World Tree Dictionary

A tree that Mayans and other groups believe stands at the center of the cosmos and connects the lower, middle, and upper worlds.

(See also: world tree , Magic, Shamanism, Pagan Dictionary)

Tree A variant of the cross or tau, to be considered in connection with the serpent which is wound round it. The two together symbolize the world tree with the spiritual, intellectual, psychic, and psychological aggregate of forces encircling the world tree and working in and through it -- these forces often grouped in the Orient under the name of kundalini. In minor significance, the two together symbolize the life-waves, or any life-wave, passing through the planes, spirit circling through matter, fohat working in the kosmos. Thus the tree symbol stands for the universe, and correspondentially for man, in whom the monadic ray kindles activity on the several planes; while the physiological key of interpretation applies to the analogies in the human body with its various structures through which play the pranic currents.

The tree, by its form, represents evolution, for it begins with a root and spreads out into branches and twigs; only as applied to the kosmos the root is conceived to be on high and the branches to extend downwards. Thus there is the Asvattha tree of India or bodhi tree, the Norse Yggdrasil, the tree Ababel in the Koran, the Sephirothal Tree which is 'Adam Qadmon. In the Garden of Eden it is stated that there were two trees, the Tree of Life and the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, which signifies the two knowledges. It is said in Gnosticism that Ennoia (divine thought) and Ophis (serpent), as a unity, are the Logos; as separated they are the Tree of Life and the Tree of Knowledge, the former spiritual, the latter manasic. Adam eats the fruit of the Tree of Knowledge which means in one important allegory of human evolution that mankind after the separation of the sexes became endowed with manas, or that when humanity began to be endowed with dual manas, the rays then separated into the opposite sexes; and lest he should partake of the Tree of Life and become immortal, in the then imperfect state of evolution, he is turned out of Eden.

 It is stated that buddhi becomes transformed into the tree whose fruit is emancipation and which finally destroys the roots of the Asvattha, which here is the symbol of the mayavi life. This latter tree is also the emblem of secret and sacred knowledge, guarded by serpents or dragons; it may also refer to a sacred scripture. Dragons guarded the tree with the golden apples of the Hesperides; the trees of Meru were guarded by a serpent; Juno, on her wedding with Jupiter, gave him a tree with golden fruit, as Eve gave the fruit to Adam. Blavatsky says of Eve: "She it was who first led man to the Tree of Knowledge and made known to him Good and Evil; and if she had been left in peace to do quietly that which she wished to do, she would have conducted him to the Tree of Life and would thus have rendered him immortal" (La Revue Theosophique 2:10).

See also ASVATTHA, YGGDRASIL

Both adepts and sorcerers were called trees. Tree worship in decadent times degenerated into a variety of phallicism.

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

Meaning of dream with Snake from different traditions • In Indian tradition, moving snakes symbolize the stirring of kundalini. • In Freudian terms, snake is a phallic symbol. • Jung, however, interpreted snakes as symbolic of the conflict between conscious attitudes and instincts.

See also: Meaning of Dreams about Snake

Read more here: » Dreaming about snake: Meaning of Snake in a Dream

Trees of Life. From the highest antiquity trees were connected with the gods and mystical forces in nature.

Every nation had its sacred tree, with its peculiar characteristics and attributes based on natural, and also occasionally on occult properties, as expounded in the esoteric teachings. Thus the peepul or Ashvattha of India, the abode of Pitris (elementals in fact) of a lower order, became the Bo-tree or ficus religiosa of the Buddhists the world over, since Gautama Buddha reached the highest knowledge and Nirvana under such a tree. The ash tree, Yggdrasil, is the world-tree of the Norsemen or Scandinavians.

The banyan tree is the symbol of spirit and matter, descending to the earth, striking root, and then re-ascending heavenward again. The triple-leaved palasa is a symbol of the triple essence in the Universe - Spirit, Soul, Matter.

