Glossary
Alignment/Attunement- The art and practice of placing our spiritual and mental selves in sync with the energies of an astronomical event (i.e.; a fullmoon) or another being (i.e.; a God or Goddess.) This can be achieved through mental excercises, evocation, invocation, or ritual.
As above, so below- A wiccan way of saying that natural laws apply universally and that our inter-connectedness makes all realms metaphors for one another
Amulet- an object worn, carried or placed to dispell or drive away negativity or other vibrations; a protective object.
Athame- A knife used by Witches to draw the magick circle and to store and direct energy. A Witch's athame has either a black or white handle. It also has various Magickal symbols enscribed on its blade.
Akasha- The fifth element, the omnipresent spiritual power that permeates the universe. It is the energy out of which the Elements formed.
Aspurge- To purify ritually by sprinkling with salt water. Often this is done by dipping a fragrant branch, such as rosemary, into the water and sprinkling it over the participant in a ritual.
Aura- The energy field existing around all living things.
Book of Shadows- A collection of Wiccan Ritual information that usually includes religious rituals, magick and advice. There are many Books of Shadows; there is no one correct Book of Shadows.
Balefire- A fire lit for magickal purpose. Traditional fires were lit on hills during Beltane and Samhain.
Bane- That which destroys life, which is poisonous, destructive, evil, dangerous.
Banish- To release and drive away a conjured spirit from the power of the magick circle.
Besom- An old English word for the Witch's broomstick. European folklore tells of Witches riding their besoms through the sky, which many feel is an uninformed explanation of astral projection. As a magickal tool, the besom is used to sweep a sacred area, ground a circle, or brush away negative influences.
Boline- A white handled knife used for ritual cutting of cakes, cords, herbs, etc. It is not a weapon.
Bless- To bless something or someone is to set it apart as sacred, or, as the dictionaries prefer, to make it "holy." The word is sometimes used synonymously with "consecrate."
Ceremonial Magick- a system of magick that uses intricate rituals to effect either material or spiritual results. Most (but not all) forms of ceremonial magick are heavily influenced by medieval Jewish mysticism.
Censer- A heat-proof container in which incense is smoldered during ritual. An incense burner. Usually associated, in Wicca, with the Element of Air.
Charging- To infuse an object with Personal Power. To charge is an act of magick.
Coven- A group of Wiccans, usually initiatory and centering around one or two leaders, that gathers for religious and magickal workings.
Chalice- A ritual goblet.
Cone of Power- Power from a coven of witches or a solitary witch that generates and collects in the form of a cone.
Cauldron- Linked to witchcraft in the popular mind, this primal Goddess image is used like a chalice or cup. This was a common magickal instrument in the Celtic traditions because it was a practical object as well, which could be used for cooking or washing as well as making brews and magick potions. In many of the mythological stories from Ireland and Britain, the cauldron is symbolic of the womb of the Mother Goddess in which all life begins, ends, and regenerates.
Circle- A ritually dedicated sacred space where Witchs' rites are conducted "between the worlds." Marked at least by psychic energy and the HP's sword or athame, the border also supports "Quarter Candles" at the compass points. It may also be marked with stones, more candles, drawn lines, or with an embroidered or painted mat. Once cast, a circle may not be entered or left until a door, quickly resealed, is ritually cut. The psychic energy of a circle is always grounded at the close of ritual and celebration, but the physical demarcations may be left in place if the circle is on safe private property.
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