The All Seeing Eye
The 'All Seeing Eye' has also been known as The Eye Of Providence, and is thought to have been derived from the earlier Eye of Horus from Egyptian mythology, which has been equated with both Ra and Osiris.
The image we have shown is of the Christianised version, which first started to appear in the 17th century CE as an eye in the clouds. The triangle is a more recent addition, but it is not clear just when it was added.
It is used in Freemasonry and by the Rosicrucians to signify that god watches over all of us.
In Islam, it can be used as a representation of the Dajjal, who only has one good eye, and who is an anti-messiah.
And in popular culture, it has been used as part of the US 1 dollar bill, and in the logo for MI5, as well as in the logo for Steve Jackson Games.
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Manaia (Maori)
This is an ancient mythical being that is used in many Maori designs, and is a bird-like figure. It is usually shown in profile, to indicate that it is half in the real world and half in the spirit world, as is appropriate for a messenger that travels between the two worlds.
As an amulet, it is a guardian against evil and provides protection over land, air and water. It's design can vary tremendously, as each tribe had their own variant, and is usually carved from bone or jade.
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Hunab Ku (Mayan)
Hunab Ku was the supreme god of the Mayans, and was represented by the sun. He represents balanced forces and perfection, and he rebuilt the world 3 times after a sky serpent brought forth 3 deluges.
There are no images of the god, as he was considered to be without form, but the symbol shows the balance that he represents by being similar to the Yin-Yang symbol in having the dark and light halves matching each other.
It is thought that Hunab Ku may have been the result of the Christian conquering of the Mayans by the Spanish, as some reports suggest that prior to this they had no concept of a supreme god, but instead had a true multiplicity of gods.
In modern culture, Hunab Ku has been used as a character in the Marvel Comics universe, with powers similar to those of Odin and Zeus.
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The Ankh
The Ankh comes to us from ancient Egypt, where it was used as a symbol of life (though there have been some alternate theories about it, such as it representing a sandal strap, or as a symbol of sunrise). However, there have been numerous depictions of the symbol being passed to mortals from the gods (such as Hathor and Osiris), making the 'life' meaning more likely.
It has also been suggested that it represents both male and female sexuality (the top loop representing female, and the remainder male), and as the union of male and female results in new life this would reinforce the idea of the symbol representing the continuation of life.
It has also been known as the Key of the Nile, and as such is associated with Imkotep who was physician to the Pharoah's.
As the symbol looks vaguely key-like, it has also been considered that the Ankh could unlock the gates of death, and this has been taken up by more modern groups such as the Rosicrucians.
After the end of the Egyptian Pharaoh's, the Coptic Church adapted the Ankh by making the top loop circular, making the Crux Ansata, to represent life after death.
As a solar symbol, most metal Ankhs were crafted from gold - silver (a lunar metal) has almost never been found in this shape until more recent times, when the symbolism of the metal used was no longer known, or thought important. Other metals (such as highly polished copper) have been used, as have wood and gemstones (such as Lapis Lazuli).
In modern culture, the Ankh is often used in tattoos. Possibly the most bizarre usage is the Anorankh. This is a design that merges the ankh with an anorak, and is used by many fans of Terry Pratchett's Discworld books. An internet discussion had someone mistakingly use the word anorak instead of ankh, and Terry Pratchett liked the idea so much he commisioned a design of the Holy Anorankh, which is now worn by many fans.
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Chaos Magic
In brief, Chaos Magic is a method for changing both subjective and objective reality, using belief as the tool. It uses sigil magic extensively, but takes ideas from both other traditional magical traditions and from less traditional sources such as science fiction.
To quote writer Peter Carroll (one of the founders of Chaos Magic) "If you want a one-line definition with which most Chaosists would not disagree, then I offer the following: Chaosists usually accept the meta-belief that belief itself is only a tool for achieving effects; it is not an end in itself."
Why is it called Chaos Magic? It is magic because it's practitioners seek to affect themselves and the world around them by magical means. Chaos refers to the way this is done. It does not refer to the modern meaning of the word Chaos as in disorder, but to it's earlier (Greek) meaning of a vast gulf or chasm, as in the infinite darkness from which the universe grew. Therefore Chaos is a way to name and describe in a non-anthropomorphic way the state of the universe and whatever created it - something so non-human as to defy comprehension.
Chaos magic is neither black nor white. Chaosians consider magic to be nothing more than a tool. Like any tool, it depends upon who is using it, and for what reason.
It is also magic with a sense of humour. Laughter plays a large part in Chaos ritual, even to the extent of calling Tinky Winky, Dipsey, Laa-Laa and Po (the Teletubbies) for the quarters (done at a PF conference a few years ago) and invoking Bugs Bunny as a trickster god.
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Yin Yang
This symbol is known as Taijitu, where the dark area represents the forces of dark (yin) and the light area represents the forces of light (yang). These two forces are at the same time opposing and complementary, and indicate the dual nature of the universe (the universe itself is represented by the outer circle). Each of the two forces also contains within it a seed of it's opposite (the smaller dots), to remind us that neither dark nor light can exist without the other.
