Post by Lady SilverVixen (Admin) on Dec 15, 2010 12:50:20 GMT -5
Here are a list of commonly used terms and words, that are used in magick, esotericism and paganism, and their meaning.
Athame
A steel-bladed ritual knife used for energy raising and direction. The athame usually has a black handle to absorb energy, this is sometimes carved with symbols. I
Belfire/Balefire
A ritual fire made of various woods, usually from Ogham trees, and lit at Beltane. Celebrants at Beltane rituals are encouraged to jump the Belfire to purify themselves and cattle used to be driven through Belfires to purify them after being cooped up all winter. Different from the Bonfire, which used to be made from the bones of animals slaughtered during Samhain.
Beltane
One of the eight major neo-pagan festivals that make up the Wheel of the Year. Beltane originally began in Mediaeval Ireland and marked the end of winter. It takes place on or around the 30th of April or the 1st of May. Neo-pagans see Beltane as a fertility festival, when the gods make the land green again.
Book of Shadows
A modern form of grimoire, filled with personal spells and rituals and usually of Wiccan origin though other groups have adopted the term Book of Shadows. The first modern BoS is Gerald Gardner's 'Ye Bok of Ye Art Magical' written sometime around 1949. Doreen Valiente suggests that Gardner later adopted the term 'Book of Shadows' from an advert he had seen in an esoteric magazine.
Censer
A non-flammable container used to burn incense in. Many censers are made of brass though others are ceramic and filled with sand to absorb the heat and prevent them from cracking.
Circle
An area that has been astrally cleansed and established for the purpose of magickal working. It actually takes the form of a bubble of energy around the magician/witch and is created by personal energy.
Degrees
Levels of experience and competence within various magickal and mystery traditions. Wicca traditionally has three degrees while other groups have many more degrees.
Elements
The classical elements of earth, air, fire and water, once thought to be the essential components of all things in the universe. A fifth element 'spirit' or 'akasha' is sometimes also included.
Esbat
Originally a Wiccan coven meeting that takes place on the new and/or full moons, it is now celebrated by solitaries as well. Esbats are more concerned with magickal workings, healings and psychic activity.
Handfasting
A neo-pagan wedding ceremony which borrows from the earlier Middle to Early Modern English practice of tying the hands of the bride and groom together to indicate they were married. Many handfastings are non-legal ceremonies though can be made legally binding by the presence of a registrar.
Imbolc
One of the eight major neo-pagan festivals that make up the Wheel of the Year. Imbolc celebrates the first stirrings of spring at the time of year when the northern frosts break up the land in readiness for ploughing. It takes place on or around the 2nd of February and is connected to St Brigit's Day in her guise as an earlier Celtic goddess. In the Southern Hemisphere, this takes place around the 1st of August.
Initiation Rite
A process and/or ceremony designed to admit an individual into a certain group or tradition. Many groups have initiation rites and will not consider non-initiates to be one of them. See Spiritual Initiation.
Invocation
An appeal to higher powers (gods, spirits etc) for aid in magickal and spiritual working. An invocation can be a petitionary prayer, poetry, or a heartfelt personal appeal.
Litha
One of the eight major neo-pagan festivals that make up the Wheel of the Year. Litha marks the Summer Solstice, when the sun is at its height. This is the longest day of the year and in neo-paganism The God is the radiant Sun King. It takes place on or about the 21st of June in the Northern Hemisphere and the 21st of December in the Southern Hemisphere.
Lughnasadh
One of the eight major neo-pagan festivals that make up the Wheel of the Year. It is a festival in honour of Lugh, the Celtic god of Light, and is a sacrificial ceremony in which the Wiccan God is cut down in his guise as John Barleycorn, the willing sacrifice. It takes place on or about the 1st of August in the Northern Hemisphere and the 1st of February in the Southern Hemisphere.
Meditation
The practice of deep relaxation and calming the mind in order to turn inwards or make oneself more aware and receptive to spiritual forces and energies.
Modron
One of the eight major neo-pagan festivals that make up the Wheel of the Year. Modron is the autumn equinox, when night and day are of equal length, yet the air is growing cooler and the nights becoming darker. It is harvest time, when fruits and nuts are ready to be gathered. It takes place around the 20th-24th of September in the Northern Hemisphere and the 20th-24th March in the Southern Hemisphere.
