Every craft has its own vocabulary. This glossary defines the words you are most likely to meet on this site and elsewhere, in plain language. Where a word has a guide of its own, the definition links to it.
A
- Akasha
- A name for the fifth element, Spirit. See the elements.
- Altar
- A surface set aside for ritual and for keeping magical tools. See altar and tools.
- Amulet
- An object carried or worn to protect its owner. Compare talisman.
- Animism
- The view that plants, animals, places, and objects have a spirit or a life of their own.
- Athame
- A ritual knife, traditionally black-handled, used to direct energy. It is not used for cutting. Usually pronounced ATH-uh-may or uh-THAH-may.
B
- Balefire
- A large outdoor fire lit for a festival, especially at Beltane and midsummer.
- Banishing
- Magick that sends something away: a habit, an influence, or an unwanted presence.
- Beltane
- The sabbat of early summer, kept on May 1 in the Northern Hemisphere and on October 31 in the Southern. See Beltane.
- Besom
- A traditional broom of twigs, used to sweep a space clean of stale energy. Pronounced BEE-zum.
- Binding
- Magick intended to restrain a person or a force from doing harm.
- Blessed be
- A common Wiccan greeting, farewell, and blessing.
- Boline
- A working knife, traditionally white-handled, used for cutting herbs and carving candles.
- Book of Shadows
- A witch's personal book of rituals, spells, and records. See Book of Shadows.
- Broom closet
- To be in the broom closet is to keep your practice private. See practicing in the broom closet.
C
- Cakes and ale
- The simple shared meal near the end of a ritual. Any food and drink may be used.
- Cauldron
- A pot used for burning, brewing, and mixing, and a symbol of transformation.
- Censer
- A heatproof vessel for burning incense.
- Centering
- Gathering your attention into a calm point within yourself. See grounding and centering.
- Chalice
- A ritual cup, linked with the element of Water.
- Charge
- To fill an object with a purpose by focused intention. Also a formal speech, as in the Charge of the Goddess.
- Charm
- A spoken spell, or a small object made to carry an intention.
- Circle
- A sacred space created for a ritual. Also an informal group that meets to celebrate. See casting a circle.
- Cleansing
- Clearing stale or unwanted energy from a person, an object, or a place. See cleansing and protection.
- Cone of power
- Energy raised by a group within a circle and released toward a goal.
- Consecrate
- To bless an object and dedicate it to sacred use.
- Correspondence
- A traditional link between a thing, such as an herb or a color, and a magical purpose. See the library.
- Coven
- A small, committed group of witches who practice together. See covens and solitaries.
- Craft, the
- A common name for witchcraft, and in older books for Wicca.
- Crone
- The third aspect of the Triple Goddess, linked with the waning moon, age, and wisdom.
- Cross-quarter day
- One of the four sabbats that fall between the solstices and equinoxes: Samhain, Imbolc, Beltane, and Lughnasadh.
- Cunning folk
- Practitioners of folk magick and healing in historical Britain.
D
- Dedication
- A ritual in which a person commits to studying or following a path. A self-dedication is performed alone.
- Deosil
- In the direction of the sun's movement, which is clockwise in the Northern Hemisphere. Used for casting and for drawing things in. Pronounced JESH-il or DEE-oh-sil.
- Divination
- Seeking insight through symbolic tools such as cards, runes, or a pendulum. See divination.
- Drawing Down the Moon
- A Wiccan rite in which the Goddess is invited to speak through a priestess. See esbats.
- Druid
- A member of the learned class of the ancient Celts, or a follower of modern Druidry.
E
- Eclectic
- Describes a practice drawn from several sources and not from one tradition.
- Elements
- Earth, Air, Fire, Water, and Spirit. See the elements.
- Equinox
- One of the two days each year when day and night are of nearly equal length.
- Esbat
- A ritual held at the full moon, and sometimes at the new moon. See esbats.
F to G
- Familiar
- In folklore, a spirit helper in animal form. Today the word is often used for an animal companion with whom a witch feels a special bond.
- Folk magick
- The everyday magical customs of ordinary people in any culture.
- Grimoire
- A book of magical instruction. Compare Book of Shadows.
- Grounding
- Connecting to the earth to steady yourself and release excess energy. See grounding and centering.
H to I
- Handfasting
- A Pagan wedding or commitment ceremony, in which the couple's hands are tied together with a cord.
- Heathenry
- The modern practice of the pre-Christian Germanic and Norse religions.
