Glossary

ANIMISTIC -- The belief that all forms of nature have the Divine spirit within.

ATHAME -- a personal knife, usually made of steel, that is double bladed, or edged, with a black handle. The double edge of the blade symbolizes that power works both ways (heal/harm, create/destroy, light/dark). The handle is black as black absorbs power. This is a magical tool that is associated with change. It is the symbol of fire.

AVATAR -- an advanced soul, who chooses to return to a physical body, in order to teach the less evolved.

AURA -- the colored low level energy field that surrounds living tissue.

BALEFIRE -- a fire lit for magickal purposes (usually outdoors). This is used traditionally on Yule, Beltane, and Midsummer.

BELL -- symbol of Goddess or of the motion of the Elements, swinging to and fro (positive/negative). It is rung during rituals to either invoke the Goddess, or can be rung to mark the beginning or end of a ritual.

BESOM -- Broom, usually round, is a symbol of water.

BIDDY -- a "doll" made from the last sheaf of the last harvest. Sometimes called CORN DOLLS or CORN DOLLY. It represents the Mother Earth's fertility.

BOLLINE -- white-handled knife, used opposite of the Athame. It has a single edge and is used for more mundane or working actions, such as cutting herbs and engraving candles.

BOOK OF SHADOWS -- a handwritten book of rituals, spells, and magickal lore. Some say it should be destroyed at the owner's passing over, or at least burned or buried with them.

BOOK, MIRROR -- diary of personal magickal events.

BURNING TIMES -- period of history known as the "Middle Ages", when a large number of people were put to death supposedly because of witchcraft. Burning wasn't the only method used, however, and witchcraft was not the only reason. This was the Christian church's attempt to stop religions or beliefs that they didn't understand or agree with.

CAULDRON -- iron, fire proof pot or kettle (usually with 3 claw feet and handle). This is the symbol or the Goddess, the Element Water, reincarnation, immortality, and inspiration.

CENSER -- heat proof container for incense burning or smoldering. It is the symbol for the Element Air.

CHALICE -- a cup with similar meaning to the cauldron. Represents the Element Water. marriage, abundance, and inexhaustable sustinence.

CHARGING -- to infuse an object with your personal power.

CHEIROMANCY -- the act of reading palms (Palmistry).

CIRCLE -- sphere of magick or looser group of Wiccans, not part of a coven.

COVEN -- an organized group of Wiccans led by a Priestess, Priest, or both, and joined through initiation.

COVENSTEAD -- home of a coven.

COWAN -- a person not of Wiccan beliefs, trying to fake the beliefs. A derogatory word for a "fake pagan"; a fool who doesn't know what they are talking about.

THE CRAFT -- another name for the Wiccan Religion or Witchcraft.

CRONING -- ritual celebrating those who have come into "full wisdom" (50 + years). Females are called Crones, males are called Sages.

CROSS QUARTERS -- the midpoints of the seasons, they are four of the Sabbats, or holidays, which fall between the Sabbats at the Quarters.

DEOSIL -- clockwise circle, following the sun and moon's motion in the sky. It represents the creation or building of positive energy. It is opposite of Widdershins.

DIVINE POWER -- the life force of energy; ulitimate source of all things (exists in the Goddess and the God in Wicca)

DRAWING DOWN THE MOON -- the bringing of the Goddess' power into oneself. Voice pitch and brilliance can occur during this.

EARTH POWER -- manifested Divine power found in natural things.

ECLECTIC -- a mixture of beliefs borrowed from traditions and theologies.

ELEMENTS -- four essences that are the building blocks of the Universe. (Earth-North, Air-East, Fire-South, and Water-West) Everything that exists, or has the potential to exist, contain one or more of these energies. The four form the Primal Essences, or true "Power". Some consider there to exist a Fifth element, that of 'spirit,' 'self,' or 'soul' which is depicted as the 'center' of the four and can be represented by the colors white or black.

ENERGY -- natural vibration or power that we tap into or raise in our spells and rituals.

EQUINOX -- happens twice a year when the sun is exactly over the Earth's middle (Equator). It produces one day of equal light and dark hours all over the world.

ESBAT -- ritual occasions celebrating the full moon.

GOD -- the divine equal and counterpart to the Goddess. (often depicted as Green God of Summer and Horned God of Winter). Seen as the Sun, without which we couldn't survive. His life is honored through the passing of the seasons. The God's domains are untouched lands. The stars are his too. His symbols are the sword, horn, spears, wands, knife, arrow, and sickle.

