th century.

Catholic:       

(Greek, Universal)  The name given to the church founded by Roman Emperor Constantine in 312 AD. While usually applied to the Roman Catholic Church, the name is often used to describe all of Christianity..

Catholicism:

Primarily referring to the Roman Catholic Church, this term can also be used to describe any of the half-dozen or so other Catholic Churches.

Catoptromancy or Crystallomancy:

Divination using mirrors or lenses

Cauldron

An iron pot used in rituals and for brewing potions. It is a primal Goddess image used like a chalice or cup. This was the common magickal instrument in the Celtic traditions because it was a practical object as well, one which could be used for cooking or washing as well as making brews and magick potions. In many of the mythological stories from Ireland and Britain the cauldron is symbolic of the womb of the Mother Goddess in which all life begins, ends and regenerates. 

Cayce, Edgar:(1877-1945)

Cayce was known as "the sleeping prophet" because he would close his eyes and go into a trance when he did his readings  At his death, he left thousands of accounts of past life and medical readings. A stenographer took notes during his sessions and some 30,000 transcripts of his readings are under the protection of the Association for Research and Enlightenment. 

C.E.:

Common Era, the non-Christian equivalent to A.D.

Celibacy: 

Abstaining from sexual relations, hence, remaining unmarried, as part of a religious vocation. Most frequently celibacy is required for priesthood or membership in religious associations.

Celtic Cross:

1)The traditional cross of the Celts - a cross with a circle around it. 2) A Tarot spread in which cards are laid out in the form of a cross.

Celts:

The Celts were a group of related tribes whose territory extended throughout Europe early in the first millennium AD, but who are most commonly associated with the British Isles. The Celts worshipped local deities (frequently associated with nature), often served by a priestly class of Druids.  Human sacrifice is said by some to have been important to Druidic religion. Modern neo-pagans frequently claims to be Celtic, although the modern beliefs and practices bear little resemblance to ancient Celticism.

Censer

A container in which incense is smoldered or burned. It symbolises the element of air. Often a censer is used during ritual to "cense" an area, generally by moving the censer around the area and especially around the circle as a means of purification.

Center of Silence:

A neutral space in absolute silence from which clarity of seeing can be manifested on all planes

Centering

Grounding one's energy through meditation or massage, often before rituals to help harness and direct the balanced energy.

Cephalomancy 

Divination using a head, usually a donkey's 

Cerberos:

The mythological three-headed dog who guards the entrance to the Greek underworld, preventing the dead from leaving or the living from entering. See also: Hell

Ceremonial Magick:

Also called High Magick, when distinguished from Ritual Magick It is a precise method of working magick to achieve a certain end. It is not a religious,  but rather a magickal practice.

Cereology:

The study of the phenomena of Crop Circles. 

Ceres:

 1.) Eleusinian Goddess of Grain. 2.) a planetoid between Mars and Jupiter. 

Ceridwen:

Celtic Goddess, symbol of the aspiring soul.

Chactonbury Ring:

A the time honored meeting place for the Sussex Witches of England. 

Chai: (Chinese, "fast") 

In Taoism, rites of fasting, repentance, or purification. The term refers to rites on behalf of the living and the dead, including exorcism, protection from illness, securing houses, and recitations for salvation. Unlike related folk rites involving animal sacrifice and alcohol, the Taoist rite stresses the offering of petitions and confessing of sins.

Chakra (Sanskrit - wheel, circle)

One of several major energy centers in the astral body, so called because the shape of the revolving form is like a wheel divided with spokes.  Often called "lotuses" - the seventh one with a thousand petals.  They conform to the the ductless glands in the physical body. Yoga and Meditation  are practised through these invisible energy centers and the Kundalini, the coiled feminine serpentine energy, rises to the Crown Chakra and man attains God Consciousness. 

1. The Root Chakra - The lower end of the Crown Chakra, Hara

2. The Sex Chakra -  containing the Earth Principle - Muladhara

2.  The Navel Chakra - Containing the Water Principle _ Manipura

3.  The Solar Plexus Chakra - Containing the Fire Principle - Swadhishtana

4.  The Heart Chakra - Containing the Air Principle - Anahata

5.  The Throat Chakra - Containing the Ether Principle - Vishuddha

6.  The Eyebrow Chakra - Containing the Mind Principle - Ajna

7.  The Crown Chakra - The Thousand Petalled Lotus - Sahasrara  ) 

 (See Chakras)

Chakra Balancing

Healing techniques which are intended to clear the blockages restricting the flow of energy in the chakras or psychic energy centers in the etheric body located in various points that range from the base of the spine to the crown of the head.

Chakram: (Sanskrit)

A cycle

Chalice

A footed cup used in ritual.  A feminine symbol of the element water. As a ritual tool it represents water and the west and it is also a representation of the feminine principle of creation, i.e. the womb.

Chandra: (Sanskrit)

The Moon.

Chandrama:

Hindu Moon God.

Chandra-rashi: (Sanskrit)

The Natal Moon sign. Used in India much like we use the Sun sign system in the West

Channel, Channeler:

A 'sensitive' who allows spiritual entities to use his/her body and mind as a link between this plane and other planes of consciousness for the purpose of receiving psychic information or healing energy. Formerly called mediums.

