Amulet- a natural object which is reputed to give protection to the carrier. Amulets are such things as stones or fossils and are not to bee confused with person-made talismans. Stones with natural holes in them were popular Celtic amulets.

Athame- The ritual knife often associated with the element of air and the direction of the east, though some traditions attribute it to fire and the south. The knife was traditionally black-handled, but many modern Pagans now seek handles of natural wood. In some Celtic circles the athame is called the "Dagger" or "Dirk". In Ireland it is known as the scian.

Besom- The witch's broomstick. European folklore has witches riding their brooms through the sky, which many feel is 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. Besoms were often mounted and "ridden" over crops in fertility rites. Though this word is Old English, Gaelic speakers sometimes pronounced it in a Gaelic-ized manner, BAYSH-um.

Book of Shadows- (also called "Book of Lights and Shadows.") Book of Shadows is the spell book, diary, and ritual guide used by an individual witch or coven. Some say the name came from having to hide the workings from church authorities, and others say it means that an unworked spell or ritual is a mere shadow, not taking form until performed by a witch.

Cauldron- Linked to witchcraft in the popular mind, this is a primal Goddess image used like a chalice or cup. This was a common magickal instrument in the Celtic traditions because it was a practical object as well, one which could be used for cooking or washing as well as making brews and magick potions.  In many of the mythological stories from Ireland and Britain the cauldron is symbolic of the womb of the Mother Goddess in which all life begins, ends, and regenerates. The Irish word for cauldron is coire  and the Welsh word is pair.

Charging- The act of empowering an herb, sone, or other magickal object with one's own energies directed towards a magickal goal. Charging is synonymous with enchanting or empowering.

Circle- The sacred space wherein all magick is to be worked and all ritual contained. The circle both contains raised energy and provides protection for the witch, and is created and banished with her/his own energy. Many books on magick give in-depth explanations of circle lore and practice. It is recommended that students of Paganism study these carefully.

Coven- A group of witches who worship and work together. A coven may contain any number of witches, both male and female, but the traditional number of members is thirteen, which reflects thirteen moons in the solar year, or three persons for each season plus a priest/ess.

Crone- That aspect of the Goddess that is represented by the old woman. She is symbolized by the waning moon, the carrion crow, the cauldron, and the color black. Her Sabbats are Mabon and Samhain.

Deity- An inclusive name for a Goddess or God.

Deosi (JES-l)- The act of moving, working, or dancing in a clockwise motion. This is the traditional direction one works with for creative magick. Deosil is also called "Sunwise."

Divination- The act of divining the future by reading potentials currently in motion. Divination can be done through meditation, scrying, astral projection, with cards, stones, or any one of a myriad of means. The most popular forms of divination today are "Tarot,"  "Runes,"  "Pendulums,"  "Scrying," and the controversial "Ouija Board."

The Elements- The four alchemical elements once thought to make up the entire universe. These are Earth, Air, Fire, and Water plus the fifth element of pure spirit in, of , and outside them all. Each Pagan tradition has their own directions, tools, and correspondences for each of these.

Elementals- Archetypal spirit beings associated with one of the four elements.

Esbat- The monthly Pagan holy time which coincides with the full moon. The word is from the French esbattre meaning to "gambol of frolic."

Evocation- The act of summoning the presence of deities, friendly spirits, or elementals to your circle or home.

Familiar- A witch's co-worker that is of a non-human existence. Animals are the most common familiars, thus the popularity of the witch's cat. But familiars can also be discarnate spirits, spirit guides, or elementals. The choice of having a familiar or not is singular one, but must also respect the conscious choice of being involved.

Grounding-  To disperse excess energy generated during any magickal of occult rite by sending it into the earth. It can also mean the process of centering one's self in the physical world both before and after any ritual or astral experience.

Handfasting- Pagan marriage, traditionally contracted for a specific period of time depending on one's tradition. It is renewed only if both parties agree. In Old Irish the word for handfastiong is lanamnas, and a newlywed couple is called a lanamain.

Herbalism- The art of using herbs to facilitate human needs both magickally and medically.

Invocation- The act of drawing the aspect of a particular deity into one's physical self. The rite of Drawing Down the Moon is an example.

Neo-Pagan- Name applied to the various Pagan movements after the repeal of the British anti-witchcraft laws in the early 1950s. Neo is a prefix meaning "new" of "re-formed."

Old Religion- A name for Paganism, particularly as practiced in Britain and Ireland.

Pagan- Generic term for anyone who practices an earth or nature religion.

Pentacle- a pentagram surrounded by a circle and carved on a circlet of wood or other natural object. The pentacle is used in some covens to represent the pentacle is used in some covens to represent the earth element, and is also called a "Disk" or other carvings significance to the witch or coven which owns it.

Pentagram- The five-pointed star which has come to symbolize western Paganism. It is an ancient symbol with multiple meanings. It is always seen with it apex up. It can represent the four elements headed by the fifth element of spirit,   or it can represent mind over matter. It can also represent the creative principle over all creation. Sometimes it is encased in a circle and then it is properly called a Pentacle. Satanic cults often take the pentagram and invert it to signify matter over spirit meaning of the Christian cross. " Pentegram" is an alternative spelling.

Reincarnation- A basic tenet of Paganism. The belief that the souls of human beings return to the earth  plane in another human body, or even in another lifeform, after death. Celtic Paganism embraces portions of this belief, only without the ideas of karma (divine justice) operation in most other cultures.

Ritual- A systematic, formal or informal, prescribed set of rites whose purpose is to imprint a lasting change on life and psyche of the participant.

Sabbat- Any of the eight solar festivals or observances of the Pagan year. The word is derived from the Greek word sabatu meaning "to rest." All Sabbats begin at sundown on the eve before the dates given for them.

Sith & Sidhe- Literally, "faery." Also Daoine Sidhe and sidh. This label/name is generically applied to all the faery races of Ireland and Scot land. Common names for them include The Little People, The Wee Folk, The Gentry, and Them That Prowl. The original word "sidhe" meant "peace, " and Celtic faeries are sometimes euphemistically " The People of Peace."

Solitary- A Pagan who works and worships alone without the aid of a coven.

Talisman- A object which is reputed to offer protection or other magickal service to the carrier. It differs from an amulet by being constructed and charged by the witch rather than being found in nature.

Triple Goddess- The one Goddess in all of her three aspects: Maiden, Mother, and Crone. This triple them of feminine deity has been found in nearly every known culture on the planer. She is represented by the three phases of the moon; waxing, full, and waning.

Wand- Another ritual tool brought in to the craft through Ceremonial Magick. A wand can symbolize either the element of air and the direction of east, or of south and fire. A wand is called a slat in Ireland and a hudlath in Wales.

Warlock- An antiquated term often  misused in reference to a male witch. Warlock is a modern word akin to the word "sorcerer" and is generally not used in modern Paganism. Some male Pagans even find the term offensive.

Widdershins- This word is from the Teutonic Tradition. It means to go backwards, and is the act of moving, working, or dancing counter-clockwise in order to banish, diminish or counter some negative force.

Witch- Usually a label reserved for Pagans of the Anglo-Celtic, Celtic, and Southern Teutonic Traditions.