wiccan glossary
leeya...@gmail.com
The following information below was taken from the following
books/authors: "Wicca: A Guide For The Solitary Practitioner", "Living
Wicca: A Further Guide For The Solitary Practitioner", "Cunningham's
Encyclopedia of Magical Herbs", "The Complete Book of Incense, Oils &
Brews", "Spell Crafts: Creating Magical Objects", "Earth Power:
Techniques of Natural Magic", & "Earth, Air, Fire, & Water: More
Techniques of Natural Magic" all by these books are by: Scott
Cunningham. Also "The Wiccan Garden" By: Gerina Dunwich. Also, "The
Witches Bible" By: Janet & Stewart Farrar.
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ABORTIFACIENTS: Botanicals which can induce the fatal and premature
expulsion of an embryo or fetus from the womb. Angelica, juniper,
mayapple, pennyroyal, rue, and tansy are examples of abortifacient
herbs.
AKASHA: The fifth element, the omnipresent spiritual power that
permeates the universe. It is the energy out of which the Elements
formed.
AKASHIC RECORDS: The 'recordings' left in the Akasha by every
event. Advanced occultists develop the gift of retrieving past events
by 'reading the Akashic records'.
ALEXANDRIANS: Witches initiated by (or stemming from those initiated
by) Alex and Maxine Sanders. An offshoot of Gardnerian witchcraft,
though founded independently.
ALTERATIVES: Botanicals which tend to favorably alter a condition and
restore normal health. Alteratives are frequently combined with
aromatics, bitter tonics, and demulcents: agrimony, American mandrake,
American spikenard, bittersweet, black cohosh root, bloodroot, blue
flag root, blue nettle root, dock, horseheal root, mayapple,
pipsessewa, scabwort root, and speedwell.
AMULET: An object worn, carried or placed to guard against negativity
or other vibrations. A protective object.
ANAPHRODISIAC: A substance, such as camphor, that reduces sexual
desires.
ANIMA: The buried feminine elements in a man's psyche.
ANIMUS: The buried masculine elements in a woman's psyche.
ANKH: The crux ansata or looped cross, Egyptian hieroglyph for
'life.' Widely used as an occult symbol of the Life Principle.
ANNUAL: Any plant that lives and grows for only one year or growing
season, during which the life cycle (the germination of the seed
through flowering and death) is completed. The following plants are
classified as annuals: anise, basil, blessed thistle, borage, chervil,
chickweed, cleavers, common groundsel, cornflower, cotton, eyebright,
fenugreek, flax, fumitory, herb Mercury, herb Robert, horseweed, Indian
tobacco, jimsonweed, knotweed, larkspur, marijuana, milk thistle, oats,
pansy, plantains, prickly poppy, psyllium, pumpkin, red poppy,
safflower, Shepherd's purse, smartweed, star thistle, summer savory,
white mustard, and wild thyme.
ANTIASTHMATICS: Botanicals that are smoked or taken internally to
relieve bronchial asthma: California gum plant leaves, daisy, nettle,
red clover (ground blossoms), and yerba santa.
ANTISEPTICS: Botanicals which destroy the microorganisms responsible
for causing infection: blue gentian extract, costmary, dead nettle,
dogwood bark, Egyptian onion, elder, eucalyptus leaves and oil, garlic,
horseheal root, horseradish, indigo broom oak bark, plantain, scabwort
root, smooth sumac bark, violet, and Witch hazel.
ANTISPASMODICS: Botanicals which prevent or relieve involuntary muscle
spasms and cramps such as charley horses, epilepsy, and menstrual pain:
blue cohosh, cajeput, passion vine, and Roman chamomile.
APHRODISIACS: Plants that are said to stimulate the sex organs and
intensify sexual desire in men and women: elder, ginger, ginseng,
hazel, jasmine, juniper, lavender, lemon verbena, lovage, mandrake
root, serpentaria root, sundew, and yohimbe.
ARADIA: Widely used Wiccan name for the Goddess, derived from the
Tuscan witches' usage as recorded in C.G. Leland's Aradia: The
Gospel of the Witches.
ARCANA, MAJOR AND MINOR: The seventy-eight cards of the Tarot (q.v.)
deck. The Major Arcana are the twenty-two 'trumps'; the Minor
Arcana are the fourteen cards of each of the four suits. The word
Arcana means 'mysteries' (literally 'closed things').
ARCHETYPES: Fundamental elements of the Collective Unconscious which
determine our patterns of thinking and behavior, but which can never be
directly defined - only approximately, through symbols.
ARIANRHOD: A Welsh Goddess-name much used by Witches. The name means
'Silver Wheel,' referring to the circumpolar stars - also known as
Caer Arianrhod (the Castle of Arianrhod), symbolic of the resting-place
of souls between incarnations.
AROMATICS: Fragrant herbs used in potpourris, sachets, oils, scented
candles, perfumes, etc. The following herbs are classified as
aromatics: acacia flowers, angelica root, anise seed, bugle, burdock,
calamus root, caraway, cardamom seeds, cinnamon, clove, coriander,
honeysuckle, lavender, lemon verbena, lilac blossoms, mace, mint
leaves, nutmeg, orange blossoms and leaves, orris root, rosemary, rose
petals, southernwood, saint John's wort, sweet pea, violet, and
wintergreen.
ASPERGER: A bundle of fresh herbs or a perforated object used to
sprinkle water during or preceding Ritual, for purificatory purposes.
ASTRAL BODY: The psychic 'double' of the physical body, consisting
of substance more tenuous than matter, but grosser than mind or spirit.
ASTRAL PLANE: The level of reality intermediate between the physical
and the mental. It is the level of the emotion and instincts.
ASTRAL PROJECTION: The practice of separating the consciousness from
the physical body so that the former may move about unhindered by time,
space or gravity.
