♫ Highway to Hell ♫'s definitions

Islam

A monotheistic religion characterized by the acceptance of the doctrine of submission to God and to Muhammad as the chief and last prophet of God. The Arabic word 'Islam' simply means 'submission," and derives from a word meaning "peace." In a religious context it means complete submission to the will of God. 'Allah' is the Arabic name for God, which is used by Arabic-speaking Muslims, Jews and Christians alike as the normal word for God. "Allah" is also used to refer to God by Muslims speaking other languages, including English. A Muslim is an adherent of the religion of Islam. Literally, the word means "one who submits (to God)". Islam is not a new religion, but the final culmination and fulfillment of the same basic truth that God revealed through his prophets to every people. A way of life symbolized by peace; peace with God, peace with the creations of God through Submission to God and His guidance. Over a billion people from all races, nationalities, and cultures across the globe are Muslim; from the rice farms of Indonesia to the deserts in the heart of Africa; from the skyscrapers of New York to the Bedouin in Arabia. Muslims believe in the One, Unique, Incomparable, Merciful God; the sole creator and Sustainer of the Universe; in the angels created by Him; in the prophets through whom His revelations were brought to humankind; in the Day of Judgment of actions; in God's complete authority over destiny, whether it is good or bad; and in life after death.

Muslims believe that God sent his messengers and prophets to all people and God's final message to humanity, a reconfirmation of the eternal message and a summing up of all that had gone before, was revealed to the Last Prophet Muhammad through the angel Gabriel. The sacred text of Islam is the Qur'an (also spelled Koran; multiple spellings).

by ♫ Highway to Hell ♫ May 7, 2010

Asvamedha

The ancient Aryan horse sacrifice.

Asvamedha was a Hindu, Vedic, ritual of horse sacrifice. It was performed by kings as a symbolic representation of their supreme power and authority, and, sometimes, for such blessings as the birth of a son to ensure succession. For the previous year the chosen horse wondered unmolested as he pleased in a pasture while protected by an armed guard. If he trespassed into another kingdom, the ruler was obliged to fight to keep the animal or surrender him. At the end of year the animal was brought back to the capital with appropriate ceremony, and sacrificed along with other animals. The fertility of this ceremony is evident from the way in which, symbolically, the senior queen would lie beside the dead horse. Jaya Sinah II of Jaipur was the last prince to perform this ceremony in the 18th century.

by ♫ Highway to Hell ♫ August 30, 2010

Satanism

Satanism is not one single religion. Satanism is a broad category of religions, worldviews, and literature all featuring a favorable interpretation of Satan. Christians (and Muslims) regard their God as all-good and Satan as evil. But what is good? What is evil? Many of the moral values espoused in the Bible seem very strange from a modern Western point of view. In the Garden of Eden story, Adam and Eve are punished for eating from the "tree of knowledge of good and evil." In other words, blind obedience to the Biblical God is considered "good," whereas independent moral judgment, based on one's own knowledge, is considered "evil." But, like many other educated people in the West today, Satanists do not agree with this idea at all. In the Book of Genesis, "God" seems to be outright threatened by human knowledge and achievement, both in the Garden of Eden story ("And the LORD God said, 'The man has now become like one of us, knowing good and evil. He must not be allowed to reach out his hand and take also from the tree of life and eat, and live forever.'" - Genesis 3:22) and then later in the Tower of Babel story ("But the LORD came down to see the city and the tower that the men were building. The LORD said, 'If as one people speaking the same language they have begun to do this, then nothing they plan to do will be impossible for them. Come, let us go down and confuse their language so they will not understand each other.'" - Genesis 11:5-7).

According to traditional Christian doctrine, the main “evil” thing Satan is believed to do is simply to lead people away from Christ. Whether this is a good thing or a bad thing depends on how you feel about Christianity. From a more down-to-Earth point of view, the worst thing Satan is said to do in the New Testament is to drive people insane. (Insanity is blamed on alleged “demon possession.”) Indeed, if one is careless, one can drive oneself insane through exploring the unknown and seeking to “become as gods,” as Satan invites people to do. On the other hand, if one takes reasonable precautions in pursuing one's explorations and ambitions, one can reap great benefits. Thus, most Satanists do NOT see themselves as "worshiping evil." Rather, most Satanists associate Satan with such values as pride, independence, individuality, knowledge, achievement, thinking for oneself, and exploring unknown and forbidden realms. Furthermore, contrary to the portrayal of Satanism in horror movies and sensationalistic tabloids, the vast majority of Satanists do NOT see any need to sacrifice animals or commit violent crimes in the name of Satan. There are many kinds of Satanists. For most of the past forty years, the most public Satanist spokespeople have been atheistic symbolic Satanists, who do not believe in or worship Satan as a literal entity, but who regard Satan as a symbol of independence, pride, individual ambition, etc.

by ♫ Highway to Hell ♫ July 24, 2010

Sympathetic Magic

The effort to control events, animals, or persons by extraordinary means that are imitative or analogical in form.

For example, a doll or effigy may be stabbed or burned as a means of casting a spell upon a living being, or red ochre powder may be used to restore the glow of life to a pallid body.

Sympathetic magic, also known as imitative magic, is a type of magic based on imitation or correspondence.

by ♫ Highway to Hell ♫ August 4, 2010

Hajj

The Hajj is a pilgrimage to Mecca. It is currently the largest annual pilgrimage in the world, and is the fifth pillar of Islam, an obligation that must be carried out at least once in their lifetime by every able-bodied Muslim who can afford to do so. The Hajj is a demonstration of the solidarity of the Muslim people, and their submission to Allah (God).

The Hajj is based on a pilgrimage that was ancient even in the time of Muhammad in the 7th Century.

by ♫ Highway to Hell ♫ October 7, 2009

Haiku

A type of Japanese poetry always 3 lines in length. The lines always have 5, 7, and 5 syllables.

Haiku usually focuses on highly evocative allusions and comparisons, often on the subject of nature or one of the seasons.

by ♫ Highway to Hell ♫ July 30, 2011

Third Eye

The third eye (also known as the inner eye) is a mystical and esoteric concept referring in part to the ajna (brow) chakra in certain Eastern and Western spiritual traditions. It is also spoken of as the gate that leads within to inner realms and spaces of higher consciousness. In New Age spirituality, the third eye may alternately symbolize a state of enlightenment or the evocation of mental images having deeply-personal spiritual or psychological significance. The third eye is often associated with visions, clairvoyance (which includes the ability to observe chakras and auras), precognition, and out-of-body experiences, and people who have allegedly developed the capacity to utilize their third eyes are sometimes known as seers.

In Hinduism and Buddhism, the third eye is a symbol of enlightenment (moksha and nirvana). In the Indian tradition, it is referred to as the gyananakashu, the eye of knowledge, which is the seat of the 'teacher inside' or antar-guru. The third eye is the ajna chakra (sixth chakra) also known as brow chakra or brow centre. This is commonly denoted in Indian and East Asian iconography with a dot, eye or mark on the forehead of deities or enlightened beings, such as Shiva, Buddha, or any number of yogis, sages and bodhisattvas. This symbol is called the "Third Eye" or "Eye of Wisdom," or, in Buddhism, the urna. In Hinduism, it is believed that the opening of Shiva's third eye causes the eventual destruction of the physical universe.

by ♫ Highway to Hell ♫ December 2, 2009