Anthesteria (Ancient Greek). The feast of Flowers (Floralia): during this festival the rite of Baptism or purification was performed in the Eleusinian Mysteries in the temple lakes, the Limnae, when the

Myste were made to pass through the "narrow gate" of Dionysus, to emerge therefrom as full Initiates.

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Agathodemon (Ancient Greek). The beneficent, good Spirit as contrasted with the bad one, Kakodemon. The

"Brazen Serpent" of the Bible is the former; the flying serpents of fire are an aspect of Kakodemon. The Ophites called Agathodemon the Logos and Divine Wisdom, which in the Bacchanalian Mysteries was represented by a serpent erect on a pole.

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

Acheron (Ancient Greek). One of the rivers of Hades in Greek mythology.

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Alectromancy (Ancient Greek). Divination by means of a cock, or other bird; a circle was drawn and divided into spaces, each one allotted to a letter; corn was spread over these places and note was taken of the successive lettered divisions from which the bird took grains of corn.

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Adytum (Ancient Greek). The Holy of Holies in the pagan temples. A name for the secret and sacred precincts or the inner chamber, into which no profane could enter; it corresponds to the sanctuary of the altars of Christian Churches.

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Relation between Hinduism and Zoroastrianism

Like the Rigvedic Aryans, the ancient Iranians worshipped gods like Mitra, Vayu, Verutraghna. They also wore the sacred thread and worshipped fire. They had a social organization that was in some ways similar to the Vedic occupation based social system. 

Read more here: » Hinduism and Zoroastrianism:Relation between Hinduism and Zoroastrianism

Phallic (Ancient Greek). Anything belonging to sexual worship; or of a sexual character externally, such as the Hindu lingham and yoni - the emblems of the male and female generative power - which have none of the unclean significance attributed to it by the Western mind.

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Alchemy: The word alchemy is an Arabic term comprised of the article "al" and the noun "khemi.” The later word relates to "Khem" the Coptic name of Egypt. Alchemy thus means, "that which pertains to Egypt.” Thus the words alchemy and chemistry are a reminder of the scientific legacy of Egypt.

Another possible origin of the word is the Greek "cheo" which means "I pour" or "I cast"—a word often used in reference to the ancient Greek metalworkers who used many alchemical formulae. Together, alchemy and astrology are two of the oldest sciences known to humanity. The specialized fields of herbalism, mineralogy, natural science, chemistry, pharmacology, and medicine all evolved from the mother science known as alchemy.

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

Aidoneus (Ancient Greek). The God and King of the Nether World; Pluto or Dionysos Chthonios (subterranean).

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Horse In the ancient Mediterranean and Northern European mythologies, used in connection with the sun and standing as a symbol for the solar powers or the sun itself. The sun is frequently represented in ancient thought as being drawn along the heavens by means of horses. In ancient Persia and Greece, individual heroes, as for instance Hushenk and Bellerophon, are said to have obtained mastery over and consequent use of wonderful horses with which they were enabled to approach the sun. In Scandinavian mythology, horses were represented as carrying the heroes into the under- and over-world, and as mounts of the Valkyries they bore the fallen heroes to Valhalla.

In this connection, the Kalki-avatara -- stated to be the final incarnation of Vishnu in Hinduism or the incarnation of Maitreya-Buddha in Northern Buddhism -- and the final great hero and savior of mankind of the Zoroastrians called Sosiosh, as well as the Faithful and True one of the Christian book of Revelation, all appear on a white horse. All these heroes or saviors are connected emblematically with horses of power because the horse has been from immemorial time a representation of solar, spiritual, and intellectual energies.

See also ASVAMEDHA

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

Sabao (Ancient Greek). The Gnostic name of the genius of Mars.

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Phenomenon (Ancient Greek). In reality "an appearance", something previously unseen, and puzzling when the cause of it is unknown. Leaving aside various kinds of phenomena, such as cosmic, electrical, chemical, etc., and holding merely to the phenomena of spiritism, let it be remembered that theosophically and esoterically every "miracle" - from the biblical to the theumaturgic - is simply a phenomenon, but that no phenomenon is ever a miracle, i.e., something supernatural or outside of the laws of nature, as all such are impossibilities in nature.