Channel, Clear:

A channel or medium who does not interfere with the transmissions.

Channel, Open:

One who is able to receive spirit communications but is not attuned to their source. 

Channel, Pure:

A clear channel.

Channeling

A New Age form of mediumship. The channeler yields control of his/her perceptual and cognitive capacities to another entity.  Unlike mediumship, living beings can be channeled, as can animals and alien beings..

Chant and Chanting:

A form of ritual speech, a rhythmic repetition of sound, such as a mantra, in which vibration energy is received and discharged

Chanukah:

The Jewish Festival of Lights.  Held in December.

Chaos: 

1) In Greek mythology, the total absence of time and space from which came all things - material and spiritual..In the Pelasgian creation myth, Eurynome rose out of  Chaos and created all things. In the Olympian myth, Gaea sprang from Chaos and was the mother of all things.   2) The primordial state of disorder out of which the supreme being created the universe.  3) New Age teaches that Chaos is that which cannot be comprehended.  Chaos is equated with Nothing.  It is Chaos (that which cannot be understood) that produced Logos (that which can be understood)

Chaos Theory:

Scientific theory  that focuses on sudden and fundamental change.

Chaplain:

A Christian ministerial worker assigned to a specific place (e.g., a hospital), or group (e.g., the military), or person (e.g., a monarch) to perform rites or provide counsel.

Chaplet: 

A crown for the head usually made of flowers and worn at Bealtain. Chaplets can also be made of vines and other natural material

Charge or Charging:

• 1). the act of empowering an herb, stone or other magickal object with one’s own energies directed toward a magical goal. Charging is synonymous with enchanting or empowerment. 2. one of the basic processes of change in the universe 

Charisma:

An extraordinary power of leadership, often regarded as supernaturally bestowed, capable of arousing special loyalty or enthusiasm in followers. In the New Testament (especially 1 Corinthians 12-14) Paul presents a charism as a divine bestowal of power not capable of being induced by human effort. It manifests itself in spiritual gifts (charismata) such as prophecy, healing, and speaking in tongues (glossolalia). This use of the term is appropriated by the modern Christian charismatic movement, whose members claim to reproduce these powers.   The German sociologist Max Weber (1864-1920) expands this concept into a theory of leadership, both religious and secular, distinguishing charismatic authority from traditional and rational/legal authority. The former is found in the inherited office of kings, the latter in the legally defined and purposive bestowals of power characteristic of constitutional democracies. The rational/legal and traditional types rely for their authority on extrinsic factors such as the inheritance of position or rationally justified powers of office; charismatic authority rests on the unique attributes of the leader. This individualistic quality results in the leadership of charismatic leaders being a stimulus to dramatic cultural change

Charismatic Gifts:

According to Christian doctrine, the special spiritual gifts given to members of the Christian church. They are for edifying and building up the church. They are: word of wisdom, word of knowledge, faith, healing, miracles, prophecy, distinguishing of spirits, tongues, interpretation of tongues.  Christians use the term to avoid using the term psychic.

Charm:

An amulet or talisman that has been charmed by saying an incantation over it and instilling it with energy for a specific task.

Chastity:

Sexual abstinence in order to obtain religious purity. In ascetic traditions, chastity may be a lifelong condition. Temporary sexual abstinence is common among warriors, hunters, and individuals undertaking vows.

Cheiromancy

Divination based on the examination of the hand, a form of palmistry.

Chela: (Sanskrit)

A student (of a guru) An apprentice to an Adept. One who earnestly desires to work for the betterment of humankind.  The Adept imparts teaching and wisdom otherwise unattainable, and helps the Chela by communion and inspiration. 

Cherub: (pl) cherubim

1) In the Bible, a supernatural winged beast that guards the divine throne or the Ark  of the Covenant. 2) In later Jewish and Christian tradition, a rank of angels. 3) In Christian iconography, small winged children with innocent contenance

Chi: (Chinese, "ether," "matter-energy," "vital energy," "material force")

An important and multifaceted term in Chinese religion, philosophy, and science, the root meaning of which is "moist vapor" or "breath." Early Chinese teachers spoke of ch'i as a vital spirit or energy that animated living beings. As such, it had to be properly nourished. For Confucians, that required moral cultivation so that one's ch'i, undistracted by external things, would conform to the dictates of will. For Taoists, it required mastery of the self through meditation, breath control, diet, yoga, and other techniques so as to harmonize one's ch'i with the material force of the universe ordered by the Tao (undifferentiated unity). Traditional Chinese medicine attributed illnesses primarily to imbalances in the ch'i that pulsed through the body. Acupuncture, moxibustion (placing burning cones made of the dried leaves of the Artemisia moxa plant on the patient's skin), and other techniques helped to restore its balanced circulation. Ch'i was also an important concept in the correlative philosophy that blossomed in the early Han dynasty (206 BC-AD 8) systematizing the correspondences between like things that explained their mutual interactions.    In the Neo-Confucian metaphysics of the Northern and Southern Sung dynasties (960-1279), all phenomena were said to be manifest through the intrinsic relation of principle (li) and material force (ch'i). Li constituted the essential, unchanging, perfect nature of all things, while ch'i represented their corporeal, transitory, and potentially flawed aspect. Individuals were instructed to perfect their humanity, to purify and harmonize their ch'i with their true Heaven-endowed nature through the external investigation of things and mental introspection.   Also Ki. 

