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Esotericism

Esotericism
Esotericism (or esoterism) signifies the holding of esoteric opinions or beliefs,[1] that is, ideas preserved or understood by a small group of those specially initiated, or of rare or unusual interest.[2] The term derives from the Greek, either from the comparative ἐσώτερος (esôteros), "inner", or from its derived adjective ἐσωτερικός (esôterikos), "pertaining to the innermost".[3] The term can also refer to the academic study of esoteric religious movements and philosophies, or to the study of those religious movements and philosophies whose proponents distinguish their beliefs, practices, and experiences from mainstream exoteric and more dogmatic institutionalized traditions.[4] Although esotericism refers to an exploration of the hidden meanings and symbolism in various philosophical, historical, and religious texts, the texts themselves are often central to mainstream religions. For example, the Bible and the Torah are considered esoteric material.[7] Etymology[edit] Definition[edit] Related:  -

Indigo children Indigo children, according to a pseudoscientific New Age concept, are children who are believed to possess special, unusual and sometimes supernatural traits or abilities.[4] The idea is based on concepts developed in the 1970s by Nancy Ann Tappe[5] and further developed by Jan Tober and Lee Carroll. The concept of indigo children gained popular interest with the publication of a series of books in the late 1990s and the release of several films in the following decade. A variety of books, conferences and related materials have been created surrounding belief in the idea of indigo children and their nature and abilities. Although no scientific studies give credibility to the existence of indigo children or their traits, the phenomenon appeals to some parents whose children have been diagnosed with learning disabilities and to parents seeking to believe that their children are special. Origins[edit] Sarah W. Claimed characteristics[edit] Descriptions of indigo children include:

Fantastic art Fantastic art is a broad and loosely-defined art genre.[1] It is not restricted to a specific school of artists, geographical location or historical period. It can be characterised by subject matter - which portrays non-realistic, mystical, mythical or folkloric subjects or events - and style, which is representational and naturalistic, rather than abstract - or in the case of magazine illustrations and similar, in the style of graphic novel art such as manga. The subject matter of Fantastic Art may resemble the product of hallucinations, and Fantastic artist Richard Dadd spent much of his life in mental institutions. The term Fantasy Art is closely related, and is applied primarily to recent art (typically 20th century onwards) often based around, or illustrating, fantasy literature. Fantastic art has traditionally been largely confined to painting and illustration, but since the 1970s has increasingly been found also in photography. Related genres[edit] 20th Century[edit] See also[edit]

DarkCopy - Simple, full screen text editing Exoteric Exoteric refers to knowledge that is outside of, and independent from, a person's experience and is capable of being ascertained by anyone (related to common sense). It is distinguished from internal esoteric knowledge. "Exoteric" relates to external reality as opposed to a person's thoughts or feelings. It is knowledge that is public as opposed to secret or cabalistic. Philosophical context[edit] Most philosophical and religious belief systems presume that reality must be independent of what an individual makes of it. In his book entitled The Book of Five Rings, the Japanese swordsmaster Miyamoto Musashi noted that when he teaches people martial arts, "since [he] generally makes them learn such things as have actual relevance to addressing [deeper principles], there is no such thing as a distinction between the esoteric and the exoteric." [1] Religious context[edit] References[edit] Jump up ^ Miyamoto Musashi. External links[edit]

Allegory Literary device As a literary device, an allegory is a metaphor in which a character, place or event is used to deliver a broader message about real-world issues and occurrences. Allegory (in the sense of the practice and use of allegorical devices and works) has occurred widely throughout history in all forms of art, largely because it can readily illustrate or convey complex ideas and concepts in ways that are comprehensible or striking to its viewers, readers, or listeners. Writers or speakers typically use allegories as literary devices or as rhetorical devices that convey (semi-)hidden or complex meanings through symbolic figures, actions, imagery, or events, which together create the moral, spiritual, or political meaning the author wishes to convey.[2] Many allegories use personifications of abstract concepts. Etymology[edit] Types[edit] Classical allegory[edit] In the case of "interpreting allegorically," Theagenes appears to be our earliest example. Biblical allegory[edit] J.

Left-hand path and right-hand path The Baphomet, from Eliphas Levi's "Dogme et Rituel de la Haute Magie", 1854, adopted symbol of some "Left-Hand Path" belief systems. The terms Left-Hand Path and Right-Hand Path refer to a dichotomy between two opposing approaches found in Western esotericism, which itself covers various groups involved in the occult and ceremonial magic. In some definitions, the Left-Hand Path is equated with malicious Black magic and the Right-Hand Path with benevolent White magic.[1]:152 Other occultists have criticised this definition, believing that the Left-Right dichotomy refers merely to different kinds of working, and does not necessarily connote good or bad magical actions.[1]:176 Terminology[edit] There is no set accepted definition of what comprises the Left-Hand Path and what comprises the Right. Right-Hand Path[edit] The Right-Hand Path is commonly thought to refer to magical or religious groups which adhere to a certain set of characteristics: The occultists Dion Fortune[3] and William G.

Realm A realm /ˈrɛlm/ is a community or territory over which a sovereign rules; it is commonly used to describe a kingdom or other monarchical or dynastic state. The Old French word reaume, modern French royaume, was the word first adopted in English; the fixed modern spelling does not appear until the beginning of the 17th century. The word supposedly derives from medieval Latin regalimen, from regalis, of or belonging to a rex, (king).[1] "Realm" is particularly used for those states whose name includes the word kingdom (for example, the United Kingdom), to avoid clumsy repetition of the word in a sentence (for example, "The Queen's realm, the United Kingdom..."). It is also useful to describe those countries whose monarchs are called something other than "king" or "queen"; for example, the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg is a realm but not a kingdom since its monarch holds the title Grand Duke rather than King. See also[edit] References[edit] Attribution

Dharma Dharma listen (Sanskrit: धर्म dharma; Pali: धम्म dhamma) is a key concept with multiple meanings in the Indian religions Hinduism, Buddhism, Sikhism and Jainism.[8] There is no single word translation for dharma in western languages.[9] The Classical Sanskrit noun dharma is a derivation from the root dhṛ, which has a meaning of "to hold, maintain, keep".[note 3] The word "dharma" was already in use in the historical Vedic religion, and its meaning and conceptual scope has evolved over several millennia.[12] The antonym of dharma is adharma. Etymology[edit] The Classical Sanskrit noun dharma is a derivation from the root dhṛ, which has a meaning of "to hold, maintain, keep",[note 3] and takes a meaning of "what is established or firm", and hence "law". In the Rigveda, the word appears as an n-stem, dhárman-, with a range of meanings encompassing "something established or firm" (in the literal sense of prods or poles). Definition[edit] History[edit] Eusebeia and dharma[edit] Hinduism[edit]

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