affirmation: a positive statement designed to produce a result.
alchemy: the process of magickally transforming one substance into another.
air: one of the four elements in astrology, it is associated with mental activity and communication.
amulet: a magick charm to provide protection.
angles: sensitive points in an astrological chart; the term is generally used in connection with the most important angles—the ascendant, descendant, midheaven, and imum colei—that partition the chart into quadrants.
ascendant: an important angle in an astrological chart; the sign and degree of the zodiac that was rising on the eastern horizon at the moment and the place of birth; the beginning of the first house in a chart.
aspect: an angular relationship that produces an energetic connection between two or more planets or points in an astrological chart, so that they influence each other; the most significant aspects are the conjunction, sextile, square, trine, and opposition.
athame: a ritual dagger used in magick work, associated with the air element.
birth chart: an astrological chart calculated for the birth of a person, business, town, or other entity; also called a natal horoscope, it is based on the time, date, and place of birth and shows the positions of the sun, moon, planets, and other astronomical factors.
book of shadows: see grimoire.
cardinal: a mode by which astrological signs express themselves; the cardinal signs are initiators: Aries, Cancer, Libra, and Capricorn.
cauldron: a magick tool connected with feminine creative energy; a kettle or other pot-shaped vessel.
chakra: vital energy center; there are seven major chakras and many smaller ones in the human body.
chalice: a magick tool associated with the water element; a ritual cup or goblet.
charging: a magickal act designed to heighten the power of a ritual tool, talisman, amulet, or other object or substance.
conjunction: an astrological aspect between two or more planets or points positioned within about 7 degrees of each other in a chart.
cross-quarter days: the days when the sun's position is halfway between the equinoxes and solstices; these holidays or sabbats are known as Imbolc, Beltane, Lughnasadh, and Samhain.
cusp: the dividing line between two houses of an astrological chart.
deity: a god, goddess, or higher power.
divination: the art of seeing into the future, often with the aid of an oracle or other magickal device.
dowsing: a technique for sensing vibrations, hidden objects, or substances, often with the aid of a tool such as a pendulum or dowsing rod.
Druids: magicians, astrologers, healers, teachers, high priest/esses, political counselors, and wise ones among the Celts of Ireland, the British Isles, and parts of northern Europe between about 500 BCE and 500 CE.
earth: one of the four elements, it is associated with the material realm and physical objects.
element: a fundamental force in the universe; the four elements are air, earth, fire, and water.
elementals: nonphysical beings associated with the four elements and the natural world; air elementals are called sylphs, earth elementals are known as gnomes, fire elementals are salamanders, and water elementals are undines (ondines).
ephemeris: tables showing the movements of the heavenly bodies and other astronomical data.
etheric body: subtle energy field that surrounds and connects to the physical body, sometimes called the aura.
feng shui: the Chinese art of placement, whereby buildings, rooms, and plots of land are divided into sections called gua that relate to different areas of life (pronounced fung shway).
fire: one of the four elements, it is associated with creativity, inspiration, and vitality.
fixed: a mode by which astrological signs express themselves; the fixed signs are steady: Taurus, Leo, Scorpio, and Aquarius.
glyph: a symbol or sign.
grimoire: a magician's diary of spells, rituals, practices, and results; sometimes called a book of shadows.
horoscope: see birth chart.
house: one of twelve sectors in an astrological chart; each house corresponds to a particular area of life.
I Ching: ancient Chinese book of wisdom, said to have been composed by Confucius; used as an oracle, it consists of sixty-four six-lined symbols or hexagrams, each of which has a particular meaning; also called the Book of Changes.
inconjunct: an astrological aspect between two or more planets or points positioned approximately 147 to 153 degrees apart in a chart; also called a quincunx.
Kabbalah: an ancient system of Hebrew mysticism (alternate spellings include Qabalah, Kabalah, Cabala).
luminary: the sun or moon (also called a light).
magician: a person who is aware of the subtle energies that exist all around us in the universe and has learned to consciously tap these energies for specific purposes.
magick: the practice of consciously creating change according to your will; the “k” is added to distinguish this from stage magic or illusion.
magick square: a pattern of squares within squares, used in magick work and linked with the sun, moon, and planets; each small square contains a number, and the squares are configured such that the sum of every row, column, and diagonal is the same.
magickal alphabet: an alphabet whose letters are used in the formation of magickal symbols, generally an alphabet other than the magician's native language; Hebrew, Coptic, Ogham, Enochian, Greek, Egyptian hieroglyphs, and Sanskrit are some of the popular magickal alphabets.
midheaven: the cusp of the tenth house of an astrological chart; also called the medium colei.
mojo: a magick charm.
mudra: a ritual movement or gesture.
mutable: a mode by which astrological signs express themselves; the mutable signs go with the flow: Gemini, Virgo, Sagittarius, and Pisces.
