S

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

Return to the Home Page.
Return to the Miscellenous Page.
Return to the Vocabulary Page.

SABBAT-- The major religious festivals of Wicca which celebrate the major actions of the year. There are eight of them: 31 Oct., 21 Dec, 31 Jan., 21 Mar, 30 Apr., 21 Jun, 31 Jul. and 21 Sep. They are generally dedicated to the Horned God/Sun and are primarily celebratory.

SACHET-- A bag containing herbs and used for a specific magickal purpose. Another term for charm bag.

SACRED GEOMETRY-- The study and application of angles, arcs and measurements to define a sacred space and to enlighten others. The ritual Drawing of a Circle with the Cord and the laying out of the quarters is a specific ritual that few follow but is worth learning.

SACRED MARRIAGE-- See Great Rite.

SACRED SPACE-- Generally that area within the Circle after it has been cast but generally any area where a Wiccan ritual is performed from an ancient temple to that area in front of your bedroom Altar.

SACRIFICE-- The act of giving something to the Gods or spirits in payment for services to be rendered. This can be a promise to give up chocolate (which I LOVE) or a promise to build a monument to the Gods or returning the first and last parts of the crops during harvest to the earth as an offering. In Wicca, animals are never sacrificed as this is considered to be an insult to the Gods.

SALAMANDER-- That living elemental entity that consists only of fire/energy.

SALEM-- Actually Danvers, a small town in the state of Mass. where in 1692 19 people were hanged as Witches with others dieing under torture or in prison. There are a number of explanations for the outbreak of witch-hunting and these range from ergot-poisoning (ergot is a fungus that grows on wheat and containe LSD) to economic collapse (the accusers were puritans who were loosing business to their less fanatical neighbors) to political infighting (some families were after the land and political power held by other families) to the possibility that there may have been some actual Wiccans in Danvers (recently discovered carvings of Theban in the area).
I suspect that the truth is a combination of all these factors as Salem is so famous that any one explanation fails investigation but like a snowball rolling downhill, social changes tied to economic collapse could be the basis which was triggered by ergot poisoning as a catalyst.
Regardless, Salem is now famous as a tourist trap and the home of Lori Cabot, the official Witch of Salem. George Bush won the presidential campaign partly becaue he made a big deal of Michael Dukakis being a friend of Witches because he gave Ms Cabot her title.

SALISBURY, COUNTESS OF-- se Edward III

SALT-- 1) In magick, one of the three Base Principles. A symbol of Earth and purity.
2) (Gardnerian) When used as 'salty' it refers to being randy or to make randy in a sexual connotation.

SAMHAIN-- In most Wiccan Traditions, THE most important day of the year. It celebrates the New Year, those who have died and the end of Summer . It is pronounced "SOW-wen" and bigoted fundamentalist christians constantly invent lies about the 'great god sam' myth as a means of attacking the Craft. Samhain means literally 'summers end' (Gaelic) as anyone who calls up a Scot or Irishman can tell (unless you want to look in a good Gaelic-English dictionary). It is also called Hallows, All Hallows Eve, Halloween, Hallowmas, Feast of the Dead and the Feast of Apples.

SANCTUARY-- A location where a particular God or set of God/desses are believed to dwell. They may have a number of shrines, each one dedicated to a particular divinity.

SATAN-- (Judeo-Christian) A Judeo-christian god of evil. Originally spelled with a lower case 's', it originally meant an office similar to the District or Prosecuting Attorney in a court with connotations of an angel assigned by god to test the fidelity of man. The idea was that when a soul died, it was put on trial with god as a judge. Two different angels would play the roles of prosecutor (satan) and defence attorney. Each would present their side of the case and god would decide if the soul was in or out. This is where we get our modern legal system in America.
In addition to this, satan was confused with Lucifer which was another name for Prometheus, the Titan/angel who so loved man that he stole fire/wisdom and gave it to mankind so that they would become greater than animals. This was, of course, agaisnt the will of god who wished man to remain ignorant and helpless and so Lucifer/Prometheus was cast out of heaven/Olympus and punished.
By the middle ages, with the rise of christianity to power, satan/Lucifer became combined with the Horned God of Wicca to produce the modern concept.
Witchcraft is the only major religion that does not have any devil and therefore Witches do NOT and can NOT worship satan.

SATANISM-- A reaction against christianity that concerns itself with doing the opposite of what the christians pretend to believe. There are three major forms today. Christians often confuse satanism with Wicca despite the fact that you must be a christian to be a satanist and Witches are not xians.

SAWYER, ELIZABETH-- A witch who was hanged in April 1621, she was the inspiration for the formation of the Atlantion Wicca Tradition in the 1960's.

SCEPTER-- See Wand.