GODDESS -- The divine equal and counterpart to the God. The Divine Universal Mother- the source of fertility, wisdom, and love. Depicted in 3 aspects - The Maiden, the Mother, and the Crone. Her gift is life and She is all nature. (Mother Nature). Her life is honored not only through respect of all living things, but also by using Esbats to celebrate, since one of her symbols in the moon. Other symbols include the cauldron, chalice, mirror, and five-petaled flower. THE FOURTH FACE OF THE GODDESS -- that which is never seen, the unknown. Some say this is the source of her power.

GRIMOIRE -- a magickal workbook with information on rituals, magickal properties of natural objects, and preparation of ritual tools.

HANDFASTING -- a Wiccan/Pagan/Gypsy wedding. Unlike a marriage "until death do you part", a handfasting will stop if the love stops.

THREE HANDFASTINGS

1) a year and a day

2) a lifetime

3) time and eternitiy

LADY -- a term of respect for a Priestess (one who leads a group of wiccans). THE LADY = the Goddess.

LORD -- a term of respect for a Priest (one who leads a group of wiccans). THE LORD = the God or Sun God.

MAGIC -- slight of hand or illusions of the eyes (physical exercise as opposed to "psychic").

MAGICK -- the movement of natural energies to create needed change.

MEGALITH -- a huge, stone monument. (Example=Stonehenge)

NEOPAGAN -- "new" Pagan (a member of the newly formed religions based on old traditions) *NOTE*= All Wiccans are Pagan, but not all Pagans are Wiccan.

PAGAN -- general term for Magick-embracing religions.

PANTHEISTIC -- the belief that the divine is everywhere in everything. Divine=Nature.

PASSAGE, RITES OF -- an exercise of significant transition.

QUARTERS -- the four major Sabbats (holidays or seasonal marks) of the year.

REINCARNATION -- the doctrine of rebirth of the spirit or the process of repeated lives in the physical form, to allow the evolution of the soul. Pagans believe in reincarnation.

RITUAL -- ceremony or festival.

SABBATS -- Wiccan festivals that are a time of rejoicing and celebration (no work should be done except in emergencies). There are 8 holy celebrations of Wicca all called Sabbats. They celebrate the astronomical occurences of the Sun (God) and related daylight hours. [opposite of Esbat - Moon (Goddess) celebrations].

THE FOUR GREATER SABBATS

--Imbolc, Beltaine, Lughnasadh, and Samhain--

THE FOUR LESSER SABBATS

--Mabon, Litha (Midsummer), Ostara, and Yule--

SIMPLE FEAST -- a ritual meal of sharing with the Goddess and God.

SKY CLAD -- a term meaning nude (for example, the state of undress while doing some rituals).

SOLSTICE -- twice a year, midway between the equinox, there are two days, one of the longest light hours, the other of the longest dark hours. These occur on the 21st of their months.

SPELL -- a magickal ritual, prayer, or act wherein a person actively bends and gives directive to natural energies for a needed purpose.

STAFF -- a magickal tool made of well-seasoned hardwood, straight, and of the owner's height and up in length.

SUMMERLAND -- the Neopagan/Wiccan concept of 'heaven', a land where it is always summer and where the soul goes for a period of rest before reincarnation.

THREEFOLD -- this refers to something happening three times over its original intentions. In Wicca, we believe that if you do something with bad intentions, it will come back at you three times worse than you had intended for the original situation or person.

WARLOCK -- Wiccan folk DO NOT use this word for "Male Witch". It is an old English word meaning untrustworthy or oathbreaker. A male Witch is exactly that....a Witch.

GUARDIANS OF THE WATCHTOWERS -- they are used to call and protect the Elementals, each having their own special attributes.

North - Earth- stable, solid, dependable - Feminine - Green

East - Air - thought, intellect - Masculine - Yellow

South - Fire - change, passion, willpower - Masculine - Red

West - Water - emotions, purification - Feminine - Blue

Center - Spirit - intuitiveness - Unisexed Soul - White

They are both visible/physical as well as non-visible/spiritual. They are invoked during rituals as protectors of our Circle of Power.

WICCA -- a contemporary Pagan belief that predates Christianity. Expresses reverence for Nature, uses Magick, and worships dual dieties - both the Goddess (Mother or Lady) and the God (Sun or Lord). A follower of Wicca is a Wiccan. Wicca means "wise ones" and/or "to turn, bend and shape". Wiccan is often termed the new name for Witches.

WICCANING -- the act of parents, promising to rear their children in the Wiccan culture. (also known as Paganing).

WICCA SCRIPTURE -- lessons learned by observing Nature.

WIDDERSHINS -- counter-clockwise motion around a circle to disperse or tear down negative energy. (opposite of Deosil).

WITCH -- sometime name of a follower of Wicca (historically, a person who uses Magick).

WITCHCRAFT -- the art, craft, and science used by witches, which is Magick. Especially, utilizing personal power with the energy of natural objects.