Glossary

<body topmargin=0 leftmargin=0 marginheight=0 marginwidth=0> <table cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 border=0><tr> <td valign="top" rowspan="2" width=210 BGCOLOR="#9999FF" TEXT="#080000" bgproperties="fixed" background="03c76ba3.gif"> <bR> </td> <td valign="top" colspan=2 height=90 BGCOLOR="#99CCFF" TEXT="#080000" bgproperties="fixed" background="03d76bc1egdyqn.gif"> <div> <FONT SIZE="5" COLOR="#FFFFCC" FACE="Arial" ><B>Wicca </B></FONT><B>   |   </B><A HREF="index.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Wicca "><U><B>home</B></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id113.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="FAQ and Information on Wicca"><U>FAQ and Information on Wicca</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id126.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Beginning Wicca The Basics"><U>Beginning Wicca - The Basics</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id15.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="The God"><U>The God</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id16.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="The Goddess"><U>The Goddess</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id23.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Samhain"><U>Samhain</U></A>   |   <A 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good karma. Save a life. Click a button.</div> <bR> <div> <IMG SRC="184d4e50.gif" border=0 width="212" height="229" ALT="Bitmap Image" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <bR> <div> ALTAR - Special flat surface set aside for religious acknowledgement and/or magickal workings. Generally of an all natural material, ie. stone or a wooden table built with out metal fasteners. </div> <div> ARADIA - Daughter of the Sun, Lucifer, and the Moon, Diana, and a name for the Goddess used by Italian Witches or Strega, commonly used in many Wiccan traditions today. </div> <div> ALEXANDERIAN - That tradition of Witchcrafte descended from the teachings of Alex Sanders. </div> <div> ATHAME - black handled, double edged knife. Principally used to cast and dissolve the circle, for which purposes it is interchangeable with the sword, the wand or besom. Considered to be a tool of the Element Fire in many traditions. </div> <div> AVONIAN WICA - Tradition initiated by Avon Maser. Primary dieties are Mother Earth, Father Sun and Daughter Moon. Based in belief in an ecological pattern of technology to achieve advancement of Human race. </div> <div> BANISH - To exorcise unwanted energies and/or entities. To rid the presence of same. </div> <div> BESOM - Some traditions see the besom/broom as others use the athame or wand. It is often used to sweep physical debris and meta-physical negativity from a place to serve as sacred space, ie. casted circle. </div> <div> BELTANE - May Eve festival. One of the Ancient Celtic Fire Festivals. Bel, meaning the god Baal, and tane meaning fire, literally translates to Baal's Fire. On this night, the cattle were driven between two bonfires to protect them from disease. Couples wishing for fertility would jump the fires on Beltane night. This Festival also marks the transition point of the triple Goddess energies from those of Maiden to Mother. </div> <div> BLACK HANDLE KNIFE - See ATHAME. </div> <div> BOLINE- See WHITE HANDLED KNIFE</div> <div> BOOK OF SHADOWS - Traditionally hand copied book of rituals, recipes, guidelines, and other materials deemed important to a Witch or a coven. Each tradition has it's own standard version of the Book and each Witch's book will be different as he or she adds to it with time from many different sources. Only another Witch should be allow to see your book of shadows. Also, traditionally, it may never leave your hands or possession until death, when it should be destroyed, or (in some traditions) returned to the coven to be disposed of. </div> <div> BURNING TIMES - a term used by some Witches for the period of persecution in the Middle Ages and later. It is in fact a misnomer in some places, as Witches were only burned in Scotland, and on the continent of Europe. In England and the U.S., they were hanged. </div> <div> CANDLEMAS - Festival held on Feb. 1. One of the four Celtic Fire Festivals. Commemorates the changing of the Goddess from the Crone to the Maiden. Celebrates the first signs of Spring. Also called Imbolg or Imbloc (the old Celtic name). This is the seasonal change where the first signs of sring and the return of the sun are noted, i.e. the first sprouting of leaves, the sprouting of the Crocus flowers etc. In other words, it is the festival commemorating the successful passing of winter and the beginning of the agricultural year.This Festival also marks the transition point of the triple Goddess energies from those of Crone to Maiden. </div> <div> CARDINAL POINTS - North, South, East, and West. </div> <div> CAULDRON - Three legged cooking vessel, considered by some traditions to be a one of the tools of the Witch. May be used as a vessel to prepare brews and potions, as well as a censer. Placed in circle or on an altar to represent the womb of the goddess. </div> <div> CHALICE - one of the tools of the Witch. Placed on the altar to represent the element of Water. </div> <div> CHARGE OF THE GODDESS - The Traditional words of the Goddess to her followers. Originally written by Doreen Valiente, it is a story of the message from the Goddess to her children. Normally declared by the HPS at every coven Circle. </div> <div> CIRCLE - the area in which the magickal worship and spells takes place. Can also be used to designate a particular group of Witches or Pagans such as Dark Moon Circle. </div> <div> CONE OF POWER - power raised in the circle by the Witches assembled, and sent out into the world to work magick, is usually visualized as being retained and built in the form of a cone prior to release. </div> <div> COVEN - an organized group of Witches, led by a High priestess and/or a High Priest who meet regularly for worship and fellowship. The traditional membership is considered to be 13, but many covens number considerably less. In Middle English, the word Covin means a group of confederates; In Old French Covine is defined as a band or group with a single purpose; Latin Com - together, Venire-to come or move. </div> <div> COVENSTEAD - regular meeting place for a coven. Usually the home of the High Priestess or High Priest. </div> <div> COWAN - a non-Witch. Formerly used in a very derogatory manner. Still used in Masonic Ritual to indicate the non initiate and/or pretender. Not often used today among most Witches. </div> <div> CROSS QUARTERS - The modern name for the Celtic Fire Festivals of Samhain, Imbolc, Beltane, and Lammas. </div> <div> DARK PATH See LEFT HAND PATH </div> <div> DAYS OF POWER - See SABBATS </div> <div> DEGREE - Levels of attainment, many traditions have three degrees or levels of adeptness. </div> <div> DEOSIL - clockwise (or anti-clockwise in the sothern hemisphere). Traditional direction for working building magick. </div> <div> DRAWING DOWN THE MOON - Ritual invocation of the spirit of the Goddess into the body of the High Priestess by the High Priest. </div> <div> DIANIC - Tradition initiated by An Forfreedom. Members are both male and female, but focuses on Feminine leadership. </div> <div> DIVINATION - magical method of exploration or inquiry into a situation via such methods as Tarot cards, runestones, I-Ching, etc. </div> <div> EARTH MAGICK - Practical form of magick whereas the powers and forces of Mother Earth are used to conduct magickal workings or celebrations. </div> <div> ELDER - Individuals who through their wisdom, age, experience, education, counseling, as well as other areas have overseen the teachings of the Crafte, and protected them with their all. Seldom one under the age of thirty-five. </div> <div> ELEMENTS - Earth, air, fire, and water, plus spirit, which includes them all. These are regarded as realms or categories of nature (both material and non-material) and are not to be confused with the physicists table of elements, which the modern witch, of course, accepts. </div> <div> EQUINOX - Either of the two times a year when the sun crosses the equator and the length of day and night are approximately the same. Spring Equinox approximately March 21st-22nd, Fall Equinox September 21st-22nd. </div> <div> ESBAT - meeting of a witches, Traditionally held either on the full moon or the new moon. </div> <div> FAM-TRAD - Family Tradition, see TRADITION. </div> <div> FAMILIARS - Either a Witch's pet animal which has been trained to be a magickal helper, or an artificially created elemental which performs the same functions as the animal friend. </div> <div> FIVEFOLD KISS - The Witches' ritual salute, with kisses; (1) on each foot, (2) on each knee, (3) above the pubic hair, (4) on each breast, and (5) on the lips, really eight kisses in all. It is only used within the Circle, but the words that go with it are the origin of Blessed Be. </div> <div> GARDNERIAN - A tradition of Witchcraft descended from the teachings of Gerald Gardner. </div> <div> GNOMES - an entity or elemental that dwells in the plane of Earth or is associated with the EARTH Element. </div> <div> GREAT RITE - The rite which is the main feature of the third degree initiation, and which is also laid down for certain festivals. It is sexual in nature, but may be actual (and private to the couples