SCIOMANCY-- Divination by shadows.

SCOURGE-- A Wiccan Tool representing purity and submission/control. It balances the Wand which often represents mercy.
Modern Gardnerian Scourges are made from (classified). They are designed to stimulate that part of the body (classified) which is being scourged in a specific manner for a specific reason (classified). Many other Traditions which don't understand scourging, make theirs out of thread or embrodary floss under the belief that scourging is purely symbolic. Some old scourges were made of nettles.
In some rituals, the HP will use the Scourge to lightly encourage the coven to be more entheusiastic in their dancing. Used differently, it can also encourage fertility or luck or purification.
2) The act of causing ritual purification in a Wiccan Circle by using a Scourge on another person. Despite observed reactions by outsiders, it is not at all whipping by people into Bondage and Discipline. In reality, unless done in a specific area for a specific reason in a specific manner while accomplishing specific visualizations, it will not work. This is one of the ways we Traditionals know who has been properly trained and who simply read a book.
3) A form of mild punishment performed upon a person who did something wrong or bad during a Wiccan Ritual. It is not meant to embarass or hurt, but to force the culprit to realize that they should be more carefull in the future or drink a little less wine or watch what they say or do or possibly even to study a bit harder. There is a set ritual that is deliberatly casual to avoid embarassment to the culpret.
note) When I dated a dominatrix I made her a scourge for sex play that was completly different from the one I use in ritual. She loved the thing and insisted on using it (and the leather manacles I made her) that night. Although I am hopelessly vanilla, she did teach me the difference between Ritual Scourging and sexual scourging so from experience, I can say that Kelly was wrong in his hypothesis about the introduction of scourging into Wicca.

SCRIBE-- See Recorder.

SCRY-- To divine using a mirror, crystal ball or bowl of water.

SEAL-- The signature of a non-material entity.

SEAX-- (Saxon) 1) see Athame.
2) A tradition of Wicca popularized by Raymond Buckland in the early 1970's when he divorced Rosemary and left the Gardnerian Tradition.

SEAX WICA-- Wicca as reinterpreted by Ray Buckland and others based on Saxon mythos instead of the more traditional Celt. It is mildly eclectic. It was originally formed as a joke by a bunch of Drunken Gardnerians in the back room of The Warlock shop in New York City but later found to work.

SECOND SIGHT-- See precognition.

SEEKER-- One who believes that the Craft or a coven is for them but is not completely certain.

SELENE-- The Latin name for the Moon Goddess, often referred to in Wicca as the Maiden Aspect.

SELF-DEDICATION-- That process where the Wiccan declares themselves a Witch before the gods. It is used by Solitaries and Eclectics as a valid Initiation. Traditionals use it as a means of showing their fidelity to the God/dess until they can locate a Coven to join.

SELF-INITIATION-- See Self-dedication.

SENDING-- The launching of energy during a spell or a familiar to accomplish a task or a psychic communication to another person.

SEX-- The union of man and woman to produce the greater whole. Some religions degrade sex as evil and dirty, Wicca enhances and honors it.

SEX MAGICK-- A form of magick where energy is raised through sexual relations. It is the second most powerful form of magick and one of the hardest to learn. Most people who claim to be sex magickians are simply trying to get laid as it takes much hard training before you are even allowed to have sex. It is virtually impossible for a novice to do sex magick and in Traditional Wicca, it is reserved for only the highest ranking Witches in the coven.

SHADE-- a Ghost.

SHADOW-- That part of ourselves that we deny because the thought of us possessing such desires and attitudes is uncomfortable. Often when a Witch confronts their shadow, they get upset at having those desires and leave the Craft instead of accepting them and trying harder to be good.

SHAMAN-- Specifically a Siberian magickian though many modern pagans use it to refer to any solitary magickian involved in nature worship. The 'new' ego-trip term, it has been adopted by some eclectic pagans to replace the term Priest. In the latter case, the term is stolen from those who know how by those who wish they knew how but don't have the guts to learn. I personally have never see a true 'white' shaman, though I have seen many who pretend.

SHAPESHIFTING-- The ability to change ones physical or astral form to resemble an animal. This animal is generally the totem animal of the Witch. This may be the basis for the werewolf legend.

SHEILA-NA-GIG-- Those naked female statues generally placed in inaccessible places on churches in Western Europe. They are usually shown holding their labia wide open for all to see as they grin and laugh at those below. They are a Goddess symbol thought to be placed there by the pagan artisians who were forced to attend a xian church and wanted to be able to pray to their own Gods. When I was sent to an army base to rebuild the base chapel, yet denied access to that chapel for my own religious rituals, I placed a Shiela in the roof looking down upon the altar. To my knowledge, it is still there.
In many cases, they were placed above the north door which was the one used by witches who were forced to attend church. Refer to Foliates.

