Earth: One of the four ancient and alchemical elements which corresponds (in some traditions) to the North Watchtower of the magick circle. The spirits of the element Earth are known as gnomes, and the color is green.
Earth Religion: Spirituality based on natural forces, for example Wicca, Paganism, Druidry, and Native American religions.
East: Direction associated with the element of air (or Earth in some traditions; others use North). The color is yellow.
Eke-Name: In Witchcraft and Wicca, a Witch's secret name, also known as a Witch-Name. Many Witches take on one or more secret names to signify their rebirth and new life within the Craft. Eke-names are most sacred and are used only among brothers and sisters of the same path. When a Witch takes on a new name, he or she must be careful to choose one that harmonizes in one way or another with numerological name-numbers, birth-numbers, or runic numbers. A well-chosen name vibrates with that individual and indirectly links him or her to the Craft. At times, one is "given" a name through meditation.
Elements: The four components of the world: Earth, Air, Fire, and Water.
Elementals: Also known as the "Guardians of the Watchtowers" (or of the four directional points at the perimeter of a magick circle), the elements are perceived by Witches and practitioners of the magickal arts as spirit-creatures that personify the qualities attributed to the four ancient elements of Air, Fire, Water, and Earth. Sylphs are the elemental spirits of Air, which corresponds to the East and symbolizes consciousness, freedom, communication, and the powers of the mind. Salamanders are the elemental spirits of Fire, which corresponds to the South and symbolizes the spirit, energy, individuality, and identity. Undines are the elemental spirits of Water, which corresponds to the West and symbolizes life, the emotions, the subconscious, psychic powers, and the soul; and the color is blue. Gnomes are the elemental spirits of Earth, which corresponds to the North, and symbolizes form, strength, stability, fertility, and physical. The elements of Air and Fire are associated with the yang-masculine-positive energies; while the elements of Water and Earth are associated with yin-feminine-negative energies. In the Tarot, the element of Air corresponds to the suit of Swords, the element of Fire to the suit of Wands, Rods, or Staves; the element of Water to the suit of Cups (also known as Chalices or Grails), and the element of Earth to the suit of Pentacles (also known as Coins or Discs).
Enchantment: Another word for magick; the act of bewitching or casting a spell upon someone or something.
Energy: Energy is an unseen force, but it has definite results and effects! Also referred to as power, energy is "raised" or increased during ritual to make spells more powerful and effective. To experience this energy, place your hands together; feel the warmth. Slowly, move your hands slightly apart, and concentrate....you can still feel it. Some persons can see energy naturally, with others it takes practice! I used to practice at night, and was quite surprised the first time I saw the energy from my hands!
Esbat: A regular meeting of a Witches' coven or circle that is traditionally held during the full moon approximately thirteen times a year. At an esbat, the coveners exchange ideas, discuss problems and important issues, perform special rites, work magick and healings, and give thanks to or request help from the Goddess and Horned God. The esbat should not be confused with the Sabbat, which takes place eight times within the course of the year and corresponds with the seasonal cycle of Sun and Earth.
Evil Eye: In folk legend and sorcery, the inborn supernatural power to cause bewitchment, harm, misfortune, or death to others by an angry or venomous glance. Throughout history, many Witches have been accused of possessing the power of the evil eye, and numerous methods were devised by different cultures to guard against it. Some of these old methods included the wearing or carrying of garlic, feathers, bells, beads and various other countercharms, the painting of the eyelids with black makeup (a practice dating back to the ancient Egyptians), and the making of obscene hand gestures (popular in Italy).
Evocation: In Ceremonial Magick, the summoning of a spirit, angel, or other non-physical entity by using commands and words of power, often in conjunction with certain ritual tools. Evocations are performed by magicians within a magick circle of protection and usually to cause a spirit to materialize in a triangle outside of the circle. Once evoked, the spirit serves to do the magicians biddings. Many ancient grimoires and other archaic books written about magickal practices contain detailed ritual outlines for evoking spirits. This often elaborate ritual is seldom, if ever, performed by Pagans, and is considered by many to be potentially dangerous if carried out by one who does not possess the required knowledge and expertise of ceremonial workings.
