Sex And Spirituality Dictionary

Chaos (Ancient Greek) The Abyss, the "Great Deep". It was personified in Egypt by the Goddess Ne?th, anterior to all gods. As Deveria says, "the only God, without form and sex, who gave birth to itself, and without fecundation, is adored under the form of a Virgin Mother".

She is the vulture-headed Goddess found in the oldest period of Abydos, who belongs, accordingly to Mariette Bey, to the first Dynasty, which would make her, even on the confession of the time-dwarfing Orientalists, about 7,000 years old. As Mr. Bonwick tells us in his excellent work on Egyptian belief - "Ne?th, Nut, Nepte, Nuk (her names as variously read !) is a philosophical conception worthy of the nineteenth century after the Christian era, rather than the thirty-ninth before it or earlier than that". And he adds: " Neith or Nout is neither more nor less than the Great Mother, a yet the Immaculate Virgin, or female God from whom all things proceeded". Ne?th is the

"Father-mother" of the Stanzas of the Secret Doctrine, the Swabhavat of the Northern Buddhists, the immaculate Mother indeed, the prototype of the latest "Virgin" of all; for, as Sharpe says, "the Feast of Candlemas - in honour of the goddess Ne?th -  is yet marked in our Almanacs as Candlemas day, or the Purification of the Virgin Mary"; and Beauregard tells us of "the Immaculate Conception of the Virgin, who can henceforth, as well as the Egyptian Minerva, the mysterious Ne?th, boast of having come from herself, and of having given birth to God". He who would deny the working of cycles and the recurrence of events, let him read what Ne?th was years ago, in the conception of the Egyptian Initiates, trying to popularize a philosophy too abstract for the masses; and then remember the subjects of dispute at the Council of Ephesus in 431, when Mary was declared Mother of God; and her Immaculate Conception forced on the World as by command of God, by Pope and Council in 1858. Ne?th is Swabhdvat and also the Vedic Aditi and the Puranic Akasa, for "she is not only the celestial vault, or ether, but is made to appear in a tree, from which she gives the fruit of the Tree of Life (like another Eve) or pours upon her worshippers some of the divine water of life". Hence she gained the favourite appellation of "Lady of the Sycamore", an epithet applied to another Virgin (Bonwick).

The resemblance becomes still more marked when Ne?th is found on old pictures represented as a Mother embracing the ram-headed god, the "Lamb". An ancient stele declares her to be "Neut, the luminous, who has engendered the gods" - the Sun included, for Aditi is the mother of the Marttanda, the Sun - an Aditya. She is Naus, the celestial ship ; hence we find her on the prow of the Egyptian vessels, like Dido on the prow of the ships of the Phœnician mariners, and forth with we have the Virgin Mary, from Mar, the "Sea", called the "Virgin of the Sea", and the "Lady Patroness" of all Roman Catholic seamen.

The Rev. Sayce is quoted by Bonwick, explaining her as a principle in the Babylonian Bahu (Chaos, or confusion) i.e., "merely the Chaos of Genesis . . . and perhaps also Mot, the primitive substance that was the mother of all the gods". Nebuchadnezzar seems to have been in the mind of the learned professor, since he left the following witness in cuneiform language, "I built a temple to the Great Goddess, my Mother".

We may close with the words of Mr. Bonwick with which we thoroughly agree "She (Ne?th) is the Zerouana of the Avesta, ‘time without limits’. She is the Nerfe of the Etruscans, half a woman and half a fish" (whence the connection of the Virgin Mary with the fish and pisces) ; of whom it is said: "From holy good Nerfe the navigation is happy. She is the Bythos of the Gnostics, the One of the Neoplatonists, the All of German metaphysicians, the Anaita of Assyria."

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

Horse

The horse is a noble and powerful animal. As a dream symbol it can represent a wide range of positive thoughts and ideas about self or others. Depending on the details of the dream, horses can symbolize freedom, power, and sexual energy. At times, they can also be considered messengers, relaying information from the unconscious to the conscious, from the spiritual to the physical. If you are horseback riding it suggests that you are self assured and feel a sense of control in your daily life. Old dream interpretation books say that the color of the horse is also significant. (Remember that this is based on superstition.) Black horses are said to point out delays; white horses reinforce the positive and transformative aspects of life; gray horses may point to the difficulties in the dreamers current situation; piebald horses are symbolic of confusion; brown horses are associated with mental pursuits; tan horses are said to be symbolic of love and sex.

