Outcast Earth: Arcana Encyclopedia

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A: ABOMINABLE SNOWMAN THRU ATLANTIS
ABOMINABLE SNOWMAN:	See Yeti.
ABRAXAS:	The supreme god of the Gnostics, his very name is said to have magical power and may be related to the term "abracadabra" often used by modern conjurors. He is sometimes listed as a demon and is said to have had the head of a kind and serpents for limbs. Abraxas ruled over 365 lesser deities, one for each day of the year. His image was often inscribed on amulets and worn by the faithful for protection from evil.
ANGEL:	A common feature in religions all over the world, angels can be generally classified as supernatural beings that are often messengers or servants to the god(s). There may be literally thousands of angels or classifications of angels in Christianity alone. The Dictionary of Angels by Gustav Davidson lists hundreds by name, including the fallen angels (demons). Angels generally appear as radiant human beings who deliver heavenly information or defend humanity against evil. Curiously, the modern image of winged angels appears to have been created during the Middle Ages as a spontaneous artistic conceit. There are no references in the Bible to angels having wings.
ANTHROPOMANCY:	This brutal technique for divining future events required a living human, often a child, being to be torn open so priests could examine their entrails. Although ancient cultures frequently practiced augury, in which a bird or animal was similarly disemboweled, there are only a handful of individuals or cultures that employed anthropomancy. One of the best known practitioners was Marcus Aurelius Antoninus, the philosophical Roman Emperor. Like many others of his ilk, however, anthropomancy was just one of many inhumane acts perpetrated by this ruler.
U.S.S. ARIZONA:	A large American battleship sunk on December 7, 1941, during the surprise Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, Oah'u, Hawai'i. The destruction of the Arizona resulted in the loss of most of her crewmembers and is remembered as the greatest tragedy of that tragic day. [See Pearl Harbor Mysteries: Smoke Across the Water.]
ASIZA:	African forest spirits with the ability to grant magical powers to human beings.
ASSOCIATION FOR RESEARCH AND ENLIGHTENMENT:	Founded by the best known American psychic, Edgar Cayce, the ARE still promotes and preserves his teachings. The center has a comprehensive library and conference center, and promotes the study into spiritual healing, reincarnation and psychic phenomenon. It is located in Virginia Beach, Virginia.
ATHERTON MANSION, SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA	Reportedly a haunted residence located at 1990 California Street in San Francisco. The sprawling house was built by Dominga Atherton, the widow of prominent businessman Faxon Atherton. (The Atherton name can be found throughout the area in honor of this pioneer family’s many contributions.) The Victorian manor is thought to be haunted by George Atherton, Faxon and Dominga’s son. George lived in the house for a short time with his mother and his wife, renowned author Gertrude Atherton. An individual of limited charm, George was frequently berated by his female relatives and in 1887 left on an extended trip to Chile. Unfortunately, he died during the journey and his body was preserved in a rum-filled cask and returned to the mansion months later. The arrival of the gruesome parcel appears to have started the haunting phenomenon and caused the Atherton family to eventually sell off the property. [See Nob Hill and Surrounding Areas, San Francisco, California]
ATLANTIS:	A legendary lost continent as first described by the ancient Greek philosopher Plato in his dialogues Timaeus and Critias. Plato described the advanced island civilization as lying “beyond the pillars of Heracles,” or somewhere in the Atlantic Ocean. The people of Atlantis were said to be highly advanced in science, technology and the arts. They also possessed a formidable navy and conquered many other nations located around the Mediterranean. At one point, the Atlanteans attempts to invade and conquer Plato’s homeland but were repulsed. Soon after, a great natural calamity caused the entire continent to sink into the sea, effectively destroying the culture and hiding its very existence from view. Most historians view Plato’s account as a parable for the political turmoil of his time; but archaeological discoveries over the last century may have provided a historical basis for the myth. Some archaeologists believe that the island of Thera (now known as Santorini) may have been the real Atlantis. Located in the Aegean Sea to the southeast of the Greek mainland, Thera was destroyed by a volcanic eruption in either the 16th or 17th Century BC. The eruption caused a massive tsunami and other natural calamities which were felt and recorded as far away as Egypt and the Middle East. The destruction ultimately doomed the Minoan society on Thera and nearby Crete. Minoan culture had many similarities to Plato’s Atlantis and although thought to be generally peaceful, their control of naval trade routes was seen as a direct threat to Greek power. Despite these similarities, there is still considerable debate over the location of the historical Atlantis... or if it existed at all. Proposed sites for the doomed continent include other areas around the Mediterranean, plus areas in the Black Sea, Caribbean, North Sea, Pacific Ocean and even off the coast of Antarctica. More modern proponents of the Atlantis myth, including New Age practitioners, credit the island inhabitants with possessing a wide variety of arcana knowledge and supernatural powers. The island’s high culture has also been ascribed to extraterrestrial influence, although none of these attributions were recorded (or probably even imagined) by Plato. [See Tlamco.]
B: BANSHEE THRU BUNYIP
BANSHEE:	This term is derived from two Celtic words that mean "woman fairy." In essence, a banshee is the Irish version of a ghost. She is usually described as wearing tattered clothing and having disheveled hair. Generally, a banshee appears as a precursor to a death in the family, and announces herself by wailing, banging on walls and making similar disruptions.
BIGFOOT:	See Yeti.
BROXA:	A medieval witch or demon. Very similar to a vampire, the broxa could fly, change shape at will and drank human blood. This is also the name of a bird that, according to Jewish legend, would suck milk from goats at night.
BUNYIP:	According to Australian legend, this hairy monster would hide in water holes and jump out to terrify aborigines. Descriptions of the monster vary, but it is generally described as having a hairy body, a horse-like head and a ferocious roar. Some scholars believe that the bunyip might be a "cultural memory" of a marsupial called a diprotodon that inhabited Australia about 15 thousand years ago. Archaeologists know that early aborigines and the diprotodon lived side-by-side, because they have unearthed bones of the butchered animal at early human settlements. The bunyip is also known as a yaa-loo and wowee-wowee.
C: CAMBION THRU S.S. CYNTHIA OLSEN
CAMBION:	The offspring produced by a human-succubus or human-incubus coupling. According to legend, cambion appeared to be human, but often with physical deformities or advanced intellect. They grew at an accelerated rate and were generally larger and stronger than human children. Like their demonic parents, cambion also possessed an insatiable sexual appetite.
CHIROMANCY:	See Palmistry.
CHUUK LAGOON:	Chuuk Lagoon lies in a geographical area is known as Oceania, an island group in the North Pacific Ocean, about three-quarters of the way from Hawai'i to Indonesia. Chuuk has a tropical climate with heavy annual rainfall. The lagoon is today known as a diver's paradise because of the large number of shipwrecks hiding beneath the waves. Chuuk Lagoon was a vital operation center for the Japanese during World War II. It was known as both the "Gibraltar of the Pacific" and the "Japanese Pearl Harbor" because of its dual role as a supply depot and impregnable naval fortress. The Japanese created these fortifications in anticipation of an American invasion that never came. Instead, the superior naval forces of the United States, surrounded, isolated and then bombarded the lagoon into submission. "Operation Hailstone" was a massive effort by the U.S. to neutralize the Chuuk threat once and for all. The attack lasted February 17th and 18th, 1944, and was led by a taskforce which included the battleship USS New Jersey. The Japanese defenses were inconsequential against the air raids and they ended up losing 275 aircraft and 45 ships which included destroyers, cruisers, submarines and merchant vessels. [See Chuuk Lagoon: Fractured Paradise.]
COMPENDIUM MALEFICARUM:	Also known as the Witches Manual, this 17th Century book was written by Francesco Maria Guazzo. It is intended as a beginner’s manual for aspiring demonologists, and goes into very precise ritualistic details for conjuring demons, performing black magic, etc. At the time, it was considered the best reference on the subject.
