Pagan & Proud
Pagan Dictionary
(Key pagan words and their definitionins)
A
Altar - A table or flat space where ritual tools are places and represented when during a ceremony or a ritual. It is the focus generally during these ceremonies.
Amulet - any natural object that is consecrated and used for good luck, protection, healing, or attraction.
Astrology - the study of the movements of the planets and stars, and how they influence our daily lives.
Athane - A knife and a tool. As a tool it can direct energy and for casting a circle. It can also be used as a representation for the male gods or the element fire.
B
Bell - Can envoke goddesses or used in other rituals. Bells create vibrations, and are used in different types of rituals.
Binding - a spell or working that restrains someone metaphysically, preventing them from doing something.
Black Magic - applied to magic that is done in a negative manner.
Blesses Be - A greeting to someone indicates that you wish good and positive things upon them.
Blue Moon - 13th full moon that happens occassionally.
Boline - knife typically has a white handle and a curved blade, and is used more for cutting herbs, cords, and other magical items.
Book of Shadows -A collection of spells, rituals, and personal documents that relate to the individuals personality. It could be an old blank book, a bunch of printed papers in a 3 ring binder, or a diary type book. Depending on what the individual wants will depend on how the BOS looks like and is for.
Book of the Dead - collection of scrolls and other documents which include rituals, spells, and prayers found in the ancient Egyptian religion.
Broom - Used often to clear an area for a ceremony for physical clensing and energy based clensing. It represents water element and is made of wood often found near water such as willow trees.
Bruja/Brujo - Spanish, refer to people who are practitioners of witchcraft.
Burning Times - Refers to the tiems witches were burned at the stake.
C
Cake and Ale Ritual - is often celebrated as a way of thanking the gods
for their blessings.Candles - Used in rituals as different aspects. Fire element, depending on colors they could stand for various aspects and gods and goddesses. A list of colors and their meanings will be posted in a reply to this post to refer to.
Cauldron - A symbol of fertility and can stand for all 4 elements. It can be represented by a challace to take its place. It also can be used to mix "potions".
Celtic - used by scholars to define a specific set of language groups, originating both in the British Isles and in the mainland of Europe.
Censer - An insence holder used for ceremonies. Can be used as a representation of the air element.
Cerimonial Magic - magic in which the practitioner uses specific rituals and invocations to call upon the spirit world.
Chalice - Representing the feminine aspect and water. Used also to drink wine or cider (or other drinkables) during a ceremony as well.
Charge of the Goddess - A poem.
Circle - a place of worship in Wicca and Paganism.
Clairvoyance - the ability to see things which are hidden. This can be auditory, visual, in dreams, etc.
Coven - A group of witches practicing together.
Covenstead - generally a designated sacred space and permanent location where the group can meet.
Cultural Appropriation - the appropriation of one culture’s practice and belief system by another, but without the true cultural context.
Curse - Also known as a hex, is the willful direction of negative magic towards another person.
D
Degree system - Similar to the belt system in martial arts or grades in school, the degree system shows the progress the pagan has made in their studies and practice.
Divination - The practice of seeking knowledge of the future or the unknown by supernatural means.
Deosil - To move deosil is to move in a clockwise (or sunwise) direction.
E
Elder - A fellow practicioner who is older or more practiced.
Empathy - the ability to sense the feelings and emotions of others, without their telling us, verbally, what they are thinking and feeling.
Eclectic Pagan/Witch - one whose practice is a blend of several different spiritual paths or traditions.
Elements - Wat,air, fire, and earth which are the 4 base elements that are the core of things.
Esbat - a Wiccan meeting held each month at the time of the full moon.
Envoke/invoke - to call upon it and ask it to join you during ritual or a working.
F
Full Moon- the point at which we can see an entire side of the moon.
G
Gems/crystals - Used in rituals and ceremonies. Go to the forum for gems and crystals to learn more about the types and uses.
God and Goddess Candles - they represent the deities of the individual's belief system.
Goddess Position - is traditionally one in which a practitioner stands with arms outstretched, palms towards the sky, and the face turned up to the heavens.
Great Rite - a term applied to the sexual act performed in a magical context.
H
Handfasting - A ceremony in the Pagan or Wiccan tradition where a couple weds. It is not a legal marraige however.
Herbs - Used in ceremonies, rituals, creating potions, tinctures, etc. Refer to the herb forum for more info on the types and uses.
Herbalism - The study of herbs.
I
Incense - Represents air and used in rituals. It can affect ones perspective as well depending on the kind used.
