Welcome to Gaia! ::

Here is a list of common terms and their meanings within the craft that can cause confusion for people just beginning.

Summerland - Wiccan 'heaven' if you will. This is where souls go after physical death to celebrate the afterlife and continue their spiritual learning. (Many traditions believe in reincarnation, where the spirit can be born again to a new body and learn more through the next life.)

Book of Shadows - A combination of all the spells and lessons that one uses as a reference book commonly looked at as a spell book.

Book of light - (Not all traditions have this) This is where all the lessons and knowledge are stored, rules and such. For traditions that have a book of light, the book of shadows is used only for spells.

Esbats - The thirteen full moons of the year, often used for ritual and 'minor feasts'.

Sabbats - The eight main holidays, known as the 'Major Feasts' If you would like to learn more about the Sabbats, there are threads for each of them in the 'Birthdays, Holidays, and Special Events!' sub-forum.

Sacred Space - This is the circle of magical workings. This circle is cast by the person working their craft to keep bad energy out and create a safe and nurturing environment for their spell.

Solitary - any witch that doesn't belong to a group. Most of us are solitaries around here. Some are simi-solitaries, having a small group of friends that they will sometimes work with.

Alter - The general 'work table' for magical workings. Can be decorated a large variety of ways, and is often adorned with candles and symbols.

Goddess - Any female form of deity. Many times the general term Goddess is used as a broad term and can mean one or all Goddesses. Is also often referred to as Mother or Lady.

God - Any male form of deity. Many times the general term God is used as a broad term and can mean one or all Gods. Is also often referred to as Father or Lord.

Ritual Purification - Cleansing of the body and mind prior to performing a ritual.

Raising Energy - Creating energy to be sent with the working to give it more force and energy, thus making it more powerful.

Spirit animals - Any animal that one feels connected to and guided by. This can be because of it appearing to one, in a dream or in spirit form, or it can be by simple interest in the animal. This often changes through out one's life.

Group Mind - In group magic, this is the collective mind of the group that is in harmony and trust.

Invocation - The act of inviting the God and Goddess to enter the circle and join in ritual.

Elements - The five elements of the earth; North is Earth, East is Air, South is Fire, and West is Water. The fifth element is Spirit, and is all around, most commonly, its direction is up.

Calling Quarters - The act of calling to the four elements and spirit to aid in a working.

Banishing Negativity - Using your will power to force all negativity from an area.

Manifesting Magic - Using your will power to make a working or a spell happen.

Evoke - To bring from within yourself energy of force outward into the universe.

Meditation - An exercise to strengthen your mental vision, and relax your body. Can be used as a good stress reliever

Visualization - the art of crafting a visual picture in your mind to 'see' it clearly.

very helpful knowledge for a beginer, thank you!