- Hedge witch
- A solitary witch whose practice emphasizes herbs, trance, and the spirit world.
- High Priestess and High Priest
- The leaders of a coven in traditional Wicca.
- Imbolc
- The sabbat of early spring, kept on February 1 in the Northern Hemisphere and on August 1 in the Southern. See Imbolc.
- Initiation
- A ritual of admission into a coven or a tradition, performed by those who are already members.
- Intention
- The clear purpose of a spell or ritual. See spellwork basics.
- Invocation
- Words that invite a deity or a power to be present.
L to M
- Libation
- A drink poured out onto the ground as an offering.
- Litha
- The sabbat of the summer solstice. See Litha.
- Lughnasadh
- The sabbat of the first harvest, kept on August 1 in the Northern Hemisphere and on February 1 in the Southern. It is also called Lammas. See Lughnasadh.
- Mabon
- The sabbat of the autumn equinox. See Mabon.
- Magick
- The practice of focusing intention through symbolic action to bring about change. The K separates it from stage magic. See Magic or Magick?
- Maiden
- The first aspect of the Triple Goddess, linked with the waxing moon and beginnings.
- Merry meet
- A traditional greeting among witches. The full phrase is: merry meet, merry part, and merry meet again.
- Moot
- An informal social gathering of local Pagans, usually in a public place.
- Mother
- The second aspect of the Triple Goddess, linked with the full moon and fullness of life.
O to P
- Offering
- A gift of food, drink, flowers, or effort given to a deity, a spirit, or the land.
- Ostara
- The sabbat of the spring equinox. See Ostara.
- Pagan
- A follower of one of the modern nature-revering religions. See What Is Paganism?
- Pantheon
- The family of gods and goddesses of a particular culture.
- Pentacle
- A five-pointed star within a circle. Also the altar disk that bears it. See symbols.
- Pentagram
- A five-pointed star drawn with one continuous line.
- Poppet
- A small figure made of cloth, wax, or other material to represent a person in a spell, most often for healing or protection.
Q to R
- Quarters
- The four directions of the circle and the elements linked with them. Calling the quarters means welcoming each in turn.
- Rede
- An old word for advice. The Wiccan Rede is: an it harm none, do what ye will. See the Wiccan Rede.
- Ritual
- A set of symbolic actions performed in order, with a beginning, a middle, and an end.
S
- Sabbat
- One of the eight seasonal festivals of the Wheel of the Year.
- Samhain
- The sabbat of the ancestors, kept on October 31 in the Northern Hemisphere and on April 30 in the Southern. Pronounced SOW-in. See Samhain.
- Scrying
- Gazing into water, a mirror, or a flame to receive images and impressions. See scrying.
- Sigil
- A symbol created to represent a specific intention.
- Skyclad
- Naked for ritual. It is practiced in some traditional covens and is always a matter of free choice. Most witches work clothed.
- Smoke cleansing
- Burning herbs or incense to clear a space. See herbal magick.
- So mote it be
- A closing phrase for a spell or a prayer. It means so must it be.
- Solitary
- A witch or Pagan who practices alone.
- Solstice
- The longest or the shortest day of the year.
- Spell
- A deliberate, symbolic act performed with a clear purpose.
- Summerland
- A name used by some Wiccans for a place of rest between lives.
T
- Talisman
- An object made and charged to draw something toward its owner. Compare amulet.
- Threefold Law
- The belief that what you send out returns to you three times over. See the Threefold Law.
- Tradition
- A particular form of the Craft passed from teacher to student. See traditions and paths.
- Triple Goddess
- The Goddess seen as Maiden, Mother, and Crone. See the Goddess and the God.
W to Y
- Wand
- A rod of wood used to direct energy and to invite a presence into the circle. Linked with Air or Fire.
- Ward
- A protection set on a place. To ward a home is to guard it magically.
- Wheel of the Year
- The cycle of eight sabbats. See the Wheel of the Year.
- Wicca
- A modern Pagan religion that honors a Goddess and a God. See What Is Wicca?
- Widdershins
- Against the direction of the sun, which is counterclockwise in the Northern Hemisphere. Used for closing a circle and for banishing.
- Witch bottle
- A jar of pins, nails, and herbs kept hidden near a threshold to protect a home. Traditionally it was buried.
- Witchcraft
- The practice of magick. See What Is Witchcraft?
- Year and a day
- The traditional period of study before initiation or dedication.
- Yule
- The sabbat of the winter solstice. See Yule.