COTTINGLY FAIRIES:	In 1917, two girls from Bradford, England, created a small number of paper fairy models, posed them around a forested area called Cottingly Glen, and preceded to inform the entire village that the area was infested with supernatural beings. The girls were named Elsie Wright and Frances Giffiths. As proof of their claim, the girls had posed five photographs in which the diminutive winged sprites were whispering secrets or dancing in the grass. The spiritualist movement, which was widespread during that time in England, immediately seized upon the case as proof of the supernatural. The photographs were given to and widely distributed by the Theosophical Society. The girls, who were certain that their fraud would be quickly revealed, were astonished by how many prominent investigators believed the fairy story, chief among them being Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. They were equally astonished – and just a little put out – by the millions of pounds raised by the Theosophy Society through their promotion of the fraud. Elsie wrote years later: "Surely you know that there can not be more than one grown up person in every five million who would take our fairies seriously?" As time went on, the joke became more obvious. Aside from the admission of the hoaxers, careful scientific analysis of the photos, and the discovery of the artwork used to create the fairies in a popular children’s book, helped to seal the case. In 1945, the Society for Psychical Research finally took a position on the case, stating that they were skeptical "of the reality of fairies in general and of the Cottingly Fairies in particular."
S.S. CYNTHIA OLSEN:	The first American ship ambushed by the Japanese. The S.S. Cynthia Olsen, a merchant marine vessel, was apparently stalked by the Japanese submarine I-26 since the evening of December 6th. On the morning of the 7th, the American vessel radioed that she was being attacked by a submarine. [See Pearl Harbor Mysteries: What Happened to the S.S. Cynthia Olsen?]
D: DAEMON THRU DOPPELGANGER
DAEMON:	In Greek myth, a lesser god who acted as an intermediary between the higher divinities and humankind.
DEMON:	An evil being, devil or force.
DJINN:	(Pronounced jinn) Also known as "the children of fire," these are supernatural spirits from Moslem mysticism. According to myth, they are able to transform themselves into various animal shapes. They are invariably evil and should be avoided. The name is often written as genii, from which our modern word genie originates.
DOPPELGANGER:	Also known as a fetch or a wraith. This German word means "double walker" and refers to an exact, usual malevolent double of a human being. In these cases, his double is a twin unrelated through biology. Many prominent figures have claimed to see their doppelgangers, including Catherine the Great, Elizabeth I and poet Percy Bysshe Shelley. Curiously, many of the historical reports about doppelgangers stated that the double vanished into thin air, making parapsychologists wonder if the doppelganger effect is something more closely related to a crisis apparition or out-of-body experience. Sometimes the doppelganger will appear just prior to a death.
E: EASTER ISLAND THRU ENOCHIAN
EASTER ISLAND:	See Rapa Nui, Chile.
ELEMENTAL SPIRITS:	Animals or supernatural entities, who, during the Middle Ages, were thought to represent the four elements. Salamanders were associated with fire, sylphs with air, gnomes with earth and nymphs with water.
ELEMENTS:	The definition of an element depends on whether you are defining it from a scientific or alchemist perspective. Modern science now lists 107 elements, 90 of which occur on earth naturally with the remainder being created in laboratories. Elements are not combinations of other substances, but rather unique matter with a unique chemical and molecular structure. But during the Middle Ages, alchemists believed that every material was a combination of sulfur, mercury and salt. To the alchemist’s mind, the elements were what defined the larger world: fire, air, earth and water. Eastern mystics contributed additional elements: ether, metal and wood.
ELIXIR OF LIFE:	See Philosopher’s Stone.
ENOCHIAN:	Dr. John Dee, alchemist to Queen Elizabeth I, claimed that this was a language he learned from the angels who communicated with him during psychic encounters. Fairies: These tiny humanlike creatures are found in the mythology of dozens of cultures. They have as many origin stories as names, although generally they are thought to be spirits either manifested by the power of nature or lost souls of human beings. They can either be positive or negative forces, and under some conditions can be used by human beings for personal gain.
F: FAIRY RINGS THRU FT. ELIZABETH
FAIRY RINGS:	A naturally occurring phenomenon found in forests, a large circular area on the forest floor where no other plant life will grow characterizes these rings. This is usually caused by mushroom growths, which typically die off from a central point and leave a chemical residue in the soil that prohibits future growth. During the Middle Ages, these rings were thought to have been formed by covens of dancing witches or fairies.
FAMILIAR:	A supernatural assistance to a witch or wizard, often taking the form of an animal. Common familiar species included the cat, rat, wolf, snake and various birds.
FLORES MAN:	(Homo florensiensis) A previously unknown hominid that was discovered on Flores Island near Java in 2005. These unusual hominids measured only a little over three feet in height (approximately 91 cm), were bipedal with unusually long arms, shinbones similar to those of an ape, blunt-shaped teeth and a sharply sloping forehead. Their brains were smaller than those of modern chimpanzees. Scientists now believe that they inhabited Flores Island for over 80,000 years before volcanic eruptions wiped them out. Some archaeologists surmise that the cultural memory of these small primates may account for the local stories about small island people (like the Menehune) who predated the Polynesians throughout the South Pacific. [Enewsletter: Mysteries of Mankind.]
FT. ELIZABETH, KAUA'I:	Established in 1815 by the Russian American Company, this large stone fortress was intended to protect the burgeoning trade interests of the Russian government on the island of Kaua’i. It was one of three such forts. The association between the Russians and the Hawai’ians quickly soured, however, and the former were forced off the island two years later. The dismantled fort now sits as a heap of rubble on the island’s south shore. [See Kaua’i: Ft. Elizabeth.]
G: GEMATRIA THRU GRIMOIRE
GEMATRIA:	A Hebrew form of numerology in which all the letters of the alphabet have numerical and spiritual significance.
GHOUL:	This monster originated in Arabian demonology and generally appeared as a single-eyed animal that fed upon dead human bodies.
GLASS BEACH, KAUA'I:	Located on the south shore of the island, this unusual landmark was a public landfill during the late nineteenth and early twentieth century. Over the decades, the ocean has began to cut away at the cliffs and caused the refuse to fall onto the beach below. The name – Glass Beach – refers to the tiny shards of multi-colored glass that have been polished smooth by the pounding surf and have now mixed with the black volcanic sand. There is also a turn-of-the-century graveyard in this area. [See Kaua’i: Glass Beach.]
GNOME:	An elemental spirit associated with the Earth.
GNOSTICS:	A religious movement that combined elements or Christianity with pagan belief and the teachings of Pythagoras. Their beliefs were generally rejected by mainstream Christians due to their allegiance to certain non-Christian activities, including sexual orgies. Gnostic sects included the Albigensis, Carbonari, and Lollards, to name a few. Many magicians, including Apollonius of Tyana and Simon Magus, were Gnostics.
GOLDEN GATE BRIDGE, SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA:	A world famous suspension bridge that spans the opening to the Pacific Ocean from the San Francisco Bay. The bridge was originally completed in 1937 and is one of the most recognized and photographed landmarks in the world. It also holds the dubious distinction of being the world’s number one destination spot for suicides, averaging one death every fifteen days from people who jump over its railings and plummet over seven hundred feet to the water below. It is unknown why the bridge has this unique and tragic distinction. [See Of Mist and Myth: The Mysteries, Legends and Tall Tales of the San Francisco Area.]
GOLDEN GATE PARK, SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA:	A large urban park located in the heart of San Francisco, California, toward the south end of the Golden Gate Bridge. New Agers claim that the park is also the site of an ancient lost city called Tlamco and is a hotspot for cosmic energy and healing powers. [See Of Mist and Myth: The Mysteries, Legends and Tall Tales of the San Francisco Area.]
GOLEM:	Although the name was popularized by the works of J.R.R. Tolkien, the term "golem" was originally used by early Hebrews to describe a kind of zombie, a undead automaton brought to life through the use of magic. A golem can be used for either good or evil purposes, based on the designs of the magician.
