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AHURA MAZDA,AHURAMAZDA

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BLAVATSKY H P ANTHROPOGENESIS

generation of bronze, the third root-race, and the tzite tree of the popol-vuh, out of which the mexican third race of men was created, are all one* this may be plainly seen by any reader. but the occult reason why the norse yggdrasil, the hindu aswatha, the gogard, the hellenic tree of life, and the tibetan zampun, are one with the kabalistic sephirothal tree, and even with the holy tree made by ahura mazda, and the tree of eden- who among the western scholars can tell* nevertheless, the fruits of all those "trees" whether pippala or haoma or yet the more prosaic apple, are the "plants of life" in fact and verity. the prototypes of our races were all enclosed in the microcosmic tree, which grew and developed within and under the great mundane macrocosmic tree; and the mystery is half reve

stay in the vara" those "men" in the "vara" are the "progenitors" the heavenly men or dhyani, the future egos who are commissioned to inform mankind. for "vara" or the "ark (or again the vehicle) simply means man* verse 30 says "thou shalt seal up the vara (after filling it up with the seeds, and thou shalt make a door and a window self-shining within" which is the soul. and when yima inquires of ahura mazda how he shall manage to make that vara, he is answered "crush the earth. and knead it with thy hands, as the potter does when kneading the potter's clay (31. the egyptian ram-headed god makes man of clay on a potter's wheel, and so in genesis do the elohim fashion him out of the same material. when the "maker of the material world (ahura mazda) is asked, furthermore, what is to give lig

ere vara is built "the stars, the moon, and the sun are only once (a year) seen to rise and set" and a year seems only as a day (and night) a clear reference to the "land of the gods" or the (now) polar regions. moreover another hint is contained in this verse: a distinct allusion to the "uncreated lights" which enlighten man within- his principles. otherwise, no sense or reason could be found in ahura mazda's answer (v. 40, which is forthwith followed by verse 41 saying that "every fortieth year, to every couple (hermaphrodite) two are born, a male and female* the latter being a distinct echo of the secret doctrine, of a stanza which says[[footnote(s* this is the meaning when the allegory and symbol are opened and read by means of the human key, or the key to terrestrial anthroposophy. th

may be contrary to astronomy as now taught and understood: but who can say that changes in the motion of the earth, which do not take place now, did not occur millions of years back? returning once more to the statement that vara meant the man of the fourth round, as much as the earth of those days, the moon, and even noah's ark, if one will so have it- this is again shown in the dialogue between ahura mazda and zarathustra. thus when the latter asks- v. 42 "o maker of the material world, thou holy one! who is he who brought the law of mazda into the vara which yima made "ahura mazda answered 'it was the bird karshipta, o holy zarathustra "the bird karshipta dwells in the heavens: were he living on the earth he would be king of birds. he brought into the var of yima, and recites the avesta

yer of vritra" as michael is called the conqueror and "slayer of the dragon" both these "enemies" are then the "old dragon" precipitated into the depths of the earth, in this one sense. the zend-avestic amshaspends are a host with a leader like st. michael over them, and seem identical with the legions of heaven, when one reads the vendidad. thus in fargard xix, ii. 13 (42, zarathustra is told by ahura mazda to "invoke the amesha spenta who rule over the seven karshvares* of the earth; which karshvares in their seven[[footnote(s* no "god" who curses his (supposed) own work, because he has made it imperfect, can be the one infinite absolute wisdom, whether called bel or jehovah* in the indian allegory of tarakamaya, the war between the gods and the asuras headed by soma (the moon, the king

means the same amshaspends, but in their highest occult meaning. the "sravah" are the noumenoi of the phenomenal amshaspends, the souls or spirits of those manifested powers; and "their sons and their flock" refers to the planetary angels and their sidereal flock of stars and constellations "amshaspend" is the exoteric term used in terrestrial combinations and affairs only. zarathustra addresses ahura mazda constantly as "thou, the maker of the material world" ormazd is the father of our earth (spenta armaiti, and she is referred to, when personified, as "the fair daughter of ahura mazda (fargard, xix. ii, who is also the creator of the tree (of occult and spiritual knowledge and wisdom) from which the mystic and mysterious caresma is taken. but the occult name of the bright god was never

e and the fiery tertullian called the devil "the monkey of god" this could be attributed to the ignorance of the age they lived in. it is more difficult to excuse our modern writers on the same ground. the translation of mazdean literature has afforded to the roman catholic writers the pretext for proving their point in the same direction once more. they have taken advantage of the dual nature of ahura mazda in the zend avesta and the vendidad, and of his amshaspends, to emphasize still further their wild theories. satan is the plagiarist and the copyist by anticipation of the religion which came ages later. this was one of the master strokes of the latin church, its best trump-card after the appearance of spiritualism in europe. though only a succes d'estime, in general, even among those

subsequent scheme of evolution. the logos it is, who is shown in the mystic symbolism of cosmogony, theogony, and anthropogony, playing two parts in the drama of creation and being, i.e, that of the purely human personality and the divine impersonality of the so-called avatars, or divine incarnations, and of the universal spirit, called christos by the gnostics, and the farvarshi (or ferouer) of ahura mazda in the mazdean philosophy. on the lower rungs of theogony the celestial beings of lower hierarchies had each a farvarshi, or a celestial "double" it is the same, only a still more mystic, reassertion of the kabalistic axiom "deus est demon inversus; the word "demon" however, as in the case of socrates, and in the spirit of the meaning given to it by the whole of antiquity, standing for

ics, and must, therefore, be orthodox. some expressions are translated to show what subtle theologians and casuists mean by the term ferouer* a word borrowed by some french writers from the zend avesta, as said, and utilized in roman catholicism for a purpose zoroaster was very far from anticipating. in fargard xix. of the vendidad it is said (verse 14 "invoke, o zarathustra! my farvarshi, who am ahura mazda, the greatest, the best, the fairest of all beings, the most solid, the most intelligent. and whose soul is the holy word (mathra spenta. the french orientalists translate farvarshi by "ferouer" now what is a ferouer, or farvarshi? in some mazdean works (e.g, ormazd ahriman, 112, 113, it is plainly implied that farvarshi is the inner, immortal man (or that ego which reincarnates; that

s endowed with the farvarshi, but gods too, and the sky, fire, waters, and plants (introduction to the vendidad, by j. darmesteter. this shows as plainly as can be shown that the ferouer is the "spiritual counterpart" of whether god, animal, plant, or even element, i.e, the refined and the purer part of the grosser creation, the soul of the body, whatever the body may happen to be. therefore does ahura mazda recommend zarathustra to invoke his farvarshi and not himself (ahura-mazda; that is to say, the impersonal and true essence of deity, one with zoroaster's own atman (or christos, not the false and personal appearance. this is quite clear. now it is on this divine and ethereal prototype that the roman catholics seized so as to build up the supposed difference between their god and angel

nd describe it in one or another form. thus, hoang-ty, the great spirit, sees his sons, who had acquired active wisdom, falling into the valley of pain. their leader, the flying dragon, having drunk of the forbidden ambrosia, fell to the earth with his host (kings. in the zend avesta, angra mainyu (ahriman, surrounding himself with fire (the "flames- vide supra) seeks to conquer the heavens* when ahura mazda, descending from the solid heaven he inhabits, to the help of the heavens that revolve (in time and space, the manifested worlds of cycles including those of incarnation, and the amshaspends "the seven bright sravah" accompanied by their stars, fight ahriman, and the vanquished devas fall to the earth along with him (acad. des inscrip, vol. xxxix, p. 690; see vendidad, farg. xix, iii)

ber, as to regard it as "mythical" it is that oblivion of the first principles which has led the orientalists off the right track and made them commit the greatest blunders. the same failure is found in the definition of the gods. those who are ignorant of the esoteric doctrine of the earliest aryans, can never assimilate or understand correctly the metaphysical meaning contained in these beings. ahura mazda (ormazd) was the head and synthesis of the seven amesha spentas (or amshaspends, and, therefore, an amesha spenta himself. just as "jehovah-binah arelim" was the head and synthesis of the elohim and no more; so agni-vishnu-surya was the synthesis and head, or the focus whence emanated in physics as in metaphysics, from the spiritual as from the physical sun, the seven rays, the seven f

