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Pagan Terms
The following is a list of commonly used words dealing with the Craft. It's important to know the definitions of these words when trying to study and learn about Wicca. I suggest you familiarize yourself with them. So, study away!
adept: An individual who through serious study and accomplishments is considered highly proficient in a particular magickal system.
altar: A special, flat surface set aside exclusively for magickal workings or religious acknowledgement.
amulet: Usually considered an object of protection that has been charged to deflect specific negative energies or thought forms.
ankh: An Egyptian hieroglyph that is widely used as a symbol for life, love, and reincarnation. It is depicted as a cross with a looped top.
astral: Another dimension of reality. Also referred to as "dream time."
astral projection/travel: The process of separating your astral body from your physical one to accomplish travel in the astral plane or dreamtime.
athame: A cleansed and consecrated ceremonial knife used in ritual work by Witches. The knife is never used for blood-letting, and rarely used for cutting anything on the material plane.
banish: To magickally end something or exorcise unwanted entities. To rid the prescience of.
bi-location: A type of astral projection to travel in everyday reality by retaining the capability to be aware of your present surroundings.
bind: To magickally restrain something or someone.
Book of Shadows: A term for the collection of information in book form for a Witch's reference.
bolline: A curved, white-handled knife used for practical magickal purposes such as cutting.
chakras: The seven major energy vortexes found in the human body. Each is usually associated with a color. These vortexes are: crown-white, forehead-purple, throat-blue, chest-pink, navel-yellow, abdomen-orange, groin-red.
charms: Can either be an amulet or talisman that has been charmed by saying an incantation over it and instilling it with energy for a specific purpose.
cleansing: The act of removing any negative energy, vibrations or images from an object or place by utilizing positive, psychic energy.
consecration: The act of blessing an object or place by instilling it with positive energy.
coven: A group of thirteen or fewer Witches that work together in an organized fashion for positive magickal endeavors or to perform religious ceremonies.
deosil: Clockwise movement.
divination: The art of using magickal tools and symbols to gather information from the Collective Unconscious on the nature of people, places, things, and events in the past, present, and future.
evocation: To call something out from within.
familiar: An animal who has a spiritual bond with a Witch; often as a family pet. Familiars can also be entities who are created to protect your home from the astral.
handfasting: A Wiccan or Pagan marriage ceremony.
invocation: To bring something in from without.
Karma: The belief that one's thoughts and deeds can be either counted against them or added to their spiritual path during several life times.
magick: The art and science of focusing your will and emotions to effect change both in the world around you and the world within you. Magick is neither good nor evil, positive nor negative. It's the use of the power that determines the path it will take.
magick circle: A circular boundary drawn in visionary blue flames or white light that protects the Witch from outside forces while conducting ritual magick. Really it's a sphere encompassing the surrounding area above and below you, as well as around you. It serves as the doorway between the worlds and allows us to move between the two.
Neopagan: Literally means "new Pagan" and is not a popular term.
pentacle: A circle surrounding a five-pointed, upright star known as the pentagram. Worn as a symbol of a Witch's belief and used in magickal workings and ceremonies. Each point on the star has a specific meaning: Earth, Air, Fire, Water, and Spirit. Pentacles are never worn inverted in the Craft.
Priest/Priestess: A male/female dedicated to both the service of his/her chosen deity(is) and humankind.
reincarnation: The belief that one has lived before in another life time and will live yet again.
ritual: A focused mental/physical ceremony to either honor or thank one's chosen pantheon, or to perform a specific magickal working or act.
runes: A set of symbols that are used both in divination and magickal workings. They can function as an alphabet and are useful in vision questing, dream recall, and controlling your environment.
scrying: A divination method using specific tools such as a bowl of inked water, a mirror, a crystal ball, etc.
sigil: A magickally oriented seal, sign, glyph, or other device used in a magickal working. The most powerful sigils are the ones that you create yourself.
skyclad: To put it frankly, it means to be naked. The act of performing a magickal working in the nude.
spell: Extended mental and emotional energy spoken aloud, written, spoken to oneself, drawn, or even danced. To work, it should be clear, concise, focused, and emotional. The need must be present to bring any spell to a successful culmination.
talisman: An object that has been magickally charged in order to bring something to the bearer.
vision questing: Using astral projection, bi-location, or dreamtime to accomplish a specific goal.
webweaving: Networking with other magickal people through conversation, in writing, or by computer to gather information to mutual assist each other in their studies and life goals.
Wheel of the Year: One full cycle of the seasonal year, beginning with the Samhain celebration.
widdershins: Counter-clockwise movement.
The above information was taken from To Ride a Silver Broomstick, by Silver Ravenwolf.
This page was last updated on June 30, 1999.
