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Thurifer
A thurible (via Old French from Medieval Latin ) is a metal censer, incense burner suspended from chains, in which incense is burned during worship services. It is used in Christian churches, including those of the Catholic Church, Roman Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, Assyrian Church of the East, Oriental Orthodox, Lutheran and Old Catholic denominations, as well as in some Continental Reformed Protestantism, Continental Reformed, Presbyterianism, Presbyterian, Methodism, Methodist and Anglican Communion, Anglican churches (with its use almost universal amongst Anglican churches of Anglo-Catholicism, Anglo Catholic churchmanship). The acolyte or altar server who carries the thurible is called the ''thurifer''. The practice is rooted in the earlier traditions of Judaism dating from the time of the Second Temple, Second Jewish Temple, and is still ceremoniously utilized in some Jewish Renewal, Renewal communities. In Christianity, the use of incense is Christian symbolism, symbolic ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Altar Server
An altar server is a laity, lay assistant to a member of the clergy during a Christian liturgy. An altar server attends to supporting tasks at the altar such as fetching and carrying, ringing the altar bell, helping bring up the gifts, and bringing up the liturgical books, among other things. If young, the server is commonly called an altar boy or altar girl. In some Christian denominations, altar servers are known as acolytes. Latin Church The Second Vatican Council's ''Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy'' confirmed that altar servers featured among those who "exercise a genuine liturgical function" within services such as the Mass. According to the ''General Instruction of the Roman Missal'', "Mass should not be celebrated without a minister, or at least one of the faithful, except for a just and reasonable cause." While the function of altar server is commonly associated with children, it can be and is carried out by people of any age or dignity. The term "acolyte" As ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Acolyte
An acolyte is an assistant or follower assisting the celebrant in a religious service or procession. In many Christian denominations, an acolyte is anyone performing ceremonial duties such as lighting altar candles. In others, the term is used for one who has been inducted into a particular liturgical ministry, even when not performing those duties. Etymology The word ''Wikt:acolyte, acolyte'' is derived from the Greek language, Greek word ἀκόλουθος (''akolouthos''), meaning an attendant, via Late Latin ''acolythus''. Eastern Christianity In the Eastern Orthodox Church, Eastern Orthodox and Byzantine Rite Eastern Catholic Churches, the nearest equivalent of acolyte is the altar server. At one time there was a rank of minor clergy called the ''taper-bearer'' (κηροφόρος) responsible for bearing lights during processions and liturgical Entrance (Liturgical), entrances. However, this rank has long ago been subsumed by that of the Reader (liturgy), reader and t ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Anglican Communion
The Anglican Communion is a Christian Full communion, communion consisting of the Church of England and other autocephalous national and regional churches in full communion. The archbishop of Canterbury in England acts as a focus of unity, recognised as ' ("first among equals"), but does not exercise authority in Anglican provinces outside of the Church of England. Most, but not all, member churches of the communion are the historic national or regional Anglican churches. With approximately 85 -110 million members, it is the third-largest Christian communion after the Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox Church, Eastern Orthodox churches globally. The Anglican Communion was officially and formally organised and recognised as such at the Lambeth Conference in 1867 in London under the leadership of Charles Longley, Archbishop of Canterbury. The churches of the Anglican Communion consider themselves to be part of the Four Marks of the Church, one, holy, catholic and apostolic ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Magick (Book 4)
''Magick, Liber ABA, Book 4'' is a book by 20th-century occultist Aleister Crowley with Mary Desti and Leila Waddell. It is widely considered to be Crowley's ''magnum opus''. ''Magick'' is a lengthy treatise on ceremonial magic (which he anachronistically refers to as 'magick', to distinguish it from stage magic), synthesised from many sources including yoga, Hermeticism, medieval grimoires, contemporary magical theories from writers like Eliphas Levi and Helena Blavatsky, and his own original contributions. It consists of four parts: Mysticism, Magick (Elementary Theory), Magick in Theory and Practice, and ΘΕΛΗΜΑ—the Law (The Equinox of The Gods). It also includes numerous appendices presenting many rituals and explicatory papers. ''Liber ABA'' refers to this work being a part of Crowley's system of magical works known as ''libri'' (Latin for 'books'). In most systems such as gematria where letters are given numerical value, ABA adds up to 4, a number which represent ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Ceremonial Magic
