A talisman that is designed to be worn, usually in the form of a necklace, bracelet or brooch. It is said to protect its wearer or to be a guide in troubled times.

Angels

Angels are often regarded as immortal messengers from God who provide aid and assistance when necessary. They can be human, bearing guidance.

Astral plane

The idea was popularised by Theosophy, where it meant the first plane beyond the physical plane. Later it became known as the emotional plane of consciousness. It is of a different level to our material world.

Astral projection

We have physical and astral bodies. When the body is unconscious, whether from sleep or from accident or illness, that person's astral self can leave the body and travel anywhere in the Universe. Some individuals can astral travel at will – consciously. The astral body is said to be attached to the body by a ‘silver cord’. Some say that if this cord breaks, the person dies.

Astrology

Astrology is both a science and an art. It studies how events on earth relate to the positions and movements of the planets in our solar system. For a ‘natal chart, astrologers map the positions of the planets, the 12 signs of the zodiac, and the 12 houses of the horoscope – preferably at the exact time of birth. They interpret their findings to identify the characteristics, lifetime potentials, and destiny of individuals. Astrological readings can also be made for a group, a country, and for animals such as household pets.

Aura

The electromagnetic field that surrounds every living being. An aura can be any one – or a combination - of the primary colors in the rainbow. Some people have a fixed inner aura color that remains constant, depending on their personality and basic nature. However, there are many layers to the aura, and the colour of the outer aura can change with the individual's mood, and state of health. People with keen psychic abilities can often see auras.

Celestial

Relating to the sky, as in "celestial map". Usually represents a particular shade of “sky” blue.

Channel

To send a message from one person or place to another; a medium, clairvoyant, or a healer might do this through a spirit entity. So might a writer – whose inspiration appears to come from nowhere – without actually contacting anyone consciously.

Clairaudience

The psychic ability to receive messages from an entity existing in another realm. The person or medium receiving these messages ‘hears’ the messages either in their mind or as an external voice.

Claircognizance

This means ‘clear knowing’. It brings the ability to know things without being told, and to receive complete ideas without prior knowledge. Some people tune in and ‘pick up’ things, such as poetry or music this way. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart may have been claircognizant; Symphony No. 1 (K. 16) was composed when he was just nine years old.

Clairsentience

‘Clear feeling’ is the ability to feel or sense what someone else is experiencing or feeling. Hunches, intuition, and connections with spirits also belong to this category. Some psychics with this ability can track down lost people or objects.

Clairvoyance

Literally, ‘clear sight’. This means the ability of a medium or psychic to see a spirit person, or people and objects that are some distance away and then describe details about them to others. These images can appear either in material form or in the mind’s eye. It also means the ability to ‘see’ past or future events.

Crystal ball

A transparent ball usually made of quartz crystal that enables certain psychics to focus their clairvoyance.

Destiny

A person’s future, either seen as being either fixed or as changeable, depending on a person’s determination.

Divination

The ability to see into the future; this can involve the interpretation of omens or supernatural messages, and any appropriate discipline such as astrology, tarot cards, mediumship or clairvoyance.

Dowsing

A technique in which a rod, stick, pendulum or other tool is used to locate hidden things such things as underground water or buried treasure.

Dream Interpretation

Dream interpretation is the process of assigning meaning to dreams. In ancient societies, such as Egypt and Greece dreaming was considered a supernatural communication or a means of divine intervention. Today, it is more likely to be regarded as the practice by various schools of psychology of assigning meaning to the symbols in dreams in order to foretell the future or solve a problem.

ESP

Extra Sensory Perception. The ability to perceive thoughts, emotions and events that are not apparent on a physical level.

Ethereal

The characteristic of lightness and insubstantiality.

Ghost

The wandering spirit of a person who has died to the earthly plane, but still maintains mind and consciousness. For one reason or another, the ghost (or spirit) has not moved on to the higher planes. This might be because they feel attached to places where they were happy or wronged in some way. It may also mean a spirit who comes back from a higher plane to look after someone who is in trouble.

Horoscope

The construction and analysis of the horoscope is the basis of astrological practice. A ‘chart of the heavens’ is cast for a particular moment in time, as reflected at a particular place on the Earth’s surface. The horoscope is divided into a number (usually 12) of houses whose positions depend on date, time and location. Many publications carry horoscopes predicting daily or monthly events for the 12 sun signs. To simplify matters, these ‘public readings’ are calculated for noon on the relevant day whereas individual charts require an accurate time of birth, and birthplace.

I-Ch’ing

An ancient Chinese oracle or the ‘Book of Changes’, which consists of 64 chapters illustrating universal principles, and which is accessed by throwing stalks or coins. It involves the dynamic balance of opposites (yin and yang), the evolution of events as a process, and acceptance of the inevitability of change.

Intuition

Understanding obtained without apparent effort; quick and ready insight that comes independently of previous experience, reasoning or observation. It is also one of the ‘four types’ of Carl Gustav Jung’s practice, found in the Myers-Brigg Type Indicator opposite ‘sensing’.