concerned) or symbolic, as the participants wish. </div> <div> GREEN MAN - One of the many faces/aspects of the God. </div> <div> HALLOWS - name used by some traditions for Samhain, or Halloween </div> <div> HANDFASTING - Wiccan equivalent of a wedding. It can be made legal if the Priestess and/or Priest are registered as clergy with the local authorities, or it may only be considered binding within the coven. </div> <div> HEATHEN - One who dances on the Heath. Another word for Pagan. </div> <div> HIGH PRIEST/ESS - Technically speaking, a Witch who has received the third degree initiation. More usually, the male and female leaders of a coven. </div> <div> IMBOLG - Celtic name for Candlemas. </div> <div> INVOCATION - The ritual calling-in of an entity or energies higher than human, either for communication with the caller through a medium or by visible manifestation or else to enter into a human body as in the Drawing Down the Moon. In some traditions, a Prayer. </div> <div> JACK IN THE GREEN - One of the many faces/aspects of the God. </div> <div> JOHN BARLEYCORN - One of the many faces/aspects of the God. </div> <div> LAMMAS - August 1st. Witch Festival. The Old Celtic name for this festival is Lughnassadh. It is the Festival of the First Fruits, and is the first of the three harvests. This festival also marks the change of the Triple Goddess energies from that of Mother to Crone. </div> <div> LEFT HAND PATH - Path less traveled, denotes that which is against Nature and Human Kind. Also known as the DARK PATH. </div> <div> MAIDEN - An appointment held by one of the women of the coven. She acts as the assistant High Priestess. This term is also the descriptive term used to describe the first of the aspects of the Triple Goddess, Maiden, Mother, and Crone. Traditionally associated with the Waxing Moon, and the period from Imbolc - Candlemas till Beltane - May Eve, where the energies are those of initiating, beginning, and creation. </div> <div> MOON TIME - Also known as that time of the month, a woman's menstrual cycle. </div> <div> MOTHER, MAIDEN, CRONE - The three aspects of the Triple Goddess. </div> <div> NEO-PAGAN - Meaning New Pagan, New Age jargen. </div> <div> OLD RELIGION - One of many names for the religion of Wica. </div> <div> OLD PATH - One of many names for the religion of Wica. </div> <div> OLD WAYS - One of many names for the religion of Wica. </div> <div> PAGAN - One who is not Christian, Islamic or Jewish. From the latin, PAGANI or PAGANUS meaning country dweller or bumpkin. </div> <div> PAGANING - Presentation of an infant to the Circle and to the Gods. Similar in aspect to the Christian Christening. </div> <div> PATH - see TRADITION </div> <div> PENTACLE - An altar upon an altar, usually a disc shaped talisman; which can be fashioned from wood, Beeswax, stone or, more commonly in today's world, metal, which may or may not have inscribed upon it the five pointed star of the Pentagram, as well as other mystical symbols. Among the witch's working tools, it is this disc which represents the earth element. </div> <div> PENTAGRAM - The five-pointed star, often said to represent the five elements of life, Earth, Air, Fire, Water and Spirit. With a single point uppermost, it represents the human being. Inverted, with two points uppermost, it is said to have Satanist associations; but not necessarily. Some traditions of Wicca use the inverted pentagram to signify an initiate of the second degree, and take offense at such usage. </div> <div> QUARTERS - The North, East, South, and West parts of a magickal circle or other ritual area. Refer also to Watchtowers </div> <div> REDE - rule or law. </div> <div> SABBAT - one of the Eight festivals or high holidays of Wica. </div> <div> SAMHAIN - The festival of remembrance for the dead, held on October 31st. It is the last of the three harvests.This festival also marks the transition of rulership of the Wheel of the Year from that of the Goddess to that of the God. </div> <div> SCRYING - A form of divination intelling self hypnosis to achieve a trance state, in which joins the concious with the sub-concious to discern useful information. Usually done by using such methods as gazing into crystal balls, black glass or polished bronze mirrors, hearth fires, candle flames, smoke or a bowl filled water as opposed to tarot or other means that may be manipulated. </div> <div> SEAX-WICA - Tradition founded by Raymond Buckland, promotes Saxon traditions. </div> <div> SOLSTICE - Either of the two times a year when the sun reaches an extreme northward or southward motion. Summer Solstice approximately June 21st-22nd, approximately December 21st-22nd. </div> <div> SPELL - the structured and focused direction of psychic energies toward the accomplishment of a goal. Sometimes uttered in rhyme or the form of a prayer to a specific diety. </div> <div> SUMMONER - The male officer of the coven who corresponds to the Maiden. This person acts as the assistant High Priest. </div> <div> TRADITIONS - any of the various sects of Wicca such as Gardnerian, Alexandrian, Georgian, Seax, etc. </div> <div> TRIPLE GODDESS - Refer to MOTHER, MAIDEN, CRONE </div> <div> WAND - A rod or staff that is prepared so that it may be used for magickal or psychic purposes, usually to project some form of power. One of the Witches tools, representing Air. Though elemental affiliation may vary from one tradition to the next. </div> <div> WARLOCK - Seventeenth century Scotland. Bad Scottish pronounciation of the Old English words waer logga, denoting a traitor to the Craft, meaning oath breaker, or betrayer of the faith. Because of these negative connotations, it is not used by Wiccans today. </div> <div> WATCH TOWERS - Originally from Ceremonial Magick, has now incorporated into many Traditions of Wicca, these are the four elemental directions or quarters (orresponding to the appropriate points on the compass)called to protect the Circle during its establishment. Each of them have a correspondence between the compass point, an element, and color associated with them, varying amongst different traditions </div> <div> WICA - Old English name for the form of worship practiced by heathens. </div> <div> WICCA - the name most modern day Witches use for the Craft. It is, in actuality, the Old English word for male witch, the femminine being wicce. The Old English word, Wiccain meant to bend or to shape. This is the root word from which we get wicker. </div> <div> WICCE - Old English, Female Witch. </div> <div> WIDDERSHINS - counter clock wise (or clockwise in the southern hemisphere). Used for tearing down OR BANISHING magick. </div> <div> WHITE HANDLED KNIFE - the working knife of a Witch. It is used to carve candles, and for fashioning the other tools. In many traditions, it can only be used in Circle. </div> <bR> <bR> <div> I absolutely love Charmed and this a Charmed based encyclopedia which is also full of witchy information. It is from the unofficial charmed companion.</div> <bR> <div> <B>Agate:</B> One of the more common stones found in streams and on beaches, its colors vary widely and have given rise to a subset of magical use. The umbrella of connotations covering all agates includes bravery, longevity, healing, and protection.</div> <bR> <div> <IMG SRC="4a574ce0.gif" border=0 width="372" height="206" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <bR> <div> <B>Agrimony:</B> For ensuring a deep, undisturbed—in fact, <I>undisturbable</I>—sleep, slip dried leaves of this plant inside the sleeper’s pillow. Agrimony’s ready availability along the eastern seaboard makes it a handy sleep aid for children. Keep in mind that co-opting a person’s free will is always questionable; indiscriminate pillow-stuffing isn’t encouraged.</div> <bR> <div> <B>Altar:</B> A flat stone, a window ledge, a wall shelf, a cloth spread on the ground, a chalked outline on the floor-almost anything can be the focus of your ritual space as long as it is stable enough to let you work without worrying about candles tipping, and smooth enough not to catch or tangle fingers or sleeves. Beyond providing a flat, stable surface, your choice of altar will usually reflect some aspect of your philosophy and aesthetic. Wiccans with strong tendencies toward natural motifs in their magic may opt for an altar of a particular wood. Others may prefer stone slabs. Most, however, will use a table of some sort, usually one that can serve more than one purpose if space is tight. </div> <div> The usual working altar on <I>Charmed</I>, a low table around which the sisters can sit comfortably on the floor, is an excellent model if you have enough square footage. Small enough that everyone can reach the entire surface, but large enough to accommodate all the tools you might need, is the ideal. Naturally, solo practitioners who like to incorporate reflections of all four elements, a low table can serve as a connection to earth. Similarly, a tall table like Zoe’s, seen in "From Fear to Eternity," represents air.