Kali-yuga:

Kali-yuga: the dark age of spiritual and moral decline, said to be current now; kali does not refer to the Goddess Kali but to the losing throw of a die

(See also: Kali-yuga ,Yoga, Yoga Dictionary)

Druid

(Celtic, "true seer") A member of the priestly and intellectual elite of the Celts.

Druids were the religious and legal authorities in Gaul before its conquest by the Romans (51 BC) and were celebrated for their esoteric knowledge. The druid survived as a stock figure in medieval Irish literature. A priestly caste of the ancient Celtic people of France and the British Isles. They were the keepers of oral history and law, and officiates of religious practices.

Modern Druids are various new religious traditions that attempt to incorporate the insights of ancient Druidism, Celtic history and lore, and romanticized notions of the ancient Druids formed in the eighteenth century. In England today, there are the Order of Bards, Ovates and Druids, and the Ancient Order of Druids, among others.

While there is no scholarly connection between the Druids and Stonehenge, the Ancient Order of Druids used Stonehenge for their rituals until instances of vandalism by the curious closed the ancient site.

In the United States, the Reformed Druids of North America (RDNA) began in 1963 as a satirical protest against required attendance at chapel at Carleton College in Northfield, Minnesota. The RDNA developed rituals and lore from Celtic history, poetry, and anthropology, and the movement continued and became more serious, even after the chapel attendance requirement was dropped. The RDNA considered Druidism a philosophy of life, not a religion.

In 1966 the New Reformed Druids of North America (NRDNA) reformed Druidism as a Neo- Pagan religion. A few chapters of both groups still exist. Other current American Druidic groups include Ar nDraiocht Fein ("Our Own Druidism"), founded by Isaac Bonewits in 1983. Currently the largest American revivalist Druid organization, it sees itself as a Neo-Pagan religion based on the beliefs and practices of the ancient Indo-Europeans but adapted to modern needs and sensibilities, such as the preservation of the earth and excellence in arts and scholarship.

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

Hail Mary

Ave Maria, Rosary. Roman Catholic prayer based on Luke 1: 28.

"Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou amongst women and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now, and in the hour of our death. Amen. "

The first part is taken from the Gospel of St. Luke and joins together the words of the Angel Gabriel at the Annunciation (Lk 1: 28) together with Elizabeth's greeting to Mary at the Visitation (Luke 1: 42). The joining of these two passages can be found as early as the fifth, and perhaps even the fourth, century in the eastern liturgies of St. James of Antioch and St. Mark of Alexandria. Later, probably by Pope Urban IV around the year 1262, Jesus' name was inserted at the end of the two passages.

The second half of the prayer (Holy Mary. ) can be traced back to the 15th century where two endings are found. One ending, Sancta Maria, Mater Dei, ora pro nobis peccatoribus, is found in the writings of St. Bernardine of Siena (1380-1444 AD) and the Carthusians. A second ending, Sancta Maria, Mater Dei, ora pro nobis nunc et in hora mortis nostrae, can be found in the writings of the Servites, in a Roman Breviary, and in some German Dioceses.

The current form of the prayer became the standard form sometime in the 16th century and was included in the reformed Breviary promulgated by Pope St. Pius V in 1568

(See also: Hail Mary , New Age Spirituality, Body Mind and Soul)

Principalities The seventh order of angels in the celestial hierarchy of the pseudo-Dionysius the Areopagite. This hierarchy is recognized in the New Testament: "I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, . . . shall be able to separate us from the love of God" (Rom 8:38-9).

Principality here translates the Greek arche (beginning, first principle, province ruled over, ruler, and rule in the abstract); the Latin version gives principatus (beginning, sovereignty). The allusion is to recognized names in the Gnostic hierarchical systems of aeons or emanations. "From Mind proceeded the word, Logos, from the word, Providence [Divine Light, rather], then from it Virtue and Wisdom in Principalities, Power, Angels, etc." (Basilidean teaching). All these various denizens of the sidereal world are copies of archaic prototypes.