the physical sun, the seven rays, the seven fiery tongues, the seven planets or gods. all these became supreme gods and the one god, but only after the loss of the primeval secrets, the sinking of atlantis, or "the flood" and the occupation of india by the brahmans, who sought safety on the summits of the himalayas, when even the high table-lands of what is now tibet became submerged for a time. ahura mazda is addressed only as "the most blissful spirit, creator of the corporeal world" in the vendidad "ahura mazda" in its literal translation means the "wise lord (ahura "lord" and mazda "wise. moreover, this name of ahura, in sanskrit asura, connects him with the manasaputras, the sons of wisdom who informed the mindless man, and endowed him with his mind (manas. ahura (asura) may be deriv

st man" in the vendidad, as much as his twin-brother yama, the son of vaivasvata manu, belongs to two epochs of the universal history. he is the "progenitor" of the second human race, hence the personification of the shadows of the pitris, and the father of the postdiluvian humanity. the magi said "yima" as we say "man" when speaking of mankind. the "fair yima" the first mortal who converses with ahura mazda, is the first "man" who dies or disappears, not the first who is born. the "son of vixanghat" was, like the son of vaivasvata, the symbolical man, who stood in esotericism as the representative of the first three races and the collective progenitor thereof. of these races the first two never died* but only vanished, absorbed in their progeny, and the third knew death only towards its c

as the representative of the first three races and the collective progenitor thereof. of these races the first two never died* but only vanished, absorbed in their progeny, and the third knew death only towards its close, after the separation of the sexes and its "fall" into generation. this is plainly alluded to in the ii. fargard of the vendidad. yima refuses to become the bearer of the law of ahura mazda, saying "i was not born, i was not taught to be the preacher and the bearer of thy law" and then ahura mazda asks him to make his men increase and "watch over his world (3 and 4. he refuses to become the priest of ahura mazda, because he is his own priest and sacrificer, but he accepts the second proposal. he is made to answer "yes. yes, i will rule and watch over thy world. there shal

of thy law" and then ahura mazda asks him to make his men increase and "watch over his world (3 and 4. he refuses to become the priest of ahura mazda, because he is his own priest and sacrificer, but he accepts the second proposal. he is made to answer "yes. yes, i will rule and watch over thy world. there shall be, while i am king, neither cold wind nor hot wind, neither disease nor death" then ahura mazda brings him a golden ring and a poniard, the emblems of sovereignty, and under the sway of yima "three hundred winters passed away, and the earth was replenished with flocks and herds, with men, and dogs, and birds, and with red blazing fires" etc (300 winters mean 300 periods or cycles "replenished" mark well, that is to say, all this had been on it before; and thus is proven the knowl

inters passed away, and the earth was replenished with flocks and herds, with men, and dogs, and birds, and with red blazing fires" etc (300 winters mean 300 periods or cycles "replenished" mark well, that is to say, all this had been on it before; and thus is proven the knowledge of the doctrine about the successive destructions of the world and its life cycles. once the "300 winters" were over, ahura mazda warns yima that the earth is becoming too full, and men have nowhere to live. then yima steps forward, and with the help of spenta armaita (the female genius, or spirit of the earth) makes that earth stretch out and become larger by[[footnote(s* death came only after man had become a physical creature, vide supra. the men of the first race and also of the second, dissolved and disappea

p of spenta armaita (the female genius, or spirit of the earth) makes that earth stretch out and become larger by[[footnote(s* death came only after man had become a physical creature, vide supra. the men of the first race and also of the second, dissolved and disappeared in their progeny[[vol. 2, page] 610 the secret doctrine. one-third, after which "new herds and flocks and men" appear upon it. ahura mazda warns him again, and yima makes the earth by the same magic power to become larger by two-thirds "nine hundred winters" pass away, and yima has to perform the ceremony for the third time. the whole of this is allegorical. the three processes of stretching the earth, refer to the three successive continents and races issuing one after and from the other, as explained more fully elsewher

in, and yima makes the earth by the same magic power to become larger by two-thirds "nine hundred winters" pass away, and yima has to perform the ceremony for the third time. the whole of this is allegorical. the three processes of stretching the earth, refer to the three successive continents and races issuing one after and from the other, as explained more fully elsewhere. after the third time, ahura mazda warns yima in an assembly of "celestial gods and excellent mortals" that upon the material world the fatal winters are going to fall, and all life will perish. this is the old mazdean symbolism for the "flood" and the coming cataclysm to atlantis, which sweeps away every race in its turn. like vaivasvata manu and noah, yima makes a vara (an enclosure, an ark) under the god's direction

sundry worlds before this one. now this refers both to the first races (the "kings of edom) and to the worlds destroyed "destroyed" means here what we call[[footnote(s[[footnote continued from previous page] and the demiurgos or the universal mind directs his divine thought into the chaos that under the fashioning of minor gods will be divided into the seven oceans- sapta samudras. it is purusha, ahura mazda, osiris, etc, and finally the gnostic christos, who is in the kabala, hokhmah or wisdom the "word* the form of tikkun or the protogonos, the "first-born" i.e, the universal form and idea, had not yet been mirrored in chaos* the "heavenly man" is adam kadmon- the synthesis of the sephiroth, as "manu swayambhuva" is the synthesis of the prajapatis* bereshith rabba, parsha ix* this refers

DIABOLUS

dst threaten to demolish the pact, to demolish time -from the zatsparam, from the dawn and twilight of zoroastrianism r.c. zaehner ahriman is within the ancient persian lands and lore the devil incarnate. known also as arimanius and angra mainyu, this sorcerous daemon was suggested by texts associated with zurvan to be the first born of the god zurvan, who is infinite time and space. his brother, ahura mazda is the christ like figure or opposite god who fought against ahriman for control of the world; it is this very balance which is kept in continual motion by the daeva lord of darkness. the word daeva is actually demon, announcing a path and spiritual aversion to the principles the zoroastrians held in honor. some myths mention that ahriman first saw the light across the void and so lust

ENCYCLOPEDIA OF OCCULTISM AND PARAPSYCHOLOGY VOL 1

ocalyptic literature, for example, is the figure of the antichrist, the mighty ruler opposed to god, as cited in the epistles of john. this image harks back to the historical figure of antiochus iv, a persecutor of the jews. the apocalyptical concept of the end of the world and the antichrist figure have analogies in pre-christian religions, such as iranian mythology of the final conflict between ahura mazda and ahriman. however, it is within the jewish and christian traditions that apocalyptic enthusiasm has been most notable. in the west, in almost every generation there have arisen groups with an apocalyptic worldview and an expectation that they are witnessing the last days of human history. not infrequently, these groups go so far as to set a specific date on which the endtime events

GAMBLE ELIZA BURT THE GOD IDEA OF THE ANCIENTS OR SEX IN RELIGION

ted by viscount amberley from haug's translations. although the prophet zarathustra and his companion were first rejected, the fact seems plain that the monotheistic doctrines which they set forth were subsequently accepted as the groundwork of the religion of persia. in the opening verses of the 5th gatha appears the following "it is reported that zarathustra spitama possessed the best good, for ahura mazda granted him all that may be obtained by means of a sincere worship, forever, all that promotes the good life, and he gives the same to all who keep the words and perform the actions enjoined by the good religion "pourutschista, the hetchataspadin, the most holy one, the most distinguished of the daughters of zarathustra, formed this doctrine, as a reflection of the good mind, the true

not merely a disciple of zarathustra, but that she formed the doctrine which was accepted as a "reflection of the good mind" in the 5th gatha it is stated that among those who "know the right paths, the law which ahura gave to the profitable" is pourutschista the "holy worthy of adoration among the daughters of zarathustra. wise female worker of wisdom"[112 [112] spiegel's translation. ormuzd, or ahura mazda, which was the essence of heat or light, was the principle adored by the followers of the reformed religion in persia. throughout the avesta the most desirable possession, and that which is most praised, is purity of life "we praise the pure man "the best purity praise we "the best wish praise we of the best purity. the best place of purity praise we, the shining, endued with all brigh

f the reformed religion in persia. throughout the avesta the most desirable possession, and that which is most praised, is purity of life "we praise the pure man "the best purity praise we "the best wish praise we of the best purity. the best place of purity praise we, the shining, endued with all brightness"[113 "this earth, together with the women, we praise which bears us, which are the women, ahura mazda whose wishes arise from purity, these we praise- fullness, readiness, questioning, wisdom"[114 [113] vespered xxvi. spiegel's translation [114] yacna xxxviii. praise is offered to the "everlasting female companion, the instructing" the following is a part of the marriage ceremony of the persians as it is found in the khorda-avesta "do you both accept the contract for life with honorabl