</div> <bR> <div> <B>Altar cloth:</B> The very first thing acquired for most work areas is an altar cloth. Whether elaborate or plain, the cloth marks the space for ritual use. For those whose altars must also serve as desks or coffee tables, the cloth is a physical reminder that, during the working at least, this is a sacred place. It may revert to the same stretch of wood over which you and your kids argue the relative merits of homework, but while that cloth covers it, it is a holy ground. An altar cloth obviously isn’t just a table dressing and deserves some thought on the practitioner’s part. </div> <div> As color plays an important role in keying the witch’s mind to her purpose, a collection of cloths in various shades isn’t unusual. Embellishment of a single cloth can serve the same purpose. A ring of symbols meaningful to the practitioner can be embroidered, or over the working space to bring a single symbol to the front. </div> <div> While the material itself isn’t particularly important, you’ll only have to chase that pretty piece of slippery black satin a few times before realizing that whatever beauty it might bring to your ritual is more than countered by its inconvenience. And, while Scotchgard isn’t something you’ll want to add to your altar cloths, washable fabrics that easily release the odd spill of ash, wax, or oil will make your experience more pleasurable.</div> <bR> <div> <B>Amber:</B> This geologically unusual stone-actually formed from plant resin-has been venerated among mystics for centuries. Transmutation is an obvious association, which likely explains its use in workings related to a change of luck, past life remembrances, and purification. </div> <div> <B>Amethyst:</B> Sort of a psychic cocoon, the amethyst has many esoteric connections that revolve around a central them of healing and protection. Heightened psychic awareness, deeper meditative states, and mental tranquillity-the precursors to spiritual rejuvenation-make this stone a common ingredient in spells aimed at reestablishing lost focus or regaining a balanced perception. As a reminder of the need for balance, an amethyst is often found in a witch’s work space.</div> <bR> <div> <B>Arabic, gum:</B> For casting a protective circle around a large area, an entire house or property—especially a circle intended to last longer than a single working—your components should be more stable and enduring than simple chalk. Gum arabic, burned in a portable censer, releases a sweet-scented smoke with which a whole structure can be censed. The same protective associations can be incorporated, on smaller scales, into myriad other types of spells by dropping small sprinkles over a brasier or into hot water.</div> <bR> <div> <B>Athame:</B> Andy Trudeau knows his athames from his filleting knives and, while the Halliwell sisters have yet to make use of this traditional tool, their existence in the <I>Charmed</I> universe reflects broad usage in the real world of Wiccan practice. </div> <div> Though design varies from a short knife no longer than the hand to a short sword length, the blade is most often blunt and double-edged. The blind, or unsharpened, edges don’t interfere with the tool’s functionality; it was never meant to cut anything, merely to give direction to the energy raised by the witch. Perhaps its most common use is in casting a working circle, a protective first step in many rituals. One version of a casting that specifically requires an athame is the Triple Circle. The first circle is cast in chalk, the second in salt, the last traced through the first two with the athame. This symbolic definition, cleansing, and direction make any space suitable for further rituals or castings. </div> <div> Just as the cauldron is often linked with femininity, the athame provides elements of masculinity. It’s also associated with air and is often used to trace symbols in that element. Because of its role as an energy conduit, some traditions prefer to connect it to fire.</div> <bR> <div> <B>Bay:</B> Said to have been used by Delphic priestesses, bay, in all its parts, is a divinatory stimulant and a mild to moderate narcotic. Though, it’s found in most spice racks, outright indigestion isn’t recommended, as bay is a well-known abortifacient; far better to use it in an incense mixture, as the Delpic oracles did.</div> <bR> <div> <B>Bell:</B> Bells aren’t the private reserve of church steeples, though those are one example of this common arcane tool. Just as smoke is believed to carry messages, prayers, and hopes to a higher authority or level of self-awareness, certain sounds have traditionally been believed to cleanse the air through which their reverberations pass, carrying good wishes. Firecrackers in the east, cowbells to ward off the evil eye in European mountains, even shotgun blasts at midnight on New Year’s Eve were all originally intended to purify and clear away evil thoughts or intentions. "By bell, book, and candle," begins one version of a Christian exorcism rite. </div> <div> Bells and chimes, a musical first cousin, can be thought of as auditory smoke. In an invocation where incense was inappropriate, the single peal of a ritual bell might provide the perfect alternative. A lovely outside meditation, The Wind Sculptor, requires that several sets of light chimes be hung among a grouping of trees to familiarize the magical practitioner with anticipate how a breeze will move through a particular tree by noting the order in which the chimes are stroked by the wind. Some claim that, with sufficient understanding, one can not only predict the wind’s path but gently nudge it on this very localized scale.</div> <bR> <div> <B>Bloodstone:</B> While the amethyst might be considered mystical first aid for the battered witch soul, bloodstones are the emergency room. Along with deep healings, bloodstones carry a connotation of acceptance, even in the face of extreme adversity. Like deep polls, bloodstones act as reservoirs, holding pain aside until the practitioner can address it under less stressful circumstances. Fear, anger, and pain are lost in its depths, leaving enlightenment and peace in its wake.</div> <bR> <div> <B>Bolline:</B> While the blunt athame serves its function perfectly, a knife that actually cuts something is also a customary implement for an altar. Unlike the athame, the bolline is kept will sharpened—not that easy to do, as the sickle-shaped blade is often made of silver or copper, softer metals that aren’t anxious to hold an edge. Still, the knife is practical: Used to gather herbs in season, trim wicks on lamps and candles, and etch symbols in candles, among other things, it’s the one tool that is used as often away from the ritual space as inside it. Some Wiccans keep two bollines, one for use inside the space and another for outside formal ritual. The handles of both athames and bollines may give some hint to their usual usage. The athame, used solely within a sacred space, features a black handle. Bollines used inside the circle are also black-handles, while those used outside its confines are generally white. Either blade may be inscribed with runes, symbols, or the practitioner’s name. </div> <div> Some ascribe the bolline to druidic tradition. Certainly its shape, reminiscent of the tiny scythes with which the druids were reputed to harvest mistletoe from oaks, is quite similar. </div> <div> The only sharp implement used in the work space in the Halliwell attic was used to prick the fingers of all three sisters in preparation for bringing Melinda Warren out of the past, but that knife was, in all probability, one of those filleting knives with which aspiring chefs, such as Piper, like to stock their kitchen.</div> <bR> <div> <B>Bottles and vials:</B> Obviously helpful in organizing and storing other spell components, bottles can also be ingredients in and themselves-though a spell bottle isn’t always a bottle. Specially made spheres of glass or china, earthenware containers, or wooden bowls, anything that can contain your components for an extended period might qualify. Collect those that appear to reflect the properties of the components they’ll be holding.</div> <bR> <div> <B>Bowl:</B> Though some practitioners will use their cauldrons or a chalice for divination, many others prefer to use a special bowl. Unlike the multipurpose cauldron, the scrying bowl is dedicated to this single task and, between uses, is often wrapped in silk to buffer it from random thoughts. In general, the bowl’s interior surface will be either dark or highly polished and filled with some fluid medium just before use. Water is typical but by no means the only choice. Ink, oils, even teas find their way into scrying bowls. In keeping with the psychic isolation suggested by the silk wrappings, the water, ink, or oils are removed at the end of the session and will not be reused.</div> <bR> <div> <B>Broom:</B> Hardly reserved for modern Wiccan usage, the broom’s long association with magical ritual ha, rather unfortunately , been "mythconception." It is most often pictured as some magical conveyance by which witches might flit about the countryside at the full of the moon, instead of a tool used in ritual purification of a working space. </div> <div> Also known as the besom, this particular broomstick isn’t intended to leave your ritual space. Whether full-sized or, as is more often the case, scaled down to the size of a typical whisk, it is meant to cleat the altar and its environs of unwanted or negative energy prior to a working; or to help close down the work space after a ritual, to leave no residuals that might interfere with later spellcasting. Ash or birth are the tradition woods for a broom; you may find others more appropriate to your desires. A hand-carved broom is difficult to find nowadays, but, with care and patience, you can make your own. </div> <div> On an elemental level, a broom is a tool of air. Possessing both a shaft which, like the wand, is often associated with phallic symbolism, and a brush—seen as feminine—a besom is often considered the joining of male and female aspects, therefore sexually neutral or sexually perfected, depending on your own viewpoint. </div> <bR> <div> <B>Calamus:</B> This plant has recently come under scrutiny for its beneficial effects in smoking cessation programs, but its other more exotic, history includes nearly two thousand years of medicinal use as a stimulant and, more to the point, as an ingredient in the infamous flying ointments attributed to witches during the 1600s and 1700s. </div> <div> The visible plant is pretty enough, but its power lies in the rhizomes, which are ground into a greasy base to promote the vivid flying sensations that some practitioners still consider an excellent path to astral projection and remote viewing, as well as divination. </div> <div> Its aphrodisiac property makes it popular for spells to attract or renew a lover's interest.</div> <bR> <div> <B>Candle Holder:</B> The altar that doesn't include candles is a rarity indeed; a well-equipped space will include a variey of holders. Some reflect the witch's particular tradition. Some holders harken back to the druidic elements incorporated into modern Wiccan tradition. Other holders are chosen specifically for their metal or crystal properties. Silver, representative of the hidden, the metaphysical, and the unknown, remains popular, as does simple iron as a stand-in for the earth element. Wooden holders add a natural aspect to a working and, like altar woods, can hold several meanings.</div> <bR> <div> <B>Candles:</B>Ask most witches what one item they wouldn't be caught dead without and, invariably, it'll be candles. Rife with esoteric associations, candles also satisfy more basic, primitive needs for comfort, light, and hope. </div> <div> Over the first two seasons of Charmed, hundreds of candles were used on the set. Fat ones, slender ones, dark ones, brilliant white tapers, and golden buttery beeswax candles have all adorned the attic altar. In this respect, are imitates life; all sorts of life. A conservative estimate of the number of candles dedicated to religious use worldwide in a single year is over eight billion. The custom of burning candles crosses all cultural boundaries and all spiritual affiliations. </div> <div> Like many other spell components, candles benefit from your personal touch. Making your own supply isn't a huge task and allows you to scent them with herbs and spices best suited to the rituals you regularly perform-or to create something truly special for a new rite. </div> <div> Candle making is best undertaken in winter. You'll have time to dry or distill all the herbals that reach peak fragrance in the fall and you can take on the hot chore when it's cool outside. Medieval candle makers quickly discovered that plying their trade in the winter allowed them to stay cool and take advantage of the numerous natural molds they could make at once by pressing a broomstick-or maybe a wand- into the snow. Drop in a wick, pour your wax, wait just a few minutes for the snow to cool the wax, and you've got dozens of uniquely textured candles ready to store. And, as most spells call for the candles to burn out naturally, you know you're going to need a lot of them!</div> <bR> <div> <IMG SRC="4a636930.gif" border=0 width="566" height="915" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <bR> <div> <B>Cauldron:</B> Often the centerpiece of a ritual working, the cauldron evokes the element of water, though it is as often filled with sand! Generally an iron or earthen pot on three legs, the cauldron remains a working implement for holding spell components-although no longer for boiling, grinding, or cooking them. Other tools serve those purposes. </div> <div> In "Something Wicca This Way Comes," Piper's rose-pierced poppet gets tucked into the cauldron that sits in the Halliwells' work space. When Phoebe burns the spell components to draw Melinda Warren to the future in "The Witch Is Back," and in "Morality Bites," when paper containing the future year they visit is burned, everything goes into the cauldron. Filled with sand or snow, the cauldron is a safe repository for hot workings. In fact, the word "cauldron" comes from two words, one of which is "hot." The other, not surprisingly, is "boil." Filled with water, the cauldron accepts tokens and items that are ritually hidden during a working. Aromatic oils or perfumed waters gently warmed in the cauldron release their scents slowly and recall the element of air. Often associated with the female aspect of knowledge, a cauldron is visualized as a vessel from which life, spiritual or magical, flows.</div> <bR> <div> <B>Cedar:</B> Interestingly enough, the use of this plant spans several religious traditions and serves the same function in the all. The burning of small twigs, either dried or fresh, is universally associated with purification of people and their work spaces. Ritual implements also benefit from being passed through this smoke. </div> <div> Magical healings routinely include censing with the smoke from cedar shavings. </div> <div> Because cedar wood, oil, and incense have historic links to wealth and religious altars, buildings, and ceremonies, many witches choose this wood for the altars of their work spaces and other wooden objects. Ouija boards-or spirit boards, as they're called in <I>Charmed</I>-often feature cedar for either the board of planchette, the wooden pointer.</div> <bR> <div> <B>Censer:</B> Though the cauldron can accept most flammable spell items, the censer is reserved for burning one important spell component: incense. Censers come in two basic types, brazier and open. A brazier holds a base layer of charcoal, over which loose incense can be sprinkled, and will produce more copious smoke than an open censer. A ventilated cover is common on brazier-styled censers, especially if you happen to find a Far Eastern design. The thuribles commonly used to cense the altars and celebrants during Roman Catholic and Episcopalian services are brazier censers, though these, intended to be swung about during the service, are hung from long chains or cords. The incense used inside them is most likely to be flaked, dusty, or some loose form. </div> <div> Open censers, on the other hand, are used primarily for incense sticks and blocks. Often little more than a weight with an opening into which a stick can be inserted, this form of censer takes up very little space. Equally simple in form is the open plate designed for blocks or cones. Your censer choice will be based on the incense you prefer, but if your ritual clothing includes loose folds or long sleeves, keep in mind when furnishing your altar, and pick a heavy design that completely encloses any burning material or flame.</div> <bR> <div> <B>Century plant:</B> One of fifteen plants identified as magical in a 1610 manuscript, the century plant then, as now, was known for its protective qualities. Powered, mixed with common salt (which wasn't so common in the 1600s), and cast in a circle, it turns aside the attention of ill-wishers. </div> <div> (If the various explosions and puffs of smoke commonly seen on <I>Charmed</I> are any indication, the witches might well be keeping this special herb in the family pantry. Cast into a fire, the dried power from a century plant bursts into flame, producing dense, heavy smoke that falls quickly to the floor).</div> <bR> <div> <B>Chalk:</B> For casting a protective circle, adding an element of earth to a working, or outlining a spiritual space, chalk is a traditional ingredient. In "Witch Trial," chalk outlines a magical doorway; in "Morality Bites," a doorway through the more prosaic material of a concrete prison wall. In "She's a Man, Baby, a Man!," a chalk circle on the floor both encloses Prue Halliwell and the <I>Book of Shadows</I>, and symbolizes the spell's intent with the shape of the traditional sign for masculinity. Chalk can also be used for written elements of spellcasting and, like ink or candles, takes on different attributes when the symbolism of various colors is incorporated. In "That Old Black Magic," the symbols that contain an evil menace were chalked in red. Red was also used to outline the pentagram enclosing the components of a lusty endeavor in "Animal Pragmatism." </div> <bR> <div> <B>Chalice:</B> This tool, a stemmed cup, does precisely what is appears to do: It holds infusion and tonics, libations of all sorts, drunk to promote health or visions or to honor the earth or the creator. Do make sure, therefore, that, regardless of its appearance, your chalices made of nontoxic materials-no pewter or lead-based enamels as ornamentation. Numerous beautiful old cups can fulfill this role, but be positive that the components meet <I>modern</I> standards for contact with foods. </div> <div> Like the cauldron, the chalice is a vessel of health and vision, a feminine component in magical ritual, and, in any number of traditions and mythologies, a source of life, whether actual or spiritual. Its use in ritual is an affirmation of life, a pleas for fertility, a thanks for health. Not surprisingly, it brings the element of water and its symbolism to a working.</div> <bR> <div> <B>Cleavers:</B> For use in spells of binding, cleavers is notable for its physically sympathetic properties. As its name implies, cleavers clings to anything and everything. Before relegating this plant to the list of things that only a warlock or other evil practitioner would traffic in, consider its use in spells that promote harmony between members of a coven and to strengthen friendship. It's also found in one of the few two-person spells, one traditionally cast between partners voluntarily joining their lives to each other.</div> <bR> <div> <B>Cloth:</B> While you may want to create a cloth that serves as a portable altar, and keep it for only that use, a supply of colored cloths for making pouches, wrapping spell components, or the ritual cleaning of other implements will also come in handy. As seen in several <I>Charmed</I> episode, pouches often end up on a brazier, so expensive fabrics aren't necessary. Colors that reflect your usual magical practice work well.</div> <bR> <div> <B>Copal:</B> Not all components are meant to be consumed during everyday work; some are used to prepare other items for long-term use. Stones and crystals can become permanent parts of a witch's ritual space, used for a variety of applications. While this reuse is considered beneficial overall-stones and crystals are believe to absorb energy over time, becoming more potent with each ritual-each working is still an individual endeavor, and always desirable. Copal, which burns slowly to a release a scented smoke, is the "washing-up" liquid of the magical kitchen. Stones and crystals passed through the smoke receive a mystical refreshing that leaves the underlying works intact while sloughing off the associations of the last ritual.</div> <bR> <div> <B>Copper:</B> This pliable metal is fashionable now as an arthritis inhibitor, but in spell work, it symbolizes luck, love, and wealth. Whether powdered, used as a metal for magical implements and containers, or left to oxidize and grind later, copper's happy associations are welcome additions to a wide range of spell purposes.</div> <bR> <div> <B>Crystal Ball:</B> Often jokingly referred to as the domain of sideshow mystics, the use of a crystal ball of some type for divination goes back at least forty-five hundred years in Mongolia, Turkey, Ethiopia, and dozens of other locations. Originally, lumps of raw native crystal were the medium of choice. The first polished crystals date to about 400 B.C., but, as polishing crystals was much harder than shaping balls of glass-once glassblowing itself was mastered-glass balls later became popular choices as well. A few of the rarer type of glass balls, those filled with unmixable colored oils or equal parts of water and a colored oil, can still be found, but these fragile antique constructs command high prices. Much more available and reasonably priced are the so-called witch-balls, balls of silvered glass, usually with an unusual coruscating color cast over their surfaces. For the truly economy-minded, there's even a theory that modern snow globes and lava lamps refer to this most common of divination tools. </div> <div> The primary method of crystal divination, with the ball substituting for a scrying bowl or mirror, is self-evident. Or is it? </div> <div> The most oft-heard comment from the patron sitting opposite the sideshow mystic is, of course, "Hey, I can't see anything down in there." And he or she can't. Contrary to the patron's belief, the practitioner of crystal divination wasn't seeing anything <I>in</I> the ball either, and certainly not <I>down</I> in the ball. </div> <div> Contemporary hypnotists might encourage their subjects to focus on a swinging object held just above the normal line of sight. Religious mystics of a variety of faiths tend to adopt the same posture during their meditations, sitting or kneeling, usually on the floor with their gaze fixed on a candle or other object, once again slightly above the immediate lie of sight. In the original form of crystal divination, the crystal became the focus object, with the gazer seated on the floor looking <I>up</I> into a ball or unworked crystal. One of the most famous of crystal balls, the Curraghmore Crystal, which was "liberated" from the Holy Lands by Godefroy de Bouillon in the twelfth century, is surrounded by a silver ring and was always hung from a set of chains (just above the normal, sight line for a seated individual), and was never placed on a stand, as most modern balls are, or held in the hand. </div> <div> Light playing on its surface, or the interior motions of fluid-filled glass balls, created patterns similar to those found in candle flames and, like the twirling watch, allowed conscious thought to be pushed gently to one side while unconscious perceptions, even perhaps <I>outside</I> perceptions, rose to the forefront for contemplation. Learning to direct that thought flow, while maintaining the free-floating mental state where inspiration is most fertile, is the heart of divination, the much-maligned crystal ball is a valuable tool in learning this vital skill. </div> <div> Crystal's secondary use in divination is considerably more active and makes for much better TV than having three women simply stare into a ball for long periods of screen time. Crystal-dowsing, a related skill, is showcased in episodes like "That Old Black Magic." </div> <div> Though, strictly speaking, almost any item of the right weight could function as a dowsing object to hold over a map, crystal, with all its meditative and divinatory connotations, is the one that opens the mental gate for many. The purpose of the crystal, in addition to acting as a pointer over maps or photos, is to allow the scryer to focus conscious thought on the reflections and refractions of light in the swinging pendulum. Time spent before a regular crystal ball pays off in an almost automatic triggering of those deeper mental reactions. Once the conscious concerns and questions are put in a secondary position, dozens of tidbits of knowledge can bump freely against one another until insight sharpens to certainty and the pendulum points to a site suggested by a very different sort of logic. </div> <div> Needless to say, either use of your crystal will require concerted practice. After all, few of use know someone "lucky" enough to locate the lost or stoles as easily as Phoebe and Piper find Prue when they use Maggie Murphy as a living pendulum in "Murphy's Luck." </div> <div> <B>Emerald:</B> More monetarily valuable than diamonds, the emerald's aspects are, nonetheless, much more "down to earth." Practitioners seeking wisdom, discernment, and the ability to discriminate or deal justice might well consider adding and emerald to their list of tools.</div> <bR> <div> <B>Feathers:</B> While constructing a spell that requires the feathers of an extinct or endangered bird is possible, as in "The Witch Is Back," most spell uses of feathers aren't that particular. Representing flight, freedom, and lightness, feathers bring the element of air to workings and can invoke the imagery of breezes or hurricanes. (For your further consideration: Melinda Warren cast her curse in Salem; where did <I>she</I> get a spotted owl feather?)</div> <div> <B>Garnet:</B> A historic reputation as a revealer, even neutralizer, of poisons coincides neatly with the garnet's mystical attributes. Marked as particularly reflective of higher energy, strong purposes, commitment, and courage, a garnet is appropriate in especially difficult or challenging workings. </div> <bR> <div> <B>Glass, colored:</B> In esoteric terms, glass is often equated with a veil through which the skilled practitioner can see into other places. Crystal balls, mirrors, and the reflective surface of water or light seen through it. I you had only white tapers and an array of colored glass, you would invoke the same imagery as a practitioner with a rainbow of candles.</div> <bR> <div> <B>Gold:</B> Generally accepted as representative of masculinity, gold can help a female practitioner achieve a more balanced perspective or heighten the self-awareness of a male practitioner. In keeping with the notion of balance, some witches place a gold object on one side of their work space and a silver object (traditionally held to be a feminine metal) opposite, to help visualize both the male and female aspects found in a single individual.</div> <bR> <div> <B>Hematite:</B> Black, shiny hematite jewelry illustrates this stone's contradictory nature. Hard yet surprisingly fragile, this brittle material transforms from apparently invincible stone to fine dust with any unwary tap. It represents the need for balance and is frequently present when spells for centering, grounding, and reestablishing mental discipline are worked.</div> <bR> <div> <B>Holly:</B> Commonly used in many American traditions, holly is widely available in three different forms in eastern North America-which is good news to advanced practitioners. It is, however, toxic-bad news to neophytes. Still, used with care, in the form favored by many Native American shamans, the plant is a powerful addition to the witch's pantry. Taking the time to familiarize yourself with this component will widen your spell-casting options without endangering your health. </div> <div> As an herbal medicinal, holly is sometimes linked to astringent qualities, or, like strawberry, to use as an antidiarrhetic. Unlike strawberry extract, however, the difference in dosage between medicinal and poison is far narrower. Unless you're an experienced herbalist, you might want to ignore holly's medicinal virtues in favor of its magical aspects. </div> <div> Burned with incense, holly has a mildly narcotic effect. Under its relaxing influence, mental imagery is often clearer, more detailed, and more fluid. A tiny amount of the dried plant (leaves, not berries), crushed and dusted on incense sticks before lighting or sprinkled over coals in a burner, provides the perfect degree of mental relaxation. Ritual magicians report a heightened ability to envision the magical aspects of the workings under holly's influence. Meditation is deeper, with richer imagery.</div> <bR> <div> <B>Ink:</B> One use of ink that has been overlooked in recent times is as a scrying aid. Poured into a bowl, it makes a dark, reflective surface that is the negative image of a container of water. Dropping small amounts of ink into pure water is another time-honored means of freeing our physical vision and concentrating on the visionary. </div> <div> For the most part, however, you'll use ink for writing or illustrating your spell pages. Like candles, crystals, and glass, ink comes in many colors, and once you've given some practical thought to the archival quality of your ink-and whether or not it's going to soak through your pages-you can turn your attention to the creative aspects of inks and spellcrafting. </div> <div> You can even make your own inks and paints, though these might be better used as spell components than as archival materials. Many natural sources provide the ingredients for inks, and beautiful colors can be achieved after relatively little study.</div> <bR> <div> <B>Jade:</B> Though primarily a product of the Far East, jade is most celebrated for its magical significance in its unworked forms along the Mediterranean coasts. Alone of the many gems, stones, and crystals available to modern witches, jade is believe to facilitate astral travel not only through dreams and trance states, but through a bilocation similar in effect to that portrayed on <I>Charmed</I> as one of Prue's burgeoning abilities. Tempting as these spiritual journeys may be, jade should be included cautiously in ritual work, as it's widely held that only its geological opposite, red jasper, can ground the individual once again.</div> <bR> <div> <B>Lavender:</B> In teas, sachets, or pillows, lavender serves many purposes, both banal and esoteric. Fortunately, even the nonmagical effects of this herb, often linked to the moon, can be useful to knowledgeable practitioners. Dried at the height of its fragrance (August to September, in most areas where you can grow it fresh in your own garden) and bundles into sachets, lavender permeates your work space, creating, especially for those who must work confined or urban settings, an essential connection with the outdoors and a sensual remembrance of summer's vitality. </div> <div> In an herb pillow, lavender deepens sleep, a useful effect for those whose best divination or devotional work is done during dream time. A dab of essential lavender oil on an ordinary pillow can provide similar results and, in healing magics, is highly recommended to protect young children from nightmares. Lavender tea relaxes, soothes an overexcited or troubled mind, allowing even a beginning practitioner to enter the light trance suggested for mental or spiritual exercises. </div> <div> In esoteric work, lavender's associations with the moon, especially the dark of the moon, make it the idea symbol of the practitioner's search for hidden knowledge. Mixed in dried preparation, burned as an oil, or scattered over the work surface, this plant opens the heart and mind to new experiences. Because its scent is so strongly intermingled with memory, lavender is a favorite for those hoping to regain a connection with a younger self, or, in some cases, with a past self. Perhaps this connotation prompts its use in "That `70s Episode" as one of three ingredients burned in the Halliwell women's attic ritual space.</div> <bR> <div> <B>Mirrors:</B> Not that long ago, mirrors were believed to be magical in and of themselves. Their reversal of reality even led them to be seen as evil in seventeenth-century Naples, and women were forbidden to keep them in the house. (And people call witches superstitious!) For the spellcrafter, that reversal of normal images may become part of a ritual seeking. Mirrors also serve as scrying tools and, being a little more mobile than bowls of water or forest pools, can be added to a portable altar.</div> <bR> <div> <B>Mistletoe:</B> On one level, mistletoe's action is comprehensible to modern pharmacologists. It can cause the blood pressure to jump, often dangerously, then plummet to equally dangerous levels, all the while speeding up the heart rate. Modern chemistry, however, doesn't explain mistletoe's other traditional property-the revelation of prophetic information though visions.</div> <bR> <div> <B>Mortar and Pestle:</B> The mortar and pestle, still the symbols of modern pharmacology, harken back to a time long before Wicca was established, and links all the esoteric arts-even if there are now quantified and deemed sciences. Alchemists, herbalists, witches, and scientists have treasured these practical tools; you will as well. </div> <div> On a purely symbolic level, the mortar and pestle, like the besom, represent sexual completion, the unity of male and female influences, a balance. The mortar, like most cup- or bowl-shaped objects is seen as female, a vessel. The pestle, a phallic symbol, is by itself a tool of destruction but, in combination with the mortar, is an instrument of creation. </div> <div> More practically, mortar and pestle represent the healing functions long associated with arcane pursuits. In this light, you may find good use for these tools. Many herbs and other plants release their oils only when bruised. Other natural components, especially grains or seeds, must be ground before their scents can be appreciated. The preparation of incense is greatly enhanced with these simple tools. </div> <div> There are wooden mortars and pestles but, unless you have several and are prepared to keep them well marked, you'll likely find that scents and tastes carry over from one working to the next, which may cause unintended-and unpleasant-combinations. A pharmacological set is the answer. The smooth, hard surfaces release residual grit, tastes, and smells easily. </div> <div> A variety of mortar and pestle sets have appeared in <I>Charmed</I>. During the very last moments of the confrontation in "That `70s Episode," all the components for the Nicholas-Must-Die spell end up in a mortar and pestle instead of the usual receptacle, the cauldron. In that episode, the mortar and pestle were used in the final compilation of spell ingredients, which was handled in less than a second! A more usual application, the preparation of a potion for a future working, occurs in "The Devil's Music" when Phoebe grinds together the ingredients for a demonic enema. Different mortar and pestle sets were used for each blending.</div> <bR> <div> <B>Mugwort:</B> Used as an incense ingredient, steeped cold and hot for washing solutions and teas, dried in sleeping sachets, and fresh for the distillation of its oil, mugwort appears to be one of the most versatile herbs in the magical inventory. In all its forms, mugwort is seen as an aid to divination. </div> <div> Inhaled as part of an incense mixture or, more gently, from dried leaves in a pillow, it promotes vivid dreams in even the untrained, and prophetic dreams in practitioners on lucid dreaming and those with a clairvoyant talent. </div> <div> Cold infusions made from simply soaking the dried, or preferably fresh, plants in rainwater are favored cleansing agents for other divination tools such as mirrors, bowls, and balls. The same infusion, freshly made, can also be used to fill a scrying bowl. </div> <div> Most often, mugwort tea is the preferred means of accessing the herb's metaphysical uses, but this method isn't for everyone. One side effect of mugwort is a well-documented incidence of birth defects. Pregnant women should avoid this plant entirely in any form, and even those who aren't pregnant should partake of it only rarely.</div> <bR> <div> <B>Needles/pins:</B> Despite their use in some voodoo rituals, needles and pins are more likely to be crafting tools for a magical practitioner. Silver or gold needles, reserved for use in preparing ritual garments, altar clothes, spell pouches, and bundles, are highly prized items, as they add elements of earth-or aspects of the masculine/feminine duality-to the items they complete.</div> <bR> <div> <B>Obsidian:</B> A dark stone, obsidian represents the hidden, the obscured, the night, and the dark of the moon. Used in ritual work, it can symbolically change the time of day or the season, allowing work that might normally occur at that time to be conducted earlier or later.</div> <bR> <div> <B>Oil burner:</B> Some witches use oils only on their candles or their persons and never need specific tools for burning or warming oils. Yet oils often are warmed gently in an oil burner to release the scents that focus practitioners on the task at hand or allow their awareness to float freely. Perhaps you prefer greater control of how much scent is released or your combination of oils. Oil burners include a shallow bowl to hold the oil and a firm support that holds a candle beneath the bowl. Almost any witch could craft an efficient oil burner, but if them or inclination doesn't allow, various styles with assorted capacities are commercially available.</div> <bR> <div> <B>Opal:</B> With its flashing colors obscured by a clouded matrix, opal has developed a reputation as an excellent scrying stone, the physical representation of a metaphysical endeavor. Dreaming, especially lucid dreaming, and astral projection through dreaming, and enabled through opal.</div> <bR> <div> <B>Paper:</B> For collection into a <I>Book of Shadows</I>, you'll want good-quality paper with archival qualities. You could make these sheets yourself, if you're familiar enough with paper ingredients to avoid any with high acid content that will severely limit the life of your pages. If you're no consult a professional printer for your <I>Book of Shadows</I>. You'll want paper and binding that are resilient but take your inks and pigments without soaking through. </div> <div> Knowledge of papermaking can, however, be turned to another use for spellcasting. When <I>Charmed's</I> Phoebe cast a spell to heighten her intelligence ("The Painted World"), she wrote the spell on a small sheet of paper to provide a point of physical contact between her and the spell. Sympathetic magic, where one thing stands for, or symbolizes, another, is common in many workings. Piper and Phoebe's spell in "The Dream Sorcerer"-an attempt to find the perfect man from a written list of attributes-is another example of sympathetic magic. So, too, is their use of a slip of paper with "2-12-2009" written on in when, in "Morality Bites," the sisters need a concrete symbol of the ephemeral future they are trying to contact. For these uses, in which the paper is consumed in the spellcasting, you can make your own papers, taking the opportunity to add herbs or other ingredients that reflect your desire. Adding rose petals to the paper used to call a lover, for example, multiplies the efficacy of your spell by increasing the sympathetic symbolism that links the name on the paper with the lover you hope to find. </div> <div> Envelopes of your own papers can replace pouches that hold items meant to be burned together or kept together for future use.</div> <bR> <div> <B>Pendulum:</B> If divination or dowsing will be part of your ritual work, using something to act as a pendulum is advisable. Of course, a personal item would work better than a generic one, but even among generic items, some pieces appear to work better that others. Since most people, places, and things are in touch with the ground at least part of the time, earth-based objects are often favored. Metals are good. A silver ring, an iron key, a gold locket that might hold the person or object's name on a piece of paper are all possibilities. A well-respected English witch uses her mother's tea ball! Crystals are often called in for this duty as well; clear ones are preferred over any specific color. Just such a crystal leads the Halliwells to their enemy in "That Old Black Magic." In any case, this object is on of the few that really should be kept apart for a singular purpose. Many witches wrap their pendulums in silk to avoid any unintentional handling.</div> <bR> <div> <B>Pens:</B> After you've chosen ink and paper for your workings, don't neglect your pens as a source of inspiration and symbolism. Fountain pens can be convenient, especially if you make your own inks, but anything that can be dipped is a possibility. Wooden sticks of ash, rowan, willow, or elder; quills from birds; or even metal pins can bring something extra to your efforts.</div> <bR> <div> <B>Pepper:</B> Easily culled from even the most ill-supplied kitchen, pepper in any mixture heightens awareness. Its astringent properties make it a natural for cleansing rituals; its pungent scent clears the senses and symbolizes the desire to begin fresh without emotional baggage. In "The Dream Sorcerer," Phoebe and Piper include pepper in their preparations for a spell to attract the perfect man-prudent precaution for any spell that even hints influencing another individual without his or her consent!</div> <bR> <div> <B>Quartz:</B> A silicate that arranges itself into rigid patterns while cooling from a molten form, quartz, in all its permutations of color and shape, is symbolic of both fire and earth, a combination difficult to obtain in such wide variety elsewhere. </div> <div> The many colors and shapes of quartz each lend themselves to specific functions. Rose quartz focuses love, romance, friendship, fidelity, and peace, bringing happiness. Tourmulated quartz allows far-seeing or, as some believe, true-seeing directed at people and events closer to hand. Cleat quartz is associated with protection-remember all those ringing crystals on the chandelier that Leo would eventually be asked to repair in "Something Wicca This Way Comes?" Clear quartz for our favorite white lighter?-though, in larger pieces, it has been known to function as a scrying crystal. </div> <div> Crystals, now used as magical objects, were once ground and eaten as medicines!</div> <bR> <div> <B>Ribbons:</B> While the whole of a ritual should be a harmonious representation of the spellcaster's desire, a visual clue that these disparate elements have been brought together for a singular purpose is often the finishing touch to the physical preparations. In myriad colors that reflect the practitioner's will, ribbons can be used to physically link spell components, to bind practitioners to one another for a ritual working, or as a metaphor for the link a diviner wishes to establish with the person or object of his or her search. Whether ribbons are used to tie spell pouches closed, bind poppets, or gently confine a willing subject, the symbolism remains the same.</div> <bR> <div> <B>Rosemary:</B> To clear away pat influences and open the heart, mind, or soul for new experiences, rosemary and its essential oils are usually burned. In "Heartbreak City," Cupid adds dried rosemary to an edible potion. </div> <bR> <div> <B>Sage:</B> This herb, which Piper uses to try and send away her bad luck in "From Fear to Eternity," has long been considered a cleansing agent, both spiritual and physical, and it frequently appears in spells of protection and healing.</div> <bR> <div> <B>Salt:</B> Thrown over a shoulder into a devil's eye, bad luck if spilled, or good luck if sprinkled on the tongue, salt is one of the earliest spell components. Used since ancient times to cleanse crystals, it is still a part of most purification rituals. Cast as a circle, it protects against intrusion. As an ingredient in potions, it negates evil or negligent intentions. It was the last item added to Piper Halliwell's potion to undo a "joke spell" cast in "Animal Pragmatism."</div> <bR> <div> <B>Sand:</B> Though sand could, obviously, represent the earth in a working, in purpose it is more akin to ink. Usually prepared in several colors, it is used to carefully mark the edges of protective circles, to create charms or hexes on a floor, or to draw runes and symbols the witch can use to visualize the different aspects of a ritual.</div> <bR> <div> <B>Silk:</B> Silk, while a cloth and frequently used as a simply altar dressing, has more specific esoteric functions. Believe to be a sort of "psychic insulator," it is used to drape magical implements like balls, cauldrons, and braziers when they aren't in use. Tarot cards, rune stones, and other divinatory items are often kept in silk pouches. Amulets, talismans, and ritual robes often contain silk as well, to separate the objects or individuals from the physical world.</div> <bR> <div> <B>Silver:</B> Of all the metals, the one most associated with psychic and magical endeavors. Its linked imagery-of the moon, water, and night-reinforces that connotation. Amulets, charms, magical tools, working symbols and sigils, rope threads, and jewelry of this metal all reflect the practitioner's hope to bring the magical into contact with the physical. As a feminine metal, it balances gold's masculinity, but is particularly associated with invocation, protection, and blessings.</div> <bR> <div> <B>Soot:</B> One of the easiest of spell components to procure, soot is also one of the most useful. As a sort of "anti-chalk," it performs all of chalk's functions but with a negative connotation-which is not the same as evil. Where a chalk outline might define the edges of a doorway, an outline of soot prevents an area from becoming a doorway, keeping out dark elements and protecting the practitioner in yet another way. </div> <div> As a substitute for black ink, soot can be imbued with extra properties, depending on its source material. Woods such as ash, oak, willow, and rowen are well known for their restorative or medicinal powers. Soot collected from the burning of those woods encompass the same qualities, with the added element of fire. As a solid form, like charcoal, or made into a liquid ink, soot can be used to form the written segments of many spells, though it isn't suitable for material in your <I>Book of Shadows</I>. It tends toward a higher acid content than would be appropriate for writing spells that you hope will last several lifetimes. </div> <div> Perhaps, because it is completely nonreflective, soot developed an association with shadows and things hidden from normal sight. One ritual suggests that a scrying ball covered in soot is a good starting point for divination work, the soot being gently blown from the surface as the search for a specific item is formed in the witch's mind. In the same manner, items covered in soot are believed to be safe from unwanted or intrusive attention. A cloth dusted in soot was believed to be a suitable protection for hiding other sell components or even grimoires. A symbolic smudge is still found on the covers of many a <I>Book of Shadows</I>. </div> <div> A sprinkle of soot, considered a condensed form of smoke, can be an acceptable substitute for the burning of incense or candlelight when open fires might be unsafe. Dried herbs are often highly combustible; they can spark or even explode when exposed to heat. Mixing them with soot in a cold sachet maintains the balance of elements without endangering the witch's eyebrows. Preparing a good stock of soot from various woods or incenses will take time and effort, but provides a valuable and versatile addition to your pantry.</div> <bR> <div> <B>Spirit Boards:</B> Like crystal balls, spirit boars, which are often sold alongside Monopoly and Scrabble games, have fallen into recent disrepute. Even <I>Charmed</I>'s Halliwell sisters, who supposedly grew up in a house where magical subjects weren't completely unknown, think of their spirit board as a parlor game-a game at which at which Phoebe often "cheats" by pushing the pointer! </div> <div> At what time in history the spirit board, often called the ouija board, became a tool for telekinetic spirits instead of a human medium's implement is unclear; but in its original use, all parties present at the spirit board divination would have <I>expected</I> the medium to push the pointer! </div> <div> If you've ever awakened from an incredible dream that you felt compelled to share, and noted with dismay how very quickly those vivid images can fade, or found yourself in mid-recollection suddenly unsure of exactly what <I>did</I> happen at the end, you'll understand how difficult it can be to translate dream or visionary images into specific words. Yet that is exactly what is asked of the medium behind the spirit board. Small wonder some mnemonic aid was developed to help cross that communication gap. </div> <div> Traditional spirit board users worked in pairs. One acted as the medium, the other as a sort of secretary, noting the questions begin asked of the medium and the responses indicated on the board. Only after the session was complete would the pair fill in the blanks in this spiritualistic shorthand. For example, if asked "Where is my grandfather's will?," the medium might point to "D" and continue with the next question without interrupting the meditative state. After the session, the secretary would repeat the question and say, "You pointed to <I>D</I> at that time, why?" The medium would then explain the missing imagery or symbolism: "I saw it in a drawer." Or perhaps a particular scene is recalled by that letter which the medium, using the clue, can know separate from whatever other images presented themselves. </div> <div> While speech is undoubtedly our primary means of communications, the act of vocalization <I>isn't</I> the best means of conveying mental images. Psychiatric patients are often instructed to keep a dream journal and to write down what they've dream immediately upon waking. Patients who've tried to use a tape recorder instead discover that fewer details are captured this way and that their spoken descriptions quickly degenerate from full sentences to lists of single words. The link between the mind and hand seems much more natural than the link between the mind and tongue. </div> <div> A spirit board is a useful tool for practitioners who have working partners, if both parties understand the process and aren't sitting about waiting for a disincarnate beings just seeking someone to provide a pointer for them to push about. As with crystal balls and other divinatory tools, the onus remains on the practitioner to find a meditative state where creativity and intuition can work well enough to provide the medium with something to communicate in the first place-which means Phoebe was probably doing it just right all along!</div> <bR> <div> <B>Thistle:</B> Relaxing medicinal teas of thistle toot have been recorded for nearly seven hundred years, but in esoteric terms, thistle performs the opposite function, promoting discomfort, disorder, even chaos. Before jumping to the conclusion that this component belongs only in the spell lists of dark magicians, broaden your definition just a smidgen. A practitioner in imminent danger, whether from magical or completely human agencies, <I>should</I> feel comfortable. </div> <div> The inclusion of thistle in any spell, including the spell in "That `70s Episode" to return the Halliwells to their own time, shakes up the current order before allowing it to fall into a new pattern. In the case of the sisters, displaced in time, the discomfort symbolized by thistle is their need to return to their own time and reorder past events. </div> <div> In spells of protection, thistle is meant to heighten a subject's sensitivity to danger. </div> <div> In a ritual designed to reveal hidden dangers, the thistle "pricks" the practitioner's awareness, providing an early warning system.</div> <bR> <div> <B>Thread/cord:</B> Like ribbons, threads or cords are commonly used to unite the physical elements of a magical ritual, but they have several other purposes as well. </div> <div> Colored threads, used in place of colored inks, can create runes or symbols on fabrics. </div> <div> Cord, set in a circle, takes the place of other protective components such as salt. </div> <div> While ribbons simply bind, thread indicates the practitioner's desire to fabricate a whole with a set pattern, which introduces a higher degree of order in the entire working.</div> <bR> <div> <B>Tigereye:</B> No doubt in response to its physical appearance and resulting name, tigereye correlates well with intuition, clairvoyance, premonitions, and the more prosaic forms of insight arising from mental stability, sound logic, and good character judgement. For a hint of something "beyond your usual ken," try using a tigereye as a scrying stone or holding it in bother hands during a working.</div> <bR> <div> <B>Vervain:</B> If you think its other common name, enchanter's plant, hints at an arcane connection, you'd be right. Contained in medicinal and magical texts for several hundred years, it was widely believed to be as effective at turning aside magical attacks as it was in promoting healing. Unlike many other components, vervain wasn't ingested, smoked, or even dug up. Instead, it was planted around property lines and cultivated in window boxes. </div> <div> Only dead plants were harvested, the naturally dried leaves crumbles to fill pocket sachets and provide the wearer with a reduced, but still helpful, level of protection.</div> <bR> <div> <B>Wand:</B> Though only one wand has made an appearance in the <I>Charmed</I> universe-a wand that couldn't even be used by a witch!--wands of various types are common Wicca implements which may very well pop up in future episode. A wand remains the one implement many witches consider essential to their ritual work. </div> <div> Just as the cauldron is associated with the feminine aspects of knowledge, the wand represents the masculine aspects. Considered a phallic symbol for obvious reasons, its purpose is similar to the athame, the direction of energy and will. Unlike the athame, whose influence is usually seen as directed only within the work space, a wand's arena of affect is considerably more global. Rituals affecting large groups of people, or large areas of land, frequently employ a wand instead of an athame. </div> <div> The physical appearance of a wand follows no set guidelines. In parts of Wales, wads are equated with staffs and can be up to seven or eight feet long. In Germany, broom handles might also be wands. For modern Wiccans, however, the wand is a much shorter length of wood (other materials turn up, but rarely) that fits easily in the hand. One wand per practitioner is another rule of thumb, although, as with most things symbolic, this isn't true of all witches. A smaller percentage prepares wands for specific purposes and may own nine or more, combining different woods, colors, crystals, and runes for a singular desire, such as healing. </div> <div> Wands are highly personal items. Covered in knotted sting, decorated with crystals, incised with names or symbols, each reflect the practitioner's primary spiritual goals. It may take an entire lifetime to create a wand. In fact, one Welsh poem tells of a young woman's growing the tree for her wand's wood. As the wood used was deadfall, meaning that it fell from the tree rather than being taken by force, the girl was quite old before she even began the wand! You likely won't have that much patience-or even live in the same place long enough to attempt such a feat-but, as your wand may well be the only one you ever use, give it considerable thought before beginning.</div> <bR> <div> <B>Water:</B> Nearly half of all magical endeavors can benefit from the inclusion of water, whether spring, rain, blessed, or perfumed, in your ritual cabinet. For scrying, anointing, blessing, purifying, and devining, water is essential. </div> <bR> <div> <I><B>If you need any help with anything Wiccan, Witchy or Pagan. need a potion or spell help </B></I><A HREF="mailto: ask_a_witch@hotmail.com" TARGET="_top" TITLE="mailto: ask_a_witch@hotmail.com"><U><I><B>E-Mail</B></I></U></A><I><B> me, or add me to your MSN Messanger with ask_a_witch@hotmail.com</B></I></div> <bR> <bR> </td> </tr></table></body>