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Below are some short introductions. Click on the blue hyperlinked word to get more related articles.
Caste - A hierarchical system, called varna dharma (or jati dharma), established in India in ancient times, which determined the privileges, status, rights and duties of the many occupational groups, wherein status is determined by heredity.
There are four main estates (varnas) - brahmin, kshatriya, vaishya and shudra - and innumerable castes, called jati.
See: varna dharma, Hinduism caste system.
Dome Of The Rock- An octagonal domed shrine built by the Umayyad Muslim Caliph Abd al-Malik in 691 on the sacred place in Jerusalem known as the Haram al-Sharif. Enshrined beneath the dome is an outcropping of the bedrock atop the Jewish Temple Mount.
The shrine was built to symbolize the commonality yet dominion of Islam over the two other monotheistic religions that regard Jerusalem as a sacred city. For Muslims, the rock under the dome marks the from which the Prophet Mohammed ascended into the Seven Heavens (Qur''an 17:1).
Earth Religion- Any religion which reveres the Earth, and Nature, as the manifestation of the Divine, and calls for harmony with Nature and all life and for ecology. Many pagan traditions are Earth religions.
Exoteric- Exoteric (from Greek exoterikos pertaining to the outer)
Applied to teachings given to the public or to nonprepared candidates in the Mysteries or schools of philosophy. It applies to all the various great religions of the past insofar as their popular or public teaching is concerned. Thus exoteric does not mean false or untrue, but simply that form of the inner wisdom which was so clothed as to hide much of the inner truth; but nevertheless, despite that cloak, contained it in hidden and secret sense.
Four Animals- Four Animals When used by Hebrews and Christians, the sacred animals seen by Ezekiel in his vision (Ezek 1:4-10): the man, the eagle, the ox or bull, and the lion.
"These four animals are, in reality, the symbols of the four elements, and of the four lower principles in man. Nevertheless, they correspond physically and materially to the four constellations that form, so to speak, the suite or cortege of the solar god, and occupy during the winter solstice the four cardinal points of the zodiacal circle" (SD 1:363).
Sometimes called the sacred animals of the Bible, they have been associated by Christians with the four evangelists. In this connection, "each represents one of the four lower classes of worlds or planes, into the similitude of which each personality is cast. Thus the Eagle (associated with St. John) represents cosmic Spirit or Ether, the all-piercing Eye of the Seer; the Bull of St. Luke, the waters of Life, the all-generating element and cosmic strength; the Lion of St. Mark, fierce energy, undaunted courage and cosmic fire; while the human Head or the Angel, which stands near St. Matthew is the synthesis of all three combined in the higher Intellect of man, and in cosmic Spirituality. . . . The Eagle, Bull and Lion-headed gods are plentiful, and all represented the same idea, whether in the Egyptian, Chaldean, Indian or Jewish religions, but beginning with the Astral body they went no higher than the cosmic Spirit or the Higher Manas -- Atma-Buddhi, or Absolute Spirit and Spiritual Soul its vehicle, being incapable of being symbolised by concrete images" (TG 121).
Gnosticism- (from Gk. gnosis, "knowledge")
A pre- Christian category of religions which emphasizes that a personal experience, or knowlege, is essential to salvation.
The oldest oldest known Christian scriptures, The Nag Hammadi Library, are Gnostic. Neither unequivocally Christian, Jewish, Greek, nor Iranian, Gnosticism is not a clearly delineated religion, but rather a specific religious interpretative perspective.
Gnosticism lives mainly in or on the edges of Christianity and Judaism and it bears a number of philosophical, astrological, and magical marks loosely belonging in the Near Eastern and Inner Mediterranean areas.