GOSEI MARU:	Built in 1937 by the Tsuromi Iron Works Dockyard, the Gosei Maru was designed to be a coastal freighter. When the war in the Pacific began, the Japanese Navy took control of the vessel and utilized her as a supply ship for Sixth Fleet submarines. The Gosei Maru was sunk on February 17, 1944, during the second day of attacks by American warplanes during Operation Hailstone [See Chuuk Lagoon.] The OCE team dived the wreck in October 2005 and member Ash reported hearing ghostly voices echoing up from the wreck. [See Chuuk Lagoon: Fractured Paradise.]
GRAND CATHOLICON:	See Philosopher’s Stone.
GRAPHOLOGY:	The belief that the future and individual characteristics can be ascertained through the analysis of handwriting.
GRIMOIRE:	A general term used to describe any compendium of magic, basically a how-to handbook for the aspiring conjuror. Grimoires are plentiful throughout history, and including the Constitution of Honorius, Necronomicon, Red Dragon and the Key of Solomon the King (Clavicula Salomonis). Information contained in these handbooks can include instructions on conjuring demons, animal sacrifice, finding treasure, creating magic potions, etc.
H: HACHIMAN-JINJA SHRINE THRU HYPNOTISM
HACHIMAN-JINJA SHRINE, SAIPAN:	A Shinto shrine constructed in the 1930s by the Japanese after they occupied Saipan as part of their military expansion program. The shrine was built as part of a large cultural indoctrination effort undertaken by the Japanese occupying forces. The shrine is still open today and is administered in part by the U.S. National Park Service. For additional information, click here. [See Saipan Spirits.]
HALE O KEAWE HEIAU:	The principle sacred site of the northern part of the Big Island of Hawai'i. It was designed to preserve the mana (spiritual power) of the ancient chiefs and their descendants. Different areas of the refuge were dedicated to different gods over the years. Hale o Keawe Heiau was constructed in 1650 and has been restored by the National Park Service to its previous appearance. It is still used by Hawai’ians who practice the traditional island religion. See heiau.
HAND OF GLORY:	A gory practice in which the severed hand of a convicted murderer is smoked or pickled, and then used as a supernatural tool for finding buried treasure.
HAYATE:	Hayate was a Kamikaze-class destroyer, one of nine built between 1921 and 1925 for the Imperial Japanese Navy. Hayate had the misfortune of being the very first major Japanese warship sunk during the opening days of World War II in the Pacific Ocean. Commanded by Lieutenant Commander Takatsuka Minoru, Hayate was one of six escorting destroyers of destroyer division 29 assigned to escort a small invasion force to land on Wake Island on December 11, 1941. Hayate was hit amidships by at least two 5 inch shells from US Marine coastal defense guns which pierced her internal magazines, causing her to blow up and sink in two minutes with all hands, totaling 168 men, in full view of the marines on shore. The Hayate was the source of a paranormal investigation by the Outcast Earth team while them visited Wake Island in September and October 2005. [See Wake Island: Lost But Not Forgotten.]
HEIAU:	Large, open-air temples scattered throughout the Hawai’ian islands. The base of the heiau was usually constructed of fitted stone and many survive in excellent condition to this day. On top of this base were built wood and thatch temples, often decorated with carved images of the gods and goddesses. Many heiaus are still in use today by Hawai’ians practicing the ancient religion and should be approached with great respect. Others are considered kapu (forbidden), and visitors walk there at their own risk. [See Hale O Keawe Heiau \| Holoholoku Heiau \| Malae Heiau \| Puukohola Heiau \|
HENDERSON ISLAND:	A small, uninhabited island not far from Pitcairn Island where members of the whaling ship Essex were stranded following the destruction of their vessel. While on the island, the sailors found a cave filled with the unusual remains of several human beings. [See Enewsletter article: "The Bones of Henderson Island."]
HOLLOW EARTH:	A theory first advanced in 1692 by Edmund Halley, discoverer of the famous comet with the same name, which supposed that the earth was a hollow vessel with another world, complete with a sun, existing at its center. There have been many devotees of the theory since it was first introduced, including Cotton Mather, John Cleves Symmes and Cyrus Reed Teed, that latter actually establishing a Florida-based cult around the idea in the 1870s.
HOLY GRAIL:	The drinking cup used by Jesus Christ at the Last Supper, just before his crucifixion. According to scripture, Christ entrusted the cup to his granduncle, Joseph of Arimathea. Joseph collected Christ’s blood and sweat in the cup while he hung on the cross, which imbued the vessel with divine powers. Later, the Grail sustained Joseph through years of imprisonment by providing him with fresh food and water every day. Years later, Joseph and his followers fled to Britain where they settled at Ynys Wirtin (Glastonbury). The Grail was taken to Castle Corbenic in North Wales, where it was entrusted to Joseph’s son-in-law and a succession of so-called Grail Kings, whose soul duty it was to keep the relic safe. Over the centuries, the Castle Corbenic was forgotten and the Grail was lost. But according to Arthurian legend, it was prophesied that the best knight in the land would rediscover the cup: Galahad, son of Lancelot. Thus began King Arthur [pictured] and the Knights of the Round Table’s many-year quest. The Grail was finally found by Galahad at Corbenic, and both were miraculously lifted up to Heaven.
*HOMO FLORENSIENSIS:*	See Flores Man.
HOMUNCULUS:	An artificial human or automaton created by the alchemist. The creation of such life forms was one of the basic goals of alchemy.
HOROSCOPE:	An astrological chart believed to impart information or prophesy through the study of planetary positions and relationships. Horoscopes are an ancient tool, dating as far back as the Mesopotamians. See also astrology.
"HOUDINI'S SURVIVAL CODE:"	A series of ten random words taken from a letter sent to magician Harry Houdini by his longtime friend, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. The code was devised in secret by Houdini and his wife Bess to test the theory of life after death. The couple agreed that whoever died first would attempt to send the ten words through a medium to the other. When Harry died unexpectedly on Halloween 1926, Bess adhered to the agreement and held seances on the anniversary of his passing for the next ten years. In 1929, a professional medium named Arthur Ford claimed to have cracked the code during a seance with Bess, but the results were controversial to say the least. It is still unclear how Ford knew some of the code words, but it would appear that he used a variety of techniques to coax information out of the grieving widow whom he intentionally befriended following Harry’s death. Some sources even claim that Ford seduced Bess and she gave him the code willingly. Regardless, Bess eventually refuted Ford’s claim and publicly stated that no one had ever cracked the code and she was convinced that there was no life after death. [See Urban Nightmares: Murder, Mystery and Magic in the City of Angels.]
HYPNOTISM:	A tool used by psychologists, conjurors, magicians and Las Vegas performers alike, it is defined as being able to place a willing human being into a trancelike state, during which they are extremely open to suggestion. Needless to say, the effectiveness of hypnotism is widely debated, even among psychologists.
I: IMP THRU IWO JIMA
IMP:	A juvenile demon.