Source: Dream Lover Incorporated, http://www.dreamloverinc.com

(See also: Dream Archives, Meaning of Dreams, Dream Interpretation, Dream Dictionary, Dream Dictionary - Horse , Meaning of Dreams about Horse , Dream Interpretation Horse )

BÖN or BÖNPA

The aboriginal magicians of Tibet, prior to Buddhism, at first much opposed to the Lamas, but eventually joining them in their adoption of Tantric Buddhism. Like all major movements, Buddhism did not become popular until it learned how to take in and alter local beliefs. Dhyana (meditation) was used in Tibet before passing to Japan as Zen, though one cant be sure if its a non-stop link from Tibet to Japan. If it is, then why not Obon/Bon equivalence, as well? Bon was (is) very back-woodsy and little is known about it. Christmas Humphreys says it has roots in Asiatic (Mongol) Shamanism: nature worship, sex magic and psychic arts. Modern Bon are called black hats and are sorcerers of the Dug-pa sects of Bhutan and Ladak.

(See also: BÖN, BÖNPA , Magick, Mysticism, Mysticism Dictionary, Body Mind and Soul,)

Tantra: Why sexuality?

In the act of lovemaking the couple embodies the dyadic wholeness of the Supreme. TANTRIC sexual union resonates with the very foundational energies of the Universe: it captures, magnifies and re-directs the essential Cosmic Power of Life. It is therefore not by chance that sexual intercourse brings the most intense emotional experience that the human being can have while in the flesh. Therefore TANTRA uses it predominantly to create that overwhelming unifying energy. The erotic impulse stirs up the KUNDALINI energy so that it can rise, through the subtle duct of power along the spine, to the highest center of power above the head. This process renders the adept immortal:

Read more here: » Tantra Yoga: Why sexuality?

SEX AND DEATH

Death and the entry into the Abyss of Non-Being is the equivalent of the sexual act. As the orgasm is the ultimate affirmation of the body, so the death spasm is the ultimate denial of the body. On the common level we move in and out of Death and Life, in and out of the Void, from Manifestation to reincarnated Manifestation, endlessly. The Samsaric wheel of birth and death is the endless cosmic act of coitus until the final "orgasm" resulting in the bliss of Nirvana.

777

Reincarnation. We live 700 lives as an animal, 70 lives as a human being learning to overcome the Kama-Manasic levels and, finally, 7 incarnations as an Initiate.

(See also: SEX AND DEATH , Magick, Mysticism, Mysticism Dictionary, Body Mind and Soul,)

Pitta dominated Rajasikas, intellectually oriented but vulnerable to temptations, are very human in their character and approach to life.

Asura

Indulgence in self-praise, bravery, cruelty, envy and ruthlessness. Terrifying appearance.

Raksasa

Excessive sleep and indolence. Envious disposition. Constant anger, intolerance, and cruel behaviour. Gluttonous habits.

Paisala

Unclean habits. Cowardly, with a terrifying disposition. Gluttonous habits. Fondness for the opposite sex. Abnormal diet and regimen.

Sarpa

Sharp reactions. Excessive indolance. Frequent fearful disposition. Brave or cowardly attitude depending on situations.

Praita

Excessive desire for food. Envious character. Excessive greediness and actions without discrimination.

Sakuna

Full of passion. Unsteadiness, ruthlessness, and excessive attitude for food.

(See also: Rajas , Ayurveda, Ayurvedic Dictionary, Alternative Health, Body Mind and Soul)

Succubus

A female spirit or being who takes the form of a female to have sex with a man during his sleep. The purpose being to drain him of his "vital energy". The idea arouse to explain "wet dreams".

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

Lingam

(Sanskrit) Gender, the male sex organ. power

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

Bath

• For a young person to dream of taking a bath, means much solicitude for one of the opposite sex, fearing to lose his good opinion through the influence of others.
• For a pregnant woman to dream this, denotes miscarriage or accident. For a man, adultery. Dealings of all kinds should be carried on with discretion after this dream.
• To go in bathing with others, evil companions should be avoided. Defamation of character is likely to follow. If the water is muddy, evil, indeed death, and enemies are near you.
• For a widow to dream of her bath, she has forgotten her former ties, and is hurrying on to earthly loves. Girls should shun male companions. Men will engage in intrigues of salacious character.
• A warm bath is generally significant of evil. A cold, clear bath is the fore-runner of joyful tidings and a long period of excellent health. Bathing in a clear sea, denotes expansion of business and satisfying research after knowledge.

Source: 10 000 Dream Interpretations, by Gustavus Hindman Miller

(See also: Dream Archives, Meaning of Dreams, Dream Interpretation, Dream Dictionary, Dream Dictionary - Bath , Dreams - Meaning of Dream about Bath , Dream Interpretation Bath )

Woman In philosophy, symbolizes the mother aspect of nature or feminine characteristic of the universe always found in the triads of Father-Mother-Son (changed in the Christian scheme to Father, Son, and Holy Ghost -- the Holy Spirit in primitive Christianity always being considered feminine). From time immemorial it has been customary to associate primordial spirit-substance, later becoming matter, with the cosmic feminine principle represented symbolically by a horizontal line); and spirit has always been associated with the masculine principle (represented by a vertical line); but the words feminine and masculine are merely borrowed from human beings, and the characteristics of originating cosmic principles were far better expressed by pairs of opposites such as negative and positive.

In cosmogenesis, the feminine principle is represented by the waters of space or great deep, often called the womb of nature. From this figure of speech was born the conception found in some ancient cosmogonies, such as the Hebrew, of the ark, containing all the germs of lives of a universe and pictured as resting or moving on the cosmic waters. Another symbol for the feminine principle was that of the lotus, which likewise rests upon the water, finally rising above it when it blossoms. One symbol of the universe in germ before any aspect of manifestation occurs is the matripadma or closed "mother lotus," before the cosmic blossom has been quickened by spirit into expanding into becoming the universe. It is also referred to as devamatri (the divine mother), the matrix from which all the suns and planets were born.

In the cosmogony of the Hebrew Qabbalah, the first Sephirah which emanates from latent divinity is at times represented as feminine; yet when this feminine emanation becomes creative it is then represented as conjoining masculine traits with its own, so that at this stage it is envisaged as masculine-feminine. This first spiritual emanation, emanating from itself the next phase of cosmogonical production, is termed the Shechinah, the mother of all the successively emanated Sephiroth. Thus the Shechinah is an echo of archaic Hindu cosmogonic speculation, corresponding to pradhana or prakriti.

In theosophic cosmogony space is often called the Great Mother before cosmic activity commences and, at the opening of manvantara, Father-Mother with space becomes emanative and is called svabhavat or mother-space. Svabhavat is the emanation from cosmic space or darkness -- so called because its utter and undiluted essential spirit is virtually beyond the reach of the light of mind as manifested in humanity.

Metaphors such as woman and mother are always symbolical when referring to motherhood, and have no associations with physical sex, for "esotericism ignores both sexes. Its highest Deity is sexless as it is formless, neither Father nor Mother; and its first manifested beings, celestial and terrestrial alike, become only gradually androgynous and finally separate into distinct sexes" (SD 1:136n). This was clearly understood originally, so that there was no degrading or misinterpreting of these figures of speech. With descending cycles, however, humanity's religious conceptions equally materialized: the key ideas having been forgotten or lost, abstractions became concreted into materializations, a masculine Creator or feminine Creatrix were then placed at the summit of the various pantheons, and early religious philosophy -- which was as scientific as it was religious and philosophical -- cast upon the background of the spatial universe images of human surroundings and way of life; so that the deities in the mythologies finally became human images, more powerful but equally swayed by passion, driven by impulse, and restricted by these even as human beings are. Such projection of human attributes into the cosmic spaces led to a still more materialized visioning of the divinities, so that the feminine or productive characteristics of nature in the popular religious mythologies finally gave way before the masculine, and the earlier, essentially beautiful idea of the mother of nature was swallowed up in the purely masculine traits of national divinities, many of them distinctly male and evil, such as the Jewish Jehovah, who waxed wroth and smelt the sweet savor of burnt sacrifices, or again the Greek Zeus swayed by ignoble passions.

