altar—A place to worship (usually has various tools that stay on the altar, such as god and goddess candles, incense, etc.)
athame—A knife, usually double-sided, used for ritual purposes such as pointing and directing energy, it represents the male
banishing—Magic done to reduce or get rid of something
Beltane—Also spelled Beltaine, the Pagan holiday that falls on May 1
Book of Shadows—A Witch’s book containing rituals, magickal information, etc.
cakes and ale—A part of the ritual where food and drink (not necessarily cake or ale) are passed around the circle, it is used for grounding at the end of a ritual and to demonstrate gratitude for our blessings
cauldron—A bowl representing the female, usually made out of metal, often fire-proof
chalice—A cup used during rituals (especially cakes and ale), also represents the female, this cup should be used only for magickal work not everyday drinking
chant—A song or series of words that are repeated during a ritual to raise energy and/or praise the gods
Charge of the goddess—A poem, found in a number of variations, in praise of the goddess; often read during Full-Moon rituals
circle—A gathering of Witches, or the place where they gather (once the ritual begins, the circle encloses the participants), another name for a group of Witches
cleansing—The act of purifying or cleaning energy, a space etc.
consecrate—To bless, especially when setting something aside for magickal use
correspondences—When an item is used to represent a particular property/intent (a rose quartz stone for love, a green candle for prosperity, etc.)
coven—A group of Witches, usually one which has formally dedicated themselves together
Craft, the—Another name for Witchcraft
crone—The goddess’s representation as old woman; also a Witch who is an elder
dedication—The act of making a formal commitment to the gods (Witches can be self-dedicated or dedicated by a High Priest and/or High Priestess)
deity—A general term for any god or goddess
deosil—Movement that is done in a clockwise fashion (usually for increase or positive work)
element—There are five elements used in Wicca: Earth, Air, Fire, Water, and Spirit
Esbat—The ritual celebrations that take place at the Full Moon
familiar—An animal who has close ties to a Witch and helps to boost her powers; usually but not always a cat
garb—Ritual clothing
handfasting—A Pagan wedding ceremony, maybe be legally binding or only for a year and a day
High Priest—A male Pagan leader
High Priestess—A female Pagan leader
Imbolc—The Pagan holiday that falls on Groundhog Day
intent—The purpose of a spell or magickal working, focused energy
invocation—Words used to summon quarters or invite in a god or goddess
Lammas/Lughnasadh—The Pagan holiday that falls on August 1. The first of three harvest festivals
Law of Returns—The generally accepted Pagan belief that anything put out into the universe will come back to you, both positive and negative; also known as the Threefold Law, in which case whatever you put back may come back multiplied times three
Litha—Another name for the Pagan holiday that falls at Midsummer, or Summer Solstice
Mabon—The Pagan holiday that falls on the Autumn Equinox
maiden—The Goddess’s representation as young woman
mother—The Goddess’s representation as nurturing mother
mundane—a non-Pagan, or everyday life (i.e., “In my mundane life I am a librarian.”)
Old Gods—A term for the Pagan gods worshipped in earlier times
Ostara—The Pagan holiday that falls at the Spring Equinox, the origin of the Christian holiday of Easter
Pagan—A general term for someone who worships the Old Gods (especially a goddess figure) and follows a nature-based religion
pentacle—A commonly used Pagan symbol consisting of a five-pointed star inside a circle. It represents the five elements and the circle of the universe or unity
quarter—A direction used in a magical circle—North, East, South, or West. Each quarter represents specific elements and qualities (North is Earth, and grounding, etc.)
Sabbat—The ritual celebrations that take place on Pagan holidays; there are eight Sabbats in the Pagan year
Samhain—The Pagan holiday that falls on October 31, also known as the Witches’ New Year; the origin of Halloween
smudge stick or wand—An herbal wand used for smudging or cleansing, usually made of sage
Solitary—A Witch who practices alone
speaking stick—A stick or other object that is passed around the circle during ritual; only the person holding the speaking stick should be talking during this time
Wheel of the Year—The Pagan calendar of holidays, also another way of referring to an entire year
Wicca—A name for one general form of Pagan religious practice; all Wiccans are Pagans, but not all Pagans consider themselves to be Wiccans
Wiccan—One who practices Wicca, also known as a Witch
Wiccan Rede—The basic rule of Wicca; “An’ it harm none, do as ye will.”
widdershins—Movement that is done in a counterclockwise direction, usually for unbinding or banishing
Witch—One who practices Witchcraft, either in the past or in the modern day
Yule—The Pagan holiday that falls on the Winter Solstice, the origin of the Christian holiday of Christmas