Originally from the Latin “paganus,” meaning “villager,” “country dweller,” or “hick.” The Roman army used it to refer to civilians. Early Roman Christians used “pagan” to refer to everyone who preferred to worship pre-Christian divinities and who were unwilling to enrol in “the Army of the Lord.” Eventually, “pagan” became simply an insult, with the connotation of “a false religion and its followers.” By the beginning of the twentieth century, the word’s primary meanings became a blend of “atheist,” “agnostic,” “hedonist,” “religionless,” etc., (when referring to an educated, white, male, heterosexual, non-Celtic European) and “ignorant savage and/or pervert” (when referring to everyone else on the planet). “Paganism” is now a general term for polytheistic, nature-cantered religions, old and new, with “Pagan” used as the adjective as well as the membership term. It should always be capitalized just as other religious noun/adjective combinations are, such as “Buddhist,” “Hindu,” “Christian,” etc. See Paleopaganism, Mesopaganism, Neopaganism.
Pagan Standard Time
A slang term for when people cannot arrive or get an event going on time. Almost extinct because it was a poor excuse to begin with. Abbreviated as PST.
Paleolithic:
The Paleolithic Age is the age of humankind, 18,000 to 29,000 years ago, said to have been the time when wo/man evolved a belief in some force higher then themselves. They assigned Gods to the important and unexplainable things that existed with them; a God of Lightning, a God of Earthquakes, a God of Fire, etc., The God of the Hunt - food, tools, clothing - and the Goddess of Love - sex and birth. These evolved into the All Father and All Mother; God and Goddess of Witchcraft. These beliefs came about naturally long before there was a Bible or Christianity.
Paleopaganism or Paleo-Paganism:
A general term for the original polytheistic, nature-cantered faiths of tribal Europe, Africa, Asia, the Americas, Oceania and Australia, when they were (or in some rare cases, still are) practiced as intact belief systems. Of the so-called “Great Religions of the World,” Hinduism (prior to the influx of Islam into India), Taoism and Shinto, for example, fall under this category, though many members of these faiths might be reluctant to use the term. Some Paleopagan belief systems may be racist, sexist, homophobic, etc. There are billions of Paleopagan living and worshiping their deities today. See Mesopaganism and
Neopaganism.
Pallomancy
Divination with a pendulum.
Palmistry:
Divination by means of the folds and other features of the hands.
Pan:
The Greek God of the forests, pastures, flocks and shepherds.
Pantheon:
The organization of deities and lesser spirits in any given religion. A group or "family" of Gods. Odin, Frigga, Thor, and Loki are all Gods of the Norse Pantheon
Para-anthropology:
The study of paranormal phenomena in tribal, traditional and/or nonliterate cultures.
Paranoia:
Slang term taken from psychology, used to refer to general terror or anxiety, usually with associated feelings of persecution.
Paranormal:
Unusual or “supernatural.”
Paraphysics:
(1)The physics of paranormal phenomena.
(2) The study of PK.
Parapsychology:
(1) The general and interdisciplinary study of paranormal phenomena.
(2) The study of that which is “beyond” the field of “normal” psychology.
(3) The scientific branch of occultism.
Passive Ritual:
One in which those persons raising and focusing the psychic energies are the main targets intended to be changed.
Passive Talent:
A psychic talent that involves the reception of energy or data by the agent from the target.
Past Lives:
Because Pagans believe in reincarnation, past-lives are the previous incarnations of your 'soul' or spirit. See also "Reincarnation", "Regression".
Path:
A method, system or approach to magical or mystical knowledge.
Path, The:
The One-True-Right-And-Only-Way followed by the user of the term.
Pathwork:
Very similar to visualization, pathwork is a process during which one journeys within to learn and grow. Pathwork often utilizes Mythic Cycles, Deities, and Elements as symbolism.
Patriarchal:
Based on the Consort/Horned God or male as head of the 'family'. Descent, kinship, and succession are determined through the father.
Pendulum:
Any small object on a string or chain, the movements of which can be used for divination. See Rhabdomancy.
Pentalpha:
A five pointed star made by interweaving five letter A’s.