Chiliasm:       

Also known as millenniumism.  The Christian belief that there is a future 1000 year reign of Christ where perfect peace will reign.

Chinese Tuina Therapy:

A massage therapy using fingers and fists on meridian lines, manipulating muscles to release tension and loosen congested areas allowing natural healing to occur.

Chinmaya: (Sanskrit)

"Full of the `mind", or consciousness

Chinmoy, Sri:

Hindu teacher and philosopher. 

Chintamani: (Sanskrit)

The gem that gives you anything you can think about

Chiromancy: .

See Palm Reading

Chiropractor

Healer using therapy that attributes disease to neural malfunction with treatment primarily based on manipulation of the spinal column. Originally, a healer who used his hands to manipulate the body.

Chogyam Trungpa:   (1940-87)

Tibetan teacher noted for his propagation of Tibetan Buddhism in North America. Trungpa was recognized as the eleventh Trungpa tulku ("incarnate lama"), an important line of Kagyu tulkus who presided over the Surmang monasteries in eastern Tibet. He was found and enthroned when he was eighteen months old, was subsequently ordained, and received the rigorous training reserved for high tulkus. He fled Chinese-occupied Tibet in 1959, first working in India under appointment by the Dalai Lama, then traveling to England in 1963, where he relinquished his monastic vows, married, and taught Tibetan Buddhism and its contemplative practices to Westerners. Arriving in the United States in 1970, Trungpa spent the next seventeen years teaching, writing, founding contemplative centers, and inaugurating various organizations, including the Vajradhatu association of (Tibetan) Buddhist churches (Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada), the Naropa Institute, an upper division accredited college (Boulder, Colorado), the Nalanda Translation Committee (Halifax and Boulder), and Shambhala Training, a nonsectarian program in meditation. Trungpa was known for his innovative, sometimes unconventional approach to transmitting Buddhism to the West and for his insistance that meditation is the cornerstone of Buddhism.

Christ 1) (Greek) Chreestos -pure, perfect, ideal, 

The only begotten Son of God, the creator or essence of all that can be known. 

Christ 2) (Greek) Christos - anointed

One of a number of pretenders to the Jewish throne in the first century.

Christ Consciousness:

The spiritual and mystical experience of the unity of all the universe.  To attain cosmic consciousness is to see the universe as God and God as the universe, and everything as part of this whole.

Chrism:

A blessed oil used in the Christian rites of baptism, confirmation, anointing of the sick, ordination, and the consecration of monarchs.

Chrysostom, John: (347-407)

Early Christian preacher and homiletician associated first with Antioch (Syria), later becoming patriarch of Constantinople (398-403), a position from which he was expelled as a heretic. In addition to his expositions of biblical texts, he is best known for his early treatise On the Priesthood.

Christian:

1) (Christos)Someone who is a follower of Jesus. The followers of Jesus were first called  "Christian"  in Acts 11:26 - about 42AD. 2) (Chreestos) Someone who believes in the existence of Christ as the only begotten son of God, which term may have been  used as early as 300 BC.

Christian Identity Movement:

The belief that the true identity of the ten lost tribes of Israel is the white,  Anglo-Saxon race. The belief is similar to but distinct from the doctrine of British Israelism. A number of independent churches and organizations (including some militant racist groups) make up the general movement.  Some teach a form of the Serpent Seed doctrine, believing that Jews are descendants of Eve’s alleged sexual relations with the serpent and are thus not fully human. Many also hold that non-Whites are descended from the union of Cain and a woman from a supposed pre-Adamite race. 

Christian Science:

Officially called Church of Christ, Scientist, it was founded by Mary Baker Eddy in Boston, Mass.Her teachings are heavily indebted to Phineas P. Quimby, a mesmerist.   Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures functions as a canon of Scripture.  Matter is unreal; thus, so are sickness and death, which are overcome by believing that we are Mind.  Christ is “the divine manifestation of God” most fully seen in Jesus, who only seemed to die. The “Holy Ghost” is Divine Science, that is, Christian Science.  Many New Age ideas have historical roots in Christian Science and related New Thought groups. 

Christianity:

Major world religion whose development was begun by Plato 300 BC in the School of Philosphers in Athens.  It was more fully developed in the fourth century AD when the Emperor Constantine established a universal (Catholic) church.  At this time, the belief that Jesus the  Nazarite was the promised Messiah or Christ of Israel was accepted, along with a set of books, known as the New Testament. (See Christianity)

Christology:       

The study of the Biblical Jesus in light of the claim that he was the only incarnation of the Christ. 

Christos:

The Christ or the Logos.  The awakening concsiousness at the heart of all things.   Called Adamah in the Hebrew text of Genesis.  Both Jesus, Krishna and Orpheus are men said to be overshadowed and enlightened by the fullness of the Christos (or God force), when the Kundalini may be released.

Chthonic: (Greek., "under the earth")

Technical term describing gods and spirits of the underworld.  Also the describes the :old gods" of  The Necronomicon.

Chuang-tzu:

Legendary founder of Taoism.