ASTRINGENTS: Botanicals which cause contraction of the skin tissue:
agrimony, alder bark, alum root, avens, bayberry (bark and roots),
bearberry leaves, black adler bark, blackberry root, black birch
leaves, black cohosh, bugle, costmary, dead nettle, dock, dogwood bark,
eucalyptus oil, European birch bark, fluxweed, goldenrod, hawthorn
berries, hepatica, hollyberries and leaves, horseheal root, Jacob's
ladder, manzanita leaves and fruits, oak bark, periwinkle, pipsissewa,
potentilla, scabwort root, Shepherd's purse, smooth sumac seed heads,
southernwood, saint John's wort, sweet fern, trailing arbutus, wax
myrtle, white birch bark, wintergreen, Witch hazel, and yarrow.
ATHAME: A Wiccan Ritual knife. It may possess a double-edged blade and
a blackhandle. The athame is used to direct Personal Power during
ritual workings. It is seldom used for actual, physical cutting. The
term is of obscure origin; has many variant spellings among Wiccans,
and an even greater variety of pronunciations. British and American
East Coast Wiccans may pronounce it as "Ah-THAM-ee" (to rhyme with
"whammy"); I was first taught to say "ATH-ah-may" and, later,
"Ah-THAW-may."
AURA: The force-field which surrounds the human body, the inner bands
at least of which are Etheric (q.v.) in substance. The aura is visible
to sensitives, who can learn from its colour, size and structure much
about the person's health, emotional state and spiritual development.
B.C.E.: Before Common Era; the non-religious equivalent of B.C.
BALEFIRE: A fire lit for magical purposes, usually outdoors. Balefires
are traditional on Yule, Beltane and Midsummer.
BANE, BANEFUL: That which destroys life. Poisonous, dangerous,
destructive. Herbs such as henbane ('Henbane' is poisonous to
hens). hellebore and aconite are examples of baneful substances.
BANISH: To drive away evil, negativity or spirits.
BELTANE: An ancient folk-festival day observed by Witches that
celebrates the fully blossomed spring, April 30th or May 1st.
BESOM: Broom.
BIENNIAL: Any plant that completes its life cycle in two years or
growing seasons. Most biennial plants normally generate leaf growth in
the first year, and then bloom, produce fruit, and die in the second
year. The following plants are classified as biennials: alkanet,
caraway, celery, clary, dill, evening primrose, feverfew, foxglove,
goat's beard, high mallow, hound's tongue, mullein, parsley, prickly
lettuce, Queen Anne's lace, raspberry, red clover, rocket, scurvy
grass, sweet clover, and teasel.
BITTER TONICS: Botanicals with a bitter taste which stimulate the flow
of gastric juices and saliva, increase the appetite, and aid digestion:
black haw bark, blessed thistle, bugle, dandelion, dogwood, goldenseal
root, and wild cherry bark.
BLESSING: The act of conferring positive ENERGY upon a person, place,
or thing. It is usually a spiritual or religious practice.
BOLINE: The white-handled knife, used in Wiccan and magic ritual, for
practical purposes such as cutting herbs or piercing pomegranates.
Compare with ATHAME.
BOOK OF SHADOWS, THE: A collection of Wiccan ritual information that
usually includes religious rituals, magic and advice. There are many
Book of Shadows; there is no one correct Book of Shadows.
BOOMERANG EFFECT: A popular name for the well-known occult principle
that a psychic attack which comes up against a stronger defence
rebounds threefold on the attacker.
BOUQUET: In perfumery, a blend of natural or synthetic scents which
reproduces a specific odor, such as rose or jasmine. Also known as a
compound or a blend.
BREW: See INFUSION.
'BURNING TIME': A term used by some witches for the period of
persecution of witches (actual or alleged) which reached its height in
the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. Used in reference to England,
it is in fact a misnomer; English witches were customarily hanged, not
burned, though they were burned in Scotland and on the Continent.
CABALA, QABALA, KABALA: The ancient Hebrew system of esoteric
philosophy centring upon the Tree of Life (q.v.). Probably the biggest
single influence on the Wester occult tradition. Modern occult Cabalism
is not identical with that of the old Rabbis, but its principles 'are
the legitimate descendants thereof and the natural development
therefrom' (Dion Fortune).
CAKES AND WINE: Also known as Cakes and Ale, this is a simple ritual
meal shared with the Goddess and God, usually within the Circle, near
the completion of a religious ritual. Such ritual meals predate
Christianity.
CANDLEMAS: See IMBOLG.
CARMINATIVES: Botanicals which are used to induce the expulsion of gas
from the stomach and intestines: cayenne pepper, dandelion, fennel,
feverfew, ginger, parsley, peppermint, thyme, and yarrow.
CATHARTICS: Botanicals and other substances which cause evacuation of
the bowels. Cathartics are divided into two categories: laxatives and
purgatives. A laxative produces gentle bowel stimulation, while
purgatives induce more forceful evacuation to relieve severe
constipation. Laxatives: aloe vera, balmony, boneset, bunchberry,
chicory, dandelion, dock, horehound, horseradish, hydrangea, magnolia,
olive oil, red mulberry fruit, walnuts, and white ash bark. Purgatives:
barberry, blue flag, castor oil, chaparral tea (or spurge), fennel,
mayapple, poinciana leaves, and senna leaves.
C.E.: Common Era; the non-religious equivalent of A.D.
CENSER: A vessel of metal or earthenware in which incense is burned. An
incense burner.
CERNUNNOS, CERUNNOS: The only known name of the Celtic Horned God; it
is much used by witches, in the Cernummos form.
CERRIDWEN: A Welsh Goddess-name, much used to represent the Mother or
Crone aspects. P>CHALICE: See CUP.
CHAPLET: A garland or wreath of flowers or leaves worn on the head, as
in the chaplets given to classical Greek heroes as symbols of honor.
CHARGING: See EMPOWERING.
CHARM: A magically empowered object carried to attract positive
energies.
CIRCLE CASTING: The process of moving positive energy from the body and
forming it into a large, non-physcial sphere of power in which Wiccan
rituals usually occur. Circle castings usually begin each Wiccan
ritual. The process is also known as 'laying the circle' and
'creating sacred space,' among other terms.
CLAIRVOYANCE: Literally 'clear seeing.' The ability to perceive
facts, events and other data by other than the five 'normal'
senses, unaided by tools.
