Glossary of Spiritual and Religious Words

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Age of Aquarius

On February 4, 1962, when the Age of Aquarius arrived, humanity entered into a very new situation. With the new celestial influence we saw the arrival of a huge shift in society: mass rebellion against the old ways, sexual experimentation, giant social earthquakes shaking up all the old traditions. We also saw the arrival in the West of a strong spiritual longing, and deep thirst for true, authentic spiritual experience. These two elements: 1) rebellion to tradition and 2) thirst for spiritual knowledge are a direct effect of the influence of Aquarius, the most revolutionary sign of the zodiac. Aquarius is the Water Carrier, whose occult significance is Knowledge, the bringer of Knowledge. With the new age came a sudden revealing of all the hidden knowledge. The doors to the mysteries were thrown open so that humanity can save itself from itself. Of course, the Black Lodge, ever-eager to mislead humanity, has produced so much false spirituality and so many false schools that it is very difficult to find the real and genuine Path.

Age of Maitreya

A Buddhist term referring to the new Aquarian Era, which began in 1964.

"The Age of Maitreya is the age of association and confraternity among all human beings." - Samael Aun Weor, Kundalini Yoga: The Mysteries of the Fire

Age of Pisces

The previous cosmic age or era, in which humanity was sunk into deep spiritual darkness.

"The Age of Pisces was conservative, regressive, and retarded." - Samael Aun Weor, Tarot and Kabbalah

"The Age of Pisces should not have been a failure as it really was.  The causa causorum of the Piscine failure was due to certain tenebrous elements who betrayed Gnosis and preached certain Agnostic or Anti-Gnostic Doctrines, underestimating the Fish, discarding the religious wisdom and sinking humanity into materialism." - Samael Aun Weor, The Esoteric Treatise of Hermetic Astrology

Aggregates

(Sanskrit skandha, Tibetan pungpo nga) Literally “group, pile, aggregate, heap.” A general term of Buddhist philosophy describing the basic faculties of a sentient being or “personality.”

1. Corporeality or form (rupa)

2. Sensation (vedana)

3. Perception (samjana)

4. Mental Formations (samskara)

5. Consciousness (vijnana)

Each aggregate is composed of a combination of factors and parts, which implies that it does not have independent existence. This is the basis for the Buddhist argument that there is no independently existing self.

The Skandhas relate to five lower bodies or sephiroth.

1. Physical Body (Malkuth)

2. Ethereal Body (Yesod; made of four ethers and vibrating with Tattvic energy)

3. Lunar Astral/Emotional Body (Hod): the body of desires

4. Lunar Mental Body (Netzach)

5. Essence or Consciousness (Tiphereth)

It is said in Buddhism that our suffering comes from the attachments and cravings that reside within the skandhas, or in other words, the egos live within the psyche of the terrestrial man. The bodies of the soul (skandhas) must be cleaned and purified through alchemical birth and psychological death. This work is done by the Cosmic Christ within the Bodhisattva, as clearly symbolized in the Prajnaparamita Sutra:

The Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara (Cosmic Christ)
while moving in the deep course of Perfect Understanding (Binah)
shed light on the five Skandhas (the light of transmuted fire)
and found them equally empty [of self]. (because the fire destroys the egos)
After this penetration, he overcame all pain. (Resurrection)

In Gnosis, the term aggregates is usually used in reference to impermanent and inhuman psychological "I's" ("egos" or defects) that fill the lower levels of consciousness and trap the psyche in suffering. Aggregates are psychological elements created by means of desire. Each aggregate traps a certain percentage of consciousness, which when freed through the destruction of the aggregate, results in the awakening of consciousness in a positive manner. In synthesis, a psychic aggregate is a positive or negative value that is the source of suffering. See also ego, defect, "I."

Agharti

"The Kingdom of Agharti is found in the subterranean caverns of the Earth. The Earth is hollow and the network of caverns constitute Agharti. The Genie of the Earth (Melchisedec) lives in Agharti with a group of survivors from Lemuria and Atlantis. The Goros, powerful Lords of life and death work with Melchisedec. The whole ancient Wisdom of the centuries has been recorded on Stone within the Kingdom of Agharti."- Samael Aun Weor, The Pistis Sophia Unveiled

AGLA

1. (Hebrew אגלא) Atah Gibor Le-olam Adonai,"You, O Lord, are mighty forever."

