A

Aboriginal

Pagan tradition of the native Australian people.

Absorption

An anti-psi talent for absorbing the power out of psychic energy fields, including those around other beings.

Achromatics

The “colors” black, gray and white; used occasionally to refer to moralistic schools of occultism.

Active Ritual

One in which those persons raising and focusing the psychic energies are not the main targets intended to be changed.

Active Talent

A psychic talent that involves the discharge of energy or data from the agent to the target.

Acolyte

A novice.

Adept

An individual who through serious study and accomplishments is considered highly proficient in a particular magickal system. A person can be adept at Egyptian magickal practices, but a total failure at practical kitchen magick.

Aeromancy

Divination from the air and sky, particularly concentrating on cloud shapes, comets, and other phenomena not normally visible in the heavens.

Aes Sidhe

The Supernatural Folk, i.e. the Fairy Folk.

Affirmation

A statement of intent, written or spoken in a positive way and always in a present tense.

Agate

A magickal stone whose qualities are that of balance and grounding of energies.

Age of Aquarius

An era of time that begins a new transformation of all living things into a period of love, light and life. A tremendous period of enlightenment as all inhabitants look to find the higher meaning of life, spiritual purpose and expression. The age we are about to enter.

Age of Cosmic Consciousness

A period of time within an astrological cycle beginning in 1920 and lasting to 2020. A time when the planet Earth is affected by a shift within the Milky Way galaxy producing a struggle of purification. This struggle can be seen within the physical shifts of the planet as well as, within the human race as mankind opens to an awareness of higher states of consciousness.

Agent

The person or animal exercising a psychic talent.

Ages

A cycle of civilization, approximately 2,500 years in length, wherein the soul mind of man grows, progresses and attains some level of enlightenment.

Aicme

Group of five Oghams.

Aine

The Celtic goddess of crops, the moon and of cattle.

Air

The first element of the alchemical tradition. In most magickal traditions this corresponds with East, the color yellow, the mind, intelligence and imagination.

Airbe Druad

“Hedge”, a magickal barrier no one can pass through.

Airthmancy/Arithmomancy

An earlier form of numerology where divination is made through numbers and the number value of letters.

Airts

The Scottish Gaelic term meaning, "wind". Identified with the four winds (North, South, West and East Winds).

Aisling

Dream. Vision.

Akasha

The fifth element, the omnipresent spiritual power that permeates the universe. Also called simply ‘Spirit’.

Akashic Records

In the early part of this century the famed psychic Edgar Cayce brought to general society the thought form of Akashic records. Supposedly, there is a giant data base somewhere that can be accessed for information on subjects such as past lives, healing, and other magickal/spiritual practices. This record system cannot be accessed by material equipment, such as PC networking with a larger computer. In this case, the mind of the psychic or Witch accesses the data through Universal connections.

Alban Arthuan

Winter Solstice.

Alban Eiler

Spring Equinox.

Alban Elved

Autumnal Equinox.

Alban Heruin

Summer Solstice.

Alchemy

A branch of magick developed in the Middle Ages which sought to magickally and/or chemically turn base metals into gold with the aid of an esoteric substance called the “philosopher’s stone”.

Alectryomancy

Divination whereby a bird is allowed to pick corn grains from a circle of letters. A variation is to recite letters of the alphabet noting those at which a cock crows.

Aleuromancy

Divination using ‘fortune cookies’; answers to questions are rolled into balls of dough and once baked are chosen at random.

Alfatofrar

Norse term for elf magick or any influences of enchantment.

Alfheim

Upper world home of the light elves in Norse mythology.

Alignment/Attunement

The art and practice of placing our spiritual and mental selves in sync with the energies of an astronomical event (i.e. a full moon) or another being (i.e. a God or Goddess.) This can be achieved through mental exercises, evocation, invocation, or ritual.

All Father, The

The Goddess' Consort; the Horned God; The masculine aspect of deity of which all other Gods are an aspect of.

All Mother, The

The Goddess; The feminine aspect of deity of which all other Goddesses are an aspect of.

