Читать книгу Wicca A to Z - Gerina Dunwich - Страница 10

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 with all matters of a spiritual nature; silver is a Moon Goddess–lunar energy color; black is for banishing negativity as well as for cursing; green is associated with healing, fertility, and prosperity; and so forth.

Additionally, there are different astral colors for each of the twelve signs of the zodiac, colors corresponding to the days of the week and the Sabbats, etc. (For more information about candle magick read Wicca Candle Magick, Gerina Dunwich, Citadel Press, 1996.)

CANDLEMAS One of the eight Witches Sabbats observed yearly. Also known as Imbolc, Oimelc, Lupercus, Candelaria and Disting (February 14 in the Teutonic Tradition of Wicca), Candlemas is traditionally celebrated on February 2 and is a fire festival celebrating both the Goddess of fertility and the Horned God. In ancient times, Candlemas was celebrated as the Feast of Pan.

At this time of the year, Witches, Wiccans, and Neo-Pagans celebrate change (which equates to growth) and bid farewell to that which is no longer needed. Candlemas Sabbat rituals often include the sweeping of the circle with a besom to symbolize the “sweeping away of the old” in order to make room for the new and that which is yet to be born. Candles are traditionally lit on this night as offerings to the Mother Earth so that her divine power of fertility may soon awaken from its long winter slumber and bring forth springtime.

CAPRICORN In astrology, the tenth sign of the zodiac, symbolized by the Goat or Goat-Fish. Capricorn is an Earth sign and is ruled by the planet Saturn. Its energies are feminine-yin-negative-passive and its polarity (its opposite sign of the zodiac which expresses the opposite characteristics) is Cancer. The quadruplicity of Capricorn is Cardinal (meaning enterprising, outgoing, and a natural initiator.) Persons born between December 22 and January 19 are under the sign of Capricorn and are said to possess the following traits: determination; prudence; faithfulness; ambition with a tendency to be materialistic, pessimistic, shy, or overly-conservative (especially in younger years; however, usually more liberal later in life.) In matters of love, Capricorn is believed to be most compatible with Capricorn, Taurus, Virgo, and those with Moon in Capricorn. The parts of the human body said to be ruled by Capricorn are the bones, joints, knees, skin, and teeth.

CAULDRON A small or large, black cast-iron pot used by Witches that symbolically combines the influences of the four ancient elements, represents the womb of the Goddess, and is used for various purposes including brewing potions, burning incense, and holding charcoal or herbs.

CENSER A metal vessel with a perforated lid, used as an incense burner in many Wiccan rituals, Sabbats, and magickal spellwork. The censer, which is often carried by a chain and swung so as to spread the incense fumes, is symbolic of the ancient element of Air. It is normally used by either the High Priestess or High Priest of a coven at the beginning of a ritual to purify the circle of any negative energies, and also as a tool for invoking the elemental guardians of the East Watchtower (Sylphs).

CEREMONIAL MAGICK The art and practice of controlling the powers of Nature, which are conceived of as being either angelic or demonic, by conjuration of spirits with words of power or sacred god names. Ceremonial Magick, which often employs Christian concepts, typically involves the use of elaborate rituals, dramatic invocations of spirits, and mystic sacraments. It has been practiced since ancient times, and predominantly by men seeking mystical enlightenment or power. Abramelin Magick and the Kaballah are two examples of Ceremonial Magick which continue to be practiced by magicians in contemporary times.

CERNUNNOS The ancient Celtic horned nature god of all wild animals, hunting, and fertility; “Lord of All Living Creatures,” and consort of the Great Mother. He is depicted as a hirsute man with antlers and hoofs, and his name literally means “the Horned One.” In ancient times, he was worshipped in Britain and in Celtic Europe. As a Neo-Pagan god, he is often worshipped by Wiccans of the Gardnerian tradition. See also HORNED GOD.

CHAKRA Any of the special points of psychic-spiritual energy located within the human body. Each chakra (a Sanskrit word meaning “wheel”) is said to be a whirling lotus petal-shaped vortex of multicolored energy. They are not visible to the naked human eye and can only be perceived through clairvoyant means. It is said that chakras can indicate changes in health months or years before problems actually show up in the physical body. Many clairvoyants and psychic healers claim that an accurate diagnosis of a person’s present or future health condition can be made by “reading” the energy of the chakras with the hands or by using a special dowsing pendulum.

