Heretics book 3 - The Apocryphile Press

398 :: GLOSSARY
Smudging: In Native American tradition, this is the act of
burning sage, tobacco, sweetgrass or some other herb with
cleansing properties to clear a space energetically so that a
sacred ritual may be safely performed.
Solipsism: The belief that the only thing that exists is one’s
own mind (or that the only thing one can be sure of is one’s
own mind) leading to speculations or doubts about the reality
of anything or anyone else.
Soul Retrieval: In shamanistic practice, this is where a
shaman will seek out splinters of a person’s soul that have
been split off due to emotional, physical, or spiritual trauma.
These splinters are usually caught reliving the trauma in the
Middle World. They can be led back to the surface by the
Shaman and re-integrated with the affected person’s soul,
making him or her whole again.
Spiritual Director: One who provides a ministry of spiritual
guidance. Spiritual direction looks similar to psychotherapy
on the surface (one makes a monthly appointment, and sits
in a room and talks for an hour) but instead of focusing on
one’s emotional health, spiritual direction is concerned with
spiritual health. Spiritual directors are not “experts” on their
clients’ spiritual lives, but simple companions and fellow
seekers who are trained to listen, to walk beside seekers,
pointing out what they notice, and helping clients discern the
presence and the movement of the Divine in their lives. Visit
www.sdiworld.org for more on spiritual direction.
Sub-prior: Second in command in a religious order.
Subtle Body: In various religious and occult traditions, the
subtle body is that part of the body that exists on a specific
spiritual plane. In Kabbalistic thought, there are three subtle
bodies, while in Vedanta there are five. In Theosophical philosophy,
there is the Etheric Body, the Astral Body, the
Mental Body and the Causal Body. Auras are an example of
subtle bodies.