Wicca A to Z. Gerina Dunwich

is the Wiccan name of the paradiselike afterworld where the soul or spirit is believed to go after physical death and remain until it reincarnates.

      AIR One of the four ancient and alchemical elements, which corresponds to the East Watchtower of the magick circle. The spirits of Air are known as Sylphs. See also ELEMENTALS.

      ALCHEMY The ancient occult science of transmutation of base metals into gold or silver by both chemical and spiritual processes. The other major aims of alchemy were to find an elixir that could make humans immortal, and to acquire various methods of creating life artificially. One who practices alchemy is called an alchemist.

      Legend holds that alchemy was founded by the god Hermes Trismegistus; however, it is known that the basic fundamentals of alchemy were actually developed by the Egyptians, who combined metallurgy with Hermetic philosophy hundreds of years before the birth of Christ. In ancient China, where the Eastern alchemical arts were highly developed, the first alchemical text was written by Ko Hung and published around the year 320 A.D. In the 12th century A.D. alchemy was brought to Spain by the Muslims, and from there its practice spread throughout much of Europe, where it was regarded as a highly respected, although mysterious, science.

      Those who practiced alchemy often used dream-revelations and visions to base their studies upon, and their works were written and drawn in obscure symbols instead of in words. They also believed that everything on Earth possessed a “hermaphroditic composition” of sulfur (the male principle and the soul) and mercury (the female principle and the spirit), as well as salt (representative of the physical body.) Working in harmony with astrological influences, the alchemists were confident that these three “essentials” (sulfur, mercury, salt) could be separated and then put back together in a different form.

      The height of alchemy’s extensive popularity occured from the latter part of the Middle Ages through the Renaissance. But when the non-metallic element of oxygen and the composition of water were discovered in the early nineteenth century, the alchemical sciences were discredited and replaced by physics. Although the alchemists of old never did succeed in making true gold or discovering the elusive “philosopher’s stone” which they believed held the secret power to life immortal, their other contributions helped to pave the way for modern chemistry and medicine.

      Another name for alchemy is the “spagyric art.” (The word “spagyric” derives from the Greek terms for “to tear” and “to bring together.”) Its usage can be traced back to the Gnostics of the second century A.D.; however, it is seldom, if ever, used in modern times.

      Contemporary Western alchemy for the most part is no longer concerned with the making of gold or fabulous elixirs of immortality. Instead, its focus is upon spiritual and psychological transformation, union with the Divine, and the evolution into higher states of consciousness through the symbolic “death” and “rebirth” of elements. Its personification, the hermaphrodite, represents the process of becoming whole by the joining of opposites, such as male and female, God and Goddess, yin and yang, and so forth.

      ALL HALLOW’S EVE Another name for the Pagan festival and Witches’ Sabbat of Samhain, which is traditionally celebrated on the last day of October. See also SAMHAIN.

      ALMADEL A talisman fashioned in white wax, inscribed with the names of spirits or angels, and used in various rituals by practitioners of Ceremonial Magick.

      ALRAUN In European folk magick, a small good-luck image shaped from the root of a mandrake or bryony. According to tradition, a Witch’s alraun had to be dressed in clothing and presented with daily offerings of food and wine. If not treated properly, it held the power to bring bad luck to the household of its possessor. The alraun takes its name from the shapeshifting sorceresses of Teutonic myth known as the Alrunes.

      ALTAR Any table or raised structure on which, during rituals and spellcastings, candles and incense are burned, tools of magick are kept, and offerings of any kind are made to the Goddess, Horned God, or other deities. The arrangement of altars varies from Witch to Witch and coven to coven. However, the usual items found on most Wiccan altars include candles, a pentacle, chalice, salt, incense, bell, athame, and a Goddess or Horned God symbol. Nearly any piece of furniture with a flat surface can be used as an altar, and with a little bit of imagination, outdoor altars can easily be made out of such things as garden benches, tree stumps, and large stones with flat tops.

      AMULET A consecrated object, usually a small colored stone or a piece of metal inscribed with runes or other magickal symbols, that possesses the power: to protect a person or thing from threatening influences; to inspire love; and to attract good luck. Astrological jewelry, four-leaf clovers, and a rabbit’s foot are several examples of modern amulets popular among Witches and non-Witches alike.

      ANATHEMA A sorcerer’s curse or an offering to a Pagan deity. It is also the word used in the Roman Catholic Church as part of the formula in the excommunication of heretics. To anathematize is to place a curse upon.

      ANGAKOK A Central Eskimo Shaman, medicine man, or magician who uses various sacred songs, invocations, and incantations to cure the ill, control the weather, and drive away evil spirits from the village.

      ANGELICA A mystical plant associated with early Nordic magick. It was worn as a charm in the fifteenth century to protect against the dreaded plague. (According to folklore, an archangel revealed in a vision that the plant would cure the plague.) In many parts of the world, country peasants believed that angelica possessed the power to guard against evil, and they hung its leaves around their children’s necks to protect them against the spells and enchantments of sorcerers. Angelica is both a culinary and a medicinal herb, and according to the seventeenth century herbalist Nicholas Culpepper, it should be gathered when the moon is in Leo.

      ANJARA In Hispanic folklore, a type of supernatural Witch who appears in the guise of an elderly woman to test out the charity of mortals. The Anjara watches over animals and is believed to possess a golden staff which has the magickal power to transform everything it comes into contact with into riches.

      ANIMISM The spiritual belief that everything in nature, animate and inanimate, possesses an innate soul in addition to a body.

      ANKH An ancient Egyptian symbol resembling a cross with a loop at the top. It symbolizes life and cosmic knowledge, and every major god and goddess of Egyptian mythology is depicted in works of art carrying it. Also known as the crux ansata, the ankh is used by many contemporary Witches (especially Wiccans of the Egyptian tradition) in spells and rituals involving health, fertility, and divination.

      AN-SHET Another word for a Witch’s magick wand.

      APPARITION The appearance of a person’s phantom, living or dead, seen in a dream, trance, or in the waking state as the result of astral projection or clairvoyance.

      AQUARIUS In astrology, the eleventh sign of the zodiac, symbolized by the Water Bearer. Aquarius is an Air sign, and is ruled by the planet Uranus. Its energies are masculine-yang-positive-active, and its polarity (its opposite sign of the zodiac which expresses the opposite characteristics) is Leo. The quadruplicity (quality) of Aquarius is Fixed (meaning resistant to change and a natural perfector.) Persons born between January 20 and February 18 are under the sign of Aquarius and are said to possess the following traits: unconventionalism, self-expression, friendliness, independence and a rational, analytical mind. Aquarians are often temperamental and have a tendency to daydream, which often gets them into trouble at work or at school. In matters of love, Aquarius is believed to be most compatible with Aquarius, Gemini, Libra, and those with Moon in Aquarius. The parts of the human body said to be ruled by Aquarius are the shins, ankles, and the circulatory system.

      ARIES In astrology, the first sign of the zodiac, symbolized by the Ram. Aries is a Fire sign, and is ruled by the planet Mars. Its energies are masculine-yang-positive-active, and its polarity (its opposite sign of the zodiac which expresses the opposite characteristics) is Libra. The quadruplicity (quality) of Aries is Cardinal, (meaning enterprising, outgoing, and a natural-born initiator). Persons born between March 21 and April 19 are under the sign of Aries and are said to possess the following traits: independence, courage, intelligence, pride, optimism, short-temperedness, and sometimes self-centeredness. In matters of love, Aries is believed to be most compatible