In a passage relating to the ancient Syrian scheme of hierarchies, the lowest or sublunary world -- Earth -- is ruled by Angels; the sphere of Mercury by Archangels; that of Venus by Principalities; that of the Sun by solar gods termed Powers; that of Mars by Virtues; Jupiter, Dominions; Saturn, Thrones.

The ninefold hierarchy divided into three triads, as given by Dionysius the Areopagite, is but a Christianized copy of ancient occult teaching taken over from Neoplatonic and Neopythagorean thought so widely current in the countries around the Mediterranean around the beginning of the Christian era and for some centuries afterwards.

The ancient wisdom, from which all these various systems of thought originally sprang, likewise has its system of hierarchies which falls naturally into a similar range of nine, ten, or even twelve grades or divisions of cosmic power and substance. These different classes of celestial or angelic beings are the various grades of entities which infill and indeed make our solar system, and to which theosophy gives other titles than those used by Dionysius.

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

Scorpio: The best quality of Scorpio is resourcefulness. The worst quality is the ability to cause trouble. A key phrase is “I desire.” Intensity is the principal personality trait of Scorpio. Whatever career or vocational interests you pursue, you do it with tremendous force. The strength of desire is seen in every serious effort a Scorpio makes. You are proud, and can become the nemesis of anyone who insults you.

The Scorpio mental process is meditative. You can take a set of data and ponder it, penetrating the surface evidence to find the deeper meaning. You can cope with difficult and disagreeable tasks because you understand that such tasks will eventually be completed and you will return to the center of your life’s current none the worse for the effort, and perhaps stronger for the experience of surviving under pressure.

Secretive and intense, Scorpio’s temperament is sometimes difficult to tolerate. These very qualities, however, are part of the magnetism that draws people to you. The intensity can be expressed through healing or destructive energy, and only the Scorpio can determine which way you will go. Probably no sign indicates a stronger will. Personal experience teaches the Scorpio how to direct that will.

Scorpios often are rather reserved. You are unyielding to the sorts of pressure that work well with other signs, and often do well in careers where independent action is encouraged. Your ability to focus on a single task and put all your energy into it is often seem as skillful. You are often respected for your determination, but perhaps not loved, as you are not manipulators of gentle energies.

No one can exert the pressure that Scorpio can. You make devoted friends who will tell the truth boldly. When you lie, the lies are equally bold, and it may not be possible to tell the difference. The trained Scorpio mind seldom has to resort to a lie, as the truth is seen as a much stronger weapon. Desire lies at the root of all Scorpio action.

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

A dictionary of parapsychology. Please note that words in grey are hyperlinked to a corresponding archive with articles related to that particular topic.

hatha yoga: (Sanskrit) "Forceful yoga."

Hatha yoga is a system of physical and mental exercise developed in ancient times as a means of rejuvenation by rishis and tapasvins who meditated for long hours, and used today in preparing the body and mind for meditation.

Its elements are

1)    postures (asana),

2)    cleansing practices (dhauti or shodhana),

3)    breath control (pranayama),

4)    locks (bandha, which temporarily restrict local flows of prana) and

5)    hand gestures (mudra), all of which regulate the flow of prana and purify the inner and outer bodies.

Hatha yoga is broadly practiced in many traditions. It is the third limb (anga) of Patanjali's raja yoga. It is integral to the Saiva and Shakta tantra traditions, and part of modern ayurveda treatment. In the West, hatha yoga has been superficially adopted as a health-promoting, limbering, stress-reducing form of exercise, often included in aerobic routines.

Esoterically, ha and tha, respectively, indicate the microcosmic sun (ha) and moon (tha), which symbolize the masculine current, pingala nadi, and feminine current, ida nadi, in the human body. The most popular hatha yoga manuals are Hatha Yoga Pradipika and the Gheranda Samhita.

