The Mystica began in 2001 as one of the first online encyclopedias of the occult, mysticism, religion and mythology, compiled by Alan G. Hefner and contributors. Many of its entries are still cited today by Wikipedia in more than a dozen languages, by Encyclopaedia Britannica and by other reference sites.
Those original pages were lost. We are rebuilding the most-cited entries at their original addresses with new text written by our editorial team from reliable sources, listed at the end of every entry. Beliefs are described as beliefs, paranormal claims alongside the scientific view.
All entries A to Z
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AbaddonAbaddon is a Hebrew word meaning destruction or ruin.AbraxasAbraxas, also spelled Abrasax, is a mystical name found in late antique Gnostic teaching, Greek magical papyri and engra.AdapaAdapa is a figure of Mesopotamian mythology, a wise man and priest of the god Ea (Enki) in the city of Eridu.AhrimanAhriman is the Middle Persian name of Angra Mainyu, the "destructive" or "evil spirit" of Zoroastrianism.Ahura MazdaAhura Mazda, the "Wise Lord," is the supreme God of Zoroastrianism, worshipped as the uncreated creator of all that is g.Akashic RecordsThe Akashic Records are, in Theosophy and later New Age belief, a cosmic archive of every thought, word and event, said .Albertus MagnusAlbertus Magnus, or Saint Albert the Great (c.AlchemyAlchemy is a tradition of natural philosophy and practice that sought to transform matter, above all to turn base metals.AlectryomancyAlectryomancy (also alectoromancy or alectromancy) is a form of divination in which a diviner reads meaning from the beh.Aleister CrowleyAleister Crowley (1875-1947) was an English occultist, poet, novelist and mountaineer who founded the religious philosop.Alex SandersAlex Sanders (1926-1988), born Orrell Alexander Carter in Birkenhead, England, was a British witch who became famous in .AlphitomancyAlphitomancy is a form of divination using barley, usually barley cakes or loaves of barley bread, to identify a guilty .AmeretatAmeretat (Avestan Ameretat, Middle Persian Amurdad, modern Persian Mordad) is one of the Amesha Spentas, the Bounteous I.Amesha SpentasThe Amesha Spentas (Avestan, "Holy" or "Bounteous Immortals"; Middle Persian Amahraspand) are the six great divine being.AnattaAnatta (Pali anattā, Sanskrit anātman) is the Buddhist teaching that there is no permanent, unchanging self or soul with.Ancestor worshipAncestor worship, often called ancestor veneration, is the custom of honoring deceased family members in the belief that.Animal MagnetismAnimal magnetism, also called mesmerism, was the theory developed by the German physician Franz Anton Mesmer (1734-1815).Animal WorshipAnimal worship, sometimes called zoolatry, is a broad term for religious practices in which animals are venerated as div.AnimismAnimism (from Latin anima, "breath" or "soul") is the belief that spirits or souls dwell not only in humans but in anima.AnthroposAnthropos (Greek for "human being" or "man") is the name given in Gnostic, Hermetic and related late-antique writings to.AnthroposophyAnthroposophy is a spiritual philosophy and movement founded by the Austrian esotericist Rudolf Steiner in the early twe.ApolloApollo was one of the most important gods of ancient Greece and Rome, the son of Zeus and Leto and twin brother of Artem.Apollonius of TyanaApollonius of Tyana was a Greek Neopythagorean philosopher and wandering holy man of the first century CE, from Tyana in.Apophatic theologyApophatic theology, also called negative theology or the via negativa, is an approach to the divine that holds that God,.ApportsAn apport is an object that is said to appear suddenly during a seance, supposedly brought by spirits or by a medium's p.Armati (Spenta Armaiti)Armati, more fully Spenta Armaiti ("Holy Devotion"), is one of the Amesha Spentas of Zoroastrianism, the divine aspects .As Above, So Below"As above, so below" is a modern paraphrase of the second line of the Emerald Tablet, a short Hermetic text first known .Asha (Asha Vahishta)Asha (Avestan asha, also arta) is the central Zoroastrian concept of truth, right order and righteousness: the way the w.AsherahAsherah was an ancient Semitic goddess worshiped in the Levant during the Bronze and Iron Ages.AspidomancyAspidomancy is a rare term for divination connected with a shield, from Greek aspis (shield) and manteia (divination).AstarteAstarte is the Greek form of the name of Ashtart, a major goddess of the ancient Levant worshipped in Ugarit, Sidon, Tyr.AthanorAn athanor is a furnace used in alchemy to supply a steady, moderate heat over long periods, as required for slow proces.AttisAttis was a Phrygian deity, the youthful consort of the mother goddess Cybele, known in Rome as the Magna Mater.
