Wicca A to Z. Gerina Dunwich

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СКАЧАТЬ demonic horrors which no doubt existed nowhere else but in the fertile imaginations of superstitious God-fearing peasants and churchmen of the Middle Ages.

      BLACK MAGICK Negative magick performed with evil or selfish intent; any form of magick that signifies the destructive element, invokes malevolent forces, and is practiced to deliberately cause injury, misfortune, or death to another living thing.

      Most Wiccans and Neo-Pagans avoid the use of black magick in any form (also known as “sorcery”) to keep from violating the Wiccan Rede and setting into motion the threefold (and in some cases, sevenfold or greater) negative karma which return to haunt them.

      BLACK MASS In Satanism, a travesty of the Roman Catholic Mass in which sacred bread known as the “host” (representing the body of Jesus Christ in a Communion Service) is stolen from a church and desecrated. The Satanic Black Mass ceremony includes the backwards recitation of the Lord’s Prayer and the alleged sacrifice of unbaptized children to the Devil.

      Contrary to popular misconception, modern day Witches, Wiccans, and Neo-Pagans do not perform any type of a Black Mass. Nor do they worship or even acknowledge the existence of Satan (other than perhaps in the minds of those who fear or worship him.) The Sabbats of the Witches’ year are not related in any way to the Black Mass, which was a notion first popularized by churchmen of the Middle Ages. They are celebrations of the sacred Earth, Mother Nature, the seasonal transitions, and the myth cycle of the Goddess and Her consort, the Horned God. See also SABBAT, WHEEL OF THE YEAR, and individual Sabbat entries, such as BELTANE, SAMHAIN, and so forth.

      BLASTING A term used in medieval times for a malicious act of sorcery believed to have been practiced by Witches and designed mainly to destroy the fertility of crops, animals, and even humans. According to ancient legend, to blast crops, a Witch needed to make a magickal powder from the ashes of a flayed cat, lizard, snake, or toad that had been incinerated over hot coals. The powder would then be scattered over the crop fields, causing them to fail. Blastings were usually carried out as an act of revenge.

      Modern Witches do not perform blastings or any other form of black magick that violates the Wiccan Rede. If anything, the majority have been known to cast spells and perform special rites that promote fertility, not destroy it.

      BOLLINE A practical white-hilted working knife used by Witches to harvest sacred herbs, cut wooden wands, slice bread, and carve magickal symbols in candles and talismans. Unlike the Witches’ ritual dagger known as an athame, the bolline is generally not used for the storing or directing of energy in spells and rituals. Compare ATHAME.

      BOMOR A Malay Shaman (or medicine man) who uses various forms of divination to determine the treatment of sick patients. The bomor also uses counter-charms, makes propitiatory offerings of food to the spirits, and brings back the soul of the patient which is believed to be wandering in limbo during illness.

      BOOK OF SHADOWS A secret diary of magickal spells and potions kept by many individual Witches or covens. In certain Wiccan traditions, a Witch’s Book of Shadows must be burned in the event of his or her death in order to protect the secrets of the Craft. In others, it is buried with the Witch or passed down to the surviving children or other heirs. Although a Book of Shadows is traditionally kept confidential, there are a number of modern Witches who elect to have their Book of Shadows published in order to share their knowledge and magickal spells with other Witches.

      BOTTLE IMP Mainly in Arabian folklore, a supernatural genielike creature who is confined to a bottle and invoked as needed by a sorcerer’s magickal incantation. Bottle imps have also appeared in some folktales from Estonia, Finland, the Philippines, Sweden, and Switzerland.

      BRUJA A name used by the people of Mexico, Central America, and the Hispanic communities throughout the United States for a female Witch. (The name used for a Witch of the male gender is brujo.) The bruja, who is generally regarded as having a much greater power than her male counterpart, is often contacted by individuals in need of healings, charms, the breaking of curses, and the casting of various spells. She is said to work powerful folk magick, handed down to her by many generations of ancestors.

      BULLA A round hollow object, inscribed with certain magickal words or symbols, and filled with various substances. Bullas were popular among the ancient Romans and early Christians who used them as amulets for protection against all evil-natured entities.

      BUNE WAND An old Scottish nickname given to the legendary Witches’ broomstick, or any object supposedly used by Witches as a flying instrument. See also BESOM.

      BURIN An engraving tool used by many Witches and practitioners of the magickal arts to mark names or symbols ritually on athames, swords, bells, and other magickal tools.

      BURNING TIMES A term often used by Wiccans and Neo-Pagans alike in reference to the days of the past when it was commonplace in many parts of the world for Witches (or at least those accused of being Witches) to be hunted, tortured, and executed—usually by being burning alive at the stake in a public square. The term “burning times” generally refers to the mid-fifteenth to early eighteenth centuries. It was during this dark and violent period in history that the Christian Church and its infamous Inquisition put to death an estimated 30,000 to nine million people (most of whom were innocent women and children) in their fanatical effort to rid the world of heretics and Devil-worshippers. While it was believed by most during that time that “purification by fire” was the only true way to destroy the evil that was said to be intrinsic of Witches. Some places (such as England and Colonial America) employed public hangings as punishment for those who they believed were in league with the Devil.

      CAKES FOR THE DEAD Throughout the country of Belgium, it was at one time a popular Samhain (Halloween) custom for families to prepare special, small white cakes or cookies known as “Cakes for the Dead.” One would be consumed for each deceased loved one being honored, and it was believed that the more cakes a person ate, the more he or she would be blessed by the spirits.

      CANCER In astrology, the fourth sign of the zodiac, symbolized by the Crab. Cancer is a Water sign and is ruled by the Moon. Its energies are feminine-yin-negative-passive and its polarity (its opposite sign of the zodiac which expresses the opposite characteristics) is Capricorn. The quadruplicity (quality) of Cancer is Cardinal (meaning enterprising, outgoing, and a natural initiator.) Persons born between June 21 and July 22 are under the sign of Cancer and are said to possess the following traits: sensitivity, persistence, loyalty, devotion (especially to family and home), psychic awareness, and a tendency for mood swings, acting temperamental, and excessive worrying. In matters of love, Cancer is believed to be most compatible with Cancer, Scorpio, Pisces and those with Moon in Cancer. The parts of the human body said to be ruled by Cancer are the breasts and stomach.

      CANDLE MAGICK A form of sympathetic magick that uses colored candles to represent the people and things at which its spells are directed. Each color symbolizes a different attribute, influence, and emotion. Candles are anointed with special oils, carved or painted with magickal intents, meditated upon, and chanted over.

      Many practitioners of candle magick prefer to work with their own handcrafted candles, but store-bought candles can be just as effective in spellwork.

      A candle used for one type of spell should not be reused for a spell of a different nature as the remnants of magickal or psychic energy trapped in the candle’s wax could possibly interfere with or even reverse the outcome of the new spell.

      In the popular practice of candle magick, different candle colors correspond to different magickal intents. For instance, purple is a color associated with all matters of a psychic nature, including divination; red is a color for passionate love and sexual affairs; white is for healing and is also associated СКАЧАТЬ