Exorcism: According to Christian tradition, demonic exorcism is the expulsion of an evil spirit, demon, or Satanic force from a possessed person or place by special prayers, rituals, and commands made in the name of Jesus Christ. The demonic entity is then condemned by the exorcist to eternal damnation. In Spirit exorcism (which differs in many ways from demonic exorcism and which many Witches are called upon to carry out), Earthbound spirits are released with love, and remnants of unwanted energies of a psychic or spiritual nature are cleared from "haunted" houses and other places where such disturbances occur. This is accomplished by various magickal means, smudging with sacred herbs of purification, or the use of psychic persuasion. Witches do not believe in the Devil or in Demons (which play a role in Christianity, but not in Wicca or Neo-Paganism.) In spirit exorcism there is no exiling of a spirit to the eternal fires of Hell and no use of the Roman Catholic Fhurch's 'Ritual Romanum.'
Eye of Horus: An ancient Egyptian symbol which depicts the divine eye of the god Horus, represents both solar and lunar energies, and is often used in contemporary Witchcraft as a symbol of spiritual protection as well as the clairvoyant power in the Third Eye. The name used by the ancient Egyptians for the Eye of Horus symbol was the udjat ("Eye of God"). They believed strongly in the power of the udjat to protect against the evil eye (an "eye" for an "eye," perhaps?) and often placed in the design on amulets, talismans, jewelry, paraphernalia of both a magickal and religious nature, pottery, and works of art. Additionally, the magickal, all-seeing-udjat was believed to bring good health and used as a funerary amulet.
Faet Fiada: a powerful magickal spell used by the ancient Druids to either make themselves invisible or to enable them to see others who were. The faet fiada was also used to transform men into animals, according to legend.
Familiar: A Witch's pet. In the Middle Ages (especially in Europe, Great Britain, and the New England region of the United States) it was believed by many that all Witches had one or more familiars, which were actually demons or attendant spirits that manifested themselves usually in the form of a cat, dog, lizard, bat, hare, raven, toad, or some other small animal. They were also said to be able to assume the form of an ordinary insect. In exchange for aiding a Witch in her magickal practices, it was required to feed the familiar daily a drop of blood from the pricked finger of the Witch. If she was lactating, she would sometimes allow it to breastfeed from her. Male Witches (or "warlocks" as they were called by the Church and Inquisition) also were said to possess familiars. It was common for many warlocks to have dogs as familiars, and for female Witches to have cats (which were known as "malkins"). After the "burning times" reached its demise in the early eighteenth century, fear of and belief in the Witches' demonic familiar subsided. Many modern Witches refer to their cats and dogs (and other pets) as familiars. They no doubt have a strong loving and spiritual bond with their animals, and may or may not cast spells and perform rituals with their familiars by their side. Of course the familiars that belong to modern Witches are not really demons or the Devil in disguise (as Christians of days gone by once believed) and Witches do not feed them their blood or breast milk in exchange for their services.
Father: Another name for the God, it represents the fatherly and masculine side of Spirit.
Fire: One of the four ancient and alchemical elements which corresponds to the South Watchtower of the magick circle. The spirits of Fire are known as Salamanders,and the color is red.
Fire Signs: In astrology, the three signs of the zodiac attributed to the ancient element of Fire: Aries, Leo, and Sagittarius.
Firestick: Another name for a Witch's magick wand, denoting its correspondence to the element of fire.
Fetish: A symbolic material object or talisman believed among many primitive cultures to possess the magickal or supernatural power to protect and ward off evil. The belief in and worship of fetishes is known as fetishism.
Full Moon: Time of great power, and in the waxing days just before it; this is the time to perform spells to increase influences. A good thing to do on the nights of the waxing and full moon is a prosperity spell, to increase luck and money.
Flagae: Familiar spirits that are said to appear in mirrors and reveal obscure information or esoteric truths to Witches and magicians alike. To conjure the Flagae, according to occult tradition, a person must gaze steadily into a mirror by candlelight during the witching hour (which, of course, is the midnight hour of the first night of the Full Moon). The belief in mirror spirits dates back to ancient times when it was commonly thought that mirrors were the gateway to the realm of the supernatural.