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BaphometBaphomet is the name of an idol that the Knights Templar were accused of worshipping during their trials in the early fo.Baptism on the LineBaptism on the Line, better known today as the line-crossing ceremony, is a maritime rite of passage performed when a sh.BelialBelial is a Hebrew term, usually understood as "worthlessness" or "wickedness," that appears in the Hebrew Bible in phra.Bell, Book and Candle"Bell, book and candle" is the popular name for a solemn form of excommunication once used in the Latin Church.BilocationBilocation is the claimed ability of a person to be, or to appear to be, in two distinct places at the same time.Black MassThe Black Mass is a ceremony said to parody or invert the Catholic Mass, usually in honor of Satan.BogomilsThe Bogomils were members of a dualist Christian movement that arose in the First Bulgarian Empire in the tenth century,.Book of EnochThe Book of Enoch, usually called 1 Enoch, is an ancient Jewish apocalyptic work attributed to Enoch, the patriarch who .BuddhismBuddhism is a religious and philosophical tradition based on the teachings of Siddhartha Gautama, the Buddha, who lived .
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CagliostroCount Alessandro di Cagliostro was the name used by an eighteenth-century Italian adventurer, healer and occultist, gene.Catoptromancy (Captromancy or Enoptromancy)Catoptromancy, also spelled captromancy and known as enoptromancy, is divination by means of a mirror or other reflectiv.Celtic MythologyCeltic mythology is the body of myths, gods and heroic legends of the Celtic-speaking peoples of ancient and medieval Eu.CernunnosCernunnos is the modern name for an antlered god of Gaulish and wider Celtic religion, known from a single inscription o.Charles Godfrey LelandCharles Godfrey Leland (1824-1903) was an American humorist, journalist and folklorist.ClairvoyanceClairvoyance, from the French for "clear seeing," is the claimed ability to gain information about objects, places, peop.Cone of PowerThe cone of power is a practice in Wicca and related modern witchcraft in which a group standing in a ritual circle rais.Constantine and Sol InvictusSol Invictus, the "Unconquered Sun," was the Roman sun god elevated by Emperor Aurelian in 274 CE.Count of Saint-GermainThe Count of Saint-Germain (died 1784) was a European adventurer, musician and amateur chemist whose origins remain unkn.The Crone (Triple Goddess)The Crone is the third aspect of the Triple Goddess in Wicca and modern Neopaganism, following the Maiden and the Mother.CryptomnesiaCryptomnesia is a memory error in which something once read, heard or seen returns to mind without being recognized as a.Crystal gazingCrystal gazing, also called crystallomancy or crystalomancy, is a form of scrying in which a person stares into a crysta.CursesA curse is an expressed wish, often framed as a ritual or formal statement, that misfortune will fall on a person, place.
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DaevaDaeva (Avestan daeva, also spelled daiva or deva) is a Zoroastrian term for supernatural beings of evil.DaphneDaphne is a figure of Greek mythology, usually described as a nymph and daughter of a river god, whose name means "laure.DevasDevas (Sanskrit deva, "shining one") are the gods or celestial beings of the Indian religious traditions.DevekutDevekut (also deveikut) is a Hebrew term meaning cleaving or attachment, used in Judaism for closeness or communion with.Devil's markThe Devil's mark, often confused with the related witch's mark, was a spot on the body that early modern demonologists a.Dion FortuneDion Fortune was the pen name of Violet Mary Firth (1890-1946), a British occultist, psychologist and novelist.DruidismDruidism refers both to the religion of the druids, the learned priestly class of the ancient Celtic peoples of Gaul, Br.DrujDruj (also spelled drug or druj; Old Persian drauga) is the Zoroastrian concept of the Lie: deceit, falsehood and the di.DualismDualism, in religion and mythology, is the belief that reality is shaped by two fundamental and usually opposed principl.DukkhaDukkha (Pali; Sanskrit duhkha) is a central concept of Buddhism, usually translated as "suffering," "unsatisfactoriness".
