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Glossary

Akasha - The fifth element of magick and the occult, this is the spiritual ether, often called the "Otherworld".

Altar - A small working area and shrine many pagans maintain, where they perform most of their ritual and spell work.

Amulet - An object charged with personal energies through ritual or meditation often used to ward off a certain force or person.

Asperger - A bundle of fresh herbs either carrying dew or dowsed with spring water, used to sprinkle the water during ritual purification.

Athame A dull, double-edged black handled knife used to direct energy during a ritual. Not used for cutting.

Aura - An energy field which surrounds living beings. An aura is most often visible only to those born with the skill to see it, or those who developed this ability. A visible aura contains various colors and tells about the spiritual and emotional persona of the plant, human, or creature surrounded by it. However, an aura can also be felt, heard, or sensed through other means.

Balefire - A traditional fire lit outdoors during Yule, Beltane, and Litha

Binding -Using magick to restrain someone or something, or to 'bind' them to you

Besom (see broom)

Bolline - A white handled knife used in rituals for carving and cutting magickal symbols into ritual objects.

Broom The witches broom is used for sweeping any harmful energy from the area that the broom is cleansing.

Caduceus -

Catharsis - The release of magickal energies at the height or climax of a ritual. Essentially the use of energy at the catharsis is the crux of the rite, determining whether its outcome will be successful or not. 

Censer - A container in which incense is smoldered or burned. It symbolises the element of air. Often a censer is used during ritual to "cense" an area, generally by moving the censer around the area and especially around the circle as a means of purification.

Cauldron The cauldron represents the female aspect and is a symbol of water as well. It is usually made of some fireproof substance (cast iron) and sits on 3 legs. They can be of any size.

Chalice A feminine symbol of the element water. This is used during ritual and once the waters of life which it contains is blessed, it is passed around so that everyone in the coven may bring the Goddess "into" themself.

Charge

ChI - A Chinese term for the all-encompassing universal life force.

Corn doll - A figure made by plaiting wheat, similar to a poppet. It is symbolic of the fertility, grain, and harvest aspects of the Goddess.)

Coven - A group of witches led by a High Priest and/or a High Priestess who meet to worship and practice magic. Traditionally limited to 13, though most are significantly smaller.

Consecration
The blessing, cleansing, or positively charging of an object which is meant to be used in magick or dedicated to a deity.

Deosil - Clockwise. Used often to describe movement in rituals. This is a pagan custom used to drawn down the power of the sun; most often a person circles three times deosil. It is associated with blessings, luck, and good health or fortune. The opposite is Widdershins.

Devas

Dhoop

Divination - Method of inquiring into a situation through tools, some examples of divination are scrying, tarot, runes, and oneiromancy.

Druids - An ancient celtic order of priests which has undergone a modern revival into neo-paganism.

Eclectic
A person (or the practice of a person) who combines attributes from various traditions to create a unique spiritual blend of Wicca, paganism, or witchcraft that suits them best.

Esbat - A gathering for ritual work, generally during the full or new moon

Evocation - Calling up spirits or elementals.

Familiar - A spirit or guardian who is close to a human being and considered a companion in magick. The spirit often manifests itself in a sacred object or a pet. This explains the misconception that all witches have black cats, which is not necessarily true though a cat is a magickal creature and often does become a familiar.

Gromoire - A magickal workbook which contains various information on rituals, formulae, correspondences, and preparation of ritual tools and space. Similar to a Book of Shadows

Gris-Gris - In African religious systems, a charm, fetish, or amulet.

Grounding - Sending excess energy generated during a ritual into the earth, symbolically, back to the God or the Goddess from which it came.

Handfasting - The Wiccan equivalent of a wedding ceremony. It is only legal if performed by a registered clergyman. Handfasting vows are meant to be renewed annually, and thus are a "safer" commitment than marriage unless made legal

Horned God - Pagan father God often mistaken for, or associated with, Satan. This is an incorrect assumption.

