Always handy since witches usually use different words yet have the same meaning as other words.

Altar: A special flat surface for magickal workings or religious acknowledgements only
Adept: Someone who studies hard and accomplishes in a particular magickal system.
Akashic records: There is supposed to be a giant data base somewhere that can be accessed for info on subjects like past lives, healing as well as other things. This can only be accessed by the mind of a psychic Witch or Universal Connections.
Astral: It is another dimension of reality. It's like 'dream time' when your dreaming. This word comes from the Aboriginals in Australia.
Amulet: An object of protection that a person has charged to keep from certain negative energies getting to them. A horse shoe or 4 leaved clover are amulets.
Ankh: A Egyptian hieroglyphic widely used as a sumbol for life, love and reincarnation.
Astral travel/projection: This is the process of seperating your astral body from your physical one.
Athame: A ceremonial knife used in ritual work by Witches. It's never used for human sacrifices like cutting yourself!!!! It's rarely used for physically cutting anything.
Bane: Bad, destructive, evil, everything negative.
Balefire: A huge pile of hay, set alight used in rituals etc.. where people chant around it.
Banish: To magickally end something.

Besom: (pr. BEH-som) A broom; most frequently used to sweep a circle clear of unwanted energy. Generally, but not always, used by a woman. Usually stored Bristles pointed up to prevent damage.

Bind: To magickally restrain someone/thing.
Book of Shadows: Also called grimoire, like a magickal cook book, used for record keeping and the collection of information.
Bi-location: Like astral projection but traveling in reality and realizing where you are, what your doing etc...
Blood of the Moon: A woman's menstrual cycle, also known as 'the Curse'. When going through a menstrual cycle during a full moon the woman is much more powerfull than any other time.
Bolline: A curved, usually white handles knife used for practical magickal purposes like cutting. They are used to cut up herbs and inscribing candles.

Burning Times: - A period of time where Witch Hunts were common. Victims may or may not have been Witches. More often than not the victim(s) were women. For more information please read my page on "The Causes of the Burning Times".
Call: Invoking the Divine Forces.
Cabala: Also known as the Kabbala and Qabala. It is the ancient Hebrew magickal system.

Cauldron: A pot which may be used for ritual purposes. Generally looks like the stereotypical black cast-iron pot. Can be used to burn things in

Censer: A pot, dish, or other object that incense can be burned in.
Channeling: Where you allow a 'spirit' to use your body to communicate to either you or others. You might think this cool and all but deos have consequences, when not used to being channeled you can loose conscience simply because it's 'overpowering'.
Chakras: The seven major energy vortexes found in the human body. Each has it's own colour, crown-white, forehead-purple, throad-blue, chest-pink/green, navel-yellow, abdomen-orange, groin-red. Chakras actually have little to do with modern Witchcraft. However, they can be quite useful if so desired.

Chalice: A cup in which wine, water, or other beverages may be held. A ritual tool that can symbolize the Water element.

Chant: A series of repeated words or tones that are usually used to help induce a trance state. Can be as simple as a one note hum, or a long song or series of words.

Charms: Can be a Talisman or an amulet that's been charmed by saying an incantation over it and filling it with energy for a specific task.

Circle: A group of people gathered together for a ritual, etc. A sphere of energy used in a ritual, generally to create a space "between the worlds". Another name for a ritual. i.e. "I'm going to circle tonight".

Cleansing: Removing negative energy, images or vibrations from a certain object by utilizing psychic positive energy.
Cone of Power: Psychic energy raised and focused by an individual or a coven (group mind).
Coven: A group of Witchesthat work together for positve magickal endeavors or to perform religious ceremonies.

Cowan: (pr. COW-an) An old term meaning basically "outsider", or "one who is not a Witch". Not used as frequently today
Covenstead: Where the coven Witches all meet in a fixed building or place where they can feel safe and at home.
Concecration: Blessing an object or place by filling it with positive energy.

Crone: The Hag, the old Goddess. Frequently a death Goddess, usually wise and powerful. Also a woman who has passed menopause. Sometimes the Dark Moon Goddess.

Crystal: Usually a semi-precious gemstone thought to have specific qualities. For example, clear quartz can be used to focus energy, Black Onyx can be used for grounding, etc.

Divination: Using magickal tools and symbols to gather information from the Collective Unconscious on the nature of people, places, things and events in the past, present and future.
Dedication: The process where the individual accepts the Craft as their path. Frequently marks the beginning of a year and a day period where an individual studies and decides if this is a path they want to follow. Solitary Practitioners may wait and perform a self-dedication as a "this marks the point that I choose this as my path" ritual. Not all dedications are equal. The definition of a Dedication varies between traditions and paths.

Degrees: A title that is earned, generally beginning at initiation. There are usually 3 degrees, initiation being the first

Deity: An individual's view of the Divine. May be an all-encompassing entity, or one of many Gods.

Deosil: Clockwise motion or movement.
Dowsing: The science/art of using a pendulum or stick to find the actual lovation of a person, place, thing or element. It is also used to answer yes/no questions.
Drawing Down the Moon: Used during Full Moon by Witches to empower themselves and unite their essence with a particular deity.

