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Below are some short introductions. Click on the blue hyperlinked word to get more related articles.
Iblis - Iblis or Eblis (from Arabic iblis)
An evil being, in Islamic belief, of spiritual or angelic origin, often named Shaitan and generally equivalent to Satan. In the Koran he is represented as the leader of the angels who rebelled against Allah, and was therefore hurled from Paradise. Although doomed to death his sentence has been withheld until the Judgment Day. Before his fall he was called Haris or Azazel.
Often regarded as the leader of the jinn, or the wicked genii who are commonly considered by Moslems to be of evil spirituality; but popular legend likewise endows them with powers, often great, not infrequently for the benefit of mankind.
See also AZAZEL
Ganges - A holy river of India. The principal river given this name originates in the Himalayas, flows past Hardvar, Prayag (Allahabad), Varanasi (Banaras), and Gaya, and empties into the Bay of Bengal at Gangasagar.
This Ganga is said to have come from the feet of the Hindu god Vishnu and to have landed first on the matted hair of the god Shiva, where it aroused the jealousy of Shiva''s wife. It is also called Bhagirathi and Jahnavi. Other Gangas include a Ganga in the sky (Akashaganga, the Milky Way), a Ganga in the underworld (Patalaganga), and numerous replicas of the Ganga on earth.
Allah - The idol of Islam. "There is no Allah but Mohammed" - Al-Caphir.
Hezbollah - "Army of Allah." It should be noted that though this translates as "The party of Allah," the Hezb- is also a chapter of the Koran, so it is, thus, a "chapter" of Allah. This would be the equivalent of our calling the U.S. Army "The Army of God."
Ganges - (Sanskrit)
India''s most sacred river, 1,557 miles long, arising in the Himalayas above Hardwar under the name Bhagiratha, and named Ganga after joining the Alakanada (where the Sarasvati is said to join them underground). It flows southeast across the densely populated Gangetic plain, joining its sister Yamuna (or Jumna) at Prayaga (Allahabad) and ending at the Bay of Bengal.
See: Gangetic Plain.
Islam - The monotheistic religious doctrine as revealed by the Muhammad, the Prophet of Allah. There are many sects of Islam and believers are called Muslims.
Devil - “Heir of Man,” originally the Evil God of the Zoroastrians; later a creation of Christian and Islamic theologians (who called him Satan and Shaitan) consisting of old fertility gods, wisdom spirits and nature elementals combined with Ahriman into a figure of terror and malevolence fully equal to that of that Good God (Jehovah or Allah); the deity worshiped by Neogothic Witches.
Allah - The God or Supreme Being of Islam
Allah - Allah (Arabic) (from al the + ilah god; cf Hebrew eloah)
The one God of Islam, analogous to the Hebrew Jahweh. The pre-Moslem Arabic patron of Mecca, the god Hobal called Al-lahu (the god), was retained as the supreme god in Moslem theology; the other gods were transformed into demons. The unity and singularity of Allah is one of the primary beliefs of Islam. (SD, BCW)
Allah - The Islamic name for the deity. Originally the goddess Allatu of the Babylonions, formerly worshipped at the Kaaba in Mecca. Allah still is associated with the crescent moon of the lunargoddess.
Hajj - (Arabic) Worshipping God by making the pilgrimage to Mecca at a specific time and place in a specific way. The majority of the scholars hold that Hajj was prescribed in the sixth year after Hijrah (Migration of the Prophet from Mecca to Medina) for it was then that the following verse concerning it was revealed: "And complete the Hajj and ''Umrah in the service of Allah" (Quran 2. 194).
Redeemers - There have been several: Buddha, Zoroaster, Goel Jesus, Abu Al-Qasim Muhammad Ibn Abd Allah Abd Al-Muttalib Ibn Hashim (Plus Mani and Asklepios).
Avicenna - Avicenna. The latinized name of Abu-Ali al Hoséen ben Abdallah Ibn Sina; a Persian philosopher, born 980 AD)., though generally referred to as an Arabian doctor. On account of his surprising learning he was called "the Famous", and was the author of the best and the first alchemical works known in Europe. All the Spirits of the Elements were subject to him, so says the legend, and it further tells us that owing to his knowledge of the Elixir of Life, he still lives, as an adept who will disclose himself to the profane at the end of a certain cycle.
