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A B C D E G H I K L M N O P R S T V W Y A akasha: The fifth element, the omnipresent spiritual power that permeates the universe. It is the energy ou of which the Elements formed. amulet: A magickally charged object which deflects specific, usually negative energies. Generally, a protective object. asperger: A bundle of fresh herbs or a perforated object used to sprinkle water during or preceding ritual, for purificatory purposes. athame: A Wiccan ritual knife. It usually has a double-edged blade and a black handle. The athame is used to direct personal power during ritual workings. B balefire: A fire lit for magickal purposes, usually outdoors. Balefires are traditional on Yule, Beltane, and Midsummer. bane: That which destroys life, which is poisonous, destructive, evil, dangerous. Beltane: A Wiccan festival celebrated on April 30 or May 1. Also known as May Eve, Roodmas, Walpurgis Night, Cethsamhain. Beltane celebrates the symbolic union, mating, or marriage of the Goddess and God, and links in with the approaching summer months. besom: broom bolline: The white-handled knife, used in magick and Wiccan ritual for practical purposes such as cutting herbs or piercing a pomegranate. Book of Shadows: A Wiccan book of rituals, spells, and magickal lore. Once hand copied upon initiation, the Book of Shadows is now photocopied or typed in some covens (or, in my own case, put online for all to view and enjoy and LEARN). C censer: A heat-proof container in which incense is smouldered. An incense burner. It symbolizes the Element of Air. charge, to: To infuse an object with personal power. Charging is an act of magick. Circle of Stones: see Magick Circle concious mind: The analytical, materially-based, rational half of our conciousness. The mind at work when we compute our taxes, theorize, or struggle with ideas. corn dolly: A figure, often human-shaped, created by plaiting dried wheat or other grains. It represented the fertility of the Earth and the Goddess in early European agricultureal rituals and is still used in Wicca. Corn dollies aren't made from cobs or husks; corn originally referred to any grain other than maize and still does in most English-speaking countries except for the US. coven: A group of Wiccans, usually initiatory and lead by one or two leaders. Craft, The: Wicca; witchcraft; folk magick D Days of Power, The: see Sabbat deosil: Clockwise, the direction of the Sun's apparent motion in the sky. In northern hemisphere magick and religion, deosil movement is symbolic of life, positive energies, and good. It is much used in spells and rituals. Some Wiccan groups below the equator, notably in Australia, have switched from deosil to widdershins movements in their rituals, for the Sun "moves" in an apparent counter-clockwise motion from this vantage point. divination: The magickal art of discovering the unknown by interpreting random patterns or symbols through the use of tools such as clouds, tarot cards, flames, and smoke. Divination contacts the psychic mind by tricking or drowsing the concious mind through ritual observation or of manipulation of tools. Divination isn't necessary for those who can easily attain communication with the psychic mind, though they may practise it. divine power: The unmanifested, pure energy that exists within the Goddess and God. The life force, the ultimate source of all things. E Esbat: A Wiccan ritual, usually occuring on the Full Moon. evocation: Calling up spirits or other non-physical entities, either to visible appearance or invisible attendance. G grimoire: A magickal workbook containing ritual information, formulae, magickal properties of natural objects, and preparation of ritual equipment. Many of these works include "catalogues of spirits." The most famous of the old grimoires is probably The Key of Solomon. Most first appeared in the 16th and 17th centuries, though they may be far older and contain traces of Roman, Greek, Babylonian, late Egyptian, and Sumerian rites. H handfasting: A Wiccan, Pagan, or Gypsy wedding. I Imbolc: A Wiccan festival celebrated on February 2nd, also known as Candlemas, Lupercalia, Feast of Pan, Feast of Torches, Feast of the Waxing Light, Oimelc, Brigit's Day, and many other names. Imbolc celebrates the first stirrings of spring and the recovery of the Goddess from giving birth to the Sun (The God) at Yule. initiation: A process whereby an individual is introduced or admitted into a group, interest, skill, or religion. Initiations may be ritual occasions but can also occur spontaneously. invocation: An appeal or petition to a higher power (or powers), such as the Goddess or God. A prayer. Invocation is actually a method of establishing conscious ties with those aspects of the Goddess and God that dwell within us. In essence, then, we seemingly cause them to appear or make themselves known by becoming aware of them. K kahuna: A practitioner of the old Hawaiian philosophical, scientific, and magickal system. L labrys: A double-headed axe, which symbolized the Goddess and God in ancient Crete, and still used by some Wiccans for this same purpose. The labrys may be placed on or leaned agains the left side of the altar. Lughnasadh: A Wiccan festival celebrated on August 1, also known as August Eve, Lammas, and Feast of Bread. Lughnasadh marks the first harvest, when the fruits of the Eart are cut and stored for the dark winter months, and when the God also mysteriously weakens as the days grow shorter. M Mabon: On or around September 21, the autumn equinox, Wiccans