2. "AGLA (American Gnostic Liberation Action) is constituted by the triangle ALAS-Gnosis-Sivananda Aryabarta Ashrama. These are three powerful, united movements that propagate Gnosis. Throughout the world, they teach the Gnostic esoterism of our adorable Savior of the world.If after reading this book you wish to enter AGLA, you must write to us. Not a single letter will remain without answer.  AGLA is formed by millions of people in the west, as well as in the east.  AGLA is forming the world salvation army. The supreme chief of AGLA is Jesus Christ." - Samael Aun Weor, The Aquarian Message

Agni

(Sanskrit) One of the most ancient symbols in the world, representing the source and power of the sun, lightning, and fire. The Rig Veda states that all the Gods are centered in Agni (fire).

Ahamkara

(Sanskrit, also ahankara) "The conception of "I," self-consciousness or self-identity; the "I," the egotistical and mayavic principle in man, due to our ignorance which seperates our "I" from the Universal One-self Personality, egoism." - from the Theosophical Glossary. Ahamsara is then the dissolution of the "I"...

"To truly eliminate the Ahamkara Bhava, the egoic condition from our consciousness, would be absolutely impossible if we commit the crime of forgetting our own Divine Mother Kundalini." - Samael Aun Weor, The Gnostic Magic of the Runes 

Ahamsara

"Ahamsara, the karmic remnants of the Gods, are precisely those phantom-like “I’s.” - The Esoteric Course of Kabbalah

Ahi

(or Ah-hi; Sanskrit) In ancient literature, Ahi can have many meanings depending upon usage: a snake, the serpent of the sky, the demon Vritra, a cloud, water, the sun, a traveller, the navel, lead, or (in arithmetic) the number eight. In Theosophy, the term Ah-hi is defined as “the serpents or dragons of wisdom,” a reference to realized Beings.  In the Germanic Eddas, the Dragon is called Ahti.

Aima

(Hebrew, אימא ; אם “mother”) A Kabbalistic name of the Divine Feminine or Goddess.

"This is Binah, which is called 'the fiftieth year,' and also called "Ima." - The Zohar

An unfoldment of Ruach Ha Kadosh (the Holy Spirit) Binah (understanding). Aima is the Mother of Shechinah (feminine Hebrew word that means “the dwelling of the presence of God” - Chesed - Mercy), Gedulah is conceived by Aima Elohim when fecundated by the Holy Spirit Binah (Jehovah Elohim). She creates the lower Sephiroth by means of the Initiations of Chesed. Thereafter, she may conceive in her womb Chokmah (as the Son of Man, Christ).

In Greek “Aima” means blood either in humans or rational or irrational animals, it is also metaphorically referred to as juice of grapes, or specifically to the blood of Christ. 

Ain

(Hebrew אין) The first aspect of the primordial Absolute or Emptiness.

"AIN is the same as SAT in Sanskrit, in other words, the Unmanifested Absolute." - Samael Aun Weor, Tarot and Kabbalah

"The Thirteenth Aeon, which is beyond the Twelve Gates, is Ain, Sat, the Unmanifested One. Knocking on the Thirteenth Gate is equivalent to entering the bosom of the Cosmic Common Eternal Father, whose Hebraic name is Aelohim." - Samael Aun Weor, The Pistis Sophia Unveiled

Ain Soph

(Hebrew אין סוף) Alternatively Ein Sof or Ayn Sof.

"AIN SOPH is the second aspect (of the Absolute); it is where a certain manifestation already exists... A divine Ray exists within the human being. That Ray wants to return back into its own Star that has always smiled upon it. The Star that guides our interior is a super divine Atom from the Abstract Absolute Space. The Kabbalistic name of that Atom is the sacred Ain Soph." - Samael Aun Weor, Tarot and Kabbalah

Ain Soph Aur

(Hebrew) The third aspect of the primordial Absolute or Emptiness.

"Each Universe in infinite space possesses its own central Sun, and the addition of all of those Spiritual Suns constitutes the AIN SOPH AUR, the Protocosmos, the Solar Absolute." - Tarot and Kabbalah

Ain Soph Paranishpanna

"We must make a specific differentiation between the Ain Soph and the Ain Soph Paranishpanna: In the Ain Soph, interior Self-realization does not exist, but in the Ain Soph Paranishpanna, interior Self-realization does exist." - Tarot and Kabbalah

Ajna Chakra

(Sanskrit) The Pituitary Chakra that is connected to the Pituitary Gland of the physical body. It is recognized in the astral body as a lotus with two petals. A developed Ajna Chakra enables Clairvoyance. Also called the agni or agniya (fiery) chakra.

