Microcosm - The world within us.

(See also: Microcosm , Pagan, Wicca Pagan Dictionary)

Instinct The vegetative, passive, or automatic side of intuition, which expresses itself all through natural existences. The atoms move and sing by instinct, and by the instinctual faculty the animal guides its life. In human beings are the divine instincts of love, forgiveness, and pity.

"Instinct, as a divine spark, lurks in the unconscious nerve-centre of the ascidian mollusk, and manifests itself at the first stage of action of its nervous system as what the physiologist terms the reflex action. It exists in the lowest classes of the acephalous animals as well as in those that have distinct heads; it grows and develops according to the law of the double evolution, physically and spiritually; and entering upon its conscious stage of development and progress in the cephalous species already endowed with a sensorium and symmetrically-arranged ganglia, this reflex action, whether men of science term it automatic, as in the lowest species, or instinctive, as in the more complex organisms which act under the guidance of the sensorium and the stimulus originating in distinct sensation, is still one and the same thing. It is the divine instinct in its ceaseless progress of development.

This instinct of the animals, which act from the moment of their birth each in the confines prescribed to them by nature, and which know how, save in accident proceeding from a higher instinct than their own, to take care of themselves unerringly -- this instinct may, for the sake of exact definition, be termed automatic; but it must have either within the animal which possesses it or without, something's or some one's intelligence to guide it" (IU 1:425).

Instinct may be considered as the automatic or quasi-intelligent functioning of the infinitude of rays flowing forth from the kosmic mind -- these rays in their turn first passing through the divine intelligences, then through the spiritual intelligences, then through the hosts of beings of less degree, and finally reaching animate and inanimate entities. Instinct, thus, wherever functioning throughout nature is seen to be the action of kosmic mind. In proportion as intuitions are farther evolved along the ladder of life, instinct merges into intelligence, then into self-conscious intelligence, and finally into spiritual intelligence which is the veil of the kosmic divinity.

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

A Christian theological definition of Predestination according to CARM - The Christian Apologetics & Research Ministry:

"

Predestine, Predestination

See also: Predestination , Christianity, Body Mind and Soul

Invocation - The act of drawing the aspect of a particular deity into one's physical self.

(See also: Invocation , Pagan, Wicca Pagan Dictionary)

Arcana - The two halves of the tarot deck.The major arcana consists of 22 cards showing dominant occurrences in our lives.The minor arcana consists of 56 suit cards (commonly called the lesser arcana) that assists the major arcana cards,or shows smaller influences in our lives.

(See also: Arcana , Pagan, Wicca Pagan Dictionary)

Bind - To prevent or limit. in the magickal context the act of limiting a spell (ie: to ensure it will harm none) or person (ie: to prevent them from harming others). Some consider it unethical to bind people other than yourself or spells you did not cast.

(See also: Bind , Pagan, Wicca Pagan Dictionary)

B.C.E - Before Common Era, non-christian version of B.C.

(See also: B.C.E , Pagan, Wicca Pagan Dictionary)

A part of the varna dharma of each person is sadharana dharma- the principles of good conduct applicable to all people regardless of age, gender or class.

sadharana dharma: "Duties applicable to all." Listed in the Manu Shastras as:

• dhairya (steadfastness),
• kshama (forgiveness),
• dama (selfrestraint),
• chauryabhava (nonstealing),
• shaucha (cleanliness),
• indriyanigraha (sense control),
• dhi (high-mindedness), vidya (learning),
• satya (veracity),
• akrodha (absence of anger).

Another term for such virtues is samanya dharma: "general duty," under which scriptures offer similar lists of ethical guidelines. These are echoed and expanded in the yamas and niyamas, "restraints and observances."

See: yama-niyama.

(See also: Sadharana dharma , Hinduism, Body Mind and Soul)

Earth Magick - Magick where power and forces of the Earth Mother are used to conduct magickal workings or celebrations.

(See also: Earth Magick , Pagan, Wicca Pagan Dictionary)

Invoking - Summoning a non0material entity of a higher nature than human (cf. Evoking).

(See also: Invoking , Pagan, Wicca Pagan Dictionary)

Adept - An individual who through serious study and accomplishments is highly prficient in a praticluar magickal way.

(See also: Adept , Pagan, Wicca Pagan Dictionary)

Neo-pagan - A person following a modern religion born from older pagan faiths, such as Wicca.

(See also: Neo , Pagan, Wicca Pagan Dictionary)

Fascination - A mental effort to control another animal or persons mind.

(See also: Fascination , Pagan, Wicca Pagan Dictionary)

Coven - A group of withces who worship and work together. The coven may contain any number of men and women but most common it is 13 or less.

(See also: Coven , Pagan, Wicca Pagan Dictionary)

Handfasting - The joining of two humans in a bond of love before the goddess and god. Yes, they can be made to be a legal marriage, there is no requirement that a marriage be Christian to be legal in the U.S. (separation of church and state).

(See also: Handfasting , Pagan, Wicca Pagan Dictionary)

Pantheon - A collection or group of Gods and Goddesses in a particular religious or mythical structure, commonly regional i.e. the Greek Pantheon.

(See also: Pantheon , Pagan, Wicca Pagan Dictionary)

Spiral - A sacred spiral plays an important part in magickal workings.It is the symbol of "coming into being."

(See also: Spiral , Pagan, Wicca Pagan Dictionary)

Grounding - Dispersing excess energy generated during any magickal rite or working by sending it into the earth.

(See also: Grounding , Pagan, Wicca Pagan Dictionary)

Wand - One of the ritual tools used in Wicca, generally it is another tool of energy direction, much like the athame. The specific choice of wand vs athame varies among Wicca, almost all choose athame over wand for circle casting and many prefer the wand when calling the Goddess and God.

(See also: Wand , Pagan, Wicca Pagan Dictionary)

Grimoire - A book of magickal spells and rituals.

(See also: Grimoire , Pagan, Wicca Pagan Dictionary)

Evocation - Calling something out from within.

(See also: Evocation , Pagan, Wicca Pagan Dictionary)

Consecration - Make holy. Imbuing sacred symbols with the power of the four elements.

(See also: Consecration , Pagan, Wicca Pagan Dictionary)