Common to many Gnostic texts and systems are an emphasis on dualistic speculations (e. g. , light vs. darkness, good vs. evil, the earthly realm vs. the heavenly world, or the Lightworld); a reevaluation of many biblical traditions (especially Genesis and the New Testament) so that the Old Testament God, for instance, becomes an inferior figure ignorant of Lightworld entities above and prior to himself; and a keen interest in the salvation of the human soul, which, due to its Lightworld origin, is opposed to the body it inhabits and possesses a superior knowledge.
Gnostic mythologies offer intricate, detailed speculations on cosmic geographies, provide emotional descriptions of the fate of the soul in its material prison, and, in frequently impressive poetry, describe the soul''s journey back to its lofty home.
In brief, Gnosticism exemplifies the common religious and creative response of Late Antiquity to a feeling of alienation toward bodily, material, even social existence, and a burning interest in arriving at a higher, more authentic level of life. Far from leading to paralytic pessimism, this orientation caused Gnostics to create mythologies, ideologies, rituals, and organized communities.
Subversive Gnostic interpretations, especially of the biblical traditions, elicited horrified, swift denunciations from the early fathers of the church, who rightly perceived the Gnostics as a menace to the budding Christian orthodoxy. Much of what we know about Gnostic doctrines and practices comes from these church fathers, but their accounts are unavoidably colored by a strong hostility toward Gnostics.
Hinduism - (Sanskrit) India''s indigenous religious and cultural system, followed today by nearly one billion adherents, mostly in India, but with large populations in many other countries. Also called Sanatana Dharma, "eternal religion" and Vaidika Dharma, "religion of the Vedas."
Hinduism is the world''s most ancient religion and encompasses a broad spectrum of philosophies ranging from pluralistic theism to absolute monism.
It is a family of myriad faiths with four primary denominations:
Saivism,
Vaishnavism,
Shaktism and
Smartism.
These four hold such divergent beliefs that each is a complete and independent religion. Yet, they share a vast heritage of culture and belief:
karma,
dharma,
reincarnation,
all-pervasive Divinity,
temple worship,
sacraments,
manifold Deities,
the guru-shishya tradition and
a reliance on the Vedas as scriptural authority.
From the rich soil of Hinduism long ago sprang various other traditions. Among these were Jainism, Buddhism and Sikhism, which rejected the Vedas and thus emerged as completely distinct religions, disassociated from Hinduism, while still sharing many philosophical insights and cultural values with their parent faith.
Though the genesis of the term is controversial, the consensus is that the term Hindu or Indu was used by the Persians to refer to the Indian peoples of the Indus Valley as early as 500 bce. Additionally, Indian scholars point to the appearance of the related term Sindhu in the ancient Rig Veda Samhita. Janaki Abhisheki writes (Religion as Knowledge: The Hindu Concept, p. 1): "Whereas today the word
Hindu connotes a particular faith and culture, in ancient times it was used to describe those belonging to a particular region. About 500 bce we find the Persians referring to ''Hapta Hindu.'' This referred to the region of Northwest India and the Punjab (before partition).
The Rig Veda (the most ancient literature of the Hindus) uses the word Sapta Sindhu singly or in plural at least 200 times. Sindhu is the River Indus. Panini, the great Sanskrit grammarian, also uses the word Sindhu to denote the country or region.
While the Persians substituted h for s, the Greeks removed the h also and pronounced the word as ''Indoi.'' Indian is derived from the Greek Indoi."
Dr. S. Radhakrishnan similarly observed,
"The Hindu civilization is so called since its original founders or earliest followers occupied the territory drained by the Sindhu (the Indus) River system corresponding to the Northwest Frontier Province and the Punjab. This is recorded in the Rig Veda, the oldest of the Vedas, the Hindu scriptures, which give their name to this period of Indian history. The people on the Indian side of the Sindhu were called Hindus by the Persians and the later Western invaders. That is the genesis of the word Hindu" (The Hindu View of Life, p. 12).
See: Hindu.
Joseph Campbell- (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.
