(?–624 c.e.) Sent to England to convert the people by Pope Gregory I (after whom we have the Gregorian Calendar and Gregorian Chant). Among Pagans today he is best known for receiving a letter from the Pope known as Epistola ad Melitum, which told him to integrate Pagan customs and sites into Christianity. 

2.  Also known as a "silver cone." A cone is commonly visualized as an extension of the Magick Circle to function as a container of inner strength and purpose and as a barrier against external disturbance. In Witchcraft, it is used to reach to the target of the magical operation.

2.  The “Magickal Childe” created through Sex Magick.

A derogatory term used toward people who only see goodness and light in everything, ignoring that there are negative things that occur to people and the universe.

2.  On the Kabalistic Tree of Life, three is the number of Chesed, the central sephirah on the right-hand pillar, the fourth in order from the top of the Tree. It is important because to travel on the Tree above this Sephirah means that you must cross the Veil of the Abyss. Doing so requires taking the oath that you will consider everything a communication between yourself and the Divine. This can totally uproot your nature on the Earth and result in vast changes in your life.

A male Witch who, often with a High Priestess, is the leader of a coven. In traditional covens, to achieve this level requires extensive training and experience. In covens that have a three-degree system, a High Priest will have been initiated into the third degree. It is often abbreviated as HP.

See: Hive Off. 

Also known as the Green Man. Lord of Vegetation, Lord of the Green-Wood. He who is hooded-in-the-green.

The Crown of the High Priest in some Wiccan traditions, it is worn to symbolize his position. It generally very simple with attached horns or antlers and is worn only during rituals.

A derogatory term for a person who reads a book on Witchcraft and “instantly” becomes an expert, even going so far as to start a coven. Their lack of knowledge and training often results in questionable ideas and religious incompatibilities. See IROB.

See Goddess Position.

Generically, any type of external decorative devices, usually made from metals, gems, shells, and other stones. In some Wiccan traditions, the term specifically refers to the Crown, Bracelet, Necklace, and Cord worn by a practitioner during ritual work.

A person who self-identifies as being Jewish and a Witch.

Spelled in a variety of ways, it is a white-hilted knife used by Witches for cutting. See Boline.

See Kitchen Magick.

Created around 1995 by Pagan fans of the Star Trek TV and movie series. The rituals of this system were translated into the language invented for the warlike Klingon aliens of the Star Trek universe; participants brandish Klingon weapons, and wear armor and clothing copied from movies and TV episodes, while performing what are more or less standard Wiccan rituals.

Tools used in the Symbolic Great Rite.

1.  A name or title for the Goddess used by some Wiccan groups.

2.  A name or title given to the High Priestess by some Wiccans while, during a ritual, she is possessed by the Goddess.

In some Wiccan tradtions, an expression that equates either to the Summerland or astral planes.

A term used in some Wiccan traditions that refers to certain signs that a person is ready to follow the path of Wicca.

The Equinoxes and Solstices.

In some Wiccan traditions, a name used to describe the Guardians of the Four Quarters. Sometimes they are also called the Mighty Ones.

Literally, a “little master.” A term used derogatorily by Witch hunters to describe an animal familiar. 

Malicious acts attributed to Witches and sorcerers who had made a pact with the Devil.

A title used in Gardnerian Witchcraft. For privacy, knowledge of the location of other covens and their members was limited to a coven’s priest, priestess, and messenger of the gods. That person was responsible for carrying communications between covens.

See Lords of the Watchtowers.

In some Wiccan traditions, the crown worn by a coven’s High Priestess. They are usually rather simple, often not more than a silver band with a silver crescent moon at the forehead, usually with the points up. Sometimes they show a full moon with a crescent moon, points out, at either side. Some are adorned with gems.

Jewelry worn around the neck, most often for decoration but also as a talisman or amulet. In some Wiccan traditions, a necklace is worn by women as a sign of initiation. As a circle, it is also symbolic of rebirth. 

In some Wiccan traditions, a term that means to move Widdershins, or anti-clockwise, within a magickal circle.

See Samhain

One of the many nicknames for the Horned God found in numerous Pagan traditions. In many Wiccan traditions, the Goddess is always treated with respect. The God, while respected, often appears as a trickster and thus gets these more familiar names. Today it also indicates that Wicca is a fertility religion and the God is ready for sexual activity.

Name of a set of covens [allegedly] hidden for generations. Old Order Robed Clad Covens are from the Isle of Mann.

A term used by some who worked Robert Cochrane as a way to differentiate themselves from the Gardnerians.