INCUBUS:	These lewd demons prey upon the sexual appetites and energy of human beings. There are male (incubus, "to lie on") and female (succubus, "to lie under") forms of the demon, although medieval scholars wrote that the incubi outnumbered their female counterparts by nine to one. Much of this may be due to the old Christian stereotype that women (the obvious prey of the incubi) were morally weaker than men and could therefore be easily tempted. As with most demons and fallen angels, there appears to be a hierarchy among incubi and succubi. One reference, for example, notes that a princess called Nahemah leads the succubi. The legend of sexually promiscuous demons spans many centuries and cultures. The ancient Egyptians had similar myths; and these demons are known by a variety of names including Follet (France), Alp (German), Folleto (Italy) and Duende (Spain). Most of the literature on these creatures comes from Justin Martyr, Clement, Tertullian and especially St. Thomas Aquinas, the Christian theologian who wrote extensively about sexual vice. Aquinas speculated that "corporeal angels" could materialize on earth to have intercourse with human beings. In fact, Aquinas felt that many forms of "deviant" sexual activity (including masturbation and homosexuality) were the result of demonic influence. It is thereby logical to assume that incubi and succubi could target men and women interchangeably, depending on the sexual preference of the victim. Both incubi and succubi had the ability to bewitch the minds of people. In many cases, the demons would attack while husbands, wives or other family members slept soundly nearby. Often the demons could disguise themselves as attractive and seductive persons. They seemed to have the ability to read the minds and hearts of their victims and find exactly the right image to project. Virgins and celibates like priests and nuns appear to be particularly susceptible to their wiles. It is supposed that these individuals were more vulnerable because their repressed and unsatisfied sexual desires made them more willing to engage in illicit sexual acts. During the Middle Ages and Renaissance, a pregnancy in a convent was usually blamed on an incubus. Pope Innocent VIII was so disturbed by this belief that he actually issued a papal bull on the subject. The document read, in part: "Many persons of both sexes, forgetful of their own salvation, have abused incubi and succubi." In some cases, the victim was an unwilling partner of a rape. In other cases, the demon would be invited into the bed of the man or woman. It was generally felt that persons who willingly consorted with incubi or succubi were witches or warlocks. Regardless of how the demon came to the union, the one constant appears to be the sexual and moral fragility of the human victim. Put simply, weak people asked for it. Sexual intercourse with an incubus or succubus was a horrific experience. Incubi were said to possess a giant frozen penis that would be used to viciously destroy the victim’s internal organs, often resulting in death. If death didn’t occur, pregnancy might. The offspring of an incubus-human coupling was called Cambion. These half-breed children sometime looked like normal humans, and sometimes were born mentally or physically deformed. Cambion possessed tremendous intellect and a devious nature. They often grew faster and were larger and stronger than human children. Matthæus Paris wrote of one Cambion that grew its teeth and attained the size of a seven-year old child within six months after birth. The human mother became consumptive and died in the same period. And, of course, Cambion all possessed an insatiable libido and appetite for food. There appears to be only one defense against incubi and succubi – piety. As with most demons in Christian doctrine, it is the person who is not right with God who needs to fear their seductive visits. The rest are safe in their righteousness.
IWO JIMA:	Iwo Jima (also known as "sulfur island") is an island of the Japanese Volcano Islands chain, which makes up the southern end of the Ogasawara Islands. The island is located 1,200 kilometers (650 nm) south of mainland Tokyo. It is famous as the site of 1945 Battle of Iwo Jima between the United States Marines and the Japanese garrison that had dug in to the island. The U.S. occupied Iwo Jima until 1968, when it was returned to Japan. Today the island has no permanent civilian population and is jointly used by the Japanese and US military as a base of operations. The Outcast Earth team visited the island in October 2006 to conduct paranormal research on the island's "invasion beaches." [See The Black Sands of Iwo Jima.]
J:
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K: KA THRU KITAB AL-AZIF
KA:	The ancient Egyptian word for soul. The Egyptians envisioned the soul in a more tangible sense than most modern religions, describing it as another "self" that could leave the body and travel about. See also astral projection.
KABBALAH:	From the Hebrew word meaning "collection," in this case a collection of magical spells and methods for conjuring and controlling demons, treatises on the nature of divinity and the role and fate of human beings. This mystical offshoot of Judaism encompasses a huge body of work that has been studied and practiced by Jews and non-Jews for centuries. The oldest kabbalah dates from the first century B.C.E., although devotees suspect that this knowledge is much older and probably predates a written record. The basis of the kabbalah is mathematical, centering on the study of numbers, magical words, anagrams, angels, and the permutations of the various letters of the Hebrew alphabet. This latter process is known as gematria. Many prominent philosophers and intellectuals studied the Kabbalah, including Aristotle, Abraham, Moses, King David, Shakespeare, Issac Newton and Carl Jung. Today, Kabballahistic mysticism has seen resurgence in popularity as a way of bringing about inner peace and order to one’s life.
KATAGATEMAN:	An invisible spirit island that lies in the South Pacific. [See Cochran, Jackie].
KE-AHU-A-LAKA HALAU HULA:	This complex and the broken stone terraces of the nearby Ka-ulu-Paoa Heiau were both dedicated to the art of the hula dance, a unique form of visual, auditory and symbolic communication which was once described as “the heartbeat of the Hawai'ian people.” It was at places like Ke-ahu-a-laka Halau Hula that this training was provided. The entire area was thought to be scared to Laka, the goddess of hula, nature and fertility. Initiates had to abide by a variety of kapu, and if they violated these laws they could be banished or even killed by their instructors. [See Kaua'i, Hawai'i]
KE'E BEACH, KAUA'I:	Located on the northwest shore of the island of Kaua’i, this beach is thought to be the first place visited by the goddess Pele when she came to the Hawai’ian islands. [See Kaua’i: Ke’e Beach.]
KITAB AL-AZIF:	See Necronomicon.
L: LAPIS PHILOSOPHICUS THRU LYCANTHROPY
LAPIS PHILOSOPHICUS:	See Philosopher's Stone.
LAPITA PEOPLE:	Just when and how humanity came to the islands of the South Pacific remains a bone of contention among many archeologists. But it is clear that there appears to have been one progenitor race that is known as the Lapita. It is believed that the first signs of the Lapita were accidentally unearthed in 1909 by a missionary working on Watom Island, Papua New Guinea (PNG). As you would expect, the Lapita were a culture of skilled mariners who probably first originated in the northern part of PNG around 1500 B.C.E. For the next millennium, the Lapita spread their influence throughout the South Pacific, being able to navigate between islands without the benefit of modern technology. Their cultural path can be traced by the shards of their unique, complex and highly decorated pottery. The curvilinear patterns stamped into the clay became such a common motif among Polynesian tribes that many of them imitated them in both textiles and bodily tattoos. The Lapita were also credited with introducing animal husbandry and agriculture to the islands.
LEY LINES:	Animistic features common to a variety of ancient cultures, ley lines are generally described as paths that connect various geographical features of mystical importance. These magical intersections can include churches, ancient monuments, sacred mountains, megaliths and other archeological sites. The belief in ley lines was particularly common in ancient China and England.
LOCH NESS MONSTER:	Loch Ness is one of the largest and most mysterious bodies of water in Europe, located among the rugged mountains of Scotland. Its unusual depth – up to 700 feet in some place – is said to house a reclusive water creature known generally as "Nessie." Among the first recorded sightings of the creature is an encounter by an Irish missionary St. Columba in 565 A.D. The saint came upon a peasant burial along the banks of the River Ness. The townspeople told the saint that a monster that lived in the lake had mauled the man being buried. Later, the saint had an even closer encounter with the creature when he saved another man from its clutches. Columba described the monster as "a very odd-looking beastie, something like a huge frog, only it was not a frog." The early Scots believed wholly in the existence of a variety of water creatures, which were called "kelpies." The first modern sighting of the animal took place in 1880, and since then over three thousand other witnesses have come forward. Despite many scientific explorations and countless uncovered hoaxes, the existence of "Nessie" has yet to be confirmed or denied.
LOUP-GAROU:	See werewolf.
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA:	Los Angeles is the largest city in the state of California and the second-largest in the United States of America. The city was founded in 1781 by the Spanish and became a part of Mexico in 1821 following its independence from Spain. At the end of the Mexican-American War, Los Angeles and California became part of the United States. The Los Angeles–Long Beach–Santa Ana metropolitan area is home to nearly 13 million people who hail from all over the globe and speak more than a hundred different languages. The Outcast Earth team was in the Los Angeles area conducting various investigations in early 2007. [See Urban Nightmares: Murder, Mystery and Magic in the City of Angels.]