(Note: This festival is usually called Mabon, but the Mabon is the divine child of light. His mother is Modron and is connected with the autumn equinox and harvesting. The common use of Mabon as the name for this festival seems to be a confusion of the two deities).
Neo-Pagan
'New Pagan' meaning anyone who follows a reconstructed pagan religion or path. Many prefer just to be called 'pagan' however.
Ostara
One of the eight major neo-pagan festivals that make up the Wheel of the Year. This is the spring equinox, when night and day are in equal balance, yet the days are growing in length. The earth is warming and new shoots and flowers are starting to spring up. It takes place around the 20th-24th of March in the Northern Hemisphere and the 20th-24th September in the Southern Hemisphere.
Pagan
From the Latin meaning 'country-dweller' or bumpkin and used to refer to anyone living outside of a city. It is now used to refer to a practitioner of any number of reconstructed pre-monotheistic religions or paths.
Pentacle
A disc of usually wood, clay, metal or resin upon which a five-pointed star (pentagram) has been inscribed. It is used as a ritual tool in several magickal and spiritual traditions and usually represent the element of earth.
Pentagram
A five-pointed star originally used in Sumerian writing and later becoming an esoteric symbol with various meanings depending on the context in which it is used. It is most commonly used in European occultistism and in neo-paganism where it represents the four classical elements crowned with the fifth element of spirit.
Sabbats
The name for the eight festivals making up the Wheel of the Year.
Samhain
One of the eight major neo-pagan festivals that make up the Wheel of the Year. Like Beltane, Samhain has its roots in Mediaeval Ireland and celebrates the end of the summer. In neo-paganism Samhain is often seen as a the time when The God descends into the Underworld and a time when the veil between the worlds is thin. Samhain takes place on or around the 31st of October in the Northern Hemisphere and the 30th of April in the Southern Hemisphere.
Yule
One of the eight major neo-pagan festivals that make up the Wheel of the Year. Yule is the time of the Winter Solstice, when the sun is furthest from the earth and the days are short. In neo-paganism, Yule is when The God is reborn from The Goddess as the divine child of light. Yule takes place on or around the 21st of December in the Northern Hemisphere and the 21st of June in the Southern Hemisphere.
Athame
A steel-bladed ritual knife used for energy raising and direction. The athame usually has a black handle to absorb energy, this is sometimes carved with symbols. I
Belfire/Balefire
A ritual fire made of various woods, usually from Ogham trees, and lit at Beltane. Celebrants at Beltane rituals are encouraged to jump the Belfire to purify themselves and cattle used to be driven through Belfires to purify them after being cooped up all winter. Different from the Bonfire, which used to be made from the bones of animals slaughtered during Samhain.
Beltane
One of the eight major neo-pagan festivals that make up the Wheel of the Year. Beltane originally began in Mediaeval Ireland and marked the end of winter. It takes place on or around the 30th of April or the 1st of May. Neo-pagans see Beltane as a fertility festival, when the gods make the land green again.
Book of Shadows
A modern form of grimoire, filled with personal spells and rituals and usually of Wiccan origin though other groups have adopted the term Book of Shadows. The first modern BoS is Gerald Gardner's 'Ye Bok of Ye Art Magical' written sometime around 1949. Doreen Valiente suggests that Gardner later adopted the term 'Book of Shadows' from an advert he had seen in an esoteric magazine.
Censer
A non-flammable container used to burn incense in. Many censers are made of brass though others are ceramic and filled with sand to absorb the heat and prevent them from cracking.
Circle
An area that has been astrally cleansed and established for the purpose of magickal working. It actually takes the form of a bubble of energy around the magician/witch and is created by personal energy.
Degrees
Levels of experience and competence within various magickal and mystery traditions. Wicca traditionally has three degrees while other groups have many more degrees.
Elements
The classical elements of earth, air, fire and water, once thought to be the essential components of all things in the universe. A fifth element 'spirit' or 'akasha' is sometimes also included.
Esbat
Originally a Wiccan coven meeting that takes place on the new and/or full moons, it is now celebrated by solitaries as well. Esbats are more concerned with magickal workings, healings and psychic activity.
