Calcite - A magickal stone whose quality is that of balance of positive and negative energies.

Caledonii  - Formally known as the Hecatine Tradition, this denomination of the Craft is Scottish in origin, and still preserves the unique festivals of the Scots.

Call - Invoking the Divine Forces.

Cakes and Ale - The Pagan communion that consists of a natural beverage and cake offered to each participant on a ritual.

Camulus - A Celtic "Mars" and war God, associated with clouds and storms. His magickal symbols are the severed head and a very large sword.

Candlemas - The Christianized Pagan holiday of Imbolc to welcome back the light. See Imbolc.

Candles , Altar/ Ritual - The candles used in ritual. There are candles placed on or just inside the Magick Circle and one or more placed on the altar. The candles' colors correspond with the elements that each cardinal direction is associated with. These vary by tradition, but most commonly are: North (Earth) – Green or Brown, East (Air) – Yellow or White, South (Fire) - Red, and West (Water) - Blue. The Altar Candle(s) also vary, usually depending upon the time of year, being either white, black or both. They represent the fifth element of "Akasha" or Spirit. The Altar Candles are often used to light the other candles around the Circle during the "Casting the Circle" ritual. In addition to these purposes, they also serve as practical lumination for rites and spellcraft done after or in the dark.

Candle Magick - A form of Magick using colored candles to represent objects or people that the spells are directed at A type of magick in which candles are charged for a specific purpose and then burned to unleash the spell. Certain colors are used for certain purposes, e.g., red - love, green - material wealth, etc.

Candomble - A Brazilian Pagan Tradition with roots in 'VooDoo'. See Also "Santeria".

Cantrip - A spell cast by a Witch. It is small, quick, and has minimal effects.

CardinalPoints - North, South, East, and West, often marked with candles of colors associated with each point. (varies per tradition.) The Circle is drawn to connect these four points. See Quarters. See Watchtowers, Quarters and Elements.

Cardinal Signs - The four Signs of the Zodiac in which initiate the Elemental Tides: Aries - Fire; Cancer -Water,  Libra - Air, Capricorn - Earth

Carnelian - A magickal stone whose qualities are that of sexuality, fire, power, and creativity.

Casting - To cast  involves the raising of energies coinciding with symbolic actions, words, etc. towards the creation of something, thus manifesting it.

Casting the Circle - The psychic creation of a sphere of energy around the area where a ritual is to be performed, both to concentrate and focus the power raised, and to keep out unwanted influences or distractions.  The space enclosed exists outside of ordinary space and time.

Casting Stones - Several systems of divination call for small stones to be cast upon the ground, or on a special board or cloth. These stones may be marked with runes, or their color may indicate their meaning.  Also called Lithomancy.

Catoptromancy - an early form of crystal gazing with a mirror turned to the moon to catch its light.

Cauldron - A feminine symbol of the goddess, also of life, death, and rebirth. This is associated with Cerridwen, a goddess who brewed a magickal cauldron from which a single drop was yielded each year.  A pot which may be used for ritual purposes. Generally looks like the stereotypical black cast-iron pot. Can be used to burn things in.

Catharsis - The release of magickal energies at the height or climax of a ritual. Essentially the use of energy at the catharsis is the crux of the rite, determining whether its outcome will be successful or not.

C.E.  Common Era -  Synonymous with A.D. but without religious bias.

Celtic -  (pr. kel-tic) Referring to the descendants of the Celts and the traditions of Ireland, Scotland, Wales, England, Cornwall and Brittany, peoples of Central and Western Europe. e.g. Witta, Faery or 'Faerie' traditions, and Druidism. 

Censer - A pot, dish, or other object that incense can be burned in.

Center - To center oneselves thoughts and energies

Centering - An exercise or point of development in which one's mind is constantly tuned toward the concept of 'Oneness'.

Ceremonial Magic - Ceremonial Magic, or Ceremonialism, is a magical tradition followed by both Pagans and Judeo-Christians, derived from Hermeticism and Alchemical thought. Ceremonial Magicians tend to see magic as compelling outside forces to act in their interest, where Wiccans tend to access their own powers or the ambient energies around them. The two groups are closely related, and have often interacted.

Ceres - (pr sir-eez)   The Roman Goddess of agriculture. The Greeks called her "Demeter".

Cernunnos – (Kernunnos, Cerne, Herne the hunter) The Horned one.  He is lord of animals and a God of life and death...the very essence of the Horned God. His magickal symbols are the sun, animal horns, a serpent belt, a stag, a bull, three cranes, a rat, and a bag of flowing coins.