The dark cypress was the world-tree of Mexico, and is now with the Christians and Mahomedans the emblem of death, of peace and rest. The fir was held sacred in Egypt, and its cone was carried in religious processions, though now it has almost disappeared from the land of the mummies; so also was the sycamore, the tamarisk, the palm and the vine.

The sycamore was the Tree of Life in Egypt, and also in Assyria. It was sacred to Hathor at Heliopolis; and is now sacred in the same place to the Virgin Mary. Its juice was precious by virtue of its occult powers, as the Soma is with Brahmans, and Haoma with the Parsis. " The fruit and sap of the Tree of Life bestow immortality." A large volume might be written upon these sacred trees of antiquity, the reverence for some of which has survived to this day, without exhausting the subject.

(See also: Trees of Life , Theosophy, Spirituality, Body mind and Soul, Spiritual Dictionary,)

Carl-Johan Calleman, one of the leading authorities on the Mayan Calendar, presents a radical theory about the coming Venus Transit. Does the Venus Transit of 2004 relate to the Return of the Energy of Christ and of Quetzalcoatl? Quetzalcoatl is the serpent God of Ancient Mexico referred to by the Mayans as Kukulcan or Gugumatz and this article also explain the connection between the Energies of Christ and Quetzalcoatl.

Read more here: » Venus Transit & Quetzalcoatl: The Venus Transit and The Return of the Energy of Christ and of Quetzalcoatl

Yggdrasil (Scandianvian Norse). The "World Tree of the Norse Cosmogony; the ash Yggdrasil ; the tree of the Universe, of time and of life".

It has three roots, which reach down to cold Hel, and spread thence to Jotun heim, the land of the Hrimthurses, or " Frost Giants ", and to Midgard, the earth and dwelling of the children of men. Its upper boughs stretch out into heaven, and its highest branch overshadows Waihalla, the Devachan of the fallen heroes.

The Yggdrasil is ever fresh and green, as it is daily sprinkled by the Norns, the three fateful sisters, the Past, the Present, and the Future, with the waters of life from the fountain of Urd that flows on our earth. It will wither and disappear only on the day when the last battle between good and evil is fought ; when, the former prevailing, life, time and space pass out of life and space and time. Every ancient people had their world-tree.

The Babylonians had their "tree of life", which was the world-tree, whose roots penetrated into the great lower deep or Hades, whose trunk was on the earth, and whose upper boughs reached Zikum, the highest heaven above. Instead of in Walhalla, they placed its upper foliage in the holy house of Davkina, the "great mother" of Tammuz, the Saviour of the world - the Sun-god put to death by the enemies of light.

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

Bodhi Tree or Bo Tree The tree of wisdom or knowledge; the tree (Pippala or Ficus religiosa) "under which Sakyamuni meditated for seven years and then reached Buddhaship. It was originally 400 feet high, it is claimed; but when Hiouen-Tsang saw it, about the year 640 of our era, it was only 50 feet high. Its cuttings have been carried all over the Buddhist world and are planted in front of almost every Vihara or temple of fame in China, Siam, Ceylon, and Tibet" (TG 59).

This legend of the enormous height attained by the fig tree under which the Buddha obtained enlightenment, illustrates how soon the spiritual vision of the real meaning of the bodhi tree became involved in mythologic wonder.

While the historical legend of the Buddha obtaining omniscience under the bodhi tree may be correct historically, it is also a usage of the mystical language of the Mysteries -- Gautama attaining supreme wisdom and knowledge under the "wisdom tree" is but another way of saying that through initiation into the highest grades of the Mysteries, he reached the stage of buddhahood because he was already a buddha through inner evolution. Again, in India adepts of both the right- and left-hand were often referred to as trees, the path indicated by whether the tree named was beneficent or maleficent.

See also ASVATTHA

(See also: Bodhi Tree, Bo Tree , Mysticism, Mysticism Dictionary, Occultism, Occultism Dictionary)

Detailed description of how a Homa is performed.
During a homa, various rituals are performed successively in order to activate various energies and to also develop the right emotion to perform the homa. Some of these rituals are common and must be observed before every homa. After these rituals are performed, the main homa would begin wherein the rituals differ depending on which deity you invoke. The common rituals for all homas are described.