Church:  (from the Greek kyriokon -house of the lord)     .

 1) A building set aside for worship, especially by Christians.  2) An religious organization for believers, especially Christian. By Christians, the word is used in two senses: the visible and the invisible church. The visible church consists of all the people that claim to be Christians and go to church. The invisible church is the actual body of Christians; those who are truly saved.  The Catholic churches claim to have been established by God, while the Protestants claim that the true church is not an organization on earth consisting of people and buildings, but is really a supernatural entity comprised of those who are saved by Jesus. 

Church of All Worlds:

An eclectic Neo-Pagan organization begun in 1967 by Tim Zell (also known as Otter G'Zell) and inspired by the science-fictional church in Robert Heinlein's Stranger in a Strange Land. Celebrating nature and worshiping the Earth Mother and her consort, the Horned God, members seek advancement of personal spiritual awareness through ritual practice, individualistic philosophy, and intense study. Their are centers or "nests" throughout the  U.S.  Headquartered today in Berkely, Cal, the idea for.it all began on April 7, 1962.  Publish a popular New Age/Pagan magazine, Green Egg.

Church of Christ, Scientist:

Official name for Christian Science.

Church of Christ, Temple Lot:

Independence, MO: Splinter group that broke away from the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.  They claim to own the deed to the land on which a great temple is to be built according to Mormon Prophet Joseph Smith..

Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, The:(Mormon)

Founded in 1830 by Joseph Smith.  Headquartered in  Salt Lake City, UT:  Joseph Smith claimed that the Father and Son appeared to him and called him to restore the true Church.  The Church rejects the orthodox doctrine of the Trinity.  It also redefines salvation by grace to refer simply to resurrection.  Almost all humans will be resurrected into one of three kingdoms of glory, the least of which is far superior to anything known in this life. Entry into the higher kingdoms, and one’s rank there, depends not only upon the atonement of Christ, but also upon one’s good works. Achievement of the highest potential within the highest kingdom—Godhood—requires complete “obedience to all the laws and ordinances of the gospel.”  The Bible, Book of Mormon, Pearl of Great Price, and Doctrine and Covenants are all considered scripture. 

Church of Satan

Founded in 1966 in San Francisco, CA by Anton Szandor LaVey, author of the Satanic Bible, founded the church in 1966 and died in 1997 after which his daughter, Church of Satan High Priestess Karla LaVey, claimed leadership. The church has claimed as many 10,000 members. LaVey, a former lion tamer, organist, hypnotist, psychic, artist, and photographer, did not believe in a literal, personal devil, but turned to Satanic imagery to provoke a reaction and illustrate his disdain for organized religion, especially Christianity..

Church of Scientology:

Founded by science-fiction writer L. Ron Hubbard after his organization, Dianetics, found itself faced tax problems. Through "auditing", a process whereby past programming, and other barriers to higher development are removed, abilities are regained, and greater awareness achieved. Auditing can last for years and may cost hundreds of thousands of dollars.  The writings and recorded spoken words of L.Ron Hubbard (contained in over 500,000 pages of writings and over 2,000 tape-recorded public lectures) constitute the scripture of the religion, his book Dianetics, the Modern Science of Mental Health being foundational. 

Church of the Firstborn of the Fulness of Times, The:

Founded in 1956 by Joel LeBaron in Chihuahua, Mexico: A polygamous, Mormon Fundamentalist splinter group. LeBaron was assassinated in 1972, allegedly by his brother Ervil, who formed a rival splinter group, The Church of the Lamb of God. The assassination was allegedly carried out on the grounds of the Blood Atonement Doctrine.

Church of the Lamb of God, The:

Founded in 1974 by Ervil LeBaron in Salt Lake City, UT:  A polygamous, Mormon Fundamentalist splinter group.  Ervil LeBaron was removed from The Church of the Firstborn of the Fulness of Times following accusations that he was responsible for his brother’s assassination. The church has also been suspected in the deaths of other rival Mormon Fundamentalists, including Rulon Allred, founder of another Mormon Fundamentalist church.. LaBaron died in a Utah State Prison in 1981.

Church of the Movement of Spiritual Inner Awareness (MSIA):

Founded by John-Roger (Hinkins) in Santa Monica, CA:

Church Universal and Triumphant:

Founded in 1958 by Mark Prophet. Currently headquartered in Corwin Springs, MT: An off-shoot of the I AM movement. Led by Prophet's wife Elizabeth Clare Prophet after his death.  She retired in 1999.. 

Circle:

A protected area in which  ritual work takes place or the boundary of a sphere of personal power cast by Wiccans, ceremonial magicians and others before performing their rituals. These rituals are usually performed within these magical circles. Also, circles are often formed by attendees at a seance.

Circle of Being:

 In Druidic philosophy, both the macrocosm and microcosm are divided into three circles of being. The inner circle is abred, the middle is gweynfd and the outer most on is ceugant. The innermost circle is often represented by the magick circle where in all magick and ritual is performed. 

Circle of Protection

See Circle.

Circumambulation: 

The practice of walking around a sacred place or person prior to any ritual performed facing it. It is understood variously as a purification of the individual, as protection of the sacred place or person, or as a gesture of respect.  Related to walking the Labyrinth.

