Dhenuvratha:

Dhenuvratha: Ritualistic vow of 'Cow Worship'. (RRV-2)

(See also: Dhenuvratha, Hinduism, Hinduism Dictionary, Sanskrit Dictionary, Body Mind and Soul)

brahmanas:

vedic ritualistic texts or manuals of instruction on the vedas

(See also: brahmanas, Hinduism, Hinduism Dictionary, Sanskrit Dictionary, Body Mind and Soul)

tantra:

medieval yogic and ritualistic indian texts; esoteric, mystical teachings

(See also: tantra, Hinduism, Hinduism Dictionary, Sanskrit Dictionary, Body Mind and Soul)

Anthropomancy

A form of divination using the entrails of a human who has been ritualistically sacrificed.

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

Book of the Dead. An ancient Egyptian ritualistic and occult work attributed to Thot-Hermes. Found in the coffins of ancient mummies,

(See also: Book of the Dead, Theosophy, Spirituality, Body mind and Soul, Spiritual Dictionary, )

Nivrtti-marga - the path of detachment or abstinence from material fruitive action and ritualistic religion.

(See also: Nivrtti-marga, Bhakti, Bhakti Yoga, Bhakti Dictionary, Body Mind and Soul)

Pravrtti-marga - the path of fruitive action or ritualistic religion which yields material piety and the facility to enjoy this material world.

(See also: Pravrtti-marga, Bhakti, Bhakti Yoga, Bhakti Dictionary, Body Mind and Soul)

purva mimamsa:

purva mimamsa (puurva meemaamsa). Inquiry into or interpretation of the ritualistic action part of the Veda.

(See also: purva mimamsa, Hinduism, Hinduism Dictionary, Sanskrit Dictionary, Body Mind and Soul)

white magick (true magick, white magic): Well-intentioned magic. It includes healing rituals. The word magick refers to ritualistic magic.

(See also: White magick, Body Mind and Soul, Alternative Health, Alternative Health Dictionary)

Tara (Sanskrit). The wife of Brihaspati (Jupiter), carried away by King Soma, the Moon, an act which led to the war of the Gods with the Asuras. Tara personifies mystic knowledge as opposed to ritualistic faith. She is the mother (by Soma) of Buddha, "Wisdom ".

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

Brahmanas (Sanskrit) Hindu Sacred Books. Works composed by, and for Brahmans. Commentaries on those portions of the Vedas which were intended for the ritualistic use and guidance of the "twice-born (Dwija) or Brahmans.

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

Samaya (Sanskrit) [from sam together + the verbal root i (aya) to go]

A coming together, meeting together, a compact, treaty, agreement. Also convention, law, rule, practice, precept, doctrine. In a religious sense, a regular ritualistic observance or religious obligation, combined with the accompanying precepts or instruction.

(See also: Samaya, Mysticism, Mysticism Dictionary)

Danu (Sanskrit) A daughter of Daksha; by Kasyapa, mother of the danavas, often called in Hindu story demons, giants, or titans because almost the same as the daityas. Opponents of the gods of mere ritual or ritualistic ceremonies.

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

Mo-Tzu (480-390 BCE): Early Chinese philosopher and founder of Mohism who criticized Confucianism for being too ritualistic and socially passive; Mo-tzu argued that, to ward off social chaos, we should love everyone as a matter of self-interest.

 (See also: Mo-Tzu, Eastern Philosophy, Body Mind and Soul)

Tarakajit (Sanskrit) Conqueror of Taraka, name given to the Hindu god of war, Karttikeya, because he conquered Taraka, a daitya whose austerities had made him formidable to the gods -- the daityas being those early beings or races who, because of their developing intellectual powers, were found to be identical with the asuras, who were opposed to the more or less passive spiritual forces -- devas or suras. In another sense, because of this developing intellectuality, the daityas, somewhat like the Greek titans or giants, were the opponents of the gods of mere ritualistic or scholastic theory, and hence the enemies of puja (ritualistic sacrifices).

(See also: Tarakajit, Mysticism, Mysticism Dictionary, Body mind and Soul)

Kratudvish kratudvis (Sanskrit) In Hindu mythology, an enemy of all ritualistic and ceremonial worship and exoteric sham; the spiritual beings which represented, in their human aspect, the adepts of esoteric wisdom in opposition to the multitude who followed exoteric and popular religious forms, mummeries, and sacrifices.

The kratusvishas were often called the asuras, daityas, danavas, kinnaras, etc., who fought against Brihaspati, the prototype of exoteric and ritualistic worship in the Tarakamaya (war in heaven). All the kratudvishas are represented as being yogis and ascetics of great spiritual and intellectual power.

(See also: Kratudvish, kratudvis, Mysticism, Mysticism Dictionary, Occultism, Occultism Dictionary)

Tarakamaya or Taramaya (Sanskrit) The war in heaven; the struggle between the gods and the asuras for the rescue of Tara or Taraka, the wife of Brihaspati, who had been carried off by Soma. This war may be interpreted in many ways. Spiritually, the gods with Brihaspati as their head represented ritualistic, ceremonial, and exoteric worship, and the asuras were the allies of Soma who was the parent of esoteric wisdom (SD 2:498-9).

See also TARA

(See also: Tarakamaya, Taramaya, Mysticism, Mysticism Dictionary, Body mind and Soul)

Mathers, MacGregor: Samuel Liddell "MacGregor" Mathers (Jan. 8, 1854-Nov. 20, 1918) -- "The true magician of the Golden Dawn, S.L. MacGregor Mathers, was an accomplished ritualist. Of the three founding members of the Order, Mathers was the one most responsible for making the Golden Dawn a truly magical, initiatory Order."

Also See: MacGregor Mathers, Samuel Liddell Mathers

(See also: Mathers, MacGregor, Magic, Shamanism, Paganism, Wicca)

Mimamsa - a philosophical doctrine which has two divisions:

(1) purva or karma-mimamsa founded by Jaimini, which advocates that by carrying out the ritualistic karma of the Vedas, one can attain the celestial planets, and

(2) uttara-mimamsa founded by Badarayana Vyasadeva, which deals with the nature of brahma. (See purvamimamsa and uttara-mimamsa).

(See also: Mimamsa, Bhakti, Bhakti Yoga, Bhakti Dictionary, Body Mind and Soul)

Sakti-kriya (Sanskrit) [from sakti power + kriya action]

An inner power or force recognized and taught from immemorial time in India, embracing spiritual, intellectual, as well as psychic elements, which can be exercised by any adept, whether ascetic or layman, and said to be most efficient when accompanied by meditation or bhavana.

Its reality depends on the inner merits of one's character and on the intensity of one's will, added to an absolute faith born of knowledge in one's own powers. When applied to ceremonial or ritualistic practice, sakti-kriya is akin to a magic mantra.

(See also: Sakti-kriya, Mysticism, Mysticism Dictionary)

Lamp: The spiritual focus of the circle is the flame of the lamp, which is always lit during rituals, and which resides in the middle of the altar top. The absolute magical center of the circle is the invisible point where the flame of the lamp tapers up and vanishes into infinity. Usually a ceramic or metal oil lamp is used, but a candle is acceptable. Some groups maintain a perpetual flame on their altars. This is beyond the reach of small circles or individuals, but the flame should be maintained without failing in the astral temple in the mind of each ritualist. This is the true occult perpetual lamp.

The flame is the focus of the awareness of those working the ritual. They direct their prayers to it and meditate upon it. The point at which it disappears into infinity marks the doorway in the Veil of Unknowing, which the ritual is designed to open. The flame should be conceived by the Magus as burning in the center of his or her being, throwing its light across the circle of self. When the circle is filled with light, the self is purified and exalted.

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

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.

(See also: Neopythagoreans, Mysticism, Mysticism Dictionary)