CLOCKWISE: The traditional form of movement in positive magic. (If
you're standing facing a tree, move to your left and walk in a circle
around it. That's clockwise motion.) Also known as deosil movement.
COMBUSTIBLE INCENSE: Self-burning incense containing potassium nitrate;
usually in cone, block or stick form.
CONE OF POWER: The collective psychic charge built up by a coven at
work, visualized as a cone whose base is the circle of witches and
whose apex is above the centre of that circle.
CONSCIOUS MIND: The analytical, materially-based, rational half of our
consciousness. Compare with PSYCHIC MIND.
CONSECRATION: A RITUAL of sanctification or purification. A ritual of
dedication.
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 agricultural 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 the United States.
CORRECTIVE: A term used by herbalists to mean an herb that is added to
food or medicine to improve the taste or smell of it.
COVEN: A group of Wiccans, usually initiatory and led by one or two
leaders, that gathers together for religious and magical workings. Most
covens operate within a specific Wiccan Tradition.
COVENSTEAD: A coven's normal place of meeting.
CRAFT: An art, especially that made with the hands. See also SPELL
CRAFT.
CUP, CHALICE: One of the four elemental tools, representing the Water
element.
CURSE: A concentration of negative and destructive energy, deliberately
formed and directed toward a person, place or thing.
DECOCTION: A medicinal or magickal extract made by adding herbs to
boiling water (normally one ounce of dried herb to one pint of water)
and then allowing the mixture to simmer for usually thirty minutes.
DEMULCENTS: Herbal substances taken internally which soften and smooth
inflamed mucous membranes and are used to treat coughs and minor throat
irritations: blessed thistle, borage, coltsfoot, goldenseal root,
hound's tongue, and Solomon's seal.
DEOSIL: See CLOCKWISE.
DIAPHORETICS: Herbal substances taken internally to increase sweating.
such substances are also called sudorifics, and are frequently used to
break common colds and fevers and to promote good health: black cohosh,
broom, cajeput, calendula, catnip, chamomile, elder flowers, garlic,
ginger root, horseheal, hyssop, Jacob's ladder, linden flowers,
mugwort, oregano, pennyroyal, rosebay, saffron, salad burnet, scabwort,
serpentaria root, vervain, and yarrow.
DIURETICS: Plants which increase urine secretion and work to correct
urinary disorders: agrimony, balm, bearberry, black cohosh, blue
cohosh, blue flag, boneset, broom, chicory, cleavers, cucumber seeds,
daphne bark and root, garlic, germander, gravel root, ground cedar,
horseheal, horseradish, horsetails, hydrangea, joe-pye weed, juniper
berries, parsley, pipsissewa, pumpkin seeds, rosebay, rue, scabwort,
shepherd's purse, sorrel, sunflower seeds, vervain, wild carrot, wood
sage, wormwood, and yarrow.
DIVINATION: The art of finding things out through means other than the
five senses, using tools such as tarot cards, crystal balls, and so on.
Sometimes incorrectly referred to as 'fortune-telling.'
DIVINE POWER: The unmanifested, pure energy that exists within the
Goddess and God. The life force; the ultimate source of all things. It
is this energy that Wiccans contact during ritual. Compare with EARTH
POWER and PERSONAL POWER.
DRAWING DOWN THE MOON: Invocation of the Goddess aspect into the High
Priestess by the High Priest.
DRAWING DOWN THE SUN: Invocation of the God aspect into the High Priest
by the High Priestess.
EARTH POWER: That energy which exists within stones, herbs, flames,
wind, water, and other natural objects. It is manifested DIVINE POWER
and can be utilized during magic to create needed change. Compare with
PERSONAL POWER.
EGO: The conscious part of the human psyche.
ELDERS: The third-degree and second-degree members of a coven.
ELEMENTAL: A primitive non-human and non-material entity, of the nature
of one of the four Elements (q.v.). The term is also used for a human
thought-form which, spontaneously by strong emotion or deliberately by
mental effort, is split off from its human originator and acquires
temporary quasi-independent existence. 'Created elementals' of the
latter kind can be given healing work to do; they are also sometimes
used maliciously for psychic persecution.
ELEMENTS, THE: Earth, Air, Fire, and Water. These four essences are the
building blocks of the universe, and ancient magical sources of ENERGY.
In magic, Earth energy is associated with the North; and with the color
green, with money, and stability. Air energy is associated with the
East; with yellow, with travel, and the intellect. Fire is associated
with the South; with red, with protection, and sex. Water is associated
with the West; with blue, with love, and psychic awareness. The energy
of the elements is often used in magic.
EMETICS: Plants which induce vomiting: adder's tongue, bay, black
mustard seeds, blue flag, bloodroot, cliffrose, elkweed, roots,
hedge-hyssop, ilex berries, mandrake, mayapple, wake-robin roots, and
white mustard seeds.
EMPOWER, EMPOWERING: The act of moving ENERGY into an object.
ENCHANT: 'Sing to.' Magically speaking, a procedure whereby herbs
are aligned with your magical need prior to their use.
ENERGY: A general term for the currently unmeasurable (but real) power
that exists within all natural objects and beings--including our own
bodies. It is used in FOLK MAGIC. See also PERSONAL POWER.
ENFLEURAGE: A French perfumery term describing the process of
extraction essential flower oils with purified fat. Also known as
POMMADE.
EQUINOXES: See SABBATS.
ESBAT: A Wiccan ritual occasion celebrating the Full Moon. Compare with
SABBAT. See also WICCA.
ETHERIC BODY: A structure intermediate between the Astral Body (q.v.)
and the physical body. It is an energy-network which linkes the
physical body to the corresponding astral, mental and spiritual bodies,
and thus literally keeps it alive.
ETHERIC PLANE: The energy-level, intermediate between the astral and
physical, on which the Etheric Body (q.v.) functions.
EVIL EYE, THE: Supposed glance capable of causing great harm or fear,
once almost universally feared.
EVOCATION: Calling up spirits or other nonphysical entities, either to
visible appearance or invisible attendance. Compare with INVOCATION.
EXORCISM: Traditionally, the magical process of driving out negative
entities. In herb magic, a powerful purification.
