ablative shielding: A covering of material designed to reduce heat transfer to the internal structure through sublimation and loss of mass. ~ Answers.com

Absolution: the setting free by a priest of a person from guilt, the penalties of guilt, divine punishment, or the censure of the church. ~ Encyclopedic Theosophical Glossary: Aa- Adh

absurd: Ridiculously incongruous or unreasonable. Foolish. ~ The Free Online Dictionary

adage: a saying often in metaphorical form that embodies a common observation

Adam Kadmon: In the religious writings of Kabbalah, Adam ?admon is a phrase meaning "father time," or "Primal Man". ~ Wikipedia

Adept: an individual who has united the Soul with the Monad, and reached completion of the Fifth Planetary Initiation. ~ Mudrashram Institute of Spiritual Studies

Adonis: (Hebrew) [from 'adon lord] Title of the Babylonian god Tammuz, whose cult was imported into Asiatic Greece. A beautiful youth beloved of Aphrodite, he was killed by a boar. Aphrodite was so grief-stricken that the gods of the lower world allowed him to spend half of every year with her on earth. His death and resurrection were symbolized in annual festivals. He is one of many symbols of the mystic Christ, the God made man. Though the son of Father and Mother, he is identical with the Father. Adonis is identified with both Osiris and Horus; with the Semitic Thammuz in Ezekiel, Athamaz, Tamaz, and 'Adam Qadmon (SD 2:43-4); with the Indian Aditi; and the Hebrew Adon or 'Adonai. Adonis is spoken of as both a lunar and solar god, since what is solar from one point of view may be lunar from another -- for instance, he may represent the sun in a lunar system. Adonis is connected with the solar year, as shown in the allegory of his six-months alternation. ~ Encyclopedic Theosophical Glossary: Adi-Ag

adumbration: to suggest or disclose partially. to foreshadow vaguely

Aegir: (Icelandic) Ager (Scandinavian) An old mythical word, whose root is much older than the Norse languages; possibly akin to the Greek okeanos, both derived from an Indo-European root; it may be related to the Old Gothic ahwa (water). In Anglo-Saxon eagor is the sea, also the bore on rivers. Aegir represents the waters of space in all their various aspects. In Norse myths he is the giant who brews the mead for the gods when they feast at the stellar and planetary "tables" -- when they imbody in worlds. He and his consort Ran have nine daughters who are the waves. Aegir has two servants, Eldr (fire) and Fimafeng or Funafeng (spark), possibly St. Elmo's fire and phosphorescence in the sea. An aspect of Aegir is Hler (lee, shelter). Blavatsky regards Ogir (Aegir) or Hler as "the highest of the Water-gods, and the same as the Greek Okeanos" ~ Encyclopedic Theosophical Glossary: Adi-Ag

Aeschylus: One of the three greatest Greek tragic poets, born at Eleusis (525-456 BC), the seat of the Mysteries of Demeter, into which he undoubtedly was initiated. Of his perhaps 90 plays, only seven survive. Plato accuses him of impiety and Cicero describes him as almost a Pythagorean. He profaned the Mysteries in the eyes of the Athenians (e.g. in the real meaning of the allegories present in Prometheus Bound and The Eumenides) and has been accused of introducing antagonism among the celestial powers, transferring the political radicalism and demagogy of Athens from the agora to Olympus. His works introduced a second actor, thus creating true dramatic dialogue; he also introduced masks and imposing headdresses and costumes for the actors. His portrayal of Zeus in different dramas is inconsistent, since there were two Zeuses: the abstract deity of Grecian thought, and the Olympic Zeus. While the former represents the head of the hierarchy of divinities, the latter is, in man, the human soul or kama-manas. Prometheus, who steals fire from heaven and brings it to mankind in a fennel-stalk, is buddhi-manas, mankind's savior. Zeus is the serpent, the intellectual tempter of humanity, which nevertheless begets in due time the man-savior, the solar Dionysus (SD 2:419-20). Harmony results from the equilibrium of contraries, and the drama of evolution as depicted in man shows the clash of descending and reascending cycles, the antimony of law and free will. These dramas have been immortalized for all generations by Aeschylus who, in his daring and self-sacrificing enthusiasm, may himself by styled a Prometheus offending the powers that be in order to bring light to mankind. ~ Encyclopedic Theosophical Glossary: Adi-Ag

affluent: having a generously sufficient and typically increasing supply of material possessions

afluent: having a generously sufficient and typically increasing supply of material possessions ~ Merriam-Webster Online

Ahriman: Personification of the evil spirit in the world. According to Mazdean philosophy, life originates from two principles: Ahura Mazda (the light principle) and Ahriman (darkness). Shahrestani, 12th century Islamic scholar, in Al-Melall Va Al-Nehal (Nations and Sects) writes that "Magis were of three sects: Geomarathians, Zurvanians and Zoroastrians. They all shared the view that two principles govern the universe: Ahura Mazda and Ahriman. Ahura Mazda is the being who pre-existed and Ahriman the created one." He further narrates allegorically that "Ahura-Mazda wondered how it would be if he had a rival. From this thought Ahriman, the evil spirit, was born, who revolted against the light and declined to abide by its laws. A battle took place between the armies of the two. The Angels came forward as mediators and agreed upon a truce that the underworld be given to Ahriman for seven thousand years and then to the Ahura-Mazda for another seven thousand years. ~ Encyclopedic Theosophical Glossary: Ah- Al

Aja: (Sanskrit) [from a not + the verbal root jan to be born, produced] Unborn; title given to many of the primordial gods...Spirit disappears -- dies, metaphorically -- the more it becomes involved in cosmic matter, and hence the sacrifice of the unborn...all these gods being considered leaders of their respective hierarchies in the sense of urging, driving, or propelling life and intelligence therein. ~ Encyclopedic Theosophical Glossary: Ah- Al

Akasha: (Sanskrit) [from akas to be visible, appear, shine, be brilliant] The shining; ether, cosmic space, the fifth cosmic element. The subtle, supersensuous spiritual essence which pervades all space. It is not the ether of science, but the aether of the ancients, such as the Stoics, which is to ether what spirit is to matter... Genesis refers to it as the waters of the deep... ~ Encyclopedic Theosophical Glossary: Ah- Al

Akashic Magnetism: In theosophy both electricity and magnetism are considered as the vital fluids or effluxes of living beings, which flow forth from them and, interblending and interworking, produce the multimyriad forms of electric and magnetic phenomenal activity common everywhere. ~ Encyclopedic Theosophical Glossary: Ah- Al

Akkadians: A non-Semitic race which preceded the Semites in Babylonia, evidence for whom is mainly found in some of the cuneiform inscriptions. The name comes from the city of Agade, the capital of Sargon I. ~ Encyclopedic Theosophical Glossary: Ah- Al

alabaster: a compact fine-textured usually white and translucent gypsum often carved into vases and ornaments

Alchemy: Alchemy seeks the primal unity beyond diversity: a homogeneous substance from which the many elements were derived; a pure gold which could be obtained from baser metals by purging them of the dross with which the pure element was alloyed; an elixir of life which would cure all diseases. The transmutation of metals was their magnum opus; the agent to be employed was the philosopher's stone. Though these processes are possible physically, yet the spiritual processes to which they correspond are incomparably more important. The base metals are the passions and delusions of the lower mind; and the pure gold is the wisdom of the manas in alliance with buddhi. The homogeneous substance and the elixir of life have virtually the same meaning. The perpetuum mobile (ever moving) and the inexhaustible lamp have their counterparts in the eternal motion and the spiritual fire. The three elements sulfur, salt, and mercury denote spirit, body, and soul, or fire, earth, and water. ~ Encyclopedic Theosophical Glossary: Ah- Al

alembic: an alchemical still consisting of two vessels connected by a tube. Technically, the alembic is the lid with a tube attachment (the capital or still-head), which is placed on top of a flask, the cucurbit, containing the material to be distilled, but the word is often used to refer to the entire distillation apparatus. If the lid and flask are in one piece, it may be called a retort. The liquid in the first flask is boiled; the vapour rises and flows into the tube, where it cools and condenses, running into the second flask. ~ Wikipedia

Aleph: 'aleph (Hebrew) The first letter in the Hebrew alphabet (Hebrew char), having the ox or bull for its symbol; also having the numerical value of 1. In its composition it is said by Qabbalists to symbolize waw (Hebrew char) between yod (Hebrew char) and daleth (Hebrew char), thus the letter itself represents the word yod (which again is the perfect number 10). ~ Encyclopedic Theosophical Glossary: Ah- Al

Symbolism tied to "ox gate" as the entry point of energy.

Alexandrian Library: Begun by Ptolemy Soter (367?-283 BC), and zealously pursued by his successor Ptolemy Philadelphus. The two principal libraries were in the Bruchium and the Serapeum; the number of rolls or "books" is variously estimated between 400,000 and 700,000, but these rolls had not the contents of a modern printed volume. The Bruchium was accidentally set on fire when Caesar burnt the fleet in the harbor, but many rolls were rescued. The Bruchium quarter was destroyed by Aurelian in 273 and probably the library with it; and in about 390 Theodosius ordered the destruction of the Serapeum, and its books were pillaged by Christians. The Moslem Caliph `Omar is reputed finally to have destroyed the remainder of the library. ~ Encyclopedic Theosophical Glossary: Ah- Al

algorithm: A procedure for solving a mathematical problem (as of finding the greatest common divisor) in a finite number of steps that frequently involves repetition of an operation; broadly : a step-by-step procedure for solving a problem or accomplishing some end especially by a computer

allegory: the expression by means of symbolic fictional figures and actions of truths or generalizations about human existence

Alpha Draconis: Also Thuban. A third magnitude star, north of the constellation of the Great Bear, which was the pole star about the third millennium BC. Around 2170 BC it shone down the descending passage of the Great Pyramid at its lower meridian transit, but Egyptologists generally believe that the Pyramid is much older than that. In the previous precessional period Alpha Draconis would be in about the same position rather less than 26,000 years earlier. After it ceased to be the pole star, it shared the fate of all the fallen gods and was treated as an evil demon. ~ Encyclopedic Theosophical Glossary: Ah- Al

altruistic: 1. unselfish regard for or devotion to the welfare of others; 2. behavior by an animal that is not beneficial to or may be harmful to itself but that benefits others of its species.

amanuensis: one employed to write from dictation or to copy manuscript. ~ Merriam-Webster.com

Amber: Pale yellow, brown, or reddish fossilized resin, capable of a negative electric charge by friction. ~ Encyclopedic Theosophical Glossary: Am-Ani

ambience: a feeling or mood associated with a particular place, person, or thing

ambiguous: capable of being understood in two or more possible senses or ways

ameliorate: to make better or more tolerable

anachronism: a person or a thing that is chronologically out of place

anagoge: interpretation of a word, passage, or text (as of Scripture or poetry) that finds beyond the literal, allegorical, and moral senses a fourth and ultimate spiritual or mystical sense

angst: a feeling of anxiety, apprehension, or insecurity

Anima Mundi: World-soul, world-mother; the divine-spiritual-astral-physical source of emanations, the cosmic generative and animating principle of all beings, the creative Third Logos in its female aspect. ~ Encyclopedic Theosophical Glossary: Am-Ani

Antiphon: a response, usually sung in Gregorian chant, to a psalm or some other part of a religious service, such as at Vespers or at a Mass. This meaning gave rise to the 'antiphony', a call and response style of singing. ~ Wikipedia

aphorism: a concise statement of a principle. a terse formulation of a truth or sentiment : adage

aphrodisiac: an agent (as a food or drug) that arouses or is held to arouse sexual desire

apologue: an allegorical narrative usually intended to convey a moral

Apolytikion: The dismissal hymn said or sung that summarizes the feast being celebrated that day. ~ Wikipedia

Apotheosis: the exaltation of a subject to divine level. ~ Wikipedia

appellation: an identifying name or title

apse: the rounded or many-sided part of especially the east end of a church. ~ Cambridge Dictionaries Online

be sure the sun comes up behind you to best effect, during sermons, for example...

arbitrary: based on or determined by individual preference or convenience rather than by necessity or the intrinsic nature of something. existing or coming about seemingly at random or by chance or as a capricious and unreasonable act of will

arcane: known or knowable only to the initiate

ardor: extreme vigor or energy

argot: an often more or less secret vocabulary and idiom peculiar to a particular group

articulate: expressing oneself readily, clearly, or effectively

Aspirant: a seeker after spiritual knowledge. The aspirant typically reads spiritual books, attends seminars and lectures on meditation and spirituality, visits spiritual teachers, and learns techniques to meditate and pray. The great task of this aspect of spiritual development is to learn to unite with the Soul and to travel consciously through the inner vehicles and within the Planes of the Great Continuum of Consciousness. ~ Mudrashram Institute of Spiritual Studies

Astral Light: The astral light is the tablet of memory of earth and of its child the animal-man; while akasha is the tablet of memory of the hierarchy of the planetary spirits controlling our chain of globes, and likewise of their child, each spiritual ego. The astral light is simply the dregs or lowers vehicles of akasha. ~ Encyclopedic Theosophical Glossary: Ah- Al