See: hatha yoga, asana, kundalini, nadi, yoga, raja yoga.

(See also: Hatha yoga , Hinduism, Body Mind and Soul)

Subramuniyaswami: Current and 162nd satguru (1927-) of the Nandinatha Sampradaya's Kailasa Parampara. He was ordained Sivaya Subramuniyaswami by Sage Yogaswami on the full-moon day of May 12, 1949, in Jaffna, Sri Lanka, at 6:21 pm. This was just days after he had attained nirvikalpa samadhi in the caves of Jalani. Yogaswami, then 77, ordained the 22-year old yogi with a tremendous slap on the back, saying, "This will be heard in America," and conferring upon him the mission to bring the fullness of Saivism to the West. Local devotees called the initiation a coronation.

That same year, while still in Sri Lanka, Subramuniyaswami founded the Saiva Siddhanta Yoga Order and Saiva Siddhanta Church at the Sri Subramuniya Ashrama in Alaveddy. Returning to America, he spent the next six years preparing for his teaching mission through intense sadhana and tapas. He began actively teaching in 1957 when he founded the Himalayan Academy. In 1970, he established his international headquarters and monastery complex, Kauai Aadheenam, on Hawaii's Garden Island of Kauai. Five years later, he designated a portion of the 51-acre holy site as the San Marga Sanctuary, future site of Iraivan Temple, carved of white granite stone in Bangalore, India. To spearhead a growing Hindu renaissance, he founded Hinduism Today in 1979, an international monthly, full-color magazine acclaimed the world over as the the greatest advent in Hindu publishing this century. In August of 1986, the World Religious Parliament in New Delhi honored Subramuniyaswami as one of five Hindu spiritual leaders outside of India who had most dynamically promoted Sanatana Dharma in the past 25 years. He was given the title Jagadacharya, "World Teacher." In 1995 the Parliament bestowed on him the title of Dharmachakra for his remarkable publications. In April of 1988, he was selected to represent Hinduism at the five-day Global Forum of Spiritual and Parliamentary Leaders for Human Survival, held in England at Oxford University, and again in Moscow from January 11 to 15, 1990; and in Brazil, June 5­7, 1992. At Chicago's historic centenary Parliament of the World's Religions in September, 1993, he was elected to the Presidents' Assembly, a core group of 25 men and women representing the world's faiths. In late 1996 Gurudeva transformed "Hinduism Today" to a magazine, a quantum leap that extended its global reach and impact in Hindu communities. In 1997 he responded to President Bill Clinton's call for religious opinions on the ethics of human cloning and spearheded the 125th anniversary and diaspora pilgrimage of Sri Lanka's Sage Yogaswami. In Kerala, the Vishwa Hindu Parishad honored him as "The Hindu Voice of the Century." Throughout that same year he was a key member of Vision Kauai, a small group of indigenous and political leaders meeting to fashion the island's future based on ethical values.

Over the years Subramuniyaswami has written hundreds of tracts and books, which have been distributed in the tens of thousands in many languages. Especially in the 1980s, he lectured worldwide and established the worship in numerous Hindu temples. Gurudeva teaches the traditional Saivite Hindu path to enlightenment, a path that leads the soul from simple service to worshipful devotion to God, from the disciplines of meditation and yoga to the direct knowing of Divinity within. His insights into the nature of consciousness provide a key for quieting the external mind and revealing to aspirants their deeper states of being, which are eternally perfect, full of light, love, serenity and wisdom. He urges all seekers to live a life of ahimsa, harmlessness towards nature, people and creatures, an ethic which includes vegetarianism. From his ashrama in Hawaii, Gurudeva continues to follow his satguru's instruction to bring Saivism to the Western world by teaching others to "know thy Self by thyself" and thus "see God Siva everywhere." Through the ordained swamis of the Saiva Siddhanta Yoga Order, he trains young men in the ancient path of brahmacharya, enlightenment and service to humanity. Over 30 full-time monks, along with extended family groups in eight countries, have joined to fulfill this parampara's mission to further monistic Saiva Siddhanta and Hindu solidarity.