Cerridwen –(Kerridwen) Ancient Welsh Fertility and Mother Goddess, a Goddess of inspiration and knowledge...the very essence of the Triple Goddess; called "The Ninefold One". Her magickal symbol is the moon, a large cauldron from which all manifested energy arises.

Chakras (pr. SHA-kras) - Energy vortexes in the body; each one has a specific property. From the Sanskrit term to mean, "wheel of light". While popular in many modern Wiccan circles, chakras actually have little to do with modern Witchcraft. However, they can be quite useful if so desired. Starting from the tailbone, they are #1 Root (Red), Sexual/Generative (Orange), Solar Plexus (Yellow), Heart (Green), Throat (Blue), 3rd Eye (Indigo), and Crown (Violet).

Chalice -  1) The Christian Cup of Communion, most pagans I know refer to it as the goblet, that may be of any material. 2) Another name for the goblet used in ritual.  See  Goblet.

Channeling - Where you allow a 'spirit' to use your body to communicate to either you or others. You might think this cool and all but does have consequences, when not used to being channeled you can loose conscience simply because it's 'overpowering'.

Chant - A series of repeated words or tones that are usually used to help induce energy or a trance state. Can be as simple as a one note hum, or a long song or series of words.

Chaos - Primordial Deity, God/dess before creation. The original state which contains within itself the beginnings of all that is given form in the physical world, but in a dreamlike and undifferentiated state. Both female and male, spiritual and physical, dark and light, all bound up together. Chaos is also called Unity or Union, among many other names, is both the starting point and the ending point of creation,

Chaplet - A circlet for the head usually made of flowers and worn at Beltane or during a handfasting.

Charge - To infuse, fill an object or person with energy; also an oath or instruction.

Charge, of the - originally written in modern form by Doreen Valiente and also known as the "Charge of the Goddess", this poem is a spiritual passage from the feminine side of nature.

Charging - The act of empowering an herb, stone or other magickal object with one's own energies directed towards a magickal purpose.

Charm - An object, amulet or talisman that is charged and instilling it with energy for a specific purpose or a specific task.

Chaste Moon, Quickening Moon - February  The antiquated word for pure reflects the custom of greeting the new year with a clear soul.

Cheiromancy/Chiromancy - The divination by examination of the hand.

Christmas -"Christ's Mass." The Christianized Pagan holiday of the Winter Solstice celebrating the rebirth of the Sun. See Yule.

Cingulum - Worn around the waist or wrist and binds the Witch to the Gods and the Wheel; also used for cord magick (also known as Cord).

Circle - A group of people gathered together for a ritual,  i.e. "I'm going to circle tonight".
 A sphere of energy used in a ritual, generally to create a space "between the worlds".

Circle , Magick - A Magick Circle is a sacred, purified space in which ritual and magick are performed. Even many within the Craft have not been admitted into another's sacred space. Circles are to be respected at all times and clean. Most Circles found in Witchcraft are pentacles with the top of the star pointing north. Usually candles are in the four cardinal directions, North, South, East, West, and, varying slightly by tradition, the candles are colored in correspondence with each directions' element; Earth, Fire, Air, & Water.

Circle of Stones - A Magick Circle formed of stones, either man-made or (rarely) found naturally, usually set upright around the perimeter. Stonehenge is such a circle. This type of Magick Circle is more commonly used in Druidic, Celtic, Shamanic, and some Northern-European Traditions.

Citrine - A magickal stone whose qualities are that of thought, clarity, pattern and insight; of the mind.

Clairaudience - Phantom intuitive hearing, perceiving messages either as an inner or an outer sound.

Clairsentient - Intuitive feeling or awareness. Sometimes this can include the ability to perceive odors, tastes, emotional feelings or touch.

Clairvoyant - Intuitive sights or vision. Perceiving images through inner sight. More advanced clairvoyants are able to perceive spirit beings, as well as physical entities and auras.

Cleansing - Removing any negative energy, vibrations, or images from a person, object, or place.  

Clergy - Spiritual / religious Officials authorized to conduct services, marriages.

Cloak - Is a hooded, loose garment which is worn over your ritual robe when outdoors. It has just one botton or string near the neck to keep it on the wearer.  See Robe

Color Magick - Perhaps the simplest and most useful forms of magick, it utilizes colors and their traditional representations to bring about desired effects.