Ceremonial magic (also known as magick, ritual magic, high magic or learned magic) encompasses a wide variety of rituals of Magic (supernatural), magic. The works included are characterized by ceremony and numerous requisite accessories to aid the practitioner. It can be seen as an extension of ritual magic, and in most cases synonymous with it. Popularized by the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn, it draws on such schools of philosophical and occult thought as Hermetic Qabalah, Enochian magic, Thelema, and the magic of various grimoires. Ceremonial magic is part of Hermeticism and Western esotericism. The synonym ''magick'' is an archaic spelling of 'magic' used during the Renaissance, which was revived by Aleister Crowley to differentiate occult magic from magic (illusion), stage magic. He defined it as "the Science and Art of causing Change to occur in conformity with Will", including ordinary acts of will as well as ritual magic. Crowley wrote that "it is theoretically ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Co-Freemasonry
Co-Freemasonry (or Co-Masonry) is a form of Freemasonry which admits both men and women. The first known co-masonic lodge was created 24 December 1784 as the mother lodge La Sagesse Triomphante in Lyon, France by Alessandro Cagliostro. Cagliostro formed this lodge with his wife and a few other couples. Later in France during the 1890s, Le Droit Humain formed, and is now an international movement represented by several Co-Freemasonic administrations throughout the world. Traditional male-only Masonic Lodges do not recognise Co-Freemasonry, holding it to be ''Regular Masonic jurisdictions, irregular''. Organisations ''Le Droit Humain'' The International Order of Freemasonry for Men and Women ''Le Droit Humain'' was founded in France in the late nineteenth century, during a period of strong feminist and women's suffrage campaigning. It was the first Co-Masonic Order, and also the first truly international Masonic Order. Today it has approximately 32,000 members from over 60 cou ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Masonic Lodge
A Masonic lodge (also called Freemasons' lodge, or private lodge or constituent lodge) is the basic organisational unit of Freemasonry. It is also a commonly used term for a building where Freemasons meet and hold their meetings. Every new lodge must be Warrant (finance), warranted or Charter, chartered by a Grand Lodge, but is subject to its direction only by enforcing the published constitution of the jurisdiction. By exception, the three surviving lodges that formed the world's first known grand lodge in London (now merged into the United Grand Lodge of England) have the unique privilege to operate as ''time immemorial'', i.e., without such warrant; only one other lodge operates without a warrant – the Grand Stewards' Lodge in London, although it is not entitled to the "time immemorial" status. A Freemason is generally entitled to visit any lodge in any jurisdiction (''i.e.'', under any Grand Lodge) in amity (recognition of mutual status) with his own Grand Lodge. I ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Freemasonry
Freemasonry (sometimes spelled Free-Masonry) consists of fraternal groups that trace their origins to the medieval guilds of stonemasons. Freemasonry is the oldest secular fraternity in the world and among the oldest still-existing organizations in history. Modern Freemasonry broadly consists of three main traditions: *Anglo-American Freemasonry, Anglo-American style Freemasonry, which insists that a "volume of sacred law", such as the Bible, Quran, or other religious text be open in a working Masonic lodge, lodge, that every member professes belief in a God, supreme being, that only men be admitted, and discussion of religion or politics does not take place within the lodge. *Continental Freemasonry or Liberal Freemasonry which has continued to evolve beyond these restrictions, particularly regarding religious belief and political discussion. *Co-Freemasonry, Women Freemasonry or Co-Freemasonry, which includes organizations that either admit women exclusively (such as the Ord ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Gnosticism In Modern Times
Gnosticism in modern times (or Neo-Gnosticism) includes a variety of contemporary religious movements, stemming from Gnostic ideas and systems from ancient Roman society. Gnosticism is an ancient name for a variety of religious ideas and systems, originating in Jewish-Christian milieux in the first and second century CE. The Mandaeans are an ancient Gnostic ethnoreligious group that have survived and are found today in Iran, Iraq and diaspora communities in North America, Western Europe and Australia. The late 19th century saw the publication of popular sympathetic studies making use of recently rediscovered source materials. In this period there was also the revival of a Gnostic religious movement in France. The emergence of the Nag Hammadi library in 1945 greatly increased the amount of source material available. Its translation into English and other modern languages in 1977 resulted in a wide dissemination, and as a result had observable influence on several modern figures, ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Christian Symbolism
Christian symbolism is the use of symbols, including archetypes, acts, artwork or events, by Christianity. It invests objects or actions with an inner meaning expressing Christian ideas. The symbolism of the early Church was characterized by being understood by initiates only, while after the legalization of Christianity in the Roman Empire during the 4th century more recognizable symbols entered in use. Christianity has borrowed from the common stock of significant symbols known to most periods and to all regions of the world. Only a minority of Christian denominations have practiced aniconism, or the avoidance or prohibition of types of images. These include early Jewish Christian sects, as well as some modern denominations such as Baptists that prefer to some extent not to use figures in their symbols due to the Decalogue's prohibition of idolatry. Early Christian symbols Cross and crucifix The shape of the cross, as represented by the letter T, came to be used as a ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
