Glossary of terms

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See also: Wiccan/Pagan New Age Dictionary

E

EARTH MAGICK: A practical form of magick wherein the powers and forces of Earth Mother are used to conduct magickal workings or celebrations. Usually items associated with the Earth and nature hold a particular significance in the ritual or spell.

EARTH POWER: Defines the force or vibration that exists in many inanimate objects like stones, water, fire, and plants. Can be controlled and used in magick.

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.

ELDER: Many Wiccan organizations have a group or board of Elders who oversee the operations of the church and its variety of functions. These people have usually gained their positions through a combination of their abilities which may include education, experience, magickal adeptship and counseling.

ELEMENTAL: A spirit formed of one of the elements. The 5 elementals are salamanders (fire), sylphs (air), undines (water), gnomes (earth), and spirit (akasha).

ELEMENTS: Usually counted as four: Earth, Air, Fire, Water. However, many Witches add Spirit or Akasha to this category, as well. Each element has a direction within a magick circle or working: East = Air; South = Fire; West = Water; North = Earth; Center = Spirit or Akasha.

ELIXIR: A magically charged liquid which has to have a crystal or gem sitting in it for a specific amount of time before it is ready to drink.

EMPOWERMENT: An individual's assertion of personal power, energy, force, and strength in all fields... spiritual, physical, mental, magickal.
 

ENCHANTMENT: A magickal object that must be kept absolutely secret and hidden from all human eyes ands affects a hidden aura. Enchantments must be charmed first. Gems and magickal writing are good items for Enchantments

ESBAT:A gathering for ritual work, generally during the full or new moon.

ESSENTIAL OIL: A plant oil which is extracted through a very complex process that generally yields very little product, making it costly to buy true essential oils. It's a misconception to think of them as actually being oily because they rarely are. These are called for often in rituals.

EVOCATION: To call something out from within.
 
 

FAMILIAR: An animal who has a spiritual bond with a Witch; often is the family pet. Familiars can also be entities who are created to protect your home from the astral.

FASCINATION: A mental effort to control another animal or person's mind. It has been referred to as "mind-bending." Although the technique of fascination runs a borderline when considering humans, it should not be totally trashed. Using it for a love spell would be unethical, and much like committing psychological rape. But if you found yourself in an unsafe situation where your person (or friend or family member) is in real physical danger. I wouldn't have the guts to tell you not to use all the tools and skills available to you.

FATE: The destined result of life after a sequence of fated events.

FIVE-FOLD KISS: A traditional salute generally performed between the High Priest and the High Priestess. This involves kissing 5 areas on the body of the Priestess with the accompanying magickal words:

"Blessed be thy feet, that have brought thee in these ways."
"Blessed be thy knees, that shall kneel at the sacred altar."
"Blessed be thy womb, without which we would not be."
"Blessed be thy breasts, formed in beauty."
"Blessed be thy lips, that shall utter the sacred names."

FUTHARK: Runic alphabet used often in divination, its origins are Norse (Germanic). Divided into the elder Futhark and the younger Futhark (which has fewer runes).

GAEA/GAIA: Greek Goddess, now meaning Earth Mother or Mother Earth. Environmental action groups use this term almost as much as we do, if not more these days.

GARDNERIAN TRADITION: Tradition of witchcraft based on the teachings of Gerald Gardner, who was essentially the founder of modern Wicca.

GEOMANCY: Divination by the earth.

GLAMOUR: A form of magick which involves changing people's immediate perception of you. It generally is simply altering your physical appearance (eye color, hair length, height, etc.) temporarily. However, it can also include changing people's emotional reaction to you. Glamours last only as long as the magician feeds energy into it.

GLYPH: A sigil imbued with magick.

GNOME: An elemental that dwells in the earth plane. See also Elementals.

GODS: Immortal beings, also called deities, worshipped by their followers and invoked for magick. A "god" is generally male, whereas the female version is "goddess".

GRAMMARY: Written magick, including symbols, signs, Ogham, and sigils.

GREAT RITE: This rite see most commonly in witchcraft marks the initation into the third degree. Sexual in nature, but can be performed symbolically instead.

GRIMOIRE: 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.
 
 

HALLOWS, HALLOWEEN: Another name for Samhain.

HANDFASTING: A Wiccan or Pagan marriage ceremony.

HANDPARTING: Similar to a seperation or divorce, symbolically the cutting of the binds created by a handfasting.

HARUSPICY: Divination by animal entrails.

HEATHEN: 1. One who does not recognize the God of the Bible. 2. A pagan. 3. An irreligious, uncivilized person. Can be used in this context as a derogatory term for a pagan, despite the fact that it's an inaccurate generalization.

HEDGE WIZARD: A rural practitioner who has little formal training, or none at all.

HEPTAGRAM: A seven-pointed star drawn with one unbroken line. Symbolic of the number seven, which is important not only to the seven traditional astrological planets but also to the seven planes and subplanes and the seven chakras.

HEREDITARY WITCH: A person who descends from a line of witches and has learned the Craft from a member of this descent.

HEXAGRAM: A geometric figure formed by two overlapping triangles, also called the Star of David. While it is used in modern magick to invoke or banish spirits, it is traditionally Jewish.

HIEROPHANT: A priest of the mysteries who reveals his secrets only to this initiates.

HIGH MAGICK: Ceremonial magick involving the actions of deities or spirits.

HIGH PRIEST: A male witch within a coven who has been initiated into the 3rd degree. Abbreviated in written rituals as HP.

HIGH PRIESTESS: A female witch within a coven who has been initiated into the 3rd degree. Abbreviated as HPS in written rituals.

