Abraxas: A popular magical deity in the ancient world, Abraxas (also called Abrasax) was depicted on classical amulet gems as a humanlike figure with a rooster’s head and serpents for feet, wielding a charioteer’s whip. The letters of his name in Greek add up to 365, the number of days in a year, which marked him as a solar deity and a lord of time.

In modern times, Abraxas has achieved a new popularity by way of the writings of psychologist Carl Jung, who gave him a central place in his Gnostic work. The Seven Sermons to the Dead and elsewhere in his writings.

Also See: Abrasax

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

For more dictionary entries, see » Spiritual Music Dictionary

Wisdom.

See ATMA-VIDYA; BODHI; HOCHMAH; SOPHIA, ETC.

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

For more dictionary entries, see » Spiritual Music Dictionary

Neoplatonism: A term that describes the non-academic form of philosophy attributed to Plato but actually beginning with Plotinus and ending when Emperor Justinian closed the Platonic Academy in 529 C.E. It blended Gnosticism and Judaism (and later, Christianity) and is seen as one source of Kabalistic thought. Neoplatonism heavily influenced medieval mysticism and occultism, and the humanism that developed in the Renaissance.

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

For more dictionary entries, see » Spiritual Music Dictionary

Blackfoot musical thought is also more enumerative than European influenced musical thought which tends to be more hierarchical. Songs are differentiated primarily by use: in ceremonies, often associated with specific objects (especially in medicine bundles), concepts, dances, or actions, or during gambling (hand game), or other uses. Songs are differentiated secondarily by association with a person, and thirdly and less commonly by association with a story or event. There are no types of music which are considered more less music or musical ...

See also:

Blackfoot music, Blackfoot music - Musical thought, Blackfoot music - Singing, Blackfoot music - Scales and intervals, Blackfoot music - Vocal style, Blackfoot music - Drumming, Blackfoot music - Song composition, Blackfoot music - Misc, Blackfoot music - Current traditional musical groups, Blackfoot music - Source, Blackfoot music - External link

Read more here: » Blackfoot music: Encyclopedia II - Blackfoot music - Musical thought

Panchakosa pancakosa (Sanskrit) [from pancha five + kosa sheath]

Five sheaths; according to the Vedantic classification of human principles there are five sheaths which enclose the divine monad or atman, which makes the sixth.

The highest is the anandamaya-kosa, closely corresponding to the spiritual soul or buddhi; second is the vijnanamaya-kosa, the higher manas; third, the manomaya-kosa, lower manas with kama, making the human soul; fourth, the pranamaya-kosa, the vital-astral soul or prana and linga-sarira; and fifth, the annamaya-kosa, the physical body or sthula-sarira.

(See also: Panchakosa, pancakosa , Mysticism, Mysticism Dictionary, Occultism, Occultism Dictionary)

For more dictionary entries, see » Spiritual Music Dictionary

1997 in music - Grammy Awards. Grammy Awards of 1997 1997 in music - Country Music Association Awards. 1997 in music - Eurovision Song Contest. Eurovision Song Contest 1997 1997 in music - Mercury Music Prize. New Forms - Roni Size/Reprazent wins. ...

See also:

1997 in music, 1997 in music - Events, 1997 in music - Classical music, 1997 in music - Albums released, 1997 in music - Top hits, 1997 in music - Classical music, 1997 in music - Opera, 1997 in music - Musical theater, 1997 in music - Musical films, 1997 in music - Births, 1997 in music - Deaths, 1997 in music - Awards, 1997 in music - Grammy Awards, 1997 in music - Country Music Association Awards, 1997 in music - Eurovision Song Contest, 1997 in music - Mercury Music Prize, 1997 in music - Charts, 1997 in music - KROQ, 1997 in music - Triple J Hottest 100

Read more here: » 1997 in music: Encyclopedia II - 1997 in music - Awards

Popol Vuh (Quiche) An ancient scripture of the Mayas. The manuscript which has come down to our day was discovered by Ximenez, a Dominican missionary in the 17th century, near Guatemala City, and translated by him into Spanish. Later, Brasseur de Bourbourg translated the manuscript from the original Quiche into French. But this manuscript was written or dictated by a native in the Quiche tongue and is not the original, for as the writer himself says in his preface: "This is the beginning of the ancient history of the country here called Quiche . . . We will publish it in the world of Christendom, because this National Book, the Popol Vuh, is seen no more, . . . This is the first book written in times of old, but it is hidden from the sight of him who sees and thinks."

