FAQ: Frequently Asked Questions
Basic information for curious onlookers, or those new to their path...
Q. What is a witch?
A: A person who practices witchcraft or magick.
Q. What is a Wiccan?
A: A follower of the neo-pagan religion Wicca.
Q. How are those two terms connected?
A:They are not mutually dependent. You do not have to be Wiccan to be a Witch. Most Wiccans are witches.
Q.If you're not all Wiccan, who else practices witchcraft?
A: Pagan or sometimes, Neo-Pagan, is the current umbrella-term for earth religions, many of which (hehe) incorporate witchcraft as a part of the spiritual belief and practice. Wicca is not the only tradition involving witchcraft. Pagan traditions vary as widely (if not more widely) than the countless Christian traditions present in our culture today. See About Pagans.
Q. What is magick? And why are you spelling it with a k?
A: Magick is spelled with a "k" to distinguish it from the stuff that guy in the top hat performed at your cousins last birthday. As for what magick is, that's a toughie. Most importantly, it is not supernatural. Quick and dirty definition - magick is the practice of manipulating energies within the earth and oneself to manipulate consciousness and produce an effect. Tools like crystals, herbs, oils, wands, etc. are used to help connect the practioner said energies. Check out About Magick for more information.
Q. Is magick always religious?
A: No, magick can be part of a persons spiritual practice and beliefs, or separate from it entirely.
Q. What is the difference between a spell, ritual, and a charm?
A: It goes like this:
Spell -- action accompanied by words
Ritual -- repeated action (usually over a period of several days or nights) Also refers to a sabbat celebration.
Charm -- creation of an object, symbol. It's only a charm if you end up with something that you can carry around, it's a charm. I am notorious for misusing this term *blushes* Sometimes it is an acceptable synonym for a short chant.
Q. What is a BOS?
A: A BOS is an abbreviation for Book of Shadows. This is the Witches book of her personal spellwork. It can also include personal records of rituals performed, poetry, thoughts, dreams, etc. Mostly a collection of spells, charms, blessings, etc.
Q. What is a Grimoire?
A: A sort of companion book to the BOS. The Grimoire is the witches dictionary and resource book in a way. This is where she keeps all of her information on correspondences, colors, herbs, projects, recipes, charts, stone properties, etc, etc, etc.
Q. What are correspondences?
A. Correspondences are properties of various items used in magick. The magickal powers of stones, herbs, crystals, colors, oils, etc. Also other associations between these tools. There are many correspondences on the Magickal Information page.
Q. What is Casting (and closing) a Circle?
A: The Circle is where witches perform their magick. Not all witches choose to cast a circle for every spell. It's a way of raising energy and creating sacred, protected space in which to work. There are some circle casts for your perusal at The ABC's of Witchcraft.
Q. What is Grounding?
A. What it sounds like, lol! It's a way of "coming back down to earth" after performing magick. Some people have a specific ritual like the one found on The ABC's page. Others achieve grounding by eating something, or simply clapping loudly :o).
Q. What is Drawing Down the Moon?
A. A ritual in which the Priestess (if performed in a coven) invokes the Goddess (draws the Goddess into herself) and becomes the Goddess for the purpose of the ritual. This is performed during the full moon and is one of the more significant rituals in the Wiccan religion as well as other Pagan traditions. (It's also the title of an extremely good book by Margot Adler which is an in-depth research of the history and practices of modern neo-pagan groups. The book is basically standard text among pagans. It is full of wonderful quotes and bits of wisdom from various sources. It is an excellent, well researched book that gives a great perspective of the neo-pagan movement in all its facets. Highly recommended. You can see some snippets of the book on the Thyme's Thoughts page.)
Back to the Grove * The Beginner's Path * The Clearing * Thyme's Tree
