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Like any other specialized topic, Modern Paganism has a vocabulary
which might seem confusing to those not familiar with the subject. This brief list of terms should help those who are new
to Paganism. Words that are in italics have an entry elsewhere in the glossary.
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Altar - Any table or shelf that has been laid out with a witch’s tools and other items for
the purpose of performing rituals or magic.
Amulet - An object worn as a protective charm against evil.
Athame
(ath' uh may) - A ritual knife used to direct power and represent the God during ritual. It is usually double-edged, not sharp,
and has a black handle.
Besom (bee' sum) - The witch's broom used to 'sweep out' negativity when creating sacred
space. It is sometimes decorated according to the ritual being performed.
Blessed Be - Traditional greeting
used among witches. It's used for both "Hello" and "Goodbye."
Bolline (boh' leen) - A knife used to cut herbs
or engrave items used in rituals and spells. It usually has a curved blade and a white handle.
Book of Shadows
- The equivalent of a "holy" book used by Wiccans or other Pagans. Each coven and/or solitary
practitioner creates their own book which contains information used to observe and practice their tradition.
Burning Times - A period of time, usually referring to the 1400s to 1600s, when tens of thousands of pagans
were accused of witchcraft and killed by the Catholic church. This has nothing to do with the Wicca/Witchcraft of today.
Cauldron - A three-legged pot used to hold ritual ingredients, including fire, and to represent the Goddess.
Centering - Focusing your thoughts and energies before doing a ritual or magic.
Chalice - The cup or goblet used to hold the ritual beverage and represent
the Goddess.
Chanting - The use of repetitious words or rhymes
to induce an altered state of consciousness.
Charge - To infuse an object with magical energy. Also, the short name for the liturgical poem, The Charge
of the Goddess.
Charm - To infuse an item with energy for protection or other reasons.
Circle - The sacred space in which rituals and rites take place.
Actually, more like a sphere as the 'equator' of the sphere is the Circle at ground level with the bottom half below ground
and the upper half above.
Coven - A group of Witches or Wiccans that practice Witchcraft or Wicca
together. Similar to a congregation.
Cleansing - Removing negative energy from an object
or space.
Craft, The - A shortened version of the word witchcraft sometimes used to refer to Wicca.
Crone - The eldest representative of the Triple Goddess, the wise woman or grandmother. Also, a woman who
has entered menopause.
Deity - A divine being. Can refer to a God, Goddess, or the Divine.
Deosil (je' sul) - Directional term meaning clockwise. The direction of procession around the Circle
during rituals.
Divine, The - The supreme being that is the Universe. The ultimate God-form from which everything was
created.
Divination - The practice of discovering the hidden knowledge with the help of Tarot Cards, crystal balls, runes, stones,
or other magically charged items.
Doctrine - Writing used as part of the moral or ethical guidelines of a tradition.
Elements - Earth, Air, Fire, and Water; Spirit is the all inclusive element. They are used in correspondence with
cardinal directions, sabbats, tools, the human body and many other aspects of Wicca.
Elementals - Empowered divine beings associated with the elements: Gnomes for Earth, Sylphs for Air, Salamanders
for Fire, and Undines for Water.
Equinox - Two times in each year when the hours of daylight and dark are exactly the same. Spring equinox
is around March 21, and Autumn equinox is around September 21.
Esbat (ez' bat) - Ritual performed to honor the phases of the moon. Usually the Full Moon or New Moon,
but can be applied to any Moon ritual.
Gardner, Gardnerian - Gerald B. Gardner was the 'founder' of Modern Witchcraft/Wicca. Whether he invented
it completely or developed an incomplete religious system is currently unknown. The followers of the original system of rituals
and worship are called Gardnerian Witches.
Grimoire - A book of magical procedures, usually a medieval text.
Handfasting
- A Pagan version of a wedding, not necessarily a legal marriage.
Invoke - To call upon a divine being to assist with a ritual or magical working.
Invocation - A poem or other liturgy used to call upon a divine being
Karma - The spiritual version of automatic balancing of energies. Literally means 'cause and effect' and
generally is applied to the energy sent out by a person being returned in kind to them.
