NEO-PAGANISM:    The practice of modern-day Paganism; a contemporary and eclectic movement that aims to revive pre-Christian nature religions, Goddess worship, and the mystery traditions by infusing them with modern concepts

OFFERING:    In Wicca, Witchcraft and magick, a presentation made to the Goddess, the Horned God, or other deity as an act of religious worship or sacrifice.

THE OLD ONES:    The gods of the Old Religion, also known as "The Ancients". In Wicca all aspects of the Goddess and Her consort, the Horned God.

THE OLD RELIGION:    Another name for Witchcraft.

PAGAN:&mnsp   A word stemming from the Latin *paganus*, meaning a "country dweller" and used derogatorily by the Church to describe a follower of the Old Religion, or any person who was not Christian, Jew, or Moslem; a follower of Wicca and other polytheistic religions.

PENTACLE:   (1)  The symbol of the five-pointed star (often within a circle) which represents the four ancient elements of Air, Fire, Earth, and Water, surmounted by the spirit. The pentacle symbol is used by many Witches in spells and magickal ceremonies. (2)  A flat wood, wax, metal, or clay disc bearing the motif of the mystical five-pointed star, and used in magickal ceremonies and spells to represent feminine energy and the ancient element of Earth. It is also known as a "magician's pentacle" ans a "Pentacle od Solomon".

PENTAGRAM:    Any written or drawn pentacle symbol, including both invoking and banishing pentagrams which are drawn in the air with an athame or sword.

POTION:    A hrebal tea or brew used by Witches in magickal or healing rituals. In order to work properly, a potion must be prepared during the appropriate phase of the mon and made with herbal ingredients possessing the correct magickal properties. Potions are traditionally brewed in cauldrons and are used in all facets of the magickal arts.

PRACTICAL MAGICK:    Witchcraft, folk-magick; magick that is concerned with things of the Earth, harmony with Nature, seasons, and cycles. Unlike ceremonial magick which requires complicated rituals and eleborate (and often expensive) ritual tools and ceremonial clothing, practical magick is performed with the aid of simple, common implements.

REINCARNATION:    The repeated birth of the same soul in different physical bodies. Reincarnation is an ancient and mystical that is part of many religions, including Wicca, and is commonly associated with the concept of spiritual evolution.

RITUAL:    A religious or magickal ceremony characterized by symbolic attire and formalized behavior, and designed to produce desired effects such as spiritual illumination or supernatural power, or to invoke a specific deity.

RUNES:    Letters of a secret magickal alphabet that spell words of power and are widely used in magick and divination. Runes can be written, painted, or carved into ritual tools, magicians' robes, talismans, amulets, ceremonial jewelry, and other things to charge the object with power. They can also be marked on flat wooden sticks or stones and used to divine future events or unknown circumstances.

SABBAT:    One of the eight Wiccan festivals; the gathering of Witches to celebrate at specific times of the year the transitions of the seasons. The four major Sabbats are: Candlemas, Beltane, Lammas, and Samhain. The four minor ones are Spring Equinox, Summer Solstice, Autumnal Equinox, and Winter Solstice.

SAMHAIN:    One of the four Grand Sabbats, also known as Halloween, and celebrated on October 31. Samhain is the most important of all the Witches' Sabbats. It is the ancient Celtic/Druid New Year, and also the time when spirits of deceased loved ones and friends are honored. At one time in history many believed that it was the night when the dead returned to walk among the living. The divinatory arts of scrying, and runecasting are Samhain traditions among many Wiccans.

SCEPTER:    A wand used by Witches (and other practioners of the magickal arts) in certain magickal spells and rituals.

SCRYING:    The art and practice of interpreting the future, past, or present from images seen while gazing into a crystal ball, candle flame, pool of water, or gazing mirror; crystal-gazing; mirror-gazing.

SKYCLAD:    A trem used by Witches to mean ritual nudity (clad only by the sky). Skyclad worshipping is common among certain traditions of Wicca (such as Alexandrians and strict Gardnerians) and is carried out in the belief that nudity brings a Witch closer to the divine forces of Nature and equalizes all members of a coven.

SMUDGING:    The buring of incense or an herb bundle to drive away negative forces and to purify the space in which magick is to be performed. The most common herb used for smudging is sage.

SOLITARY:    A name used for the type of Witch who, either by circumstances or by his or her own choice, practices the Craft without belonging to a coven.

SPELL:    An incantational formula; a Wiccan prayer; a nonreligious magickal ritual performed by a Witch or other practioner of the magickal arts.

TALISMAN:    A man-made object of any shape or material charged with magickal properties to bring good luck, fertility, and ward off evil. To formally charge a talisman with power, it must be first inscribed and then consecrated. Inscribing the talisman with a sun sign, moon sign, birthdate, Runic name, or other magickal symbol personalizes it and gives it purpose.

THREEFOLD LAW:    In Wicca, the belief that if one does good, he or she will get it back threefold in the same lifetime. Whatever harm one does to others is also returned threefold. (It is also known as Triple Karma.)

THURIBLE:    A shallow, three-legged dish used in magickal workings as an incense burner.

TRIPLE GODDESS:    A Goddess trinity having three different aspects and three different names, usually corresponding to the three lunar phases. In Her waxing phase, She is the Maiden. In Her full moon phase, She is the Mother. In Her waning or dark phase moon phase, She is the Crone of wisdom, death and darkness.

VISUALIZATION:    In magick, the process of forming mental images of goals during rituals and spellcasting. Also called creative visualization and magickal visualization.

WAND:    A stick used to trace circles, draw magickal symbols on the ground, invoke or conduct spiritual energy, and stir cauldron brews. The wand is the emblem of power. It represents the element of Air and is sacred to all Pagan deities.

WARLOCK:    A word stemming from the Old Engilsh "WAERLOGA" meaning an "oath-breaker" and used derogatorily by the Church as a name for a male Witch. HOWEVER, in Wicca, the word warlock is seldom, if ever, used. Both male and female practioners of the Craft are called Witches.

WATCHTOWERS:    Also known as the Directions or Quarters, these are the four directional points at the perimeter of a magick circle to witch each of the four spirits of the elements are called as guardians during the beginning of a ritual.

WEATHERWORKING:    The art and practice of controlling atmospheric conditions by means of magick, prayer, or supernatural power; magickal control of the weather, most commonly used to make or stop rain.

WICCA:    An alternative name for modern Witchcraft; a Neo-Pagan nature religion with spiritual roots in Shaminism, having one main tenet: the Wiccan Rede.

WICCAN REDE:    A simple and benevolent moral code of Wiccans expressed as follows: "Eight words the Wiccan Rede fulfills; An' it harm none, do what ye will."

WIDDERSHINS:    A word used by Wiccans to mean counter-clockwise. This motion symbolizes negative magickal purposes and is mainly used to uncast the circle at the end of a ritual.

WITCH:    Any individual, male or female, who practices Witchcraft; a Wiccan; one who worships the gods of the Old Religion.

WITCHCRAFT:    The Old Religion; the Craft of the Wise; the practice of folk religion that combines magick, Nature worship, divination, and herbalism with bits and piecesof various pre-Christian religious beliefs, notably those of the Druids and the ancient Egyptians.