That relate in to Wicca and Paganism

Athame - Ritual tool (like a knife) used in ceremonies. An athame may never draw blood. If the user accidentally cuts one's self it is no longer usable for magic work.

Beltane - One the two biggest holidays in Wicca (opposite Samhain). The high holiday of Summer marking the change into the 2nd half of the year. Occurs May 1st.

Book Of Shadows - A Wiccan book kept for the purpose of recording spells, prayers, incantation and used like a Magick journal.

Burning Times - Term referring to the period of time during the growth the Catholic Church when people were burned and tortured for allegedly practicing Witchcraft.

C.E. - Common Era. Used as a non-religious mark for the date. Similarly, B.C.E stands for before common era.

Circle - The magical area in which work is done.

Coven - The name for a formal group that meets for the mutual working of energy in spellwork and celebrations.

Covenstead - A regular place the coven meets.

Craft, The - Term for the practice of Witchcraft.

Deosil - Clockwise or sunwise in direction. Opposite is Widdershins.

Dianic - Most common form of Goddess based Wiccan worship. Diana, the Goddess, is the emphasized deity.

Divination - Reading the future through various means.

Elements - Air, Fire, Earth, Water & Spirit.

Esbat - A gathering at any other time than that of a Sabbat, commonly on the full or new moons.

Gardnerian - Tradition founded by Gerald Garnder. Gardenr is generally credited as the key person involved in reviving Witchcraft in the 1950's.

Handfasting - A Pagan or Wiccan wedding ceremony. Sometimes called jumping the broom. Usually done for a term of ' a year and a day', and then vows are renewed after that period.

Horned God - Most notable historic image of the God in Europe.

Imbolg - February 2nd. The first of the spring holidays.

Initiation - Ceremony or Ritual to bring a new member into a coven. Solitaries do their own ritual for this purpose known as a Self-Dedication.

Knife - See Athame (Black handle), White handled knife used to gather plants and herbs and cutting.

Lammas - See Lughnasadh

Libation - Gift of food or drink for the God/Goddess.

Litha - See Midsummer

Lughnasadh - August 1st or 2nd. First of the harvest holidays. Usually the greatest feasts of the year happen now. Late summer crops gathered now (vegetables and herbs).

Mabon - Autumn Equinox (Sept. 21). 2nd of the harvest holidays. Lesser feast than Lughnasadh. Fall crops gathered (grain).

Magick - Term for spellwork. The 'K' is added to note its difference from stage 'magic'.

Midsummer - Summer Solstice (June 20th). Holiday celebrating the turn from a progressive Summer to the downward turn toward Winter.

Neo-Pagan - Term referring to the group of people who are reviving ancient Pagan rites and worship. Most Wiccans and modern Pagans will refer to themselves as Neo-Pagan.

Ostara - March 20th. 2nd of the spring holidays. It is where we get most of our symbols of the Easter season, eggs, rabbits and flowers.

Pentacle - 5-pointed star within a circle. The symbol on a surface would be known as a pentagram. Most wiccans display theirs with one point up or one point to the North if on the ground. Some groups use a two point up pentacle for degrees of training within a group. A pentacle is a holy symbol. No Wiccan would EVER spray paint one on a wall or building as an act of vandalism. Vandalism pentacles are usually made by gothic wannabes or kids looking for a shock value.

Pentagram - See pentacle

Polytheistic - Beliefs that have more than one God or Goddess as their basis. Christianity is Monotheistic.

Priest - Male leader of a ceremony, rite or coven.

Priestess - Female leader of a ceremony, rite or coven.

Ritual - Set of rites performed alone or in a group that is used to affect some desired change.

Rune - Ancient symbols from long unused languages. Sometime placed on stones for divination.

Sabbat - The four greater holidays (there are eight). They are; Samhain, Imbolg, Beltane and Lughnasadh. The other four are know as Cross-sabats. Those are; Yule, Ostara, Midsummer and Mabon.

Samhain - Oct 31. Celtic New Year's holiday. Also the time when the veil between the worlds is most thin. Halloween. The third harvest (apples, nuts).

Skyclad - Term for ritual practice in the nude. Only done in private and not in the presence of youth.

Solitary - A Wiccan or Pagan who does not practice within a group.

Solstice - Yule and Midsummer are the solstices. Time when the sun is farthest from the opposite pole.

Tarot - Divination method using cards. Wiccans and Pagans do not necessarily read tarot cards.

Threefold Law - The law some Wiccans and Pagans follow that says, "what ever you do comes back to you threefold." Good or bad, the energy you send out will return to you.

Triple Goddess - The Goddess with all three aspects; Maiden, Mother & Crone.

Wand - A tool for focusing energy during ritual or spellwork.

Watchtowers - North, South, East and West. Guardians of a Magick circle.

Wicca - The modern practice of Witchcraft.

Wicce - Alternative form of "Wicca", Wicce is the older word from Old English.

Wiccan Rede - "An ye harm none, do what thou will." - Basic Wiccan philosophy.

Widdershins - Counter-clockwise or counter-sunwise in direction. Opposite is Deosil.

Wita - (or Witta) Scotish version of celtic Witchcraft.

Witchcraft - The practice of casting spells, making charms and doing other spellwork to influence the outcome of events in the world.

Womyn - Alternative spelling to woman. Some groups use many spelling changes to reflect that they are different than the roots of their words 'man'.

Yule - Winter Solstice (Dec 21). Holiday celebrating the upwars turn toward Spring and Summer.

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