Traducianism

My Soul by Dr. Wendy Longo

Traducianism

The doctrine proposed by the Christian Father Tertullian (circa 160-225) that souls are inherited from parents, like bodies.

This runs counter to the more common Christian belief in Creationism, where God apparently creates an entirely new soul at the moment of each person’s conception.

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Tokugawa

Tokugawa Ieyasu by jpellgen

Tokugawa

A powerful military family in medieval Japan which held power from 1600-1867.

Under Tokugawa rule society was legitimized with Confucian hierarchical ideals. Social classes were ranked in status with warriors holding the highest position, followed by farmers, then workers and, last, merchants.

This is an interesting variant to the Hindu Caste system. » Confucius, Confucianism

On the Web:

• “This documentary of Tokugawa Ieyasu was made using real pictures of the actual Samurai involved, and their Crests, set to The Lonely Shepard. There was one factual error in the movie, that of course beeing that Oda Nobunaga was not from peasant stock as implied, but that subtitle had been meant Hideyoshi, Toyotomi. Enjoy” (StaggerLeee)

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Tramp Souls

A Haunted Trail by Joshua Debner

Tramp Souls

Deceased persons believed to be clinging to the material world, often to some particular locality and possibly holding a grudge against someone whom they believed wronged them in life.

Alternately, tramp souls are regarded as the victims of an accidental death who don’t understand why or haven’t accepted the fact that they’ve passed.

Tramp souls are said to be responsible for hauntings, obsessions and possessions.

An unofficial branch of Catholic thinking expressed by author Michael Brown (Prayer of the Warrior) attributes to homosexuality the psychological influence of tramp souls. According to Brown, a deceased woman’s spirit influences a man’s sexual preference or a male spirit influences a woman’s.

From this belief the opposite-sex spiritual influence apparently permeates the personality and the living individual comes to identify with it over time. » Demons, Obsession, Possession, Transmigration

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Tradition

Church of St. Mary the Virgin, Times Square, NYC by Rich McGervey

Tradition

In theological systems tradition refers to a received teaching disseminated throughout the body of believers, usually by an authoritative figure or an appointed body.

Tradition is often said to be based on scripture and tensions usually arise due to different scriptural interpretations within or among sects.

In Catholicism Tradition is described as knowledge that is complementary to the Bible, disseminated by Church authorities and believed to arise through the guidance of the Holy Spirit.

Orthodox Christians, however, interpret matters differently within their own sacred tradition, most notably on issues of married clergy and the selection of bishops.

On the Web:

• “In this issue of T&D we look at the catechism of the Catholic church and how it stands against God’s word the bible. Who is standing on the truth? Is it okay to follow “traditions”? What does the bible say about these? Are there any conflicts between the two?” (hetgow)

• “The problem with apostolic tradition. Dale Brown compares Roman tradition with biblical Christianity. Interview with Catholic priest and ex-Catholic Christian missionary” (apologiamixer)

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T’Pol

T'Pol's iPod by shindohd

T’Pol

Female Vulcan science officer in the TV program Star Trek: Enterprise.

The character is played by Jolene Blalock, whose good looks might obfuscate the fact that she played the role to perfection.

At a 2002 sci-fi convention Blalock noted that following Leonard Nimoy’s example (Mr. Spock) was no easy task but, due to her popularity, she “must be doing something right.”

Despite the initial enthusiasm for Enterprise, however, the series couldn’t hold its audience and was canceled after four seasons.

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Totem Pole

Totem Pole Vancouver by Kevin Grahame

Totem Pole

Somewhat misleadingly named after the totem, the totem pole is found among the First Nations along the Pacific coast of North America.

The animal and spirit-being carvings on these cedar poles are found at grave sites, used as house posts or signify important persons, events and privileges.

Totem poles are also heraldic and are likened to the crest (such as the Polish Eagle) or provide a genealogical record.

In some cultures they may recount popular legends or boast of shamanic powers. Meanwhile, other totem poles are mostly about artistic expression.

On the Web:

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Totem

National Museum of Anthropology by Jami Dwyer

Totem

This is a symbol of the spiritual ancestor for a group in aboriginal Australia and North America.

The totem usually takes the form of an animal or sacred plant.

Normally there are taboos against slaying or eating the totem.

Most theorists probably project their own ideas onto the meaning of the totem.