GILBERT THE MAGICAL MASON

rt of south and western europe and even reached britain, being spread by the roman soldiers who adopted the worship of mithra in great numbers; they were introduced to this cult at the period of pompey in his wars with cilicia. both of these cults were, however, abolished by the domination of christianity under the emperor constantine abouta.d.330.thegod of this world, according to zoroaster, was ahura mazda, king of light and spirit of the sun, often called ormuzd by english authors- a great being having many resemblances to the old hebrew mosaic ideal of jehovah.thecult was at first, at any rate, a monotheistic one,butlater became dualistic, prominence being given to the existence and powers of an evil deity named angra mainyus, the evil mind, also called ahriman, who is always in confli

GNOSTIC HANDBOOK

brahman or vishnu is supreme with the other deities being modes of its expression. in each case, there is still a further more transcendent form, the parabrahm (or paravishnu/shiva, each being defined as beyond definition with the traditions of divine activities being relegated to the lesser forms or manifestations or interpreted in an allegorical fashion. in the zoroastrian faith titles such as ahura mazda are superlative definitions of a first cause, while in the later derivative mithraic faith god was defined as zurvan or the lord of time, since fate or time was believed to be the principle which is beyond all things. for the gnostic, god simply is. he/she/it is the one source beyond and behind all things, in both the zoroastrian and israelite faiths god is usually simply called lord a

GNOSTIC STUDIES THE GNOSTIC HANDBOOK II GNOSTIC THEURGY

also offers us a unique view of history and the state of humanity in general. gnostic theurgy page 18 matter contra spirit matter and spirit are in conflict. in contradiction to modern wholistic philosophy the gnostic has always known there is a struggle at the core of human experience. whether we consider the biblical view of flesh battling spirit or the cosmic dualism of the zoroastrians (where ahura mazda and ahriman battle across the universe, the essential truth is that matter and spirit do not work well together. while man s physical existence accelerates and his technology reaches greater and greater heights, the cost has been great, far greater than may be first appreciated. we may tend to believe that evolution has dragged man from the primeval waters of earth and slowly transform

n the light of the alpha event. when we think back to what we have discussed about the cosmic error, we can summarise it in terms of the creation or action of a secondary spiritual source. in the gnostic interpretation of the biblical myth for example, we have the defection of lucifer and a battle between michael and satan, which results in the creation of matter. in the zoroastrian model we have ahura mazda, the lord of light, and the secondary force as ahriman. depending on the period, the zoroastrian model varies, sometimes we have spenta mainyu battling ahriman, other times we have a more warrior version of ahura mazda doing battle, however, the duality is still the same. if we decide to use the biblical mythology for its symbolic value, we would arrive at a structure like that seen il

GRAHAM HANCOCK FINGERPRINTS OF THE GODS

, the book of the hopi, penguin, london, 1977. graham hancock fingerprints of the gods 197 chapter 25 the many masks of the apocalypse like the hopi indians of north america, the avestic aryans of pre-islamic iran believed that there were three epochs of creation prior to our own. in the first epoch men were pure and sinless, tall and long lived, but at its close the evil one declared war against ahura mazda, the holy god, and a tumultuous cataclysm ensued. during the second epoch the evil one was unsuccessful. in the third good and evil were exactly balanced. in the fourth epoch (the present age of the world, evil triumphed at the outset and has maintained its supremacy ever since.1 the end of the fourth epoch is predicted soon, but it is the cataclysm at the end of the first epoch that i

he cataclysm at the end of the first epoch that interests us here. it is not a flood, and yet it converges in so many ways with so many global flood traditions that some connection is strongly suggested. the avestic scriptures take us back to a time of paradise on earth, when the remote ancestors of the ancient iranian people lived in the fabled airyana vaejo, the first good and happy creation of ahura mazda that flourished in the first age of the world: the mythical birthplace and original home of the aryan race. in those days airyana vaejo enjoyed a mild and productive climate with seven months of summer and five of winter. rich in wildlife and in crops, its meadows flowing with streams, this garden of delights was converted into an uninhabitable wasteland of ten months winter and only t

days airyana vaejo enjoyed a mild and productive climate with seven months of summer and five of winter. rich in wildlife and in crops, its meadows flowing with streams, this garden of delights was converted into an uninhabitable wasteland of ten months winter and only two months summer as a result of the onslaught of angra mainyu, the evil one: the first of the good lands and countries which i, ahura mazda, created was the airyana vaejo. then angra mainyu, who is full of death, created an opposition to the same, a mighty serpent and snow. ten months of winter are there now, two months of summer, and these are cold as to the water, cold as to the earth, cold as to the trees. there all around falls deep snow; that is the direst of plagues. 2 the reader will agree that a sudden and drastic

here now, two months of summer, and these are cold as to the water, cold as to the earth, cold as to the trees. there all around falls deep snow; that is the direst of plagues. 2 the reader will agree that a sudden and drastic change in the climate of airyana vaejo is indicated. the avestic scriptures leave us in no doubt about this. earlier they describe a meeting of the celestial gods called by ahura mazda, and tell us that the fair yima, the good shepherd of high renown in the airyana vaejo, attended this meeting with all his excellent mortals. 1 the bundahish chapters i, xxxi, xxxiv, cited in william f. warren, paradise found: the cradle of the human race at the north pole, houghton, mifflin and co, boston, 1885, p. 282. 2 vendidad, fargard i, cited in lokamanya bal gangadhar tilak, th

radise found: the cradle of the human race at the north pole, houghton, mifflin and co, boston, 1885, p. 282. 2 vendidad, fargard i, cited in lokamanya bal gangadhar tilak, the arctic home in the vedas, tilak publishers, poona, 1956, pp. 340-1. graham hancock fingerprints of the gods 198 it is at this point that the strange parallels with the traditions of the biblical flood begin to crop up, for ahura mazda takes advantage of the meeting to warn yima of what is about to happen as a result of the powers of the evil one: and ahura mazda spake unto yima saying: yima the fair. upon the material world a fatal winter is about to descend, that shall bring a vehement, destroying frost. upon the corporeal world will the evil of winter come, wherefore snow will fall in great abundance. and all thre

