Metaphysical Work Encyclopedia
This is an encyclopedia of definitions used by the staff at Lorelei's. As metaphysical work is built upon personal and group experience, there is (almost) no universal, one true definition for any of these words. That said, these are the definitions and meanings for all of the words found used by Lorelei's. These terms are in alphabetical order and some information may be repetitive.
- (Spirit) Adoption
The process of applying for a spirit at a spirit companion shop. This should not be confused with actual adoption as spirits adopted at spirit companion shops SHOULD be adults and able to take care of themselves just fine. The adoption process differs from shop to shop and sometimes from spirit to spirit. - Astral
A series of infinite planes spreading out in infinite directions. Astral planes can touch, not touch, intersect, or any variation in between. While they are not strictly speaking "other dimensions" thinking as the astral of a sting of other dimensions often helps people conceptualize what the Astral is.
The term "astral" can be used as an adjective as well. When used, it modifies the noun to mean that the noun exists in the Astral. For example, "astral town" refers to a town that is in the astral. "Astral cookie" refers to a non-physical, or metaphysical, cookie. - Astral Body
The astral copy of yourself. Your astral body resides at an 100% overlap with your physical body and is you. It will not move on it's own or make it's own decisions as it is literally you. Your astral body may look like anything and does not have to be human or even humanoid.
In Mod Fox's personal research, they have found that the majority of human's astral forms are shape shifters of no existing spirit species. The next most common is a astral body that is unique to the owner, not any existing spirit species, but their energy looked at themself and made their own static body uninfluenced of the outside. Your astral body could be an existing species that exists in the astral as well. There are other possibilities such as having a body from a past life, or having a combination of things mentioned before. - Astral Senses
How your astral body perceives the world around your astral body as well as meaning how your physical body perceives the astral items and spirits around your physical body. Just as you can physically be impaired in senses (such as being deaf or blind), so can your astral body. It may be hard to figure out at first, but learning this knowledge is important to traversing the astral. It is also important to note that astral bodies may have senses that physical bodies do not and learning how to use them is a tricky endeavor in and of itself. - Astral Travel
How you traverse the Astral. Astral travel is both an umbrella term and a specific term. Astral projection and bilocation are two methods of traversing the astral, thus they are both a mode of astral travel. However, the term 'astral travel' also a specific way of wondering the astral. Astral travel is when you visit the astral with a 75% focus through your astral body and a 25% focused through your physical body. When you are astral traveling, you are mostly aware of the Astral around you, but if your physical head itches, you still feel it and should scratch it, less you get distracted. - Astral Plane
The realms, planets, lands, and such that make up the Astral. They all abide by their own laws of chemistry, physics, and nature. Different planes can have vastly different aspects in comparison to the physical plane. There are elements that do not exist on earth, for one example. - Aura
The outer most shell of an energetical body, and most commonly seen in energy readings. It acts as a thin layer of protection. It is similar to if you wrapped your body in a layer of bubble wrap. Maybe running into a corner would hurt less than before, but bubble wrap won't help you from the injuries caused by falling down the stairs. - Banishing
Using energy or other metaphysical means to force a spirit out of an area. - Bilocation
The act of being 50% focused through your astral body and 50% focused through your physical body. - Binding
Using energy to make a tether between a physical item and a spirit. A binding can be programmed to do many different things for the spirit. They can restrain spirits like in media, however it is very unethical to do so and not all bindings or vessels do this. At Lorelei's our bindings only enhance a spirit's manifestations, make communication for spirits easier, and act as a GPS so spirits always know where their vessel is. - Cleansing
Removing unwanted builds up of energy, negative or otherwise, from an area or your own body. Build ups can cause failures in energetic systems such as wards, as well as interfere with astral senses. Build ups of specifically negative energy can also cause general bad vibes which can feed into influencing moods. Obligatory disclaimer: please check physical means first before assuming it is an energy problem. - Conjuring
The act of bringing a single or multiple unknown spirits to you. These spirits could be any spirit at all or the conjurer can require certain traits. - (Spirit) Companion
A spirit that forms a relationship with a human. Can be any relationship, platonic, romantic, sexual, academic, guardian, guide, etc. This definition vs simply having a spirit friend is a term that varies heavily from person to person. - Energetical Body
Also called a Personal Energy System. It is, as the name suggests, the specific system in which your body produces energy. Everyone's energetical body is different and reacts very differently in different situations. - Energy
Forces of the universe and all of the Astral. Also found all over in the physical plane: kinetic energy, potential energy, thermal dynamics, chemical reactions, electricity etc. It all has to do with energy. Energy is far more malleable than science can currently explain and it's used to do just about anything in spirit work: wards, astral travel, binding, conjuring, summoning, creation, destruction, etc.
