Glossary of terms

Altar

An area, be it a table, bureau draw, or desktop, on which, during rituals and spellcastings, candles and icence are burned, tools of magick are kept, and offerings of any kind are made to the Goddess and/or the God.

Amulet

A consecrated object (usually a small, colored stone, or piece of material inscribed with runes or other symbols) that posseses the power to draw love, or good luck, among other things.

Athame

A ritual knife with a double-edged blade, used by Pagans to cast magick circles and to store and direct energy during rituals.

Besom

A straw broom used by Witches in certain Wiccan ceremonies such as Handfasting and the Sabbat of Candlemas to name a few. No, we do not fly on it: )

Bewitchment

The act of gaining power over another person by means of white or black magick, or...the act of casting a spell over someone or something

Binding

A magickal spell, often involving tying knots in a cord, and performed to control the actions of another or to render another powerless.

Bindrunes

A magickal talisman, usually made from matal or wood, and inscribed or painted with 2 or more different rune symbols which are superimposed upon one another in an aesthetically pleasing fashion.

Bolline

A white-handled knife with a sharp blade used by Witches to harvest herbs, cut wooden wands, slice bread, and carve magickal symbols in candles and talismans.

Book of Shadows

A secret diary of magickal rituals, spells and potion recipes kept by an individual Witch or coven.

Candle Magick

A form of sympathetic magick that uses colored candles to represent the people and things at which it's spells are directed. Each color symbolizes a different attribute, influence, or emotion.

Cauldron

A small pot (usually black, cast iron...sometime copper) used by Witches that symbolically combines the influences of the four elements, and is used for various purposes, including brewing potions, burning incence, and holding charcoal or herbs.

Censer

A fireproof incence burner used in magickal rituals and symbolic of the element of Air

Chalice

A sacred cup or goblet used by Witches to hold consecrated water or wine, and to symbolize the element Water.

Charm

A highly magickal object that works like an amulet or talisman.

Cone of Power

The ritual act of visualizing 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.

Coven

A group of Witches, traditionally 13 in number, who gather together to work magick and perform ceremonies.

The Craft

Witchcraft, Wicca, the Old Religion, the practice of Folk magick...also a VERY controversial movie

Deosil

Clockwise

Divination

The occult science, art, and practice of discovering the unknown and foretelling events of teh future by interpereting omens or by various methods such as Tarot, 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.

Drawing down the sun

The ritual invocation of the God's spirit force into the High Priest of a coven by the Hight Priestess.

Elementals

Spirit creatures that personify the qualities of the four elements. Salamanders for Fire, Undines for Water, Sylphs for Air, and Gnomes for Earth.

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 13 times a year.

Familiar

A witch's pet with which they can develop a relationship so strong, that they can communicate telepathically/sympathetically

The Goddess

The female aspect of The Divine (also called The All), and the consort of the Horned God.

Grey magick

The art and practice of magick that is neither black nor white...magick that combines elements of both white and black, or borders on being black.

Great Rite

Ritual sexual intercourse which is performed either actually or sybollically (most often symbolically) as a sublime religious experience.

Green Witch

A nickname for a Witch who is skilled in the art of wortcunning, or herb magick.

Grimoire

A magickal workbook containing various spells, formulas, rituals and incantations

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 a matrimonial union.

Handparting

A Wiccan ceremony that dissolves the marriage partnership of a man and woman who are nonlegally married to each other.

Horned God

The consord of the Goddess and teh symbol of male sexuality.

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 pored on an altar, on the ground, or an a sacred fire as an offering to the Goddess, the God, or other diety

Love magick

Any form of magick which is performed by a Witch or other practitioner of magick to either attract, strengthen, or restore love.

Love potoin

An herbal aphrodisiac used in magickal spells with incantaions to arouse love or sexual passion.

Magick

The art, science, and practice of producing "supernatural" effects, causing change to occur in conformity, and controlling events in Nature with will. As a tool of Witchcraft, the old spelling of the word with a final "K" is used to distinguish it from teh magic of conjuring and illusion.

Mojo bags.

A small leather or flannel bag filled with a variety of magickal items such as herbs, stones, feathers, bones and so forth, and carried or worn as a charm or amulet.

Moon

In Wicca, the sacred symbol or the Goddess and also a symbol of magick, fertility, and teh secret powers of Nature.

Neo-Paganism

The practice of modern-day Paganism.

Offering

A presentation made to the God/Goddess as an act of religious worship or sacrifice.

Pagan

A word stemming from the Latin paganus, meaning a "country dweller" and used derogatorily by the Church to describe a follower of the Old Religion, or any person who was not a Christian, Jew, or Moslem.

Pentacle

The symbol of the 5-pointed star (often within a circle) which represents teh four elements, surmounted by the Spirit.

Pentagram

Any written or drawn pentacle symbol.

Poppet

A specially prepared herb-stuffed cloth doll that is used in sympathetic magick rituals to represent teh person at whom the spell is directed.

Potion

An herbal tea or brew used by Witches in magickal or healing rituals.

Reincarnation

The repeated birth of the same soul in different physical bodies.

Ritual

A religious or magickal ceremony characterized by symbolic attire and formalized behavior, and designed to produce desired affects such as spiritual illumination or supernatural power, or to invoke a diety, or simply celbrate a holiday.

Runes

Letters of a secret magickal alphabet that spell words of power and are widely used in magick and divination.

Sabbat

One of the 8 Wiccan festivals...the gathering of Witches to celebrate at specific times of the year the transitions in the seasons.

Scrying

The art and practice of interpreting the future, past, or present form images seen while gazing into a crystal ball, candle flame, pool of water, or gazing mirror.

Skyclad

A term used by Witches to mean ritual nudity (clad only by the sky).

Smudging

The burning of incence or an herb bundle to drive away negative forces and to purify the space in which magick is to be performed.

Solitary

A name used for the type of Witch who practices the Craft without belonging to a coven.

Spell

An incantational formual used to bring about a desired affect.

Spellcraft

The performing of magickal spells in any form for either good or evil.

Talisman

A man-made object used the same way as an amulet

Threefold Law

In Wicca, the belief that if one does good, he or she will get it back threefold in the same lifetime. Whatever harm one does to another is also returned threefold

Triple Goddess

A Goddess trinity having 3 different aspects and 3 different names, usually corresponding to the 3 lunar phases.

Visualization

In magick, the process of forming mental images of needed goals during rituals and spellcasting

Wand

A stick used to trace circles, draw magickal symbols on teh ground, and direct magickal energies.

Watchtowers

Also known as the Directions or Quarters, these are the four directional points at the perimeter of a magick circle to which each of teh four spirits of the elements are called as guardians during the beginning of a ritual.

Weatherworking

The art and practice of controlling atmospheric conditions by means of magick, prayer, or supernatural power.

Wiccan Rede

A simple and benevolent moral code of Wiccans espressed as follows: "An' it harm none, do what ye will"

Widdershins

Counter-clockwise

Witch bottle

A glass bottle or jar which is filled with a variety of objects, charged with magickal power, and used for either good or evil.

Wortcunning

The knowledge and use of the secret healing and magickal properties of herbs.

Most of the information here is taken from the book "Everyday Magick" by Gerina Dunwich