An early derogatory expression—used by some Wiccans at the beginning of Wicca’s modern growth—for Christians. It was to refute the Christian claim that they were “born again” and used to indicate that Christians want to get off the natural cycle of reincarnation and that this life is their first incarnation. This is in distinction to Pagans who have the advanced knowledge and development of multiple incarnations and lifetimes.

A type of “degree” wherein a person can start learning about Wicca from a coven without actually being initiated into that coven. 

See Wiccan Rede

A description of a person leaving a coven under positive terms. This may be due to a person moving or because he or she doesn’t get along with a person in the coven. There may be a ritual to mark this parting. The person who parts is still considered a member of the tradition, just not a member of a specific coven.

A Scottish tradition of Wicca with a strong focus on divination. 

Among many Wiccans, you are expected to enter the ritual circle by having perfect love and perfect trust with other members of the coven.

A technique used by Witchfinders. They used a device called a bodkin (it looks like an icepick) to stab a suspected Witch repeatedly in order to find a “Devil’s Mark,” indicating that the person was a Witch. 

Lineal descendants of Proteus Coven that was located in New York City. During the early 1980s, Judy Harrow founded the coven as part of the Gardnerian tradition. By the early 1990s, Harrow declared the Protean Family to be a “self-aware subgroup” of the Gardnerian line, although some Gardnerians no longer considered them part of the tradition.

In some Wiccan traditions, the person in a coven responsible for collecting, safekeeping, and distribution of any money that the coven may have. Some have pointed out that Wiccan traditions generally do not pass a collection plate, thus questioning the value of such a role. However, many covens collect dues and gratefully accept donations given by those who attend public rituals in order to help pay for consumables (incense, candles, etc.) and the costs of upkeep of the covenstead.

A tradition of Wicca created and popularized by Raymond Buckland in the early 1970s. He proudly admitted that this was a new Wiccan tradition while others were [falsely] claiming antiquity for their traditions. Somewhat eclectic, it is based on the Saxon mythos instead of the more familiar Celtic system. 

When a coven becomes too large to be easily manageable, it may divide into two or more smaller sister covens. They are considered equal and friendly and may attend each other’s rituals. Note that this is different from a daughter coven that “hives off” from a mother coven. Generally, the coven that keeps the original High Priestess maintains the original name while the other coven adopts a new name.

Alone. Also, a short version of Solitary Witch. See: Solitary Witch. 

A curving line that starts at a central point and gradually gets farther from the center. This is a shape commonly found in nature such as in the nautilus shell. Symbolically, it represents manifestation or coming into being. A Spiral Dance, where a line of people follow a spiral path, is popular among Witches and Pagans.

A friendly division wherein some members of a relatively large coven leave that coven to form their own coven. This resulting covens are generally considered “sister” covens. Compare this to hiving which results in a mother coven and daughter coven(s). 

See: Strappado 

A tradition of Alexandrian Wicca. Members trace their lineage to Dianis Lucien (D. W. Piper), a founder of StarKindler coven.

See: Dunking. 

A Symbolic version of the ritual known as the Great Rite. In the Symbolic Great Rite, the ritual is metaphorically performed. A knife is used to represent the male and a chalice is used to represent the female. During the rite, the knife is inserted into the chalice, representing the sexual nature of the actual Great Rite.

A torture device. Placed tightly around a person’s thumbs (or fingers), the device was cranked tighter, causing intense pain and eventually breaking, then crushing, a victim’s digits in an attempt to obtain a confession. It was one means to “question” a suspected Witch during the Inquisition. 

A person who pretends to be something such as a Wiccan or Witch or magician after reading a few books on the subject or seeing some movies. They often will mix Wicca, paganism, psuedo-Native American and New Age concepts into a single composite often filled with inner contradictions. Because a wanna-be is doing this for himself or herself and not trying to show off, a wanna-be is often considered to be a step above the Insta-Witch.

See: boline. 

A small bottle, traditionally of blue or green glass, filled with broken glass, bent nails, and other damaged bits of material which can cut and pierce. They are a protective spell and might also contain the hair, nails, and urine of a victim. They may be sealed into the walls of a house or buried under the porch or hearth to absorb evil. More recently the contents have included herbs such as rosemary, wine, and pins.

A term found initially in Gardnerian Wicca that refers to the consort and working partner of a Witch Queen. Although usually a High Priest, it is not always the case. It does not mean the king of all Witches.

A term found initially in Gardnerian Wicca that refers to a coven’s High Priestess who has initiated people who have achieved the highest degree of the coven and have branched or “hived” off to form covens of their own. 

Irish term for Wicca.