Yin (dark) is representative of all that would be dark, passive, weak, cold, submission, female and the moon.
Yang (light) represents all that is light, active, strong, hot, dominance, male and the sun.
There are 4 'laws' of Yin-Yang -
- They are Opposing - they represent the 2 opposites that make a whole.
- They are Mutually Rooted - they are complementary, that is both are needed to make a whole. For example a year is not complete unless it has both yin (autumn and winter) and yang (spring and summer).
- They Mutually Transform - each will be followed by the other. For example, during the year yang (spring and summer) will always follow yin (autumn and winter), and vice-versa.
- They Mutually Wax and Wane - each will wax and wane in opposition with the other. For example, during the year yang waxes during the spring and early summer (as the days get lighter) while yin wanes.
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The Faerie tradition
This is the Elven Star (also known as the Faerie Star) which is regularly used in the same way as a pentacle is used in Wicca. The 7 points correspond to the 7 directions (north, south, east, west, above, below and within), the 7 elements (earth, air, fire, water, life, light and magic) and the 7 magical places (sun, moon, sea, sky, wind, wood and spirit).
The Faerie tradition (also spelt Fairy, Faery or Feri) is a Neopagan tradition that was founded by husband and wife team Victor and Cora Anderson, initially as a variant of Wicca, but now a complete path in it's own right. Each practitioner can bring their own elements to Feri (the currently preferred spelling by members of the tradition), and so it currently includes elements from Gardnerian Wicca, Tibetan Buddhism, Native American Shamanism, Greek Mythology and Welsh Mythology (this latter sometimes causes people to believe it must be a Celtic tradition, but it is not).
Like the more traditional Wicca, lineage is important to Feri. All groups should be able to trace it back to either Victor or Cora Anderson. The tradition also uses secret names and cords, as in some Wiccan traditions. However, it does not follow the Wiccan Rede, though it does hold that each person is responsible for their own actions.
Feri work on a concept of the 3 selves, and their rituals are keyed towards learning about those selves, with a strong emphasis on ecstatic and sensual energy. It is also about self improvement, not just at times of ritual but for everyday life as well. It is also concentrates on the actual 'doing' of things, rather than on knowledge for it's own sake.
While the deities that Feri follow are worshiped by other traditions, Feri groups them in a unique way. They also have a unique set of guardians, who do not always represent the same quarter or element at all times.
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Hecate's Wheel (Greek tradition)
This is the emblem of the Goddess Hecate (also spelt Hakate and Hekat) and is properly named the Strophalos of Hecate. The 3 loops within it signify her triple aspect of maiden, mother and crone. The symbol is generally used by those who practice Dianic or Hellenic traditions.
Although Hecate is usually depicted as having 3 faces, this was something that first appeared around the 5th century BCE. She is also commonly thought of as a Greek Goddess, but she appears in Hesiod's Theogony as a pre Greek Goddess possibly from Caria.
In common with her triple faced appearance, there are 3 titles that are usually associated with her.
- Goddess of the Crossroads - This comes from her original role as a goddess of wild untamed areas, so sacrifices were made to her at the bounderies of these areas, which were frequently at 3-way crossroads.
- Queen of the Witches - This derives from a number of archaeological finds of curse tablets using her name, and from a number of myths and tales especially relating to her as a Moon Goddess. It is thought that some of the refernces to Diana in the tale of Aradia are actually referring to Hecate, just using a name that the Italians found more familiar.
- Queen of the Dead - This comes from the belief that Hecate can control the junction between the real and spirit worlds, and can prevent or cause harm to cross the boundary between the 2 worlds. As such, graves became a place where she was often worshipped.
These associations can often cross from one aspect to another. For example as Queen of the Dead she is worshipped at graves. Witches were often buried at crossroads, so this then links directly to her title as Goddess of the Crossroads.
In popular culture, Hecate has been referred to in both Buffy the Vampire Slayer and in Charmed. She also appears in the Hellboy comics as Queen of the Witches.
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Reiki
Details still to be finalised
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Kabbala
The Kabbala originated as part of the Jewish traditions, and was based on the Tanakh, but has since been expanded and is now a school of thought in it's own right. Despite it's origins, people of any faith can follow Kabbala, as it is less a religion than a way of improving one's own spirit.
There are many different schools of thought within Kabbala, so it can be difficult to give a precise definition of the belief, but all agree that it is up to the inidividual to acheive enough self improvement to achieve the gifts from God that we are born to seek. In practice, this means letting go of the negative emotions such as jealousy and anger, and replacing them with positive emotions such as compassion and patience.
The symbol is the Kabbalistic tree of the 10 Sefirot, which are the emanatiosn from which God created the universe. These are Keter (will), Chochmah (wisdom), Binah (understanding), Chesed (loving kindness), Din (judgement), Tiferet (harmony), Netzach (victory), Hod (glory), Yesod (foundation), and Malchut (sovereignty).
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Pendulums and Divination
Details still to be finalised
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Herbs
Details still to be finalised
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Cernunnos
Details still to be finalised
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Crystals
Details still to be finalised
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Snake
Details still to be finalised
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