The name Subramuniya is a Tamil spelling of the Sanskrit Shubhramunya (not to be confused with Subramanya). It is formed from shubhra meaning "light; intuition," and muni, "silent sage." Ya means "restraint; religious meditation." Thus, Subramuniya means a self-restrained soul who remains silent or, when he speaks, speaks out from intuition.

(See also: Subramuniyaswami , Hinduism, Body Mind and Soul)

Over the decades much discussion has focussed on finding the exact correlation between the Mayan Long Count and the Gregorian calendar. Most researchers in the field have now come to agree that the so-called GMT correlation, placing the beginning of the Long Count 4 Ahau 8 Cumku on the Julian day 584 283, August 11, 3114 BC, is correct. This means by consequence that it will end on December 21, 2012 and most, such as Jose Arguelles, John Jenkins and Terence McKenna, who have taken an interest in the calendar of the Maya, have endorsed this date as the end of the current cycle.

Read more here: » Mayan Calendar: Why the Creation Cycles do not end December 21, 2012, but October 28, 2011

Balancing and Charging the Chakras

The energy of your body will not be balanced and free flowing if you do not have good emotional balance, good physical health, and good relationships with your surroundings and yourself.

Almost no one is ever perfectly balanced. If you could do this, you would be able to rise from the dead, have a body transformed into a cosmic molecular structure and commune with the gods as an equal.

Read more here: » Chakra Balancing: Balancing and Charging the Chakras

Vipassana Meditation: The practice of the sound current in Vipassana meditation, also known as the divine sound, is a foundational practice of linking directly with the soul and I AM Presence. It comes from the Himalayan masters of ancient India, and is a foundation for the practice of nada yoga, sahaj yoga, Babaji’s kriya yoga, as well as Sikh practices like shabda yoga.

Read more here: » Vipassana Meditation: The Sound Current and Vipassana Meditation

Divine music, when you experience it, brings with it intense and lasting bliss. How can one who has heard this divine melody describe it to one who has not? Anyone who attempts to describe it would have to use pale analogies. If we think of the most beautiful music we have ever heard in this world, it still does not compare with the music known as the Voice of God.

The divine music is playing within us all the time. We dont hear it because no one has shown us the way to listen to this inner music.

Read more here: » Inner music: The Divine Music Within Us

Swiss scientists have recently discovered that sending a very weak current to the back of the right side of the brain triggered an out-of-body experience (OBE) for the patient.

This OBE could be produced at will whenever a particular part of the brain was stimulated by an electric current. OBE is also one of the major outcomes of yoga and is mentioned in the vibhuti pad of Patanjali's Yoga Darshan . Naturally a yogi has to practise years of tapasya or meditation before she can achieve an OBE and sense of levitation. Interestingly, technology seems to allow this pleasurable experience quite easily.

(See also: Out-of-body experience , God and Religion, Peace on Earth, Peace of Mind, Love and Happiness, Life and Beyond, Body Mind and Soul)

Read more here: » Out-of-body experience: Significant Gravity Of Deep Thought  

Something seems to be seriously wrong with marriage.

During the past 50 years, the rate of divorce in the United States has exploded out of control to its current level of about 50 percent, and it shows no signs of letting up. That is a very sobering trend and statistic. I recently contributed to that number, and it doesn't feel so good, especially when there are innocent children involved. Some people have contributed more than once. Most of them probably feel worse than I do, and wonder where it all went wrong.

Read more here: » Marriage: The End Of Marriage As We Know It

When you practise the following, concentrate on the Muladhara Chakra at the base of the spinal column, which is triangular in form and which is the seat of the Kundalini Shakti.