LEWIS JAMES SATANISM TODAY AN ENCYCLOPEDIA OF RELIGION FOLKLORE AND POPULAR CULTURE

rney. satan s transformation into a true bad guy did not really begin until after the persians defeated the babylonians and returned the jews to palestine from babylonia. seeking to make them allies, the persians even gave the repatriated jews money to rebuild the temple. the persians were zoroastrians, a religion built around the notion of an ongoing, more or less evenly matched struggle between ahura mazda (in later zoroastrianism, uhrmazd, the god of light and the upper world, and angra mainyu (later ahriman, the god of darkness and the lower world. partially because of a friendly link with the persians, judaism took in influences from zoroastrianism. thus satan, the closest thing the jews had to an evil spirit, was reconceived in the mold of angra mainyu as god s enemy. this portrait o

y, gavin. lucifer rising: sin, devil worship and rock n roll. london: plexus, 1999. scott,miriam van. encyclopedia of hell. new york: thomas dunne books, 1998. ahriman ahriman (or angra mainyu) is the zoroastrian satan, and the prototype of satan for the judeo- christian-islamic family of religions. the central theme of zoroaster s religious vision is the cosmic struggle between the god of light, ahura mazda( wise lord) and his angels, and the god of darkness, ahriman( evil spirit) and his demons. unlike zoroastrianism s sister/brother religious traditions, in which the outcome of the war between god and the devil has already been decided, zoroastrianism portrays the struggle as more or less evenly matched (though many strands of the tradition would assert that ahura mazda s triumph is ine

estroyed, and the righteous resurrected. one of the points on which zoroastrianism differs from the other monotheisms is in its conceptualization of the genesis of satan. mainstream judaism, christianity, and islam all view satan as a fallen angel who was cast out of heaven, either for disobeying god or for rebelling against god. by way of contrast, ahriman is believed to be very much on par with ahura mazda. they even created the world together, which explains why the world is such a mixture of good and bad. later thinkers speculated that the two beings were twins, both fathered by boundless time (zurvan. ahriman is, however, not very creative in the sense that his evil creations are always responses to his brother s good creations. thus, for example, when ahura mazda created life, ahrima

r, but now god is moved to anger by satan s activity. zechariah lived during the time when the persians had defeated the babylonians and returned the jews to palestine from babylonia. seeking to make them allies, the persians even gave the repatriated jews money to rebuild the temple. the persians were zoroastrians, whose religious system was built around the notion of an ongoing conflict between ahura mazda, the god of light and the upper world, and ahriman, the god of darkness and the lower world. partially because of their friendly link with the persians, the judaism was influenced by zoroastrianism. thus satan, the closest thing the jews had to an evil spirit, was reconceived as god s enemy, though he was never became as powerful as ahriman. the tendency to amplify satan s role as the

tern religions also propagate the idea of a final judgment day at the end of time, which usually culminates in the resurrection of the righteous for life in paradise and the resurrection of sinners for either extinction or eternal damnation. in western religions, the notion of a final judgment originated in zoroastrianism. the religion of zoroaster is best known for its dualism. the god of light, ahura mazda, and his angels are locked in a cosmic struggle with the god of darkness and his demons. at the end of time, after a great final battle between good and evil, there will be a general judgment in which everyone will be put through an ordeal of fire (a river of molten metal, in which good individuals will have their dross burned away and evil people will be consumed. thus the souls of th

, there will be a general judgment in which everyone will be put through an ordeal of fire (a river of molten metal, in which good individuals will have their dross burned away and evil people will be consumed. thus the souls of the damned will trade their ongoing torment in hell for a painful annihilation. the souls of the blessed, on the other hand, will be resurrected in physical bodies, which ahura mazda will make both immortal and eternally youthful. many of the components of this vision of the endtimes a final battle between good and evil, judgment of the wicked, resurrection of the dead, and so on were adopted by jewish apocalyptic thinkers. from texts composed by these apocalyptists, such notions were adopted into christianity and islam. although seemingly a dreadful day, many beli

ia (modern-day iran) in about 1000 b.c.e (some sources say much earlier) by the prophet zoroaster, and was the official religion of the area until the muslims took over the area. a relatively small body of zoroastrians, who are called parsis in the subcontinent, survive in contemporary india. the religion of zoroaster is best known for its dualism. the god of light and the upper world, ohrmazd or ahura mazda( wise lord) and his angels, are locked in a cosmic struggle with the god of darkness and the lower world, angra mainyu or ahriman( evil spirit) and his demons. unlike christianity, in which the outcome of the war between god and the devil has already been decided, zoroastrianism portrays the struggle as more or less evenly matched. individual human beings are urged to align themselves

, there will be a general judgment in which everyone will be put through an ordeal of fire (a river of molten metal, in which good individuals will have their dross burned away and evil people will be consumed. thus the souls of the damned will trade their ongoing torment in hell for a painful annihilation. the souls of the blessed, on the other hand, will be resurrected in physical bodies, which ahura mazda will make both immortal and eternally youthful (in a later modification of tradition, both good and evil souls have their dross burned away, so that everyone shares the postresurrection paradise) the concept of resurrection as formulated in zoroastrianism represents one of the earliest efforts to conceive of immortality. it is part of an optimistic vision of the end of the world, in wh

erfect environment the surviving human beings will live in the most perfect harmony with one another. husbands and wives and children, including of course the resurrected dead, will be re-united and will live together as they do in this present world except that there will be no more begetting of children. all mankind will form a single community of devout zoroastrians, all united in adoration of ahura mazda and the holy immortals, and all at one in thought word and deed (cohn 1993, 98 99) many of the components of this vision of the end times a final battle between good and evil, judgment of the wicked, resurrection of the dead, and so on were adopted by jewish apocalyptic thinkers. from texts composed by these apocalypticists, such notions were adopted into christianity and islam. see al

MANLY P HALL THE SECRET TEACHINGS OF ALL AGES

is merely the sun rising over the horizon, or, as the ancients supposed, out of the horizon, at the vernal equinox. john o'neill disputes the theory that mithras was intended as a solar deity. in the night of the gods he writes "the avestan mithra, the yazata of light, has '10,000 eyes, high, with full knowledge (perethuvaedayana, strong, sleepless and ever awake (jaghaurvaunghem.'the supreme god ahura mazda also has one eye, or else it is said that 'with his eyes, the sun, moon and stars, he sees everything' the theory that mithra was originally a title of the supreme heavens-god--putting the sun out of court--is the only one that answers all requirements. it will be evident that here we have origins in abundance for the freemason's eye and 'its nunquam dormio" the reader must nor confuse

MICHAEL W FORD THE VAMPIRE GATE

of akht jadu display therein the very foundation of this work, the luciferian path and the key to the gates of hell and heaven. heaven and hell are indeed spiritual realities, yet also physical sensations. by achieving and devouring we may reach the heights of both, which equally are powerful. remember the deific force of ahriman, so sought to break open the gates of heaven and devour his brother ahura mazda, the sun. morals morality changes based on culture and time. what is amoral now will not be 50 years from now. do not harm those who have not crossed you, respect animals and children as both hold a strong sense of honesty. guilt if you think through an action, and are compelled to take it feel no guilt. guilt is an emotion which drains your energy as well as creates other mistakes in

tongue. create your own shadow tongue, it should be a language which means something to you it must stimulate the imagination. the vampyre magickian may use the yatuk dinoih and the drujo demana from luciferian witchcraft and liber hvhi in workings of not only sorcery, but vampyrism as well. arashk is the name of the demon who was said to have created the story of zurvan, that ahriman is equal to ahura mazda. by these words desire becomes flesh. rite: with a flame and a symbol of the eye with a mirror recite: it is my will to awaken arashk in my spirit, coil serpent! recite 9 times: 72 by chismak and arashk i shall become a serpent focus now on the eye opening within the mirror, then within your mind. this eye may be serpent-like or anything else you wish. it must be a focus on what you wi

MICHAEL WYNN THE SOUL TRAVELERS

e of influence and so contrived to flood the world. gong nearly succeeded but was stopped by the righteous god zurong. in greek mythology, zeus is enraged by the evil mankind was partaking in and so therefore plotted to destroy everything on earth in a great flood. but wily prometheus warned a man named deucalion, who builds a chest and survives the flood. in persian mythology, the benevolent god ahura mazda tells a man named yima that a terrible winter of frost and snow is upon him. ahura mazda commands yima to build an underground enclosure to protect 2 of every creature and a small group of choice people. in--michael wynn's "the soul travelers" 6 serbian legends, a rooster who acts as the messenger of god becomes increasingly ignored by a decadent humanity. man s greed unleashed a torre

o the true father cain (the first child of adam and eve. satanists repeatedly reinforce this association, frequently suggesting that it was the serpent who was true father of cain, rather than adam (the first human. occultists will also freely refer to satan as ahriman (angra mainyu. ahriman is an ancient persian god who, according to legend, is wholly wicked and at war with his righteous brother ahura mazda. this ahriman resides in a gloomy underworld, and leads many demons. and then you have hades, from greek mythology. hades is the ruler of the underworld, and the brother of zeus. after a conflict where hades, poseidon, and zeus team up to defeat the titans (the older gods, these younger gods divided creation into three; zeus would rule heaven, poseidon would rule the sea, and hades wou