Pentacle:
Originally a talisman of a five pointed star, now used as a general term for talismans in general. When made of clay, glass, metal or wood, often used in western occultism as a symbol of the “element” of Earth. The pentacle or pentagram is a five-pointed star, either without or within a circle. Though the tool itself has deep connections with the element of earth, the points of the star represent aspects of the five elements: earth, air, fire, water and Akasha.
Pentacle , Banishing:
A pentacle drawn beginning at the top point and following down the left side to the bottom left point and so on, ending at the top point from the bottom right point. This is for 'destructive' or negative magickal purposes and/or worship.
Pentacle, Invoking:
The opposite of the Banishing Pentacle; This pentacle is drawn starting at the top point and following down the right side to the bottom right point and so on, ending at the top point from the bottom left point. This is for 'constructive' or positive magickal purposes and/or worship.
Pentagram:
Another word for a five pointed star, used as a symbol for the occult in general and Neopagan and Feminist Witchcraft in particular.
Perception:
The process of classifying sensations.
Persecutions, The:
With the coming of Christianity, which apparently came out of nowhere as a unique revelation of 'God', the Christian Church forced the pagan peoples to convert or die. The persecutions by Christians against all other non-bible religions and practices began sometime between the mid to late 1300's and continued their Christian domination until the last law against Witchcraft was repealed in 1951. In this time, approximately 6,000,000 to 9,000,000 people had been burned, hanged, or tortured to death on the charge of Witchcraft. The sad part is not even one fourth were actually witches.
Personal Universes, Law of:
“Every sentient being lives in and quite possibly creates a unique universe which can never be 100% identical to that lived in by another.” See Hixson’s Law and Infinite Universes, Law of.
Personification, Law of:
“Any phenomenon may be considered to be alive and to have a personality, and may be effectively dealt with as such."
Perversity, Law of:
“If anything can go wrong, it will — and in the most annoying manner possible.” Also known as
“Murphy’s Law.”
Perversion:
A variation in a process that effectively negates or contradicts what the user of this term considers to be the original purpose of the process.
Philtre
A potion, especially for love.
Phrenology:
Divination by means of the features of the head (exterior).
Physiology:
The study of the living body.
PK:
See Psychokinesis.
Placebo Effect:
Term used to refer to the process by which the belief of a target may cause results (physical or psychic) to occur with no known effort being made by the supposed agent.
Placebo Spell:
Obviously, a spell that works by the placebo effect.
Planchette:
A triangular object with short legs used as a divination tool, usually by moving it over a Oui-Ja Board.
Plant-Psi or Plantpsi:
A little-used term for psychic phenomena involving the interaction of plants with humans, each other and the environment.
Plug-in:
To “close a circuit” or otherwise make a connection with a part of the Switchboard or a smaller group mind.
Poet:
(1) One who fashions words artistically.
(2) One who can control the power of words and is thus a magician.
(3) To the ancient Greeks, one who is a specialist in retrocognition.
Polarism:
A religious doctrine that states that all the spiritual forces of the universe(s) are split into Guys and Gals, (good, weird, horny, scary, whimsical, etc.) who are eternally in bed with each other.
Polarity - The word polarity, when used in magick, represents the concept of equal and opposite energies; male and female, earth and air, fire and water, north and south, night and day, yin and yang, 'good and evil', etc. Polarity is as vital to magick as it is to science, being found everywhere in nature.
Polarity, Law of:
“Any pattern of data can be split into (at least) two patterns with ‘opposing’ characteristics, and each will contain the essence of the other within itself.”
Poltergeist:
From the German, meaning “noisy spirit;” an old term for RSPK, resulting from a personification of the phenomena.
Polytheism:
A style of religion in which the polytheologians claim that there are many deities, of varying power, and many lesser spirits as well, all of whom are considered to be “real” and to be worthy of respect and/or worship.
Polytheology:
Intellectual speculations concerning the natures of the Gods and Goddesses and Their relations to the world in general and humans in particular; etc.
Pooka:
A spiritual companion and elemental being. They are helpful and beneficial.
Poppet:
A magickal doll representative of someone male. These dolls are magically, psychically and telekinetically linked to its represented individual. They are used for indirect magick, such as healing and protecting those not immediately in the caster's presence. These dolls are hand-made having something belonging to the represented individual made part of it, glyphs, sigils and runes are sewn on and stuffed with herbs as dictated by purpose of the doll. See also "Mommet".