"Flagellation: The art and practice of ritual scourging, which is often used by some Wiccan traditions (particularly the Gardnerians) as one of the many methods to raise magickal energy. The technique of flagellation is normally applied in a gentle, but steady, manner for the purpose of altering consciousness by drawing blood away from the brain. In such an altered state, the opening of a Witch's Third Eye (the forehead chakra, or power point) is believed to be facilitated, thus allowing his or her psychic and magickal powers to manifest of strengthen. Since the 1960s, the controversial use of flagellation in Witchcraft rituals has greatly declined.
Flying Ointment: In medieval Witchcraft, an ointment containing fat (supposedly of an unbaptized infant) and various hallucinogenic herbs such as henbane, belladonna, and mandrake. The flying ointment was rubbed on the body to enable a Witch to fly through the air on a broomstick, master invisibility, or shapeshift. There is little doubt among Witchcraft historians that after absorbing the poisonous flying ointment through the skin, many Witches on psychedelic trips experienced sights, sounds, and sensations that led them to believe they were actually flying, were invisible, or were going through physical transformations. Additionally, the old bizarre stories of demonic, orgiastic Sabbats which Witches supposedly flew off in the night on broomsticks to attend, in all probability were nothing more than hallucinatory delusions brought on by the mind-altering components of the flying ointment. Attempting to use this preparation is not recommended due to the possibility of poisioning oneself.
Futhorc: The name of the "alphabet" of the runes, and an acronym of the first six runic characters of the Anglo-Saxon (or Celtic) system: Feoh, Ur, Thorn, Os, Rad, Cen.
Fylfot Cross: In Ceremonial Magick, an ornamental symbol resembling a swastika which is divided into squares bearing the twelve signs of the zodiac and the four signs of the ancient alchemical elements with a solar symbol in the middle.
Fylgja: In Norwegian folklore, a tutelary spirit regarded as either a person's double which is conceived of in animal form, a guardian spirit which appears in dreams to give advice or warning, or a person's soul which passes to another member of the family after death. According to folk belief, it is considered an omen of death to see one's own Fylgja, except in a dream.
Garters: In certain traditions of Wicca, special garters made of snakeskin, leather, or velvet (Often decorated with a silver buckle) that are tied around the leg above the knee and regarded as a sign of rank among Witches. Garters are usually worn by High Priestesses of covens or by those who become Witch Queens (a name given to High Priestesses whose covens have "given birth" to new covens.) Solitary Witches as a rule do not use garters in their religious or magickal practices.
Gray Magick: The art and practice of any form of magick that is neither totally white nor totally black; magick that combines elements of both white and black; or white magick that borders on being black magick, but is not necessarily performed with evil or malicious intent. Love spells that are of a manipulative nature, a death spell to end the long and painful suffering of a terminally ill loved one, and a self defense spell that returns a curse to its sender are several examples of gray magick.
God: The male aspect of Spirit
Goddess: The female aspect of Spirit
Great Rite: A name used for sexual intercourse which is performed either actually or symbolically as a sublime religious experience. This major male-female "polarity" ritual (also known as the "Sacred Marriage") is often enacted at major Sabbats (especially Samhain) by the High Priestess and High Priest of a coven who draw down into themselves the spirits of the Goddess and the Horned God, respectively, and experience a divine union that is both physical and spiritual. In certain Wiccan traditions (such as Gardnerian), the Great Rite is performed as part of the Third Degree Initiation, which promotes a Witch to the highest of the three grades of the Craft. Many modern Pagans no longer believe that the Great Rite is neccesary or use the symbolic form, which involves inserting the athame into a chalice.
Grove: In ancient times, this term was used by Druids to describe their groups; also used interchangeably with coven or circle.
Guardian(s): Helpful spirits, which can be attracted to your home, car, workplace etc.; if treated properly they can be very beneficial! (and if not, they can cause mischief!