Allegory

Using mundane symbols to represent magickal and spiritual ideologies that require abstract thinking.

Alomancy

Divination by table salt.

Alphitomancy

Using special cakes that are digestible by persons with a clear conscience but are unpleasant to others.

Altar

A special, flat surface set aside exclusively for magickal workings or religious acknowledgment.

Altar Cloth

These are cloths used to decorate the Altar. They vary in color and material depending upon tradition, time of year, and magickal purpose.

Altar Furniture

The Altar Furniture are the sacred objects for ritual and magick use that are nearly always on the altar, but always during said times of ritual and spell crafting. The objects composing the altar furniture vary from tradition to tradition. Altar furniture usually includes: deity figures, censer, libation dish, salt and water dishes, altar candles, besom, athame, bolline, ritual sword, wand, chalice or goblet, and an altar cloth.

Altered State of Consciousness

Accidental or planned process in which the brain accesses information that is otherwise unavailable. An altered state of consciousness can be reached through meditation, ritual, self-hypnosis, etc.

Alternative Lifestyle

A mode of living which differs significantly from the "mainstream" society’s prescribed beliefs, affiliations, values, or practices. People who live an alternative lifestyle often gather with others who share their preferences; they may or may not retain close contact with the larger society. Many religions, including Paganism, fall into this category.

Amaethon

A God of agriculture and the harvest. Called the Harvest King, his magickal symbols are the sickle, hoe, and plow.

Amethyst

A magickal stone whose qualities are that of courage, spiritual development, and psychic or psionic growth.

Amniomany

Divination by using a cauldron.

Amplification

A psi or anti-psi talent for boosting the power levels of psychic energy fields.

Amulet

A magickally charged, protective, object which deflects specific, usually negative energies.

Anam

Soul, indestructible self. One does not have but rather one is anam. It is seated in the head.

Anaphrodisiac

A substance that reduces sexual desires.

Ancestors

Deceased family members, friends and inspirational people from history or the media can be ancestors. Ancestors represent our genetic, social, and/or generational roots. Blood or familial relationships are not necessary for an ancestral relationship to form. Any one who guides us or acts as a mentor can be an ancestor. Some traditions of witchcraft employ ancestors in magickal workings as others employ the gods.

An-da-shealladh

“Two sights,” the ability to see spirits.

Andraste

Also "Andrasta". A Goddess of death, war, and fertility.

Angel

A spiritual being who acts as a messenger between the Divine realms and the physical plane of existence. This being has never been in an incarnated state.

Angelology

Medieval science of studying angels.

Angus

Also "Angus Og", "Oengus". A God of love and intimacy.

Anima

The personification of the female aspect of a man's unconscious.

Animistic

The belief inanimate and non-living forms of nature have the same consciousness and spirit within them that living beings have.

Animal Guide

A spiritual animal (usually two different kinds) who walks along an individuals spiritual path with them. These animals will embody many of the talents, and strengths of the person they walk with, and help guide the footsteps when weaknesses appear.

Animal-Psi/Anpsi

A little-used term for psychic phenomena involving the interactions of animals with humans, each other and the environment.

Animism

The belief that natural objects, and Nature itself, are alive and conscious; or the belief that an immaterial force animates the Universe.

Animus

The personification of the masculine aspect of a woman's unconscious.

Ankh

(ahnk) An Egyptian hieroglyphic widely used as a symbol of life, love, and reincarnation. It is a cross with a looped top.

Annwyn

(ar-ahn) The Under World.

Anoint

To bless or pass on the responsibility of spiritual purpose to an individual, animal, place or thing with "holy" water or a special consecrated oil.

Anointing Oil

A skin-safe, scented oil that is dabbed on the body (at chosen pulse points or on the forehead) in order to purify an individual mentally and spiritually.

Anthropomancy

The long-outlawed means of divination by human sacrifice.

Anthroposcopy

Divination by reading facial features.

Anthropomorphic

The idea that deities look and act like humans.