LUCIFER:	There are various explanations for the origin of this name. It is most commonly associated with Satan, being the name of that angel before he fell from grace with God. Many theologians reject this, however, citing a misreading of a passage from the Old Testament. The name has been similarly applied to a variety of devils, by authors ranging from Shakespeare to Dante. It appears, however, that the original meaning of the name was for the morning or evening star (Venus), and was not demonic in nature.
LYCANTHROPY:	See werewolf.
M: MAGIC THRU MYSTERY TRADITIONS
MAGIC:	The attempt to supersede natural processes and events through the use of spells, incantations, charms, prayers and conjuration. Magic is probably one of the oldest elements of human spiritual life, and may stem from the very human need to feel in control of an uncontrollable universe. In a modern sense, magic can also be defined as the art of illusion, or making someone believe that extraordinary powers exist for the sake of entertainment. Las Vegas, Nevada, relies heavily on this latter tradition.
MAGIC CIRCLE:	A circle drawn on the ground by a magus while he summons demons. According to occult belief, the magus will remain safe from any of the evil beings he summons as long as he stays inside the circle. Sometimes these circles can have curative properties too. There are a variety of similar traditions all over the world, including Hopi sandpainting rituals or circles of black pebbles from India.
MAGUS:	(plural, magi) Although this term is now outdated, it was originally used to describe a Zoroastrian priest or magician.
MAKEMAKE:	The supreme god of Rapa Nui (Easter Island) whose cult seems to have supplanted the ancestor worship religion that had resulted in the construction of thousands of stone heads scattered all over the landscape. The importance of birds to an island as remote as Rapa Nui cannot be understated. Birds provided food, feathers, eggs and other raw materials necessary to the survival of the islanders. Makemake was therefore credited with creating humankind making the plants and animals grow. Makemake's sacred site was the ceremonial village of Orongo.
MANDALA:	Often used as a charm or ritualistic device, a mandala is a circular symbol representing the cosmos with a divine symbol or name at its center. These are common in the Hindu religious tradition.
MANDRAKE:	A plant long claimed by magicians to have magical properties. The mandrake is a tuber, closely related to a potato, which sometimes grows in a vaguely humanlike shape. It has been consumed in a variety ways all over the world as a folk medicine and aphrodisiac. According to legend, the most difficult part of using the mandrake is in the harvesting. When pulled from the ground, the root is said to emit a horrible, piercing scream that will drive any person insane.
MANTRA:	A sacred word or phrase constantly repeated as a tool to in meditation. Mantras are regularly used in eastern religions, particularly Buddhism. The best-known mantras are "Om mani padme hum" or the simpler "Om."
MARAE RENGA:	The mythical homeland of the people of Rapa Nui. Legend states that Marae Renga was a paradise that had to be abandoned due to a natural disaster which forced the inhabitants to resettle on Rapa Nui. [See Rapa Nui: Journey to the Naval of the World.]
MAUI:	One of the most persistent and far-ranging myths in the South Pacific is that of Maui (pronounced Ma-oo-e), a demigod whose trickery and ingenuity greatly aided humankind. The details of his story change slightly from island to island, but the contributions of Maui remain numerous and important. Among his great contributions was the creation of the island and the domsticated dog.
MAUNA LOA VOLCANO:	Hawai’i’s active and most famous volcano is said to be home of the ancient diety Pele. According to native legend, this fiery goddess has jumped from island home to island home, following the active volcanoes from Kaua’i to the Big Island. Interestingly, this is in keeping with geologic fact as the northern islands in the Hawai’ian chain were also the first to spring from the ocean in volcanic eruptions. Today, Pele is said to make her lodgings in the 280-foot-deep pit called Halemáumáu in the center of the Kilauea Crater. The pit last belched up lava in an impressive display in 1982. Visitors to Mauna Loa frequently report seeing Pele’s form, whether it is an ethereal womanlike image caught on film in the smoke rising from the crater (several such photographs are on display at Volcano House Lodge in the Hawai’I Volcanoes National Park); or strange encounters with her on the roadside or on the numerous hiking trails around the park. Many have described her as an old woman, dressed in a red voluminous dress known as a muumuu and accompanied by a small white dog. Her roadside visitations sound similar to a common urban legend known as the "vanishing hitchhiker" in which the old woman is picked up by good-hearted passersby who are later astonished to find that she has vanished from their back seat.
MENEHUNES:	A race of small, ingenious people who are said to have occupied the Hawai’ian Islands prior to the arrival of the Polynesians. They were quickly conquered and enslaved by the Polynesians and were often put to work creating the amazing stone temples, fishponds, reservoirs and other ancient structures still visible all over the islands. Archeologists now speculate that the Menehunes may have been the ancient Marquesans, who may have sailed to Hawai’i from their homeland as early at the 12th century. The word is similar to manahune, a Tahitian / Polynesian term used to describe slaves. In decades past, many some native people living on the islands described themselves as Menehune. Today, the Menehunes are thought of as mischievous gnomes who still lurk around ancient and sacred sites. For more information about paranormal activity in Hawai’i, visit our library page. [For more information see The Menehune of Kaua'i.]
MILI ATOLL:	A small islet in the Marshall Islands chain, South Pacific. [See Enewsletter article: "The Bloody King of Mili Atoll."]
MOTU NUI:	A small islet off the coast of Rapa Nui, Chile. Motu Nui played an important role in an annual celebration of the bird-headed god, Makemake. In an unusual competition, young tribesmen would scramble down a one-thousand-foot precipice from the ceremonial village of Orongo to the beach below. There they would board pora (a raft made of bundled reeds) and paddle over a mile through shark-infested waters to Motu Nui. If the warrior arrived in one piece, he would wait for days in a cave for the annual migration of the speckled sooty tern, a seabird sacred to Makemake. The first warrior to steal a freshly laid tern egg and return to Rapa Nui alive was declared the victor. For the next year, the winner would be treated as a god himself… an honor that included not having to bathe, shave or trim his fingernails.
MYSTERY TRADITIONS:	Common during the Greco-Roman era, mystery religions were characterized by secret rituals and the search for ecstatic enlightenment. Most of these cults were based on the myth of Persephone, a mortal woman who was abducted by the god of the underworld and forced to live half of her life in the spirit realm, and half among the living. The Persephone myth became metaphorical for many other paranormal phenomenon, such as out of body experiences.
N: NEANDERTHALS THRU NYMPH
NEANDERTHALS:	(Homo neanderthalensis) A form of early, primitive hominid that lived throughout Europe, Asia and the Mediterranean as early as 350,000 years ago. The Neanderthals dominated the frigid landscape for millennia until they began to inexplicably disappear. There is still no archaeological consensus on whether the Neanderthals were an early form of human being or an entirely unique but humanlike race. Most scientists assume that the Neanderthals died out because they were unable to compete with the more intelligent and adaptable Homo sapiens. [Enewsletter: Mysteries of Mankind.]
NECKER ISLAND:	One is the mythical landing grounds of the menehune after they abandoned the island of Kaua’i, Hawai'i. It is a fish hook-shaped piece of land populated almost exclusively by tens of thousands of seabirds. The island was first plotted by French explorer Jean-Francois de la Perouse in 1786 who noted that its treacherous cliffs were stained white with bird droppings, the island was barren of trees or other large plantlife and the violent currents made dropping anchor there impossible. Curiously, the Hawai’ians living to the south did not seem to know about the existence of the island. Later expeditions found signs of ancient habitation on the island, but it is unknown who the people were, where they came from or why they left. [For more information see The Menehune of Kaua'i.]