Circumcision:  

Usually amputation of the male prepuce.It is one of the oldest as well as one of the most wide-spread customs. It is or was practiced (although with many variations as to the method of circumcision, age at the time of circumcision, who may perform the rite, etc.), among the Jews, Moslems, Egyptians, Polynesians, the Indian tribes of the New World and many of the tribes of Africa and Australia. In fact it is estimated that one-eighth of the male population of the world is circumcised.  Many theories are advanced to explain the origin and purpose of this customs such as a) for hygienic reasons, b) as a mark of tribal affiliation, c) as a preparation for sexual life, d) as an initiatory test of courage before acceptance into the tribe, e) as a means of sanctifying the generative faculties, f) as a sacrifice redeeming the male from the god who gave him life..For the Jews circumcision is one of the most important of the 613 commandments. It was interpreted as a sign of the covenant between God and Israel and, therefore, indispensable as a mark of affiliation with the latter. In the Talmud*, many prescriptions are laid down regulating the act of circumcision. It may be performed even on the Sabbath, if that is the eighth day after birth. It consists of a) milak, the amputation of the prepuce, b) periah, the baring of the glans, and c) metziteak, staunching the flow of blood. Appropriate benedictions are recited before and after the circumcision and tbe child is given a name at this time. The circumcision ceremony is usually followed by a festive meal, at which a special prayer is recited in which reference is made to this event. 

Circumcision, Female:

1) A medical procediure in which the clitoral foreskin is incised or excised to free the clitoris to permit fuller sexual stimulation. 2)  In many parts of the world, especially Islamic Africa, circumcision is also performed on  girls.  In many instances it involves the excision of the clitoris and the labia. (see Circumcision, Female)

Cistercians: 

A Christian monastic order, also known as the White Monks because of their plain, unbleached habits. Repelled by the lavishness of much of contemporary monasticism and desiring to live in stricter conformity to the Rule of St. Benedict, Robert of Molesme and his followers founded in 1098 the monastery of Citeaux (Lat. Cistercium), just south of Dijon, France. By the mid-twelfth century the order numbered over 350 houses, many located in remote parts of Europe. The rapid growth and popularity of the order was stimulated by the charismatic figure of Bernard of Clairvaux (ca. 1090-1153). The Cistercians aimed at cohesiveness and uniformity and to this end created a strong centralized system of government.   The Cistercians have suffered serious decline since the Middle Ages in both numbers and prestige, although there was a brief resurgence with the founding of the Trappists, a Cistercian offshoot in 1664.

Clairaudience

Psychic impressions received as sound, beyond the ordinary limits of time and space.

Clairvoyance:

The paranormal ability to “see” psychic information, including historical or future events or other phenomena, that cannot be discerned naturally through the five material senses.Also called ESP or "Double Sight".

Clairvoyant:

One who receives extrasensory impressions in the form of "inner sight" or mental images which are seen without the aid of the physical eyes and beyond the limitations of ordinary time and space. Literally means "clear seeing."

Clear:

1.) To remove blocks or complexes in the unconscious or subconscious mind. 2.) To purify a crystal or other object used in healing or meditation. 3.) In Scientology, a practitioner who functions at a high level

Cleidomancy:

Divination by interpreting the movements of a key suspended by a thread from the nail of the third finger on a young virgin's hand while one of the Psalms is recited

Clement of Alexandria: (ca. 150-215)

Born in Athens, he became the  pupil of Pantaenus of Alexandria, Egypt, in 180  and head of the Catechetical school in 190. Though traditionally thought to be a Literalist Christian, and declared a saint by Rome, He actually is more Gnostic than Literalist.  He attempted to reconcile Gnostic thought with some forms of Literalism in his enormous work Stromateis (The Miscellanies).

Climax:

An optimum condition of diversity and stability whether in a forest, culture or ecosystem where half of the energy flows in the system does not come from annual growth but from recycling of dead growth. 

Clitoridectomy: 

The ritual removal of the clitoris, less frequently of the labia, from the vagina. In some North African Islamic traditions it forms a central part of women's rites of passage and is considered a prerequisite to marriage   See also: circumcision, infibulation, initiation rituals;

Cockatrice:

Cockatrice: a fabled animal or monster resembling a wyvern (q.v.), with a cock's head, comb, and wattles, and a barbed tongue and wings.  The Cockatrice is so similiar to the Basilisk in legend that is is difficult to make distinctions between to two.  The creature is born from the egg of a cock (a male chicken) and then incubated by a serpent or a toad.  The resulted offspring is either a basilisk or a Cockatrice. The Cockatrice  inherits much more of the cock's features than the lizard-like basilisk.

Cognitive Dissonance:

A mental, emotional, or psychological state which results from attempting to hold two totally incompatible beliefs or opposing attitudes at the same time.

Collective Unconscious:

 1). A term used to describe the sentient connection of all living things, past and present. It is often used synonymously with the terms “deep mind” and “higher self”. This is believed to be the all knowing energy source that contains the entire sum of human knowledge and experience which is tapped through divination. 2.) The universal storehouse of knowledge with everyone 

Colonic Irrigation Therapy (also called colonics)

The introduction of a series of inflows and outflows of purified water into the colon for cleansing and corrective purposes.