Coming of Age Ritual - At age 13 for boys, and at the time of a girl's first menses, Pagan children are seen as spiritual adults.  This ritual celebrates their new maturity and in some traditions, this is the age when they are permitted membership in covens.

Compact - A compact is a doctrine or constitution of rules and/or guidelines by which a coven or pagan study group operates.

Conditioning - I'm putting this psychological term in here because I feel it is a pretty relative term in regards to Pagan, as well as all religious practices. Conditioning is the state of being that reflects the culmination of one's ancestry, upbringing, experience, personality, and culture. This is NOT the true self, but a collection of the valences and reactions that an individual wears as a way to maneuver in this world.

Cone of Power - A mass of psychic energy that is raised and focused by a person or a group of people (coven) to achieve a purpose or goal.

Conjure - To summon entities from the spirit realm into the physical plane. Invoking by a Sacred name. The magickal practice of manifesting or bringing about Otherworldly beings or spirits for certain magickal tasks

Consecration - Blessing an object or place by instilling it with positive energy,  To purify and make sacred, to devote to a certain purpose. Make holy. Imbuing sacred symbols with the power of the four elements.

Consort - In matters of the Gods and Goddesses, the Consort is the masculine element of given unions or pairs. E.g. the God of Hunting is Consort to the Goddess of Fertility.

Coracle - A small boat covered with animal skins used by Celts and Goths for ritual practices to be held on the seas.

Cord - Worn around the waist or wrist and binds the Witch to the Gods and the Wheel; also used for cord magick (also known as Cingulum).

Corn Dolly - A figure made by plaiting wheat, similar to a poppet. It is symbolic of the fertility, grain, and harvest aspects of the Goddess.

Correspondences - Sets of ideas, concepts or objects that are regularly associated in a particular way. Most magickal workings involve the use of correspondences. For example, the Moon is associated with Monday, moonstones, the color white, and purity, among other things.

Coven - (pr. CUH-ven) from covent- meaning no more then 13.  A group of individuals (2 to 13) who regularly meet together for Esbat and Sabbat rituals.

Coven Secrecy - Secrecy has always been a part of the Craft. This is not because we have things to hide, but because they are personal to us and/or the coven. There are certain things we feel we must hide from the public because they may not be trustworthy or understanding of some of these aspects, and thus hold discrimination and bias against the group.

Covendom - The territory of a coven, traditionally it is a three mile radius around the covenstead.

Covenstead - Where the coven Witches all meet in a fixed building or place where they can feel safe and at home.

Cowan - (pr. COW-an) An old term meaning basically "outsider", or "one who is not a Witch". Not used as frequently today.

Coyote energy  - Trickster energies. Named for the American Indian Trickster, Coyote, who tricks man into learning what he needs to learn. Applies to one who constantly jokes and clowns. Also applies to the concept of "Holy Fool" in many traditions.

Craft , The - Term to denote Witchcraft, Wicca, or sometimes other folk, nature magickal, occult or pagan religion.

Crone - The Hag, the old Goddess. Frequently a death Goddess, usually wise and powerful. Also a woman who has passed menopause. Sometimes the Dark Moon Goddess.

Cross , Celtic - A circle with a 'plus sign' inside of it. It signifies the Celtic Trinity, but also carries other significance to other traditions as well; the Norse Odinnic Traditions call it 'The Eye of Odin'.

Cross Quarter (Greater) Sabbats - The Sabbats which fall between the quarter holidays (Solstices and Equinoxes). The Cross Quarter holidays are: Samhain, Imbolc, Beltane, and Lughnasadh. 

Crossing the Bridge - A Pagan term for the death of someone/something. It is also the name of a funeral ritual done by covens and solitaires to mark the passing of coven members and loved ones. Unlike most religious funerals, it is a time of rejoice rather than mourning, since pagans believe that the individual's experiences for this lifetime are complete.

Crowley , Aleister - An extremely dominant author of the occult and magick. His works in occult studies are seen very much as 'core' material. Without his research and dedication, especially where magick is concerned, we pagans would most assuredly be much further behind in our own studies.

Crystal - Usually a semi-precious gemstone thought to have specific qualities. For example, clear quartz can be used to focus energy, Black Onyx can be used for grounding, etc.

Crystal Ball - A crystal sphere used for divination and scrying. Also called a showstone.

Cult - Technically, a cult is any religion other than Christianity, Judaism, and Islamic. But more acutely defined, a cult serves to the powers and purposes of its leader, not really caring for its other members. Witchcraft is not a cult in this sense because it caters to the spiritual needs of each individual, and, moreover, there is no one witch that has more authority over another. See also "Degree System, The".

