• Cabala – Qaballa/Kabbala/Kabbalah - P The ancient Hebrew magickal system.
• Caillech Beine Bric/ Scota/Caledonia - Scotland. Destroyer Goddess of the Underworld. The name for Scotland comes from her (original name was Caledonia).
• Cakes and Ale/Cakes and Wine - A phrase used by Gerald Gardner to describe the wine, ale, juice and cakes, cookies, bread used by Witches during ritual.
• Call - A series of words or sounds that are used to invoke, or call deities.
• Calling The Quarters - The verbal or symbolic acknowledgement of the four elements in a ritual environment. Also an invitation to the elements to join the proceeding ritual.
• Camulos - Britian, Gaul. War God
• Candle Magick - The process of using candles to create change in one’s environment. The scent, shape, color and size of the candle can all affect the outcome of a candle spell. Many methods of candle Magick have been developed. Meditation and intensive focus on the result both help to bring a witch’s desires into being. Candles can also be lit and left to drip wax on a sigil or drawing of the desired effect or they can simply be burned a short time each day over a specified period of days. Some witches even light their candle and just allow it to burn down entirely. When the candlewick is no more, their desire passes from the microsm to the macrosm where it manifests in physical reality.
• Candlemas - Pagan sabbat held on Feb. 1.
• Candles - Candles have been used by Witches for Magick for centuries. You can have a candle on your altar to represent the god, and one for the goddess if you wish. You should light these candles as you invite the deities to your circle. Witches also have candles at the four corners of the appropriate colors of the circle to represent the elements. You should always have a white pillar altar candle. This is lit first, and all other candles should be lit from it. There can also be a couple candles on your altar for lighting purposes, these two candles are called “Illumination Candles” and are usually white tapers.
• Cantrip - A spell cast by a witch. It is small, quick, and has minimal effects.
• Cardinal Directions - The four familiar directions of the compass and their relative Elements. Many Crafters utilize the Cardinal directions to attune with the elements of the universe. The directions and their reference Elements are Earth, Air, Fire, and Water.
• Cardinal Points - North, East, South, and West. Symbolized by the circle in magic (which connects the points), the four elements, and the watchtowers.
• Casting a Circle - Event designed to set divine energy in a certain circular area for protection while doing rituals and spells. Creating a circle (though more commonly visualized as a sphere) around a specific area that one intends to use for ritual or spell work and/or devotions. Creating the circle, cleansing the confined space within, and creating specific barriers to prevent energy flows are all steps in creating a strong circle. The circle can be created visually or physically with an athame, wand, finger, hand or any other instrument the caster wishes.
• Cast, To – To perform or cast a spell.
• 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.
• Cauldron - A feminine symbol of the goddess, also of life, death, and rebirth. This is associated with Cerridwen, a goddess who brewed a magickal cauldron from which a single drop was yielded each year. The consumer of her brew would be granted great wisdom. Today her cauldron survives not only in pagan ritual but in the Christian concept of the holy grail. The cast iron kettle used by Witches for burning request papers or written spells, holding lighted candles, brewing up herbal potions or teas for healing or Magick, or as a symbol of the womb of the Great Goddess.
• C.E - Common Era. Synonymous with A..D. but without religious bias.
• Censer - Also called an incense burner. An altar tool that is a heat-proof container in which incense is burned. It is associated with the element air.
• Censing - The process of burning incense to spiritually cleanse an object (usually an altar tool), yourself, or the circle.
• Centering - A means of bringing yourself back into emotional, physical, or spiritual focus through meditation and visualization, often by drawing energy into your center gravity. Also called “Grounding”.
• Ceremony Of Initiation - An Honor ceremony welcoming an initiate into the craft or a coven.
Ceremonial Magic - Ceremonial magic is often referred to as High Magic. This is a magical system different from Wicca, in which no Goddess is mentioned. Begun in the Middle Ages, it was a magickal system practiced by learned men and priests with ties to Christianity and Judaism. It uses a mixture of Hebrew and Greek words and calls upon the names of Gods, Angels, and Demons.