Meditation

A technique that enables the practitioner to lift awareness to a higher level (or plane) by clearing the mind of mental, emotional and psychological interruptions.

Medium

Someone who is able to serve as an intermediary between the living and the dead. A medium may listen to and relate conversations with spirit voices, go into a trance and speak without knowledge of what is being said, allow a spirit to enter his or her body and speak through it, or use some form of physical tool, such as a writing pad, to relay messages from the spirits those who wish to contact them. Not all psychics are mediums; also called a Channeler.

Numerology

The study of numbers and their occult meanings. Based on the premise that the full name a person was given at birth, as well as the day, month, and year that person was born, exert a strong influence on character, personality and events occurring during the course of an individual’s lifetime.

Palmistry

The skill of determining character and life potential of a human being by reading the lines and other characteristics of their hands.

Paranormal

Literally, ‘outside the normal’. This is an umbrella term for anything that cannot be explained by present (scientific) knowledge. It includes extrasensory perception (ESP), dowsing, astral projection and reincarnation. Ghosts and haunting, Unidentified Flying Objects (as UFOs) and The Bermuda Triangle also come under this category.

Parapsychology

The study of the paranormal, especially extrasensory perception, using scientific techniques.

Pendulum

A practice of divination used to answer ‘yes or no’ questions by observing whether the pendulum swings from front to back (yes) or from left to right (no).

Planes of consciousness

In our Solar System, there are several planes of consciousness. These include our normal physical, material or earthly plane; the etheric plane(where we find ghosts), the emotional or astral plane; the higher astral planes (where more evolved souls rest and regenerate their resources), and beyond the astral plane, the higher mind, Buddhic, Atmic planes and the plane of full solar consciousness, the Supreme or Absolute.

Premonition

A powerful feeling that something is going to happen.

Prophecy

The foretelling of events as if by supernatural or divine intervention.

Psychic

Psychic ability is related to the sixth sense, or ESP. It relates to forces or mental processes outside the possibilities defined by natural or scientific laws. An individual with paranormal gifts, e.g. clairvoyance or mediumship, is a psychic.

Querent

A person who asks questions of an oracle, a prophet or – more commonly – an astrologer, Tarot reader, a palmist, or someone who works a divinatory technique such as the I-Ch’ing, or Runes.

Reading

A consultation with a psychic or other practitioner using paranormal techniques to look into the querent’s current or past situation and motivations, in order to provide insight and guidance for the future.

Runes or Runic Alphabet

An ancient alphabet dating from c.150; a divination technique practised by early Anglo-Saxons.

Séance

A session with a medium involving at least one and sometimes many, participants, for the purpose of contacting the dead.

Soul

The essence of a single individual across time and all planes of consciousness. Souls are usually considered to be immortal.

Spirit

The divine spark, or God-essence, that drives and animates every life form; also the driving force for one incarnation, one personality, it is primarily of the earth and represents only one facet of the soul. Also, a daemon sprite or especially ghost.

Spirit guides

A term often used by Spiritualist Churches, mediums, and psychics to describe a spirit with a high degree of wisdom who chooses to remain close to the earthly plane. Such an entity may act as spiritual counsellor or guide to help certain living human beings along the right path. Some say your spirit guide is the twin aspect of your soul, with whom you seek connection and completeness.

Spiritual healer

Someone who can channel spiritual energy to benefit another person.

Star sign

Star sign; in Western and Indian astrology, the 12 ‘star’ or ‘sun’ signs are determined by the Sun’s position in the zodiac on any given day. According to astrological belief, celestial phenomena reflect or govern human activity on the principle of ‘as above, so below’, and the 12 signs represent 12 basic personality types or characteristic kinds of expression.

Supernatural

Not existing in nature or subject to explanation according to the known natural laws; neither physical nor material. As they cannot be explained by known laws, the supernatural realm is often associated with magic or occult ideas.

Talisman

(see Amulet)

Tarot

A collection of 78 images representing universal archetypes and situations that might arise in the course of the lifetime, arranged as a pack of cards, and used to gain insights into psychology and metaphysics, as well as foretelling the future.

Telekinetic (TK)

Literally, ‘movement from the mind’ or the ability to move objects by means outside the known laws of physics and science. Examples could include distorting or moving an object, or influencing the output of a random number generator.

Telepathic

Mind to mind communication without using the five classical senses.

Trance

Trance states may be consciously and intentionally induced, or they may occur involuntarily. A deep sleeplike state used by some psychics or mediums to allow spirit guides to speak through them, by hypnotists to induce a healing process. Also associated with magic, meditation and prayer.

Zodiac

The annual cycle of twelve stations along the apparent path (the ecliptic) of the sun across the heavens, and through the constellations, divides the ecliptic into twelve zones. This system was devised by the Babylonians, but the Alexandrians later decided to fit the number of signs to the number and meanings of the houses. They also named the constellations after the zodiac signs.