HIGHER SELF: Non-physical, true self. The enlightened, "actual" persona of the individual as opposed to what the person seems to be or thinks they are.

HORNED GOD: Pagan father God often mistaken for, or associated with, Satan. This is an incorrect assumption.

HYDROMANCY: Divination by liquid, especially water.

IMBOLC: Pagan sabbat celebrated on Feb. 2. [For more information see http://www.spiritonline.com/wicca/3.html]

INCANTATION; INCANT: The spoken part of a spell.

INITIATE: A person who has undergone the rite of entry into a coven, circle, or other organization.

INITIATION: An experience that so transforms the individual that their concept of personal and worldly reality has been altered. A dedication ceremony should not be confused with an initiation.

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.

INWARD SILENCE: The silencing of the emotions and thoughts that disturb the effectiveness of a ritual.
 
 

KI: Japanese word for the universal life force, synonymous with the Chinese term, Chi.

KITCHEN MAGICK: A practical tradition of witchcraft mainly for suburban or lower budget witches that allows one to utilize household items instead of the often difficult to obtain ritual items.
 
 

LAMMAS: A pagan sabbat which takes place on August 1st.

LEFT-HAND PATH: A term that points to those people who feel that they are justified in using magick for purposes that are not constructive to other human beings. It is a reference that they are possibly a self-serving individual. Conversely, the right-hand path is considered positive in nature.

LEVITATION: The supernatural phenomenon involving suspending a body in midair without physical bolster.

LITHOMANCY: Divination by stones.

LOA: An ancestral deity in the Vodou religion.

MACROCOSM: The greater world or universe. The world around us.

MAGE: A master magician; often a mage is a scholarly and skilled practitioner who prefers that the only tools of their magick be their mind, ability, and spirit.

MAGIC(K): The art and science of focusing your will and emotions to effect change both in the world around you and the world within you. Magick is neither good nor evil, positive nor negative. It is the use of the power that determines the path it will take.

MAGICK CIRCLE: A circular boundary drawn in visionary blue flames or white light that protects the Witch from outside forces while conducting ritual magick. One must never step outside the circle while performing a ritual unless the appropriate precautions have been take to cut a door. Nor should anyone step in during a ritual, unless they are following a pathway made for them. The door is usually cut with the athame or wand. The circle should never be left hanging after your ritual is over. This means that it must be closed just as ceremoniously as it was opened. The magick circle is considered the doorway between the worlds and allow us to move between the two. Some Witches draw the circle in the physical, either permanently on the floor or for temporary use with herbs, sand, salt, chalk or a nine-foot cord. The circle us still cast with blue or white light by the High Priestess/Priest or individual designated to do so. In some covens, the person in charge if a particular quarter is responsible for preparing the area before the coven members arrive. This includes cleaning the area, cleansing, consecrating, and making sure all the necessary supplies have been transported to the location.

MAGICKAL NAME: A name chosen by the dedicant or initiate to symbolise rebirth into their new path.
MAGICKAL SYSTEMS: Can refer to Traditions, denominations, sects, or pantheons. It is a basic set of guidelines relating to specific Gods and Goddesses or cultural traditions.

MAGICKAL VOICE, THE: The commanding, assertive voice used to read power words during rituals which allows no doubt or insecurity in. This applies whether the voice is speaking tone, a loud whisper, or in song.

MAIDEN: 1. The name of one of the members of a coven, generally the assistant to the High Priestess. 2. One of the aspects of the triple goddess (maiden, mother, crone) symbolised by the waxing moon, creation, and the time between Beltane and Imbolc.

MEDITATION: The practice of inverting the mind to pay attention to the inner silence instead of the outer chaos. Other forms of meditation focus on the outer chaos instead. This practice is accepted in almost all religions, but is encouraged most in Buddhism.

MERRY MEET: A greeting commonly used by Wiccans and pagans. It basically means "Greetings". Abbreviated as MM.

MERRY PART: A friendly phrase that basically means "Goodbye", used by Wiccans and pagans. Abbreviated as MP.

METAPHYSICAL: Having the nature of metaphysics.

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.

MICROCOSM: The lesser world, the physical. Said to parallel the macrocosm, or greater world. the world within us.

MIDSUMMER: Sabbat celebrated in June.

MOJO: Magick.

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.
 
 

NECRONOMICON: A pseudo-grimoire. The notion of such a book was made by H.P. Lovecraft in fictional writing, but an unknown author wrote it and some people today still believe it is a valid source of occult information.

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.

NEW AGE: Usually refers to mixing metaphysical practices with a structured religion.
 
 

OCCULT: Study and science of things esoteric, secret, paranormal, and supernatural.

OGHAM: The magickal Celtic alphabet made up of 20 letters called fews, each representing a different kind of tree.

OLD RELIGION: This is a term often used for Wicca and witchcraft. It was used because witchcraft is believed to descend from ancient paganism. However, it is misleading when used in relation to Wicca, which is a fairly young and modern religion based on witchcraft.

OMEN: An sudden occurence which is interpreted as being a sign of good or evil. Often it will be small yet significant; a vase falling over or a cup of water spilling, for example.

ONEIROMANCY: Divination through dreams.

ORACLE: A person through which otherworldly entities can be communicated with, similar to channeling. People often see oracles to ask questions or to be given insights to their future.

OSTARA: Sabbat which occurs to celebrate the onset of spring. The Christian holiday of Easter originated from Ostara, a celebration named after the goddess of Spring and rebirth, hence the egg and the rabbit as the primary symbols.