"No exoteric religious system has ever adopted a female Creator, and thus woman was regarded and treated, from the first dawn of popular religions, as inferior to man. It is only in China and Egypt that Kwan-yin and Isis were placed on a par with the male gods" (SD 1:136n). The aspects of Isis, for instance, are familiar enough: as the mother with her child, and as the faithful spiritual consort of Osiris -- these were for easier understanding by the populace; but in the sanctuary Isis remained universal cosmic nature, the cosmic producing mother, the goddess whose veil of nature no mere human had ever raised. Plutarch recorded an inscription addressed to Isis: "I am everything which has been, and which is, and which shall be, and no one has ever drawn my veil" (De Iside at Osiride); to which were added "the fruit of my womb became the Sun" (Proclus, Commentary on the Timaeus, 1:82).

In China, however, the ideal cosmic feminine was named Kwan-yin, the mother of mercy and knowledge, what in Hindustan is called mahat or cosmic buddhi; she is called the triple of Kwan-shai-yin "because in her correlations, metaphysical and cosmical, she is the 'Mother, the Wife and the Daughter,' of the Logos, just as in the later theological translations she became 'the Father Son and (the female) Holy Ghost' -- the Sakti or Energy -- the Essence of the three" (SD 1:136).

With the Gnostics truth itself was portrayed as a disrobed divinity, every part of her cosmic form being numbered and lettered. This divine wisdom they called Sophia, virtually the same as the Qabbalistic Shechinah. Even in the modern Occident, instinct has determined that justice shall be pictured as feminine, as also liberty and peace. "The Gnostic Sophia, 'Wisdom' who is 'the Mother' of the Ogdoad . . . is the Holy Ghost and the Creator of all, as in the ancient systems. The 'father' is a far later invention. The earliest manifested Logos was female everywhere -- the mother of the seven planetary powers" (SD 1:72n).

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

Murder, Suicide

Causing death has very diverse meaning depending on who dies, why and how they die, and what interpretive framework seems to fit the death. The changing ethic of death in our society may also begin to effect death in dreams. In recent years, the assisted suicide and euthanasia movements have begun to effect dream presentations of death. The id (the part of the personality which contains our primitive impulses such as sex, anger, and hunger) is often revealed as a mass murderer in dreams. This is because anger and aggression that cannot be displayed publicly works its way into dreams of wish-fulfilment. Recently, stress has been popularly defined as "choking the life out of someone."

Fortunately, the id can do for you in dreaming what the rest of you would like to do while you're awake. If you killed a stranger, you may well have been trying to assault a facet of your own personality that is particularly troubling, self-destructive, or shameful to you. By killing the stranger, you are showing your desire to excommunicate this bad aspect from your life. This can be valuable.

It may have been that you killed yourself. Of course, you may not necessarily intend to kill your whole self, just a part of it. The worthiness of killing yourself in a dream stems from the fact that a pathological tendency or troubling behaviour pattern in your personality needs to be resolved. For example, there is never an appropriate time to steal from another. Consequently, if that is part of your personality at some level, your dream life may try to kill it off by projecting the negative facet onto a stranger (representing yourself) who you then dispatch.

However, what is not worthwhile is killing a part of yourself in order to ignore it. Each of us has shadows of our public selves that we hope are pretty well hidden from the perception of others. We often criticize those around us who are most like us in many ways. These shadows need to be accepted and constructively dealt with so they do not turn into pathologies. The act of committing suicide in a dream should be taken fairly seriously. This act says a lot about how you perceive yourself and your value as a person. If you continue to have such a dream, and the thoughts of suicide run through your waking mind, it may become more than symbolic. If this happens, you should seek out someone you trust to discuss your life with.

