Guest Author - Leslie Ravenwing
It is important to know basic terminology in your studies. Here are some very common words.
Altar - A flat surface holding ritual tools and symbols
Amulet - A natural object worn or carried for its protective powers
Animism - The belief that natural objects and nature itself are alive and conscious; or the velief that an immmaterial force animates the universe
Aspect - A form, facet, or persona of diety. A manifestation of the Goddess or the God having its own name, appearance, qualities, attributes, and mythology
Asperger - A ritual tool used to sprinkle water for purification purposes
Athame - A black-handled, double-edged, knife like tool used by witches to channel energy, but never to cut anything material
Attunement - A activity which brings the minds, emotions, and psyches of a group into harmony prior to ritual: Chanting, singing, guided meditation, and
breathing exercises are common ways to attune
Aura - The energy field of the human body, and especially that radiant portion visible to the "third eye" or psychic vision
Bell - Rung to "Alert the quarters" prior to invoking the elemental powers
Besom - The old name for broom
Bolline - A white-handled witches knife used to carve or cut materials necessary for ritual or healing
Book of shadows - A personal journal in which witches keep thier notes on ritual and amgick, and perhaps records of dreams, herbal recipies, class notes, and so forth
Casting the circle - The psychic creation of a sphere of energy around the area where ritual is to be performed. both to unwanted influences or distractions
Cauldron - Represents the womb of the Goddess
Centering - The process of moving one's consciousness to one's spiritual center
Chalace - A symbol of water and the womb
Circle - A term for a coven or other magickal group meaning "To gather together for ritual"
Cord - May signify a degree. Also used in knot magick and in binding or loosing spells
Correspondences - A system of symbolic equivalences used iin magick
Coven- A group fo witches who gather regularly to celebrate thier faith and work magick
Dedicant- A non-initiated sutdent of wicca
Degrees - Levels of initiation representing spiritual development and craft skill, knowledge, and experience
Deosil - Clockwise. The direction the priestess or priest moves when casting the circle, calling quarters, and raising power
Elder - One who is reconized as a experienced leader, teacher, and counselor within the craft
Esbat - A gathering of witches to celebrate a certain phase of the moon, work magick, and socialize
Familiar - An animal compainion trained to assist in magickal workings
God - Male personification of diety
Goddess - The femal personification of diety
Grounding - Psychically reinforcing ones connection with th earth
Heathen - A non-christian
High priest - The primary male leader with in a coven
High priestess - The primary female leader with in a coven
Immanence - The belief that deity exists within all things, including people, and cannot be separated from them.
Initiation - A profound spiritual experience in which one's unity with diety i realized
Magick - The act of changing consciousness at will
Pentagram - A starlike, five-pointed figure of very ancient orgin, used magickally for blessing, protection, and balance
Perfect love and perfect trust - A wiccian ideal; we begin by working to create them with in the coven and expand from there
Polytheism - A belief in many Gods
Quarters - A shorthand term for the four elemental owers and the directions they correspond to
Ritual - A planned series of activities leading to the accomplishment of a goal through magickal means
Sabbat - One of the holy days of the wiccan religion, celebrating themes such as birth, fertility and death, related to the turning of the seasons
Spell - A pattern or series of words and or actions performed with magickal intent; or sometimes simply a spoken incantation
Stang - A forked stick placed in the center of the circle, as a primitive symblol of the horned God or other diety being invoked
Talisman - A constructed magickal object, usually with inscribed symbols intended to attract certain specialized energies
Thaumaturgy - "Low magick" used to influence things and events in everyday life
Theurgy - "High magick" emplyed to connect with diety and foster spiritual growth or transformation
Warlock - "Oath breaker" not a male witch
Wheel of the year - The cycle of seasons extending throughout the year
Wiccan rede - Ethical core of the craft
Widdershins - Counter clockwise; the direction a magician moves when she or he wishes to banish, remove, or release energy
Witch - A priestess or priest of the old religion
Widdershins - Not sun wise. In the Northern Hemisphere this is counterclockwise. Widdershins motion is used to remove or release from the circle or working.
