| G |
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| Ganzfeld Experiments |
Ganzfeld is a German word meaning 'complete field'.
The Ganzfeld experiments were originated by the German psychologist Wolfgang Metzger (1899 - 1979), and are considered to have been the
most carefully scrutinised ESP
experiments. Alleged psychics had their eyes covered and ears blocked while a 'sender' attempted to transmit
messages to them. Later the psychics would compare the messages received with those sent out. There was a great deal of excitement
and interest at the time but the research failed to produce any convincing results. |
| Gardnerian
Wicca |
Gerald Gardner claimed to have been initiated into a secret
witch cult which had been in existence for over 300 years. Hence
Wicca is often referred to as The
Old Religion, with its own rituals and beliefs, most of them remaining secretive.
Gerald Gardner's books
Witchcraft Today and The Meaning of Witchcraft became the basis for the modern religion of Wicca, which grew in popularity
during the 1960's, and spread quickly from the United Kingdom to the rest of Europe as well as the United States of America, Canada, Asia and
Australia. It has continued to grow as a religion, its followers now placing a greater emphasis on a reverence for nature,
redeveloping the 'Goddess-worshiping' religion from pre-Christian and non-Christian religions, and group magick aimed at healing. |
| Geburah |
Geburah is the fifth Sphere (Sephirah) of divine
emanation according to Kabbalah. The word Geburah means severity. See also
The Sephiroth. |
| Gemara |
See
Talmud. |
| Gematria |
Kabbalists believed that the written word of God was the
result of His inspiration and that Scripture contained within itself an essence of His being. By the same token they believed that since God
is hidden, so too, was there a hidden meaning beneath the divine words of Scripture. To uncover this hidden meaning they
employed three separate methods of interpretation, Gematria, Notarikon and Temura. Gematria made use of the fact that every
Hebrew letter has a numerical value assigned to it (see
Sacred Alphabet), so any words with the same numerical value could be linked. For
anyone interested in studying Gematria, Aleister Crowley's 'numerical dictionary' Liber 500 Sepher Sephiroth
is essential reading. |
| Gemini |
 Gemini, the Twins, is an air sign and the third sign of
the Zodiac.
Gemini is ruled by the planet Mercury. |
| Genie |
A genie is a member of a race of powerful and magical
invisible beings created out of smokeless fire who can use their powers for good or evil.
See also Jinn. |
| Geomancy |
Geomancy
is a method of divination
which involves reading features of the environment, such as the skyline, the lie of the land, the layout of a room,
markings on the ground, or how handfuls of dirt land when someone tosses them. The art
of Feng Shui uses practices similar to those used in geomancy, although it is not classed as geomancy, which once
formed part of the required study of the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn
in the late 19th century, and which still survives in modern occult practice. |
| Glyph |
A glyph is a symbol, icon, pictograph, etc., used as a graphic representation of
something. Glyphs are often used for secondary communication devices however, such as signs and instructional devices. See also
mandala. |
| Gnomes |
In
Alchemical tradition, these are the elemental spirits of
Earth. |
| Gnosis |
This word derives from the Greek word for knowledge.
It refers to the divine knowledge sought by Gnostic initiates, who, contrary to the Christian view that salvation could be achieved
at death, believed it could actually be obtained in life. The related word Agnosis, meaning ignorance, is the root of the modern term
agnostic. |
| Gnostic Mass |
Aleister Crowley wrote The Gnostic Mass (Liber XV)
in 1913 while travelling in Moscow. It is similar in structure to the Mass of the Roman Catholic Church in many ways, but the
similarity ends there as the Gnostic Mass is a celebration of the principles of
Thelema, requiring five officers, namely a priest, a priestess, a deacon, and two
acolytes (called children). |
| Gnosticism |
This was an early form of Christian heresy, and a related
Pagan faith that believed the creation of matter was flawed, and the Creator, therefore, was an evil force. In Gnosticism, Jesus is equated
to the serpent of the Garden of Eden, and one of the
Archons. |
| Goat of Mendes |
See
Baphomet. |
| Goetia |
Goetia is the first part of the Lemegeton, or Lesser
Key of Solomon, a 5-part seventeenth century manual on demonic
invocation popular with nineteenth/twentieth century occultists, most notably
Aleister Crowley and
Arthur Edward Waite. The word Goetia stems from the Greek, meaning
sorcery.
The Lemegeton purports to be the magical manual of King Solomon, whose legend includes tales of servant demons conjured by him
to do his bidding. |
| Graphology |
Graphology, a form of
divination, is the study of handwriting
which claims to show the writer's character. In recent years graphology has been used by white-collar companies to select the 'best'
workers from job applicants. |
| Great Work |
This term originates from the Latin of the
Alchemists and relates to the completion of the alchemical process, the
Summum Bonum.
In Ceremonial/Ritual Magick, the phrase refers to the ultimate goal, i.e.
union with the Divine. In Thelemic practice, it means succeeding in gaining the knowledge of and conversation
with one's Holy Guardian Angel. |
| Grim Reaper |
The anthropomorphism of Death, normally as a skeleton
carrying a scythe, who exists in mythology and popular culture. The actual reality of death has had a tremendous influence on the human
psyche throughout time, which explains why the personification of 'Death' as a living entity has existed in most societies since history began. |
| Grimoire |
A book containing a magician's spells or incantations, or a
system of magick. Many such books were produced during the Middle Ages and Renaissance period. The Lemegeten, or
Lesser Key of Solomon, is a grimoire, translated by Samuel Liddell Macgregor Mathers
and edited by Aleister Crowley. See also
Book of Shadows. |
| Grounding |
Dispersing any excess energy generated during a
magical rite by sending it into the earth. |
| Guardian Angel |
A guardian angel is a supernatural creature or spirit who is believed
to protect and to guide a particular person. Orthodox religions believe that certain angels are appointed by God at baptism to guide and protect each of the
faithful. See also Aleister Crowley’s Liber VIII – How to Contact your Guardian Angel. |
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