Glossary
(please note: far from finished, and will broken into multiple pages)
ALTAR:
Any table or raised structure on which, during rituals and spellcastings, candles and incense are burned,
tools of magick are kept, and offerings of any kind are made to the Goddess and/or the Horned God. The arrangement of
altars varies from Witch to Witch and coven to coven; however, the usual items found on most Wiccan altars include
candles, a pentacle, chalice, salt, incense, bell, athame, and a Goddess and/or Horned God symbol. Nearly any piece
of furniture with a flat surface can be used as an altar, and with a little imagination, outdoor altars can be easily
made out of such things as garden benches, tree stumps, and large stones with flat tops.
AMULET:
A consecrated object (usually a small, colored stone, or a piece of metal inscribed with runes or other
magickal symbols) that possesses the power to draw love or good luck, among other things. Amulets are also used to
protect against threatening influences, evil, and misfortune.
ATHAME:
A ritual knife with a double-edged blade, used by Witches (and other practitioners of the magickal arts)
to cast magick circles and to store and direct energy during rituals.
BELL:
A hollow, metallic instrument, usually cup-shaped with a flared opening, which emits a tone when struck by
a clapper suspended within or by a seperate stick or hammer. Bells have been used by nearly all cultures throughout
history as magickal talismans, fertility charms, summons to a deity, and as instruments for sacred music and religious
rituals of widely varying beliefs. Many modern-day Witches use a consecrated bell as an altar tool to signal the
beginning and/or close of a ritual or Sabbat.
BESOM:
A straw broom used by Witches in certain Wiccan ceremonies such as Handfasting and the Sabbat of Candlmas.
Although the broom has always been associated with Witches, it was never actually used for flying. Instead, Witches
practicing sympathetic magick (which works on the basic principle that like produces like) would straddle the broom and
jump up and down in order to show the crops how high to grow.
BEWITCHMENT:
The act of gaining power over another person by means of white or black magick; the act of casting a spell
over a man, woman, child, or animal.
BINDING:
A magickal spell, often involving the tying of knots on a cord, and preformed to control the actions of
another or to render a sorcerer or sorceress magickally powerless. Bindings are used by Wiccans, usually for the purpose
of preventing evil, negativity, or disaster of some kind from occuring, and also to put an end to harm caused by gossips,
troublemakers, and those who commit crimes. Interestingly, there exists a controversy among Wiccans over how ethical the
casting of bindings are. Some Wiccans feel that such spells violate the Wiccan Rede, while others feel that they are
perfectly acceptable when warranted, especially if the binding is directed at a situation rather that at a specific person.
BINDRUNES:
A magickal talisman, usually from metal or wood, and inscribed or painted with 2 or more different rune
symbols which are superimposed upon one another in an aesthetically pleasing fashion. Bindrunes are sometimes placed on
ritual tools (such as the blade and/or handle of a Witch's athame), candles, and jewelry.
BOLLINE:
A white-handled knife with a sharp blade used by Witches to harvest sacred herbs, cut wooden wands, slice
bread, and carve magickal symbols in candles and talismans.
BOOK OF SHADOWS:
A secret diary of magickal spells and potion recipes kept by an individual Witch or a coven.
In certain Wiccan traditions, a Witch's Book of Shadows must be burned in the event of his or her death in order to
protect the secrets of the Craft.
BUNE WAND:
An old Scottish nickname given to the legendary Witches' broomstick, or any object supposedly used by
Witches as a flying instrument.
BURIN:
A special engraving tool used by Withces (and other practitioners of the magickal arts) to mark names or
symbols ritually on athames, swords, bells, and other magickal tools.
CAKES FOR THE DEAD:
In the country of Belgium, it weas once a popular Samhain (Halloween) custom for families to prepare
special, small white cakes or cookies known as "Cakes for the Dead." One would be consumed for each deceased loved
one being honored, and it was believed that the more cakes a person ate, the more he or she would be blessed by the spirits.
