Gaea/Gaia:
Mother Earth.
God:
Masculine aspect of deity.
Goddess:
Feminine aspect of deity.
Grain Dolly:
Figure usually woven
at Imbolc from dried sheaves of grain collected at the previous harvest. The dolly is traditionally burned at Yule and a new
one made the following Imbolc.
Great Rite:
Symbolic sexual union
(also sacred marriage) of the Goddess and God that is enacted at Beltane in many traditions, and other Sabbats in other traditions.
It symbolizes the primal act of creation from which all life comes.
Green Man:
Another name for the
God
Grimorie:
A magickal workbook
containing ritual information, formulae, magickal properties of natural objects and preparation of ritual equipment. Often
used interchangeably with Book of Shadows.
Grounding:
To disperse excess
energy generated during magickal work by sending it into the earth. It also means the process of centering one's self in the
physical world both before and after any ritual or astral experience.
Grove:
Synonymous with coven.
Guardians:
Ceremonial magicians
use the Guardians of the Watchtowers or Four Quarters. Some witches use them, too.
Hand Fasting:
A Pagan wedding.
Herbalism:
Art of using herbs
to facilitate human needs both magickally and medicinally.
Higher Self:
That part of us
which connects our corporeal minds to the Collective Unconscious and with the divine knowledge of the universe.
Hiving Off:
This term is used
for a small coven which splits off from a larger one. Sometimes this is done to keep the gatherings of a manageable size,
other times covens split over philosophical differences.
Horned God:
One of the most prevalent
God-images in Paganism. NOT Satan or the Devil!!!
Initiation:
A process whereby
an individual is introduced or admitted into a coven. Usually a ritual occasion. Not to be confused with dedication.
Incense:
Ritual burning of herbs,
oils, or other aromatic items to scent the air during acts of magick and ritual, and to better help the witch attune to the
goal of the working.
Invocation:
To bring something
in from without.
Jew-itch:
Name coined by some
Pagans of Jewish origin who are actively seeking out the pagan roots of their birth religion.
Karma:
The belief that one's
thoughts and deeds can either be counted against them or added to their spiritual path across several life times.
Kabbala:
Mystical teaching from
the Jewish-Gnostic tradition. Ceremonial Magick and the Alexandrian traditions are based in these teachings. Also, Qabala.
Labrys:
A double-headed ax which
symbolizes the Goddess in Her Lunar aspect. Has roots in ancient Crete.
Left-Hand Path:
Refers to the
practice of using magick to control others, to change the will of others, for personal gain. Generally frowned upon by true
Wiccans and Witch's. Dark Magick.
Libation:
Ritually given portion
of food or drink to a deity, nature spirit, or ghost.
Macrocosm:
The world around us.
Magick:
The projection of natural
energies (such as personal power) to being about needed change. Energy exists in all things: us, plants, stones, colors, sounds,
movements, words. Magick is the process of raising this energy, giving it purpose, and releasing it. Magick is a natural,
not supernatural, practice, but is little understood. Magick is neither black nor white. It simply is. What the magician decides
to do with the magick is another matter...
Magick Circle:
A sphere constructed
of personal power in which rituals are usually performed. Within it the witch is protected from outside forces. The sphere
extends both above and below the surface of the ground.
Magickal System:
The basic set
of guidelines relating to the worship of specific Gods and Goddesses or cultural traditions.
Male Mysteries:
Pagan study which
attempts to reclaim the power and mystery of the old Gods for today's Pagan males.
Matrifocal:
Term used to denote
pre-patriarchal life when family clans centered around and lived near or on clan matriarch.
May Pole:
Sexual symbol of Beltane
representing the phallus.
Meditation:
Reflection, contemplation-
turning inward toward the self, or outward toward Deity or nature. A quiet time in which the practitioner may either dwell
upon particular thoughts or symbols, or allow them to come unbidden.
Megalith:
A huge stone monument
or structure. Stonehenge is the best-known example of a megalith.
Menhir:
A huge stone probably
erected by early peoples for religious, spiritual, or magickal reasons.
Microcosm:
The world within us.
Monotheism:
Belief in one supreme
deity who has no other forms and/of displays no other aspects.
Mother:
The aspect of the Goddess
representing motherhood, mid-life, and fertility. She is represented by the full moon, the egg, the colors red and green.
Her Sabbats are Midsummer and Lughnasadh.
Myth:
Cycles Body of lore about
any land or people that makes up their mythology.
New Age:
The mixing of metaphysical
practices with a structured religion.
New Religion:
Pagan term used
in reference to Christianity.