Allah - ALLAH: ''God'' in Islamic theology; originally ''Al-Lat'', the Moon.
Rohinila - Rohinila (Sanskrit). The ancient name of a monastery visited by Buddha Sakyamuni, now called Roynallah, near Balgada, in Eastern Behar.
Nation Of Islam - A sect of Islam originating in America composed of black Americans. Followers, sometimes called Black Muslims, believe that Allah (God) appeared in 1930 to the last great prophet Elijah Muhammad, in the person of Wallace D. Fard.
Elijah Muhammad borrowed many beliefs from traditional Islam but introduced important differences. Most notable was the focus on black oppression and equating Satan and evil with the white race.
Malcolm X became a notable leader of the movement in the 1960s and the focus on black supremacy and militancy escalated. Malcolm X later converted to traditional Islam and rejected radical black supremacy and was subsequently murdered. The current leader of the Nation is Islam is Louis Farrakhan.
Yezidi - Probably descendants of the ancient fire-magicians, though the Persians claim that ancient Persian Yezidis were led to Persia from Basrah by their Prophet, Iezed. They are now regarded as Devil-worshipers or Shaitan-worshipers, centered in the mountains and deserts of Kurdistan, Armenia, Persia, Turkestan, Syria, Mesopotamia and environs. For this reason, the Ayatollah Khomeini of Iran recently put thousands of Yezidi to death -- perhaps all of them. Grant feels their cult goes back to Sumeria, but connects the word to Yesod. It is also the religion that Crowley took for his own cult of Shaitan-Aiwass, after ridding it of latterday Xtian influences.
Gurdjieff describes the Yezidis as a simple, superstitious people, easily hypnotized, but he began his search amongst them for the fabled "Sarmoung" monastery (branches of which are scattered between Mesopotamia and the Northern Himalayas, which it is believed he eventually found and where he received his most important training).
Originally they were said to summon the lowers demons and elementals, fully acknowledging the evil of the King of the "Black Powers," who opposes Allah. But their rationale is that one day Allah and Shaitan will reconcile their differences and those who have shown disrespect for Shaitan will then suffer for it, bringing both God and Devil after them. Like the Eskimos the Yezidis believed, as HPB quotes, "Keep friends with the demons; give them your property, your blood, your service, and you need not care about God - he will not harm you!" (God is perfect, therefore not a threat, but demons are imperfect, and so, unpredictable).
Yezidis are not related to the rest of mankind. There is no evil. The devil has repented and returned to his place in Heaven. Now the universe is ruled by a septenary consisting of Yazid (worshipped as a peacock) and six helpers. The Creator, as in Gnosticism, has nothing further to do with the world.
Actually, modern Yezidism is a mixture of unorthodox Islam and Xtianity. The real name of the God of the ancient Yezidis is unknown as they were forbidden to utter it. In Iran of recent times they have undoubtedly all been put to the sword.
Voodoo - African- Christian new religion born in Haiti, whose followers worship the "divine spirits" in life and rituals and accept possession by those spirits for healing and spiritual guidance. Originally a pejorative term -"Voodoo" is now acknowledged as the proper designation for the complex beliefs and practices among the majority of the populace of Haiti.
Voodoo began as the clandestine religion of enslaved African sugar-plantation workers in Haiti in the seventeenth century, but its early history is preserved only in scattered eighteenth-century colonial records and ordinance codes. The reports of covert meetings, dances, funeral practices, and even trance possession among enslaved and freed Africans indicate that they preserved ancient traditions in the face of enormous obstacles; the development of Voodoo is itself a tribute to the spirit and stamina of those early devotees. It is rooted in the West African Yoruba, Fon, and Angolan communities, as well as in French Roman Catholicism.
It has primarily continued African priestly roles, ritual themes, symbolism, and pantheons of named female spirits (especially Ezili) and male ones (Ogou, Damballah-Wedo, Legba). Voodoo theology parallels traditional medieval Christianity, for its followers acknowledge a high creator deity, Bondye (Bon dieu), but invoke the intermediary spirits for intercession in human affairs. It is only the intermediaries-identified individually with Christian saints or sacred places-who descend to "mount" their "horses," their followers, during possession rituals.
Roman Catholicism provides the ritual framework for the lives of Voodoo members as well, for they not only follow its traditional liturgical calendar for scheduling pilgrimages and lesser ceremonies but also participate in the common rituals of baptism, marriage, and the Mass. Roman Catholic prayers, some still in Latin, form a significant component of some Voodoo rituals, as do other lesser aspects and ritual objects from traditional Catholic festivals.
The divine spirits (loa or lwa) of Voodoo occupy separate pantheons or nations; two of these, the Rada, whose spirits are generous and benevolent, and the Petro, whose strong spirits evince terrible powers, dominate worship in urban centers. The higher powers (lemiste) are associated with natural dimensions or places, such as sacred springs or cemeteries, and are joined in the spirit world by souls of the dead and ancestral spirits (lemo) and sacred twins (lemarasa). Individual worshipers, drawn to individual spirits by necessity or similarities in personality or temperament, may choose among them for personal devotion but must not neglect those ancestors and spirits traditionally venerated in the family.
Voodoo rituals range from simple devotional acts, such as the lighting of candles with accompanying prayers, to family observances for the family dead to elaborate rituals enhanced by large meals, drumming and singing, and exuberant dance. The spiritual leaders in the Voodoo community are the male hungans and female mambos; in their religious roles, they perform divination and healing rituals for individual members, as well as oversee all training and calendrical ceremonies. As elders and teachers, they guide the possession trance dances, which allow the individual divine spirits to be present among their followers, to receive worship, and to offer healing and counsel.
In Haiti, rural communities continue Voodoo as a family-centered religion firmly tied to traditional agricultural life, while urban centers have interwoven a wider variety of practices, some structured and formal-including rituals of initiation, funeral rites, pilgrimage to Catholic shrines, and festivals-some less so, including not only divination, but also the making of amulets for luck and protection.
Islam - Islam, Islam (Arabic) (from salama to be free, devoted)
Signifies submission and obedience to Allah, being the name of the religion of Mohammed -- the name having been designated by Mohammed himself.
Shi`ites - Shi`ites [from Arab shi`a sectary]
Moslems are divided into two main groups: the Sunnites, the most numerous, who accept the orthodox tradition (sunna), basing their beliefs on the words of the Koran); and the Shi`ites who uphold `Ali as the representative of Allah, and reject the pronouncements of the other caliphs. The shi`ites are located principally in Iran, although they are represented throughout the Moslem world. They incline towards interpreting the Koran, rather than holding to the letter of the law as do the Sunnites.
Koran - Koran al-Qur''an (Arabic) (from qara to read)
Book, reading; the holy scripture of Islam, regarded by Moslems as the word of God (Allah) as delivered to his prophet Mohammed. The Koran explains that in heaven there is the mother of the book, well concealed. Piece by piece it was sent down to the prophet by means of an angel, spirit, or the angel Gabriel. Mohammed issued these revelations serially, each one being called a reading (qur''an) or a writing (kitab), and each particular one was also called a sura (a series) -- a word now used for each section or chapter, of which there are 114.
Mohammed dictated these suras to his immediate followers, who memorized them. But when some of these original reciters had lost their lives in the conflicts which occurred after the death of Mohammed, Omar suggested to Caliph ''Abu-Bekr (the successor of Mohammed) that they be reduced to writing. The commission to collect as many as possible of the narrations or parts of the revelations was given to Zaid, a native of Medina who had often acted as an amanuensis to Mohammed. This collection became the first Koran, which Azid wrote down in Arabic. Some years later a second redaction was made and all previous parts or manuscripts were burned: Zaid dictated the work to four scribes, and these four copies have come down to our own day.
The contents of the Koran are varied both in style and material: a declaratory style predominates; denunciations abound; idolatry and deification of any beings or things are condemned -- especially in regard to the worship of Jesus as the son of God, although Jesus and Moses are both regarded as holy prophets. A similarity to the Jewish Bible is observable, even to attributing customs of the Jews to the Arabs. Allah is glorified as the one, all-powerful God, and Mohammed as his prophet. Believers receive special instruction, and terrible punishments are threatened for nonbelievers. The doctrines of heaven and hell in the Moslem conception are forcefully presented.
See also: Koran, al-Qur''an, Quran
God - The Universal Spirit; the eternal and all-encompassing intelligence behind all forms, shapes, sentient and insentient matter. ''It'' (viz. God) has no attributes, is free of all imperfection, and beyond any similarity to all ''Creation''. ''It'' and ''It'' alone - not any idol or human being - is worthy of all worship.
See also Holy Spirit, Allah .
Rohanee - Rohanee ruhani (Arabic) Used by the modern Sufis, in some senses equivalent to the Sanskrit gupta-vidya (secret knowledge); "the Magic of modern Egypt, supposed to proceed from Angels and Spirits, that is Genii, and by the use of the mystery names of Allah; they distinguish two forms -- Ilwee, that is the Higher or White Magic; and Suflee and Sheytanee, the Lower or Black Demoniac Magic. There is also Es-Seemuja, which is deception or conjuring.
Opinions differ as to the importance of a branch of Magic called Darb el Mendel, or as Barker calls it in English, the Mendal: by this is meant a form of artificial clairvoyance, exhibited by a young boy before puberty, or a virgin, who, as the result of self-fascination by gazing on a pool of ink in the hand, with coincident use of incense and incantation, sees certain scenes of real life passing over its surface" (TG 280).
Ancient Mystic Order Of Malchizedek - An organization founded by Malachi Z. York, in Eatonton, GA: Also known as AMOM, Nuwaubians, the Nubian Nation of Moors, Right Knowledge. A UFO group whose leader, (a. k. a. Dwight York) claims to be from the 19th galaxy, called Illyuwn.
A 1993 FBI report calls the group a "front for a wide range of criminal activity, including arson, welfare fraud and extortion. " York’s group has also operated under other names and organizations including the Nubian Islaamic [sic] Hebrew Mission, the Ansaaru Allah Community, (an Islamic sect with doctrines similar to Nation of Islam), and the Original Tents of Kedar.
Henotheism - Monolatry of a tribal God (Allah, Jehovah, Christ).
Legbha - African (Dahomey, Yoruba.). When the Sun-God Damballah touched the penises of Leghba''s four sons,they ejaculated the logoi spermatikoi into the heavens, whence the philosophers received reason and wisdom.
Papa Legbha is the god of the knotted stick (phallus), the strongest God of the Voodoo religion. He is the guardian of the crossroads and opener of the way for the other gods to follow, and the last son of the Creator God and equated in the New World with the Devil. He appears as a ragged old man with a crutch, pack on back and pipe in mouth. Leghba desires the human race in a lustful way and every voodoo magician, at some point, experiences a desire for sexual union with Leghba, whereupon, if he is accepted, the supplicant enters an initiation into the deepest mysteries of all.
(Note: Readers who wish to know more about Voodoo, should read Bertiaux''s "Voodoo-Gnostic Workbook" and those who are familiar with computer games, will find Gabriel Knight - Sins of the Fathers (which is set in New Orleans) very instructive.
Qaballah - See Kabala
Reincarnation
Refers to the cyclical evolution of a person''s soul as it repeatedly passes from one body to another at death. This process continues until the soul reaches a state of perfection.
Yamuna River - emanating from Yamnotri in the Himalayas and joining Ganga near Allahabd, North India;refers to pingala nadi in the pranic body.
Rowhanee - Rowhanee (Egypt, Egyptian) or Er-Roohanee. is the Magic of modern Egypt, supposed to proceed from Angels and Spirits, that is Genii, and by the use of the mystery names of Allah; they distinguish two forms - Ilwee, that is the Higher or White Magic; and Suflee and Sheytanee, the Lower or Black Demoniac Magic. There is also Es-Seemuja, which is deception or conjuring. Opinions differ as to the importance of a branch of Magic called Darb el Mendel, or as Barker calls it in English, the Mendal: by this is meant a form of artificial clairvoyance, exhibited by a young boy before puberty, or a virgin, who, as the result of self-fascination by gazing on a pool of ink in the hand, with coincident use of incense and incantation, sees certain scenes of real life passing over its surface. Many Eastern travellers have narrated instances, as E. W. Lane in his Modern Egyptians and his Thousand and One Nights, and E. B. Barker; the incidents have been introduced also into many works of fiction, such as Marryat’s Phantom Ship, and a similar idea is interwoven with the story of Rose Mary and the Beryl stone, a poem by Rossetti. For a superficial attempt at explanation, see the Quarterly Review, No.117.
Rohinila - Rohinila (Sanskrit) [from rohini red + nila blue]
"The ancient name of a monastery visited by Buddha Sakyamuni, now called Roynallah, near Balgada, in Eastern Behar" (TG 279).
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