Oan: A Babylonian nature spirit who has the skin of a fish and the facial features of a human being. He lives in the ocean and teaches people the written language and how to build temples and cities.
OBE: (See Out-of-Body Experience.)
Object Reading: (See also Psychometry.) To gather psychic information by holding an object in the palm of the hands. People who are skilled in this craft will often give an object, like a crystal or stone, to a person to hold for around ten minutes. During this time, the object will absorb the person’s energy, leaving an invisible psychic imprint on the face of the material. The reader will then take the object from the person and intercept the energies left behind.
Obsidian: (See also Mirror Scrying.) A black crystal that is thought to possess magical properties and is commonly crafted into black scrying mirrors. Scrying mirrors are a divination device for investigating previous existences and past, present, and future events. Nostradamus was said to stare into the mirror to visualize events far into the future. Obsidian is also assumed to transmit healing and protective energies, with some believing that it can be used to find out hidden truths.
Occult: Latin—meaning “to conceal” or “knowledge of the hidden.” Something magical or mystical, such as sorcery, astrology, and alchemy. Strategies or methods utilized to create clairvoyant power. To explore and discover ancient mysteries and philosophies and contrast them with science. Something that is beyond the range of human understanding.
Occult Police: These are extremely intelligent higher beings who concern themselves with the wrongdoing of humankind. They can be summoned to assist the living when anything unjust has occurred.
Official Curse: Derives from medieval Greece. A hex or curse cast by magistrates or priests that was placed upon criminals in the form of evil energy. The offenders could not free themselves of this curse without the knowledge of magic. (Bletzer, 1986.)
Oil: Used to complement other materials when practicing magic. Candles are anointed with specific blends of essential oils, which are deemed to contain magical properties that bless, bathe, or prepare a vessel before a ritual. Many of the oils originate from powerful plants that are believed to possess their own distinctive intelligence.
Omen: A phenomenon, sign, or celestial message from the divine beings foretelling future events or changes. Those individuals who believe in the supernatural often see omens in small everyday occurrences.
Examples: If one finds a white feather in their path, it is thought to be a message from the heavens that they are being guided and protected. If the toilet blocks up or there is a flood in the home, unpleasant events may arise in the coming weeks, or a spate of bad luck could follow. If a butterfly comes into the home, this is considered a lucky omen meaning better things are to come. When a bird poops on one’s head, it might be unpleasant, but it means that paradise is going to shower them with good fortune and prosperity. If someone’s ears begin to itch, it signifies that someone is talking about them.
Some omens can indicate wonderful changes to come, whereas others can be a sign of death.
Omen Sticks: Used by the ancient Druids. Shards of the oak tree purported to possess psychic powers. Were implemented in ritual and divination. The oak sticks were rubbed together in the hands and cast upon the ground by the elders, who studied in great detail how they were grouped together, separated, and dispersed before making a prediction.
One In, One Out: In the unfortunate event that there is a death in the family, news of a pregnancy or birth will soon follow. There is a theory that only so many people are permitted to be in a clan at any one time; hence, someone in the family must die to make space for the newborn child.
Orbs: (See also Spheres.) Ghost orbs, or spirit orbs, are round, white, semitransparent objects that are sometimes highlighted on photographs when the camera’s flash captures an image. Science explains that the minute particles of dust that are caught in the lens flare create the orbs, whereas others think that the camera is recording a manifestation of energy in the form of an apparition. These ghosts, spirits, or otherworldly beings are for whatever reason trapped on the earth plane. Orb images have a faint light and can also be found on videos or films, more commonly on TV shows where people venture into haunted buildings. Orbs can vary in size, shape, and color, and although we do not fully understand them, the distinct orb colors are thought to mean different things.
White Orbs: Considered positive, although they could signify that a spirit is stuck on the earth plane without the means to cross over into the spirit realm.
Red or Orange Orbs: The manifestation of positive, protective spirits, like a mother, healer, or caretaker.
Black or Brown Orbs: The materializations of negative spirits that can be angry or disruptive. In some accounts, they are described as being unfriendly spirits of the dead who, when living, were undesirable people who were downbeat, pessimistic, or depressed. In the case of a demonic haunting, the orbs are black and cloudy and can appear very large.
Blue Orbs: Contain healing energy and are very calming. They can emerge around people who are sick or unwell.
Green Orbs: Represent all things to do with nature and can be seen when out and about in woodlands, forests, or places of beauty. Other accounts believe them to be dead children who never made it past the gestation period.
Alien Orbs: Often seen as significant red or orange globe-shaped orbs in the sky that separate from each other and then rejoin. Many people have taken photographs of these anomalies, which are said to be under intelligent control.