In addition to a historical account of the Quiche nation, the first portion of the scripture deals with cosmogony and the birth of humanity. The opening lines are similar in conception to the book of Genesis: "Here is the narrative of how all was in suspense, all was calm, all silent, all was motionless, all was peaceful, and empty was the immensity of the heavens. . . . The face of the Earth was not yet visible. Only the sea was, and all the space of the heavens."

The first race of men mentioned in the Popol Vuh are described as "a race 'whose sight was unlimited, and who knew all things at once': thus showing the divine knowledge of Gods, not mortals" (SD 2:96). "In other words, they were the Lemuro-Atlanteans, the first who had a dynasty of Spirit-Kings, . . . actual living Devas (or demi-gods or Angels, again) who had assumed bodies to rule over them, and who, in their turn, instructed them in arts and sciences" (SD 2:221-2). And referring to the Lemurian or third root-race, the Popol Vuh describes their race as being fashioned out of the Tzite tree -- very similar in this regard to the ancient Scandinavian mythology, where Odin fashions man out of the ash tree. The early race of mankind mentioned in the Popol Vuh as able to live with equal ease under ground and water as upon the earth answers to the second and early third root-races (SD 2:160).

(See also: Popol Vuh , Mysticism, Mysticism Dictionary, Occultism, Occultism Dictionary)

For more dictionary entries, see » Spiritual Music Dictionary

Aftermath Entertainment music label - Aftermath Entertainment Roster. Dr. Dre- rapper and producer who founded Aftermath Entertainment after leaving Death Row. Since 2003, Dr. Dre maintained success through his two leading artists Eminem and 50 Cent. Dr. Dre is preparing for his last album Detox. Eminem- Born in St. Joseph, Missouri but raised in Detroit, Marshall Mathers became the most famous rapper to be signed under Dr. Dre's label. With four albums and a feature movie, Emi ...

See also:

Aftermath Entertainment music label, Aftermath Entertainment music label - Current roster, Aftermath Entertainment music label - Aftermath Entertainment Roster, Aftermath Entertainment music label - Shady Records Roster, Aftermath Entertainment music label - The Black Wall Street Records Roster, Aftermath Entertainment music label - G-Unit Records Roster

Read more here: » Aftermath Entertainment music label: Encyclopedia II - Aftermath Entertainment music label - Current roster

Shake Away the Stress

Osho Kundalini Meditation acts like an energetic shower, softly shaking you free of your day and leaving you refreshed and mellow, says Amrit Sadhana.

It lasts for one hour and has four stages, three with music, and the last one without it. The first three stages are to be done standing and the last one, lying down

(See also: Meditation Techniques , Meditation, Meditation for Beginners, Meditation Techniques)

Read more here: » Meditation Techniques: Osho Kundalini Meditation

The legend states dances in the Indian subcontinent originated in the abode of Lord Shiva - the Himalayas, and the Himalayan Kingdome of Nepal - where he performed the tandava dance, and this indicates that dance traditions of Nepal are of very ancient origin. With altitudes and the ethnicity, dances of Nepal slightly change, in style as well as in the costume. Accompanying music and musical instruments also change in tune with the themes, which revolve round topics like crop harvestings, marriage rites, war stories, a lonely girl’s yearning for her love, and several other ...