Eclectic: A path that takes it's "traditions" from many paths. One who is Eclectic may take rituals and philosophy from sources as widespread as traditional Witchcraft to Taoism to Christianity on top of the various traditions within Wicca
Elements: Earth, Air, Fire and Water are the 4 elements, some Witches add Spirit or Akasha to it.
Evocation: To call something out from within.
Enchantment: Magickal object which must be kept secret and hidden from all human eyes. They must be charmed first, gems and magickal writings are good items to use for Enchantments.
God: The Divine male principle. Can be the Horned God, the Greenman, the god of the Hunt, an agricultural god, a specific God from a certain mythology, etc.

Goddess: The Divine feminine. Can be the Maiden, Mother, Crone, Earth Mother, Moon Goddess, Dark Goddess, a specific Goddess from a certain mythology, etc

Green Man: God and his kingdom; the forest.

Grounding: A process by which you bring yourself to a normal, clear state of consciousness. Usually involves shedding all the extraneous thoughts and worries that get in the way of self.

Familiar: a pet who a Witch has a close bond with is a familiar.
Hanfasting: A Wiccan or Pagan marriage ceremony.

Hived: A coven that has branched off of a previous coven is said to have "hived off" the older coven.

Invocation: Bring something in from without.
Initiation: Something like an experience which transforms the individual that their concept of personal and world wide reality has changed. A dedication ceremony should not be confused with an initiation.

Inscribe: To carve or mark something. For example, carving a rune into a candle is to inscribe that candle.

Karma: A belief that someone's thoughts and deeds can be either used against them or added to their spiritual path during several life times.

Law of Three: A law that states "whatever you do returns threefold". ie. Harming someone returns harm on you three times, helping someone returns good things three times

Macrocosm: The world around us.
Magick: Spelled with a "k" to note its difference from stage ‘rabbit out of the hat' magic, it is the art of causing a desired result through no apparent measurable cause.

Magick Circle: A circular boundary drawn by a Witch to seperate her from the 'real' world into his/her own world. The Witch imagines a wall around her/him which she/he draws her/himself to protect her/himself.
Maiden: The spirit of the wild, untamed feminine; the young Goddess. The strong, free Goddess. Sometimes the Waxing Crescent Goddess.
Microcosm: The world within us.

Mother: The Mother Goddess, who gives birth to all life. Sometimes consort to the Horned God, sometimes the Full Moon Goddess.

NeoPaganism: A way of life, or a spirituality, who's movement began during the 20th Century c.e, and whose practices are usually based on Pagan practices
New Age: Mixing metaphysical practices with a structured religion.
Pagan: Also known as a Neopaga. A nature based religion.

Paganism: A way of life, or a spirituality, that generally involves Pre-Christian practices and or beliefs.

Pantheism: A belief that all gods are part of one greater encompassing Deity

Pantheon: Group of Gods and Goddesses in a particular religious or mythical structure.
Pentacle: The 5 pointed star with a circle around it.

Pentagram: A five pointed star that can be drawn in one single line

Polytheism: A belief that all gods are separate beings.

Priestess: A female dedicated to both the service of her chosen deity('s) and human kind. A High Priestess is the feminine leader of a coven or organization and plays the role of Goddess in certain ceremonies.
Priest: A male dedicated to both the service of his chosed deity('s) and human kind. A High Priest is the male leader of a coven or organization and plays the role of the God in certain ceremonies.

Rede: (pr. Reed) - A Wiccan "moral guideline" that states "An' it harm none, do as ye will".

Ritual: An activity, generally repeated over time, that has some sort of spiritual meaning

Ritual Bath: A ritual cleansing, generally a bath, but a sometimes a shower, swim, etc

Sabbat: A day with specific meaning in the wheel of the year. There are generally 8 Sabbats, roughly a month and a half apart representing the turning of the seasons, etc.

Solitary: One who practices the Craft alone; usually with their own personal "tradition".

Spell: A method of bending reality to will. For more information, please view our page on "Spells".

Summerland: Sort of a Pagan "heaven"; a place after death

Sympathetic Magick: Magick done by acting out the situation to your desired result, thus encouraging reality to do the same.

The Broom Closet: proverbial; One who does not acknowledge they are Wiccan to non-Wiccans is said to be "in the Broom Closet"

Tools: Athame, Besom, Altar, Chalice, etc; an object that helps achieve a purpose

Tradition: A specific way of practicing the Craft

Visualization: To clearly see something in your mind.

Warlock: Not a Witch. An Oathbreaker

Wheel of the Year: The turning of the seasons, the cycle of the year.

White Handled Knife: Sometimes used to harvest herbs, sometimes for all the menial cutting chores (plants, paper, cloth, etc.).

Wicca: A spirituality that emphasizes spiritual balance and the idea of "Harm None".

Widdershins: Not Sunwise; counterclockwise.

Witch Queen: A Priestess who has hived off three or more covens.

Witchcraft: Without annoying too many people, the art of practicing Earth-based magick, and sometimes a Pagan spirituality