Nursery Rhyme:
Cute doggerel
or poems supposedly written for the amusement of children. Much Pagan lore was hidden in these ditties during the years of
witch persecutions.
Occult:
Literal meaning is "hidden"
and is broadly applied to a wide range of metaphysical topics which lie outside the accepted realm of mainstream theologies.
Occultist:
One who practices
and or studies a variety of occult subjects.
Ogham:
Celtic equivalent of the
Teutonic runes. The ancient alphabet of the Celtic people.
Old Ones:
The A term which refers
to all aspects of the Goddess and God.
Old Religion:
A name for Paganism
as it pre-dates Christianity by at least 20,000 years.
Pagan/Neo-Pagan:
General term
for followers of Wicca and other magickal, shamanistic, and polytheistic Earth-based religions. Also used to refer to pre-Christian
religious and magickal systems.
Paganing:
When a baby is presented
in circle to the Goddess and God, and given a craft name which s/he will keep until about 13 and can choose their own at their
Coming of Age celebration.
Pantheon:
A collection or group
of Gods and Goddesses in a particular religious or mythical structure.
Pantheism:
Belief in many deities
who are really one because they are all merely aspects of the single creative life source. Paganism is pantheistic.
Passion Over Ritual:
Ritual observed
when a loved one has dies.
PAST-LIFE REGRESSION:
Act of
using meditation or guided meditation to pass through the veil of linear time and perceive experiences encountered in a previous
existence.
Path Working:
Using astral projection,
bi-location, or dream time to accomplish a specific goal. Also called vision questing.
Patriarchal:
Term used to apply
to the world since the matrifocal clans that worshipped Goddesses were supplanted by codified religions that honor all-male
deity(s).
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 elbows steadied against a flat surface, and a question is asked. The movement of the heavy object's
swings determines the answer. It is a tool which contacts the psychic mind.
Pentacle:
A circle surrounding
a five-pointed, upright star (pentagram). Worn as a symbol of a witch's beliefs. Many witches consider wearing it inverted
to be blasphemy of their faith and is commonly associated with Satanism.
Pentagram:
The basic interlaces
five-pointed star, visualized with one point up. It represents the five elements: Earth, Air, Fire, Water, and Spirit. It
is a symbol of power and protection.
Personal Power:
The energy which
sustains our bodies. It originates within the Goddess and God. We first absorb it from our biological mother within the womb,
and later from food, water, the Moon and Sun, and other natural objects.
Polarity:
The concept of equal,
opposite energies. The Eastern Yin Yang is a perfect example. Yin is cold; yang is hot. Other examples: Goddess/God, night/day,
Moon/Sun, birth/death, dark/light, psychic mind/unconscious mind. Universal balance.
Polytheism:
Belief in the existence
of many unrelated deities each with their own dominion and interests who have no spiritual or familial relationships to one
another.
Poppets:
Anthropomorphic dolls
used to represent certain human beings in magick spells.
Projective Hand:
The hand thought
to be the point through which personal power is sent from the body. Normally the hand used for manual activities such as writing,
dialing the phone, etc. It is also the hand in which tools such as the athame and wand are held.
Psychic Mind:
The subconscious,
or unconscious mind, in which we receive psychic impressions. It is at work when we sleep, dream, and meditate. It is our
direct link with the Divine, and with the larger, nonphysical world around us.
Psychism:
The act of being consciously
psychic, in which the psychic mind and conscious mind are linked and working in harmony. Also known as psychic awareness.
Quabala:
See Kabbala
Receptive Hand:
The hand through
which energy is received into the body. The left hand in right-handed persons, the reverse for left-handed persons.
Rede:
The Basic tenet of witchcraft.
"An it harm none, do what thou will.
Reincarnation:
The process of
repeated incarnations in human form to allow evolution of the sexless, ageless soul.
Ritual Ceremony:
A specific form
of movement, a manipulation of objects or inner processes designed to produce desired effects. In religion ritual is geared
toward union with the Divine. In magickal works it produces a specific state of consciousness that allows the magician to
move energy toward needed goals.
Ritual Consciousness:
A specific,
alternate state of awareness necessary to the successful practice of magick. This state is achieved through the use of visualization
and ritual. The conscious mind becomes attuned with the psychic mind, a state in which the magician senses energies, gives
them purpose, and releases them toward a specific goal. It is a heightening of senses, an expanded awareness of the nonphysical
world, a linking with nature and with Deity.
Ritual Tools:
General name for
magickal tools used by a witch or magician. They vary by tradition and usually represent one of the elements.