See also:

Culture of Nepal, Culture of Nepal - Tribes & ethnic groups, Culture of Nepal - High Himalayas, Culture of Nepal - Temperate zone, Culture of Nepal - Terai region, Culture of Nepal - Music & dance, Culture of Nepal - Art & Craft, Culture of Nepal - Folklores & folktales, Culture of Nepal - Languages & literatures, Culture of Nepal - Religions & philosophy, Culture of Nepal - Festivals & celebrations, Culture of Nepal - Food and drink

Read more here: » Culture of Nepal: Encyclopedia II - Culture of Nepal - Music & dance

Egyptian music is a rich mixture of indigenous, Arabic, African and Western influences. As early as 4000 BC, ancient Egyptians were playing harps and flutes, as well as two indigenious instruments: the ney and the oud. However, there is no notation of Egyptian music before the 7th century AD, when Egypt became part of the Arab world. Percussion and vocal music became important at this time, which has remained an important part of Egyptian music today. From the 1970s, Egyptian pop music has become increasingly listened to, as has folk music from Eg ...

See also:

Culture of Egypt, Culture of Egypt - Language, Culture of Egypt -
Literature, Culture of Egypt - Religion, Culture of Egypt - Visual art, Culture of Egypt - Egyptian art in antiquity, Culture of Egypt - Egyptian art in modern times, Culture of Egypt - Science, Culture of Egypt - Ptolemy, Culture of Egypt - Eratosthenes, Culture of Egypt - Library of Alexandria, Culture of Egypt - Ahmed Hasan Zewail, Culture of Egypt - Egyptology, Culture of Egypt - Music and dance, Culture of Egypt - Cuisine

Read more here: » Culture of Egypt: Encyclopedia II - Culture of Egypt - Music and dance

Non-being Used to express the condition of things in pralaya, preceding manifestation. It corresponds to the Sanskrit asat, while sat corresponds to Being. Yet both non-being and a-sat are frequently used for non-existence.

It is philosophically questionable to bracket non-being with the Absolute, or again to bracket Absolute with Being (though the latter is often justifiable) as the words absolute, being, and non-being do not correspond to infinity; for Absolute corresponds to the Sanskrit mukti or moksha, that which is freed from manifested existence; whereas infinitude comprehends both nonmanifestation and manifestation, being and non-being, sat and asat, the absolute and the bound. One of the best correspondences to infinity is the term coined by Blavatsky: Be-ness, or pure abstract attributeless esse.

Non-being signifies the condition of the universe during pralaya, and the spiritual principles of the universe may then be said to be in their absolute condition or state, or in paranirvana; equally being in its most abstract sense can correspond to absolute. Hence it is correct to use non-being as the state of high spirituality of a being or entity in paranirvana; thus the phrase "the bliss of non-being."

(See also: Non-being , Mysticism, Mysticism Dictionary)

For more dictionary entries, see » Spiritual Music Dictionary

Nastika (Sanskrit) [from na not + astika one who believes in the existence of the orthodox exoteric divinity and divinities]

One who rejects the orthodox and exoteric religious teachings concerning the divinities, and who in consequence is apt to be called an atheist by orthodox exotericists. As all such orthodox exotericism really consists, at least in very large measure, in looking upon the divinities in the universe as objects of adoration, much after the manner in which the populace worships idols, hence nastika can likewise be considered to mean one who rejects idols, including every anthropomorphic god.

In this sense every genuine occultist is a nastika, although every occultist will affirm the existence of divinities, gods, spiritual beings, or dhyani-chohans -- call them by what name is preferred -- in the universe, stating indeed that the universe is filled full with divinities or essentially spiritual beings in the myriad stages of evolutionary development.

But the occultist, while revering the more grandly spiritual hierarchies of these divinities, worships or adores none of them, reserving his unspeakably deep reverence for that nameless ineffable mystery which is beyond, above, and within the boundless All, and therefore is not only unspeakable but unthinkable.

