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I AM Movement |
The "I
AM" Movement is
the original Ascended
Master Teachings religious
movement founded
in the early 1930s
by Guy Ballard
(aka Godfry Rey King)
and his wife Edna,
It
is an offshoot of The movement had up
to a million followers in 1938 and is
still active today on a smaller scale. According to
the official website of the parent organization, the Saint
Germain Foundation,
its worldwide headquarters is located in Schaumburg,
Illinois,
and there are.. approximately 300 local
groups worldwide under several variations of the
names "I AM" Sanctuary, "I AM" Temple, and other
similar titles. As of 2007, the
organization states that its purpose is "spiritual,
educational and practical," and that no admission
fee is charged for their activities. The
term "I AM" is a reference to the ancient Sanskrit
mantra "So
Ham",
meaning "I
Am that I Am."
Ballard claimed to have met St. Germain on Mt.
Shasta, where he was taken inside the mountain and shown
the White Brotherhood. He is the author of 20 volumes
of material channeled from the White Brotherhood.
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I Ching |
The I Ching or Yi Jing (usually translated as Book of
Changes) is an ancient Chinese divination text
and among the oldest. Traditional Chinese divination
method that involves tossing three identical coins or
objects six times and using the patterns they form to
receive answers to personal questions from the I Ching
or Book of Changes. Originally a divination manual in
the Western
Zhou period
(1000–750 BC), over the centuries it was transformed
into a spiritual text
with a series of philosophical commentaries. After
becoming part of the Five
Classics in
the 2nd century BC, the I Ching was the subject of
scholarly commentary and the basis for divination for
centuries across the
Far East, and eventually in Western understanding of
Eastern thought. At the basis of the system are
apparently random numbers. Six numbers between 6 and 9
are turned into a hexagram,
which can then be looked up in the text, in which
hexagrams are arranged in an order known as the King
Wen sequence.
The interpretation of the readings found in the I
Ching (following its compilation) has been
endlessly discussed and debated over in the centuries.
Many commentators have used the book symbolically, often
to provide guidance for moral decision making. The
hexagrams themselves have often acquired cosmological
significance and been paralleled with many other
traditional names for the processes of change.
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Iblis |
(Arabic, probably from Greek diabolos, "devil")
The Islamic version of Satan) A complex demonic figure,
understood as the fallen angel, the tempter, and the
head of the hosts of devils. As an angel, he pridefully
refused God's command to bow down before the newly
created man Adam and thus was cursed and banished from
Paradise. Until the Day of Judgment Iblis will lead the
legions of devils in tempting humans to do evil. His
major act of cunning was to persuade Adam and Eve to
disobey God and eat of the tree of immortality in the
Garden, which resulted in their consignment to earthly
existence. |
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Icon |
(Greek, "image," "portrait")
A visual representation of Jesus Christ, the Virgin
Mary, angels, individual saints, or events of sacred
history, especially in Byzantine and Orthodox
Christianity. Varying in size from small portable to
wall-size icons, these sacred images were made of mosaic
or painted colors, never carved or sculpted. |
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Iconoclast |
(Greek, "inage breaker")
One who attacks and exposes the error of religious dogma
or that attacks the use of images in worship. |
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Ida |
An astral or etheric tube or channel which conducts the
Shakti force of the Kindalini.. This subtle female
energy coils around the central spinal column and
intertwines with the Shiva force in its opposite
polarity known as Pingala. Ida terminates in the left
nasal sinus. |
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Idol |
(Greek eidolon, "image")
A pejorative term designating, narrowly, any
three-dimensional or sculpted figure, or, more broadly,
any bas-relief or painting, mosaic, or mural of a figure
representing a god or goddess and used in religious
practices. The figure can be in human or animal or other
form, including mixed human and animal. Most world
religions --ancient and modern, oriental and
occidental--view such images as proper representations
of divine beings to be the focus during worship. By
contrast, some religions--Hebraism, Judaism,
Christianity, and Islam--ban all representation of God
in any form. |
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Idolatry |
Idolatry is the adoration, prayer, or worshipof an
image. It is only an issue among the Protestants and
Moslems. In a loose sense, idolatry does not necessitate
a material image nor a religious system. It can be
anything that takes the place of God: a car, a job,
money, a person, a desire, etc. |
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Ikhnaton |
See: Akhenaton |
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Illuminati |
( from
the Latin
- lluminatur,
“enlightened.”)