Anti-Psi

A categorical term for several genuine psychic talents that (for the most part) serve to frustrate, avoid, confuse, destroy or otherwise interfere with the operation of normal psi; they can affect the power and/or information content and/or vector of psi fields within range.

Apantomancy

Divination through chance meetings with animals (e.g. a black cat), birds, and other creatures. Mexico City is said to have been founded where Aztec soothsayers saw an eagle flying from a cactus carrying a live snake.

Aphelion

The point of a planet's or comet's orbit most distant from the sun.

Aphorism

A sparsely worded, and direct little saying. Ex.: 'As above, So below.'

Aphrodisiac

A substance that produces sexual excitement.

Aphrodite

The Greek Goddess of Love and Beauty.

Apogee

The point of the moon's orbit most distant from the earth.

Apollo

The Greek and Roman God of the Sun, poetry, music, prophecy, and healing.

Apollonian

In religious studies, describes "solar-orientated" religions.

Apo-psi/Avoidance

An anti-psi power that appears to generate an energy field into which no external psi field can penetrate; may work through transmutation, retuning or aportation; may interfere with internal psi fields as well.

Aportation

A PK talent involving the seemingly instantaneous movement of an object from one location in space-time to another, apparently without going through the normal space-time in between. (See Teleportation.)

Apothecary

One who practices herbalism and sometimes alchemy as well; Ancient word for "pharmacist".

Aquamarine

A magickal stone whose qualities are that of clarity, flow, and inspiration.

Aradia

¹A champion Italian Goddess sworn to protect her people against the aggression of masculine faith and its persecutors during the reign of medieval terror. The original Aradia was a female Christ figure in Italy who taught around 1353. She was imprisoned more than once, escaped several times and eventually disappeared. ²Leland's Aradia, a book detailing information from an Italian Gypsy Witch. ³The daughter of Diana. She is considered the Queen of the Witches.

Aradian

An Italian Witchcraft tradition.

Arawn

The Celtic god of the underworld.

Arcana

The two halves of a tarot deck. The Major Arcana consists of twenty-two trumps; the Minor Arcana consists of fifty-six suit cards, and is sometimes called the lesser or lower Arcana (or pips).

Arcane

Secret or hidden knowledge.

Archetype

¹Symbols or images that represent the emotions or knowledge of the subconscious mind. Images within a tarot card are symbols or messages for a recipient, these images are the archetypes or mirrors of subconscious emotions. ²Original astral form of a phenomenon;

Arianrhod

A goddess of higher love and wisdom.

Arithmancy

Divination by reading numbers.

Aromatherapy

A type of healing that utilizes certain fragrances. Scent Magick.

Art, The

Generally, the Magickal Arts or Art Magickal, the skill and practices of magick, however "Art" has the connotation of "Ability, Talent", of something innate, rather than merely a learned skill or practice, such as distinguished the artist from the draftsman, both may need to learn the skills of the trade but the innate talent of the artist awakens and is channeled by such training.

Artio

A bear goddess, the embodiment of all female bears. She is the protector of Nature.

As Above, So Below

A Wiccan way of saying that natural laws apply universally and that our inter-connectedness makes all realms metaphors for one another.

Asatru Tradition

A Northern European tradition of magick that also honors the old gods as described in the Edda, the ancient compendium of Icelandic lore, and legally recognized in Iceland in 1972.

Asgard

The home of the upper world Norse Gods.

Asceticism

A method of altering the state of one’s consciousness through the avoidance of comfort and pleasure; when extreme, may become masochism.

Aspect

The particular principle or part of the Creative Life Force being worked with or acknowledged at any one time.

Aspect, Astrological

An angle formed between two items on an astrological chart.

Aspecting

When a person in magickal exercise, manifests aspects of a God/dess, within themselves.

Asperger

A ritual tool used to sprinkle water for purification purposes. It can be a crafted artifact or something as simple as a pine cone, a bunch of fresh herbs, or a twig tied with leaves and needles.

Assimilation

A technique of psychic healing involving the picking up of a patient’s pain and/or illness by the healer, who experiences it personally for a short time, after which it is supposed to vanish in both patient and healer; may also be done accidentally.