Kama-rupa- Kama-rupa (Sanskrit) (from kama desire + rupa body, form)
The desire body; the portion of the human inner constitution in which inhere the various mental and psychic energies. After death it becomes the vehicle in the kama-loka of the usually unconscious higher principles of the person that was.
"After death . . . there occurs what is called the ''second death,'' which is the separation of the immortal part of the second or intermediate Duad from the lower portions of this Duad, which lower portions remain as the kama-rupa in the etheric or higher astral spheres which are intermediate between the devachanic and the earthly spheres. In time this kama-rupa gradually fades out in its turn, its life-atoms at such dissolution passing on to their various and unceasing peregrinations.
"It is this kama-rupa which legend and story in the various ancient world-religions or philosophies speak of as the ''shade,'' and which it has been customary in the Occident to call the ''spook,'' or ''ghost.'' It is, in short, all the mortal elements of the human soul that was. The kama-rupa is an exact astral duplicate, in appearance and mannerism, of the man who died; it is his eidolon or ''image'' " (OG 76-7).
"Bereft as it is of its higher mind, spirit and physical senses, if left alone to its own senseless devices, it will gradually fade out and disintegrate. But, if forcibly drawn back into the terrestrial sphere whether by the passionate desires and appeals of the surviving friends or by regular necromantic practices -- one of the most pernicious of which is mediumship -- the ''spook'' may prevail for a period greatly exceeding the span of the natural life of its body. Once the Kamarupa has learnt the way back to living human bodies, it becomes a vampire, feeding on the vitality of those who are so anxious for its company. In India these eidolons are called Pisachas, and are much dreaded . . ." (TG 172).
Meditation- The emptying of the mind of thoughts, or concentration of the mind on just one thing in order to aid mental or spiritual development, contemplation, or relaxation. Although the practice originated in India, it is common to many religions. Hatha yoga is a form of meditation.
Yama-niyama - (Sanskrit) "Restraints-observances."
The first two of the eight limbs of raja yoga, constituting Hinduism''s fundamental ethical codes, the yamas and niyamas are the essential foundation for all spiritual progress. They are codified in numerous scriptures including the Shandilya and Varuha Upanishads, Hatha Yoga Pradipika by Gorakshanatha, the Tirumantiram of Tirumular and the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali. All the above texts list ten yamas and ten niyamas, with the exception of Patanjali''s classic work, which lists only five of each.
The yamas are the ethical restraints; the niyamas are the religious practices. Because it is brief, the entire code can be easily memorized and reviewed daily by the spiritual aspirant. Here are the ten traditional yamas and ten niyamas.
yamas:
ahimsa: "Noninjury." Not harming others by thought, word, or deed.
satya: "Truthfulness." Refraining from lying and betraying promises.
asteya: "Nonstealing." Neither stealing, nor coveting nor entering into debt.
brahmacharya: (Sanskrit) "Divine conduct." Controlling lust by remaining celibate when single, leading to faithfulness in marriage.
kshama: (Sanskrit) "Patience." Restraining intolerance with people and impatience with circumstances.
dhriti: "Steadfastness." Overcoming nonperseverance, fear, indecision and changeableness.
daya: "Compassion." Conquering callous, cruel and insensitive feelings toward all beings.
arjava: "Honesty, straightforwardness." Renouncing deception and wrongdoing.
mitahara: "Moderate appetite." Neither eating too much nor consuming meat, fish, fowl or eggs.
shaucha: "Purity." Avoiding impurity in body, mind and speech. -
niyamas
Monotheism - "Doctrine of one God."
Contrasted with polytheism, meaning belief in many Gods. The term monotheism covers a wide range of philosophical positions, from exclusive (or pure) monotheism, which recognizes only one God (such as in Semitic faiths), to inclusive monotheism, which also accepts the existence of other Gods.