EXPECTORANTS: Botanicals which loosen phlegm of the mucous membranes
and promote its expulsion: benzoin, bloodroot, chokecherry, coltsfoot,
garlic, horehound leaves, licorice root, slippery elm bark, storax tree
bark gum, sunflower seeds, sweet gum, vervain, violet, white pine
(dried inner bark), and yerba santa leaves.
If there is a word that is not in this Glossary and you would like it
to be added, Please send me an email with the following information:
word, definition, and location where it came from
Glossary F to P
FAMILIAR: An animal kept by a witch for the psychic help it can give;
cats, dogs and horses in particular react very sensitively to negative
influences, supplying early warning or corroborative evedence. Their
human 'owners' (or rather, partners) are careful to give them psychic
protection in return. Certain kinds of deliberately created and
maintained thought-forms may also be called familiars.
FASCINATION: The art of placing other people under one's power through
sounds, gazes, colors, etc.
FESTIVAL: One of the eight seasonal Sabbats (q.v.).
FETCH: (1) 'The apparition, double, or wraith of a living person'
(Oxford English Dicionary). (2) A projected astral body of thought-form
deliberately sent out to make its presence known to a particular
person. (3) A witch (usually male) sent out by a High Priestess as a
confidential messenger or escort; sometimes called the Summoner of the
Officer.
FOLK MAGIC: The practice of magic utilizing PERSONAL POWER, in
conjunction with natural tools, in a non-religious framework, to cause
positive change.
GARDNERIANS: Witches initiated by (or stemming from those initiated by)
Gerald Gardner or one of his High Priestesses. There are also many
witches today who practise the Gardnerian system but whose initiation
does not ultimately derive from Gardner's coven, and it would be
sectarian not to call them Gardnerians.
GNOME: The traditional name for an Elemental (q.v.) spirit of the
nature of the Earth element.
GOAL, THE: See INTENT.
GOD, THE: Generally, in Wicca, the God is the male principle; the
perfect complement to the GODDESS. He's often identified with the sun;
with deserts and forests, and with wild animals. Some see Him as the
Lord of Death and Resurrection. In the eight SABBATS the Wiccans
celebrate His birth, maturity, union with the GODDESS and His death.
The God is not to be confused with common Christian conception of
'God.'
GODDESS, THE: There are as many definitions of the Goddess as there are
Wiccans. Generally, She's seen as the creatress of the universe; the
unfaltering, ultimate source of fertility, wisdom, love, compassion,
healing, and power. Often associated with the Moon, the seas and the
Earth in Wiccan thought, the Goddess has been worshipped in many
religions across the globe and throughout time.
GOLDEN DAWN: An occult Order founded in London in 1887 by three
Rosicrucians, which became a major influence in Western ritual magic.
Its rituals (partly written by the poet W.B. Yeats, who was a prominent
member) are basically Cabalistic, with elements of the Chaldean
Oracles, the Egyptian Book of the Dead and Blake's Prophetic Books.
They were later published in full, under the title "The Golden Dawn" by
Israel Regardie.
GREAT RITE: In Wicca, the major ritual of male-female polarity, which
is also the third-degree initiation rite. It can be either symbolic, in
the presence of the coven, or 'actual' - i.e., involving intercourse -
in which case it is always conducted in private. In our tradition, only
a married couple or established lovers may perform the 'actual' Great
Rite together.
GREEN HEALING: See GREEN WITCH
GREEN MAGICK: See GREEN WITCH
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 is known as "Green Healing."
GRIMOIRE: A magical workbook with information on rituals, magical
properties of natural objects, preparation of ritual equipment. Many
include "catalogues of spirits." The most famous of the old
grimoires is probably The Key of Solomon. Most were first committed to
paper in the 16th and 17th centuries, though they may be far older.
GROUNDING: The process of temporarily shutting down PSYCHIC AWARENESS
and reorienting the CONSCIOUS MIND to the material world.
HANDFASTING: A Wiccan, Pagan or Gypsy wedding. More broadly, any
wedding or solemn betrothal.
HERB: A plant used in magic. Herbs are usually strongly scented and are
prized for their specific energies. Includes trees, ferns, grasses,
seaweeds, vegetables, fruits, and flowering plants. The dictionary
defines an herb as "a fleshy-stemmed plant that generally dies back
at the end of each growing season" or "any plant or plant part used
specifically in medicine or as seasoning." Herbs are mainly thought
of as the green leaves of any plant or tree (both fresh and dried) that
is valued for its medicinal, savory, or aromatic qualities. Although
many herb books regard seeds, roots, flowers, berries, and bark as
herbs, they are more accurately classified as spices, Trees also do not
come under the technical heading of an herb; however, tree leaves and
some shrubs are considered to be herbs by many.
HERBAL: A book about herbs and plants, especially those which possess
medicinal and healing properties (based on scientific evidence) or
those whose medicinal values are based entirely or in part on
conjecture or folklore. One of the most interesting and popular herbals
of all time is Nicholas Culpepper's astrologically influenced herbal
guidebook entitled The English Physician (also called The Complete
Herbal). It was originally published in the mid-seventeenth century and
remains popular in modern times, especially among Witches and students
of herbalism and plant lore.
HERBALISM: The practice of cultivating, gathering and using plants for
medicinal, cosmetic, ritual and culinary purposes. See HERB MAGIC. The
practice of identifying and using plants or plant parts that are:
aromatic, savory, and medicinal. A man or woman who grows, collects, or
specializes in the use of herbs (especially those that are used
medicinally) is called an herbalist. The study of herbs is known as
herbology.
HERBALIST: See HERBALISM.
HERB MAGIC: The practice of directing energies found within plants to
create needed change. A branch of magic. Practitioners utilize PERSONAL
POWER as well as other forms of energy, such as colors, candles,
stones, sounds, gestures, and movements.
HEREDITARIES: Witches who claim a continuous family tradition and
practice of the Craft, form long before the current revival.
HERNE: A British God-name, the best-known manifestation of whom is
Herne the Hunter, leader of the legendary Wild Hunt in Windsor Great
Park. The name may derive from the same original as Cernunnos (q.v.).