1) A rationalistic society founded in Germany soon after
1776 by Adam Weishaupt, a professor of canon law.. Originally
promoted free thought and democratic political theories. It
had close affinities with the Freemasons and seemingly
was organized on a Masonic plan. For ten years it was
very popular among German rationalists, but as a society
it had limited influence. The Roman Catholic Church,
which Weishaupt left in his youth and rejoined before
his death, condemned the Illuminati; in 1785 the
Bavarian government dissolved the organization,
believing it was secretly trying to take over
monarchies. All members were arrested except for
Weishaupt who fled, and is believed by some to have
escaped to America. Many people today believe that
Weishaupt recreated the society in America and that
today it is the power behind all the world's governments
and giant corporations.
2) In Spain and Italy in the 15th cent. the term
Illuminati referred
to persons believed to hold supernatural mental powers.
3) an order of Freemasons called Illuminati
4)Other groups using the name have included a mystical
sect that flourished in the 16th cent, in Spain and
France, the original Rosicrucians, and certain followers
of Boehme and Swedenborg. |
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Imam |
(Arabic,
"leader")
A
leader of Muslim ritual prayers and, occasionally, a
title for an authoritative religious scholar. By
extension, this quranic term evolved to refer also to
the overall head of the Muslim community. While Shia
Muslims believe that the Prophet Muhammad designated Ali
as the first Imam, initiating
a tradition of hereditary succession, continuing
leadership, and spiritual authority, Sunni Muslims have
held to choice by consensus, citing the selection of Abu
Bakr as the first caliph. Thus, the two groups have
differed in history over the choice of the imam, his
status, and the nature of his custodial role. |
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Imbolc |
Pagan holiday or Wiccan sabbat, celebrated on or about
February. 2. |
| Immaculate
Conception |
A
Roman Catholic doctrine about Mary's sinlessness,
declared as a divinely revealed dogma by Pope Pius IX
(1854) that she was from conception, by the singular
grace of God, free from all stain of original sin. The
feast day is celebrated December 8. |
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Immortality |
Life without death anytime in the future. Not exactly
the same as eternal. Eternal means without beginning or
end. Immortal allows for a beginning. |
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Immutability:
Unchangeableness. That which is truly real. God is immutable.
Immutability means that God does not vary or change in any way.
Mormonism irnores the immutability of God and says that God was not
always God, that he was once a man on another planet who became a
God.
Inanna: (Sumerian,
"Mistress of Heaven")
The Sumerian goddess of love
and war, identified with the Akkadian Eshtar (Ishtar). Her name
reflects her identity as Venus, both morning and evening star; her
father is either the sky god or the moon god, her brother the sun
god. Her main cult center was Uruk (biblical Erech), but her
worship, as a hymn proclaims, was universal. Her character was
complex: bloodthirsty warrior (battle was her dance), willful girl,
fickle lover. She is married but also the harlot, and her cult seems
to have been in part orgiastic, staffed by eunuchs, transvestites,
and homosexuals.
Incantation:
The spoken part of a spell
Incarnation:
In Christian
theology, when God became a man, taking on the physical nature of
Jesus, creating the second person of the Trinity, an addition of
human nature to the nature of God. The doctrine is of vital
importance to the Christian. This doctrine says only God could pay
for sins, therefore, God became man to die for our sins which is the
atonement. (Contrast with Kenosis.)
Incense:
Aromatic herb or wood made
into a fine powder to be burned for enjoyment of its pleasant
fragrance; used as an offering at rituals or during religious
ceremonies.
Incubus: (noun)
plural is incubi, from Late Latin incubus,
from Latin incubo "nightmare,
one who lies down“ from
incubare "to
lie upon"
:imaginary being or demon, credited with causing nightmares and
having sex with women in their sleep
Indra: (Sanskit,
"virile power")
Lord of heaven
and king of the gods in Vedism and Hinduism. As the warrior god of
the Indo-Aryans in their invasion of the Indian subcontinent, he is
the supreme god of the Rig
Veda, where he is
invoked to help his human allies conquer their enemies, called Dasas
("slaves") or Panis, indigenous people assimilated to demons and
said to have stolen cows from the Aryans and hidden them in a cave;
in retrieving the cows, Indra also finds the sun. As god of rain,
with the phallic thunderbolt for his weapon, he kills Vritra, the
serpent demon of drought, and he is invoked for the fecundity of
humans and animals. In later Hinduism he endures in mythology but is
no longer worshiped.
