How to Become a Witch, Amber K. [new books to read .txt] 📗

Correspondences: The magickal energies associated with symbols, herbs, colors, elements, etc. The symbolic language of magick.

Coven: A group of Witches who gather regularly to celebrate their faith and work magick. Most covens limit their size to thirteen or fewer. Covens are self-governing and vary in their styles and interests. Some are affiliated with a particular tradition of the Craft, while others are eclectic.

Cowan: A person who is not a Witch. See also Muggle.

Craft, the: See Wicca and Witchcraft.

Crescent: A lunar symbol popular with many Wiccans and other magicians. In many traditions of Witchcraft, the high priestess wears a silver crescent on her tiara or headband as a recognition that the Moon Goddess rules magick and the moon symbolizes the powers of women.

Crone: A woman often but not always beyond childbearing age, recognized by her peers as being a leader or resource in the community. Also the elder aspect of a female deity; part of the tripartite Goddess with Maiden and Mother; that part that represents age and wisdom.

Croning Ritual: A rite of passage that marks a woman’s transition to crone status. It may occur at menopause, at age fifty-six (second Saturn Return), or whenever a woman and her peers feel it is appropriate.

Cunning Man: The male equivalent of the wise woman; knowledgeable in the ways of nature and the hunt. Frequently an expert in the use of spells, herbs, and charms. A Witch.

Dark of the Moon: Popularly, the part of the cycle during which the moon is not visible from the earth. It lasts from one and a half to three and a half days, depending on the orientation of the moon and sun. This is traditionally the best time to do divination (scrying, tarot, reading the runes, etc.).

Degree: Many, but not all, covens have a training system of three degrees of learning and skill. In general, a first-degree initiate has the essential skills of a Witch; a second-degree initiate is more advanced and is sometimes considered an elder; and a third-degree initiate is qualified to lead a coven and pass on their tradition of the Craft.

Deity: God or Goddess, or both; the unifying creative principle in the universe.

Deosil: (jesh’-ul) Clockwise or “sunwise.” This is the direction the priestess or priest moves when casting the circle and calling the quarters; it is the direction of attraction, creation, and growth. See widdershins for the opposite.

Dismissing the Quarters: Releasing or saying farewell to the spirits of the elements.

Divination: The art or practice of foreseeing future trends or discovering hidden knowledge using such tools as the tarot, the I Ching, runes, casting stones, or a showstone. Useful prior to ritual magick.

Drawing Down the Moon: A ritual in which a priestess aspects the moon goddess. See aspect.

Earth: The element corresponding to north, the body, the material world, health, strength, abundance, prosperity, the foundation of all things material and solid, and the colors black, brown, olive green, and yellow. Also the planet, our Mother Earth, and an aspect of Deity.

Earthing: Sending excess energy into the earth; done in ritual after power has been raised and sent to its goal.

East: One of the directions of the elements, usually corresponding to air.

Elements: In classical magick, earth, air, fire, or water, each of which represents a class of energies within the universe, and all of which together (along with spirit) make up the reality we know. See listings in this section for each element.

Esbat: A gathering of Witches to celebrate a certain phase of the moon (usually the full moon), work magick, and socialize; from a French word meaning “to frolic.”

Familiar: An animal companion trained to assist in magickal workings.

Famtrad: A Witch who received early training through their family, sometimes passed down through generations.

Farewell to the Quarters: At the end of a ritual, thanking the quarters for their attendance at the ritual and sending them on their way.

Fire: The element corresponding to south, energy, will, passion, determination, ambition, and the colors red, red orange, and gold.

Fluffy Bunny: Slang; contemptuous term for Witches or other Pagans who are completely focused on the positive side of life—springtime, rainbows, bunnies, and white light—and pay little attention to the dark side or their shadow issues.

Full Moon: That phase in the lunar cycle when the moon is at her brightest and appears perfectly round; a high point of lunar power when Witches traditionally gather to work magick for healing and abundance and to celebrate the Goddess; the esbat celebrating the full moon.

God: God (capitalized), half of the ultimate creative force of the universe; god (lowercased), a personification or an aspect of God.

Goddess: Goddess (capitalized), half of the ultimate creative force of the universe; goddess (lowercased), a personification or an aspect of Goddess.

Great Rite: The union of Lord and Lady during a ritual, usually symbolic, celebrating the ultimate creative act.

Grimoire: A book of magickal spells and techniques. Although some of the medieval grimoires seem very mysterious and romantic, often they are merely collections of magickal “recipes” that are ineffective in the hands of anyone but a trained magician.

Grounding: Psychically reinforcing one’s connections with the earth by reopening an energy channel between your aura and the earth, often visualized as a golden cord or tree roots.

Handfasting: A celebration of commitment between two or more people, sometimes a marriage.

Herbcraft: Herbs may be used for healing in a very direct and mundane way using teas, poultices, and tinctures, or in a magickal ritual through their correspondences.

High Magick: See Theurgy.

High Priest: Often the male leader of a coven. His duties include protecting the coven from outside harm and often the initiation of female Witches.

High Priestess: Often the female leader of a coven. Her duties include the spiritual welfare of the members of the coven and often the initiation of male Witches.

Imbolc, Imbolg, or Candlemas: One of the eight sabbats; celebrates the return of the sun’s strength and the beginning of spring. Held on or about February 2.

Initiation: A profound spiritual experience in which one’s unity with Deity and the universe is realized; also, the ritual by