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CANDLEMAS- Pagan sabbat held on Feb. 2.click for more info
CARDINAL POINTS- North, East, South, and West. Symbolized by the circle in magic (which connects the points), the four elements, and the watchtowers.
CAULDRON- A feminine symbol of the goddess, also of life, death, and rebirth. This is associated with Cerridwen, a goddess who brewed a magickal cauldron from which a single drop was yielded each year. The consumer of her brew would be granted great wisdom. Today her cauldron survives not only in pagan ritual but in the Christian concept of the holy grail.
CENSER- A heat-proof container in which incense is smoldered. An incense burner. It symbolizes the Element of Air . Often a censer is used during ritual to "cense" an area, generally by moving the censer around the area and especially around the circle as a means of purification.
CENTERING- Grounding your energy through meditation, often before rituals to help harness and direct the balanced energy.
CHAKRAS- Seven major energy vortexes found in the human body. Each is usually associated with a color.Energy centers in the body which are best cleansed, opened, and balanced. Too much or too little energy in one chakra can be the cause for disruption in magick or frustrations in everyday life.
CHALICE -A feminine symbol of the element water. This is used during ritual and once the waters of life which it contains is blessed, it is passed around so that everyone in the coven may bring the Goddess "into" themself.
CHANNELING- Mediumship- a word for an entity talking through a human to convey a message to the physical plane.
CHANT- Repetition of magickal phrases, syllables, or words to produce a desired effect as well as bring the chanter to a deeper meditative state.
CHARGE, To- To infuse and object with Personal Power. "Charging" is an act of Magic.
CIRCLE- A protected area where ritual work takes place.
CLEANSING- The act of removing any negative energy, vibrations or images from an object or place by utilizing positive, psychic energy.
CONE OF POWER- Psychic energy raised and focused by either an individual or group mind (coven) to achieve a definite purpose.
CONJURE -To summon entities from the spirit realm into the physical plane.
CONSCIOUS MIND - The analytical, materially-based, rational half of our consciouseness. The mind at work when we compute our taxes, theorize or struggle with ideas.
CONCECRATION- The act of blessing an object or place by instilling it with positive energy.
CORN DOLLY- A figure, often human-shaped, created by plaiting dried wheat or grains. It represented the fertility of the Earth and used in Wicca. Corn dollies aren't made from cobs or husks; corn origianally referred to any grain other than maize and still does in most English speaking countries.
COVEN- A group of thirteen or fewer Witches that work together in an organized fashion for positive magickal endeavorsor to perform religious ceramonies. The covenstead is the meeting place of the Withces.
CRAFT, The- Wicca. Witchcraft. Folk magick.
CRONE -A term of respect used for a witch who has passed menopause or who is over 50-56 years old
CROSS QUARTER DAYS- A term used for the fire sabbats (Samhain, Imbolb, Beltane, Lammas). The most important festivals of the years which form the "cross" in the wheel of the year.
CURSE- Conscious direction of negative energy towards a person, place, or object.
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DEDICATION- Unlike the initiation ceramony that brings one into an order, the dedication of a Witch is that process where ther individual accepts the Craft as their path, and vows to study and learn all that is necessary to reach adeptship in a given tradition. In a dedication, you consciously prepare yourself to accept something new into your life and stick with it, regarless of the highs and lows this action may produce.
DEOSIL-Clockwise, the direction of the Sun's apparent motion in the sky. Pronounced "JESS-ul". In norther hemisphere magic and religion, deosil movement is symbolic of life, positive energies, good. It is much-used in spells and rituals; i.e. "walk deosil around the Circle of Stones." Some Wiccan groups below the equator, notably in Austrailia, hhave switched from deosil to Widdershins movements in their rituals, for the Sun "moves" in apparent counter-clockwise motion from this vantage point.
DIVINATION- The magical art of discovering the unknown by interpreting random patterns or symbols through the use of tools such as clouds, tarot cards, flames, pendulums, runes and smoke. Divination contacts the Psychic Mind by tricking or drowsing the Counscious Mind through ritual and observation or of manipulation of tools. Divination isn't necessary for those who can easily attain communication with the psychic mind, though they may practice it.
DIVINE POWER- The unmanifested, pure energy that exists within the Goddess and God. The life force, the ultimate source of all things.
DOWSING- The art/science of using a pendulum or stick to find the actual location of a person, place, thing or element. Dowsing can also be used to answer yes or no questions. Drawing Down the Moon- A ritual used during the Full Moon by Witches to empower themselves and unite their essence with a particular diety, usually the Goddess.
DRAWING DOWN THE MOON- A ritual used during the Full Moon by Witches to empower themselves and unite their essence with a particular diety, usually the Goddess.
DRUIDISM- An ancient celtic order of priests which has undergone a modern revival into neo-paganism.