Indulgence:
In
Christianity, the remission of public penace imposed on a sinner by
the church; in later Catholicism, the Church's remission of
punishment in purgatory due to sin in view of prayers or good works
done by a penitent. Misunderstandings and abuses of this practice
were widely noted in the late Middle Ages and became one of the
causes of the Protestant Reformation in sixteenth-century Germany.
Inerrancy, Biblical:
The Christian belief that the Bible is free from error. In its most
extreme form inerrancy insists that although the Bible is not
primarily a book of history, geography, or science, when it speaks
of these matters it is free from error of any sort. The contention
is that if error is admitted at any point a similar claim could be
made at every point. Total inerrancy is usually limited, in theory,
to the original manuscripts (autographs), but in practice it is
often applied to the particular translation used by a community
committed to inerrancy, for example, the Vulgate for Roman Catholics
until recently, and the King James Version for fundamentalist
Protestants. A more moderate form of inerrancy maintains that
freedom of error is limited to matters of faith and practice,
allowing for human conditioning with respect to historical,
geographical, and scientific details that do not pertain to
salvation. Proponents of this position sometimes adopt the term infallibility rather
than inerrancy. This distinction is not used consistently. The
notions of inerrancy or infallibility have direct import not only on
theological issues but on the authority of the biblical texts for
contemporary ethical and moral issues.
Infallibility:
Roman Catholic
doctrine, proclaimed at the First Vatican Council (1869-70) that an
official proclamation directed to the entire Church by the pope on
matters of faith and morals contains no errors.
Infant Baptism:
The practice
within some Christian groups of baptizing newborn or young children,
rather than only adults. When the child reaches the age of
accountability, it must vow faith in Christ and commitment to the
Christian church. Infant baptism has been a recurrent source of
controversy in Christian history, especially during the time of the
Reformation.
Infibulation:
A ritual
sewing or stapling together of the labia of the genitals so as to
prevent sexual intercourse. A feature in women's puberty ceremonies.
Infralapsarianism:
(noun) from Latin "after
the fall."
An issue
within Reformed Christian theology dealing with predestination. It tries
to explain what may have happened in God's mind regarding his
logical order in considering whom to elect into salvation before
the foundation of the world. Their
position is that God first decided he would allow sin into the world
and second that he would then save people from it. By contrast, the
supralapsarian ("before the fall") position holds that God first
decided that he would save some people and then second that he would
allow sin into the world.
Initiation:
1)An event, or doorway, that
acts as an expansion or transformation of a person's consciousness.
An initiate's consciousness has to some degree been transformed so
that he now perceives reality from a higher perspective. There are
many types of initiation, either of spiritual or social nature. 2) a
ritual that elevates an individual to a higher office in a social or
religious organization .(See Spiritual
Initiation)
Inner Light:
Concept promulgated by Quaker theologian Robert Barclay (1648-90) in Apology
for the True Christian Religion (1678).
It is the certitude of inward knowledge and confidence in the Holy
Spirit within the Christian that negates the need for or authority
of external agencies, whether the sacraments, ordained ministry, or
the Bible.
Inner Peace:
Inner peace (or peace
of mind) refers to a state of psychological or spiritual calm
despite the possible presence of stressing
factors. Being
"at peace" is considered by many to be healthy and the opposite of
being stressed or anxious, and is considered to be a state in which
our mind performs at an optimal level with a positive outcome. Peace
of mind is thus generally associated with bliss, happiness and contentment.
Peace of mind, serenity,
and calmness are
descriptions of a disposition free from the effects of stress. In
some cultures, inner peace is considered a state of consciousness or enlightenment that
may be cultivated by various forms of training, such as breathing
exercises, prayer, meditation, tai
chi or yoga,
for example. Many spiritual practices refer to this peace as an
experience of knowing
oneself.
Inner Peace Movement:(IPM)
IPM was founded in 1964 by Dr. Francisco Coll and
others - to help searchers help themselves through the
establishment of a clear two-way communication with their personal
guides (or angels).
Inner Self:
Refers to the inner divinity
from which the being and personality evolve. The Unconscious, the
Subconsicous, the Higher Self, The Christ.
Inquisition:
A Roman
Catholic tribunal that conducted ecclesiastical legal proceedings to
identify and punish heretics. The first Inquisition was established
in 1229.