Initation -Admission ceremony for an intiate to gain entry into a coven or circle. Generally in the form of a ritual with an oath of secrecy.

Invocation
The bringing of a divine power from the exterior into a ritual or magickal working through chant or prayer. An invocation is generally an acknowledgement of the deity and a request that they be present for the working.

Kahuna

Karma - A concept which originated in Hindu philosophy that is used to explain injustice and retribution. By karma, a trespass in this life will be punished in the next. Essentially, "what goes around comes around". Actions bad or good will eventually be returned to you.

Labrys -

Lamen - A disc of metal with magickal symbols inscribed on it, worn around the neck during rituals.

Megalith

Menhir

Midsummer -

Metaphysics - A field of abstract thought and philosophy about topics not on the concrete or physical level of understanding. This includes subjects like existence, the soul, being, the supernatural, astral travel, psychicism, and so on.

Mojo Bag - A small bag generally worn around the neck which is charged with energies towards a certain goal and filled with charms, herbs, and/or stones.

Neo pagan  - Literally, new pagan. Modern earth religion which branches from paganism and is based on ancient pre-Christian religious practices. Wicca, for example, is a neo-pagan religion, derived from ancient witchcraft and paganism.

Occult - Study and science of things esoteric, secret, paranormal, and supernatural.

Pagan - 1. A follower of paganism. 2. Something related to paganism

Paganism - Any religion other than Christianity, Islam, or Judaism. Generally categorized as an earth religion. Most are polytheistic (have more than one god or goddess). Literally means "country dweller".

Pallomancy - Divination with a pendulum.

Pentacle -  5 pointed star

Pentagram -  5 pointed star within a circle, not to be interchanged with pentacle.

Polarity

Poppet

Projective hand - A term often used in ritualism to describe your most powerful hand, generally the one you write with.

Psychism

Qaballa - Jewish mysticism; metaphysical practices based on the Judaic Qabalistic texts.

Receptive hand not the hand you write with, (normally the left hand) used to receive energy during a ritual.

Reincarnation - The rebirth of the soul into other physical forms from one life (reincarnation) to the next. The new physical form can be animal or human.

Ritual - A formal series of generally predetermined actions (both mental or physical) performed to harness and then direct magickal powers toward the accomplishment of the goal at hand

Runes - A tool of magick and divination. There are many types of runes, all of them alphabets of some sort. Anglo-Saxon, Norse, and modern Wiccan runes are just a few. They are usually tossed randomly after deciding a subject, and then decifered based on their positioning.

Sabbat - One of the eight celebrations of paganism.

Scrying - A form of divination by gazing into something, usually a reflective surface

Shamanism - The religion of the ancient peoples of northern Europe and Asia, generally characterised by the ability of the Shaman to communicate with the spirit world. Major facets of Shamanism are animism, possession, prophecy/revelations, shapeshifting, and soul travel

Sky-clad - Naked

Talisman - A magickally charged object used to attract a certain type of energy or a particular type of person

Tarot - A form of divination using a set of cards (usually 76).

Third Eye - The psychic eye, not physically visible, but mental. Located in the middle of the forehead.

Trilithon -

Triple Goddess - The three faces of the goddess- Maiden, Mother, and Crone. These are repesented by the symbol of the triple goddess, which looks like a crescent moon facing left (maiden), a full moon (mother), and a cresent moon fact right (crone).

Wand - A tool in magick which resembles a rod and is used to direct energy towards a goal.

Wicca - A neo-pagan reconstruction of witchcraft. Most Wiccans call themselves witches, but not all witches are necessarily Wiccan.

Widdershins - Counter clockwise. The opposite of deosil

Witch - A practitioner of witchcraft. There are many types and traditions of witches. A witch is not necessarily a Wiccan, though if a Wiccan practices witchcraft they can be called a witch

Witchcraft - The practice of spells and magick, often involving the worship of many deities or a supreme God and/or Goddess

Yin and yang



If you have any terms that you would like to see listed here please feel free to E-mail me with them and I will put them up