CANDLE MAGICK:
A form of sympathetic magick that uses colored candles to represent the people and things at which its
spells are directed. Each color symbolizes a different attribute, influence, and emotion. There are also different
astral colors for each of the 12 signs of the Zodiac.
CAULDRON:
A small, black, cast-iron pot used by Witches that symbolically combines the influences of the four
ancient elements, represents the womb of the Goddess, and is used for various purposes, including brewing potions,
burning incense, and holding charcoal or herbs.
CENSER:
A fireproof incense burner used in magickal rituals, and symbolic of the ancient element of Air.
CERNUNNOS:
Celtic horned nature-god of wild animals, hunting, and fertility, "Lord of All Living Creatures," and
consort of the Great Mother. He is depicted as a hirsute man with antlers and hoofs, and his name literally means
"the Horned One." In ancient times, he was worshipped in Britain and in Celtic Europe. As a Neo-Pagan god, he is
often worshipped by Wiccans of the Gardnerian tradition.
CHALICE:
A sacred cup or goblet used by Witches to hold consecrated water or wine, and to symbolize the ancient
element of Water.
CHARM:
A highly magickal object that works like an amulet or talisman; a magickal song or incantation which is
often chanted over an amulet or talisman to consecrate it and charge it with magickal energy.
CINGULUM:
In certain traditons of Wicca, a consecrated cord (nine feet long and red) used by Witches when dancing
to raise power. Nine knots on the cord are used for storing built-up power for future magickal use. To release the
power, the knots must be untied in the exact order in which they were tied.
CONE OF POWER:
The ritual act of visulizing energy in the form of a spiral light rising from the circle, and directing
it toward a specific goal or task.
CONSECRATION:
The act, process, or ceremony of making something sacred; the ritual use of water and salt to exorcise
negative energies and/or evil influences from ritual tools, circles, and so forth.
COUNTERCHARM:
A powerful magickal charm that is used to either neutralize or reverse the effects of another charm or spell.
COUNTERSPELL:
A powerful magickal spell or incantation that neutralizes or reverses the effects of another spell or charm.
COVEN:
A group of Witches, traditionally thirteen in number, who gather together to work magick and preform
ceremonies at Sabbats and Esbats.
COVENER:
A man or woman who is a member of a coven.
COVENSTEAD
The place where a coven holds its regular meetings.
COWAN:
Among Witches, a person who is not a Witch.
THE CRAFT:
Witchcraft, Wicca, the Old Religion, the practice of folk magick.
DEOSIL:
A word used by Wiccans to mean clockwise. In spells and rituals, deosil movement symbolizes life and
positive energy.
DIANIC:
A Wiccan tradition or type of coven that worships only the Goddess or accords the Horned God secondary
status to the Goddess. Dianic feminist Wicca encourages female leadership and involves its prectitioners in many
feminist issues. Although some covens of the Dianic tradition include both female and male members, many of them
exclude men, and some are lesbian-oriented.
DIVINATION:
The occult science, art, and practice of discovering the unknown and foretelling events of the future by
interpreting omens or by various methods such as Tarot cards, dice, crystal balls, Ouija boards, astrology, and so forth.
DRAWING DOWN THE MOON:
The ritual invocation of the Goddess spirit-force into the High Priestess of a coven by the High Priest
who uses hie male polarity to conjure forth the divine essence in the female polarity of the High Priestess. During
this modern ritual (also known as "Calling Down the Moon"), the High Priestess enters a trance-like altered state of
consciousness, and draws the power of the Goddess into herself. The High priestess then functions as a channel of the
Goddess or as the Goddess incarnate in the circle until it has been uncast.
DRAWING DOWN THE SUN:
The ritual invocation of the Horned God spirit-force into the High Priest of a coven by the High Priestess
who uses her female polarity to conjure forth the divine essence in the male polarity of the High Priest. During this
modern ritual (also known as "Calling Down the Sun" or "Drawing Down the Horned God"), the High Priest enters a
trance-like state of consciousness, and draws the power of the Horned God into himself. The High Priest then
functions as a channel of the Horned God or as the Horned God incarnate within the circle until it has been uncast.