Runes:
A set of symbols used
both in divination and magickal work. There are several types will different origins- Scandinavian, Norse, Germanic.
Sabbat:
A witch's festival.
Scourge:
Small device made from
leather or hemp which resembles a whip and is used in flagellation rites within some traditions.
Scrying:
A method of divination.
To gaze at or into an object (a quartz crystal sphere, a pool of water, reflections, a candle flame) to still the conscious
mind in order to contact the psychic mind. Scrying allows the scryer to become aware of events prior to their actual occurrence,
as well as to perceive past or present events through other than the five senses.
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 his or her world through magick.
Shamanism:
The practice of shamans,
usually ritualistic or magickal in nature, sometimes religious.
Shillelagh:
Magickal tool corresponding
to the staff in other traditions. Usually made from blackthorn wood.
Sigil:
Magically oriented seal,
sign, glyph, or other device used in a magickal working. Ones you create yourself are the most effective. Sigils can be used
on letters, packages, clothing, etc.
Simple Feast:
A ritual meal shared
with the Goddess and God.
Sky Father:
Shamanistic in origin.
It assigns deification to the sky as a male entity.
Skyclad:
The act of celebrating
or performing magickal works in the nude. Considered deeply spiritual, NOT sexual.
Solitary:
Pagan who works and
worships alone.
Spell:
A magickal ritual, usually
non-religious in nature and often accompanied by spoken words. It should be clear, concise, focused and emotional. Need must
be present.
Spiral:
Symbol of coming into
being.
Staff:
Ritual tool which corresponds
to the wand or athame.
Stang:
Ritual tool from Pagan
Rome which resembles a two-pronged trident. Often used in place of the wand or circle.
Subconscious Mind:
Part of the
mind which functions below the levers we are able to access in the course of a normal working day. This area stores symbolic
knowledge, dreams, the most minute details of every experience ever had by a person.
Summerland:
The Pagan Land of
the Dead.
Sympathetic Magick:
Concept of
likes attract. Most common way spells are worked.
Talisman:
An object charged with
personal power to attract a specific force or energy to its bearer.
Tarot Cards:
Set of 78 cards
which feature pictures and symbols used to conned the diviner with the collective unconscious.
Tarologist:
One adept at the
art and science of handling the Tarot.
Threefold Law:
Karmic principle
that energy that is released is returned three times over.
Tradition:
Branch of paganism
followed by any individual Pagan or coven.
Trilithon:
A stone arch made
from two upright slabs with one lying atop these. They are featured in Stonehenge.
Triple Goddess:
One Goddess in
all of her three aspects: Maiden, Mother, Crone.
Virgin:
Youngest aspect of the
Triple Goddess. Also know as the Maiden. Represented by the waxing moon, colors white and blue. Her Sabbats are Imbolc and
Ostara.
Vision Quest:
Using astral projection,
bi-location, or dream time to accomplish a specific goal. Also called path working.
Visualization:
The process of
forming mental images. Magickal visualization consists of forming images of needed goals during ritual. It is also used to
direct personal power and natural energies for various purposes during magick, including charging and forming of the magick
circle.
Wand:
Ritual tool brought to
the craft from ritual magick.
Warlock:
Antiquated term misused
in reference to a male Witch. It means oath-breaker or Liar. Most Pagans, Witch's find the term offensive.
Web Weaving:
Networking with
other magickal people via conversation, writing, e-mail, to gather information which will mutually assist each party.
Wheel of the Year:
One full cycle
of the seasonal year.
Wicca:
A modern Pagan religion
with spiritual roots in the earliest expressions of reverence for nature. Some major identifying motifs are: reverence for
both the Goddess and God; acceptance of reincarnation and magick; ritual observance of astronomical and agricultural phenomena;
and the use of magickal circles for ritual purposes.
Wicce:
Synonymous with Wicca.
In some circles, Wicce is used for women and Wicca is used for men.
Widdershins:
Counter-clockwise
motion, usually used for negative magickal purposes, or for dispersing negative energies or conditions such as disease.
Witch:
A practitioner of folk
magick, particularly that kind relating to herbs, stones, colors, wells, rivers, etc. It is used by some Wiccans to describe
themselves. This term has nothing to do with Satanism.
Witchcraft:
The craft of the
witch- magick, especially magick utilizing personal power in conjunction with the energies within stones, herbs, colors, and
other natural objects. This belief system also has nothing to do with Satanism.
Yggdrasil:
One of the best known
Tree of Life symbols. It unites all existence from the Underworld, to the Physical world.