NECRONOMICON:	Perhaps the most famous of the grimoires, the legitimacy of the Necronomicon is hotly debated. It received popular attention when science fiction author H.P. Lovecraft referenced it in many of his works. Lovecraft later wrote a history of the grimoire that he said was meant as a joke. Still, there seems to be a history to the Necronomicon itself, with some distinguished universities and institutions (including the British Museum and Bilbiotheque Nationale in Paris) claiming that they own copies in the original Arabic. The history, whether real or not, states that the book was compiled by a mad magician named Abdul Alhazred in A.D. 730. It contained a plethora of magical spells, incantations and other materials related to demons and devils, most of who wished to destroy humanity. In 950, the work was translated into Greek and more widely distributed. It was in this form that it received the title Necronomicon. It went through a variety of other translations, was banned by Pope Gregory IX in 1232, and eventually fell into the hands of Dr. John Dee. Dee translated it into English, although only a few fragments of his translation are known to exist. Today, information on the book is easily found in libraries, bookstores and on the Internet.
NIKUMARORO:	A small, now uninhabited island in the Phoenix Island Chain in the South Pacific. Although the tiny parcel of land had sporadic human settlements throughout the twentieth century, its lack of water and remote location may long-term settlement impractical. The island gained some renown during the 1990s, when the International Group for Historical Aircraft Recovery [See TIGHAR] advanced a theory that famous aviator Amelia Earhart and her navigator Fred Noonan crash-landed on it during their ill-fated round-the-world flight in 1937. TIGHAR has been doing archaeological research on the island for over a decade in the hopes of proving that Earhart lived and eventually died there. Although they have found numerous intriguing artifacts, definitive proof remains elusive and Earhart's disappearance continues to puzzle historians. The OCE team visited the island briefly during September and October 2005 [See Amelia's Shadow: The Search for Earhart and Noonan on Nikumaroro Island].
NUMEROLOGY:	The belief that numbers contain various mystical attractions and properties that can be used to forecast the future, ascertain personal characteristics and assist in astrological predictions. See also gematria.
NYMPH:	An elemental spirit that is usually associated with water. Nymphs are often portrayed as dragonflies or other aquatic insects; or as sexually seductive young women.
O: OPERATION CROSSROAD THRU OUIJI BOARD
OPERATION CROSSROADS:	Operation Crossroads was the continuation of the American nuclear program begun with the Manhattan Project. The remote Bikini Atoll in the South Pacific was chosen as the site for a series of atmospheric detonations. In order to assess the impact of the explosions on naval vessels, a special "fleet" of archaic and captured war ships was assembled in the Bikini lagoon. The first test, called ABLE, was detonated 520 above lagoon. The second, called BAKER, was detonated ninety feet underwater. The testing left the entire area uninhabitable to this day. [See Atomic Atolls.]
ORONGO:	The ancient ceremonial village located on the edge of the Rano Kau volcano on the island of Rapa Nui (Easter Island), Chile. Meridian, Trespass and Rune visited the village in February 2005.
OUIJI BOARD:	A flat board imprinted with numbers, letters and words that are used by some mediums to deliver messages from the spirit world. It was first patented in 1892 and marketed as a novelty game. The name is derived from the French word for "yes" ("oui"), which is one of the words also found on the board. The operator(s) uses the board by placing their fingertips on a triangular-shaped instrument called a planchette and then asking questions of the spirits. The planchette will then slide across the board, apparently with no assistance from the operators, spelling out or otherwise answering the queries. This movement is actually the result of the ideomotor effect that is produced by small, unnoticeable muscle tremors in the hands and arms. The Ouiji board gained a more sinister reputation after the release of the movie, The Exorcist, in which the game acted as a vehicle for demonic possession.
P: PALMISTRY THRU PU'UHONUA O HONAUNAU
PALMISTRY:	An ancient practice in which a person’s future, character health and destiny can all be foretold by examining the lines in their hands. A similar practice relating to the human foot can be found in China and is called podoscopy.
PELE:	The Hawai'ian goddess of fire and volcanoes. [See Mauna Loa Volcano \| Big Island, Hawai'i \| Kaua'i: Ke'e Beach]
PHILOSOPHER'S STONE:	A mythical substance which, according to alchemical thought, has the ability to change base metals into gold, extend life, cure disease and perform other miracles. Although the substance has never been found – and most likely does not exist – the search for it has culminated in the discovery of several valuable materials, including gunpowder. See also Alchemist.
PHRENOLOGY:	An excellent example of pseudo science, phrenology is the study of bumps on the human head, from which a person’s personality, character traits and other personal information can be derived. It was developed by a German physician named Franz Joseph Gall (1758-1828) and gained tremendous support and popularity during the end of the 18th and beginning of the 19th century. Gall eventually mapped twenty-six areas of the skull that he claimed were connected to human personality traits. Devotees in the 20th century took the "science" a step further by creating a machine called a "psycograph" that could analyze these features quickly and accurately. Phrenology lost virtually all of its supporters when a variant of it was used by the Nazis in Germany to determine "inferior races" based purely on physical features.
PHYSIOGNOMY:	The art of reading a person’s character and destiny based on their facial features. This is a very old notion, probably dating back to the ancient Greeks, who proposed that physical beauty had a direct correlation to spiritual excellence. Criminologists of the 19th century used this unfortunate technique to ascertain the guilt or innocence of an individual, and funded studies into the shape of the criminal ear. See also Phrenology
PODOSCOPY:	See Palmistry.
POWDER OF PROJECTION:	See Philosopher's Stone.
PRIMA MATERIA:	See Philosopher's Stone.
PUNCHBOWL CEMETERY:	Located in the center of Honolulu, this is the final resting place for over 40,000 servicemen including some of the first war dead from Pearl Harbor. The cemetery lies in the middle of a long-extinct volcanic crater, which makes the entire area look vaguely like a punchbowl. But long before American war causalities were buried here, the area was also used by the native Hawai’ians as a sacred site. According to legend, a race of diminutive but industrious people called the Menehunes lived within the crater. Menehunes occupied the Hawai’ian islands prior to the arrival of the Polynesians, but we easily conquered and enslaved by the larger and more numerous invaders. The Hawai’ians credit the Menehunes with the creation of many of the ancient stonework structures around the islands, and it is said that they can still be spotted lurking around the cemetery.
PUUKOHOLA HEIAU:	Located on the northwestern coast of the Big Island of Hawai’i, this sacred compound overlooks the Pelekane Bay. Its name translates to "whale hill." The ruins here span centuries of Hawai’ian culture with the largest and most impressive having been built by King Kamehameha I in 1790-91. The all-stone structure has walls measuring as high as 20 feet. Kamehameha I created the altar in response to a local "seer" who prophesied that the great king would conquer and unify all the Hawai’ian islands if he completed the heiau. (The prophesy was eventually realized and marked the height of Kamehameha’s 77-year dynasty.) A human line thirty miles long was utilized to transport the stones, none of which were cut to fit into the foundation. See heiau.
PU'UHONUA O HONAUNAU:	One of the most interesting and picturesque areas on the Big Island of Hawai'i, its name translates to "place of refuge." The one hundred and eighty acre compound on the west shore of the island. It was the home of both the ruling chief (called an ali’i) and a place of sanctuary for those who had violated the sacred laws called kapu or were fleeing from their enemies during times of war. Its very existence grew out of the Hawai’ian kapuna system, an intricate set of laws and taboos which if broken could mean a swift death. Pu’uhonua o Honaunau was one of only a handful of sacred refuges on the islands, and it was often difficult to reach. The ne’er-do-well had to travel on foot, usually with well-armed warriors hot on his trail. The fact that so few violators made it to the refuges helped underscore the power of the Hawai’ian chieftains and their ability to uphold the kapuna system. The refuges also provided sanctuary and cleansing for warriors fleeing from their enemies after a battle.
Q: RMS QUEEN MARY THRU ROSICRUCIANS
RMS QUEEN MARY:	A world famous ocean liner built and operated from 1936 to 1967 by the Cunard White Star Line. The Queen Mary was one of the most luxurious passenger liners of her day, although she was commandeered for service in the war effort between the dates of 1939 and 1945. Today she is permanently anchored in Long Beach Harbor as a hotel and tourist attraction. Her mystique is furthered by claims of frequent and multiple haunting phenomenon in her hallways and below her decks. [See Urban Nightmares: Murder, Mystery and Magic in the City of Angels.]
