Akasha: The fifth element, the omnipresent spiritual power that permeates the universe. It is the energy out of which the Elements formed.
Amulet: A magickally charged object which deflects specific, usually negative energies. Generally, a protective object.
Ankh: An Egyptian hieroglyphic that is widely used as a symbol for life, love, and reincarnation. It is depicted as a cross with a looped top. When worn or carried, the ankh brings good health, promotes fertility, and strengthens the psychic powers. ( Ankh if you love Isis! :)
Asperger: A bundle of fresh herbs or a perforated object used to sprinkle water during or preceding ritual, for purificatory purposes.
Astral projection: The art of "leaving one's body" or "lucid dreaming" whereby someone in a trance state visits other locations and realms. This is thought of as traveling into the astral plane which is generally conceived as a parallel world unseen in our own world of form.
Astrology: The belief and study of the effects which the movements and placements of planets and other heavenly bodies have on the lives and behavior of human beings.
Athame: "ah-THAW-may". A Wiccan ritual knife. It usually has a double-edged blade and a dark handle. The athame is used to direct personal power during ritual workings.
Balefire: A fire lit for magickal purposes, usually outdoors. Balefires are traditional on Yule, Beltane and Midsummer. (Also great at Samhain!)
Bane: That which destroys life, which is poisonous, destructive, evil, dangerous.
Beltane: A Wiccan festival celebrated on April 30th or May 1st. Beltane is also known as May Eve, Roodmas. Beltane celebrates the symbolic union, mating or marriage of the Goddess and God, and links in with the approaching summer months.
Besom: "bay-shum" The witches' broomstick. European folklore tells of witches riding their brooms through the sky which may be an uninformed explanation of astral projection. As a tool the broom is used to sweep a sacred area, ground a circle, or to brush away negative influences.
Bolline: The white-handled knife, used in magick and Wiccan ritual for practical purposes such as cutting herbs.
Book of Shadows: A Wiccan book of rituals, spells and magickal lore. Once hand copied upon initiation, the BOS is now photocopied or typed in some covens. No one "true" BOS exists; all are relevant to their respective users.
The Burning Times: The time from the Spanish Inquistion through the last outbursts of persecution and witch killings (usually by hanging) in the med-nineteenth century (though actual persecution began as early as the twelfth century).
Cauldron: Linked to witchcraft in the popular mind, this is a primal Goddess image used like a chalice or cup.
Censer: A heat-proof container in which incense is smouldered. An incense burner. It symbolized the Element of Air.
Chalice: The chalice or cup as a ritual took represents water and the west, and it is also representative of the feminine principle. Chalices are used, but a cauldron is preferable.
Charging: The act of empowering herbs, stones, or other magickal objects with one's own energies directed towards a magickal goal. Charging is synonymous with enchanting.
Circle: The sacred space wherein all magick is to be worked. The circle contains raised energy and provides protection for the witch. It is created and banished with his or her own energy. Many books on magick include in-depth discussions on circle lore and practice, and it is recommended that students of the craft study these carefully.