Color Therapy:

A natural healing technique using the scientific application of the correct color vibrations to the body, often as white light projected through films of various colors. 

Communion:      

The Lord's Supper The central rite of Christian worship, called variously the Eucharist, Holy Communion, Divine Mysteries (Eastern Orthodox), andthe Mass (Roman Catholic)  This ritual is said to have developed out of the Last Supper of Jesus and his Apostles just before the crucifixion.  Some Christians believe that the wine and bread actually transmutate into the actual flesh and blood of Jesus (see  transubstantiation), others do it in memory of Jesus' passion.  The practice is believed by Christians to have evolved from the Jewish Passover.  Many scholars claim that communion, also with the word Mass, is derived from the practice of the Zoroastrians.  New Agers celebrate a similar ritual which is called Communion with All Life.

Component:

 in spells, this is some type of verbal prologue, physical gesture or material element used to help focus magickal energies.

Concavation:

 A tunnel effect experienced leaving the body during an astral projection. 

• COSMIC CROSS - 
• COVEN - 1. a group of witches who worship and work together. A coven may contain any number of witches, both male and female but the traditional number of members is thirteen, which reflects the thirteen moons in the solar year or three persons for each season plus a priest/ess. 
  2. group of thirteen or fewer Witches that work together in an organized fashion for magickal endeavors or religious ceremonies. 
• COVENSTEAD - meeting place
• COWAN - Used in Wicca & Witchcraft to mean a non-Wiccan/Witch in much the same way gentile is used by Jew to designate a non-jew. Adapted from a Masonic term that means someone who doesn't mortar between their stones/bricks.
• COYOTE ENERGY - trickster energies. Name for the American Indian Trickster Coyote who tricks man into learning what he needs to learn. Applies to one who constantly jokes and clowns. Also applies to the concept of "Holy Fool" in many traditions.

Cone of Power:

1). psychic energy raised and focused by an individual or group to achieve a purpose 2). the ritual raising of a cone of energy within the circle by an individual or by a coven. When the energy reaches it’s peak, it is released to do it’s work. Dancing deosil while chanting or singing is the most common method for raising the cone. Psychic energy raised by either an individual or a grouip and released to perform a certain goal.

Confession:

1) A personal and/or communal statement of beliefs, as in the primitive Christian confession that "Jesus is Lord."  Later, the concept was elaborated into longer, more cognitively detailed statements of belief on the theological level.  2) A verbal avowal of personal misdeeds. In the Christian era, a ritualized group avowal of sin as part of Sunday worship. In the Roman Catholic Church confession is only one part of the entire sacrament of penance (also known as the rite of reconciliation) that leads up to the act of absolution (forgiveness).  In Judaism the parallel phenomenon developed communally in the annual congregational confession of sins on the Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur). In Eastern and Western Christianity there also developed the individual confession. 3) Among New Age churches, the semi-formal rite of relating one's sins or trespasses to absolve oneself of guilt.

Confirmation:

Initiation ritual for a Christian, usually consisting of an anointing with oil and/or a laying on of hands.   In early Christianity part of a single ceremony that included baptism with water followed by an imposition of hands in which the newly baptized received the gift of the Spirit, it is observed as a separate rite in many Christian traditions.    The ritual signals the initiation of the baptized into full and responsible church membership and into a personal mature acceptance of the faith. By the Middle Ages, both Catholics and Orthodox recognized it as one of seven sacraments, complementing and completing the Christian initiation begun with baptism.    Most Protestant denominations do not consider the ritual a sacrament, but view it as a rite of initiation into full Christian discipleship.

Confucius: (Chinese: K'ung Fu-tzu, "Master K'ung"; 551-479 BC)

The most famous philosopher of ancient China. According to tradition, he was born in Lu, China.  Author of the Ch'un Ch'iu (Spring and Autumn Annals) and possible compiler of some early poetry, Confucius denied contemporary claims of his sageliness. The most reliable historical source regarding Confucius is the Lun Yu (Analects).   Transmitter of the rites and culture of earlier sage-kings, Confucius aimed to counteract the militarism of his day through training prospective leaders in humane government and gentlemanly arts. Ironically, no ruler fully accepted his teachings or employed him in high office. Religious issues were generally secondary to his ethical and political lessons but were expressed through his ritual piety. Sacrifices were properly performed to ancestral spirits at appropriate times during meals and after receiving certain gifts.   Confucius frequented the ancestral temple, presided in exorcism rites, and visited the Grand Temple of the great Duke of Chou. This sagely predecessor had stabilized the kingdom through unselfish service and religious mediation, securing the Mandate of Heaven (T'ien-ming). Confucius's concern to understand the Mandate of Heaven in his day was fulfilled when he was fifty. He anguished over the early death of his best disciple, Yen Yuan, yet pursued a mission he believed was willed by Heaven.   Later Chinese generations claimed Confucius to be the perfect sage, honoring him in temples erected throughout China. The Chung Yung (Doctrine of the Mean) calls Confucius the "partner of Heaven and Earth."

Confucianism:

 A world religion based on the teachings of  Confucius): His writtings  form the basis of Confucianism. Doctrines include ancestor worship, devotion to family elders, and right conduct based on the inherent goodness of man.