RAPA NUI, CHILE:	(Commonly known as Easter Island.) The discovery of Rapa Nui was in itself a quest to solve a 35-year old mystery. In the 1680s, an English mercenary named Edward Davis, while roaming the ocean in search of treasure-laden Spanish galleons, spotted a low, sandy island on the horizon, about 1,500 miles off the coast of Chile. Davis did not venture any closer to the unknown land, but speculation about the sighting persisted for the next three decades. Many contemporary explorers theorized that Davis’s discovery was actually a long-sought South Pacific continent, one possibly laden with gold and other valuable resources. No one followed through on the discovery until the Dutch West India Trading Company, which was willing to gamble on the validity of the South Pacific continent, dispatched an expedition in 1721. Captain Jacob Roggeveen commanded the fleet of three ships and over two hundred men. Roggeveen and his men actually reached Rapa Nui on Easter Day, and thus gave the island the name by which most of us know it today. As the ships drew closer to the beach, Roggeveen was startled to see huge stone idols rising out of the grassy hills and staring out into the sea. Hundreds of years later, we don’t know much more about how and why the people of Rapa Nui constructed thousands of these statues, seemingly at the expense of every other aspect of their culture. Today, Rapa Nui is a popular destination site for adventure vacationers. Rune, Meridian and Trespass visited the island in February 2005 in Outcast Earth's first official expedition. [See Journey to the Navel of the World.]
REFLEXOLOGY:	The art of diagnosing illnesses through the examination of the foot, regions of which are said to correspond to specific parts of the human body.
RONGELAP ATOLL:	An island-atoll that is part of the Marshall Islands chain, Micronesia. The atoll consists of about sixty tiny islets which have a total area of only three square miles. Rongelap was irradiated accidentally during the post-World War II atomic bomb tests in the nearby Bikini Atoll. In 1954, radioactive dust fell on the atoll rendering unsuitable for human habitation. Its residents were evacuated to Kwajalein Island where most of them still live today. The OCE team visited Rongelap in July 2005. [See Atomic Atolls.]
RONGORONGO:	The alleged written language of the ancient inhabitants of Rapa Nui. It was first discovered in 1864 when some Rapanuian islanders showed a Catholic missionary named Eugene Eyraud a variety of strange wooden tablets. Inscribed on the tablets was a variety of hieroglyphics unlike anything Brother Eugene had ever seen. The writing consisted of over one hundred basic designs that could be combined into 2,000 different symbols. The natives told him that the writing was called rongorongo, and it was the script used by the original inhabitants of Rapa Nui. Intrigued, Brother Eugene began to search for someone who could translate the text for him. Unfortunately, he concluded that all the Rapanuian elders who had knowledge of the texts had perished in the South American slave trade during the previous decades. No one has ever been able to find the Easter Island version of the Rosetta Stone that will crack the mystery. There is very little of the rongorongo language for scholars to study. Only thirty tablets have beenidentified worldwide which virtually ensures that the language will never been successfully translated. [See Journey to the Naval of the World.]
ROSICRUCIANS:	A secret order of Christian mystics with theological ties to the Kabbalah and various occult beliefs. The name translates to "Rosy Cross," and first came to the world’s attention when fliers announcing the order were anonymously distributed through Paris, France, in 1623. It is believed that Christian Rosenkreutz, a German nobleman and monk who traveled extensively through the Near East and eventually embracing magic, alchemy and other nontraditional beliefs, originally founded the Rosicrucians. Rosenkreutz was also passionately anti-Catholic, and his founding of the secret order may have been a direct protest against papal beliefs. Although not well known due to their covert nature, it is believed that most Rosicrucian practices mimic those of the alchemist and the teachings of Hermes Trismegistus, including the quest for eternal life and transformation of base metals into gold. A California advertising executive named H. Spencer Lewis revived the order in 1909. Like many other secret societies, the Rosicrucians identify each other through secret handshakes, code words, rituals and rites.
S: "SACRAMENTO UNDERGROUND" THRU SYLPH
"SACRAMENTO UNDERGROUND," SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA:	During the 1860’s, a large area of downtown Sacramento was raised twelve feet in order to prevent flooding from the nearby American River. The original streets, storefronts and other miscellaneous buildings became the basements of modern downtown Sacramento. Over the years, this “underground,” now a network of interconnecting tunnels and chambers, was used by criminals and the homeless until access was greatly restricted in the 1960s. Many of these areas are still accessible, however. Due to the “underground’s” unsavory history, it is considered to be a hotbed for paranormal phenomenon. [See Dark & Dangerous Places.]
SAIPAN:	The largest island and capital of the United States Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI), a chain of 15 tropical islands belonging to the Marianas archipelago in the western Pacific Ocean. Total human population is estimated to be around 62,000. Saipan was also the scene of some of the most vicious battles during the last months of World War II. In late 2006, the Outcast Earth team visited the island to explore some of these battle sites and the reported paranormal phenomenon that surrounds them. [See Saipan Spirits.]
SATHER TOWER, BERKELEY, CALIFORNIA:	A famous landmark in the San Francisco area, this 800-foot campanile (bell tower) is the tallest building on the University of California campus. It is also the sight of two suicides – in 1959 and 1961 – the latter of which was said to result in a haunting of the tower and the promenade below. [See Patterson, John \| Saphir, Richard \| Berkeley, California]
"SOSSAMAN ACRES," CALIFORNIA:	Located in eastern California in the middle of the Mojave Desert, this private property was the location for an extensive Outcast Earth investigation surrounding a phantom horse. [See Mojave Mysteries.]
SPRITE:	A mythical creature with supernatural powers, similar to a fairy.
SQUANDO:	Allegedly this cursed Norwegian sailing vessel was the site of a grisly murder and subsequent haunting sometime during the 1880s or 90s. According to some published accounts, several men were killed during the construction of the vessel which prompted one of their widows to curse it and all who sailed on it. During its first year in service, the first mate was decapitated by the captain after falling in love with his wife. The sailor’s headless trunk was thrown into the San Francisco bay but the captain kept the severed head in a bucket underneath his bed. Three subsequent captains died aboard ship and many crewmen were scared off by the vision of a headless ghost seen wandering the ship’s deck. The ship was eventually scrapped – or lost at sea – depending on which version of the story you read. The OCE team doubts the authenticity of the haunting and even of the ship itself. [See San Francisco Embarcadero and Waterfront Area.]
SUCCUBUS:	See Incubus.
SUICIDE CLIFFS, SAIPAN	Known locally as Laderan Banadero and Puntan Sabaneta respectively, the Suicide and Banzai Cliffs are the sites of some of the greatest tragedies from World War II. As the American forces tightened their stranglehold on the last outposts of the Japanese Empire, rumors began to spread about the brutality of the G.I.s. Most of these rumors were intentionally circulated by the Japanese military in order to help assure a fierce resistance from the civilian populations. The militarist mentality of the Japanese also mandated unflinching loyalty to the Emperor, which included resisting enemy attack to the death. Many Japanese soldiers believed that equal fanaticism should be demonstrated by civilians, so during the U.S. invasion of Saipan many were “forced” to leap from these two cliffs. If they refused to do so, they were often gunned down by Japanese snipers. The Americans made valant attempts to reassure the local men, women and children that they would be treated humanely, but still many fled at the sight of the Allied approach and threw themselves to their deaths. The bones of many of these unfortunate souls lay at the bottom of the cliffs until they were collected by Japanese volunteers in the 1980s and were given proper funeral ceremonies and burials. Today, these sites are open to tourists. [See Saipan Spirits.]
SYLPH:	The elemental spirit of the air.