Read more here: » Pranayama: Pranayama for awakening of kundalini

Historical records of Tarot decks date back to the fourteenth century when people first used them for card games. The Roman Catholic Church condemned them as a device for the devil, referring to them as "The Devil's Picture Book." Today they are still being used, and are actually seeing a resurgence in popularity. The Tarot is a wonderful tool for awakening our intuition and putting us in touch with our inner and outer worlds through meditation, reflection, spiritual growth, problem-solving and divination.

Read more here: » Tarot: Getting Started Reading Tarot Cards

FLOWER ESSENCES: Elixir of Alchemy

Everyone knows how important flowers are -- for their beauty, their fragrance, their oils in Aromatherapy and perfumes, even sometimes in food. But the most important property of flowers is seldom mentioned: their vibrational essence, and their literal connection to the human electrical system.

This is the true meaning of alchemy: to transmute dross into gold -- to transform suffering into joy, pain into learning, dis-ease to health, and darkness into peace and light. Are flower essences capable of doing this? Yes, and more.

(See also: Indigo Children, What is Indigo Children, Parenting Indigo Children, Adult Indigo, Indigo Children Channeling)

Read more here: » Indigo Children: Indigo Coach and Flower Essence Therapy

Kiara Windrider is a therapist, poet, astrologer, healer, explorer of mystic and shamanic paths and the author of the award-winning book Doorway to Eternity: A Guide to Planetary Ascension. A primary focus for Kiara Windrider has currently been to work with inner technologies for planetary healing, and joining with others in a Chrysalis Network to seed new possibilities for an awakening planet.

Read more here: » Spiritual Awakening: Two Streams of Future Probability

In most religious scriptures, Shabd or the Word is referred to as the creator of the universe. It is a current from the ocean of pure consciousness that is characterised by ethereal and sublime sound vibration.

It is the all-pervading manifestation of God, the radiant sound current, and it is the connecting link between God and His creation. All the powers of nature depend on and work through Shabd.

(See also: Peace on Earth, Peace of Mind, Love and Happiness, Life and Beyond, Body Mind and Soul)

Read more here: » Peace of Mind: The Wavelength Of Celestial Sound

Indigo Children are the current generation being born today and most of those who are 8 years old or younger. They are different. They have very unique characteristics that set them apart from previous generations of children.There's a very good chance your child is an Indigo if he/she was born after 1992. About 85% or higher of children born in '92 or later, 90% born in '94 or after and 95% or more born now (some even say 99%) are Indigo Children!

Read more here: » Indigo Children: What's an Indigo Child??

There are many types of women in our society, but the one that cries out for the healing the loudest is the Female Warrior. She longs to transform herself into the Goddess and yet doesn't even know it. Nor does she know how.

Who is the Warrior? The Warrior is powerful, independent, self-reliant and successful --because she has to be. Yet, she resents all of the responsibility and obligation that goes with her role. She's the only one around who can get things done, and get things done fast enough and perfectly enough.

Read more here: » Women's Spirituality: Warrior to Goddess - How to Transform the Feminine

Predictions for 2004 based on the Mayan Calendar. This article by Ian Lungold, based on new revelations pertaining to the Mayan calendar, seems to fit in well with other predictions for the coming year. If this year is truly part of an accelerating galactic cycle to pay off karmic debts, we may see quite a few earth-shaking events taking place worldwide, in every sense of the word, politically as well as geophysically. There could be tightening of controls, even as hidden closets begin to get cleaned out. With increasing solar flares and tectonic plate activity, there could also be increased earthquake and volcanic activity worldwide.

The period from December 10 2003 through December 4 2004 will be the greatest test that humanity has ever faced. It is at this time that the Law of Karma goes extinct. That is to say that all Karmic debts shall be paid in full during this Galactic cycle.

Read more here: » Mayan Calendar: 2004 - The Third Night by Ian Xel Lungold