ght humanity much magic, and did not have the support of the most high god. our humble civilizer, on the other hand, spoke of morals and the sciences while never teaching magic, and he also had the support of the most high god. jehovah, jove, or god, is the righteous brother and ruler whose names are also many. to the jews, he was yahweh. to the christians he is jehovah. in persia he was known as ahura mazda, the bother of the evil ahriman. in egypt, he was ra/osiris. the greek myths call this entity zeus, and in rome he went by the name jupiter. this being, and his son, is commonly associated with the sun. here an important distinction must be made, because many have noticed a correlation between the sun, and satan. satan, or set, is the god of the setting sun and so therefore his symbol

he concept of a god or goddess having multiple aspects. similar to how your guardian angel, guardian demon, and spirit are 3 aspects of you; one of those aspects is good and pure, another is dark and selfish, and your fleshly manifestation is another aspect of you that stands between the two. yahweh [5.1] this is the most-high god, jehovah, the god of israel. he is also zeus, jupiter, osiris, and ahura mazda. he is the archon (angel) emperor, the king of heaven, and the father of the elohim. he is said to be the true father of the arch-angels michael, gabriel, uriel, raphael, and satanael (satan. although in some accounts, satan is his brother. these sons of god are commonly equated with the children of jehovah; zeus is also said to have plenty offspring. modern-day satanists often remark

PHILIP NEIL MYTHS LEGENDS EXPLAINED

which they could praise the splendor of the trinity. measured was the time in which they could know the sun s benevolence. measured was the time in which the grid of the stars would look down upon them; and through it, keeping watch over their safety, the gods trapped within the stars would contemplate them. even the dualistic philosophy of zoroastrianism, with its opposing gods of good and evil, ahura mazda and ahriman, was set in motion when the god of eternal time, zurvan, gave birth to the twin gods. introduction it is in the nature of humankind to tell stories, and at the root of every human culture are the stories we call myths stories of the creation of the world and of humankind, of the deeds of gods and heroes, and of the end of time. such stories explain and justify the world, an

st people this west african carving shows the world in the form of a calabash gourd, with the first man and woman and the cosmic serpent. the fon call this serpent aido-hwedo, and he carried the creator in his mouth when the world was made. aido-hwedo is said to have accompanied the first man and woman to earth. introduction 7 our notion of time, the limited time of creation, is merely a trick of ahura mazda s to limit the power of ahriman. at the end of time, all will be purified, and as in norse mythology a fresh, new creation will arise. the flood just as many mythologies look forward to the destruction of this world in a catastrophe, such as the norse cataclysm called ragnarok, so many record a time, within this creation, when the gods grew angry with humankind, and attempted to destro

rld began to wither. but faithful papsukal went to the gods, and asked them to create a being to venture into the land of death and revive ishtar with the food and water of life. so ishtar was brought back to life, but she had to pay a price. for six months of each year, tammuz must live in the land of the dead. while he is there, ishtar laments his loss; when he rises in the spring, all rejoice. ahura mazda and ahriman 20 ahura mazda and ahrima n in the dualistic mythology of zoroastrianism, twin brothers ahura mazda, who lived in the light, and ahriman, who lurked in the dark, are in opposition. between them there was nothing but air. the twins were born from the god zurvan, time, the ultimate being who existed in the primal void. ahura mazda, the wise and all-knowing, created the sun, m

in opposition. between them there was nothing but air. the twins were born from the god zurvan, time, the ultimate being who existed in the primal void. ahura mazda, the wise and all-knowing, created the sun, moon, and stars. he brought into being the good mind that works within man and all creation. ahriman (also known as angra mainya, meaning the destructive spirit) created demons and attacked ahura mazda. but ahura mazda sent him back into the darkness, saying neither our thoughts, teachings, plans, beliefs, words, nor souls agree. then ahura mazda created gayomart, the first man and the first fire priest. but ahriman renewed his attack and broke through the sky in blazing fire, bringing with him starvation, disease, pain, lust, and death. so ahura mazda set a limit to time, trapping a

st. but ahriman renewed his attack and broke through the sky in blazing fire, bringing with him starvation, disease, pain, lust, and death. so ahura mazda set a limit to time, trapping ahriman inside creation. ahriman then tried to leave creation, but he could not. so he has remained, doing evil until the end of time. when ahriman caused a drought and poisoned the first man, gayomart( dying life, ahura mazda sent rain, which brought forth, from the seed of gayomart, the mother and father of humanity, mashya and mashyoi. zurvan worship of the unified god zurvan became a heresy of zoroastrianism, which regards ahura mazda and ahriman as having existed in duality from the beginning of time. barsom twigs barsom twigs are sacred and a symbol of priesthood. zurvan gave them to ahura mazda, in re

s his true son. their use was spread by the god sraosha( obedience, who is present at every religious ceremony. he is embodied in men s prayers and hymns, which he takes to heaven in a chariot drawn by four white horses with golden hooves. maturity these figures represent mature human beings. when the world is recreated at the end of time, all adults will be brought back to life at the age of 40. ahura mazda sun emblem this glazed brick relief from the sixth or fifth century bce was found at susa in iran. it shows the winged sun emblem of ahura mazda placed above two winged sphinxes, who appear to be standing guard. ahura mazda ahura mazda (also known as ohrmazd) was the culmination of zurvan s desire. he is an all-knowing creator whose plans for a perfect world are frustrated by ahriman

bce was found at susa in iran. it shows the winged sun emblem of ahura mazda placed above two winged sphinxes, who appear to be standing guard. ahura mazda ahura mazda (also known as ohrmazd) was the culmination of zurvan s desire. he is an all-knowing creator whose plans for a perfect world are frustrated by ahriman. youth this figure is a representation of youth. all men are born good, although ahura mazda allows them to choose between good and evil. it is said that the earth is happiest where one of the faithful is standing. at the end of time (see box opposite, those who die as children will be reborn at the age of 15. ahura mazda and ahriman 21 sacrifice of a thousand years the god zurvan, a unified, androgynous, undifferentiated god, longed for a son. he offered a sacrifice of 1,000

born at the age of 15. ahura mazda and ahriman 21 sacrifice of a thousand years the god zurvan, a unified, androgynous, undifferentiated god, longed for a son. he offered a sacrifice of 1,000 years to create one. but as the 1,000 years drew to an end, he began to doubt his power to produce a son. when it was time for the twins to be born, zurvan promised that his first-born should rule the world. ahura mazda, who was gifted with foresight, told his brother this, and evil-hearted ahriman forced his way out first, and lied to his parent, saying, i am your son, ahura mazda. but zurvan was not deceived, and answered, my son is light and fragrant, but you are dark and stinking. and zurvan wept. ahriman ahriman the personification of zurvan s doubt spoiled the world by creating sin and evil. he

i have dried up the earth, so that the plants will die, and poisoned gayomart, so he will die. old age these elderly people are approaching the day when they must cross the cinvat bridge, the bridge of judgment, to reach either the joy of heaven or the horrors of hell, according to their acts and consciences. the bridge is wide for the faithful, but narrow as a needle for the sinner. the birth of ahura mazda and ahriman this silver plaque from luristan, from the eighth century bce, shows the twins, ahura mazda and ahriman, emerging from the body of zurvan, the supreme god and personification of time. on either side stand figures representing the three stages of man youth, maturity, and old age. mithra mithra was a persian god who became widely venerated in the west, especially in the roman

ristan, from the eighth century bce, shows the twins, ahura mazda and ahriman, emerging from the body of zurvan, the supreme god and personification of time. on either side stand figures representing the three stages of man youth, maturity, and old age. mithra mithra was a persian god who became widely venerated in the west, especially in the roman empire, as mithras. he was said to be the son of ahura mazda one of the seven divinities created by ahura mazda to oppose the demons created by ahriman. he was a god of order; but in the need to maintain order, became a god of war and warriors. he was seen as a more approachable god one who in a sense mediated between the pure goodness of ahura mazda and the pure evil of ahriman. his shrines depict him slaying a bull, a ritual act thought to ens