HEX: An evil spell; a curse.
HEXAGRAM: (1) A six-pointed star, formed by two interlaced equilateral
trinagles. It is generally called the Star of David in non-occult
circles, but its use as an occult symbol is far older than its use as a
badge of Judaism. It signifies the Hermetic principle of 'as above, so
below'. (See MACROCOSM.) (2) Any one of the six-line figures of the I
Ching (q.v.)
HIGH PRIEST: In group Wicca, either one of two visible leaders of a
COVEN; a man who co-leads the rituals, or a man who has reached a
certain level of proficiency, achievement and wisdom. The term usually
denotes a man who has received not one but several initiations.
HIGH PRIESTESS: A highly experienced leader of a COVEN; the woman who
leads or co-leads the rituals, or a woman who has reached a certain
level of Wiccan proficiency, achievement and wisdom. The term usually
denotes a woman who has received not one but several initiations.
HIVING OFF: The process whereby two or more members leave their parent
coven to form their own coven.
HOLLY KNIG: In the folklore of many parts of Europe, including the
British Isles, the God of the Waning Year. At the Summer Solstice he
'slys' his twin, the Oak King, God of the Waxing Year; and at the
Winter Solstice the Oak King is revived to 'slay' the Holly King in
turn. Oak King and Holly King are each other's 'other self', in an
eternal cycle of death and rebirth.
I CHING: A Chinese system of divination involving sixty-four
'hexagrams' or six-line combinations of unbroken (yang) and broken
(yin) lines. It is one of the few categories of Eastern esoteric
learning which transfer wholly satisfactorily to the West, without risk
of cross-cultural confusion, and it is widely used here.
IMBOLC: A Wiccan festival celebrated on February 2nd. Imbolc marks the
first stirrings of spring and is a traditional time to practice magic.
INCARNATION: The manifestations of a living entity into physical form;
specifically, any one of the earthly lives of an immortal human
Individuality (q.v.) in the continuing Reincarnation (q.v.) process.
INCUBUS: A male demon or spirit which was believed to sexually tempt
and abuse women; the succubus was the corresponding female demon.
INDIVIDUALITY: The immortal, reincarnating part of a human being,
consisting of the Upper Spiritual and Upper Mental levels; contrasted
with the Personality, which consists of the Lower Mental, Upper Astral,
Lower Astral, Etheric and Physical levels, and which only persists for
one Incarnation (q.v.), a new Personality being built up around the
immortal Individuality for each Incarnation. (See REINCARNATION.)
INFUSION: A liquid produced by soaking herbs in very hot (but not
boiling) water. An herbal tea. A brew or potion. An infusion is a
medicinal or magickal fluid made by pouring boiling water over one or
more herbs (usually one cup of water to every teaspoon of dried herb)
and allowing the mixture to steep like a tea, usually for ten to
fifteen minutes, in order to extract the soluble elements and active
principles.
INITIATION: A process whereby an individual is introduced or admitted
into a group, interest, skill or religion. Initiations may be ritual
occasions, or may spontaneously occur.
INNER PLANES: Other levels of being and consciousness than the physical
or the 'normal' Ego-consciousness.
INTENT: In magic, the goal of the working.
INVOCATION: An appeal or petition to a specific conception of Deity. A
prayer. A request for a deity's appearance or attendance during a
ritual. Also, a mystical practice that produces an awareness of Deity
within. Compare with EVOCATION.
KAHUNA: A practitioner of the old Hawaiian philosophical, scientific
and magical system.
KARMA: The 'spiritual bank balance' carried by the Individuality (q.v.)
from one Incarnation (q.v.) to the next. The literal meaning of the
word is 'action' or 'cause-and-effect'.
KARNAYNA: Alexandrian (q.v.) form of the God-name Cernunnos (q.v.).
LABRYS: A double-headed axe which symbolized the GODDESS in ancient
Crete, still used by some Wiccans for this same purpose. The labrys may
be placed on or leaned against the left side of the altar.
LAMMAS: See LUGHNASADH.
LAW OF THREE, THE: A wiccan belief that our actions, both positive and
negative, will be returned to us three-fold.
LEFT-BRAIN FUNCTION: The linear-logical, word-and-number-using,
analysing, basically masculine function of the left hemisphere of the
brain, which also controls the right side of the body; balanced by the
right-brain function, the intuitive, image-forming, synthesizing,
basically feminine function of the right hemisphere of the brain, which
also controls the left side of the body.
LITHA: The Summer Solstice, a wiccan religious festival and a
traditional time for magic. Also known as MIDSUMMER.
"LUCK, GOOD": An individual's ability to make timely, correct
decisions, to perform correct actions and to place herself or himself
in positive situations. "Bad luck" stems from ignorance and an
unwillingness to accept self-responsibility.
LUGHNASADH: An old harvest festival celebrated on August 1st or 2nd in
Europe, reverencing the abundant (harvested) fruit of the Earth. It is
still observed by Wicca.
MABON: A Wiccan festival celebrated on or around September 21st, the
Autumnal Equinox, which marks the second harvest. Autumn transmutes
into winter. A time of thanks and reflection.
MACROCOSM: The Cosmos as a whole, in relation to the Microcosm, its
detailed manifestion (the human being in particular). In accordance
with the Hermetic principle 'as above, so below', the Microcosm is of
the same essence as the Macrocosm and reflects its nature.
MAGIC(K): The practice of causing needed change through the use of
powers as yet undefined and unaccepted by science. The movement of
natural (yet subtle) ENERGIES to manifest positive, needed change.
Magic is the process of "rousing" energy, giving it purpose
(through VISUALIZATION), and releasing it to create a change. This is a
natural (not supernatural) practice.
MAGIC CIRCLE: A ritually-created circle (or sphere) that offers
protection to the magician during magical rites.
MAGICIAN: A person of either sex who practices magic.
MAGUS: In general, a male occult adept. In Wiccan usage, a
second-degree or third-degree male witch.
MAIDEN: In a coven, the Assistant High Priestess for ritual purposes,
who may or may not be the High Priestess's deputy in leadership. In
earlier times, the title of Maiden was sometimes applied to the leader
whom we would now call the High Priestess.
