#witch definitions

I apologize for how inactive I have been and how I have been slacking off on the witchy posts for a few weeks, but here’s a lil something for you. I got all of these definitions from Google Dictionary and Wikipedia so these are the actual given meanings for the words/terms, not just my interpretation.

Acolyte : a person assisting in a ritual, service or procession.

Adder stone : a type of stone, usually glassy, with a naturally occurring hole through it. They are believed to have magical powers such as protection against eye diseases or evil charms, preventing nightmares, curing whooping cough, the ability to see through fairy or witch disguises and traps if looked at through the middle of the stone, and recovery from snakebite. According to popular conception, a true adder stone will float in water.

Adept : very skilled or proficient at witchcraft.

Alchemy : the medieval forerunner of chemistry, concerned with the transmutation of matter, in particular with attempts to convert base metals into gold or find a universal elixir.

Altar : a table or flat-topped block used as the focus for a religious ritual, especially for making offerings to a deity or ancestors.

Amulet : an ornament or small piece of jewellery thought to give protection against evil, danger, or disease.

Animism : the belief in a supernatural power that organizes and animates the material universe.

Anoint : smear or rub with oil, typically as part of a ritual or ceremony.

Arcana : either of the two groups of cards in a tarot pack: the twenty-two trumps (the major arcana ) and the fifty-six suit cards (the minor arcana ).

Arcane : understood by few; mysterious or secret.

Astral Plane :a plane of existence postulated by classical (particularly neo-Platonic), medieval, oriental, and esoteric philosophies and mystery religions.

Astral Projection : a willful out-of-body experience that assumes the existence of a soul or consciousness called an "astral body" that is separate from the physical body and capable of travelling outside it throughout the universe.

Aura : An aura or Human energy field is, according to New Age beliefs, a colored emanation said to enclose a human body or any animal or object.

Balefire : An outdoor fire used in witches' sabbats and rituals.

Banish : Get rid of something unwanted.

Besom : used to cleanse and purify a space which will be used for ritual.

Black Magic : traditionally referred to the use of supernatural powers or magic for evil and selfish purposes.

Chakras : any center of subtle body believed to be psychic-energy centers in the esoteric traditions of Indian religions.

Cone of Power : The cone of power is a method of raising energy in ritual magic.

Daemon : benevolent or benign nature spirits, beings of the same nature as both mortals and deities, similar to ghosts, chthonic heroes, spirit guides, forces of nature, or the deities themselves.

Demon : a supernatural and often malevolent being.

Elementals : an elemental is any magical entity who embodies/personifies a force of nature and therefore possess the powers exclusive to the elemental's own unique element.

Evocation : the act of calling upon or summoning a spirit, demon, god or other supernatural agent.

Familiar : supernatural entities that would assist witches and cunning folk in their practice of magic.

Grey Magic : magic that is not performed for specifically beneficial reasons, but is also not focused towards completely hostile practices.

Grimoire : a textbook of magic, typically including instructions on how to create magical objects like talismans and amulets, how to perform magical spells, charms and divination, and how to summon or invoke supernatural entities such as angels, spirits, and demons. In many cases, the books themselves are believed to be imbued with magical powers.

Hymn :  a type of song, specifically written for the purpose of adoration or prayer, and typically addressed to a deity or deities

Incantation : a charm or spell created using words. An incantation may take place during a ritual, either a hymn or prayer, and may invoke or praise a deity. In magic, occultism, shamanism, and witchcraft it is used with the intention of casting a spell on an object or a person.

Mantra : a sacred utterance, a numinous sound, a syllable, word or phonemes, or group of words in Sanskrit believed by practitioners to have psychological and spiritual powers.

Shamanism :  involves a practitioner reaching altered states of consciousness in order to perceive and interact with a spirit world and channel these transcendental energies into this world.

Sunwise : considered the “prosperous course”, turning from east to west in the direction of the sun.(Clockwise)

Widdershins : a term meaning to go counter-clockwise, to go anti-clockwise, or to go lefthandwise, or to walk around an object by always keeping it on the left.

This took me really long and I am sorry I didn’t get a lot in here. If there are any definitions you want me to add then give me a heads - up so I can add them in for you.

So it kind of varies! Spells can be short or long, simple or intricate, planned out or on the fly. They can include words, sigil a, herbs, candles, tools etc.

Rituals on the other hand are “A solemn ceremony consisting of a series of actions performed according to a prescribed order. A solemn rite.”

Usually if you’re casting a circle or raising energies or have things planned around a central spell, that would fall under ritual.

Another way to look at it is:“I want to do this spell, but I want to make it as controlled and effective as possible. I will do a series of things to prepare, actuate and end the spell.”Ritual is the pattern, spells are the actions. So if you cleanse your space, call your deities, make an offering and do the working before thanking them and ending the spell, that would be a ritual….hope that makes sense.

But the part labeling it as a rite or series of actions applies to certain workings as well like the toad bone rite, or alraun. There is specific timing and actions needed to be done to complete the working and end the rite.

It’s kind of hard to describe, like learning “ser vs estar” in Spanish. You just have to feel it out and get used to the nuances.

Hope I didn’t confuse you more 😅

🦇Cheers, Barberwitch