The names of the seven major chakras and their locations in the body are as follows: Root Chakra (base of the spine); Sacral Chakra (genital region); Solar Plexus Chakra (between rib cage and navel); Heart Chakra (between center of chest and the shoulder blades); Throat Chakra (forepart of the neck); Third Eye or Brow Chakra (forehead between the eyebrows); and Crown Chakra (top of the head). In addition, there are said to be chakras of lesser energy located in the feet and hands, and hundreds of minor ones throughout the body.

It is believed that the Crown Chakra is the portal where the universal life force enters into the body, and the Root Chakra is the center of kundalini. See also KUNDALINI.

CHALDEAN A seventeenth century general term for a magician or a person versed in occult learning; an astrologer, soothsayer, or practitioner of the Black Art of sorcery. In ancient times, Chaldea (a region in southern Babylonia) was regarded as the center of magickal arts.

CHALICE In Wiccan rituals, a sacred cup or goblet used to hold consecrated water or wine, and normally kept on the west side of the altar. The chalice symbolizes the ancient element of Water. During monthly rituals known as “Drawing Down the Moon,” some High Priestesses “lunar energize” a chalice of wine, water or juice by holding it up to the rays of the full moon. The chalice is then passed around the coven so that all members can partake of its energizing liquid.

CHANNELER A gifted person who, while in a trancelike altered state of consciousness, communicates with or serves as a channel for non-physical beings, ghosts, deities, guardian spirits, or extraterrestrials; a spiritualist medium. See also CHANNELING, SPIRIT, and SPIRITUALISM.

CHANNELING The spontaneous or induced act of communicating with or serving as a channel for non-physical beings, ghosts, deities, guardian spirits, or extraterrestrials while in a trancelike altered state of consciousness. Although channeling is a mystical art often associated with the modern New Age movement in the United States, it is actually a very old practice dating back to ancient times and practiced by nearly all cultures around the world. See also NEW AGE, SPIRITUALISM.

CHARGE OF THE GODDESS During the Wiccan ritual known as Drawing Down the Moon, many High Priestesses of covens (especially those of the Gardnerian and Alexandrian traditions) enter a trancelike state and become a channel through which the Goddess Herself speaks. The address She delivers to the coven is often poetic and inspiring, and is known as the Charge of the Goddess.

The original version of the Charge was written in the 1950s by English Witch Gerald B. Gardner and based upon both Charles Godfrey Leland’s nineteenth-century work Aradia: The Gospel of the Witches and the writings of occultist Aleister Crowley. High Priestess Doreen Valiente rewrote Gardner’s version in verse and took out most of the Aleister Crowley material. She later wrote a final version of the Charge in prose from, which has since become one of the most popular writings in the Craft.

CHARM A highly magickal object that not only works like an amulet or talisman to counteract misfortune, but also can be used to bewitch others; a magickal song or incantation which is often chanted over an amulet or talisman to consecrate it and charge it with magickal energy; to bewitch or seduce by powers of Witchcraft.

CHTHONIC Pertaining to the spirits and deities associated with the Underworld. The word “chthonic,” with a silent “ch,” is pronounced as “thonic” (to rhyme with “tonic”).

CINGULUM In certain traditions of Wicca, a consecrated cord (nine feet long and often of the color red) used by Witches when dancing to raise 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 sorcery, a deliberate concentration of destructive negative energy, often accompanied by the evocation of evil spirits or demons, and intended to harm a particular person, thing, or place; an imprecation.

Most modern Witches and those who follow the path of Wicca do not dabble in curses for such malevolent magick violates the Wiccan Rede and causes the rebounding of bad karma, which many Wiccans believe is threefold or greater. There are certain instances, however, when a special type of curse known as a “binding” is necessary and is almost always done to stop an evil or misguided individual from continuing to do harm (either magickally or by some other means) upon others.

A small number of Witches feel that cursing is acceptable when warranted, such as in the case of avenging a serious crime which has gone unpunished or making even the score with one who has worked black magick to cause severe harm to the Witch or her loved ones. However, most in the Craft today feel that cursing is unethical and self-destructive no matter how or for what reason it is performed, and many do not even feel that bindings are an acceptable practice.

Outside of Wicca, in many other cultures around the world where magick or Shamanism is practiced, justified cursing is not regarded as being unethical or subject to karmic consequences, and a person supposedly skilled in the magickal arts who could not, or would not, cast a curse to stop criminals or enemies from doing harm would be considered totally useless to society. See also BINDING.