MANIFESTATION: The product on one level of being of a phenomenon or
entity already existing on a higher level. Thus physical Nature is a
manifestation of creative Divinity; the Earth itself may be regarded as
a manifestation of the Mother Goddess principle; and on a much lower
level, a seen ghost, or a poltergeist phenomenon, is a visual or
physical manifestation of an entity or activity on the astral plane.
MEDITATION: Reflection, contemplation, turning inward toward the self
or outward toward Deity or nature.
MEGALITH: A huge stone monument or structure. Stonehenge is perhaps the
best-known example of megalithic construction.
MENHIR: A standing stone probably lifted by early peoples for
religious, spiritual or magical reasons.
MIDSUMMER: The Summer Solstice, usually on or near June 21st, one of
the Wiccan Festival days and an excellent time to practice magic.
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 crated 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.
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.
NEOPHYTE, POSTULANT: A newcomer to the coven, awaiting initiation.
NONCOMBUSTIBLE INCENSE: Incense which is compounded without potassium
nitrate, and which requires heat to release its scent. Compare with
COMBUSTIBLE INCENSE.
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 MIGHT
ONES.
OSTARA: A Wiccan festival occurring at the Spring Equinox (on or around
March 21st), which marks the beginning of true spring. A Fire festival
celebrating the resurgence of Earth fertility, and an ideal time for
magic.
PAGAN: From the Latin paganus, a "country dweller" or
"villager." Today it's used as a general term for followers of
WICCA and other polytheistic, magic-embracing religions. Pagans aren't
Satanists, dangerous, or evil.
PENDULUM: A tool of Divination which consists of a heavy object
suspended from a string or cord. The end of the cord is held between
the thumb and forefinger; questions are asked and their answers divided
by the movements of the pendulum.
PENTACLE: A ritual object (usually a circular piece of wood, clay or
metal) upon which a five-pointed star (Pentagram) is inscribed, painted
or engraved. It represents the Element of Earth. The words
'pentagram' and 'pentacle' are not interchangeable in wiccan
use.
PENTAGRAM: A five-pointed star which has been used in magic for
centuries. Highly symbolic, it is also a protective device.
PERENNIAL: Any plant that has a life span longer than two years. The
following plants are classified as perennials: agrimony, alfalfa, aloe,
American ginseng, angelica, autumn crocus, balm, bay, belladonna,
bindweed, birthroot, bistort, black cohosh, bladderwrack, bloodroot,
blue cohosh, blue flag, boneset, buckbean, bugleweed, butterfly weed,
California poppy, catnip, celandine, chamomile, chicory, chives,
cinquefoil, colicroot, coltsfoot, comfrey, daffodil, dandelion, dog
rose, elecampane, fairywand, fennel, figwort, fireweed, forget-me-not,
garden (or salad) burnet, garlic, goldenrod, goldenseal, Good King
Henry, gromwell, ground ivy, heal-all, hops, horehound, hyssop, lady's
mantle, lady's slipper, lavender, lily of the valley, live-forever,
liverleaf, loosestrife, lovage, maidenhair fern, marjoram, marsh
mallow, mayapple, meadowsweet, milkweed, mints, moneywort, moonseed,
motherwort, mouse-ear, mugwort, onion, oregano, Oswego tea,
partridgeberry, passionflower, pipsissewa, pussytoes, rosemary, rue,
sage, Saint John's wort, Sampson's snakeroot, skullcap, Solomon's
seal, sorrel, speedwell, spikenard, stinging nettle, stoneroot, sundew,
sweet flag, sweet woodruff, tansy, tarragon, thyme, vervain, Virginia
snakeroot, wallflower, watercress, water lilies, wild ginger, wild
senna, wild strawberry, wild thyme, wild yam, winter cress,
wintergreen, winter savory, wood sorrel, wormwood, woundwort, yarrow,
and yellow flag.
PERSONA: The 'comforting cloak' of the Ego (q.v.); the self-image which
the Ego builds up to reassure itself and to present to the world.
PERSONAL POWER: That energy which sustains our bodies. 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. MAGIC
is usually a movement of personal power for a specific goal.
PHILTRE: An herbal aphrodisiac used in magickal spells with
incantations to arouse love or sexual desire. Also known as "love
potions," philtres have been used by Witches since ancient times and
have consisted of many different herbal ingredients. They are often put
in foods or drinks and work the best when prepared and used on a Friday
(the day of the week most sacred to Venus, the ancient goddess of love)
or at the time of the month when the Moon is positioned in the
astrological sign of Taurus.
PHYTOTHERAPY: The treatment of illness by the use of herbs or medicinal
substances which are derived from plants. Witches refer to this art as
"Green Healing" and have practiced it for centuries.
POLARITY: The concept of equal, opposite energies. 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.
Glossary P to Z
POTION: An herbal tea or brew used by Witches in magickal or healing
rituals. In order to work properly, a potion must be prepared during
the appropriate phase of the Moon and made with herbal ingredients
possessing the correct magickal properties. Potions are traditionally
brewed in cauldrons and are used in all facets of the magickal arts.
Potions concocted for the workings of love magick are often called
"philtres."
POULTICE: Herbs mixed with hot water (or a pastelike herbal medicine)
that is heated, spread on a cloth or towel, and then applied to an
inflamed or painful body part in order to warm, moisten, or stimulate.
Poultices are also used by herb doctors for drawing out infection and
foreign bodies as well as for relieving muscle spasms.
POWER: See ENERGY; PERSONAL POWER.
POWER HAND, THE: The hand you write with; the dominant hand. This is a
magically potent hand.
PRAYER: The act of focusing one's attention on Deity and engaging in
communication. In Wicca, prayer is directed to the Goddess and God (or
sometimes, to one or the other).
PROJECTION: The psychological mechanism of subconsciously crediting (or
discrediting) another person with qualities or shortcomings which are
in fact elements of one's own psyche, so that one can confront them
while avoiding the truth that one is really confronting oneself.