Positivity:
An energetic force that creates patterns to which one merges (usually through meditation). Associated with the "Bright One(s)".
Possession:
The process or experience of having another being (divine, demonic or other) inside of one’s own body, usually as the result of a conscious or unconscious invocation. See Obsession.
Practitioner :
Any pagan worshipper; one who actually practices paganism or magick, not simply reads about it for scholarly interest.
Prana :
The vital force of essence; Your essence.
Pragmatism, Law of:
“If a pattern of belief or behaviour enables a being to survive and to accomplish chosen goals, then that belief or behaviour is ‘true,’ ‘realistic,’ and/or ‘sensible’.”
Precognition:
Hypercognition done about future phenomena.
Priest or Priestess:
A cleric who is an official representative of a given religion, sect or cult, and who is responsible for leading other people in rituals.
Priest, High:
Traditionally, a Third Degree male who administers the desires of the High Priestess, 'the Arm of the Law', but most modern Pagans view them as equal to the High Priestess. They represent the Consort or Horned God/All Father in ritual.
Priestess, High:
A Third Degree female. The avenue of the Goddess/All Mother, and represents Her in ritual. Modern High Priestesses share 'leadership' with High Priests.
Principles of Wiccan Belief:
The 14 principles are a list of the mindset and beliefs of most modern Witches. They were defined and adopted in 1974 by the Council of American Witches
Projective Hand:
The hand with which one 'sends' energy. The projective hand is usually the hand with which one writes. The dominate ritual tools are used in this hand. Although, science has proven that this hand is more often than not your right hand, even in those whom are left-handed.
Prophet:
(1)A person (usually a cleric) who “speaks out for” a deity or other powerful spirit, usually about future events.
(2) A diviner of the future.
Prop:
Tools, physical emblems and other objects used primarily as associational and/or trance inducing devices.
Proselytize:
To convert or attempt to convert, as from one religion or point of view to another. (Collier's Dictionary). E.g. The Jehovah's Witnesses go door to door proselytizing. Something Wiccans and most pagans do not do.
Psi:
Short for “psychic.”
Psionics:
A scientific way to get around using the dirty word “magic;” probably coined by John Campbell, the word is usually used to refer to technologically oriented parapsychology. One who has more than one very strong mental ability. Example: both psychic and telekinetic
Pseudo:
Fake, deceptive, erroneous or otherwise “unreal.”
Psychic:
As used in this text, a word referring to rare or seldom-used powers of the (usually) human mind, which are capable of causing effects that appear to contradict the mainstream worldview of western science and philosophy.
Psychic:
A mental ability where one is able to foresee future events through enhanced intuition with remarkable accuracy and detail.
Psychic, A:
Anyone who uses mostly passive talents and rites for mostly thaumaturgical purposes.
Psychoenergetics: A fashionable term for parapsychology in Russia.
Psychic Awareness
The open state of awareness in which the conscious mind can tap into the psychic mind.
Psychic Mind
The sub- or un- conscious mind which is receptive of psychic messages. When we are psychically aware, the two minds link and we can intercept these messages.
Psychokinesis or PK:
A categorical term for those psi talents that involve the movement of matter and energy through space-time.
Psychokinesis Proper:
A specific term for the psychically induced movement of objects (including the physical bodies of beings) through normal space-time.
Psychology:
Divination by means of the features of the head (interior).
Psycholuminescence:
See Light Control.
Psychometry:
(1) The science of statistical measurements in the field of psychology.
(2) An undefeatable term for a psychic talent involving the reception of data “from” objects or surroundings about events and/or persons connected to those objects or surroundings; quite possibly the ability to use objects or places as contagion links for telepathic reception, the clair senses, and/or retrocognition.
Psychopyresis:
See Heat Control.
Psychotronics:
Another new way to avoid saying “magic;” the popular term in Eastern Europe.
Pyre:
A ritual fire, term is most often used to denote the ritual fire whence the dead are to be cremated. Hence the term "Funeral Pyre". See also "Balefire".
Pyrite:
A magickal stone whose qualities are that of prosperity, energy generation, circulation and flow.
Pyrokinetic:
A mental ability where one is able to produce flames with no more than a thought.