| N |
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| Necromancy |
Communication with the dead, believed to be a repulsive
practice in many cultures. The spirits of the dead are sought because they can supposedly access information beyond that
available to the living. |
| Necronomicon |
Supposedly written in Damascus in 730 AD by the 'Mad Arab'
Abdul Alhazred, it is reputed to be the most evil of the Black Magick
grimoires. However, many others claim it was
originally conceived by the horror writer Howard Phillips Lovecraft (1890 – 1937) as a background for his story The Hound. |
| Nefesh |
The Zohar tells us that the grossest and lowest element of the three divisions of the soul, known as Nefesh, is the only grade capable of committing sin. When Kabbalists speak of man’s vital principle, they refer to the Nefesh. |
| Neopagan/Wiccan Symbols |
See
Other Symbols. |
| Neoplatonism/Neo-Platonism |
The modern term for a school of religious and mystical philosophy
which took shape in the 3rd century AD, founded by Plotinus (205–270 AD), a major Greek philosopher, and based on the teachings of Plato and earlier Platonists. |
| Neptune |
The 8th planet from the sun, Neptune was named after the
Roman god of the sea, its counterpart in Greek mythology being Poseidon.
Astrologically, Neptune rules
Pisces. |
| Neshamah |
The Zohar tells us that the Neshamah is the highest of the three grades of the soul, and even when it is not consciously realised it dominates the path that a man’s life takes. Kabbalists say that a man cannot know the Neshamah until he dies, and yet they also tell us that the perfect devotee may come to know her. |
| Netzach |
Netzach is the seventh Sphere (Sephirah) of divine
emanation according to Kabbalah. The word Netzach means victory. See also
The Sephiroth. |
| Notarikon |
Notarikon is a Kabbalistic methodology whereby deeper
meanings are sought in words or phrases by taking the first or last letters of those words or phrases to make new words. |
| Nuit |
See Nut below. |
| Numerology |
The system of
divination where words, names and
numbers are reduced to single digits which correspond with certain occult characteristics that influence one’s life.
Numerology is used to analyse a person’s character. |
| Nut |
 Usually depicted nude, her body made of stars arching over
the world, she is the Egyptian Goddess of the sky who swallowed the sun each evening and gave birth to it each morning. In
Thelemic practice, Nut revealed herself to
Aleister Crowley in her manifestation as Nuit (see the
Book of the Law). |
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