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Egyptian MythologyEgyptian mythology is the body of myths of ancient Egypt, a civilization whose religion lasted more than three thousand .ElementalsElementals are spirits believed to inhabit and embody the four classical elements of earth, water, air and fire.Eleusinian MysteriesThe Eleusinian Mysteries were the most famous of the secret religious rites of ancient Greece, held for Demeter and her .Eliphas LeviEliphas Levi (1810-1875), born Alphonse Louis Constant in Paris, was a French writer and occultist whose books on "high .Emerald TabletThe Emerald Tablet, or Tabula Smaragdina, is a brief, cryptic text attributed to Hermes Trismegistus that became one of .Esotericism and the Feminine PrincipleThe feminine principle in esotericism refers to the ways mystical and occult traditions have imagined a female aspect of.ESP (Extrasensory Perception)Extrasensory perception, or ESP, is the claimed ability to acquire information without the known senses, through telepat.ExorcismExorcism is the religious practice of expelling demons or other spirits believed to have taken possession of a person, p.
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FairiesFairies are supernatural beings of European folklore, especially in Celtic and British tradition, believed to live along.FaustFaust is the protagonist of a German legend about a learned man who makes a pact with the devil, through the spirit Meph.Flower of LifeThe Flower of Life is a geometric figure made of evenly spaced, overlapping circles arranged in a hexagonal grid, usuall.Francis BaconFrancis Bacon (1561-1626) was an English philosopher, lawyer and statesman who became Lord Chancellor under James I and .
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G. I. GurdjieffGeorge Ivanovich Gurdjieff (c.GematriaGematria is a method of interpreting words by adding up the numerical values of their letters, most closely associated w.Gerald GardnerGerald Brosseau Gardner (1884-1964) was an English civil servant, amateur anthropologist and occultist who founded the r.GnosticismGnosticism is a modern term for a range of religious movements of the early Christian era that taught salvation through .Greek MythologyGreek mythology is the body of stories told by the ancient Greeks about their gods, heroes and the origin and nature of .Grigori RasputinGrigori Yefimovich Rasputin (1869-1916) was a Siberian peasant and self-proclaimed holy man who gained great influence o.Gris-GrisA gris-gris (also spelled grigri or gree-gree) is a talisman, usually a small cloth bag or leather pouch holding written.Guardian spiritA guardian spirit is a supernatural being believed to protect, guide and empower a particular individual, family or grou.GyromancyGyromancy is a form of divination in which a person walks or spins around a circle, often one marked with the letters of.
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HaurvatatHaurvatat (Avestan Haurvatat, Middle Persian Hordad, Persian Khordad) is one of the Amesha Spentas, the Bounteous Immort.HinduismHinduism is a major world religion that originated on the Indian subcontinent and is followed by roughly 1.2 billion peo.Heinrich Cornelius AgrippaHeinrich Cornelius Agrippa von Nettesheim (1486-1535) was a German scholar, physician, lawyer and writer whose Three Boo.Helena Petrovna BlavatskyHelena Petrovna Blavatsky (1831-1891) was a Russian-born mystic and writer who co-founded the Theosophical Society in Ne.Henry Steel OlcottHenry Steel Olcott (1832-1907) was an American lawyer, journalist and Civil War officer who co-founded the Theosophical .Holy Guardian AngelThe Holy Guardian Angel is a concept in Western ceremonial magic describing a personal guiding spirit or higher self.HomunculusA homunculus (Latin for "little man") is a miniature, artificially made human being described in Renaissance alchemy, ab.Hermes TrismegistusHermes Trismegistus ("Thrice-Great Hermes") is the legendary author of the Hermetica, a body of Greek, Latin and later A.Hermetic Order of the Golden DawnThe Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn was a secret society devoted to the study and practice of ritual magic, founded in.Hex signsHex signs are circular, brightly painted geometric designs, usually stars and rosettes, displayed on barns in the Pennsy.
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IblisIblis is the name given in the Quran to the being who refused God's command to bow before Adam and was consequently cast.IncubusAn incubus is a male demon of European folklore and demonology believed to visit women at night and lie upon them as the.IndraIndra is the warrior god of storm, thunder and rain in the Vedic religion of ancient India and the king of the devas.
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Janet and Stewart FarrarJanet Farrar (born 1950) and Stewart Farrar (1916-2000) were an English couple who became two of the best-known writers .John DeeJohn Dee (1527-1608 or 1609) was an English mathematician, astronomer, astrologer and occult philosopher who advised Que.