celebrate the second harvest. Nature is preparing for winter. Mabon is a vestige of ancient harvest festivals which, in some form or another, were once nearly universal among peoples of the Earth. magick: The movement of natural energies to create needed change. Energy exists within all things -- ourselves, plants, stones, colours, sounds, movements. Magick is the process of rousing or building up this energy, giving it purpose, and releasing it. Magick is a natural, not supernatural, practise, though it is little understood. Magick Circle, The: A sphere constructed of personal power in which Wiccan rituals are usually enacted. The term refers to the circle that marks the sphere's penetration of the ground, for it extends both above and below it. It is created through visualization and magick. magick knife: see athame meditation: Reflection, contemplation, turning inward toward the self or outward toward a Deity or nature. A quiet time in which the practitioner may dwell upon particular thoughts or symbols, or allow them to come unbidden. megalith: A huge stone monument or structure. Stonehenge is perhaps the best known example of megalithic construction. menhis: A standing stone probably lifted by early peoples for religious, spiritual, or magickal reasons. Midsummer: The summer solstice, usually on or around June 21, one of the Wiccan festivals and an excellent night for magick. Midsummer marks the point of th eyear when the Sun is symbolically at the height of its powers, and so too the God. The longest day of the year. Mighty Ones, The: Beings, deities, or presences often invoked during Wiccan ceremony to witness or guard the rituals. The Mighty Ones are thought to be either spiritually evolved beings, once human, or spiritual entities created by or charged by the Goddess and God to protect the Earth and to watch over the four directions. They are sometimes linked with the Elements. N Neo-Pagan: Literally, new-Pagan. A member, follower, or sympathizer of one of the newly formed Pagan religions now spreading throughout the world. All Wiccans are Pagan, but not all Pagans are Wiccan. O Old Ones, The: A Wiccan term often used to encompass all aspects of the Goddess and God. Some Wiccans view it as an alternative of The Mighty Ones. Ostara: Occuring at the spring equinox, around March 21. Ostara marks the beginning of true, astronomical spring, when snow and ice make way for green. AQs such, it is a fire and fertility festival, celebrating the return of the Sun, the God, and the fertility of the Earth (The Goddess). P Pagan: From the Latin paganus, country-dweller. Today used as a general term for followers of Wicca and other magickal, shamanistic, and polytheistic religions. Naturally, Christians have their own peculiar definition of the word. pendulum: A divinatory device consisting of a string attached to a heavy object, such as a quartz crystal, root, or ring. The free end of the string is held in the hand, the elbow steadied against a flat surface, and a question asked. The movement of the heavy object's swing determines the answer. A rotation indicates yes or positive energy. A back and forth swing signals the opposite. It is a tool which contacts the psychic mind. pentacle: A ritual object upon which a five-pointed star (pentagram) is inscribed, pained, or engraved. It represents the Element of Earth. The words "pentagram" and "pentacle" are not interchangeable, though they understandably cause some confusion. personal power: That energy which sustains our bodies. It ultimately originates from the Goddess and God (or, rather, the power behind them). We first absorb it from our biological mothers within the womb and, later, from food, water, the Moon and Sun, and other natural objects. We release personal power during stress, exercise, sex, conception, and childbirth. Magick is often a movement of personal power for a specific goal. polarity: The concept of equal, opposite bodies. The Eastern yin/yang is a perfect example. Yin is cold; yang is hot. Other examples of polarity: Goddess/God, night/day, Moon/Sun, birth/death, dark/light, psychic mind/conscious mind. Universal balance. projective hand: The hand that is normally used for manual activities such as writing, peeling apples, and dialling telephones, is symbolically thought to be the point at which personal power is visualized as streaming out from the palm or fingers of the hand for various magickal goals. This is also the hand in which tools such as the athame and wand are held. Ambidextrous people simply choose which hand to utilize for this purpose. psychic mind:The subconscious or unconscious mind, in which we receive psychic impulses. The psychic mind is at work when we sleep, dream, and meditate. It is our direct link with the Goddess and God and with the larger, non-physical world around us. psychism: The act of being consciously psychic, in which the psychic mind and conscious mind are linked and working in harmony. Ritual consciousness is a form of psychism. R receptive hand: The left hand in right-handed persons, the reverse for left-handed persons. This is the hand through which energy is received into the body. reincarnation: The doctrine of rebirth. The process of repeated incarnations in human form to allow evolution of the sexless, ageless soul. ritual: Ceremony. A specific form of movement, manipulation of objects, or inner processes designed to produce desired effects. In religion, ritual is geared toward union with the divine. In magick, it produces a specific state of consciousness which allows the magician to move