Conjunction: 

 Two or more planets in close zodiacal degree by longitude, usually within seven degrees: generally or favorable major aspect.

Conjure

To summon entities from the spirit realm into the physical plane.

Consciousness-Raising:

Inspiring radical spiritual awareness in self or others.

Consecration:

The blessing, cleansing, or  charging of an object which is to be used for magick or spiritual  purposes.

Constantine: (died. 337)

The first Roman emperor to be recognized as the head of all religions, including Christianity.  In 312, he established the Catholic Church as the container of all religions in the empire. His Edict of Milan (313) brought an end to the persecution of Christians in the Roman Empire.  He summoned the First Council of Nicaea in 325 to establish a unified doctrine for the empire.

Consubstantiation:      

The Lutheran doctrine of the Lord's Supper.  It means an inclusion of one substance in another where the body and blood of Christ co-exist in the elements of the Supper.  The body and blood of Christ are "in, with, and under" the elements.  There is no permanent relationship with the elements.  Instead, the association is limited to the sacramental action.  The transformation is effected by the Word of God and not by a priest

Contact:      

Connection with someone else on this or another plane of existence. 

Contact High:

elevated feeling from someone else’s vibrations. 

Control

The Spirit that hat seems to take physical control of a medium. The psychic mediums through whom they communicate. 

Conversion:       

Turning from one religion (or no religion) to a particular religion. 

Conviction:       

A Christian term where a person is able to see himself guilty, defiled, and totally unable to forgive himself  and results in confession and acceptance of Jesus as God.. 

Cooneyites:

 Also known as Go Preachers, No Name Church, Two by Twos.They seem not to have a formal heirarchy and only meet in homes. They send out missionaries two-by-two and are active  primarily in the rural West..

Corn Dolly

A figure, often human shaped, made by plaiting wheat, flowers or corn stalks, similar to a poppet. It is symbolic of the fertility, grain, and harvest aspects of the Goddess. 

Correspondences

Materials used in magick which relate to their specific goal. These can be herbs, stones, moon phases, colors, numbers, etc. An example would be mugwort used in a dream spell, as mugwort is a popular herb corresponding to dreams.  There are also correspondences in ideas and rituals.

Coscinomancy:

Divination using a balanced sieve

Cosmic Christ:

The primal Christ as a universal spirit or a cosmic force as opposed to some being upon whom the title "christ" has been affixed.  The first and only begotten of God.

Cosmic Cross:

Four planets in opposition, each squared by another one making a cross. 

Cosmic Consicousness

See (Christ Consciousness)

Course in Miracles, A

A book composed of material channeled through Helen Schucman and transcribed by William Thetford which aims at removing the blocks to the awareness of the presence of love. Consists of the Text, the Workbook for Students and the Manual for Teachers.

Coven

1) A group of witches led by a High Priest and/or a High Priestess who meet to worship and practice magick.  A coven may contain any number of witches, both male and female but the traditional number of members is thirteen, which reflects the thirteen moons in the solar year or three persons for each season plus a priest/ess. 2). group of thirteen or fewer Witches that work together in an organized fashion for magickal endeavors or religious ceremonies. 

Covenant Theology:       

A system of Christian theology that views God's dealings with man as covenants rather than dispensations (periods of time). It says that all Christian scripture is covenantal in structure and theme.  Some believe there is one Covenant and others believe two and still others believe in more.  The two main covenants are covenant of works in the O.T. made between God and Adam, and the Covenant of Grace between the Father and the Son where the Father promised to give the Son the elect and the Son must die to redeem them.  Some consider these to be one and the same.  It is taught that the covenants were made since before the world was made 

Covenstad:

A Witche's meeting place

Cowan:

Used in Wicca and Witchcraft to mean a non-Wiccan/Witch in much the same way Gentile is used by Jew to designate a non-Jew. Adapted from a Masonic term that means someone who doesn't mortar between their stones/bricks.

Coyote Energy:

Trickster energies. Named from  bb  bbb the American Indian Trickster Coyote who tricks man into learning what he needs to learn. Applies to one who constantly jokes and clowns. Also applies to the concept of "Holy Fool" in many traditions.

Craft, The

 The Wiccan, Witchcraft or other folk or natural magick system

Craftsman God:

The God who fashioned the world; the divine smith who governs metallurgy and the sacred sciences.  Sumerian - Enki and Ea) (Egyptian - Ptah and Khnun) (Greek - Demiurge and Hephasius) (Roman - Vulcan) (English - Wayland the Smith )

Crane:

Bird that symbolized longevity and wisdom in Taoism.

Cranial-Sacral Therapy

An offshoot of traditional osteopathic medicine. This work is a diagnostic and healing tool which deals with a very subtle rhythm in the body. The therapist seeks out, by palpation, the normal, physiological way the rhythm moves manifested through the bones in the head and the rest of the body. Traditionally used for head and tailbone disfunction, it works well for chronic headaches, whiplash injury, facial or cranial trauma and other sensory, motor and/or intellectual disfunction.

Creation Myth:

The legend of  the origins of the world, often falling in one of four types. 1). creation from nothing in which God fashions Heaven and Earth from sound, word/thought. 2). creation from a cosmic egg in which the universe arises from complementary opposite principles. 3). an Earth diver story in which an emissary from the heavenly realm plunges into the chaos below and brings up clay or mud to fashion the Earth. 4). an emergence myth in which the first people emerge into the world of light from the underworld below. 