Cunningham , Scott - A very important author of the modern pagan movement. His works have inspired many, many would-be pagans and helped them take their first steps upon the Pagan Path. His two most prestigious "beginner" books are "Wicca: A Practical Guide for the Solitary Practitioner" and it's companion, "Living Wicca: A Further Guide for the Solitary Practitioner".

Cunning Man/ Woman - The solitary Witch who healed, gave advice, told fortunes, and dispensed charms to the inhabitants of rural villages in Europe.

Curse - Conscious direction of negative energy towards a person, place, or object.

Daemon- A Greek word for spirit.

Dagda - Also "The Dagda". He is an aspect of the All Father, and a Lord of complete knowledge and wisdom. He is the "Light" aspect of the God and is the master of life and death and a bringer of prosperity and abundance. He is the 'light' twin to the 'dark' Sucellos, ruling over the light half of the year beside the Goddess. His magickal symbols are the wand, chalice (or goblet), a magick harp, the flesh hook, a sword, club, and cauldron.

Dagyde - A pin, needle, thorn or other sharp small instrument. It is used in image-magick, to indicate the area of the body at which the energies are being directed. The results can be positive/curative or negative/destructive depending on the intent of the magickal work performed.

Damona - A protectress of farmers' herds and fields and a Goddess of abundance and prosperity. Her magickal symbols are cattle.

Days of Power - See Sabbats, as well as a few other days throughout the year. These days can be triggered by astrological occurrences, your birthday, a woman’s menstrual cycle, or your dedication/initiation anniversary.

Decoction - a decoction is made like an infusion, but here it is OK to boil the herb. Usually decoctions are made from roots or other herbs with constituents that are not easily extracted. Roots, seeds and stems make good decoctions. Begin with cold water, and add the toughest roots, etc., first. Bring to a boil and simmer for about 30 minutes covered. Then let cool completely. If adding leaves or dried herbs to a decoction, you can take the decoction off the stove and steep your less hardy herbs as you would an infusion. Be sure to cover throughout the process so your volatile oils don't boil away. Strain. Some recommend one oz. of herb to one pint water. Others use one part herb to 20 parts water.

Dedication - Dedications are usually the first step in one's spiritual journey. A dedication ritual is one where the individual is making a vow to devote themselves wholly and earnestly to the sacred purpose of the spiritual practice of Wicca, Paganism or to the Craft. After a year and a day of study it is time for the student to decide about pursuing the Craft further. The next step in formal Wicca studies - initiation. See Initiation

Degree - Levels. A way of grading how far someone has progressed within certain Paths, A title that is earned, generally beginning at initiation and sometimes at dedication in some traditions. The degrees are attained through Study and other requirements as set by the coven or circle. In some traditional covens this is a system of hierarchy or rank based on a level of achievement.  The most common form is that which is divided into Three  or Five degrees, and each requires a different level of initiation.  The 3 Degree system would be, The First Degree is that of Witch or Initiate. The Second Degree may be a full member of the coven, or have the rank of Priest or Priestess. The Third Degree is reserved for those who are the High Priest/High Priestess of the coven or have been given permission to hive off to start a coven of their own. The 5 Degree system would be, from lowest to highest; Neophyte,  First Degree Priest/ess,  Second Degree Priest/ess,  Third Degree Priest/ess, and  Elder.   See also each of these

Deity - An individual's view of the Divine. Maybe an all-encompassing entity, or one of many Gods.

Demeter - (pr dee-mee-ter)   See "Ceres".

Denomination - A religious sect. Some denominations of the Christian religion are Catholic and Lutheran, some denominations of Witchcraft are Gardnerian, Celtic/ Faerie. See also "Tradition".

Deosil/ Deasil (English)/ Deiseil (Scottish) - (pr. JIH-sel, jess-il or dee-zul) The Gaelic name for the clockwise direction one walks in clockwise within the circle (sunwise). It is also used as a charm to bring luck. This term is a distantly related to the Latin "dexter," meaning right. See also Sunwise.

Devas - Earth elemental spirits names by the Celtic pagans.

Devotee - A devotee is a person who is attached, or devoted, to a particular Patron deity. Thus one might be a devotee of Hecate, or a devotee of Isis.

Diamond - A magickal stone whose qualities are that of strength, power, insight, inspiration, protection, and development. Is  it any wonder why they're so common in wedding and engagement rings?