Read more here: » Homas: The different steps in a Homa and their significance

During the past decade interest in the Calendars of the Maya has dramatically increased world-wide. Ultimately, this increasing interest is derived from the fact that a new consciousness of time is now emerging. A New Age gives rise to a new consciousness of time which in turn requires a new calendar for this to be expressed. This new consciousness of time is today commonly experienced either as if time is accelerating, or that it simply disappears. Maybe, in fact, the idea that time is a quantity is on its way out. "Why is this?" we may ask. Is it merely an illusion of ours that time is running faster or has our highly developed technological society developed so effective means of tele communications that everything is speeding up to a point where things almost become unbearable?

Read more here: » Mayan Calendar: The Classical Mayan Tzolkin Count and the Dreamspell

AKASHA

The fifth tattwa (Hindu Element). The black egg of the spirit, i.e. the ether, whereby everything is written down. In the Akashic records, found on every plane, no event, however insignificant, goes unmarked. If time be not a closed, self-repeating cycle, then the Akashic Records are of infinite length, having no beginning. The Guardians of the Akashic records have been equated with Thoth and Hermes as well as with Mnemosyne and the Muses. These were the guardians of the Well of Memory, from which the initiate must drink. In Norse mythology, the Guardian of the Well of knowledge, beside the root of the world-tree, Yggdrasil, was Mimir (to whom Odin paid his eye).

HPB describes Akasha as "The Second Differentiation of evolving substance Chaos, Aether, Matter of the Monadic Plane...often used where chaos or aether would be indicated. Akasha is located in the sphere of Vibratory Sound, whence all auras derive.

Lest those who feel they have contributed positively or negatively to the Akashic records be prideful on the one hand or discouraged on the other, it should be understood that all such actions are dualistic and the expansion of the darkness automatically ensures the expansion of the light and vice-versa.

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

Sacred Places: Tree Of Knowledge Can Liberate You

Siddhartha Gautam roamed in search of the secret of sorrow and suffering. At Gaya, a village on the banks of the river Niranjana in Bihar, he sat in silent contemplation under a banyan tree.

He attained enlightenment there, and became known as the Buddha. The spot began to be referred to as the Throne of Wisdom, and the banyan tree is now known as the Eternal Wisdom Tree, the Akshaya Bodhibriksha .

Read more here: » Sacred Places: Tree Of Knowledge Can Liberate You

There are many different asana s (postures) in yoga, which you can practise at any time of the day with excellent benefits. However, best results can be obtained only by doing yoga under expert guidance. Here's a listing of the commonly practised asanas with both the name of the asana in sanskrit and in english.

Read more here: » Yoga: Major Types of Asanas - Yoga Positions

Ashwattha: The pipal (sacred fig) tree, the eternal tree of life whose roots are in heaven. The "world tree" in the sense of the axis of the earth and even of the cosmos.

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

Creating Sacred Space In Your Home

Many modern Celtic pagans today are faced with a difficult question: how can I bring my religion into my home? Whether we live in a dormitory, an apartment, a duplex or a mansion, most of us like to have our homes reflect our personalities and the things we are interested in, and that includes our spiritual practices, but many of us don't have back yards in which to practice and set up more permanent shrines, or 24/7 access to our favorite places in nature. For some, just setting up an altar somewhere in the home is either undesirable, unachievable or just not enough.

Read more here: » SacredSpace: Creating Sacred Space In Your Home

According to Carl Johan Calleman, The forthcoming Venus Transit will coincide with dramatic changes for Islam; “In this new light created by the unification of Venus with the sun, only those aspects of Islam that fully embrace the feminine and the “unbelievers” will be able to survive.”