T: TAHITI THRU TRUK LAGOON
TAHITI, FRENCH POLYNESIA:	Tahiti is the largest island in French Polynesia, an area that includes one hundred and eighteen islands spread over 1,545,000 square miles. Included in French Polynesia are five archipelagos: Society Islands, Austral Islands, Tuamotu Islands, Gambier Islands and Marquesas. The island itself is approximately 402-square miles. It was formed by the eruption of two volcanoes in close proximity to each other. As a result, it is known as a volcanic "high" island. The island is divided into two geographic areas called Tahiti Nui (Big Tahiti) and Tahiti Iti (Little Tahiti). The Isthmus of Taravao connects these two volcanic formations. Tahiti is ringed by a coral reef that has created a beautiful lagoon that varies in depth from 25 to 100 feet (7.6 to 30.5 meters). Most of the island is uninhabited. Towns, villages and agricultural centers are located almost exclusively in the narrow coastal plain. The Outcast Earth team visited the island in May 2005. [See Tahiti: Isle of Volcanoes and Lagoons.]
TAROT CARDS:	Although they may have originated as an astrological tool, today Tarot Cards are best known as a device for divining the future. The oldest deck known dates to 1432, although there is evidence that its ancestors may go back to the ancient Romans. A deck typically contains twenty-two trump cards and fifty-six suit cards; each illustrated with various images and symbols. When shuffled and dealt, Tarot Cards will supposedly answer very personal and important questions for an individual. Deciphering the combinations of cards is very complex and is referred to as "ars notoria."
TAIYO MARU:	In October 1941, the ship sailed the precise course to be followed by the Japanese attack fleet from Japan to Oah'u, Hawai’i. During its journey, the crew of the Taiyo Maru charted weather, distances visibility, wind direction and other important factors. [See Pearl Harbor Mysteries: The Spy Ship.]
TERRA AUSTRALIS:	Many of the 17th century European explorers who sailed through this region were on a quest for something as legendary and elusive as the Holy Grail. It was the undiscovered or "lost" continent of the South Pacific, a body of land that had many names and just as many promises of riches and arcane knowledge. But did the "Atlantis of the Pacific" actually ever exist? It seems that part of the reason the Europeans spent generations looking for the lost continent – which was commonly known as Terra Australis – is because so many of the indigenous people told stories about it. Although recent archaeological studies seem to indicate that humankind inhabited the South Pacific much earlier than originally thought, there almost certainly was not a sunken or "lost" continent that served as the homeland for all the Polynesians. As with the European myths on lost worlds, many of these storiesmay be simple ways for the Polynesians to explain their origins when fact had been lost to the ages.
TIGHAR:	The International Group for Historic Aircraft Recovery. TIGHAR's website describes the non-profit organization as “the world's leading aviation archaeological foundation. A full-time professional staff guides an international membership of researchers and supporters in the non-profit organization's efforts to find, save, and preserve rare and historic aircraft.” The group's greatest renown is over its long-term excavation program on Nikumaroro Island, located in the South Pacific. The island is believed to be (at least by the TIGHAR staff and supporters) the crash-landing site of Amelia Earhart.
TLAMCO:	According to some New Age practitioners, Tlamco is an “lost city” located in what is now the Golden Gate Park, San Francisco. Tlamco was originally built by survivors from the lost civilization of Atlantis and contained a series of temples that were arranged to represent the orbits of six planets in our solar system and the sun. This esoteric belief appears to have originated from a nineteenth century novel entitled Yermah The Dorado by Fiona Eunice Wait. Originally published in 1897, the novel tells the story of how survivors of the doomed island culture of Atlantis resettled in the New World and built a utopian society on this peninsula which is today in the heart of San Francisco. [See Of Mist and Myth: The Mysteries, Legends and Tall Tales of the San Francisco Area.]
TRUK LAGOON:	See Chuuk Lagoon.
U: UNICORN THRU UNIVERSAL ALAKAHEST
UNICORN:	This mythical animal is represented as a horselike animal with a long, thin horn protruding from its forehead. The first known description of the animal is from ancient Greek writings dating back to about 400 B.C.E. The Greeks many have actually been describing an Indian rhinoceros which became more fanciful from retelling to retelling. Other historians believe that the animal was adapted from stories of the aquatic mammal, the narwhal. The original unicorn type was also very colorful with a red head and bright blue eyes. During the Middle Ages, the animal became pure white and was associated with mystical curative powers. The horn of the unicorn was highly prized for its properties as both a medicine and an aphrodisiac.
UNIVERSAL ALKAHEST:	See Philosopher’s Stone.
V: VAMPIRE THRU VOODOO
VAMPIRE:	There is a huge body of literature dedicated to these fearsome creatures, some extending as far back as the ancient cultures of the East, India and the Near East. It is thought that the modern concept of a vampire first originated in areas like China and Tibet, and moved west along the trade routes to the Mediterranean. Once there, the vampire legend took hold in various cultures and was given different names and descriptions. The ancient Greeks called vampires "Lamia," and described them as having the upper body of a woman and the lower body of a winged serpent. This legend ultimately spread to the Romans and then the Christian world where vampires were closely associated with Satanism. Despite cosmetic changes, the basic attitude of the vampire was the same: an "undead" person who fed on the blood of others, usually biting the victim on the neck. Eastern European vampire myths added the details of having the creatures sleep in coffins, eschew garlic and sunlight, and be destroyed by a wooden stake through the heart. A real historical figure and a literary masterpiece heightened tales of vampirism, as well. During the 15th century, a Romanian count named Vlad III (more colorfully known as "Vlad the Impaler") terrorized his people and surrounding nations through a string of wars and personal atrocities that still sends shivers down the spine of people today. Author Bram Stoker used the real Vlad as the basis for his fictional vampire, Dracula. Dracula shaped the "modern" vision of a vampire: pale, elegant, refined and whose attacks on the living took a vaguely sexual bent. The interest in vampires continues unabated to this day, with many pseudo-religious vampire "cults" attracting devotees from all over the world.
VOODOO (VODUN):	This religion is unique to the Caribbean and West Indies, and was probably created as a result of the slave trade during the 1700 and 1800s. African slaves and freedmen seemed to combine the mystical traditions of their homeland with Christian religious influences. Africans were prohibited upon pain of death from practicing their native religions and were usually forcibly baptized. In response to this prohibition, many slaves took their tribal deities, known as loa, and gave them the characteristics of Catholic saints. The result was a religion that had a strong tradition of secrecy, magic and is highly malleable from region to region. Although the birthplace of vodun is Haiti, many similar religions can be found throughout the Caribbean, most notably Santeria in Cuba. Vodun relies heavily on sympathetic magic, often employing animal sacrifice, symbols, ritual and wax dolls to bring about a change in the subject. Zombies, or reanimated dead bodies, are also closely associated with vodun, as priests of the religion are said to have the power to raise the deceased.
W: WAILUA KAI THRU WITCH
WAILUA KAI:	An ancient ceremonial and residential area located on the east shore of the island of Kaua’i, Hawai’i. Wailua Kai consisted of an elaborate series of temples (called heiaus), shrines and religious refuges; as well as the official lands of the island’s high king. It is widely believed that both animal and human sacrifice took place at many of these heiaus and resulted in haunting phenomenon which is still active to this day. Many native Hawai’ians will avoid the ruins of Wailua Kai, considering them “kapu” or “forbidden.” [See also Kaua’i: Hikina A Ka La, Hauola, Paemahu O Wailua, Malae Heiau and Old Coco Palms Hotel and Resort.]
WAKE ISLAND:	A small coral atoll that is an unincoporated territory of the United States. Wake is best known as being the first American territory attacked by the Japanese after the suprise attack on Pearl Harbor. At the time, Wake was maintained only by a small garrison of Marines, but the defenders held out against overwhelming enemy forces for days. When the island finally fell, many of the surviving Americans were forced into slave labor and then murdered by the Japanese garrison commander at the end of the war. The Outcast Earth team visited the island in October and September, 2005. [See Wake Island: Lost But Not Forgotten.]
WARLOCK:	A male witch.
WEREWOLF: