I

by: Rick Johnson
PO Box 40451
Tucson, Az.
85717
RikJohnson@juno.com

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I CHING-- (China) A method of divination using yarrow (achillea millefolium) sticks or three coins. It was developed in China and was popular in America in the 1920's and is making a comeback.

ICTHYOMANCY-- Divination by fishes.

IDOL-- An image or representation of a God or Goddess. Pagans admit to worshipping idols or in some cases, the reality behind the image. Christians, muslims and jews worship idols in opposition to their stated objections to same.

IDOLOMANCY-- Divination by idols, statues, images or figures.

IMAGE MAGICK-- Magick that uses a representation of the target as a focus or object link. The most famous of these is the poppet though many modern Witches use photographs because it is easier to get a photo than an object link.

IMATATIVE MAGICK-- A form of magick wher the actions of the spell resemble the desired results. An example is a hunting spell where the hunter would use a toy bow to stalk and shoot a poppet of a deer in order to bring success in an upcoming hunt.
One of the earliest of such spells was found in a cave in France dated at about 10,000+ bce and is actually a death curse on a cave lion.

IMBOLC-- One of the Four Greater Sabbats of Wicca. Celebrated on February 1 or 5, it comes from the Celtic word meaning "in the belly", it celebrates the recovery of the Goddess after giving birth to the Sun-God. It also celebrates the first stirring of Spring and the lengthening of the days. It is pronounced "imm-OL-g". Traditionally, Witches were Initiated on this day. It is also called; Candlemas, Lupercalia, Feast of Pan, Feast of Torches, Feast of the Waxing Light, Oimelc, and Brigit's Day.

IMMANENT-- The attitude that the Gods exist as an integral part of Nature and cannot be separated from or avoided by people. Pagan Religions are based on the immanence of Divinity and state that They are here, in nature, and not in some mythical 'heaven'.

IMP-- (Medieval) See familiar.

INCANTATION-- A set of magickal words or phrases that is used during a magickal spell. They are best spoken in rhyme.

INCARNATE-- A spirit that dwells within a physical body.

INCARNATION-- One lifetime upon the earth. The soul will incarnate into a physical body, remain there until death, then reincarnate back upon the material plane for another lifetime. Often this is seen as an education, Buddhists see it as a prison, Witches see it as an adventure.
I have just seen my daughtor's religion book from a catholic school which defines Incarnation as 'the taking of a human body and soul by god the son.' Well, what can you expect from a church that waited until the 1980's to finally admit that the Sun is the center of the Solar System.

INCENSE-- A tool that is composed of herbs and is used to symbolize air. When burned in the censer it's purpose is to banish or attract non-material entities depending on the ritual and composition of said incense.

INCH-- A measure of length equal to the width of your thumb. See tum. About 1". See measurements.

INCUBATION-- A vision quest performed alone in a temple or other holy area in the hopes of receiving a divine message.

INCUBUS-- A male non-material entity in human form called up for the purpose of sexual activity. See Succubus.

INFUSION-- An herbal potion or tea usually made from one half ounce of herb to a pint of water. Note that it is important to always add the herb to the boiling water and not the water to the herb. Nor should you boil water with the herb already added.

INITIATION-- A ritualistic rebirth marking the beginning of a new phase of life as a Witch. In Traditional Wicca, they are extremely stressful and force the Initiate to face their fears and the Gods.

INNER PLANES-- The astral, mental and other such non-material planes that compose the human body.

INNER TEACHINGS-- That body of Wiccan knowledge that is given ONLY to Initiates.

INNNOCENT VIII, POPE-- ( 15th century) A catholic pope who reigned from 1484 to 1492. He is infamous for authorizing the Malleus Malificarum that turned the Inquisition from christians against Witches.
Few know that Innocent VIII, born Giovanni Battista Cibo in Genoa, Italy in 1432, had two children by his mistress and in his later life lived on milk that he drank from a womans breasts. Four young children were drained and killed in an early experiment in blood transfusion to prolong the life of this man.

INQUISITION-- See Burning Times.

INSECURITY-- Those Covens that worship Skyclad have one major problem, insecurity. From experience I have found that, generally speaking, men are willing to show off but are afraid that every other man in the Coven is better hung than they are (they are right, of course) and women are afraid that every woman is thinner and firmer and more endowed than they are (also true). Cowan husbands of Witches are afraid that their wives will see so many incredibly well hung men and have so much great sex that they will never be satisfied with their inadequate husbands again (also true). Cowan wives are afraid that their Witch husbands will see so many 18 year old sex-pots with firm breasts and flat bellys and no wrinkles, scars or cellulite that they will think their wives ugly (also true). For some reason, a cowan wife is not afraid of her husband having sex orgies with a dozen women in the Circle, I guess that is because they know what their husbands are like in bed and know that despite his complaints and bragging, he couldn't do half of what he wants. I guess that she has never undergone the energies of a good Ritual where ALL MEN are hung to their knees and can cum a dozen times a night and ALL WOMAN are thin and built and nymphos.
P.S. I wrote this definition especially for one overweight, 50+, partly transexual wiccan who had the bad form to write an article stating that s/he worked Robed because she didn't want the men in her Coven 'getting off' on his/her body in a Skyclad Circle.

In reality, people in my Coven ranged from 22 to 65 and from 90 lbs to 200+ lbs. Few, male or female, were what I would call drop dead gorgeous. They were simply avarage people with all the avarage physical faults that are possessed by all. I am personally too busy before and during the Rite to look (It's a LOT of work being a HP) and during Cakes and Wine, I forget to do so. To those new to Skyclad worship I say, "Stare at us all you want BEFORE the rite. Get it out of your system now because in 15 minutes nudity will become boreing and we need your concentration on the Rite and not on yours or someone elses genitalia. If you can't forget that tit or cock staring at you, you need to go back to Novice classes and learn concentration and focus because you definately do not belong in my Circle."

INSTA-WITCH-- A derogatory term that refers to those people who are xian on Friday, see a book on Witchcraft on Saturday, read it Saturday night and form their own coven on Sunday claiming all manner of religious incompatabilities.

INTUITION-- Knowledge gained without logical thinking. Probably one's psychics kicking in.

INVOCATION-- Words or phrases that are used to call down a non-human entity or God. Compare with Evocation.

IO-- (Greek) A cry of celebration or triumph. It was originally pronounced 'YO!" but modern Wiccans pronounce it "EE-oh!" as in "IO PAN!" during certain God rites.

ISIS-- The Egyptian Mother Goddess. Many pagans and Wiccans see Her as the ultimate Great Mother and so a representative of the Goddess. She is more popular among Eclectic Witches than among Traditional Witches whose Traditions are derived from Celtic lands instead of Egyptian. Xianity passed a number of laws against the worship of Isis because She was so popular that people went to Her shrines instead of the xian churches. Mary was elevated to veneration partially becuase of this insistance to worship a Goddess.

ISIS POSITION-- see Goddess Position.

ISOBEL GOWDIE-- See Gowdie, Isobel.

ITHYPHALLIC-- In the American media, with it's puritan ethic, you can see a woman with naked breasts and erect nipples but if you ever see a naked man, it will be a rear view. On those very rare times when you see a man frontal, he will have a flaccid (limp) penis. This is because far too many people consider the penis to be 'an aggressive organ'. See Michangelo's David in the original and in the rip-off copies that put a fig leaf over the important part.
In paganism, the Gods of Nature are shown to be magnificantly erect which is exactly what Ithyphallic means. This is because Pagans should have no hang-ups about sex. We accept that our Gods and Goddess have sex, make love and occasionally fuck as well. In Wicca, the universe was created when the Goddess seduced Her Brother, the Horned/Sun God, became pregnant and gave birth to the Universe.
Many pagans are faced with a problem when purchasing religious statues in that the artists castrate the Gods. Without a phallus, there can be no fertility and the world ends so we end up purchasing these emasculated pieces of 'art' and then rendering them anatomically accurate and erect.
When I was married to Patti she remarked that she wished that I would hide my naked God statues from the children. I remarked "why is nudity wrong but acceptable for them to pray to an instrument of torture and execution?"
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To contact me or to request topics to be covered, send to RikJohnson@juno.com
by: Rick Johnson
PO Box 40451
Tucson, Az.
85717

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