Handfasting
A neo-pagan wedding ceremony which borrows from the earlier Middle to Early Modern English practice of tying the hands of the bride and groom together to indicate they were married. Many handfastings are non-legal ceremonies though can be made legally binding by the presence of a registrar.
Imbolc
One of the eight major neo-pagan festivals that make up the Wheel of the Year. Imbolc celebrates the first stirrings of spring at the time of year when the northern frosts break up the land in readiness for ploughing. It takes place on or around the 2nd of February and is connected to St Brigit's Day in her guise as an earlier Celtic goddess. In the Southern Hemisphere, this takes place around the 1st of August.
Initiation Rite
A process and/or ceremony designed to admit an individual into a certain group or tradition. Many groups have initiation rites and will not consider non-initiates to be one of them. See Spiritual Initiation.
Invocation
An appeal to higher powers (gods, spirits etc) for aid in magickal and spiritual working. An invocation can be a petitionary prayer, poetry, or a heartfelt personal appeal.
Litha
One of the eight major neo-pagan festivals that make up the Wheel of the Year. Litha marks the Summer Solstice, when the sun is at its height. This is the longest day of the year and in neo-paganism The God is the radiant Sun King. It takes place on or about the 21st of June in the Northern Hemisphere and the 21st of December in the Southern Hemisphere.
Lughnasadh
One of the eight major neo-pagan festivals that make up the Wheel of the Year. It is a festival in honour of Lugh, the Celtic god of Light, and is a sacrificial ceremony in which the Wiccan God is cut down in his guise as John Barleycorn, the willing sacrifice. It takes place on or about the 1st of August in the Northern Hemisphere and the 1st of February in the Southern Hemisphere.
Meditation
The practice of deep relaxation and calming the mind in order to turn inwards or make oneself more aware and receptive to spiritual forces and energies.
Modron
One of the eight major neo-pagan festivals that make up the Wheel of the Year. Modron is the autumn equinox, when night and day are of equal length, yet the air is growing cooler and the nights becoming darker. It is harvest time, when fruits and nuts are ready to be gathered. It takes place around the 20th-24th of September in the Northern Hemisphere and the 20th-24th March in the Southern Hemisphere.
(Note: This festival is usually called Mabon, but the Mabon is the divine child of light. His mother is Modron and is connected with the autumn equinox and harvesting. The common use of Mabon as the name for this festival seems to be a confusion of the two deities).
Neo-Pagan
'New Pagan' meaning anyone who follows a reconstructed pagan religion or path. Many prefer just to be called 'pagan' however.
Ostara
One of the eight major neo-pagan festivals that make up the Wheel of the Year. This is the spring equinox, when night and day are in equal balance, yet the days are growing in length. The earth is warming and new shoots and flowers are starting to spring up. It takes place around the 20th-24th of March in the Northern Hemisphere and the 20th-24th September in the Southern Hemisphere.
Pagan
From the Latin meaning 'country-dweller' or bumpkin and used to refer to anyone living outside of a city. It is now used to refer to a practitioner of any number of reconstructed pre-monotheistic religions or paths.
Pentacle
A disc of usually wood, clay, metal or resin upon which a five-pointed star (pentagram) has been inscribed. It is used as a ritual tool in several magickal and spiritual traditions and usually represent the element of earth.
Pentagram
A five-pointed star originally used in Sumerian writing and later becoming an esoteric symbol with various meanings depending on the context in which it is used. It is most commonly used in European occultistism and in neo-paganism where it represents the four classical elements crowned with the fifth element of spirit.
Sabbats
The name for the eight festivals making up the Wheel of the Year.
Samhain
One of the eight major neo-pagan festivals that make up the Wheel of the Year. Like Beltane, Samhain has its roots in Mediaeval Ireland and celebrates the end of the summer. In neo-paganism Samhain is often seen as a the time when The God descends into the Underworld and a time when the veil between the worlds is thin. Samhain takes place on or around the 31st of October in the Northern Hemisphere and the 30th of April in the Southern Hemisphere.
Yule
One of the eight major neo-pagan festivals that make up the Wheel of the Year. Yule is the time of the Winter Solstice, when the sun is furthest from the earth and the days are short. In neo-paganism, Yule is when The God is reborn from The Goddess as the divine child of light. Yule takes place on or around the 21st of December in the Northern Hemisphere and the 21st of June in the Southern Hemisphere.