Akasha

(Sanskrit) Literally, "space." From akash, "to be visible, appear, shine, be brilliant."

"A subtle agent that penetrates and permeates the whole space." - Samael Aun Weor, The Perfect Matrimony

The most subtle level of matter. The solar light comes to earth and everything on earth transforms that light. Prana is the light from the Absolute. When it passes through the Heptaparaparshinokh it becomes the Akasha. Akasha is further modified into the tattvas and the elements.

Akasha is the name of the first tattva, the primordial substance that inundates the entire space; all the other tattva (Fire-Tejas, Air-Vayu, Water-Apas and Earth-Prithvi) are modifications of these cosmic waters, all of them live and work within Akasha. All forms, thoughts, dreams and ideas of the universe live in Akasha. There is no living thing in the universe that can exist without Akasha or multiply its species without it. Akasha is the substance from which every other substance emerges; Akasha is that which every other tattva emerges from; Akasha is where everything is in potency, and Akasha is where everything is in activity. Thus, Akasa appears in various positions. Wherever there is any room for any substance, there is Akasha.

Akashic Records

A record of memory of the earth, its races, etc. It is possible to access past, present, and future events within these records, available in the internal planes.

Alaya

(Sanskrit, a, "not"; laya, from the verb-root li, "to dissolve"; hence Alaya means "the indissoluble.")  (alaya-vijnana; in Tibetan: k∏nshi namshe) In the Mahayana Yogachara school, the ground consciousness or storehouse consciousness, the base consciousness of everything that exists, from which everything arises. It is said to contain the seeds or germs of experience.

"Alaya is the Anima Mundi of Plato, the Super-Soul of Emerson, submitted to incessant periodical changes. Alaya is in itself eternal and immutable; however, it suffers tremendous changes during the Mahamanvantaric manifestation. The Yogacharyas from the Mahayana school state that Alaya is the personification of the Illuminating Void. It is unquestionable that Alaya is the living foundation of the seven cosmos…" - Cosmic Teachings of a Lama

Alchemical Birth

To be "born again" as explained by Jesus to Nicodemus (John 3) "of water and of the Spirit" through the science of Alchemy; this birth is realized through the creation and subsequent perfection of the Soul. See also Alchemy.

Alchemy

Al (as a connotation of the Arabic word Allah: al-, the + ilah, God) means "The God." Also Al (Hebrew) for "highest" or El "God." Chem or Khem is from kimia (Greek) which means "to fuse or cast a metal." Also from Khem, the ancient name of Egypt. The synthesis is Al-Kimia: "to fuse with the highest" or "to fuse with God."

In Alchemy, it is symbolically stated that there exist Five Atomic Ingredients with a Unitive Cement in order to acquire such fusion: Seed, Honey, Wine, Bread and Milk.

Seed: Represents the Ens Seminis, the masculine and feminine creative energy.

Honey: wisely represents the Bartholin glands or greater vestibular glands. These are two glands located slightly below and on both sides of the vaginal opening in women. They secrete mucus to provide lubrication, especially when the woman is sexually aroused, thus facilitating sexual activity.

Wine: Is the same Ens Seminis, transmuted or elevated to a higher scale of vibration by means of the alchemical transmutation, which is magisterially symbolized in the biblical narration of the transmutation of water into wine in the weddings of Canaan of Galilee.

Bread: it is a clear reference to the Solar Bodies, the Existential Vehicles of the Being; the outcome of the Alchemical Work.

Milk: Symbol of the Developed Virtues.

 

: A word, as won't from will not, or phrase,

Aleph

[א] The first letter of the Hebrew alphabet, it symbolizes the element air. Its Kabbalistic numerical value is 1. Aleph is one of the three mother letters (אמש).

Ambrosia

In Greek mythology, ambrosia is food and drink with which the Olympian gods preserved their immortality; a symbol of sexual energy. Also known in India as Soma and in the Judeo-Christian scriptures as Manna.

Amen

In Hebrew letters, Amen is spelled אמן Aleph, Mem, Nun, and is a synthesis of El Melech Naaman, which in Hebrew means “God, the faithful king” (El for Aleph, Melech for Mem, and Naaman for Nun). Derived from Amen-Ra (Egyptian).

Amenti

(Egyptian) Esoterically and literally, the dwelling of the God Amen. A reference to the Underworld.