Magic - The act of using
the energy or power inherent in all things to bring about change in the Witches life, accomplished by performing spells
or rituals. Sometimes spelled with a "k" at the end.
Maiden - The youngest representative of the Triple Goddess,
the innocent or youth. Also, a young woman who has entered puberty. In a coven, the High Priestess's assistant.
Merry
Meet, Merry Part, Merry Meet Again - Phrase used by Wiccans when leaving each others company. Comes from the belief that
a Witch may be reincarnated into the same circle of loved ones as they have in the present life. "Merry Meet" is sometimes
used as a greeting.
Mother - The middle representative of the Triple Goddess. The sensual, creative, or nurturing
aspect of a woman.
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Pagan - As used today, a blanket term applied to anyone belonging to a nature-based,
non-Judaic, or non-Christian religion.
Pantheon - all the deities belonging to a certain 'family'. ie: Greek,
Roman, Celtic
Pentacle - One of the main ritual tools. A flat disc painted, inscribed, or carved with the shape
of a pentagram.
Pentagram - The five pointed star generally used to represent the four elements
and the spirit. When surrounded by a circle, either carved or drawn, it is known as a pentacle.
Power, The - The natural energy that exists in everything around us that is called upon during rituals
and magic.
Quarters - The four ‘corners’ of a ritual circle delineated by Earth, Air, Fire, and Water symbols.
Reincarnation - The teaching that all souls are born again with the goal of ultimately returning to the Divine Power.
Ritual - A Wiccan ceremony where the Gods are honored and/or magic is performed.
Runes - Glyphs representing certain letters or sounds. Also, items with these glyphs carved or drawn on
them. Sabbat (sab' at) - Any ritually observed day. It is usually applied to those days that make up
the Wheel of the Year. Sacred Space - The sphere of energy created as a boundary inside of which a ritual
or spell is performed. Usually called the circle.
Sacred Text - Writings used as part of a ritual.
Sage - The eldest representative of the Triple God, the wise man or grandfather.
Scrying - A method
of divination by gazing into an object, ie. crystal ball, mirror, bowl of water, etc.
Sigil (rhymes with 'vigil')
- A seal or sign used in various types of occult practices.
Skyclad - A term used to describe the practice of
performing rituals without clothing.
Solitary - A Witch that practices without a coven, either
by choice or because a suitable coven is not in the area.
Solstice - Two times each year when there is the biggest
difference in hours of daylight and darkness. Summer solstice has the most hours between sunrise and sunset, around June 21.
Winter solstice has the most hours between sunset and sunrise, around December 21.
Spell - A ritual using candles,
herbs, incense, planetary alignments, meditation and other tools to bring about a specific change in the life of the Witch.
Summerland
- The place where souls reside between death and rebirth.
Talisman - A charm designed for a specific purpose
and used to attract wanted energy to the person.
Tradition - A specific branch of Paganism or Witchcraft,
equivalent to a denomination in Christianity.
Warrior - The middle aspect of the Triple God, the sexual, protective,
or fatherly aspect of a man.
Wheel of the Year - The cycle of eight holy days observed annually by Wiccans
and some other Pagans.
Wicca (wick' uh) - The relatively modern name of a nature-based, Pagan religion
also known as Witchcraft. Not all Pagans are Wiccan.
Wiccan - Someone who practices the religion
of Wicca.
Wiccaning - A ceremony where a newborn is presented to the Gods and protection is requested
by the parents. The child is not "dedicated" or "promised" to the Gods or the religion of Wicca as this will be a decision
the child will make when he/she comes of age.
Widdershins - Directional term meaning counter-clockwise. Usually
used for banishing or decreasing rituals and spells.
Witch - A person who practices Witchcraft.
Not all Pagans consider themselves Witches and some who do consider themselves Witches aren't Pagan. Gardner
used the term for practitioners of the religion he presented; prior to the term Wiccan being used this was the name practitioners
commonly used to refer to themselves.
Witches Tools - The magically charged items used to symbolize the elements, the Gods, and/or help
focus the power of a ritual or spell.
Witchcraft - The older, less politically correct name for Wicca. Also commonly applied to the practice of
folk magic. Youth - The youngest representative of the Triple God, the innocent or adolescent. A young man who
has entered puberty.
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Help finding its owner would be appreciated.
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