| SABBAT
| A specific celebration in the Wiccan/Pagan tradition. There are eight Sabbats in a year. Four
occur on the Solstices of a year and are called the Greater Sabbats. The other four occur on the Equinoxes and are called the Lesser Sabbats.
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| SACRIFICE
| In primitive religions (Christianity of the first Testament included) a live animal would be
sacrificed to a particular deity by the ritual killing thereof at an altar. This is not an accepted practice in Witchcraft, Wicca or any modern Pagan path or tradition.
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| SAGITTARIUS
| The 9th sign of the zodiac. Symbolized by the Centaur Archer, is a Fire sign and is ruled by
Jupiter.
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| SAINT JOHN'S WORT
| A healing herb associated with magic and Witchcraft. Also called St. John's Plant or herb and
Mugwort.
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| SALAMANDER
| The traditional name for an Elemental (q.v.) spirit of the nature of the Fire element.
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| SALT
| Used in many magical procedures, including Wiccan, as a kind of spiritual antiseptic, or
purifying symbol.
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| SAMHAIN
| One of the eight Sabbats which is celebrated on or around 31 October. It is a festival which
celebrates the end of summer. Also known as Halloween.
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| SCORPIO
| The 8th sign of the zodiac. Symbolized by the Scorpion, is a Water sign and is ruled by Mars
and Pluto.
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| SCOURGE
| A ritual whip symbolizing firmness, in balance with the Wand which symbolizes mercy. Most
ritual scourges are quite harmless, made for example with silk thongs.
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| SCRYING
| A method of divination by staring at something like a crystal ball or black mirror. Other
popular objects for scrying are incense smoke, flames and pools of water or ink.
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| SEPHIRA
| (plural Sephiroth) Any one of the ten spheres on the Tree of Life, the central concept of the
Cabala.
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| SHADOW
| The buried, unconscious elements of the human psyche; everything except the Ego and the
Persona.
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| SHAMAN / SHAMANESS
| A priest or priestess who communicates with the inner planes by self-induced trance. Obtaining
knowledge of the subtler dimensions of the Earth, during these periods of alternate states of consciousness. Usually ritualistic or magical in nature, sometimes religious.
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| SHAPESHIFTING
| The act of transforming from human into animal or mystical creature and vice-versa.
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| SIGIL
| In Ceremonial Magic, an image that symbolizes a specific spirit, deity, angel or supernatural
being.
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| SIMPLE FEAST
| It is the ritual meal shared with the Goddess and God.
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| SKYCLAD
| The term used for ritual nudity. It is considered by some that clothing may hinder magickal
energies. Being nude is not a requirements and up to the individual who wishes to practice so in private or trusted coven.
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| SKYFATHER
| Used in many Native American belief systems. Commonly used in conjunction with the Earth
Mother.
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| SMUDGING
| The practice of waving smoldering incense or herb bundle about an individual or area to
cleanse or purify. It was adopted from Native Americans.
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| SOLAR ECLIPSE
| Emblem of the God in his aspects of Dark Lord, Lord of Shadows, Death, Chaos, Resurrection,
Hunter, and Leader of the Wild Hunt.
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| SOLITARY
| A term used to describe a Witch who practices the Craft without belonging to a coven.
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| SOUL-MATES
| Individuals who are continuously involved with each other in successive Incarnations, becoming
rather like a pair of binary stars.
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| SPELL
| The collection of energy which is directed by word in prayer form to achieve a goal. This may
include elaborate, ceremonial or simple ritual.
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| SPIRITS OF THE STONES,THE
| The elemental energies naturally inherent at the four directions of the Magic Circle.
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| SPIRITUALISM
| The belief that the spirits of the deceased are able to communicate with the living through a
person known as a medium or by other means.
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| SPRING EQUINOX
| See: Ostara
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| STARGAZING
| See: Astrology
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| STONEHENGE
| A prehistoric ceremonial ruin and one of the most famous and controversial megalithic sites in
the world. It forms a magical circle and is aligned with certain celestial constellations.