EKE-NAME:
A Witche's secret name, also known as a Witchname. Many Witches take on one or more secret names to
signify their rebirth and new life within the Craft. Eke-names are most sacred and are used only among brothers and
sisters of the same path. When a Witch takes on a new name, he or she must be careful to choose one that harmonizes
in one way or another with numerological name-numbers, birth-numbers, or runic numbers. A well-chosen name vibrates
with the individual and directly links him or her to the Craft.
ELEMENTALS:
Spirit-creatures that personify the qualities of the four ancient elements. Salamanders are the elemental
spirits of Fire; Undines are the elemental spirits of Water; Sylphs are the elemental spirits of Air; and Gnomes are the
elemental spirits of Earth.
ELEMENTAL SIGNS:
The signs of Fire, Water, Air and Earth. Fire is the symbol of energy, indivduality, and identity; Water
is the symbol of life, love, and spirit; Air is the symbol of the mind; and Earth is the symbol of strength and fertility.
ENCHANTMENT:
Another word for magick; the act of bewitching or casting a spell.
ESBAT:
A regular meeting of a coven that is held during the full moon at least thirteen times a year.
At an esbat, coven members exchange ideas, dicuss problems, perform special rites, work magick and healing, and give
thanks and/or request help from the Goddess and the Horned God.
FAMILIAR:
A Witch's pet. In medieval Witchcraft and folklore, the familiar was an attendant spirit that appeared
in the form of a cat, lizard, hare, toad, or other small animal to aid a Witch in the practice of magick.
THE GODDESS:
The female aspect of the Divine; the consort of the Horned God (the male aspect of the Divine); and the
main deity honored and invoked by many Wiccans. Worship of the Goddess has been traced back as far as primitive times
and She has been known by thousands of names throughout various cultures, past and present, from around the world.
GRAY MAGICK:
The art and pratice of magick that is neither totally white nor black; magick that combines elements of both white and black; or white magick that borders on being black magick, but is not necessarily performed with evil or malicious intent. Love spells that are of a manipulative nature, a death spell to end the long and painful suffering of a terminally ill loved one, and a self-defense spell that returns a curse to its sender, are several examples of gray magick.
GREAT RITE:
(note, this is not a Dianic tradition!) Ritual sexual intercourse whic is preformed either actually or
symbolically as a sublime religious experience. This major male/female "polarity" ritual (also known as the
"Sacred Marriage") is often enacted at major Sabbats (especially Samhain) by the High Priestess and the High Priest of
a coven who draw down into themselves the spirit of the Goddess and the Horned God, respectively, and experience a
divine union that is both spiritual and physical. In certain Wiccan traditions (such as Gardnerian), the Great Rite
is preformed as part of the Third Degree Initiation, which promotes a Witch to the highest of the three grades of the Craft.
The preforming of the Great Rite is by no means a mandatory requirement in the Wiccan craft, nor is it merely just an
excuse to indulge in sexual pleasures under the guise of religion. It is in fact an extremely serious ritual as it
releases an enormous amount of power which is directed with magickal intent. It is traditionally preformed (in private)
only by a consenting High Priestess and High Priest, and never sexually involves other members of the coven. It is
also important to point out that in this age of fatal sexually transmitted diseases, many Wiccans choose to perform the
Great Rite in symbolic fashion only. This calls for the High Priest to plunge the blade of his athame (symbol of the
phallus and male energy) into the High Priestess' wine-filled chalice (symbol of the vagina and female energy).
GREEN WITCH:
A nickname for a female or male Witch who is skilled in the art of wortcunning. The herb magick practiced
by a Green Witch is called " the Green Arts" or "Green Magick"; the use of medicinal herbs known as "Green Healing."