ls. the mystery cult of mithras as practiced in the roman empire was solely for men; it was an ascetic cult that emphasized truth and right living, holding out in return the promise of life after death. this roman statue shows the god mithras slaying the bull. the end of all things as the end of time draws near, the savior, saoshyant, will arise. he will prepare the world to be made new, and help ahura mazda to destroy ahriman. in the time of saoshyant, people will grow pure. they will stop eating meat, then milk, then plants, then water, until at last they need nothing. then there will be no more sin, and az, the demon of lust created by ahriman, will starve. she will turn on her creator, and try to swallow him up. ahriman will beg ahura mazda to save him, and ahura mazda will cast him fr

t they need nothing. then there will be no more sin, and az, the demon of lust created by ahriman, will starve. she will turn on her creator, and try to swallow him up. ahriman will beg ahura mazda to save him, and ahura mazda will cast him from creation, through the very hole he made when he broke in. then time will be at an end, and the world will begin again. saoshyant will raise the dead, and ahura mazda will marry body to soul. first to rise will be gayomart, the first fire priest, then the mother and father of humanity, mashya and mashyoi, then the rest of humanity. all the metal in the mountains of the world will melt, and each man and woman will pass through the stream of molten metal and emerge purified. to the good, the stream will feel like a bath of warm milk; to the evil, it w

RUBY TABLET OF SET

representation of yahweh was the responsibility of a separate priesthood. ancient hebrew religion progressed through four stages (1) pre-mosaic animism and magic (2) national monolatry (one god but toleration of others (3) monotheism, and (4) dualism [adapted from persian zoroastrianism (after zaratustra, ca. 600 bce. dualism involves a conflict between two opposing forces of the cosmos in persia ahura mazda vs. ahriman, and later in israel yahweh vs. satan. the hebraic ten commandments are now dated by most "old testament" scholars to ca. 600 bce, some 700 years later than the exodus. in the hebraic system, yahweh is not intelligible through reason or logic, but rather through prophesy and the history of events, whether or not the events' outcomes seem appropriate("theodicy. hence the heb

SATANGEL

n to come before the lord to accuse those from the earth. the myth of the fall originates in the book of enoch, and is outside of the canon. yet by the time the new testament was compiled the influence of enoch had been absorbed, along with elements of the persian zoroastrian religion, judea being under persian rule from the 6th to 4th centuries b.c. in their cosmology there are two principles of ahura mazda, being creative, and ahriman, being destructive. so evenly matched are they that the slightest flux can topple the balance, and mortal-kind are constantly being drawn to one side or the other. originally the devil was the shadow side of god, his dark aspect. mal ak was the term employed for that aspect of god that was able to communicate with mortal kind. it was this concept that was t

SCHLAGER NEIL WORLD RELIGIONS REFERENCE LIBRARY

traditional chinese medical treatment that uses needles inserted into the body at specific locations to stimulate the body s balanced flow of energy. adur aduran: the fire of fires that burns in zoroastrian temples. agnosticism: the view that the existence or nonexistence of god is unknown and is probably unknowable. ahimsa: the principle of nonviolence, or not doing harm to any living creature. ahura mazda: the supreme god of zoroastrianism. akaranga sutra: one of the sacred texts of jainism, which contains the teachings of mahavira. akhand paath: any occasion, such as a marriage or a death, when the granth sahib is read in its entirety. alchemy: an ancient science that aimed to transform substances of little value into those of greater value, such as lead into gold. allah: the name of g

, such as a marriage or a death, when the granth sahib is read in its entirety. alchemy: an ancient science that aimed to transform substances of little value into those of greater value, such as lead into gold. allah: the name of god in islam, derived from the arabic word al-ilah, meaning the one true god. amaterasu: the sun-goddess. amesha spentas: the bounteous immortals, aspects, or sides, of ahura mazda. amrit: a solution of water and sugar, used in the ceremony when sikhs are initiated into the faith. xv amrit sanskar: the initiation ceremony for young sikhs. anand karaj: the sikh wedding ceremony. animism: the worship of trees, rocks, mountains, and such, which are believed to have supernatural power. anthropomorphism: attributing human shape or form to nonhuman things, such as the

o the christian trinity, in which god is believed to exist as himself, within jesus christ, the son of god, and as a purely physical representation in the holy spirit. islam refers to god as allah. muslims, the followers of islam, have ninety-nine different variations of god s name. the religion of baha grew out of islam and came to call baha (glory or splendor) its god. zoroastrianism calls upon ahura mazda( lord wisdom) as its god. hinduism recognizes one supreme being, brahma, but brahma can manifest, or take form, in many different shapes. this includes taking shape as other gods or goddesses. hinduism is not, however, considered a polytheistic religion( believing in more than one god) because all the hindu deities are seen as forms of brahma. sikhism, which was founded in the same reg

anism first developed, but many believe that it is older than judaism. if that belief is correct, then zoroastrianism is the world s first major monotheistic religion (a religion that worships one god. zoroastrianism was founded by the prophet, zarathushtra (also spelled zarathustra, often referred to by the ancient greek version of his name, zoroaster. the core of zoroastrian belief is that god, ahura mazda, is the supreme creator and the source of all truth. zoroastrians see life as a battleground between the forces of good and evil. the good is represented by an aspect, or side, of ahura mazda called spenta mainyu, who exists in ongoing conflict with his evil opponent, another aspect of ahura mazda called angra mainyu. within this ongoing battle between good and evil, humans have free m

ng an estimate of 2.6 million, one source ranks zoroastrianism as the seventeenth-largest religion in the world. still, it is generally believed that the number of zoroastrians is shrinking, largely because many traditional zoroastrians believe that one cannot convert to the religion but rather has to be born into it. words to know adur aduran: the fire of fires that burns in zoroastrian temples. ahura mazda: the supreme god of zoroastrianism. amesha spentas: the bounteous immortals, aspects, or sides, of ahura mazda. asha: righteousness that derives from natural law. avesta: the chief sacred scripture of zoroastrianism. daevas: ancient persian deities. faravahar: a figure of a bird with its wings spread that is a chief symbol of zoroastrianism. gahambars: seasonal festivals. gathas: a por

od and evil. a key belief is that people have free will and can choose good over evil. followers. the number of zoroastrians, who live primarily in iran and india, is difficult to calculate. many sources give numbers in the low hundreds of thousands, while other sources estimate that zoroastrianism has as many as 3.5 million followers. name of god. the name of the supreme god of zoroastrianism is ahura mazda, a name that means wise lord. symbols. zoroastrians have three primary symbols. fire represents the wisdom and creative energy of ahura mazda. white is a symbol of purity. the faravahar is a bird with its wings spread that symbolizes the human connection with ahura mazda. worship. much zoroastrian worship takes place individually and consists of prayers. zoroastrians worship in temples

zoroastrians from parthia. also during this period a sect, or group, derived from zoroastrianism, called mithraism, began to worship mitra, a sun-god. mithraism gained some popularity in the roman empire (c. 31 bce 476 ce, particularly among members of the roman army. zarathushtra, the founder of zoroastrianism, holds the sacred fire and the law of reform in his hands. each were brought to him by ahura mazda. zarathushtra gained a small following for the religion, but its size grew greater after his death. the art archive. world religions: almanac 447 zoroastrianism during the sassanid dynasty (224 651 ce) zoroastrianism spread aggressively throughout the persian empire. by the sixth century ce it had moved into northern china, though it died out there by the thirteenth century. in the sev

e to follow these restrictions, though many do not. in iran, where zoroastrianism continues to be persecuted and its members are called gabars, or infidels (unbelievers, the government strongly encourages zoroastrians to marry within their faith as a way of keeping membership in the religion from growing. even in iran, however, sassanid king ardechir i receives his crown from the zoroastrian god, ahura mazda, in the third century ce. zoroastrianism spread throughout the persian empire during the sassanid dynasty of this time period, even reaching into parts of china. paul almasy/corbis. 448 world religions: almanac zoroastrianism zoroastrianism is idealized as representative of the nation s cultural and historical roots. sects and schisms seven different sects, or groups, have been identif