SHEILAS-- See sheila na gig.

SHIELD-- The ability to protect yourself with a psychic or magickal barrier in order to prevent energy or unwanted non-material entities from touching you or, in some cases, perceiving your existance.

SHOWSTONE-- A natural quartz crystal carved in the shape of a sphere and used for scrying.

SHRINE-- A small permanant or semi-permanant altar that is generally placed within the home for the personal use of the Witch.

SHUNNING-- Not a Craft term but useful to describe the four levels in which the Craft can handle a troublemaker. These levels are, in order of severity: Astriction, Parting of the Ways, Reculade and Banishment. Refer to each topic for details.

SIDHE-- (Irish) (pronounced "she") The land of the Faeries where life is a constant party. Unfortunately, time is different there and if you enter the Sidhe for an hour, you may learn that when you return to the mundane world, twenty years have passed. The opposite is also true.
In some Traditions of Wicca such as the Irish, it refers to the Otherworld, or the Summerland.

SIGIL-- Any sign or symbol drawn on a talisman used to portray a symbol or idea though it is usually the signature of a demon or angel. It is pronounced SIDGE-il.

SILVER CORD-- That thread that connects the astral body to the physical. If it is broken, the body dies.

SIMPLE-- 1) A potion that uses a single herb.
2) (Gardnerian) All medicinal herbs.

SIMULACRUM-- See double.

SINISTER-- See left hand path.

SISTER COVENS-- The process where a Coven devides into two or more Covens, both of which may be equal to the other. They may do so because the original Parent Coven has grown too large and unweildy so they decide to devide into two or more smaller Covens with different Elders forming a number of new Covens and allowing the members of the Parent Coven to choose which new Coven they will join. These sister Covens will still remain friends and will often guest with each other for Grand Sabbats. Generally, the HPS of the original Coven will retain the name of the Parent Coven and each sister Coven will take a new name. When Desert Henge Coven devided into Desert Henge Coven and Morningstar Coven because of its size (13 peple in Inner Court and 6 in Outer Court ready for Initiation) the HPS chose to explore more eclectic ways so because I was the original HP of DHC and she was the second HPS of DHC, and because I planned to remain Gardnerian, it was decided that I, the HP would retain the name and history of Desert Henge Coven and the HPS would choose a new Coven name.

SISTRUM-- A large rattle of Egyptian design used to make music during a ritual.

SIX SIX SIX (666)-- (Jewish) Caled the Number of the Beast of revelations, modern christians use it as the number of satan. In reality it is nothing of the sort.
Early Israel, like Rome and many other early civilizations, had no number system. Our numbers actually come from the Arabs. So these nations used letters as numbers. Just as Rome used 'I' as #1, 'II' as #2 and 'III' as #3, Israel did the same. Aleph = #1, beth = #2 and so on. There was even a system of numerology in Israel that sought the number value of names so that the name for jehovah, converted to numbers, equalled #1 which was important. After the conquest of Israel by the Babylonians in 586 b.c.e. the Israelites considered Babylon to be evil incarnate. And when they did a number chart for Babylon, the number they arrived at was ... "666".
Therefore, 666 actually refers to the nation of Babylon and not any individual angel of devil.

SKYCLAD-- The act of being ritually naked during a spell or ritual in order to allow the energies to flow without any interference. The term was introduced to Wicca by Gardner in the 1950's. Many Wiccans and pagans decry Skyclad because they say that it will lead to unrestrained sexual conduct and it is too cold in the north for outdoor Skyclad Rituals. To the first argument I refer you to the fact that most of us are better looking dressed and if nudity was so sexy, why is Fredericks of Hollywood and Victoria's Secrets making soooo much money? To the second argument, I simply state that in Tucson it drops to the 20's in the Winter and many of us still do outdoor Skyclad Rituals with no problem simply because a properly cast Circle will actually generate heat. Drop by and I'll teach you how to do this.

SMUDGING-- (Eclectic) The practice of burning some herbs (usually sage) and censing a person with the smoke. Modern wiccan wanna-be's use it to replace the Traditional Censing because Native Americans did it. Amer-Indians only invented the process about a hundred years ago and not all do it.

SNAP BACK-- A sudden and involuntary return of the astral body to the physical body. It is often accompanied by a disagreeable shock.

SO MOTE IT BE-- A traditional ending to a spell. It means that the spell shall happen as you wish.

SOLAR AGE-- See Aquarian Age.

SOLITARY WITCH-- Those Wiccans who worship and work alone because they cannot or choose not to join a Coven.

