A to Z of Witchcraft – Terminology, Definitions & Glossary

Witchcraft has a unique and fascinating lexicon. If you’re new to the craft, it can feel like learning a whole new language. Some terms may leave you unsure or overwhelmed. That’s why I created this guide: a glossary of the most common magical terms and their meanings. As you grow in your craft, it’s important to also understand the language we use, because these words hold power, history, and meaning. Some are misunderstood or misused by those outside the magical community, and many carry cultural and spiritual weight.

Please note: this glossary is educational. Defining a term like “hex” or “sour jar” does not imply promotion or condemnation. Witchcraft is a deeply personal path, and every practitioner walks it in their own way.

Affirmation
A positive statement used to reinforce belief and intention. Examples: “I am protected,” “I let go of fear,” or “I already have what I seek.” Affirmations are powerful tools in manifesting your desires.

Altar
A sacred space where a witch practices their craft. It can be simple or elaborate, a shelf, table, or dedicated corner adorned with symbolic items, candles, and tools. An altar doesn’t need to follow any religious tradition.

Amulet / Talisman
An object imbued with magickal intention or believed to hold protective energy. Carried or worn for support, healing, or attraction. Often found in charm bags, spell bottles, or kept on altars.

Astral Travel
The intentional separation of the spirit or consciousness from the body to journey through the astral plane. Often used for spiritual exploration, meditation, or connection with guides.

Athame
A ritual knife (usually double-edged with a black handle) used for directing energy, casting circles, or spiritual protection. Not meant for physical cutting. Symbolically powerful and used with intent.

Baby Witch
A newer term for someone just starting their path in witchcraft. While some reclaim it playfully, it’s best used as a self-descriptor. Alternatives like “novice” or “new witch” are generally more respectful when referring to others.

Beltane
A sabbat celebrated on May 1st. A joyful festival of fertility, fire, and abundance. Often honored with outdoor rituals, flowers, and feasting.

Besom
A traditional broom made from twigs tied to a wooden handle. Used to energetically cleanse a ritual space before practice. The sweeping is symbolic and doesn’t touch the ground.

Boline
A white-handled knife used for practical magickal tasks: cutting herbs, carving candles, preparing spell ingredients. Unlike the athame, it’s functional.

Book of Shadows
A personal record of spells, rituals, insights, and magical experiences. Originally linked to Wicca, now used widely. More journal-like than a grimoire.

Cauldron
A heat-safe vessel used for burning herbs, brewing potions, or fire magick. Symbolic of transformation, the womb, and creation.

Chalice
A ceremonial cup representing water, femininity, and divine union. Used in rituals, offerings, and sometimes passed among coven members.

Chakras
Seven main energy centers in the body: Root (Red), Sacral (Orange), Solar Plexus (Yellow), Heart (Green), Throat (Blue), Third Eye (Indigo), Crown (Violet/White). Each relates to physical and spiritual aspects of well-being.

Chakras

Chakras are the energy centers in the body, which are believed to be spinning disks that should be kept open and aligned for our spiritual and physical well-being. There are seven major chakras in the human body, as follows:

Root Chakra
Colour: Red
Location: Base of the spine
Stability, identity, self, trust, grounding

Sacral Chakra
Colour: Orange
Location, Above the pubic bone, below the belly button
Creativity, sexuality, and pleasure

Solar Plexus Chakra
Colour: Yellow
Location: Stomach/upper abdomen
Confidence, personality, and self-esteem

Heart Chakra
Colour: Green
Location: The center of the chest
Compassion, empathy, love, forgiveness

Throat Chakra
Colour: Blue
Location: The throat
Communication, expression

Third Eye Chakra
Color: Indigo / Purple
Location: One the forehead, in the center, just above the eyes.
Imagination, intuition, psychic awareness

Crown Chakra
Color: Violet or white
Location: Top of the head
Enlightenment, awareness, spirituality

Charm Bag (Mojo Bag / Conjure Bag)
A pouch filled with items like herbs, crystals, or written affirmations charged with intent. Worn, carried, or placed somewhere to manifest a goal.

Coven
A group of witches who gather to practice together. Led by a High Priestess or Priest (or both), covens often meet for rituals, sabbats, or esbats. Initiation should never require discomfort or payment.

Craft
A shortened term for witchcraft. Refers to the personal path, learning, and practice of magick.

Crystal Grid
A geometric layout of crystals programmed with a shared intention. The central crystal anchors the energy, while smaller stones radiate and amplify it. Often used for healing, manifestation, or protection.