Oracle: A priest or priestess who was said to receive prophecies from the gods. A prime example would be the Oracle of Delphi, the Pythia, or priestess, who was world-renowned for her powers in ancient Greek mythology. Visitors would travel to her and ask questions concerning their future, hoping she would be able to guide them. After purifying her body in the nearby Castalian stream, an animal was usually sacrificed, and then laurel leaves were burned. The seekers would offer her gifts of pelanos (a pie), and if the oracle was satisfied, she would take them into the inner temple for her pronouncements.
Oracle Cards: A deck of divination cards similar to tarot, but while tarot rigidly consists of seventy-eight cards, oracle cards are less restrictive and can vary in amount from deck to deck. Being less traditional, the creator has more scope, and so pictorial images can be whatever they choose, and the meanings of each card are more flexible and accessible to the reader. Oracle cards come in many forms: divination, angel cards, self-development, daily affirmations, and spiritual guides.
Ostara: A neopagan festivity also called “Eostre” or “Eastre”—the proportionate to Christian Easter, falling around March 21. Although Easter is embraced as a Christian festival, the word is thought to derive from the Germanic goddess Ostara. In past times, this agnostic sabbat symbolized the presentation of everything new, with the buds beginning to blossom after a cold and brutal winter. At this time, the goddess is summoned through a ritual to bring productivity in the coming year. The more familiar symbols that represent Easter actually began with this festival. One example is the hare, renowned for being a lunar creature and honored in the ancient faiths, being adopted as the Easter bunny. The second example is the chocolate egg that people today pass to little children. In ancient times, the egg symbolized all things relating to fertility and the promise of a new life.
In many countries, rituals are performed at this time to shake off any bad luck, leaving people more positive and in a better frame of mind.
OtherWorldly Intelligence: Extraterrestrials who have a likeness to people, yet they may carry a peculiar gaze, or their skin could look somewhat changed in either color or texture. Some ufologists accept that intelligent aliens walk among us, shape-shifting into a human form so that they can blend into society unnoticed.
Ouija Board: (See Spirit Board.)
Out-of-Body Experience (OBE): OBEs are said to take place when a person is on the point of dying and their spirit rises out and leaves the physical body. The individual who experiences this is said to see and hear everything that is going on around them; they are in an altered state of consciousness, or even unconscious, and can astrally transport themselves to different places or locations outside their earthly body. This phenomenon is purported to occur when a person approaches death; situations such as drowning, life-saving surgery, or a serious accident can trigger this. (Monroe, 1989.)
Out of Sync: A term used when a person astral projects and suffers mental and physical fatigue afterward. The temperature of the body could rise too high or dip too low, and they might also experience feeling confused, eating meals at the wrong time of day, or saying their words backward. This occurrence is thought to happen when the soul travels through different time zones during astral projection, and it can take a few days or even a week to become in sync with the physical body again. Working clairvoyants also suffer from this after they have performed back-to-back readings.
Outside Invasions: A form of telepathy. Hypnotists or otherworldly beings who transmit thoughts that can be good or bad to the sleeping recipient. These invasive thoughts can influence the sleeper so that when they awake, they may change their outlook on life in some way. If these are projected positively, the receiver might wake up feeling a profound sense of motivation or optimism. If the thoughts were used to attack someone psychically, the victim could be affected more negatively, experiencing depression or have feelings of being unwell.
Overshadowing: Also referred to as “transfiguration.” A method utilized by mediums where they permit a higher being or guide to venture into their body. Often the medium is in an alpha state of consciousness, not being able to speak or make decisions. When the guide is present, the medium’s facial features might also change, assuming the appearance of the guide. This practice is sometimes used with mediums who sit in a circle. The guide will be summoned to take control of the earthly body in the hope that the medium might receive psychic data. Only when the medium dismisses the helper will they return to normal. This can be a hazardous undertaking; it’s not for the unprofessional, as lesser beings can step into the body and remain, haunting the person for the duration. (Soul & Spirit, 2019.)
Owls: Perceived as mystical creatures representing both good and bad depending on the culture. Owls are generally associated with clairvoyance, sorcery, and astral projection and are mainly drawn to anything magical. The ancient Romans would hang stuffed owls on walls or buildings as a talisman to combat the evil eye or to ward off strangers. In China, they used the symbol of the owl to protect properties from fire. However, they do not always carry the same meaning in other cultures around the globe; in Kenya, for instance, owls are considered to be omens of death, and if a person were unfortunate enough to hear an owl hoot, someone around them would soon die. In Northern England, superstition has it that if an owl enters a home, either in its physical form or as any type of ornamental figurine, it is thought to herald a death. (Heimbuch, 2015.)