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Ether (Ancient Greek). With the ancients the divine luminiferous substance which pervades the whole universe, the "garment" of the Supreme Deity, Zeus, or Jupiter. With the moderns, Ether, for the meaning of which in physics and chemistry see Webster’s Dictionary or any other. In esotericism Ether is the third principle of the Kosmic Septenary; the Earth being the lowest, then the Astral light, Ether and Akasa (phonetically Akasha) the highest.

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Chthonia (Ancient Greek) Chaotic earth in the Hellenic cosmogony.

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Lotus (Ancient Greek). A most occult plant, sacred in Egypt, India and else where; called "the child of the Universe bearing the likeness of its mother in its bosom". There was a time "when the world was a golden lotus" (padma) says the allegory.

A great variety of these plants, from the majestic Indian lotus, down to the marsh-lotus (bird’s foot trefoil) and the Grecian "Dioscoridis", is eaten at Crete and other islands. It is a species of nymphala, first introduced from India to Egypt to which it was-not indigenous. See the text of Archaic Symbolism in the Appendix Viii. "The Lotus, as a Universal Symbol".

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Triton (Ancient Greek). The san of Poseidon and Amphitrite, whose body from the waist upwards was that of a man and whose lower limbs were those of a dolphin.

Triton belongs in esoteric interpretation to the group of fish symbols - such as Oannes (Dagon), the Matsya or Fish-avatar, and the Pisces, as adopted in the Christian symbolism. The dolphin is a constellation called by the Greeks Capricornus, and the latter is the Indian Makara. It has thus an anagrammatical significance, and its interpretation is entirely occult and mystical, and is known only to the advanced students of Esoteric Philosophy. Suffice to say that it is as physiological as it is spiritual and mystical. (See Secret Doctrine II., pp. 578 and 579.)

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Neophyte (Ancient Greek). A novice; a postulant or candidate for the Mysteries.

The methods of initiation varied. Neophytes had to pass in their trials through all the four elements, emerging in the fifth as glorified Initiates. Thus having passed through Fire (Deity), Water (Divine Spirit), Air (the Breath of God), and the Earth (Matter), they received a sacred mark, a tat and a tau, or a + and a ?. The latter was the monogram of the Cycle called the Naros, or Neros. As shown by Dr. E. V. Kenealy, in his Apocalypse, the cross in symbolical language (one of the seven meanings)"+ exhibits at the same time three primitive letters, of which the word LVX or Light is compounded. . . . The Initiates were marked with this sign, when they were admitted into the perfect mysteries. We constantly see the Tau and the Resh united thus ?.

Those two letters in the old Samaritan, as found on coins, stand, the first for 400, the second for 200 = 600. This is the staff of Osiris." Just so, but this does not prove that the Naros was a cycle of 600 years; but simply that one more pagan symbol had been appropriated by the Church.

(See "Naros" and "Neros" and also "I. H. S.")

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Hermaphrodite (Ancient Greek). Dual-sexed; a male and female Being, whether man or animal.

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Hippocrates (Ancient Greek). A famous physician of Cos, one of the Cyclades, who flourished at Athens during the invasion of Artaxerxes, and delivered that town from a dreadful pestilence.

He was called "the father of Medicine ". Having studied his art from the votive tablets offered by the cured patients at the temples of Esculapius, he became an Initiate and the most proficient healer of his day, so much so that he was almost deified. His learning and knowledge were enormous. Galen says of his writings that they are truly the voice of an oracle. He died in his 100th year, 361 B.c.

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

Ophis (Ancient Greek). The same as Chnuphis or Kneph, the Logos; the good serpent or Agathodemon.

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

Pastophori (Ancient Greek). A certain class of candidates for initiation, those who bore in public processions (and also in the temples) the sacred coffin or funeral couch of the Sun-gods - killed and resurrected, of Osiris, Tammuz (or Adonis), of Atys and others. The Christians adopted their coffin from the pagans of antiquity.

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

Gnostics (Ancient Greek) The philosophers who formulated and taught the Gnosis or Knowledge (q.v.). They flourished in the first three centuries of the Christian era: the following were eminent, Valentinus, Basilides, Marcion, Simon Magus, etc. [ w.w. w.]

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