Neo-Pagan: a modern-day person whose spiritual beliefs and practices derive from the early Pagan traditions of Europe, the British Isles, and elsewhere.
numerology: the study of the symbolic, mystical meanings within numbers.
occult: something that is hidden; often associated with knowledge, societies, and practices that have been concealed to avoid persecution.
Ogham: ancient alphabet of the Celts, each of its letter/symbols is associated with a tree.
opposition: an astrological aspect between two or more planets or points positioned approximately 173 to 187 degrees apart in a chart.
oracle: a device (such as the tarot, runes, or the I Ching) used as a bridge between personal consciousness and higher consciousness to gain wisdom or see into the future.
Pagan: someone who follows a spiritual path that is closely linked with the natural world and the cosmos, often with a matriarchal or goddess-oriented focus.
pendulum: a tool used for dowsing, usually a weight of some type suspended from a cord or chain that is sensitive to vibrations and subtle energies.
pentagram: one of the four main tools used in magick; a five-pointed star within a circle, associated with protection, the human body, and the earth element.
planetary hours: a system of dividing the day and the night into equal parts; each hour is governed by the sun, the moon, or a planet.
precession of the zodiac: at one time, the actual constellations lined up with the signs that bear their names and the sun (as seen from earth) was positioned at 0 degrees Aries on the spring equinox; however, this is no longer true due to a “wobble” in the earth's motion caused by the gravitational pull of the sun and moon, which each year shifts our position very slightly. The result is that the earth gradually slips backward against the backdrop of the stars, and the zodiac belt appears to be advancing or preceding us.
Qabalah: see Kabbalah.
quarter days: the solstices and the equinoxes, which divide the solar year into quarters.
quincunx: see inconjunct.
retrograde: when a planet appears to be moving backward in the sky, as viewed from the earth.
rising sign: the sign on the ascendant in an astrological chart.
ritual: a magick rite or practice usually involving a prescribed set of movements, words, or acts.
runes: an alphabet used as an oracle; the most popular runes were believed to have originated in northern Europe.
sabbat: holy day or holiday; in Pagan traditions the eight sabbats are the solstices, the equinoxes, and the cross-quarter days.
scrying: the practice of seeing beyond the limits of ordinary, physical sight usually by gazing into a glossy surface such as a black mirror, pool of water, or crystal ball.
Seal of Solomon: a six-pointed star formed by the intersection of the alchemical symbols for the elements.
sextile: an astrological aspect between two or more planets or points positioned approximately 53 to 67 degrees apart in a chart.
shaman: a person who is in touch with the nonphysical realms and can move between the worlds; shamans can use energy for healing, shapeshifting, journeying, and other magickal practices.
shapeshifting: the shamanic practice of changing one's form, either literally or in spirit, to that of another being, such as an animal.
sigil: a magick symbol composed of letters and/or images to embody a concept, and abstracted so that it is generally indecipherable by anyone other than its designer.
smudging: a ritual act of cleansing an area of unwanted energies or vibrations, usually performed with the smoke of burning sage or other purifying herbs.
spell: a magick act performed while in an altered state of consciousness in order to produce an outcome.
square: an astrological aspect between two or more planets or points positioned approximately 83 to 97 degrees apart in a chart.
talisman: a magick charm to attract something.
tarot: an oracle of uncertain origin, usually containing seventy-eight illustrated cards that can be used for guidance, meditation, to gain insight, or to see the future; its archetypes depict the phases of human existence and evolution.
transit: the motion of a celestial body through the heavens.
trine: an astrological aspect between two or more planets or points positioned approximately 113 to 127 degrees apart in a chart.
void of course: the period after the moon or a planet makes its last aspect to another heavenly body while it is in a particular zodiacal sign until it enters the next sign; usually considered an unproductive or inactive period.
waning moon: the two-week period between the full moon and the new moon, when the moon appears to be diminishing in size.
waxing moon: the two-week period between the new moon and the full moon, when the moon appears to be increasing in size.
water: one of the four astrological elements, associated with the emotions and intuition.
Wheel of the Year: the annual cycle of sabbats celebrated by Pagans.
Wicca: a religion that honors the Goddess and the God as her consort; followers of this tradition attempt to live in harmony with nature and the cosmos, and to do no harm.
witch: someone who uses her or his power to shape energy in order to produce an outcome.
yang: the archetypal masculine force present in the universe.
yin: the archetypal feminine force present in the universe.
zodiac signs: Aries, Taurus, Gemini, Cancer, Leo, Virgo, Libra, Scorpio, Sagittarius, Capricorn, Aquarius, Pisces; zodiac means “circle of animals.”