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Sabbat- A combination into one system of old legends and of sorcery and new ideas of heresy. Blasphemous parodies of Christian rites, orgies and acts of unspeakable evil.

Salamander- The elemental spirit of fire.

Santeria- Afro-Caribbean religion which is a combination of Catholicism and voodoo. There are seven powers or gods in Santeria and they are syncretized with Catholic Saints.

Satan- Chief of the fallen Angels who opposed God and was banished from Heaven. Also known as Lucifer. Pre New Testament literature depicted Satan to be the number two devil and listed Lucifer as number 1.

Satanic- Having anything to do with Satan, as in worshipping him, or evoking him. Satanists routinely conduct black masses which are a mock of the Catholic Mass. Sacrifices are often made during these masses. These can be either animals or humans.

Satanic Bible- A "how to" book on Satanism written by Anton Szandor LaVey who founded the Church Of Satan.

Scrying- A form of divination using a mirror. This can also be done using crystals or water in place of a mirror. It is believed that spirits and/or visions of the future may be seen when using this method.

Scrying Mirror- A mirror used for divination in which one can see spirits or future events. 

Sensitive- A person with psychic abilities. A medium or one who has discernment abilities. One can be a sensitive with being a medium. One who is able to feel a supernatural presence would be considered a sensitive even though they may not have the ability to communicate with them.

Seraphim- The Angels of love, light and fire. They are the highest order of the hierarchy of choirs.

Shadow Ghost- A black, mist like spirit that has no discernable features. Shadow ghosts are almost always demonic and are common in demonic hauntings.

Shaman- A witch doctor or medicine man.

Shambalah- Mystical city in Oriental folklore. A kind of occult Shangri-la.

Solidification Of Air- The theoretical process by which spirits are able to move physical objects. It is a gathering of electromagnetic energy sufficient to cause such movement. When dealing with human spirits, the movement is only of light objects. In the case of inhuman spirits, the object may be large or heavy. 

Somnambulism- A form of deep trance which can be mistaken for a sleep state.

Sorcerer- One who is able to cast spells or uses magic either for personal gain, to hurt someone or to protect or heal someone. 

Soul- This is the essence of spirit, the part of someone's spirit which is everlasting. All of the information gained through many lifetimes and other experience is stored in the soul. During a particular lifetime, the physical mind is usually unaware of the past life information contained in the soul. In some cases, people do remember bits and pieces. The soul is said to constantly evolve as it tries to perfect itself and grow closer to God. Man is thought to be triune- mind, body and soul or spirit.

Soul Growth- The act of the evolution of the soul on its journey towards perfection. Many of the sufferings we encounter on the physical plane are for the purpose of this evolution.  

Specter- Something that exists only in appearance. Same as phantom. The apparition involved in the case of a “psychic imprint” may be called a specter as it is not actually a spirit present.

Spirit- Any being that exists without a physical body. This can range from humans to Angels to demons or animals. All life is believed to have a spirit.

Spontaneous Combustion- Fire that starts suddenly and with no apparent cause. This can happen to animate or inanimate objects.

Spook- Slang term for ghost. Scaring yourself by thinking, talking or reading about the preternatural or the supernatural.

Stigmata- Phenomena where a person will bleed from the same areas as the wounds of Jesus. Padre Pio was a stigmatist.

Stigmata Diaboli- The devil’s mark. During witchcraft trials, any unusual markings on a suspected witch’s body was said to be this.

Sub-law- Related to the “Laws Governing hauntings. A sub-law is a means by which a person can become haunted; however, it is usually used to explain why a particular “law” applied. For instance, 20 people can use a Ouija board with no problem while someone else may develop a problem. If there is a spirit indigenous to the location, that might explain why that one person has the problem. However, it can also stand on its own as well.

Sub-natural- Anything that happens which seems to be unnatural by still falls within the realm of the natural as opposed to the supernatural.

Succubus- A demon that rapes or has sex with a man. Demons do not have gender so the same spirit can be an “incubus,” a demon that has sex with a woman.

Suffimunigation- A religious cleansing ritual that involves the use of prayers, incense, holy water and beeswax candles. Suffimunigation is used to clear spirits from a dwelling. It is a minor form of Exorcism and is the first level with Deliverance being the second and Solemn Exorcism being the third and highest level.

Sufism- Persian mystical creed based on Mohammedanism.

Supernatural- Events that happen which have no natural explanation. Usually refers to the divine but can also be caused by negative forces. Inhuman spirits are regarded as supernatural beings as are the works they do. Angels, demons and devils fall into this category while actions which result from the work  of a human spirit is called preternatural.  Angels, demons or devils fall into this category.

Sylphs- The elemental spirits of the air.

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