Generally speaking, the sects of Hinduism are inclusively monotheistic in their belief in a one Supreme God, and in their reverence for other Gods, or Mahadevas. However, such terms which arose out of Western philosophy do not really describe the fullness of Hindu thinking. Realizing this, the author of The Vedic Experience, Raimundo Panikkar, has offered a new word: cosmotheandrism, "world-God-man doctrine," which describes a philosophy that views God, soul and world (Pati, pashu, pasha) as an integrated, inseparable unity.
See: Advaita Ishvaravada, monistic theism, Pati-pashupasha, polytheism.
Neopythagoreans- Neopythagoreans The Pythagoreans of Alexandria and other cities on the Mediterranean coast in the 1st century with whom Apollonius of Tyana is often classed.
As happened to the Neoplatonists, the atmosphere of the later Greco-Roman world was not conducive to abstract philosophy, and hence the tendency of the times produced the practical mysticism characterizing both the viewpoint of the Pythagoreans and the Neoplatonists. Both schools were highly philosophic and used abstract philosophic speculation; yet predominant in both was the yearning for the attainment of inner spiritual illumination by practices of physical abstinence and by purity of life.
Both schools, in fact, were in a very true sense a revolt against the degenerate religions and philosophies of the time, which had become almost wholly exoteric and ritualistic, and hence they strove to combine the teachings of speculative mystical philosophy with individual efforts at living the life. Extremists in each school, however, found that extremes meet, and therefore were in contact with the popular and widely spread magical practices of the multitude.
Pagan Federation- Founded in 1971 and formerly called the Pagan Front, Pagan Federation is a London-based organization that seeks to provide contact between the Craft of the Wise and “genuine seekers of the Old Ways”, and to promote harmony among the various European Pagan religions. It works with institutions, governmental bodies and the public to present accurate information on Pagan religious views and rights.
Patriarchal- Term used to apply to the world since the matrifocal clans that worshipped Goddesses were supplanted by codified religions that honor all-male deity(s).
Perennial Philosophy- A term coined by Aldous Huxley that refers to that thread of eternal truth that weaves through all religious truth and philosophy. Even though the externals of the various religions may differ, the essence or core truth is the same in each.
Puja - (Sanskrit) "Worship, adoration."
An Agamic rite of worship performed in the home, temple or shrine, to the murti, sri paduka, or other consecrated object, or to a person, such as the satguru. Its inner purpose is to purify the atmosphere around the object worshiped, establish a connection with the inner worlds and invoke the presence of God, Gods or one''s guru.
During puja, the officiant (pujari) recites various chants praising the Divine and beseeching divine blessings, while making offerings in accordance with established traditions. Puja, the worship of a murti through water, lights and flowers in temples and shrines, is the Agamic counterpart of the Vedic yajna rite, in which offerings are conveyed through the sacred homa fire. These are the two great streams of adoration and communion in Hinduism.
Central steps of puja include:
achamana, water sipping for purification;
Ganapati prarthana, prayers to Ganesha;
sankalpa, declaration of intent;
ghanta, ringing bell, inviting devas and dismissing asuras;
avahana, inviting the Deity ;
mantras and dhyana, meditating on the Deity;
svagata, welcoming;
namaskara, obeisance;
arghyam, water offerings;
pradakshina, circumambulation;
abhisheka, bathing the murti;
dhupa, incense-offering;
dipa, offering lights;
1naivedya, offering food;
archana, chanting holy names;
arati, final offering of lights;
prarthana, personal requests;
visarjana, dismissal-farewell.
Also central are pranayama (breath control), guru vandana (adoration of the preceptor), nyasa (empowerment through touching) and mudra (mystic gestures). Puja offerings also include pushpa (flowers), arghya (water), tambula (betel leaf) and chandana (sandalpaste).
atmartha puja: Karana Agama, v. 2, states: Atmartha cha parartha cha puja dvividhamuchyate, "Worship is two-fold: for the benefit of oneself and for the benefit of others." Atmartha puja is done for oneself and immediate family, usually at home in a private shrine.
parartha puja: "Puja for others." Parartha puja is public puja, performed by authorized or ordained priests in a public shrine or temple.
