Runes - latest thoughtsZURVAN - The place where life happens - seen primarily as a period of time. The 'ground of being'. ATMANUS - mind-spirit. The living source of activity. The active living spirit that resides in the passive realms of Zurvan. Atmanus both perceives the land-scape of Zurvan, and takes actions which change it. Can be seen as a single 'world-spirit' ,similar to Hegel's Geist', or as individual spirits that form the essence of individual living beings. PNEUMA - a word that denotes the activity of ATMANUS, and its connection to the passive material of ZURVAN. SKEMA - Landscape - the shape, the contours, the character of the world. Maybe as ZURVANOSKEMA or possibly as MANOSKEMA (the contours of the mind, the psychic character). AGATHIA (or AGATHEIA) - 'goodness' , seen as a quality, as a sliding scale with 'the bad' at one end and 'the good' at the other, as a standard by which to judge things, both states-of-affairs and actions. BIOSIS - 'The process of life' . A very general word for 'Life Happening'. It is assumed that BIOSIS is made up of complex patterns in which each individual is 'Doing to the world' (DRASIS) and 'Receiving what the world does to them' (TUPOSIS). We can distinguish between EUBIOSIS and AKOBIOSIS as the Process of life going well or badly. EUBIOSIS is assumed to be much the same as THALIA or 'flourishing'. BANTA - 'a walking' - hence 'an activity'. BANTA is a kind of TUKA (happening). SYMBANTA - 'a walking together' - a group activity - a process or event involving multiple people. Something that happens as a result of the actions of multiple people acting usually in characteristic ways and receiving characteristic experiences accordingly. PANTOBANTA - 'the walking of all' - a more concrete term capturing some of the meaning of BIOSIS. Unlike SYMBANTA is doesn't imply any co-ordination of the different individual 'walks', but nevertheless does assume the walks of one will often impact on the walks of others. KOSMA - The ordered-world, social order, human culture. (KOSMA is an aspect of ARTA. It denotes the world ordered in a human-friendly way. It covers social-order but goes further.) (NB KOSMA can also be an alternative spelling for KOSMONS) KOSMON - 'a world'. A human culture or society. It is a particular manifestation of KOSMA, typically tied to a particular human society with a shared culture. Any particular Kosmon must have a degree of insulation from other Kosmons, so that a particular community has sovereignty over it, and can shape it. Neverthless a Kosmon is not completely detached from what is happening outside of it. (NB Kosmons relate to each other as 'partial wholes' (HOLONS) to the universal KOSMOS/HOLOS) ARKIA - 'influence or power over' . Where the DRASIS of one person produces TUPOSIS in another, then we can say there is a flow of ARKIA or influence. ARKOSKEMA - a 'map or system of influence' - the overall pattern of ARKIA. Shows who has power or influence over who and how that progresses in a chain of influence. SPENTARKA - something that increases someones power over another. Also ANGRARKA which is something that decreases it. ARKON - a being that has influence over its surroundings. In a small way every living being (ZOION) which is not completely trapped but is able to interact with the world is an ARKON (or 'produces an ARKON'). However some ARKONs are much more powerful and significant than others. An ARKON may be associated with an individual living being or with multiple beings working in co-ordination. PANARKIA - 'Panarchy' - 'where all have an influence on what happens' - a kind of social order where everybody can have an input on the process of life. Implies organic cultural development as different sub-movements within a society with their own semi-autonomous life rub up against each other. Implies the needs (KREIA) of people being recognised and then met by changes proposed by some, tested out and then generally accepted if beneficial. Considered to exist under conditions of relative social equality and/or connection. i.e. there may not be equality of direct governing power, but those with less direct power are able to win the attention and concern of those who do have it. KRATIA - power, rule through strength (from Greek). There is also KSATRA - dominion, power, authority (from Avestan). These two are treated as having the same meaning, and usually we use the KRATIA form. KRATON - a ruler. MONOKRATIA - 'Monocracy' or 'Absolute Monarchy' - a social order where one person or agency directs the activity of everybody else. DRASIS - 'Doing'. Also DRATA=Deeds. TUPA (or TUPTA) - the 'marks' on the world that are made through activity. Originally conceived as the impact of personal experiences on a person's psychic character. TUPA is related to SKEMA in that a whole series of TUPA will create the SKEMA. PATHEMATA - 'experiences' , what individuals 'experience' , 'suffer' or 'receive' from the happenings (TUKA) of the world around them, including when they are part of SYMBANTA. (maybe overlaps with TUPA) HORMIA - desires, impulses. THUMIA - emotions, drives, energies, spiritedness. (maybe overlaps with HORMIA) HEXIS - Habits or Character. DROMUS (originally PSYCHODROMUS)- 'a running' , 'a circuit' - a particular pattern of behaviour that is in-built and automatic in a person, i.e. doesn't require much conscious attention and effort . Thus it just needs to be triggered to be activated. A DROMUS is a kind of TROPUS (way of doing something) that a person is primed to perform given the right stimulating conditions. MAGTA - 'Mightiness' , powerfulness, capability. This is everything that enables an agent, whether an individual or group, to make an impact on the world. (Previously also 'Magtas') KHRATUS - wisdom, intelligence, understanding, judgment, power of thought. (from Avestan) PHRONESIS - Practical Wisdom. (Gk) (Maybe overlaps with KHRATUS?) VIRTAS - 'manly virtue' - suggested as alternative spelling for the Roman VIRTUS. ANDRIA (or ANDREIA) - manliness, courageousness, bravery . Andria is the 'fortitude of the soul', the ability to turn up to whatever is happening and needs your attention regardless of fear. ASKESIS - a practice, discipline, training aimed at self-improvement AGRIA is wildness, paganity, a mutual state of existence or a personal character aligned to natural life without artificial