Association

Connection or correlation between two or more objects, ideas or beings; thus forming a pattern.

Association, Law of

“If any two or more patterns have elements in common, the patterns interact ‘through’ those common elements and control of one pattern facilitates control over the other(s), depending (among other factors) upon the number of common elements involved.”

Astraglomancy/Astragyromancy

Divination by dice where the faces of dice bear numbers and letters.

Astral

Another dimension of reality. Also known as dream time. This name is from the Australian Aboriginal people.

Astral Body

The 'otherworldly essence'. The part of a person that exists on the astral plane, and also commonly used to denote their 'essence' on other planes of existence as well.

Astral Plane

A place which is generally conceptualized as an invisible parallel world which remains unseen from our own solid world of form.

Astral Projection

The process of separating your astral body from your physical one to accomplish travel in the astral plane. The length and location of the projection is preplanned and pre-programmed. The projection requires an altered state of awareness such as a deep meditation. The physical and soul bodies are attached through the solar plexus by a silver cord.

Astrology

The study of and belief in the effects the movements and placements of planets and other heavenly bodies have on the lives and behavior of human beings. Divination by interpreting the planets and stars.

Atavism/Atavistic

Characteristics of all living organisms, that has a hereditary characteristic trait or deformity, etc.; that shows up after having skipped a generation or more.

Ategenos

Rebirth after death into the Other World.

Athame

(A-tha-may) The sacred black handled knife of the Witch. This is traditionally a double-edged knife with a leaf-shaped blade. Often Athames have sacred symbols on their hilts. They are not used for actual cutting, which is reserved for the Bolline, or white handled knife, but for rituals. The Athame is used to direct power during ritual workings. Depending on the magickal tradition that is followed, it is either a symbol for Air or Fire. The term is of obscure origin, has many variant spellings, and an even greater variety of pronunciations. It may also be pronounced “Ah-THAM-ee” (to rhyme with “whammy’); “ATH-ah-may” or “ah-THAW-may”.

Athena

Also "Athene". The Greek Goddess of wisdom, arts, industries, and warfare. The Romans called her "Minerva".

Atomic Psychokinesis

(APK) Psychokinesis done upon the molecular, atomic or subatomic levels; a subcategory of PK.

Attunement

¹An activity which brings the minds, emotions, and psyches of a group into harmony prior to ritual: chanting, singing, guided meditation, and breathing exercises are common ways to attune. ²Physically infusing the herbal mixture with a mental picture of your need.

Augury

General term for the art of divination and is chiefly applied to interpretations of signs and omens.

Aura

The force field that surrounds the physical body, whether of humans, animals, plants, and even places and things. Composed of two layers the Inner Etheric Aura or Health Aura is a band of bluish white energy which closely follows the outlines of the body, beyond which radiates the Astral Aura whose size, color and shape or structure as perceived by clairvoyant sight indicates the emotional and mental state and the personality and spiritual development.

Auspice

¹The phase of the moon which has influence at a given time. Used in Astrology. ²Also meaning "omen", the ancient Romans used the way birds flew as auspices.

Austromancy

Divination by the study of the winds.

Authoritarian

Having leaders or higher authorities.

Automatic Writing

Form of divination where the Channeler uses a pen, paper and an altered state of consciousness to receive messages.

Avalon

Land of the Otherworld, where the Gods live.

Avatar

A discorporate soul who has the choice to advance to a higher level of consciousness or remain behind on the physical plane to help other less evolved souls grow spiritually. These souls return to inhabit physical bodies voluntarily.

Aventurine

A magickal stone whose qualities are that of positivist, imagination, and a safe conclusion to any form of journey or travel.

Averse

Against, harmful, opposed to or negative intent or result.

Awen

Inspiration.

Awenyddion

Inspired ones.

Axiomancy

Divination through the observation of how an ax or hatchet quivers or points when driven into a post.

Azurite

A magickal stone whose qualities are that of healing and clarity.