See: pujari, puja, yajna.
Religion- The word "religion" derives from the Latin prefix, re (an intensive) + ligio, "to tie, to bind," hence "a practice designed to tie down tightly, as though by a spell-binding force." If religions were not impervious to change, they would quickly dissolve into the chaos of the occult.
Religion is worship. It is based on the strict separation of divinity and humanity. Magic, on the contrary, is the invocation or evocation of spirits or divinity based on kinship or identity with them.
Living religions begin by being as creative, spontaneous and iconoclastic as the arts. But that creative fire quickly damps down to immutable dogma and robot-priests. Worship for its own sake amounts to little more than useless idolatry. It is utterly infra dig for any intelligent human being. The sole purpose of ritual is the arousal of consciousness in the participant. When such awakening fails to take place, it is time to throw the ikons to the dogs. The universe is self-created and everything in it created itself and goes on creating itself. There are higher beings, to be sure, but it is a perilous mistake to worship "The Creator" who is as far from perfect as you can get and still live on this side of Nothing. Nor should we consider humanity, in its present condition, to be anything but imperfect. Along with Nietzsche, we should see man as capable of infinite improvement. But Nietzsche''s so-called "superman" will never evolve without struggle -- and not be the easy struggle of fascistic tyranny over material forms, but by the infinitely more difficult way of universal internal enlightenment.
Since there are infinite levels of enlightenment the majority of people are incapable of consensus or agreement, hence any idea of a religious "congregation" is absurd. As for the profane multitudes... unaware that omniscience, omnipotence and immortality comprise the deepest foundation of existence, they consider their own confusion to be the highest expression of consciousness. The ultimate purpose of creation is to know itself through the experience of eternal expansion of the mind. It is physical or fiscal expansion, however, that is of primary interest to homo vulgaris.
The mission of the magician isn''t necessarily to bring down the traditional houses of religion -- especially the monoliths: Islam, Christendom or Judaism. But neither can he support them. For it is a truism that there is wisdom in the individual and it is difference that we should value, not sameness. For the magician, far more acceptable alternatives to monotheism can be found in India, Egypt, Tibet, etc. with their practices of Lamaism, Tantrism, Yoga and so on, or in the atheistic systems of the Tao and Buddhism. But always -- though he understands and honors tradition, the magus creates his own rituals and observances, tailored to his own needs. He does not serve established orders. As Madame Blavatsky so hopefully put it, "There is no religion higher than truth."
RING-PASS-NOT
As the magician draws his circle to keep the demons from entering his world, so other monads draw their own circles to keep out the magician. The ring-pass-not is that Level of attainment beyond which you cannot go. In occult literature, according to Alice Bailey, it is a term used "to denote the periphery of the sphere of influence of any central life force, and is applied equally to all atoms, from the atom of matter as dealt with by the physicist or chemist through the human planetary atoms up to the great atom of a solar system. The ring- pass-not of the average person is the spheroidal form of his mental body which extends considerably beyond the physical and enables him to function on the lower levels of the mental plane."
HPB (The Secret Doctrine) defines the RPN as: "The circumference of the sphere of influence of any center of positive life. This includes the fire sphere of magnetic work of the solar orb, viewing it as the body of manifestation of a Solar Logos or to a planetary scheme and could equally well be applied to the sphere of activity of the human Ego."
Swami Sivananda - (Sanskrit) One of Hinduism''s most influential modern-day saints (1887-1963). He was born in South India, practiced medicine in Malaysia, published a medical journal, became administrator of a hospital and later renounced the world.
He was initiated by Swami Vishvananda Sarasvati at Rishikesh in 1924, and founded the Divine Life Society in 1939, which has branches in many countries today. He has been a powerful force in spreading Hindu teachings in India and abroad through his many books and the travels of his numerous swamis. Emphasized hatha yoga and raja yoga and a broad, universal form of Hinduism.