PROJECTIVE HAND: The talented hand; that with which we write, used in
magic as a channel of Personal Power. Compare with RECEPTIVE HAND.
PSYCHE: The total non-physical make-up of a human being.
PSYCHIC AWARENESS: The act of being consciously psychic, in which the
PSYCHIC MIND and the CONSCIOUS MIND are linked and working in harmony.
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.
PSYCHISM: The act of being consciously psychic. Ritual consciousness is
a form of psychism.
PSYCHOMETRY: The psychic 'reading' of a material object, and its
associations and history, by handling it.
RECEPTIVE HAND: The hand that we do not write with. In magic, the hand
through which power is drawn into the human body. Compare with
PROJECTIVE HAND or POWER HAND.
REINCARNATION: The doctrine of rebirth. The process of repeated
incarnations in human form to allow evolution of the sexless, ageless
soul.
RITE: See RITUAL.
RITUAL: Ceremony. A specific form of movement, manipulation of objects
or inner processes designed to produce desired effects. In MAGIC it
allows the magician to move energy toward needed goals. A SPELL is a
magical rite.
RITUAL CONSCIOUSNESS: A specific, alternate state of awareness
necessary to the successful practice of magic. 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, wherein the
magician senses energies, gives them purpose and releases them towards
the magical goal. It is a heightening of the senses, an expansion of
the awareness beyond the physical world, an interlinking with nature
and with the forces behind all conceptions of Deity.
RUNES: Stick-like figures, some of which are remnants of old Teutonic
Alphabets; others are pictographs. These symbols are once again being
widely used in all forms of MAGIC.
SABBAT: A Wiccan festival. See BELTANE, IMBOLC, LUGHNASADH, MABON,
MIDSUMMER, OSTARA, SAMHAIN, AND YULE.
SACHET: A cloth bag filled with herbs. In herb magic sachets are used
to contain herb mixtures while they slowly release their energies for
specific magical goals.
SAMHAIN: An ancient festival day marking the beginning of winter. Also
known as 'Halloween' and All Hallows Eve. It is observed by Wicca
with religious ceremonies.
SCRY: To gaze into a pool of ink, fire, crystal ball, etc ... to awaken
and summon psychic powers.
SEDATIVES: Herbs which sooth, calm nervousness, and tranquilize:
bugleweed, catnip, chamomile, fennel, heal-all, hop vine oil,
horsebalm, Linden flowers, New Jersey tea, passion vine, scullcap,
skunk cabbage root, valerian, viburnum, and Witch hazel.
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 magic.
SHAMANISM: The Practice of shamans, usually ritualistic or magical in
nature, sometimes religious.
SIMPLE: This is an archaic word used by Witches of old to mean a plant
of medicine or the medicine obtained from it. Simples, which are a
minstay of many folk healers and country Witches, are usually very mild
and indigenous plants. They are used completely by themselves to
prevent or treat disease.
SO MOTE IT BE OR SO MUST IT BE: An affirmation that ends many chants
and magical rhymes. This has been in common usage among folk magicians
for many years. A transliteration might be: "So must it be,"
(though this isn't linguistically correct).
SOLITARY WICCA: Wicca practiced, due to either choice or circumstance,
by individuals without group support. Compare with COVEN.
SOPORIFICS: Botanicals which are used to induce sleep: barberry, bay,
catnip, chicory, goldenseal, hops, lavender, lemon balm, lemon verbena,
onion, passionflower, Saint John's wort, sweet woodruff, and valerian.
SOUL-MATES: Individuals (q.v.) who are continuously involved with each
other in successive Incarnations (q.v.), becoming rather like a pair of
binary stars. Also known as twin souls.
SPELL: A magical rite. The mainstay of FOLK MAGIC, spells are simply
magical rites. They're usually non-religious and often include spoken
words.
SPELL CRAFT: It consists of the ritual creation of, and use of,
specialized magical objects.
SPIRITS OF THE STONES, THE: The elemental energies naturally inherent
at the four directions of the magic circle, personified within the
standing stones tradition as the "spirits of the stones." They are
linked with the elements.
STIMULANTS: Herbs which increase or speed up the various functional
actions of the human body: angelica, bayberry bark and roots, black
pepper, bloodroot, calendula, caraway, cayenne pepper, coriander, elder
flowers, garlic, horseheal root, horseradish, lavender, mayweed,
nettle, nutmeg, pennyroyal, pine, prickly ash bark, rosebay, sassafras
root, scabwort root, serpentaria root, sweet flag, vervain, wild
ginger, wintergreen, wormwood, and yarrow.
STOMACHIC: Plants which have curative properties in easing disorders of
the stomach: angelica, avens, blessed thistle, blue gentian, bogbean,
burdock leaves, cayenne pepper, elecampane, ginseng, gum plant, hop
plant, lemon verbena, oyster plant, peppermint, Roman chamomile,
rosemary, salsify, spearmint, sweet flag, and yerba buena.
SUCCUBUS: A female spirit or demon once believed to sexually tempt and
abuse men. It may have been a theological explanation of nocturnal
emissions. Compare with INCUBUS.
SUFFUMIGATIONS: Magickal incenses made from herbs and burned by Witches
and magicians to attract spirits and enable them to materialize.
Suffumigations are used in ceremonial magick, seances, and necromancy.
Anise, dried carnation flowers, dittany of Crete, frankincense, dried
gardenia petals, heather, pipsissewa, sweetgrass, and wormwood are the
herbs most commonly used by Witches as suffumigations.
SUMMERLANDS: A spiritualist word for the Heaven which souls enter after
death. Often used by believers in Reincarnation (q.v.) to denote the
astral stage of rest after physical death, before the Individuality
(q.v.) withdraws from all the lower levels to prepare for its next
Incarnation (q.v.).
SWORD: One of the four elemental tools, representing the Fire element -
or in some traditions, the Air element.
TALISMAN: An object worn or carried to attract a specific influence,
such as love, luck, money, health; as opposed to an amulet which keeps
forces from its bearer.
TEMPLE: A coven's ritual meeting-place which is used for no other
purpose; a desirable asset but not indispensble, since a Magic Circle
may be cast anywhere.
