Numerology Related Definitions

Numerology's 13 Sacred Magical Divination Systems

Arithmancy

In modern numerological terminology, arithmancy (a shortened form of Greek divination by numbers) is a simplified version of ancient Greek Isopsephy or Hebrew/Aramaic Gematria, as adapted to the Latin alphabet. The name Arithmancy is derived from two Greek words – arithmos (meaning number) and manteia (meaning divination). Arithmancy is thus the study of divination through numbers.

Esoteric

The dictionary defines esoteric as information that is understood by a small group or those specially initiated, or of rare or unusual interest. Esoteric items may be known as esoterica.  Esotericism is defined as the holding of secret doctrines, the practice of limiting knowledge to a small group, or an interest in items of a special, rare, novel, or unusual quality.

Gematria

Gematria or gimatria is a system of assigning numerical value  to a word or phrase, in the belief that words or phrases with identical numerical values bear some relation to each other, or bear some relation to the number itself as it may apply to a person’s age, the calendar year, or the like. It is likely that the term derives from the order of the Greek alphabet, gamma being the third letter of the Greek alphabet (gamma + tria). Alternately, the word “gematria” is generally held to derive from Greek geōmetriā, “geometry”. It has been extant in English since the 17th century from translations of works by Giovanni Pico della Mirandola. Although ostensibly derived from Greek, it is largely used in Jewish texts, notably in those associated with the Kabbalah.

Though gematria is most often used to calculate the values of individual words, Kabbalists use them often for arbitrary phrases and, occasionally, for various languages.

Magick

Magick, in the writings of British occultist Aleister Crowley, is defined as “the science and art of causing change to occur in conformity with the will”, including both “mundane” acts of will as well as ritual magic. Crowley claimed that “it is theoretically possible to cause in any object any change of which that object is capable by nature”.

The spelling magick for magic is taken from Early Modern English. It was chosen by Crowley to differentiate his concept from other practices, such as stage magic.

Since the time of Crowley’s writing about magick, many different spiritual and occult traditions have adopted the K spelling.

Numerology

Numerology and numerological divination by systems such as isopsephy were popular among early mathematicians, such as Pythagoras, but are no longer considered part of mathematics and are regarded as pseudomathematics by modern scientists. This is similar to the historical relationships between astrology and astronomy, and between alchemy and chemistry. Today, numerology is often associated with the occult, alongside astrology and similar divinatory arts. The term can also be used for those who place excess faith in numerical patterns, even if those people don’t practice traditional numerology.

Modern numerology often contains aspects of a variety of ancient cultures and teachers, including Babylonia, Pythagoras and his followers (Greece, 6th century B.C.), astrological philosophy from Hellenistic Alexandria, early Christian mysticism, early Gnostics, the Hebrew system of the Kabbalah, The Indian Vedas, the Chinese “Circle of the Dead”, Egyptian “Book of the Masters of the Secret House” (Ritual of the Dead) and of course Islam’s Rashad Khalifa and his Quran Code 19 for the Quran.

Occult

The word occult comes from the Latin word occultus (clandestine, hidden, secret), referring to “knowledge of the hidden”. The word has many uses in the English language, popularly meaning “knowledge of the paranormal”, as opposed to “knowledge of the measurable”, usually referred to as science. The term is sometimes popularly taken to mean “knowledge meant only for certain people” or “knowledge that must be kept hidden”, but for most practicing occultists it is simply the study of a deeper spiritual reality that extends beyond pure reason and the physical sciences.  The terms esoteric and arcane can have a very similar meaning, and the three terms are often interchangeable.

The term occult is also used as a label given to a number of magical organizations or orders, the teachings and practices taught by them, and to a large body of current and historical literature and spiritual philosophy related to this subject.

The word occult is somewhat generic, in that almost everything that is not claimed by any of the major religions can be considered the occult. Even religious scientists have difficulties in defining occultism.

Occultism

Occultism is the study of occult or hidden wisdom. It can involve such subjects as magic (alternatively spelled and defined as magick), alchemy, extra-sensory perception, astrology, spiritualism, lithomancy, and numerology. There is often a strong religious element to these studies and beliefs.

The word occult is somewhat generic, in that almost everything that is not claimed by any of the major religions can be considered the occult. Even religious scientists have difficulties in defining occultism.

Oracle

In Classical Antiquity, an oracle was a person or agency considered to be a source of wise counsel or prophetic opinion, predictions or precognition of the future, inspired by the gods. As such it is a form of divination. Oracles were thought to be portals through which the gods spoke directly to man.

Querent

Querent as “one who seeks” is derived, according to the Oxford English Dictionary, from the Latin quærēns “seeker,” the present participle of quærere “to seek, gain, ask.”

Querent* became used to denote “a person who questions an Oracle” because it is usually when you have a problem that requires Otherworldly advice that you would seek out the oracle in the first place. This oracle may simply be a divinatory technique, such as the I Ching, that is manipulated by the Querent themselves without recourse to any other human agency.

Alternatively it may involve another person, someone perhaps seen as a “fortune teller” — particularly a Practitioner of Tarot reading, Numerology, or some other form of Mediumship — from whom advice is sought.

Runic alphabet

The runic alphabets are a set of related alphabets using letters known as runes to write various Germanic languages before the adoption of the Latin alphabet and for specialized purposes thereafter. The earliest runic inscriptions date from around A.D. 150. The characters were generally replaced by the Latin alphabet as the cultures that had used runes underwent Christianization by around A.D. 700 in central Europe and by around A.D. 1100 in Northern Europe.

* Information taken from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia rather than use short definitions from dictionaries