Diana - (pr dee-ah-nah/die-ah-nah)

Dianic - First pinpointed by Margaret Murray in 1921 in "The Witch-Cult in Western Europe," this term appears to include a mixture of various traditions. However, their prime focus in recent years is on the Goddess, and has been pegged as the "feminist" movement of the Craft.

Dianic Tradition - The Dianic Tradition focuses on the Goddess with little talk about a God. The Goddess is worshipped in her three aspects - Maiden, Mother, and Crone. There are different varieties of Dianic witch. Since the 1970's, the Dianic Tradition has been seen as the feminist movement of the craft. Some, but not all, Dianic covens are exlusively women.

Dionysian - A term for traditions and religions which emphasize ecstatic and emotional aspects. These aspects are used to free the mind of physical limitations and for creating a collective consciousness within a group.  This is term is based on the Greek Dionysus, the god of ecstasy and wine, and the ceremonies surrounding his worship.

Dismiss - To “Dismiss” is to release an energy construct you have created, or an aspect of Deity you have invoked. In common usage the term Dismiss is used to describe the process of giving thanks to Deity, taking down the Quarters, and opening the circle.

Divination - The art of using tools and/or symbols to gather information about a person, place, the past, the present, the future, etc. (e.g. tarot cards, tea leaves, runes etc)

Divine Power - The natural power of the Gods. This force permeates 'holy' places and people, and can be drawn upon by the followers of such deities.

Doctrine of Signatures - The theory that flowers, herbs, plants and other living things have a unique quality or vibration

Dowsing - The art of using a pendulum, metal rods or  stick to find the location of a person, place, or object. This technique can also be used to answer yes or no questions.

Dracomancer - A practitioner of magick who uses dragons in their workings.

Dragon’s Blood - A red resin from one of the Indonesia Palm trees fruit was used as a astringent medicine is now more commonly used as a powerful ink for magickal writing.

Drawing down the Moon - A ritual used during Full Moon by Witches to empower themselves and unite their essence with a particular deity, when the Goddess may be invoked.

Drawing Down the Sun - A lesser known and lesser used companion ritual to Drawing Down the Moon in which the essence of the Sun God is drawn into the body of a male witch.

Dream , Literal - A dream in which it's symbolism can be easily explained and interpreted because of recent events. E.g. A trusted friend lied about you to someone and perhaps a week after you find out, you dream of being murdered by being shot or stabbed in the back. This type of dream has little underlying significance; it is simply something stuck in your head that you feel strongly about that is being coped with by and being relayed to the unconscious mind.

Dream , Prophetic - A dream sent to you by a part (your part) of the Universal Consciousness through your unconscious mind to warn or prepare you for an oftimes dramatic future event. E.g. You dream of your brother being killed in a car accident and you wake up crying. You call your brother and he answers the phone just as he was about to go across the street to a friend's house. There's aloud crash and and your brother goes to investigate, finding that there was an accident outside his home. Sometimes the symbolism and timing in such dreams are not as clear as I just depicted and the message must be carefully interpreted to hold any significance.

Dream , Repetitive - This type of dream is one that keeps repeating itself, with little or no change. The reason a dream is recurring is because the message the dream is trying to get across is one that you have not acted sufficiently upon. The dream will cease to repeat when action pertaining to it's message has been taken.

Dream , Symbolic - A dream that represents something. Usually it is a 'weird' dream that you do not understand. The message of the dream is relayed through symbols that you can relate to. Interpretation of such dreams can be extensive, but they have to mean something, else you'd not have dreamt it.

Druidism - An ancient Celtic order of  priests, Druids worship in groves and venerate the Goddess through trees, especially the oak. This Pagan path moved across Europe and is now practiced world-wide. Perhaps the largest difference between Druidism and many other pagan traditions is that there is an authoritarian hierarchy, known as the High Council of Nine. This council is to Druidism what the Pope and his archbishops are to Catholicism. It is a great honor to be on the council, and when a druid reaches this level and then moves past it, his or her 'political powers' are all but non-existent. A new druid is then chosen to take his or her place upon the council. See also "Druid", "Bard", "Ovate", "Grand Druid", and "Heirophant Druid"; "Gwyddonic Druidism".

Druid(ess) - Priest or Priestess in Celtic practices.

Duality - The opposite of polarity.  When used as a religious term, it separates two opposites such as good and evil and places those characteristics into two completely separate God-forms.

Dwyn - A God of love and mischief who loves to play tricks, reminiscent of the Norse God "Loki".