TINCTURE: A liquid produced by soaking plant materials in ethyl alcohol
(or medicinally, in apple cider vinegar) to produce a scented liquid.
An herbal medicine that is made by mixing four ounces of powdered or
finely cut herb with one pint of spirits (such as brandy, gin, or
vodka). The mixture is kept in a large, tightly sealed jar for about
two weeks and shaken several times daily to enable the medicinal
properties of the herb to be released into the alcohol. After the
two-week period, the tincture is then strained through a cheesecloth
into another clean bottle and stored until needed.
TONICS: Plants which strengthen or invigorate the body and stimulate
general health: agrimony, avens, barberries, bayberry bark and roots,
bloodroot, burdock, chamomile, chicory, coltsfoot, dandelion, ginger,
goldenrod, horehound, Joe-pye weed, mint, pipsissewa, red clover, rue,
sea holly, selfheal, speedwell, sweet fern, sweet flag, tansy, vervain,
watercress, Witch hazel, wood sage, wormwood, and yarrow.
TOOLS: A word much-used in Wicca, this term includes both physical
objects used to facilitate wiccan ritual (censers, wands, candles,
salt, water, and incense) as well as internal process (visualization
and concentration, among others). In some forms of Magic, this term
also refers to stones, herbs, colors, and other sources of power
utilized in SPELLS.
TRADITION, WICCAN: An organized, structured, specific Wiccan subgroup,
usually initiatory, often with unique ritual practices. The basis of
any tradition is its Book of Shadows and specific oral instructions
revealed only to initiates. Most traditions are comprised of a number
of covens. Most recognize members of other traditions as wiccans. There
are many wiccan traditions; perhaps the most famous of these is the
Gardnerian.
TRILITHON: A stone arch made from two upright slabs with one lying atop
these. Trilithons are featured in Stonehenge as well as the circle
visualization in The Standing Stones Book of Shadows.
UNCTION: The act of anointing a person or ritual tool with an herbal
ointment or oil as part of a consecration, magickal ceremony, or
healing ritual. Unctions are commonly performed in the spells and
rituals of Wicca Craft. The term "unction" is also used for a balm,
oil, or salve.
UNGUENT: A special ointment or salve used by Witches to promote healing
and to induce astral projections and psychic dreams. Also known as
flying ointment and sorcerer's grease. In the Middle Ages, unguents
containing various hallucinogenic ingredients were believed to give a
Witch the powers of flight, invisibility, and transformation.
VISUALIZATION: The process of forming mental images. Magical
visualization consists of forming images of needed goals during MAGIC.
It's a function of the CONSCIOUS MIND.
VULNERARY: Herbs which are used to treat minor external wounds such as
burns, cuts, and scrapes: all-heal, comfrey, horsetail grass, marsh
mallow root, and plantain.
WAND: One of the ritual TOOLS used in wicca, the wand is an instrument
of INVOCATION, usually utilized to call upon the GODDESS and GOD.
WATCHTOWERS: The four cardinal points, regarded as guardians of the
Magic Circle.
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 boline. Compare with ATHAME.
WICCA: A contemporary PAGAN religion with spiritual roots in the
earliest expressions of reverence of nature as a manifestation of the
divine. Wicca views Deity as Goddess and God; thus it is polytheistic.
It also embraces the practice of MAGIC and accepts reincarnation.
Religious festivals are held in observance of the Full Moon and other
astronomical (and agricultural) phenomena. It has no association with
Satanism. It is sometimes erroneously referred to as WITCHCRAFT. The
usual witches' name for the Craft (q.v.). It derives from the Old
English WICCAN, 'to practise withcraft'. It is a slight mis-derivation,
since WICCA in Old English meant 'a male witch' (and WICCE 'a female
witch'). The actual Old English for witchcraft was WICCACRAFT. But the
present usage is now long-established and there is every reason why it
should continue.
WICCAN: Of or relating to WICCA.
WICCANING: In Wicca, the ritual blessing of a newly born baby; it is
the witches' equivalent of a christening, except that it is not
intended to commit the child permanently to any one path, since that
should ve the individual's adult decision.
WIDDERSHINS: Counter-clockwise ritual notion, usually avoided in FOLK
MAGIC.
WITCH: Anciently, a European practitioner of pre-Christian FOLK MAGIC,
particularly that relating to herbs, healing, wells, rivers, and
stones. One who practiced WITCHCRAFT. Later, this term's meaning was
deliberately altered to denote demented, dangerous beings who practiced
destructive magic and who threatened Christianity. This latter
definition is false. (Some WICCANS also use the word to describe
themselves.)
WITCH BOTTLE: A bottle or jar containing herbs, pins, shards of glass
and other objects, designed to protect a person or area from evil and
curses. Usually buried or placed in a window.
WITCHCRAFT: The craft of the Witch. Magic, especially magic utilizing
PERSONAL POWER in conjunction with the energies within stones, herbs,
colors, and other natural objects. While this does have spiritual
overtones, witchcraft, according to this definition, isn't a religion.
However, some followers of WICCA use this word to denote their
religion. Spell-casting.
WITCH-DRAUGHT: In medieval Witchcraft and sorcery, a Witch's potion,
brew, or philtre made from various herbs believed to possess magickal
properties and used to control or manipulate the emotions or thoughts
of others.
WITCH'S LADDER: A string of forty beads, or a cord with forty knots,
used (like a rosary) as an aid to concentrated repetition without the
need of actual counting.
WORT: An old word meaning 'herb.' Mugwort preserves the term. A
word stemming from the Old English wyrt, meaning a plant or herb. It is
used chiefly in combination: mugwort and Saint John's wort are two
examples.
WORTCUNNING: The knowledge and use of the secret healing and magickal
properties of herbs; a word used by folk healers, Witches, and Wiccans
of all traditions to mean the practice of herbalism. Wortcunning has
been associated with the Old Religion since ancient times.
YULE: A Wiccan Festival Celebrated on or about December 21st, marking
the rebirth of the Sun God from the Goddess. A time of joy and
Celebration during the miseries of winter. Yule occurs on the Winter
Solstice.