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KabbalahKabbalah (Hebrew, "receiving" or "tradition") is the principal mystical and esoteric tradition of Judaism.Kali (Kali Ma)Kali, often called Kali Ma ("Mother Kali"), is a Hindu goddess associated with time, death, destruction and liberation.KhlystyThe Khlysty were an underground Spiritual Christian movement in Russia, known from the late seventeenth century onward, .Khshathra VairyaKhshathra Vairya (Avestan, "Desirable Dominion" or "Kingdom to be Chosen"; Middle Persian Shahrewar) is one of the six A.Kirlian PhotographyKirlian photography is a technique that records the glow of an electrical corona discharge around an object placed on ph.KundaliniKundalini, from Sanskrit for "coiled," is in Tantric and hatha yoga traditions a divine energy pictured as a serpent res.
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Lake NemiLake Nemi is a small volcanic crater lake in the Alban Hills, about 30 kilometers south of Rome.Laws of MagicThe laws of magic are principles that scholars and occultists have proposed to explain how magical practices are thought.LecanomancyLecanomancy is divination by means of a basin or bowl of liquid, usually water.LevitationLevitation is the claimed rising of a human body or object into the air without any visible physical support.Lewis SpenceJames Lewis Thomas Chalmers Spence (1874-1955) was a Scottish journalist, poet, folklorist and writer on the occult.LilimThe Lilim, more often called lilin in scholarly writing, are night spirits of Jewish folklore and demonology, described .
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MagicMagic is the belief in, and practice of, influencing events or gaining knowledge through hidden forces, ritual actions, .Maimonidean ControversyThe Maimonidean Controversy is the name given to a series of disputes within medieval Judaism, mainly from the late twel.ManasManas is a Sanskrit word meaning "mind," derived from the root man-, "to think." In Indian philosophy it names the menta.ManichaeismManichaeism was a religion founded in the third century CE by the prophet Mani (216-c.MardukMarduk was the patron deity of the city of Babylon and, from the late second millennium BCE, the head of the Babylonian .MetoposcopyMetoposcopy is a form of divination and character reading based on the lines, wrinkles and marks of the forehead.MidianitesThe Midianites were an ancient people of the land of Midian, in northwestern Arabia east of the Gulf of Aqaba.MithraMithra (Avestan Mithra, Middle Persian Mihr, Persian Mehr) is an Indo-Iranian divinity of the covenant, whose name means.Morris danceMorris dance is a form of English folk dance performed by groups, or sides, usually to music from pipe and tabor, fiddle.MotMot, whose name means "Death," was the West Semitic god of death, the underworld and sterility, known chiefly from the B.The Mother (Triple Goddess)The Mother is the second of the three aspects of the Triple Goddess in Wicca and much of modern Neopaganism, standing be.Mount Shasta and Mount ArunachalaMount Shasta in California and Arunachala in Tamil Nadu, India, are two mountains widely regarded as spiritually powerfu.Mystical ExperiencesA mystical experience is a state of consciousness in which a person reports direct contact with, or union with, a realit.MysticismMysticism refers to religious and spiritual practices, teachings and experiences aimed at direct, transformative contact.
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NansheNanshe was a Sumerian goddess worshipped above all in the state of Lagash in southern Mesopotamia.NecromancyNecromancy is the claimed practice of communicating with the dead, usually by summoning their spirits, in order to learn.NehushtanNehushtan is the name given in 2 Kings 18:4 to the bronze serpent that, according to the Book of Numbers, Moses made so .NinurtaNinurta is an ancient Mesopotamian god associated with war, agriculture, hunting, healing and law.NumerologyNumerology is the belief that numbers have hidden meanings and that numbers derived from a person's name and birth date .
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OphitesThe Ophites, from the Greek ophis, "serpent," were early Christian Gnostic groups of the second and third centuries CE k.OrphismOrphism was a set of religious beliefs and practices in ancient Greece attributed to the legendary singer Orpheus.