GRIMOIRE:
A magickal workbook containing various spells, formulas, rituals, and incantations; any collection of
magickal spells and formulas. One of the most famous of all grimoires is the medieval Key of Solomon, which
contains conjurations, prayers, detailed pentacles for each of the planets, and detailed commentaries on the nature of
spirits invoked in ceremonial magick, Witchcraft, and necromancy.
HALLOWEEN:
Please see "SAMHAIN"
HANDFASTING:
A Wiccan betrothal ceremony in which the hands of the bride and groom are tied together with a consecrated
knotted cord to signify that they have been joined together in matrimonial union. A handfasting may be performed as
either a legally binding wedding or as a nonlegally binding spiritual commitment rite.
HANDPARTING:
A Wiccan ceremony that dissolves the marriage partnership of a man and a woman who are nonlegally married
to each other.
HORNED GOD:
The consort of the Goddess and the symbol of male sexuality. The Horned God in many Wiccan traditions
is usually identified with the Greek nature-god Pan, or Cernunnos, the Celtic lord of wild animals.
KARMA:
The law of cause-and-effect that applies to all of our actions and their consequences in this life or
in future incarnations.
LIBATION:
Water or wine which is ritually poured on an altar, on the ground, or on a sacred fire as an offering
to the Goddess, the Horned God, or other deity.
LOVE MAGICK:
Any form of magick which is preformed by a Witch or other practitioner or magick during the proper phase
of the moon to either attract, strengthen, or restore love. Love potions (also known as philtres) and love charms are
two popular methods of love magick which have been used worldwide since ancient times.
LOVE POTION:
An herbal aphrodisiac used in magickal spells with incantations to arouse love or sexual passion; a philtre.
LOW MAGICK:
The magickal arts of Witchcraft, spellcraft, hexcraft, and hoodoo which utilize herbs, amulets,
wax images, and other simple material objects in conjunction with incantations and visualizations to bring about a
desired result; the folk magick of rural populations often performed for a fee; the casting of spells for either good
or evil, as opposed to High Magick (also known as "Ceremonial Magick") which is preformed for the supreme purpose of
union with the Divine. Low Magick is often referred to as "Natural Magick".
MAGICK:
MAGICK SQUARES:
MOJO BAG:
MOON:
NEO-PAGANISM:
OFFERING:
THE OLD ONES:
THE OLD RELIGION:
PAGAN:
PENTACLE:
PENTAGRAM:
PHILTRE:
POPPET:
POTION:
PRACTICAL MAGICK:
REINCARNATION:
RITUAL:
RUNES:
SABBAT:
SAMHAIN:
SCEPTER:
SCRYING:
SEAL OF SOLOMON:
SIMPLE:
SKYCLAD:
SMUDGING:
SOLITARY:
SPELL:
SPELLCRAFT:
SUFFUMIGATIONS:
TALISMAN:
THREEFOLD LAW:
THURIBLE:
TRIPLE GODDESS:
UNCTION:
UNGUENT:
VISUALIZATION:
WAND:
WARLOCK:
WATCHTOWERS:
WEATHERWORKING:
WICCA:
A Neo-Pagan polytheistic religion with roots in pre-Christian, pre-Celtic Europe.
Wiccans follow the Wiccan Rede. Wiccans do not proselytize. Most Wiccans are solitary practitioners; some form
democratically organized covens, typically of 5 or more people.
WICCAN:
A follower of Wicca; a reconstruction of an ancient European Celtic religion. Wiccans are
prohibited from using magick to harm others; they do not believe in the existence of Satan or demons.
WICCAN REDE:
Wiccan Rede: "do whatever you wish, as long as you harm nobody, including yourself".
Power, manipulation and control of others is strictly prohibited.
WIDDERSHINS:
WITCH:
WITCH BOTTLE:
WITCH HOLE:
WITCHCRAFT:
A religion or practice followed by a Witch. It is an extremely broad term, encompassing many concepts.
It should be used with great care in order to avoid confusion and misunderstanding.
WORTCUNNING:
