Descriptionary

besom in Wiccan culture, a straw broom used by witches to sweep away negative energy and to purify a circle, especially during handfasting and Candlemas ceremonies. In the Middle Ages, a besom was tradi­tionally placed around a hearth to protect the open­ing from evil spirits.

bewitchment the casting of a spell over another.

Bible code named after a book by the same name, an alleged hidden code left by God in the Bible, through specific letter sequencing, which reveals prophecies and other truths.

bibliomancy divining the future by randomly choosing a passage in a book, especially the Bible.

binding the use of magic to restrain someone from doing something.

black art sorcery or witchcraft.

black magic any form of magic used for evil pur­poses.

black mass in Satanism, a ceremony in which the Lord's Prayer is recited backward and, according to legend, unbaptized children are sacrificed to the devil.

bletonism a divination technique in which water currents are read for omens.

blood of the Moon in Wicca, the menstrual period, when women are thought to have their greatest power.

bokor a sorcerer who practices voodoo.

boline in Wiccan culture, a traditional white- handled knife used to harvest herbs, carve symbols, and cut wands.

Book of Shadows in Wicca, any book of spells, potions, or rituals that may be kept by an individual witch or by a coven. See grimoire.

boucan in voodoo, a ceremonial bonfire that rep­resents the relighting of the Sun, especially at the end of the year.

bune wand old Scottish term for a witch's broom­stick.

Burning Time, the historical low point, between the 1500s and 1600s, when the Catholic Church killed thousands of pagans and witches.

cabalistic having a hidden meaning.

candle magick a spellcasting technique in which colored candles are used to represent people, places, or things.

Candlemas in Wiccan tradition, a fire festival cel­ebrating the goddess of fertility and the horned god, held on February 2.

capnomancy a divination technique in which smoke rising from a fire is read for signs or omens.

cartomancy divining the future by reading a deck of cards, such as the tarot.

cauldron a very large kettle used by witches to con­coct potions or burn incense.

censer an incense holder used during purification rituals. Also known as a thurible.

ceraunoscopy divining the future by reading the patterns in lightning.

cerealogist derived from Ceres, the goddess of agri­culture, one who studies and interprets mysterious crop circles.

ceromancy divining the future by reading the shapes formed by melting wax.

chakra in Kundalini yoga, any one of various energy centers located from the base of the spine to the top of the head, believed by some to have healing powers.

chaldean pre-18th-century term for an astrologer, soothsayer, or sorcerer.

chalice in Wicca, a cup made of earthly materials, such as crystal, glass, or animal horn, used in rituals and for holding sacramental wine.

channeling acting as a medium to receive communi­cations from the spiritual or unseen world.

chanting the recitation of repetitious words or phrases to change one's state of consciousness.

chi Chinese term for the healing supernatural energy hidden in the universe and throughout nature, includ­ing in humans.

chiromancer a palm reader.

chromotherapy in modern witchcraft, the use of colored lighting to bathe and heal sick people.

cingulum in Wicca, a cord used to measure circles and for binding. It is also worn during dancing rituals and may be infused with power, which can be stored in multiple knots.

circle in Wicca, a group of people gathered for a ritualistic purpose. Also, the purified, circular space itself, traditionally 9 feet in diameter, where rituals are performed.

circle healing a Wiccan healing method in which a sick person sits in the center of a circle, surrounded by a coven, who direct healing energy toward her.

circumambulation an ancient, widespread practice of holding out the right hand toward and walking around an object or person, as a show of reverence during a ceremony; it was also practiced to cure dis­ease, bring good luck, or purify. Also known as a holy round.

clairaudience the ability to hear things nobody else can hear, especially emanations from a spiritual or otherworldly plane.

clairvoyance the ability to perceive what cannot be seen in the physical world.

clairvoyant one with the ability to perceive what cannot be seen in the physical world.

cleansing removing negative energy, by various purifying methods and rituals.

cledonomancy the ability to predict what will be said next in a conversation.

cleromancy divining by the drawing of lots.