A Door to the Occult

GLOSSARY:

AEIIRII
Type of evil spirit which can produce sound and other effects without fully materialising, and may even be able to attack solid objects; "The usual Aeiirii forms of semi-materialisation". [WR]
AETHER (ETHER)
The hypothetical "medium" that conducts light and other forms of electromagnetic radiation. [WR, HG]
ANIMATE-FORCE
The biochemical basis of life, responsible for movement and other biological processes. Its effects can sometimes be mimicked by inanimate matter; see SAIITII manifestations. [WR]
ASTARRAL
A life-promoting force which pervades the universe and helps to protect the soul (but not the body) from the Outer Monstrosities. [HAL, WR]
ASTER
Scientist who sneered at Carnacki's pentacle and other magical precautions, and was killed in the "Black Veil" case. [GM]
BABY RIBBON
Narrow ribbon used for baby clothing. [GM]
Note: The word "bebe" is used in [CGF/GM]; the meaning is identical.
CAT'S-EYE
A semi-precious stone [SEH; CGF/SEH uses the phrase "cat's-eye stone".]
COINER
Counterfeiter [HAL]
DAEMON
Demon (archaic spelling); the dictionary definition is slightly different, but in the context it is obvious Carnacki uses it to mean demon. [GM]
HAIR-CIRCLE
Magical defence sometimes set up around a pentacle. Carnacki describes one consisting of a thin string of braided hair entwined around 66 1" wide candles, spaced 5" apart around a 33 ft diameter circle; the ends of the rope are tipped with silver and embedded in a candle. [HAL]
Note: There is a surprising mistake in the maths; it's obvious that this should have read "a 33 ft circumference circle" (which unfortunately has a diameter of only 10.5 ft). The error is avoided in [CGF/HAL], which substitutes a 99ft circumference circle with 198 candles; this would be over 31ft wide, offering more room for eight occupants, an electric pentacle, etc! See PENTACLE.
HARZAM
Authority on psychic phenomena and "induced hauntings". [WR, HJ]
HYSSOP
A plant used for Jewish purification rituals, and by Carnacki in the preparation of pentacles. It is not certain that the plant now called hyssop is the same as that used in Biblical times. [GM]
JARVEE
1: The haunted barque (sailing freighter) investigated by Carnacki. Note that the word Jarvee is always italicised in this story [HJ].
2: An Irish jaunting-car (see below) or its driver.
MONSTROCITIES
Monstrosities [SEH; the conventional spelling is used in CGF/SEH]
OILCLOTH
Floor covering, cloth treated with oil to make it waterproof; a predecessor of linoleum. [SEH]
PENTAGON, PENTAGRAM
Five-sided figure which lacks all the protection provided by the points of pentacles. It can be easily be subverted by evil influences. [GM]
PENTACLE
Protective five-pointed star. It must be built or marked around the person it protects. Carnacki usually marks it in chalk, adding refinements such as garlic, bowls of holy water, and candles to ward off evil, then uses his "electric pentacle" as a final inner barrier. See HAIR CIRCLE [GM, HI, TI, HAL, WR, HJ, HG]
PHONOGRAPH, PHONOGRAPHIC
The earliest form of sound recording, using hard wax cylinders instead of discs or tapes. The title of this collection is a reference to this type of recording. [WR, HG]
RAAEE
A form of deity, possibly a manifestation of the Outer Circle, summoned by the Ab-human Priests [WR, HG:5]
SAIITII (SAAAITI, SAAITII)
The most dangerous type of Ab-natural manifestation which can "invade" most ordinary forms of matter, including magical defences, as a "psychic fungus". They can materialise out of everything except fire, possibly because the continual movement of particles in fire does not allow the organising principle or spirit to invade them. Three spellings appear in the stories; for convenience that of [WR] is used throughout this worldbook [WR, HG]
SAAAMAAA RITUAL
Magical incantation "used by the Ab-human Priests in the Incantation of the Raaee". The "Unknown Last Line" can hold off evil spirits for a few seconds, but its use is extremely dangerous. Its signs can be used as magical defences. [GM, HI, HAL, WR]
Note: This ritual was "borrowed" by Dennis Wheatley and appears in The Devil Rides Out.
SEMI-MATERIALISATION
see AEIIRII
SIGSAND MS.
14th-century occult manuscript. [GM, HI, HAL, WR, SEH, HG]
SNAP-SHOT
Photograph taken without posing and preparation, usually by the use of a flashlight (see above); the word also sometimes refers to a type of hand-held half- or quarter-plate camera fitted with a fast shutter, which was usually used to take such pictures, as opposed to normal tripod-mounted designs. [HI]

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