Source: iVillage, http://www.ivillage.co.uk

(See also: Dream Archives, Meaning of Dreams, Dream Interpretation, Dream Dictionary, Dream Dictionary - Murder, Suicide , Meaning of Dreams about Murder, Suicide , Dream Interpretation Murder, Suicide )

A Dream Dictionary including dreams about:

Bantam, Baptism, Bar , Barber, Barefoot, Barley-field, Barmaid, Barn, Barometer , Barrel, Baseball, Basement, Basin, Basket, Bass Voice , Baste, Bath, Bathroom, Bats , Battle, Bay Tree, Bayonet, Beacon-light, Beads , Beans, Bear, Beard , Beat

For more dream interpretation, see: Dream Dictionary

For more about dreams, see: Dreams.

Laughter

In dreams, we may feel emotions much as we do in waking life. This is especially true about very funny and very sad events. Dream laughter may often come from a deeper level than waking laughter in that our emotional expressions are often more outward and unrestrained in a dream.

The interesting part is that dream laughter may also be very inappropriate. Since we often dream of ourselves as archetypal caricatures, we may laugh with a diabolical twist; whereas in waking, anger would be the more expected response. This sort of unchecked laughter can usually be an expression of the id (the part of the personality which contains our primitive impulses such as sex, anger, and hunger).

If you experienced laughter in a dream, did others laugh with you?

Did you laugh at something inappropriate? Did you feel ashamed or somehow empowered by laughing?

Source: iVillage, http://www.ivillage.co.uk

(See also: Dream Archives, Meaning of Dreams, Dream Interpretation, Dream Dictionary, Dream Dictionary - Laughter , Meaning of Dreams about Laughter , Dream Interpretation Laughter )

A Dream Dictionary including dreams about:

Cloister, Clothes, Clouds, Cloven Foot, Clover, Club, Coach, Coal-hod, Coals, Coat, Coat-of-Arms, Coca-Cola, Cockade, Cock-Crowing, Cocktail, Cocoa, Cocoanut, Coffee, Coffee House, Coffee Mill, Coffin , Coins, Coke, Coke Oven

For more dream interpretation, see: Dream Dictionary

For more about dreams, see: Dreams.

Homosexuality

Sex in many different forms is frequently the topic of dreams. Sexual dreams don't always have sexual meaning. They are at times about power, control, identity and other non-sexual issues of life. If you are homosexual, dreams regarding this particular sexual orientation are not atypical. They are simply the extension of your thoughts and feelings in the form that is the most familiar and meaningful to you. If a heterosexual person is having a homosexual dream, it may have a variety of connotations. The interpretation of this dream, as with all others, is very personal and generalizations are difficult to make. This dream may be about loving yourself, especially if the other individual in your dream is a stranger. The dream may be about integrating ideas and attitudes, and in a few, rare cases may be about sexual orientation. Sexual dreams are either wish-fulfilling, compensatory, or non-sexual, but rather are about issues mentioned above.

See also: Meaning of Dreams about Sex, Intercourse

Source: Dream Lover Incorporated, http://www.dreamloverinc.com

(See also: Dream Archives, Meaning of Dreams, Dream Interpretation, Dream Dictionary, Dream Dictionary - Homosexuality , Meaning of Dreams about Homosexuality , Dream Interpretation Homosexuality )

A Dream Dictionary including dreams about:

Ambush , America, Amethyst, Ammonia, Ammunition, Amorous, Amputation, Anchor, Andirons, Anecdote , Angels, Anger, Angling, Annoy, Antelope, Ants, Anvil, Anxiety, Apes, Apparel, Apparition , Apples, Apprentice, Apricot, April , Apron, Arch

For more dream interpretation, see: Dream Dictionary

For more about dreams, see: Dreams.

Palmistry

• For a young woman to dream of palmistry, foretells she will be the object of suspicion.
• If she has her palms read, she will have many friends of the opposite sex, but her own sex will condemn her. If she reads others' hands, she will gain distinction by her intelligent bearing. If a minister's hand, she will need friends, even in her elevation.