Read more here: » Venus Transit: A World Shift favouring the East and the Feminine and the disintegration of Islam

Christian Meditation: Trinity Divine and the Holy Streams 

"You have learnt that the laws of the Son of Man are seven. Now you shall know of the mystery of the three Holy Streams and the ancient way to traverse them; so shall you bathe in the light of heaven and at last behold the revelation of the mystery of mysteries: the law of God, which is One."

---The Teachings of The Elect from The Essene Gospel of Peace

This quote from one of JesusÕ little-known teachings provides not only a metaphor but also a much deeper insight as how to approach meditation.

Read more here: » Christian Meditation: Trinity Divine and the Holy Streams Trinity Divine and the Holy Streams

Assyrian Tree of Life. "Asherah" (q.v.). It is translated in the Bible by "grove " and occurs 30 times. It is called an "idol"; and Maachah, the grandmother of Asa, King of Jerusalem, is accused of having made for herself such an idol, which was a lingham. For centuries this was a religious rite in Judea.

But the original Asherah was a pillar with seven branches on each side surmounted by a globular flower with three projecting rays, and no phallic stone, as the Jews made of it, but a metaphysical symbol. "Merciful One, who dead to life raises! was the prayer uttered before the Asherah, on the banks of the Euphrates. The "Merciful One", was neither the personal god of the Jews who brought the "grove" from their captivity, nor any extra- cosmic god, but the higher triad in man symbolized by the globular flower with its three rays.

(See also: Assyrian Tree of Life , Theosophy, Spirituality, Body mind and Soul, Spiritual Dictionary,)

Bee(Bees) Greek and Roman writers, having in mind the terminology of the Mysteries, used the term bees (melissai) to denote both priestesses and women disciples. Thus it was used for the priestesses of Delphi and other Mysteries, and by the Neoplatonists for pure and chaste persons. Honey and nectar are symbols of wisdom.

Vergil says that bees have a portion of the divine mind, from which aethereal particles stream, and that divinity permeates the whole earth so that all beings draw from it the streams of life (Georgics 4, 320). The spiritual or monadic consciousness (the nous) manifests itself in innumerable ways, and this same consciousness is in man. A little later Vergil says that bees are born from the carcass of a slain bullock or bull.

The bull or cow is a symbol of the moon, and the moon has always stood as a symbol of the psychic intelligence or lower human mind; thus the meaning is that out of his perfectly subordinated ("slain") bull -- the lunar body or psychic nature -- is born the "bee" of the disciple, the will and the urge to enter into the solar life or the spirit. In the Finnish mythology of the Kalevala, a bee is the messenger between this world and higher realms. In Scandinavian mythology bees again play an important part with the world tree (Yggdrasil).

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

Asgard, Asgard (Icelandic) (from ass god + gardr yard, home, stronghold)

The home of the Aesir, creative deities in the Norse Eddas. The Aesir were ousted from their celestial abode by the Vanir (Swedish Vaner) who remain in divine spheres while the Aesir inspirit living worlds. Asgard is separated from Midgard (middle court, the home of humanity) by the rivers Ifing (doubt) and Tund (time) and by a wall of purging fire.

Within its sacred precincts, the Aesir and Asynjor (gods and goddesses) meet to assess the previous life of the world tree and to determine their course for the future. The Lay of Odin's Corpse give insight into the gods' council following the death of a planet, and their difficulty in extracting the essence of that experience.

The shelf (plane) called Gladsheim (gladhome), where Asgard is situated, is also the locale of Valhalla, where Odin's "One-harriers" feast on the three boars and the mead of earth experience before returning to the fray against the powers of darkness and ignorance.

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

Tree of Life: Cabalism, at least in the Western occult tradition, is built around a diagram called the Tree of Life. This diagram contains ten circles representing the Sephiroth (singular: Sephirah); that is, the "spheres," "numbers," or "emanations." The Sephiroth are the numbers 1 through 10 considered in their archetypal sense. Each Sephirah is an archetypal idea. Also, the Sephiroth represent emanations from God and describe the process of creation. In the material world, they represent the heavenly spheres according to the classical conception.

(See also: Tree of Life , Magic, Shamanism, Paganism, Wicca)