Mantra refers to sacred words or syllables used repeatedly in religious and ceremonial rituals. The term "mantra" is derived from Sanskrit man, "mind," and tra, "to deliver."
Generally the mantra is considered a holy or divine name, word, or syllable by the one that says or thinks it. The mantra is believed to help one to achieve his goal which may be a mission, or an objective, or the attainment of something desired. For example, in Hinduism the mantra, which holds the essence of a guru's teaching, helps the initiate along his spiritual path.
Mantras can be used in three ways: verbal, semiverbal, and silent. Verbal repetition of mantras so anyone can hear them is the lowest form of their usage while silent repetition is the highest. While others, such as the Krishna sect, feel that verbal chanting is more powerful. The semiverbal form is when the vocal chords vibrate but no sound is uttered.
Mantras are repeatedly chanted. The chanting is usually done in association of dancing to drum or other instrumental music to achieve an altered state of consciousness and/or a rising of power. Such ceremonial rituals are performed in Neo-pagan witchcraft. For incident, many witches and Neo- pagans use chants to raise power to enhance the performance of their magic spells. Words of these chants may be names of the Goddess or Horned God. Also chants may consist of rhymes, alliterative phrases, or charms which are created or taken from other sources such as books or poetry.
The following is the refrain from The Witches' Rune' written by Doreen Valiente, which is thought to be a common power-raising chant:
Eko, Eko Azarak
Eko, Eko Zomelak
Eko, Eko Cermunnos
Eko, Eko Ardia
Mantras, frequently common in Hinduism and Buddhism, also are found in Judaism, Christianity and Islam. the name of God was always considered powerful mantras. In Catholicism there are the prayers as the "Our Father" and "Hail Mary," especially when prayed as the rosary, which might be considered mantras in essence. Even Protestantism embodies the "Our Father."
The practice is recorded to have occurred in Greece. Female sorcerers are said to have howled their chants. Like others they believed strong vibrations enhanced the power of their chants. This belief was continued by early and medieval sorcerers and magicians who sang their chants in very forceful voices. The belief was continued into the 20th century by men like Aleister Crowley who believed the chanting sound can profoundly affect both man and the universe.