Energy is something that we cannot directly sense with our physical body. As such, everyone senses energy differently. This is why you can get 100 different energy readings and get 100 different answers. No one is more right than another, they're all just perceiving your energy and using past knowledge and personal associations to sense it the way they do. - Energy Programming
Making something with energy and the intents you put into it. For example, a ward is just a wall of energy. But you can "fill it with your intent" to make it do something - like protect you. The act of taking something energetical you made and giving it purpose is energy programming. - Energy Work
Manipulating energy for any purpose: understanding yourself or others, greater astral senses, making astral items or entities, safety purposes, greater intuition, etc. - Ghost
A deceased human. Often only an energetical remain or memory of the human and not an actual spirit. Can absolutely be a spirit as well though. - Grounding
An exercise of releasing excess (and only excess) energy into the world and bringing yourself to focus. - (Spirit) Guardian
A classification of higher spirits that are tasked with guarding entities, specifically humans and "regular" spirits. Entities have only one guardian if they have one at all and they are far less active in your life than a guide or a friend. They guard for several life spans. Not to be confused with a spirit who guards out of their own good will or as a job. - (Spirit) Guide
A classification of higher spirits that are tasked with guiding others, specifically humans and "regular" spirits. Entities can have multiple guides at one time that come in their own classifications. Life guides that guide over the course of an entire life if not more, path guides that guide for certain hobbies, jobs, or other physical things, and acquired guides who are guides who guide for less physical things like how to be more optimistic. Not to be mistaken for "regular" spirits who guide humans or other spirits out of their own good will. - Historical Spirits
Spirits that appear in folk lore or stories. While there are many spirits out there that are similar to historical spirits, if they do not follow the lore, they are non-historical spirits. For example, a kitsune who does not speak Japanese, live in Japan, and doesn't follow lore, for example, is not scared of dogs, then you are most likely interacting with a non-historical kitsune. These spirits are still just as wonderful and valid as historical spirits, but make sure not to mix this with appropriation. It is still appropriation to work with closed spirits, and it is a very tricky road to walk with "non-historical" spirits thrown into the mix. Historical or not, it really is best to just stay away all together from closed cultured spirits. - (Energy) Healing
The act of being able to look at someone's energy system and remove what does not belong, such as blockages, cleanse and clear the energy and spiff up the energy body. It requires a lot of training and should not be done unsupervised by novices. It should also be noted that not everyone can heal everyone, no matter their skills. Energy is too diverse for that.
The term healer can also mean more physical wounds. Not entirely physical, but metaphysical instead of energetical. Healers are just a fancy word for astral doctors, nurses, surgeons and other medical professionals. - Parasite
A spirit that feeds off of energy. Usually about intelligent as a tick or leech. They come in many many different forms and each requires a different way of removal. Easily seen and avoided by more experienced astral travelers, they pose a significant threat to those who senses are not as strong as they go unnoticed far longer. - Possession
When another spirit takes over your body. Heavily debated if it's possible with physical bodies, but this can happen to your astral body. - (Astral) Projection
A way of traversing the astral with 100% focus through your astral body and having a 0% focus on the physical. A person could slap your physical body and you would have no idea about it. - Shield
A short term, smaller scale energetical protective barrier. Similar to a ward, but instead of being a constant, it only exists as long as you focus on it and actively feed energy to it. - Servitor
A robot made of energy. It is similar to a thoughtform but is not sentient and all reactions and actions are pre-programmed. - Spirit
A metaphysical entity. Includes folk lore, nature spirits, deities, guides, guardians, house spirits, etc. - Spirit Species
The species of a specific spirit. There are infinite species out there and they come in all shapes and varieties. If you find yourself asking the question, "I wonder if there's a spirit like..." the answer is yes. Are there red dragons that love water, yes. Are there mermaids who can float in the air, yes. Are there spirits that have a digestive system so advanced that they can digest everything and leave no waste, yes. Are there- Yes, yes yes. - Spirit Spouse
A metaphysical entity that you are in a dedicated relationship with. Astral children are also a thing that you can have as long as you are both of compatible species or use energy work and advanced medicine. - Spirit Work
The practice of interacting, befriending and/or working with metaphysical entities. - Summoning
The process of bringing a specific spirit to your person. - Thoughtform
A spirit made by purposely using energy to make a living sentient creature rather than a spirit born of sexual or asexual reproduction. These spirits are still spirits in every other regard and should be treated as such. - Vessel
A physical item that allows a spirit to manifest more prominently through a binding. There are various other programmings that can go into a binding and a vessel that allow for the spirit to do different things. - Vetting
The process a spirit goes through when going through the process to be adopted out at a shop. Vetting is very intensive and takes months to years to finish. It involves many interviews, background checks, interviews with friends and families, spending weeks living with their species to truly understand the spirit and where they come from as well as if they are suited for companionship and what type of companion they may want to be paired with. It's never without consent and is far more extensive than just double checking who you are talking to is who you are talking to. - Ward
A protective energetic barrier programmed with a specific purpose - usually to keep dangerous spirits out. You can read more about wards here. - Witchcraft
A personal craft that only has relationships to spirit work and energy work if you personally want it to. You do not need to be a witch to do spirit work, nor the other way around.