The French sociologist Durkheim argued that the totem is nothing more than an emblematic center for a social group. For Durkheim the aboriginal’s belief in ancestral spirits is incorrect but the totem nevertheless plays a crucial role in ensuring the social cohesion of the clan.

Freud used the totem to create a rather fanciful mythic history of mankind that served his own ideas about the Oedipus Complex and the development of the superego.

Anthropologists have forwarded so many different ideas about the totem that one anthropologist, Claude Lévi-Strauss, has questioned the validity of the term.

However, the numerous and conflicting interpretations of the totem have raised some salient questions: May one cultural system really understand another? Does everyone in a given culture hold the same beliefs? What is a cultural system? Could a researcher ever answer these questions with certainty?  » Emic-Etic, Levels of Knowledge, Lévi-Bruhl (Lucien), Totem Pole

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Tiresias

Odysseus and Tiresias by litmuse

Tiresias

In Greek myth Tiresias is a Theban who inadvertently sees the chaste Athena bathing. She immediately punishes him with blindness, although he is compensated to some extent with the gifts of wisdom and prophecy and an exceedingly long life of seven generations.

In another mythic cycle Tiresias’ blindness comes about after he sees two snakes coupling. After killing one of the snakes he is transformed into a woman. Seven years later he once again sees two snakes coupling. In one variant of the myth he kills the snakes, in another he leaves them alone. But in both versions he’s changed back into a man.

At this point Zeus and Hera ask him whether men or women gain more sexual pleasure. Tiresias, having experienced both, replies that women receive nine time more pleasure than men. Hera doesn’t like this answer and strikes him blind. But Zeus gives him the gift of prophecy to compensate for his loss.

Two strange sounding stories, they perhaps point to the idea that losing things in life is often replaced or rewarded by something else.

In Homer‘s Odyssey, the seafaring hero Odysseus asks the departed Tiresias in the underworld about his return journey home. Tiresias warns Odysseus of many dangers, facilitating his safe return.

In pop culture the British progressive rock band Genesis speaks of “father Tiresias” in the song, The Cinema Show (1973):

Take a little trip back with father Tiresias,
Listen to the old one speak of all he has lived through.
I have crossed between the poles, for me there’s no mystery.
Once a man, like the sea I raged,
Once a woman, like the earth I gave.

On the Web:

• Wikipedia entry with more mythic variants and examples of representation in art » http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tiresias
  

» Hephaestus, Seer, Wisdom

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Torah

Torah by David Porter

Torah [Hebrew torah: instruction]

The first five books of the Jewish Bible, known as the Pentateuch.

Although traditionally ascribed to Moses, contemporary scholars suggest they have been compiled from different sources.

The Torah outlines the beginnings of the Jewish people and their patriarchs, to the Exodus from Egypt and various events in Sinai before the entry into Canaan.

The Torah also contains detailed legal instruction.

Another meaning for Torah is the scroll on which the Hebrew characters are written, normally found in a synagogue.

Torah additionally refers to the entire corpus – oral and written – of Jewish literature and law within the Old Testament and the Talmud. » Hebrew, Judaism, Kabbala, Moses, Rabbi, Yahweh

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Ticket

Parking Ticket by Sarah

Ticket

In urban legend some magicians, shamans and spiritualists use the word “ticket” as slang for an alleged type of metaphysical punishment or retribution that might result from boundaries being crossed or from other kinds of transgressions.

In the song “Suffragette City” pop musician David Bowie uses the word “ticket” to denote a potential punishment to be meted out in response to another’s undesirable act:

“Don’t lean on me man, ‘cos you can’t afford the ticket.”

As with much of Bowie’s material, there’s much room for psychological, social and metaphysical interpretation but, in this case, it’s doubtful that Bowie is portraying magico-spiritual instead of the more ordinary forms of retribution. However, his lyrics sometimes seem to connote several levels of potential meaning by virtue of his creative genius and, in the 1970′s, perhaps catalyzed by the use of mind-altering substances.

If this sounds like a bit of stretch, recall that Mexican shamans who speak of different metaphysical realms or grids of spiritual power have been using hallucinogenic peyote for many years, this being popularized by Carlos Castenada with The Teachings of Don Juan (1968) and subsequent works. » Space Oddity, Shamanism

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