Creative Visualization/Guided Imagery

The use of mental energy to create positive thoughts to manifest life changes; a process by which a facilitator suggests the types of pictures to imagine in the mind as a technique to create thought forms for a desired end result which will later manifest in the physical world.

Creatrix:

A female creator, the mother Goddess

Creme, Benjamin:

See Tara Center.

Cromlech:

A structure of three or more upright stones with a flat, unhewn table stone resting on them. 

Cromniomancy 

Divination using onions

Crone

1) That aspect of the Goddess that is represented by the old women. She is symbolized by the waning moon, the carrion crow, the cauldron, and the color black. Her Sabats are Mabon and Samhain. 2.) A term of respect used for a witch who has passed menopause or who is over 50-56 years old.

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 the early 1980s, but others have been reported in the United States and Europe and even Japan. Some have been exposed as hoaxes, but others remain unexplained. Crop circles range in diameter from as small as 10 feet to over 315 feet.  They appear overnight (sometimes in less than two hours), and no tracks leading up to them are found, suggesting some external force from above is responsible. Some theories blame natural causes, such as freak weather conditions, or excess irrigation, others claim that the depressions are made by UFOs, are communications from other intelligent life forces, or even Mother Earth herself. As yet no conclusive evidence has been found for any of these theories.

Cross Quarter Days:

The Sabbats not falling on the solstice and equinoxes.

Crossing the River Styx:

Dying, traveling to the world of the dead.  See Hades

Crowley, Aleister:(1875–1947)

An English magician and Occultist. Crowley  was known for sex magic, homosexual rituals, and a fascination with drugs, blood and torture. Headed the British branch of Ordo Templi Orientis (OTO), founded the Abbey of Thelema at Cefalu in Sicily. Author of Diary of a Drug Fiend and Magick in Theory and Practice

Crypto-religion:

A religion that keeps itself concealed, an occult religion, a religion whose doctrines and tenets are not clear.

Crystal:

A mineral organized in an orderly matrix. Quartz,  believed by some to be capable of receiving, storing, transmitting or amplifying vibrational energy and often used as a tool for healing, prophecy or communication. 

Crystal Ball:

A ball made of quartz crystal or glass which is used for skrying.

Crystal Gazing:

 the use of a  crystal ball,  for divination.

Crystal Healing

Crystal Healing: The therapeutic application of crystals and gemstones for healing the mental, physical, emotional, and spiritual bodies.   

Crystalomancy:

Divination or fortune telling by gazing into a crystal rock or crystal ball.

Crystals & Chakras 

Cult:  

 1) a system of religious worship. 2) Obsessive and faddish devotion to a principle or person. Cults seek converts, exercise control over their followers etc.  Most cults are based on Christianity or an "Eastern Religion".  According to Rev. Dr. John Rodger, a cult is  "a religious organization not yet large enough to defend itself from its critics."

Cup Marks:

Strings of cuplike impressions in rocks of unknown origin found worldwide.

Cupping

Oriental healing technique of placing glass cups on specific meridians and points to cleanse, or  reduce tension.

Cups:

Tarot suit associated with water, the astral world or emotions.

Cusp:

The interface between two houses or signs of a horoscope 

 

dactylomancy (divination by means of rings put on the fingernails or the number of whorls and loops on the fingers)

• daphnomancy (divination using the laurel branch: how did it crackle when burned?)
• dowsing
• geomancy
• gyromancy (divination by walking around a circle of letters until dizzy and one falls down on the letters or in the direction to take)
• haruspicy (inspecting the entrails of slaughtered animals)
• hydromancy (divination by examining what certain things do in water or when taken out of water, such as coffee grounds or tea leaves); hydatoscopy (if rainwater is used); pegomancy (if spring-water is used)
• lampadomancy (interpreting the movements of the flame of a lamp)
• libanomancy (interpreting the smoke of incense)
• lithomancy (divination using precious stones)
• lecanomancy (dropping precious stones into water and listening for whistles)
• margaritomancy (divination by the pearl: if it jumps in the pot when a person is named, then he is the thief!)
• metoposcopy (interpreting frontal wrinkles)
• molybdomancy (divination by melted lead: interpreting its noises and hisses when dropped into water)
• necromancy (communicating with spirits of the dead to predict the future)
• oinomancy (divination by wine)
• onychomancy (interpreting the reflection of sun rays off nails)
• ornithomancy or orniscopy (interpreting the flights of birds)
• ovomancy (using eggs)
• papyromancy (divination by folding paper)
• palmistry
• pyromancy or pyroscopy (divination by fire)
• rhabdomancy (using the divining rod or magic wand)
• rhapsodmancy (divination by a line in a sacred book that strikes the eye when the book is opened after the diviner prays, meditates or invokes the help of spirits)
• scapulamancy
• scrying
• sideromancy (interpreting straws thrown on a red-hot iron)
• splanchnomancy (reading cut sections of a goat liver)
• stichomancy
• tasseography (reading tea leaves)
• urim v'tumim (reading sacred stones attached to
  the breastplate of the high priest in ancient Judaism)

 

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