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| SUMMER SOLSTICE
| See: Litha
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| SUMMERLANDS
| A spiritualist word for the Heaven which souls enter after death. Often used by believers in
Reincarnation to denote the astral stage of rest after physical death.
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| SUMMONER
| The male officer of the coven who corresponds to the Maiden. He is the assistant High Priest
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| SUN
| The symbol of the Horned God, the sun is an ancient symbol of yang energy and the masculine
forces of nature.
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| SUN SIGN
| The sign of the zodiac that a person is born under.
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| SWORD
| One of the four elemental tools, representing the Fire element or in some traditions, the Air
Sylph The traditional name for an Elemental spirit of the nature of the Air element.
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| SYLPH
| an "entity" or "elemental" that dwells in the plane of Air or is
associated with the AIR Element.
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| TALISMAN
| An object, usually worn as jewelry, which has been charged with specific energy for a specific
purpose.
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| TANTRA
| An Eastern system of spiritual development through sexual energy.
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| TAROT
| A deck of 78 cards used for reading the past, present, future and fortune. It is divided into
two parts; Major Arcana and Minor Arcana.
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| TAURUS
| The 2nd sign of the zodiac. Symbolized by the Bull, is an Earth sign, and is ruled by Venus.
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| TELEKINESIS
| The power of moving physical objects by purely psychic effort.
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| THEISM
| Belief in the existence of Gods and Goddesses. Monotheism is the belief in a single God figure
and Polytheism is the belief in multiple Gods and Goddesses. Atheism is the non-belief in Gods and Goddesses.
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| THIRD EYE
| The 6th of the seven chakras situated between the eyes; the body's highest source of power and
clairvoyant vision. This is also the Major Chakra.
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| THREEFOLD LAW
| The law that any act will return with three times the energy of the original act in the same
or a future life.
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| TRADITIONS
| A formalized path with set rules or laws as well as specific formalized rituals.
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| TREE OF LIFE
| The central glyph or diagram of the Cabala. It consists of ten interconnected spheres of
Sephiroth, each representing a category of cosmic being and activity.
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| TRILITHON
| A stone arch made from two upright slabs with one lying atop these. Trilithons are featured in
Stonehenge.
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| TRIPLE GODDESS
| A Goddess trinity having three different aspects and names, usually corresponding to the
phases of the moon.
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| TUATHAL
| The Gaelic equivalent of Widdershins.
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| TURNING OF THE WHEEL
| Passing of the seasons of the Sabbats.
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| TWIN SOULS
| See: Soul-Mates.
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| UNCONSCIOUS
| That part of the human psyche not directly available to the conscious Ego. It comprises the
Collective Unconscious, and the Personal Unconscious.
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| UNDERWORLD
| In various religions, it is a region conceived to be below the surface of the Earth and
separate from the world of the living where souls go after death; the world of the dead.
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| UNDINE
| An "entity" or "elemental" that dwells in the plane of Water or is
associated with the WATER Element. Also known as nymphs, mermaids or oceanides.
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| VAMPIRISM
| The draining of psychic energy from one individual by another.
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| VERNAL EQUINOX
| Another name for the Spring Equinox.
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| VERVAIN
| A magical plant believed to possess the power to cure grief.
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| VIRGO
| The 6th sign of the zodiac. Symbolized by the Virgin, is an Earth sign and is ruled by
Mercury.
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| VISION
| An altered state of consciousness in which a sacred image is perceived.
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| VISION QUEST
| It is the use of astral projection to accomplish a specific goal. Also known as Pathworking.
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| VISION QUESTING
| Using astral projection or dream time to accomplish a specific goal.
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| VISUALIZATION
| The process of picturing something in your minds eye. This process is used to direct the
projected energy to achieve the goal you set.
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| VOIDING THE COVEN
| The stage where a new coven refrains from working magically with the coven from which it hived
off, until its own identity is firmly established.