Swami Vivekananda - (Sanskrit) "Of blissful discrimination."
Disciple of Sri Ramakrishna who was overtaken by an ardent love of Hinduism and a missionary zeal that drove him onward. He attained mahasamadhi at age 39 (18631902).
Most notable among his achievements was a trip around the world on which he gave brilliant lectures, especially in Europe and America, that created much respect for Hinduism. In India he founded the Ramakrishna Mission which thrives today internationally with over 100 centers and nearly 1,000 sannyasins. He is credited, along with Tagore, Aurobindo, Radhakrishnan and others, with sparking the modern Hindu revival.
See: jnana yoga, Ramakrishna.
Vaishnavism - (Sanskrit) "Way of Vishnu."
One of the four major religions, or denominations of Hinduism, representing roughly half of the world''s one billion Hindus.
It gravitates around the worship of Lord Vishnu as Personal God, His incarnations and their consorts. The doctrine of avatara (He who descends), especially important to Vaishnavism, teaches that whenever adharma gains ascendency in the world, God takes a human birth to reestablish "the way." There are either 10, 22 or 34 avataras of Vishnu, according to various scriptures. The most renowned avataras were Rama and Krishna. The last to come will be Kalki, the harbinger of a golden age on Earth.
Vaishnavism stresses the personal aspect of God over the impersonal, and bhakti (devotion) as the true path to salvation. The goal of Vaishnavism is the attainment of mukti, defined as blissful union with God''s body, the loving recognition that the soul is a part of Him, and eternal nearness to Him in Vaikuntha, heaven. Foremost among Vaishnava scriptures are the Vaishnava Agamas, Bhagavad Gita and Bhagavata Purana. Among the earliest schools were the Pancharatras and the Bhagavatas.
The five major contemporary schools (founded between 1000 and 1500) are those of Ramanuja (Sri Vaishnavism), Madhva, Nimbarka, Vallabha and Chaitanya. Philosophically they range from Madhva''s pure dualism to Vallabha''s lofty monistic vision.
Veda - (Sanskrit) "Wisdom."
Sagely revelations which comprise Hinduism''s most authoritative scripture. They, along with the Agamas, are shruti, "that which is heard."
The Vedas are a body of dozens of holy texts known collectively as the Veda, or as the four Vedas:
Rig,
Yajur,
Sama and
Atharva.
In all they include over 100,000 verses, as well as additional prose. The knowledge imparted by the Vedas is highly mystical or superconscious rather than intellectual.
Each Veda has four sections:
Samhitas (hymn collections),
Brahmanas (priestly manuals),
Aranyakas (forest treatises) and
Upanishads (enlightened discourses).
The Samhitas and Brahmanas (together known as the karmakanda, "ritual section") detail a transcendent-immanent Supreme-Being cosmology and a system of worship through fire ceremony and chanting to establish communication with the Gods.
The Aranyakas and Upanishads (the jnanakanda, "knowledge section") outline the soul''s evolutionary journey, providing yogic-philosophic training and propounding a lofty, nondual realization as the destiny of all souls.
The oldest portions of the Vedas are thought to date back as far as 6,000 bce, written down in Sanskrit in the last few millennia, making them the world''s most ancient scriptures.
See: Aranyaka, Brahmana, shruti, Upanishad, Vedanga.
Vira Saivism - (Sanskrit) "Heroic Saivism." Made prominent by Basavanna in the 12th century. Also called Lingayat Saivism. Followers, called Lingayats, Lingavantas or Sivasharanas, always wear a Sivalinga on their person. Vira Saivites are proudly egalitarian and emphasize the personal relationship with Siva, rather than temple worship. Vira Saiva priests, jangamas, conduct marriages and other domestic rites and also act as gurus or teachers.
