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Montu

Because of this god's association with the successful King Nebhepetre Montuhotep I (or II, same king), who ruled during Egypt's 11th Dynasty, Montu (Mentu) achieved the rank of state god. Montuhotep I...

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Krishna

In Hinduism and Indian mythology Krishna is the eighth avatar or reincarnation of the god Vishnu. Also Krishna is one of the most popular Hindu gods. Tradition holds that Krishna saw Vishnu in a...

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Hathor

Hathor is a very ancient goddess, dating to predynastic times. When dynastic rule began, as Horus was associated with the king, Hathor was with the queen. Her name translates to "The House of Horus,"...

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Hecate

Goddess of the dark moon, and of the crossways. Hecate, Greek goddess of the three paths, guardian of the household, protector of everything newly born, and the goddess of witchcraft - once a widely...

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Cosmogony

A theory or myth regarding the origin of the universe, the earth, and living beings. Attempts to create a naturalistic cosmogony are subject to two separate limitations. One is based in the philosophy...

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Brahma

Brahma is the god first represented in the Hindu Triad (Trimurti). He is the creator of the universe and all living beings are said to have evolved from him. Brahma is depicted as red in color with...

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Hestia

Hestia (Vesta), sister of Zeus. Hestia is the virgin Greek goddess of the hearth and home.

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Eye of Horus

Designed to resemble the eye of a falcon, this symbol is called the Eye of Ra or Eye of Horus which represents the right eye of the Egyptian Falcon God Horus. As the udjat (or utchat), it represented...

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Horus

The falcon-headed god whose earthly, visible form was the reining pharaoh in Ancient Egypt. Horus was among the most important gods of Egypt, particularly because the Pharaoh was supposed to be his...

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Samsara

Sequence of change, impermanence, the cycle of rebirth-redeath that afflicts every living being until release (Moksha). Samsara is the recurrent reincarnation of the soul; a concept shared by Hinduism...

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Hermes

Hermes (Mercury) is the son of Zeus. Hermes is the messenger of the gods.

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Hades

Hades (Pluto), brother of Zeus. Hades is the ruler of the underworld.

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Hephaestus

Hephaestus (Vulcan), son of Zeus. Hephaestus is the god of fire and the forge-blacksmith to the gods.

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Osiris

Osiris was king of the gods. His wife Isis was goddess of fertility and magic and their son Horus was the falcon-headed god of the sky. Osiris was sacrificed by his brother Set in a bid to usurp him....

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Eros

Eros (Cupid) is the son of Aphrodite. Eros is the god of love.

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Rama

Lord Rama is one of the most commonly adored gods of Hindus and is known as an ideal man and hero of the epic Ramayana. He is always holding a bow and arrow indicating his readiness to destroy evils....

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Artemis

Artemis (Diana), daughter of Zeus. Artemis is the virgin Greek goddess of the chase (hunt) and the moon.

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Karma

“Deeds,” “works,” the principle of inexorable cause and effect. Karma is the balance of good and evil done in a given incarnation in Hindu belief.

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Athena

Athena or Palias Athena (Minerva) sprang full grown from the brow of Zeus. Athena is the virgin Greek goddess of wisdom.

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Rites of Passage

Prescribed forms of ceremony used to mark and celebrate significant events in the life stages of an individual; birth, puberty, marriage, ordination of a special role, death, etc. Rites of passage are...

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Abbasid Dynasty

The dynasty of caliphs who governed the Islamic Empire from 750 until 1258 CE. The Abbasid Dynasty was founded on two disaffected Islamic populations: non-Arabic Muslims and Shi'ites. For the most...

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Umayyad Dynasty

The caliphs resident in Damascus from 661 to 750 CE. The Umayyad Dynasty was the first Muslim dynasty. The Umayyad house was one of the major clans of the Quraysh tribe. Technically, Uthman, the third...

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Daimon

A spirit full of mana often an inward mentor, a source of inspiration, and a moral guardian to an individual. Daimon is the Greek derivative for the term demon. In this sense the term "demon" means...

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Oracle

A divine or an especially authoritative revelation (or the person who delivers it), often an ambiguous or enigmatic utterance spoken through a medium in a trance state. An oracle was a person or...

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Druid

A member of a Celtic order of priest magicians or wizards whose rituals, centering on animal and tree worship, were said to include human sacrifice. A druid was a member of the priestly class in Gaul...