n identified in the history of zoroastrianism. some of these sects continue to exist, while others no longer have any followers. in addition to orthodox zoroastrianism, which emphasizes the traditional doctrines, or principles, of the religion. the seven sects include the following: 1. zurvanism: zurvanism emerged late in the achaemenid period (700 331 bce. it was based on the belief that because ahura mazda did not create the evil angra mainyu (called ahriman by zurvans, the two must have been the sons of a third figure, zurvan, whose name means time. zurvanism was a pessimistic cult because it believed that zurvan had given ahriman dominion over the world, so the world was inherently evil. zurvanism died out by the seventh century. 2. kshnoon: this movement was begun in india in the earl

ieved that smerdis had seized the throne illegally because he was not a member of the royal family (though later historians believe that he was. darius gathered about him a number of persian nobles, marched against the king, and put him to death. darius was a strong believer in zoroastrianism. he said that he was able to take his legitimate place as the hereditary ruler of persia with the help of ahura mazda. he was also a strong king and an effective administrator. when the leaders of a number of outlying kingdoms in the empire rebelled, thinking that they, too, had legitimate claims to the throne, darius quickly put the rebellions down and secured the empire. he launched a number of building projects, introduced a monetary (money) system based on gold and silver, developed a system of la

oped a system of law, standardized weights and measures, appointed administrators to the empire s various provinces, and encouraged trade with other nations. his only real setback occurred near the end of his reign, when his forces were defeated by the greeks at the famous battle of marathon in 490 bce. 450 world religions: almanac zoroastrianism basic beliefs the supreme god of zoroastrianism is ahura mazda (often written in english as one word, ahuramazda. this name comes from the words ahura, meaning divinity or lord, and mazda, meaning wisdom, so ahura mazda is usually translated as wise lord or lord of wisdom. in addition to ahura mazda are a number of amesha spentas, or bounteous immortals (sometimes called holy immortals. these figures, which were developed from ancient persian deit

name comes from the words ahura, meaning divinity or lord, and mazda, meaning wisdom, so ahura mazda is usually translated as wise lord or lord of wisdom. in addition to ahura mazda are a number of amesha spentas, or bounteous immortals (sometimes called holy immortals. these figures, which were developed from ancient persian deities called daevas, are thought of as various aspects, or sides, of ahura mazda. chief among them is spenta mainyu, similar to the christian holy spirit. zoroastrianism recognizes six more the amesha spentas: 1. vohu manah, who represents good mind and purpose; 2. asha vahishta, or truth and righteousness; 3. spenta ameraiti, or devotion, serenity, and kindness; 4. khashathra vairya, or power and just rule; 5. hauravatat, or wholeness and health; and 6. ameretat

manah, who represents good mind and purpose; 2. asha vahishta, or truth and righteousness; 3. spenta ameraiti, or devotion, serenity, and kindness; 4. khashathra vairya, or power and just rule; 5. hauravatat, or wholeness and health; and 6. ameretat, or long life and immortality. it is believed that vohu manah appeared to zarathushtra when he was in seclusion in the cave and revealed to him that ahura mazda was the one true god. good and evil some zoroastrians also believe that angra mainyu is not an aspect, or side, of ahura mazda, but a separate spirit involved in an ongoing battle between good and evil. they believe that in time ahura mazda will prevail and that the principle of goodness will reign supreme. other zoroastrians believe that the battle between good and evil exists only in

as a being or as a concept, that zoroastrians account for the existence of evil in the world. this problem of evil is a problem with which monotheistic religions have long dealt. the puzzle is this: if god is all powerful and all good, why does evil exist in the world? in zoroastrianism this puzzle remains unresolved. historically, zoroastrian theologians, or religious scholars, have argued that ahura mazda, as a kind god, could not have created angra mainyu. if such is the case, however, then the religion cannot be said to be monotheistic, for angra mainyu would have an existence independent from ahura world religions: almanac 451 zoroastrianism mazda. on the other hand, ahura mazda created people who are capable of doing evil, so this leaves open the possibility that he also created ang

is repeated in the local language. world religions: almanac 453 zoroastrianism in addition to the gathas are a number of other texts that are part of the avesta. the vendidad contains laws about becoming and remaining pure and also includes myths, or stories, and religious observances. the khorda avesta, which contains a number of ritual prayers, includes the yashts, which are individual hymns to ahura mazda and to the guardian angels. the visperad contains a service dedicated to ahura mazda. sacred symbols the most common symbol of zoroastrianism is fire. for this reason, zoroastrians have sometimes been mistakenly characterized as fire worshippers, but this is incorrect. rather, they see fire as a symbol of the creative power of ahura mazda. it is also a symbol of truth and righteousness

. the faravahar the most prominent symbol of zoroastrianism is the faravahar, sometimes spelled farohar. the name comes from an avestan word, fravarane, meaning i choose, suggesting the idea that a person the faravahar is a sacred symbol of zoroastrianism. it is a winged bird with the body of a man at its center. it represents the soul of the individual, which can progress to the goal of reaching ahura mazda. charles& josette lenars/corbis. 454 world religions: almanac zoroastrianism chooses to follow the religion. the faravahar depicts a bird with its wings spread and a human figure sitting atop it. the symbolism of the faravahar is interpreted in many ways, but generally the meaning is as follows: the human figure represents the zoroastrian s connection with humankind. some efforts have

ld religions: almanac zoroastrianism chooses to follow the religion. the faravahar depicts a bird with its wings spread and a human figure sitting atop it. the symbolism of the faravahar is interpreted in many ways, but generally the meaning is as follows: the human figure represents the zoroastrian s connection with humankind. some efforts have been made to show that the figure represents either ahura mazda or zarathushtra. zoroastrians, however, generally do not give ahura mazda any kind of human shape or form, and evidence that it represents zarathushtra is not clear. many religious historians believe that it likely represents the persian king. each of the two wings has three major feathers, which represent the three mainstays of the zoroastrian ethical code: good thoughts, good words

he human face is turned in the direction of the good. the circle in the middle of the figure represents eternity, a suggestion that the human spirit is immortal. one of the human figure s hands points upward, suggesting the need to struggle upward to achieve salvation, or freedom from sin. the other hand holds a ring. similar to a wedding ring, this band represents a covenant, or promise, between ahura mazda and humanity. worship zoroastrians often worship privately in the home. for example, the names of some of the more important yazatas (guardian angels) are given to the days of the week and the months of the year. on a day or month that bears the name of a yazata, individuals may choose to recite one of the yashts in honor of that yazata. when zoroastrians pray, they generally face eith

example, the names of some of the more important yazatas (guardian angels) are given to the days of the week and the months of the year. on a day or month that bears the name of a yazata, individuals may choose to recite one of the yashts in honor of that yazata. when zoroastrians pray, they generally face either the sun or another source of light, which is symbolic of the energy and goodness of ahura mazda. to face the sun, many will pray at a window in the home. world religions: almanac 455 zoroastrianism in addition, many individual acts of worship consist of prayers from the avesta that are recited at five different times during the day. these prayer times are called hawan( between sunrise to noon, rapithwin( between noon and 3:00 pm, uzerin( between 3:00 pm and sunset, aiwisruthrem(

it is led by a chief priest, called a zoti, and it incorporates elements of creation, including plants (which, during the ceremony, are represented by flowers, animals (represented by milk, fire, water, the earth, and the sky. the ritual consists of a number of preliminary prayers, including a prayer for the tying of the sacred cord, a prayer to obedience, a fire ritual, and a prayer in praise of ahura mazda. these prayers are followed by an khorshed niyaesh each day devout zoroastrians are required to recite standard prayers. one of these prayers is called the khorshed niyaesh, a prayer in praise of ahura mazda. devout zoroastrians recite this prayer during each of the three daytime prayer times, when the sun is in the sky. a portion of the prayer is as follows: may there be the rejoicing

a mazda. these prayers are followed by an khorshed niyaesh each day devout zoroastrians are required to recite standard prayers. one of these prayers is called the khorshed niyaesh, a prayer in praise of ahura mazda. devout zoroastrians recite this prayer during each of the three daytime prayer times, when the sun is in the sky. a portion of the prayer is as follows: may there be the rejoicing of ahura mazda. i commence this recital in the name of the creator. i praise and invoke ahura mazda, who is the keeper of treasures, glorious, omniscient [all- knowing, the perfector of all deeds, the lord of lords, king over all kings, the protector, the creator, of all things created, the giver of the daily bread, the natural, and the powerful, without beginning or end, the bestower [giver] of good