taming. HEMERA is tameness or domestication. AGRIOSIS - a process of becoming wild, in particular as a deliberate practice to help psychic development. In Agriosis a person escapes out of normal habits and conventional morality, letting their raw emotions and drives direct their behaviour. This might be useful to break out of conventional thinking which is restricting, to get a person in contact with their own psychic character which is normally repressed, and to become aware of how others may behave who are not constrained by conventional morality. ANDRIOSIS - the process of 'becoming a man' in particular in developing courageousness and fortitude in the face of challenge and danger.With Andriosis we leave behind the expectation and reliance that the world will be tailored to us, made safe for us. We come to understand the world can hit us with challenges that are not easy for us, but we must still turn up and seek to meet them. SOPHIOSIS - a process of becoming clever and wise (and good). It is both an intellectual (cognitive) process and a psychic (soul-based) one. i.e. it is not just about learning things, but changing one's whole way of looking at the world, and also developing the character of the soul so that it naturally acts with wisdom (rather than requiring a special effort to counter one's inbuilt character all the time). Sophiosis is perhaps not much different to Theosis ("becoming like God") as with Sophiosis one develops towards the character of Auramazda, even if one can never fully get there. This means developing the soul so that it naturally seeks to produce ARTA and THALIA as Auramazda does. i.e. Sophiosis seeks to 'bake in' the wisdom that the Good End is that of ARTA and THALIA. (i.e Just becoming 'clever' in the sense of knowing how to manipulate people, without becoming desirous to see them flourish, is considered potentially dangerous). GNOSIS - the process of achieving (or final state of achievement of) 'deep knowledge' about existence. Often included within (or a goal of) SOPHIOSIS. HODOI or TROPOI or PANTA - 'paths', 'ways of doing things', IDEODAENA - a Daena (Moral Vision) in the form of a picture (and hence communicable to others) ; a religion or ideology. ARDRA - Righteous Action (AR=Righteous DRA=Doing - can be seen as short for ARTADRATA). Similar in meaning, and preferred to, DARMA. AGENDA - 'things that ought to be done' - as in normal English - what a person thinks they should be doing and are trying to do. VISHA - A village or village community or clan. A small 'society for living'. These are the people who are part of your everyday life. Avestan origin, related to Latin VICUS=Village. So possibly VICINISM=the creation and sustenance of a village-sized society. 'Vicinism' is similar in meaning to 'Pagan Autonomism'. KARA - a band of men, a mannerbund, a koryos, a hunting party, a (small and homogenous) army. MITRAKARA=Mithraic Brotherhood ZANTUS - A tribe or people. Your Zantus are the community of people who share your customs and sense of identity and who you may be related to if only distantly. (Avestan ZANTU, related to Latin GENS. The Avestan word can also mean a country district like Latin PAGUS) AUTOVADATA - 'joining with one's own', 'forming bonds with ones's own', 'keeping things in the family', community self-reliance. When members of a group depend on each other for meeting their needs, rather than relying on outsiders. This is considered as an act of purity, while relying on outsiders is considered an act of impurity, as it maintains the integrity of the society so that it can act for itself and is not dependent on outsiders for its continuing life. N.B. A slightly different take on the meaning would be 'practices which bind a community together'. Auto is 'self'. Vadata may be related to English 'wed' with common idea of 'bind'. In contrast to the term HAMBASTIA which identifies a spirit of solidarity, AUTOVADATA identifies practices of especially economic self-reliance and autonomy. Nevertheless the two concepts tend to go together, as Hambastia is a basis for Autovadata, while Autovadata tends to strengthen Hambastia. HAMBASTIA - 'the state of being bound together', solidarity, group-cohesion. (from Persian Hambastegi). Hambastia is one of the components of MAGTA (mightiness) for a group. Considered as equivalent to Arabic term 'Asabiyyah' which is described as the 'social energy or glue that allows a group to gain and maintain power.' HANJAMAN - 'a coming together' , a meeting, an association. (Middle Persian. Perhaps from early Persian Ham/Han/Hana-Gamana - a coming/going together). HETAIRIA - a 'companionship', political or social group, association, brotherhood. Hanjaman or Hetairia are possible referents to a 'Mithraic Society/Brotherhood' - distinguishing the small group from the 'Mithraic Society' which is society on a large scale run on Mithraic lines - (i.e. one with a benevolent and capable agent of justice and good order in power). However there are other possible terms. KOINOTAS - a community or social structure marked by shared rules and customs of behaviour. This often comes with a shared sense of familiarity and mutual trust and a shared sense of identity with respect to interaction with outside groups. SYMMAKIA - a 'fighting together' , a movement with a common agenda to change the world outside of themselves. A Symmakia is typically characterised by SYNNOIA (shared understanding) and SYNDAENA (shared moral vision) and thus a common AGENDA (things they are trying to do). Also often by BELLINOIA (a war-like spirit). TANUS (or maybe TANUM) - a 'body' , whether in purely physical sense, or in terms of a mental-body or soul-body, a psychic body (having a particular character) - related to concepts of TUPA and SKEMA. A Tanus is controlled by a particular individual Manus. HORATUS & AORATUS for 'visible' and 'invisible' as applied to 'matter' (HYLE) which is the substance of ZURVAN. HYLE (or HULE) (or another word) HORATA is the normal visible physical realm of Zurvan. HULE (or another word meaning 'realm/place') AORATA is the invisible realm, considered the repository of memory, and hence the source of soul-character. Alternatively could use HORATUM (visible realm) and AORATUM (invisible realm) LEKTA -'sayables' - used with its traditional meaning in Greek philosophy May 25 -> Aug 26 ZHE |