Wicca A to Z. Gerina Dunwich

Чтение книги онлайн.

СКАЧАТЬ power. Nine knots on the cord are used for storing built-up power for future magickal use. To release the power, the knots must be untied in the exact order in which they were tied. The cingulum is often worn around the waist on the outside of the robe of the High Priestess or High Priest of a coven. It is also used for measuring a circle to be cast, as the traditional Witches’ circle is said to be nine feet wide.

      CIRCUMAMBULATION The ancient and widespread practice of walking around a person, object, or site with the right hand toward it, either as a magickal rite, a religious ceremony, or an act of reverence. Also known as the “sunwise turn” and the “holy round,” circumambulation has been performed by various cultures throughout history to bring good luck, cure diseases, bless the dead, wipe out sins, acquire magickal powers or transformation, and insure the continuation of the solar cycle.

      CLOC COSANCA A flat, round, green stone with a hole in the middle. According to ancient Celtic tradition, it offers good fortune and protects against evil when worn or carried as a charm. The cloc cosanca is popular among many Neo-Pagans and Wiccans who are of Irish heritage or belong to a Celtic or Druidic tradition.

      Made from alexandrite, aventurine, jade, malachite, peridot, or other green-colored gemstone, a cloc cosanca is normally fashioned by human hand; however, one made exclusively by Mother Nature herself and found in the wild is regarded as a natural amulet of the utmost magickal power.

      CONE OF POWER A name for the cone of psychically powered energy that Witches (either Solitaries or those within a coven) conjure up from the Earth into themselves, aim with intent at a specific goal, and then release. The raising of a cone of power is the ritual act of visualizing energy in the form of a spiral or light rising from the Earth or the magick circle into the body, and directing it toward a specific goal or task.

      Many psychic-sensitive individuals who are able to perceive auras have actually witnessed the cone of power and described it to be a light with a silvery-blue tint.

      After raising, directing, and releasing a cone of power, it is necessary for the good of all to “ground” any remaining energy by either kneeling and slapping the ground repeatedly, rubbing salt between the hands or placing them for several minutes under cold running water or into a bowl filled with soil, sand, or small pieces of crystals and gemstones (especially those which possess strong grounding attributes).

      CONJURATION In Ceremonial Magick, the act of evoking spirits by means of formulas or words of power. See also EVOCATION.

      CONSECRATION The act, process, or ceremony of making something sacred; the ritual use of water and salt to exorcise negative energies or evil influences from ritual tools, the magick circle, and so forth.

      COPAL A sacred incense made of the gum secreted from the trees of the genus Elapbrium. Copal was used by native Middle Americans in pre-conquest times, and is widely used today in many Christian and Neo-Pagan ceremonies.

      CORN DOLLY In Witchcraft and folk-legend, a human or animal figure fashioned from the last sheaf of corn from a harvest and used in Lammas and Autumn Equinox Sabbats as a sacred symbol of the Goddess and the fertility of the Earth. In England, Germany, and Scotland, the corn dolly is kept to ensure a bountiful harvest for the following year.

      COUNTER MAGICK Two examples of counter magick are countercharms and counterspells. The first is a powerful and protective charm or amulet that is used by Witches, magicians, and Shamans to either neutralize or reverse the effects of another’s charm or spell—usually one that is malevolent in nature. The counterspell is a powerful and protective magickal spell or incantation that has the same function as the countercharm.

      Counter magick is employed when one suspects being victimized by another’s imprecation or is being magickally manipulated in one way or another against one’s own free will. Often, white light visualizations to shield oneself against what is known as “psychic attack” from others are performed in conjunction with counter magick.

      The use of countercharms and counterspells is ancient in origin and is known to Witches, magicians, and Shamans in all cultures.

      COVEN A group of Witches, also known as a “circle” and traditionally (though not necessarily) thirteen in number, who gather together to work magick and perform ceremonies at Sabbats and Esbats. A covener is a woman or man who is a member of a coven, and a covenstead is the place where a coven holds its regular meetings, which can be either indoors or out in nature.

      COWAN Among Witches, any individual who is not a follower of the Old Religion or of any Pagan spiritual path. This word is used by Witches in much the same manner as the word “gentile” is used by Jews when referring to someone who is not of the Jewish faith.

      THE CRAFT A term used for Witchcraft, Wicca, or the Craft of the Wise; the Old Religion; the practice of folk magick. See also WICCA, WITCHCRAFT.

      CREATRIX (or CREATRESS) A name for any female deity who is believed to have given birth to the cosmos, to other goddesses and gods, and to mankind. The belief in a creator goddess is shared by many Wiccans and Neo-Pagans of various spiritual paths; however, the concept of God as being a woman is far from being a newly-invented idea. In fact the ancient pre-Christian religions of many cultures from around the world attributed the creation of the universe and all living things to a Mother Goddess. For example, Nammu was a Mesopotamian creatrix who was said to have made the human race out of molded clay. From circa 3000 B.C. to circa A.D. 400 the Egyptian goddess Nut was worshipped as a creator goddess, as was Neith (“who emerged from the primeval ocean to create the world.”) The Aztec’s version of a creator goddess was a toadlike deity called Tlaltecuhtli, while the Babylonian creation myth centered around the primordial goddess Tiamat. The Japanese (Shinto) goddess Izanami-No-Kami, the Mayan goddess Ix Zacal Nok, and the Nigerian goddess Oduduwa are all said to have given birth to the world.

      CRONE The third aspect of the Triple Goddess. She corresponds to the waning and dark phases of the moon, and is usually depicted in works of art as an aged, haglike woman, often quite terrifying in Her appearance. To Wiccans, the Crone (who is also known as the Dark Goddess) represents maturity, wisdom, spiritual peace, a time of endings that lead to new beginnings, and death that brings forth new life.

      In various cultures, many different crone goddesses have been worshipped as the third aspect of a divine feminine trinity; however, in Neo-Paganism and the Craft of Wicca, the most popular goddess who represents the Crone is the Greek lunar goddess Hecate. See also MAIDEN, MOTHER, and TRIPLE GODDESS.

      CROSS The cross is one of the oldest of mystical symbols, and in Encyclopoedia Heraldica, there are over 385 different varieties listed. In Christianity, the cross is an important symbol of Jesus Christ’s death and resurrection. However, the symbol of the cross is actually not of Christian origin, as many believe. It was widely used by Pagan cultures in pre-Christian times as both a religious symbol and magickal tool, and did not become a symbol of the Christian tradition until about the fifth century. When worn as an amulet, the cross protects the wearer from the dark forces of evil, jinx, and bad luck. Crosses are used in many Voodoo rituals and Hoodoo spells, and they are often worn as protective amulets by spiritual healers and Tarot card readers to dispel negative influences. For best results, a cross should be made out of gold and anointed once a day with either myrrh oil or holy water.

      CRYSTAL BALL A sphere of crystal or glass used for scrying—an ancient method of divination popular among many Wiccans, especially on the night of Samhain. Crystal balls come in all sizes and colors, and the images seen within them may be either actual or symbolic and relate to either the past, present, or future. The crystal ball is the focus for the scryers psychic perception and does not, in itself, cause the visions to materialize. The art and practice of divination by gazing into a crystal ball is known as crystalomancy.

      CURSE In black magick and СКАЧАТЬ