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| WALPURGIS NIGHT
| See:
Beltane
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| WAND
| A staff which is used to direct energy in rituals. Though traditionally made of wood, crystal
and various metals are also used. Each wand is individualistic with the makers' own magickal symbols or character.
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| WARDING
| A word used for the art of protection magic.
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| WARLOCK
| A derogatory term for someone who has betrayed the craft and/or uses their skill for
evil/negative purposes. Contrary to popular belief it is not the term for a male witch who remains just that, a witch.
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| WATCH TOWERS
| Originally from the Enochian branch of Ceremonial Magick, now incorporated into many
"Traditions" of Wicca, these are the four elemental "directions" or "quarters" (corresponding to the appropriate points on the compass) called to protect the Circle
during its establishment. Each of them have a correspondence between the compass point, an element, and (varying amongst different traditions) color associated with them.
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| WATER
| One of the four ancient elements that correspond to the West. The spirits of Water are known
as Undines.
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| WATER SIGNS
| The three signs of the zodiac attributed to Water - Cancer, Pisces and Scorpio.
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| WEBWEAVING
| Networking with other magickal people through conversation, in writing, or by computer to
gather information to mutually assist each other in their studies and life goals.
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| WHEEL OF THE YEAR
| A term used by Witches to mean one complete cycle of the seasonal year, usually starting with
Samhain.
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| WHITE HANDLED KNIFE
| See: Bolline
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| WICCA
| In Old English meant "a male witch" and wicce "a female witch". The Old
English for witchcraft was wiccacraeft. Thought by some to have originated from the Anglo-Saxon word "wicce" which means to bend or shape. A contemporary Pagan religion with spiritual roots
in Shamanism and the earliest expressions of reverence of nature. In more modern times this term is accepted for any person following any of the nature based Pagan beliefs honoring the Goddess and the
God.
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| WICCAN
| A follower of Wicca.
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| WICCAN REDE, THE
| The simple rule of Wiccans which states "An harm ye none, do what ye will." This is
not the entire rede, but the essence thereof. See the poetry page for the entire Rede.
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| WICCANING
| In Wicca, the ritual blessing of a newly born baby; the witches' equivalent of a christening,
except that it is not intended to commit the child permanently to any one path.
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| WIDDERSHINS
| Counter clock-wise movement. The opposite of deosil. Normally used in banishing rituals.
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| WINTER SOLSTICE
| Another term for the Sabbat of Yule.
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| WITCH
| Any person who practices magick to achieve there goals. By this understanding, not all Witches
are Wiccan and not all Wiccan are Witches. The term is used for both male and female practitioners. A male witch is not called a Warlock (See: Warlock). Also, anciently, a European practitioner of the
remnants of pre-Christian folk magic, particularly that relating to herbs, healing, wells, rivers and stones.
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| WITCH BOTTLE
| Any glass bottle or jar which is filled with variety of objects, charged with magical power
and used for protection, love, etc.
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| WITCH QUEEN
| A High Priestess from whose coven at least two other covens have hived off.
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| WITCHCRAFT
| The art of using magick to achieve set goals in conjunction with natural energies and
correspondences.
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| WITCHES’ LADDER
| A string of forty beads, or a cord with forty knots, used (like a rosary) as an aid to
concentrated repetition without the distraction of actual counting.
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| WITCHES’ RUNE
| A power-raising chant accompanied by a ring dance.
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| YANG
| In Taoism, the active, masculine and positive cosmic principle that is opposite but always
complimentary to Yin.
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| YARROW
| A medicinal and culinary herb long associated with the practice of Witchcraft.
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| YIN
| In Taoism, the passive, feminine and negative cosmic principle that is opposite by always
complimentary to Yang.
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| YULE
| One of the eight Sabbats celebrated on or around 23 December. This festival celebrates the
Winter Solstice when the God is reborn from the Goddess.
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| YULE LOG
| A log ritually burned at Yule to mark the death of winter and the birth of the sun.
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| ZODIAC
| An invisible circular band in the sky through which the planets are seen to move. Divided into
12 sections called zodiac signs.
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