energy toward needed goals. A spell is a magickal ritual. ritual consciousness: A specific, alternate state of awareness necessary to the succcessful practise of magick. The magician achieves this through the use of visualization and ritual. It denotes a state in which the conscious mind and psychic mind are attuned, in which the magician senses energies, gives them purpose, and releases them toward the magickal goal. It is a heightening of the senses, an awareness-expansion of the seemingly non-physical world, a linking with nature and with the forces behind all conceptions of Deity. S Sabbat: A Wiccan festival. Samhain: A Wiccan festival celebrated on October 31, also known as November Eve, Hallowmas, Halloween, Feast of Souls, Feast of the Dead, and Feast of Apples. Samhain marks the symbolic death of the Sun God and His passing into the "land of the young", where he awaits rebirth of the Mother Goddess at Yule. Scry, To: To gaze at, or into, an object to still the conscious mind and to contact the psychic mind. This allows the scryer to become aware of possible events prior to their actual occurrence, as well as previous or distant, simultaneous events through other than the normally accepted senses. A form of divination. Shaman: A man or woman who has obtained knowledge of the subtler dimensions of the Earth, usually through periods of alternate states of consciousness. Various types of ritual allow the shaman to pierce the veil of the physical world and to experience the realm of energies. This knowledge lends the SHaman the power to change her or his world through magick. Simple Feast, The: A ritual meal shared with the Goddess and God. Shamanism: The practise of Shamans, usually ritualistic or magickal in nature, sometimes religious. spell: A magickal ritual, usually non-religious in nature and often accompanied by spoken words. Spirits of the Stones, The: The elemental energies naturally inherent at the four directions of the magick circle, personified within the standing stones tradition as the "Spirits of the Stons". They are linked with the Elements. T talisman: An object, such as an amethyst crystal, ritually charged with power to attract a specific force or energy to its bearer. Tradition, Wiccan: An organized, structured, specific Wiccan subgroup, usually initiatory, with often unique ritual practises. Many traditions have thei rown Book of Shadows and may or may not recognize members of other traditions as Wiccan. Most traditions are composed of a number of covens as well as solitary practitioners. trilithon: A stone arch made from two upright slabs with one lying atop these. Trilithons are featured in Stonehenge. V visualization: The process of forming mental images. Magickal visualization consists of forming images of needed goals during ritual. Visualization is also used to direct personal power and natural energies during magick for various purposes, including chargeing, and forming the magick circle. It is a function of the conscious mind. W white-handled knife: A normal cutting knife, with a sharp blade and white handle. It is used within Wicca to cut herbs and fruits, to slice bread during the Simple Feast, and for other functions -- but never for sacrifice. Sometimes called the bolline. Wicca: A contemporary Pagan religion with spiritual roots in shamanism and the earliest expressions of reverence of nature. Among its major motifs are: reverence for the Goddess and God; reincarnation; magick; ritual observances or the Full Moon; astronomical and agricultural phenomenon; spheroid temples, created with personal power, in which rituals occur. widdershins: Anti-clockwise motion, usually usedin the Northern hemisphere for negative magickal purposes or for dispersing negative energies or conditions such as disease. Southern hemisphere Wiccans may use widdershins for exactly the opposite purposes; namely for positive ends, for the reasons stated in the entry under deosil. In either case, widdershins and deosil motions are symbolic; only strict, close-minded traditionalists believe that accidentally walking around the altar backwards will raise negativity. Widdershins motion, within ritual contexts, is still shunned by the vast majority of Wiccans, though others use it once in a while to disperse the magick circle at the end of a rite. witch: Anciently, a European practitioner of the remnants of pre-Christian folk magick, particularly that relating to herbs, healing, wells, rivers, and stones. One who practiced witchcraft. Later, this terms meaning was deliberately altered to denote demented, dangerous, supernatural beings who practiced destructive magick and who threatened Christianity. This change was a political, monetary, and sexist move on the part of organized religion, not a change in the practices of witches. This later, erroneus meaning is still accepted by many non-witches. It is also, somewhat surprisingly, used by som members of Wicca to describe themselves. witchcraft: The craft of the witch -- magick, especially magick utilizing personal power in conjunction with the energies within stones, herbs, colours, and other natural objects. While this may have spiritual overtones, witchcraft, using its definition, isn't a religion. However, some followers of Wicca use this word to denote their religion. Y Yule: A Wiccan festival celebrated on or about December 21, marking the rebirth of the Sun God from the Earth Goddess. A time of joy and celebration during the miseries of winter. Yule occurs on the winter solstice. |
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