THE ABYSS AND TABAET

ns of these weapons, az (concupiscence) will devour that which is thine, and she herself shall starve, if at the end of nine thousand years thou hast not accomplished that which thou didst threaten- to demolish the pact, to demolish time- the dawn and twilight of zoroastrianism the zurvanites and zoroastrians held a form of dualism wherein if one approached from the zoroastrian view, the power of ahura mazda would be useful in only battling evil, powerless against a materialistic or spiritual benefit other than using such to keep one from temporary torment (the zoroastrians do not believe in an eternal hell, merely a temporary one once frashegird arrives. when dualism can be overcome, that ahriman may be recognized in all which includes the self firstly, then can one use the power of darkn

eminine and masculine, the primal path of the black and red serpent. rahab, who makes the orbs of light dark with its presence, a shadow cast upon the self-righteous and weak. as ahriman did he first create the predators of the earth, wolves, serpents, flies, scorpions, did his fire of darkness create the six archdaevas who bring wisdom and power to mankind, against the mindnumbing arch-angels of ahura mazda. was it not jahi whose voice of inspiration rouse the dragon from his slumber, bringing chaos and motion into this world? yet ahriman brings order as well, knowing that stasis is death and the spirit must continually move forward. the adversary s origins are found in both the feminine and masculine, that balance must bring the lively intelligence of existence. here is the sacred cup ma

ngra is angry meaning violent motion, determining by will alone the path and moving against the natural order. ahriman is thus a powerful sorcerer by defined concept, his bride was the fiery motivation in his spirit and for ahriman to exist beyond the limitations of flesh he realized that the fiery aspect was essential to his motivation. with regard to the zurvanite view of evolution, ahriman and ahura mazda emanated from zurvan, endless time. ahriman was essentially one who beheld the light from which life could emerge from, however it was cloaked in darkness. this light became passed on to the physical manifestations of ahriman s power, wolves, serpents, scorpions, worms, flies and other such creatures were considered of ahriman 'the twelve signs of the zodiac. are the twelve commanders

dividual within their own unique visage. sorcery and ahriman the literary foundations of liber hvhi and the yatuk dinoih and paitisha found in luciferian witchcraft are found partially in the avesta, this is perhaps one of the most significant and powerful methods described in magical practice. while ignored, the avesta holds in its obscure texts right hand path teachings of ritual communion with ahura mazda. while the ahrimanic work of the daeva-yasna is indeed left hand path in approach, the avestan staotas and ritual mantras were inversed and transformed into hymns to ahriman and the daevas, which are in direct association to the body and spirit of the sorcerer. this is in effect, chaos sorcery with defined purpose. in the avesta, ahriman is said to be full of death, from an initiatory

TYSON DONALD NEW MILLENNIUM MAGIC

l numerical division for understanding what the hen- decagram means is 9+ 2= 11. this can also be written 3+ 4+ 4= 11, which gives a different emphasis. both equations show the trinity manifesting on the physical circle as duality. creation is seen as a hostile balance of good and evil. this is the world viewed through the eyes of the persian mystic zoroaster, who saw it as the divided kingdom of ahura mazda (ormazd) and angra mainyu (ahriman, two equally powerful and independent gods. zoroaster has ahura mazda say: table of hendecagram w ci 0 demon function substance disorder i baphomet behemoth lucifuge leviathan zephas belphegor ashtaroth beelzebub asmodeus lilith abbadon idolatry blasphemy pride envy anger sloth creed gluttony lust fornication soul death semen gas mucus pus adrenaline

WICCA MAGICK OCCULT THREE GREEN BOOKS DRUIDISM

m become a man, i have put away childish things. for now we see in a mirror darkly; but then face to face: now i know in part; but then shall i know fully even as also i was fully known. but now abideth faith, hope, love, these three: and the greatest of these is love. selections from: the authorized version (king james) of the holy bible. from the zoroastrian scriptures (a prayer for guidance) o ahura mazda, this i ask of thee: speak to me truly! how should i pray, when i wish to pray to one like you? may one like you, o mazda, who is friendly, teach one like me? and may you give us supporting aids through the friendly justice, and tell us how you may come to us with good disposition? o ahura mazda, this i ask of thee: speak to me truly! whether at the beginning of the best life the retri

through the friendly justice, and tell us how you may come to us with good disposition? o ahura mazda, this i ask of thee: speak to me truly! whether at the beginning of the best life the retributions will be of profit to their recipients? and whether he, who is bounteous to all through justice, and who watches the end through his mentality, whether he is the life-healing friend of the people? o ahura mazda, this i ask of thee: speak to me truly! who was the first father of justice by giving birth to him? who established the sunlit days and the star glistening sphere and the milky way? who, apart from thee, established the law by which the moon waxes and wanes? these and other things would i like to know! o ahura mazda, this i ask of thee: speak to me truly! who was from beneath sustainin

shed the law by which the moon waxes and wanes? these and other things would i like to know! o ahura mazda, this i ask of thee: speak to me truly! who was from beneath sustaining the earth and the clouds so that they would not fall down? who made the waters and the plants? who yoked the two swift ones, thunder and lightning, to the wind and to the clouds? who is the creator of good disposition? o ahura mazda, this i ask of thee: speak to me truly! who produced well-made lights and darkness? who produced sleep, well-induced through laborious waking? who produced the dawns and the noon through the contrast with the night whose daily changes act for the enlightened believers as monitors of their interests? o ahura mazda, this i ask of thee: speak to me truly! is the message i am about to proc

contrast with the night whose daily changes act for the enlightened believers as monitors of their interests? o ahura mazda, this i ask of thee: speak to me truly! is the message i am about to proclaim genuine? does love support justice through deeds? dost thou with good disposition destine the realm for these believers? for whom but these believers didst thou shape the fortune-bringing cattle? o ahura mazda, this i ask of thee: speak to me truly! who shaped prized love with power? who, by guidance, rendered sons reverent to their fathers? it is i who strive to learn to recognize thee through the bounteous mentality, as giver of all good things! o ahura mazda, this i ask of thee: speak to me truly! i would like to know what sort of a purpose is thine, that i may be mindful of it; what are

thee through the bounteous mentality, as giver of all good things! o ahura mazda, this i ask of thee: speak to me truly! i would like to know what sort of a purpose is thine, that i may be mindful of it; what are thy utterances, about which i asked through the aid of good disposition; the proper knowledge of life through justice how shall my soul, encouraged by bliss, arrive at that reward? 242 o ahura mazda, this i ask of thee: speak to me truly! how may i accomplish the sanctification of those spirits to whom thou, the well-disposed master of the coming kingdom, has pronounced promises about its genuine blessings, promising that those spirits shall dwell in the same dwellings with justice and good disposition? o ahura mazda, this i ask of thee: speak to me truly! how will love actually

about its genuine blessings, promising that those spirits shall dwell in the same dwellings with justice and good disposition? o ahura mazda, this i ask of thee: speak to me truly! how will love actually, in deeds, extend over those persons to whom thy spirit was announced as a doctrine? on account of whom was i first elected, and whom i love; all others i look upon with hostility of mentality! o ahura mazda, this i ask of thee: speak to me truly! how shall i carry out the object inspired by you, namely, my attachment to you, in order that my speech may grow mighty, and that by that word of mine the adherent of justice may in the future commune with health, and immortality? selections from: robert o. ballou. world bible. new york, the viking press, 1944. p.210 sayings of muhammad (the morn

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