Source: 10 000 Dream Interpretations, by Gustavus Hindman Miller

(See also: Dream Archives, Meaning of Dreams, Dream Interpretation, Dream Dictionary, Dream Dictionary - Palmistry , Meaning of Dreams about Palmistry , Dream Interpretation Palmistry )

Flood

1. Water is a universal symbol for emotion, and thus a dream of a flood indicates that a plethora of deep feelings is coming the dreamer’s way. If the flood is warm, gentle and comforting, the feelings will be positive, and possibly could involve romance. But if the flood is dark, cold, and overwhelming, be prepared for emotional turmoil.

2. Being swept away by a flood warns that someone of the opposite sex whom you trust may be trying to use you.

3. Escaping from the flood, especially if you continue to reach high ground, indicates overcoming a great difficulty.

Source: Astrocenter, http://astrocenter.astrology.msn.com/msn/DreamDictionary.aspx

(See also: Dream Archives, Meaning of Dreams, Dream Interpretation, Dream Dictionary, Dream Dictionary - Flood , Meaning of Dreams about Flood , Dream Interpretation Flood )

Dream FAQ Dictionary: How can our dreams improve our sexual technique?

How can our dreams improve our sexual technique?

When for any reason someone is unwilling or unable to perform a simple sexual behavior, dreams can show the dreamer the issue from a less defensive perspective and help him or her reconsider his or her attitude . Dreams can give the dreamer a first-hand experience of performing the behavior that would pleasure the dreamer or his or her partner.

For example, men who have resisted foreplay out of shyness or laziness have dreamt of fondling their partners and for the first time enjoyed the process of turning their partners on. Women who have refused to give or receive oral sex have had dreams that helped them work through their conflicts and then actually experience pleasure in giving their partners that gift.

Source: Dr. Gayle Delaney, Sensual Dreaming

(See also: Sexual dreams , Dream Interpretation FAQ, Dream Interpretation, Dream Dictionary, Meaning of Dreams)

Adultery

Many people seem to have dreams about committing adultery or about their spouse committing adultery (cheating or being cheated on). In this dictionary there is a definition for cheating and here I will add a few more thoughts about this dream topic. Many dreams come from the private unconscious and are a reflection on thoughts, fears, desires, issues or are a response to stressful or anxiety provoking situations. The details of the dream need to be considered before attempting an interpretation. Details such as who is cheating on whom and what are the circumstances surrounding this dream event, need to be established. At times people have dreams about cheating on their spouses as a response to a long and monogamous relationship. The dream may be a compensation for boredom, monotony or unhappiness. On the other hand, the dream could be about you connecting to deeper parts of self, which is represented by a desirable person of the opposite sex. On rare occasions a person may suspect, or feel on some level, that their mate is not faithful but is not willing to admit this consciously. Thus, in the dream state the individual confronts his fears and from there may begin to deal with the situation on a conscious level.

"The dream reveals the reality which conception lags behind." Franz Kafka

Source: Dream Lover Incorporated, http://www.dreamloverinc.com

(See also: Dream Archives, Meaning of Dreams, Dream Interpretation, Dream Dictionary, Dream Dictionary - Adultery , Meaning of Dreams about Adultery , Dream Interpretation Adultery )

Tantric Celibacy: Going All the Way With Tantric Celibacy

Tantric yoga, as a system of rituals, exercises, and philosophical teachings, was developed over the past 2,500 years in a practical search for profound feeling and awareness. Just as a modern scientist might spend years on a single research problem, tantric yogis might dwell on a certain feeling for hours a day, plumbing its every nuance and what it told them about existence. They became experts in the arts of feeling and concentration.

Read more here: » Tantric Celibacy: Going All the Way With Tantric Celibacy

There are two fascinating qualities that can enter into our lives or the lives of those we care for at any moment: love and addiction. At first these two may appear to be strange bedfellows: love evokes pleasurable images of couples passionately embracing or tenderly gazing into each others' eyes, while addiction brings up a darker, grim, even desperate image of people struggling against a part of themselves that is out of control. Yet at their core, both have in common a profound spiritual yearning, the desire to transcend the self, to experience powerful states of bliss and ecstasy and to merge with and feel a part of something greater than oneself.

Read more here: » Relationships: Addictive Love Relationships