Akasha: The fifth element also called the Spirit or Ether. The combination of Earth, Air, Fire and Water. Considered in traditional times to be the components of all life and matter.
Akashic records: The collective memory bank on the spirit planes said to hold experiences of all people.
Alpha waves: Brain waves.
Amulet: A charm carried on a person or placed in a house for protection.
Archangels: Higher order of angels, celestial beings.
Athame: A double-edged knife used in rituals.
Aura/Auric field: Energy field around all life forms, visible to clairvoyants.
Beltane: Fire Festival of summer beginning on 31st October in Australia (30th April for Northern hemisphere)
Book of Shadows: Traditionally hand written book of rituals, recipes, training techniques, guidelines and other materials deemed important to a Witch or coven.
Cardinal Points: -North, South, East and West. The circle is drawn to connect these points.Candle colors for these are green, red, yellow and blue.
Cauldron: A cooking pot to make poisons.
Censer: A container used for burning granular incense on charcoal.
Chalice: A cup or goblet, one of the tools of a Witch. Represents the Water element when used in rituals.
Charge: A declaration of power and benevolence of the Goddess (or God) in Wicca. Believed to be the words of the Goddess channeled through the speaker.
Ch’i: The flow of positive through everything (invisible life force) Promoting growth, health and vitality.
Clairaudience: A natural psychic ability to hear sounds beyond the normal range. Mediums often communicate with spirits by hearing voices and so they can convey messages to relatives or friends.
Cone of Power: Power raised in a circle by the Witches and sent out into the world to work magick.
Coven: A meeting of a group for worship and fellowship to perform magick. These groups range from two to 13.
Cowan: A non-witch
Deosil: Clockwise or the direction of the Sun, The direction used in creating a circle.
Devas: The angelic beings that watch and direct the natural world. Also known as the Devic Lords of the Watchtowers
Divination: magical method of exploration or inquiry into a situation through Tarot cards, Runestones, I-Ching and other methods.
Druids: Celtic high priests and wise men and women who preserved a common culture.
Elements: The forces or energies that in nature and magick give shape to living things and bring thoughts and desires into actuality. (Earth, Air, Fire, Water plus spirits)
Equinox: The two times of the year when day and night are equal-namely, the spring equinox around 20th September in Australia (21st March northern hemisphere) and the autumn equinox around 21st March in Australia (22nd September northern hemisphere)
Esbat: A monthly coven meeting held 13 times a year during each full moon.
Evocation: The summoning of angels (and sometimes devils) in order to bind them to perform tasks.
Grail: The chalice that Christ used at the Last Supper, in which His blood was collected after the crucifixion.
Handfastings: A marriage rite among Wiccans, named after the focal point of the ritual where the couples right hands are joined by cord to symbolize the uniting of the two people in body, mind and soul.
Hedge Witches: Solitary witches; the name comes from the practice of village wise women surrounding their homes with a hedge of Hawthorn (a magical tree) for privacy.
The Horned God: The male principle in Wicca, Lord of the Hunt, the Herds, Winter and the Underworld. Also known as Cernunnos or horned one.
Imbolc: The Celtic festival of Fire, Candlemans and also known as Oimelc. Early spring festival. Celebrated on the 1st August for Australia ( 1st February northern hemisphere)
Invocation: The ritual “calling-in” of an entity or energies higher than human, either for communication through a medium or drawn into oneself. Medieval magicians would invoke spirits to take over bodies- dangerous.
Karma: The belief that the good and bad deeds in an individual lifetime will allow us to proceed to spiritual perfection or we need to learn lessons in the following lives in order to right our mistakes.
Litha: The time of the longest day of the year. The Summer Solstice 21st December (21st June northern hemisphere)
Lughnassad: Time of Thanksgiving and to prepare for Winter 2nd February (31st July northern hemisphere)
Mabon: The Autumn equinox 21st March (22nd September northern hemisphere)
Medicine Wheel: A concept central to all Native American magick. The wheels link the celestial, human and natural cycles. Also known as the Circle of Power.
Mother Goddess: The giver of all life and fertility and mother of the animals.
Oimelc: See Imbolc.
Ostara: The Celtic festival of the Spring Equinox
Pentacle: A ritual item, a round disc which represents the Earth element engraved with a pentagram.
Pentagram: A five pointed star, each point represents one of the five elements. The uppermost, single point is symbolic of Spirit or Akasha.
Poppet: A ritual doll made of cloth filled with herbs used in healing or as a talisman to attract love or fertility.
Quarters: The four segments of a magical circle. Each segment has its own archangel, candle color, herb, incense, crystal and ritual tool.
Receptive hand: Used for receiving energies, it is the hand you do not write with.
Rede: A rule, law or moral code. The Wiccan rede states If it harm none, do what you will and so ensures all magick has a positive intent.
Sabbath: One of the eight special days of the year on which Wiccan celebrations are held.
Samhain: Witches New Year, the festival of remembering the dead, held on 1st May (1st November northern hemisphere)
Scrying: Seeing magical images in a reflective medium, such as a crystal ball, mirror or a natural moving source of inspiration, also the use of incense smoke.
Sky-clad: Naked
Solstice: Summer Solstice marks the longest day of the year 21st December in Australia (21st June northern hemisphere) Winter Solstice marks the longest night of the year 21st June in Australia (21st December northern hemisphere)
Spell: A prayer, or verbal direction of magickal energies toward success of your goal.
Spirit guides: Guardians from another dimension that advise and protect humans. They may be deceased relatives, wise teachers.
Tailsman: A charm or amulet that has been charged with specific healing or magical energies to make it powerful and to attract health, wealth or luck. It becomes more powerful the more it is used.
Tarot: A deck of 78 illustrated cards.
Threefold Law: A law in Wicca that states that whatever you do or send to others, good or bad will be returned to you threefold.
Triple Goddess: A concept of a deity found in many cultures. May represent the three main phases of the Moon-maiden, mother and crone-or, as in Celtic tradition especially, three sisters.
Wand: A rod or staff that is prepared so that it may be used for magickal or psychic purposes.
Wheel of the Year: An ancient magical and spiritual division of the year. Eight parts to the year.
Wicca: This divine life source as a part of nature. Sometimes regarded as the oldest religion on the world.
Widdershins: Anti-clockwise, moon wise, or against the Sun. The direction used to close a circle, banishing or removing pain.
Yin and Yang: According to ancient Chinese philosophy. Yang is the original Sun concept of light, power, masculinity, assertiveness, logic and action. Yang controls heaven and all things positive. Its balance is Yin, the original Moon concept of darkness, receptivity, femininity, intuition, acceptance and inaction. Yin controls the Earth and all things negative.