Initiation - a new member must be initiated to truly be a member of a coven.
Intuition - the ability to just *know* things without being told.
J
K
L
Law of Threefold Return - whatever you do will come back to you with three times the power.
Lineage - our initiatory ancestry.
M
Magic Staff - Representing masculine aspect and the element air. Most leaders (priestesses or priests) carry them as a symbol of power. Anyone can use one tho.
Magical Name - Many Pagans and Wiccans adopt a magical name upon their initiation into the Craft. This can be a name you select for yourself, or one given to you by someone else.
Magick - This is a variant spelling used by modern Pagans to differentiate their spellwork and ritual from the pull-a-rabbit-out-of-a-hat variety of magic.
Medium - someone who speaks, in one way or another, to the dead.
Moon Candle - is used in some Pagan and Wiccan traditions for rituals involving the moon.
Mortar and Pestle - use for grinding and blending herbs and dried ingredients together during a magical working.
N
Necronomicon - A fictional writing that many crafter feel is based on truth.
Neowicca/paganism - is typically used when we want to distinguish between the two original traditional forms of Wicca (Gardnerian and Alexandrian) and all other forms of Wicca.
New Moon - For approximately three days during each lunar cycle, after the moon has waned, it goes dark before waxing again.
O
Oathbound - information which may not be revealed to people who have not been initiated into a particular tradition.
Offering - anything given from the heart – time, love, trust, dedication – or it can be a material object such as stones, coins, jewelry, or food.
Ogham - An ancient Irish alphabet, consisting of twenty characters formed by parallel strokes on either side of or across a continuous line. Used in divination.
Oils - Used in ceremonies. Check the Oil forum to learn more.
Replies
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P
Pagan Standard Time - the practice often found in Pagan communities of people showing up anywhere from 20 - 45 minutes late for everything.
Pentacle - A symbol of earth and protection. It is not a pentagram, but often a pentagram is on it. It is something made of metal, wax, wood, or clay with magical symbols on it. It can hold objects needed to be consecrated.
Perfect love and perfect trust - the phrase is used as an entry to the ritual space
Polytheism - Belief in multiple gods.
Poppet - Also known as a voodoo doll.
Priesthood - The group of priest or priestesses are apart of.
Psychic Vampire - an individual who feeds off the energy of others.
Q
Querent - In Tarot reading, the word "querent" is used to describe the person for whom the reading is being done.
R
Ritual Robe - A robe worn during ceremonies and rituals.
Rune Stones - A small stone, piece of bone, etc., marked with a rune and used in divination.
S
Sabbats - Seasonal celebrations.
Self initionation/dedication - Initiation is 2 person done, dedication can be done by one person.
Shrine - Similar to an alter, it is dedicated to a diety or dieties.
Sigil - a magical symbol that represents a concept or tangible item like a person or place.
So Mote it Be - a way of wrapping up a ritual or magical working.
Solitary witch - A witch practicing alone.
Skyclad - Naked.
T
Taglok - a magical link to an individual.
Tarot - Cards used in divination that are read to find out about past, present, and future.
To Know, To Dare, To Will, To Keep Silent.- The phrase refers to four important reminders about the practice of Wicca.
U
Unverifiable Personal Gnosis - the concept that one person's spiritual insights, while right for them, may not apply to everyone.
V
W
Wand - used for the directing of energy during a ritual
Watchtowers - the four cardinal directions – North, East, South and West.
Waning Moon - the period during which the moon goes from full to dark once again.
Waxing Moon - the period during which the moon grows from dark to full.
Wheel of the Year - refer to the changing of the seasons. The Sabbats.
Wicker Man - a giant effigy allegedly used by the Druids to perform human sacrifice.
Widdershins - To move widdershins is to move in a counterclockwise direction.
X
Y
Year and a Day - customary for someone to study for a year and a day prior to being formally initiated.
Z
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Candle color meanings:
Red: Courage and health, sexual love and lust- Pink: Friendship, sweet love
- Orange: Attraction and encouragement
- Gold: Financial gain, business endeavors, solar connections
- Yellow: Persuasion and protection
- Green: Financial gain, abundance, fertility
- Light Blue: Health, patience and understanding
- Dark Blue: Depression and vulnerability
- Purple: Ambition and power
- Brown: Earth-related or animal-related workings
- Black: Negativity and banishment
- White: Purity and truth*
- Silver: Reflection, intuition, lunar connections
* Note that in many Pagan traditions, it is acceptable to use a white candle in place of any other color.
(These are the basic colors)