Inquisition, Spanish:
A series of
official Roman Catholic investigations, lasting from 1479 to 1814,
to identify and condemn heretics, witches and Jewish or Muslim
converts to Christianity who continued to practice their original
religion. In the sixteenth century, its scope was expanded to
include Protestants.
Inspiration:
(noun)
from
Middle English enspire, from Old French inspirer, from Latin inspirare ‘breathe or blow into’ from in- ‘into’ + spirare ‘breathe’.
The belief
that human actions of extraordinary insight, worth or power are
due to inspiration - an inflow of psychic force, life-giving
breath.
Institute of
Noetic Sciences: (noun) from Greek word nous, meaning
"mind."
Founded by Edgar Mitchell in 1973 with 55,000 members
worldwide. Teaches and researches healing through mind power.
Intention:
In magick and affirmation, the focus of the mind, the sense of
purpose that leads to action.
Intercession:
The actions taken by one person on behalf of another, usually to
rectify some form of religious offense.
Interconnectedness,
Interdependence:
Words are used by New Agers to describe the
oneness and essential unity of everything in the universe. All of
reality is viewed as interdependent and interconnected.
International Society for Krishna
Consciousness: (See
ISKCON)
International Society of Divine Love:(ISDL)
Founded by H.D. Prakashanand Saraswati, Hindu-based organization
teaching Bhakti Yoga.
International Society for Krishna Consciousness:(ISKCON)
Founded by A.C. Bhaktivendanta Swami Prabhupada. A Hindu religion
which worships Lord Krishna and uses the Bhagavad-Gita.
Investigative Judgment:
A unique doctrine of the Seventh-day
Adventist Church. First taught in
by Hiram Edson, F.B. Hahn, and O.R.L. Crosier. it was accepted as
doctrine after it was confirmed and taught in visions received by
Ellen G. White. The doctrine teaches that in the Holy of Holies in
the Heavenly Sanctuary Christ is now conducting an investigation
into the lives of all who have ever professed belief in him. He is
judging all their works, by the standard of God�s Law. All those
whose lives fail to measure up to the standard of the Law are
rejected and condemned as not having true faith. Those whose lives
meet that standard and thus manifest the perfect character and
righteousness of Christ are recognized as having true faith, and so
their sins are "blotted out."
Invocation:
The bringing of a divine power
from the exterior into a ritual or magickal working through chant or
prayer. An invocation is generally an acknowledgement of the deity
and a request that they be present for the working.
Iridology:
A science developed
by Ignatz Peczeky involving
the study of the iris of the eye as a diagnostic tool to reveal
health or disorders in the human body. It is based on the premise
that the nerves, muscle fibers and blood vessels in the iris are
connected to corresponding locations in the body.
Isa:
One of the characters, whose elements contributed to the building up
of the myth of Jesus in the first centuries of the Christian era.
Ishtar: (Akkadian,
"The goddessb Isis")
The goddess par excellence of
the Sumero-Babylonian pantheon. She was fused with the Sumerian
Inanna, "Lady of Heaven," and with the West Semitic Astarte (and
Attar). Sexual and warlike, terrestrial and astral, Ishtar was
associated with fertility and identified with the planet Venus.
Isis: (Greek,
from the Egyptian "Ast")
An ancient Egyptian goddess of
great power, wife and sister of Osiris and mother of Horus. After
Osiris's murder by Seth, she collected his dismembered body and
through her magic restored him to life in the hereafter. She was
best known as a protective Mother Goddess, depicted as a falcon or a
woman with outstretched wings. (See Goddess, Nepthys)
ISKCON:
Acronym for International
Society for Krishna Consciousness.
Islam:
A world religion based on the teachings and life of Muhammad
(570-632 AD) in Mecca and Medina, Saudi Arabia (then Persia). Islam
is the second largest world religion, and has recently become the
third largest religious body in America. Islam is composed of two
major divisions: the mainstream Sunni (the largest) and the more
radical Shiiites. The mystical tradition of Sufism includes
many Sunnis and some Shiiites. The Arabic word Islam means
"submission to the will of God" and a person who submits is called a
Muslim. The Quran (or, Koran), the Torah, the Psalms of the Old
Testament, and the Gospel of the New Testament are regarded as holy
books. However, only the Quran is considered uncorrupted. While
many Muslims exhibit tolerance towards other faiths, even today
Islamic fundamentalism promotes jihad (holy
war), against those of other religious and political views.
Issa:
One of the characters, whose elements contributed to the building up
of the myth of Jesus in the first centuries of the Christian era.
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