(See also: Nastika , Mysticism, Mysticism Dictionary)

For more dictionary entries, see » Spiritual Music Dictionary

Choir - Professional choirs. Antioch Chamber Ensemble (external link) BBC Singers (external link) Chanticleer Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir Netherlands Chamber Choir Norman Luboff Choir Mattaniah Christian Male Choir Phoenix Bach Choir (external link) Red Army Choir Philippine madrigal singers (Winner in the European Grand Prix Du Chant Choral 1997) Voice of Miracle (Blessed ...

See also:

Choir, Choir - Structure of choirs, Choir - Layout on stage, Choir - Skills involved in choral singing, Choir - Historical overview of choral music, Choir - Medieval music, Choir - Renaissance music, Choir - Baroque music, Choir - Classical and Romantic music, Choir - 20th and 21st centuries, Choir - Famous choirs, Choir - Professional choirs, Choir - Amateur choirs, Choir - College choirs, Choir - Children's choirs, Choir - Church choirs, Choir - Shouting choirs

Read more here: » Choir: Encyclopedia II - Choir - Famous choirs

fifth house

Segment of the horoscope ruling love, children, speculation

(See also: Fifth house , Body Mind and Soul)

For more dictionary entries, see » Spiritual Music Dictionary

The Shakers considered music to be an essential component of the religious experience, and created some of the most tuneful, idiosyncratic, and utterly singable music in American history. In Shaker society, a spiritual "gift" could also be a musical revelation, and they considered it to be important to record these musical inspirations as they occurred. Scribes, many of whom had no formal musical training, used a form of music notation for this purpose: it used letters of the alphabet, often not positioned on a staff, along with a simple notation of conventional rhythmic values. This method has a curious, and coincidental, similari ...

See also:

Shakers, Shakers - Origin of the name, Shakers - Wardley predecessors, Shakers - Ann Lee, Shakers - First Shaker society, Shakers - Communalism under Joseph Meacham, Shakers - Expansion and Contraction, Shakers - Communal spiritual family, Shakers - Revelations and visions, Shakers - Culture of work, Shakers - Culture and artifacts, Shakers - Shaker music, Shakers - Modern-day Shakers, Shakers - Shaker Trust, Shakers - Reference

Read more here: » Shakers: Encyclopedia II - Shakers - Shaker music

In song writing, a bridge is an interlude that connects two parts of that song, building a harmonic connection between those parts. If when you expect a verse or a chorus you get something that is musically and lyrically different from both verse and chorus then that's the bridge. Normally you should have heard the verse at least twice. The bridge may then replace the 3rd verse or follow it thus delaying the chorus. In both cases it leads into the chorus. ...

See also:

Song structure popular music, Song structure popular music - Verse, Song structure popular music - Chorus, Song structure popular music - Bridge, Song structure popular music - AABA form, Song structure popular music - Variation on the basic structure, Song structure popular music - Twelve bar blues and other chord progressions

Read more here: » Song structure popular music: Encyclopedia II - Song structure popular music - Bridge

The development of music among humans occurred against the backdrop of natural sounds. It was, in all probability, influenced by birdsong and the sounds other animals use to communicate. Some evolutionary biologists have theorized that the ability to recognize sounds not created by humans as "musical" provides a selective advantage. (See animal music.) Prehistoric music, once more commonly called primitive music, is the name given ...

See also:

History of music, History of music - Prehistoric music, History of music - Music in cradles of civilizations, History of music - Classical traditions, History of music - Asia, History of music - Europe, History of music - Timeline of Classical Composers' Music, History of music - Folk music, History of music - Popular music, History of music - Popular and classical musics, History of music - Blues, History of music - Country music, History of music - Jazz, History of music - Rock and roll, History of music - Punk Rock, History of music - Heavy metal, History of music - Disco funk hip hop salsa and soul, History of music - Electronic music, History of music - World music, History of music - New Age music

Read more here: » History of music: Encyclopedia II - History of music - Prehistoric music

Hermaphrodite (from Greek Hermes + Aphrodite)

The form and typical nature of both the god and goddess in one individual. Androgyne also relates to a dual-sexed human being. Thus, the hermaphrodite imbodies nature's universal polarity on its lower planes, which polarity is an emanation from the non-dual or non-bipolar mental and spiritual realms. In an abstract sense, this is a personification of the universal polarity in nature on its lower planes, wherein the so-called masculine and feminine principles are the opposing but coordinating agencies, often called positive and negative, in their creative and generative aspects.