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Numen

Divine potency emanating from a deity, person, or thing and sometimes the divine part of a deified person. Numen ("presence", plural numina) is a Latin term for the power of either a deity or a spirit...

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Dharma

Duty or moral law. Dharma is sometimes a generic term for religious thought and practice.

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Ramayana

The epic about the struggles of Rama and his allies in rescuing Sita from the demon Ravana. The Ramayana tells the story of Rama. Rama is an avatar of the great god Vishnu, incarnated to destroy...

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Asvamedha

The ancient Aryan horse sacrifice. Asvamedha was a Hindu, Vedic, ritual of horse sacrifice. It was performed by kings as a symbolic representation of their supreme power and authority, and, sometimes,...

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Jehovah's Witnesses

Jehovah's Witnesses are Christians who believe that the Bible is God's word and that Jesus is their Savior. This Christian denomination dates back to the late 19th century. Charles Taze Russel is...

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Nirvana

"Cooled" or "quenched," the unconditioned state of liberation, release from the cycle of rebirth-redeath; Pali: Nibbana. When someone reaches nirvana, it means that he or she has broken free of...

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Pali

An ancient Indic language used in eary Theravada scripture. Among early Buddhists Pali was considered linguistically similar to, or even a direct continuation of, the Old Magadhi language. Many...

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Demeter

Demeter (Ceres) is the sister of Zeus. Demeter is the goddess of corn.

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Necromancy

Communication with the dead for purposes of divination or magically influencing the course of natural events. Necromancy is the act of conjuring the dead for divination. It dates back to Persia,...

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Apollo

Apollo is the twin brother of Artemis. Apollo is the Greek god of light, youth, healing, the arts, and the intellect. His shrine was that of the oracle of Delphi, in honor of his having killed the...

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Moksha

Release, liberation from the cycle of Samsara. By obtaining Moksha, a person ends the cycle of Samsara.

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Phaethon

The son of Helios, the sun god. Phaethon seeks assurance that his mother, Clymene, is telling the truth that his father is the sun god Helios. When Phaethon obtains his father's promise to drive the...

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Aeolus

King of the winds Aeolus was the ruler of the winds in Greek mythology.

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Proteus

Shepherd of the deep. In Greek mythology, Proteus is an early sea-god, one of several deities whom Homer calls the "Old Man of the Sea," whose name suggests the "first" as protogonos is the...

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Sympathetic Magic

The effort to control events, animals, or persons by extraordinary means that are imitative or analogical in form. For example, a doll or effigy may be stabbed or burned as a means of casting a spell...

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Persephone

Persephone (Proserpina) is the daughter of Demeter (Ceres). Persephone is also the wife of Hades (Pluto).

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Zeus

Zeus (Jupiter/Jove), supreme ruler of the universe, originally god of thunder and the thunderbolt. Zeus’ name contains the root for ‘sky’ or ‘day’ in a number of languages (Latin dies) and the word...

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Poseidon

Poseidon (Neptune) is the brother of Zeus. Poseidon is the ruler of the waters.

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Ares

Ares (Mars) is the son of Zeus. Ares is the Greek god of war.

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Vishnu

A loving god who cares for those who love him. Known in his avatars of Rama and Krishna, there are eight other recognized avatars (including the Buddha). Vishnu’s chief consort is Lakshmi, goddess of...

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Hera

Hera (Juno), wife of Zeus and queen of the gods, goddess of marriage. Hera seems to be the feminine form of heros (warrior/hero) and aer (air), as well as Erao (love).

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Aphrodite

Aphrodite (Venus) rose full grown from the foam of the sea. Aphrodite is the wife of Hephaestus (Vulcan) and the goddess of love.

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Anubis

Anubis is an incredibly ancient god, and was the original god of the dead before Osiris "took over" the position. After that point, Anubis was changed to be one of the many sons of Osiris and the...

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Isis

Isis, the Egyptian goddess of rebirth remains one of the most familiar images of empowered and utter femininity. The goddess Isis was the first daughter of Geb, god of the Earth, and Nut, the goddess...

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Aversive Magic

The use of extraordinary materials, rites, and spells to ward off or destroy agents deemed harmful. Aversive magic can produce aversive side effects which may even harm the magician - aversive magic...

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