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PantheismPantheism is the view that God and the universe, or nature, are identical, so that divinity is not a separate creator bu.ParacelsusParacelsus (born Theophrastus von Hohenheim, 1493/94-1541) was a Swiss-born physician, alchemist and philosopher of the .Patricia CrowtherPatricia Crowther (1927-2025) was an English Wiccan high priestess and author, one of the early figures of Gardnerian Wi.Peak ExperiencesPeak experiences are moments of intense joy, wonder and unity described by the American psychologist Abraham Maslow (190.PelagiusPelagius (c.Philip (the Philip Experiment)Philip is the fictional ghost at the center of the Philip experiment, a parapsychology study begun in Toronto in 1972.Philosopher's StoneThe philosopher's stone (Latin lapis philosophorum) is the legendary substance that alchemists believed could turn base .PoltergeistA poltergeist, from German words meaning "noisy ghost," is a reported disturbance in which unexplained knocks, moving ob.PrajapatiPrajapati, Sanskrit for "lord of creatures" or "lord of offspring," is a creator deity of the Vedic religion of ancient .PrecognitionPrecognition is the claimed ability to perceive or know about future events by means other than inference from present i.PremonitionA premonition is a feeling, dream or vision that seems to warn of a future event, often a disaster or death, before ther.Prima materiaPrima materia, Latin for "first matter," is the formless original substance that alchemists believed underlies all thing.Psychokinesis (PK)Psychokinesis (PK), also called telekinesis, is the claimed ability to influence physical objects or processes by the mi.PsychometryPsychometry, also called token-object reading, is the claimed psychic ability to gain information about an object's hist.PythagoreanismPythagoreanism is the body of teachings and way of life associated with Pythagoras of Samos, who founded a community at .
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RashnuRashnu (Avestan Rashnu, Middle Persian Rashn) is the Zoroastrian yazata, or divinity worthy of worship, who personifies .ReincarnationReincarnation is the belief that some essential part of a living being, whether soul, self or stream of consciousness, b.Roman MythologyRoman mythology is the body of myths and legends of ancient Rome, together with the religious traditions of its gods.
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SabbatsSabbat, or sabbath, has two main meanings in the history of witchcraft.SamaelSamael is a major angelic figure in Jewish tradition, described as the accuser, seducer and angel of death, and in later.SaoshyantSaoshyant (Avestan saoshyant, Middle Persian Soshans) is a Zoroastrian term meaning "one who will bring benefit." In the.Simon MagusSimon Magus ("Simon the Magician") was a first-century Samaritan religious figure who appears in Acts 8:9-24, where he o.Slain GodThe slain god, often called the dying-and-rising god, is a motif in which a deity is killed and in some way returns to l.SomaSoma is both a ritual drink and a god in Vedic religion.Sraosh (Sraosha)Sraosha, known in later Persian as Srosh, Sarosh or Soroush, is a Zoroastrian yazata, a being worthy of worship, who per.Sun DanceThe Sun Dance is the most important communal religious ceremony of many Indigenous nations of the North American Great P.
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ThanatologyThanatology is the scientific and humanistic study of death, dying and bereavement, including the psychological, social,.TantrismTantrism, or Tantra, is a broad family of esoteric religious traditions that arose in India from around the middle of th.Ticci ViracochaViracocha, also called Ticci (Tiqsi) Viracocha or Con Tici Viracocha, was the creator deity of the Andes, honored by the.TelepathyTelepathy is the claimed ability to transmit or receive thoughts, feelings or images directly from one mind to another w.Temple Fire (Atash)The temple fire, Atash (Avestan atar, Persian azar or adar), is the consecrated flame kept burning in Zoroastrian fire t.Ten Steps to Master TelepathyTelepathy, the claimed transfer of thoughts or feelings between minds without known sensory channels, has long inspired .TheosophyTheosophy is an esoteric religious movement founded in New York in 1875 by Helena Blavatsky, Henry Steel Olcott and Will.Teresa of Avila, St.St.TheseusTheseus is the great hero of Athenian legend, son of Aethra and of either King Aegeus of Athens or the god Poseidon.
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VairocanaVairocana, meaning "the Illuminator" or "Shining One" in Sanskrit, is a celestial Buddha of Mahayana and Vajrayana Buddh.VedasThe Vedas are the oldest body of sacred literature of Hinduism, composed in archaic Sanskrit in north-western South Asia.Vohu ManahVohu Manah (Avestan "Good Mind" or "Good Purpose"; Middle Persian Wahman, Persian Bahman) is one of the Amesha Spentas o.VulcanVulcan (Latin Volcanus) was the Roman god of fire, particularly its destructive power in volcanoes and conflagrations, a.
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ZombiesA zombie, in its original Haitian sense, is a person believed to have been killed and then raised from the grave by a so.ZoroasterZoroaster (Avestan Zarathushtra, Persian Zartosht) was the ancient Iranian prophet and poet regarded as the founder of Z.ZoroastrianismZoroastrianism is an ancient Iranian religion founded on the teachings of the prophet Zarathustra (Zoroaster), centered .Zurvan and the Myth of TimeZurvan (also Zarwan or Zruvan) is the Iranian personification of time.
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