Among the most central texts are Basavanna''s Vachanas, Allama Prabhu''s Mantragopya, Chennabasavanna''s Karana Hasuge, and the collected work called Shunya Sampadane.
The monistic-theistic doctrine of Vira Saivism is called Shakti Vishishtadvaita - a version of qualified nondualism which accepts both difference and nondifference between soul and God, like rays are to the sun. In brief, Siva and the cosmic force or existence are one ("Siva are you; you shall return to Siva."). Yet, Siva is beyond His creation, which is real, not illusory. God is both efficient and material cause. In Vira Saivism, Siva divides from His Absolute state into Linga (Supreme Lord) and anga, individual soul, the two eventually reuniting in undifferentiated oneness. There are three aspects of Sivalinga.
Ishtalinga, personal form of Siva, in which He fulfills desires and removes afflictions - God as bliss or joy;
Bhavalinga, Siva beyond space and time, the highest divine principle, knowable through intuition;
Pranalinga, the reality of God which can be apprehended by the mind.
The soul merges with Siva by a progressive, six-stage path called
shatsthala, consisting of bhakti (devotion),
mahesha (charity and selfless service),
prasada (seeking Siva''s grace), Pranalinga (experience of all as Siva),
sharana (egoless refuge in Siva) and
aikya (oneness with Siva).
Today Vira Saivism is a vibrant faith, particularly strong in its religious homeland of Karnataka, South Central India. Roughly 40 million people live here, of which perhaps 25% are members of the Vira Saiva religion. Early on, they rejected brahminical authority, and along with it the entire caste system and the Vedas. By rejecting the Vedas, they continue to stand outside mainstream Hinduism, but in their profound love of Siva and acceptance of certain Saiva Agamas, as well as the main truths of the Vedic wisdom, they have identified themselves as a unique Saiva sect. Though they have established their faith as a distinct and independent religion in Indian courts of law, they are still widely embraced as devout brothers and sisters of the Hindu dharma.
See: Lingavanta, Saivism.
Virginity- The quality or state of never having had sexual intercourse. Sex intercourse is the insertion of a penis into a vagina. (See Hymen) By this strict definition, a virgin can engage in oral sex, can have anal sex, can masturbate self and others. If we say that only the penis in the vagina removes virginity, than all but one form of sexual activity are permitted to a virgin. Most religions take issue with this and claim that virginity is both a physical and a moral state.
Biblical Usage
Bethulah seems to have been the biblical term for "virgin," in the Old Testament, and was translated, "a damsel, a virgin," etc. The King James Version and the English Revised Version frequently render bethulah by "maiden" or "maid" but the American Standard Revised Version has used "virgin" throughout, despite the awkwardness of such a phrase as "young men and virgins"
''almah, rendered in the Revised Version by either "damsel", "maiden", or "virgin" with margin "maiden" The word means simply "young woman" and only the context can give it the force "virgin."
parthenos, the usual Greek New Testament word for "virgin" . In Revelation 14: 4 the word is masculine.
neanis, "young woman" .
Latin virgo The Old Testament lays extreme emphasis on chastity before marriage. The basis for this was so that the husband could be assured that all his bride''s children were truly of his seed. Almost all the sexual prohibitions in the Bible seem to be aimed at assuring the man that all his partners children were his, also.
Witchcraft- The originally Mesopagan source of what has now become Neopagan Witchcraft, founded by Gerald Gardner and friends in the late 1940s and 1950s, based upon his alleged contacts with British Fam-Trads. After he finished inventing, expanding and/or reconstructing the rites, laws and other materials, copies were stolen by numerous others who then claimed Fam-Trad status and started new religions of their own. (See Ronald Hutton’s Triumph of the Moon for all the messy details.) Though Gardnerians are sometimes called “the scourge of the Craft,” together with the Alexandrians and members of some other British Traditions, they may be considered simply the orthodox branch of Neopagan Witchcraft.
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