• Ceres - Roman; Goddess of the Harvest.
• Cernunnos - Celtic; Horned God and consort of the Lady. God of Nature. Also called Herne The Hunter. He represents the darker aspects of nature.
• Cerridwen - Welsh; Moon and Harvest Goddess and Goddess of nature. Goddess of the Underworld and the cauldron of inspiration.
• Chakras - Seven major energy vortexes/astral light centers found in the human body. Each is usually associated with a color. Smaller vortexes are located in the hands and feet as well. The seven energy centers of the body Chakras are the energy centers of the body, where body and Spirit most strongly connect. There are thousands of Chakras in every part of the body, which are connected to each other by meridians, or energy pathways. This is the basis of such systems of medicine as acupuncture, shiatsu, and moxidermy, which treat physical illness by applying stimulation to the Chakra points. In general practice however, most people work only with the seven major Chakras which correspond to the seven spheres of existence and the Seven Heavenly Bodies: Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, the Sun and the Moon. These are the Root Chakra, at the prostate in males and the paraurethral gland in females, corresponding to the physical plane. The 2nd Chakra, at the testicles in males and the ovaries in females, corresponding to the emotional plane. The Solar Chakra, roughly at the navel, corresponding to the mental plane. The Heart Chakra, at the heart, corresponding to the astral plane. The Throat Chakra, at the throat, corresponding to the soular or egoic plane. The Third Eye, at level of the pineal gland, corresponding to the monadic plane. And the Crown Chakra, at or above the top of the head, corresponding to the Divine Chakras - from the Sanskrit term to mean, "wheel of light". The Chakras refer to the seven energy centers in the body.
• Chalice - A ritual tool. It represents the female principals of creation. This is the cup you drink your wine or juice from in your rituals or spells. Also used for “Cakes and Ale” Generally, witches drink a ritual beverage after completing a spell. This helps to replenish your body with energy after you send all your energy out from you into the world. You can be very exhausted after a spell, and eating a cookie, piece of cake, and drinking your ritual beverage after the spell helps revive you a bit.
• Channeling - New Age practice wherein you allow a disincarnate entity to "borrow" your body to speak to others either through automatic writing or verbally. Channeling does not have a very good track record simply because it is difficult to prove and the information imparted is usually not about things that can be "tested." Subjects normally involve distance prophecy, what the afterlife is like, the structure of other dimensions, words of wisdom that everybody really needs to know before it is too late, etc. Channeling is the new buzz-word for mediumship. The best known and most accurate medium within our present century was the later Edgar Cayce. Most book stores will carry some of his material and it is well worth your time to read. Channeling is not the same as contacting the dead for information or help.
• Chant/Chanting - Verbally repeating words or verses to build up power within the Magick circle. This accumulated power is released as part of spell working.
• Chaplet - A crown for the head usually made of flowers and worn at Beltane.
• Chaote - A Chaos magician not actively in practice.
• Charge/Charging - To infuse an object with personal power. Using your mind to place energy into an object for use at a later time. It is not unlike plugging in a battery, except this is accomplished through psychic force.
• Charge Of The Goddess - A message from the Goddess to Her followers, this appears in Aradia: Gospel Of Witches. Gerald Gardner wrote a version, including much material by Aleister Crowley. Doreen Valiente wrote a later version, deleting the Crowley material. The Valiente version has since been adopted by most Wiccan’s and is frequently rewritten. It is also simply known as The Charge.
• Charge, To - To infuse an object with personal power.
• Charms - Chanted or sung magickal spells. Also, An item worn for its magickal benefit, as in warding off evil; an amulet or talisman that has been charged with an incantation, instilling it with energy for a specific task.
• Charm Bag – A bag filled with stones, herbs, etc, for a certain purpose, such as luck, protection or health.
• Cheiromancy - The act of reading palms (Palmistry).
• Chi - The Asian theory of universal energy force that flows through all matter.
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