Crystal Healing / Magick
Working with the natural vibrations of crystals to balance energy, support healing, or amplify spells. Intentional programming of a crystal helps direct its power.

Curse
A spoken or intentional spell meant to bring misfortune. Often confused with hexes or jinxes, curses are typically long-term and fueled by strong emotion.

Deosil
Clockwise movement, used in rituals to draw in or attract energy.

Divination
The practice of seeking insight through tools like tarot, runes, pendulums, or scrying. It requires intuition and reflection.

Elements
Earth, Air, Fire, Water, and Spirit. These form the foundation of much magical work, each representing specific energies and traits.

Esbat
A ritual held during a moon phase (often the full moon). Esbats are usually times for personal spellwork or psychic work.

Familiar
A spirit or animal companion believed to support a witch’s work. Can be a pet, spiritual guide, or energy form.

Grimoire
A book of spell instructions, rituals, and correspondences. Usually more formal and reference-based than a Book of Shadows.

Handfasting
A spiritual or symbolic wedding where hands are bound with ribbon or cord to signify union. Often practiced by pagan or nature-based traditions.

Hex / Jinx / Curse
Spells meant to cause harm or misfortune. Hexes and jinxes can be temporary or petty; curses are more severe. Intent matters.

High Priestess
A knowledgeable and experienced witch who leads a coven. Symbolizes divine feminine wisdom and spiritual authority.

Imbolc
Sabbat celebrated on February 1st (or August 1st in the Southern Hemisphere). A festival of light, purification, and Brigid’s blessings.

Incantation
Words spoken with magickal intent. Can be poetic, rhythmic, or entirely intuitive.

Invoke
To call upon a deity, spirit, or elemental force for guidance, protection, or energy.

Litha
The Summer Solstice. Celebrated around June 21st. A celebration of light, life, and solar power.

Mabon
The Autumn Equinox. A time of balance, gratitude, and preparation for winter.

Magick
Spelled with a ‘k’ to distinguish from stage magic. Magick is the intentional use of energy to create change.

Moon Magick / Moon Water
Working with lunar phases to guide spellwork. Moon Water is water charged under moonlight and used for cleansing, spells, or beauty rituals.

Ostara
Spring Equinox sabbat, celebrating renewal, fertility, and new beginnings.

Pagan
A broad term for earth-based spiritual beliefs. Pagan paths vary widely and often honor nature, multiple deities, and the seasons.

Pentacle / Pentagram
The five-pointed star with or without a circle. Represents the five elements and is often used for protection.

Poppet
A doll used in sympathetic magick. Represents a person and is used in healing, love, or cursing spells, depending on intent.

Ritual
A ceremonial act done with intent, often involving tools, words, and movement to manifest a goal or honor a spirit/deity.

Sabbat
One of the eight festivals of the Wheel of the Year: Yule, Imbolc, Ostara, Beltane, Litha, Lammas, Mabon, Samhain.

Samhain
October 31st. The witch’s new year. A time to honor ancestors and the thinning of the veil between worlds.

Scrying
A form of divination done by gazing into reflective surfaces like water, mirrors, flames, or crystal balls to receive visions or insight.

Sigil
A symbol created with intention and charged with energy to manifest a specific desire. Can be drawn, carved, or hidden in plain sight.

Skyclad
Practicing rituals or magick naked to remove energetic barriers and honor natural connection.

Smoke Cleansing
Using smoke from herbs, incense, or resins to purify a space, tool, or person. Not to be confused with closed practices like smudging.

So Mote It Be
A phrase used to seal a spell or ritual. Means “so shall it be.”

Sour Jar
A jar spell intended to sour someone’s influence or energy. Typically filled with vinegar, sharp herbs, and a taglock (personal link).

Theban Script
Also called the Witches’ Alphabet. A coded writing system sometimes used for spellwork or Book of Shadows entries.

Triple Moon
A symbol representing the Maiden, Mother, and Crone aspects of the Divine Feminine.

Wand
A tool used to direct and channel energy. Softer than the athame in energetic tone.

Widdershins
Counter-clockwise movement. Used in spells for banishing or releasing.

Witches’ Bells
Decorative bells hung on doors to ward off negative energy and mark ritual space.

Witching Hour
The time of night (often around midnight or 3 a.m.) believed to be most magickally potent.

Yule
The Winter Solstice. Celebrated in December as a time of rebirth, warmth, and light returning.