"The ancients taught the, so to speak, auto-generation of the Gods: the one divine essence, unmanifested, perpetually begetting a second-self, manifested, which second-self, androgynous in its nature, gives birth in an immaculate way to everything macro- and micro-cosmical in this universe" (SD 1:398).

Attention is drawn to the philosophic need of making a sharp distinction between what Blavatsky has called primary creation and secondary creation, the former referring to the one divine unity in which all later manifesting hierarchies primordially inhere as One; whereas the secondary creation or stage in cosmic evolution begins with the fourth stage or fourth cosmic plane beneath the former, where polarity, duality, and the consequent emanational elaboration of the universe into its hierarchical structures begins. Thus through emanational cosmic evolution the One breaks through its two aspects of parabrahman and mulaprakriti into the cosmically androgyne and phenomenal finite manifested universe.

The asexual procreative methods of the early root-races had evolved to the hermaphroditic status in the early and middle third root-race. The present conditions of sex will also pass away in due course of time after ages of experience as man and woman shall have brought forth the innate masculine and feminine aspects of the human ego. The human race in the course of millions of years will become dual-sexed and finally sexless.

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

For more dictionary entries, see » Spiritual Music Dictionary

The history of modern Slovenian music can be traced back to the 5th century, when Christianity spread in the Duchy of Carantania. Liturgical hymns (kyrie eleison) were introduced, and became the first plainchant to make a connection to the peoples' language. During the midieval era, secular music was as popular as church music, including wandering minnesingers. By the time of Protestant Reformation in the 16th century, music was used to proselytize. The first Slovenian hymnal, Eni Psalmi, was published in 1567. This peri ...

See also:

Music of Slovenia, Music of Slovenia - History

Read more here: » Music of Slovenia: Encyclopedia II - Music of Slovenia - History

The word "minimalism" was first used in relation to music in 1968 by Michael Nyman in a review of Cornelius Cardew's piece The Great Digest. Nyman later expanded his definition of minimalism in music in his 1974 book Experimental Music: Cage and Beyond. Tom Johnson, one of the few composers to self-identify as minimalist, also claims to have been first to use the word as new music critic for the Village Voice. He describes "minimalism" (1989, p. 5): "The idea of minimalism is much larger than most people realize. I ...

See also:

Minimalist music, Minimalist music - Brief history, Minimalist music - Minimalist style in music, Minimalist music - Critical reception of minimalism, Minimalist music - Criticisms of minimalism, Minimalist music - Critical supporters of minimalism, Minimalist music - Minimalist composers, Minimalist music - Rock bands influenced by minimalism, Minimalist music - Sources

Read more here: » Minimalist music: Encyclopedia II - Minimalist music - Brief history

Billy Graham has received the Congressional Gold Medal; the Templeton Foundation Prize for Progress in Religion; and the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation Freedom Award for contributions to the cause of faith and freedom. He has received the Big Brother of the Year Award for his work on behalf of the welfare of children. He has been cited by the George Washington Carver Memorial Institute for his contributions to race relations. He has also been recognized by the Anti-Defamation League of the B'nai B'rith and the National Conference of Christians and Jews for his efforts ...

See also:

Billy Graham, Billy Graham - Biography, Billy Graham - Ministry, Billy Graham - Politics, Billy Graham - Books, Billy Graham - Awards and Honors, Billy Graham - Quotes, Billy Graham - Controversy

Read more here: » Billy Graham: Encyclopedia II - Billy Graham - Awards and Honors