SOLSTICE-- The times when the Sun is at it's most northern or southern position on the horizon. This is usually June 21 and December 21.

SOMA-- A sacred drink from India that is used in religious rituals. Some Traditional and Gardnerian Covens still use soma though few know the proper formula. It took my HPS weeks to find the proper kind of milk for ours one year.

SOOTH-- Truth.

SORCERER-- A male magickian who performs Low Magick similar to that practiced by a Witch only Sorcerers do it without a religious basis. See Wizard and Sorceress.

SORCERESS-- The female counterpart of the Sorcerer and Wizard.

SORCERY-- Magick performed by an individual magickian outside of religion, generally for personal or economic gain.

SOUL-- That part of the person that is immortal and passes on from lifetime to 1ifetime.

SOULMATE-- Two people linked by Fate or karma or divine purpose. They often meet over many lifetimes. Despite popular belief, soulmates are not always lovers. They are simply a group of souls that reincarnate together in many forms; one life being lovers, another siblings, another friend, another enemies or any combination.
It is a frightening thought that Patti and I may be soulmates but Brenda and I may not be. Patricularly as I love Brenda still (despite all that she has done to me) and not Patti anymore. It appears that Patti and our two children, Matthew and Cerridwen are soulmates so, Patti, you had better get your act in order or the next time around will be as bad as this one.

SOUTHWAYS-- See Deosil.

SPANN-- A measurement of length equal to the distance from the tip of your little finger to the tip of your thumb with the fingers spread. About 8". See bucket.

SPATALAMANCY-- Divination by the skin, bones and excrement.

SPATULAMANCY-- Divination through the inspection of animal shoulders.

SPECULUM-- A mirror that is used for scrying.

SPELL-- The action of Magick. The focus reality through ritual in order to produce a desired goal by non-material means. It can be described as the enhancement of psychic ability through the use of ritual. It can also be described as the use of natural forces enhanced by ritual.

SPELLCRAFT-- See magick.

SPIRIT-- A non-material entity. Often it is the mind/soul/ personality of another who may be dead.

SPIRIT LOVER-- An astral body or ghost who remains nearby because of close emotional ties.

SPLITTING THE COVEN-- The process where some members of a Coven leave that coven to form their own. This may produce Daughter Covens or Sister Covens. Generally, Hiving produces Daughter Covens and Splitting produces Sister Covens.

SPRING EQUINOX-- See Ostara.

SQUASSATION-- See strappado.

STAFF-- A large Wand. Some magickians use it in place of the Wand .

STAG GOD-- That aspect of the Horned God that was worshipped by Witches in areas where the primary meat source was deer or elk. He survived in Celtic Religion far longer than His other aspect, the Bull whom some Traditions see as His other self who he must meet and fight on the Solstices. This may be an aetiological myth. See Bull God and Goat God.

STANG-- An old symbol of the God and Goddess of the Witches used when the possession of a God/dess image was a capital offence. There are two forms of stang, the male with two tines and the female with three tines.

STAREOMANCY-- Divination by the elementsor weather.

STAR WARS-- A series of Science Fiction movies started in the mid 1970's by George Lucas. The movie is based on Kurosawa's The Hidden Fortress and Lucas' love of theater. The basic plot is standard, evil villain kidnaps princess, tries to rule the universe, good guys stop evil people. But Lucas' use of The Force made the film a hit with the New Age and Metaphysical crowd. Even Witches love it and can use it as a training manual.

STEEP-- To soak an herb in a hot liquid such as water.

STERNOMANCY-- Divination by the chest from the breast to the belly.

STEWART, FRANCIS-- See Bothwell.

STONEHENGE-- One of three thousand Stone Circles in Great Britain. Many of these Circles are ritually built and orientated to the Lesser Sabbats (Pre-Celtic), others are magickal and many were social in use. Some were small enough to jump over, others were so large that an entire town was built inside them. Stonehenge was one of the most impressive. They predated the Celts and so were avoided by the Druids who preferred to worship in a grove of trees but their structure shows a lot of Wiccan influence and so some are still used by Witches. During the Burning Times, it was common for the local christian minister to take his congregation out to a local Stone Circle at a set time and destroy a stone, thus symbolically destroying the Craft and physically destroying an invaluable archaeological treasure. This custom ended with the Barber Stone incident at Avebury.

STRAPPADO-- A popular form of torture used by the Inquisition because of it's cheapness. The suspect's hands were tied behind their back as in modern police handcufing. A rope was then tied to the bonds and the person was liften to the roof by their wrists. As the arms were behind and straight, the pain was intense.
If desired and to relieve the boredom, strappado could easily be converted to squasssation by releasing the rope so that the suspect would fall to the floor. BUT, the rope was held so that the suspect never reached the floor as the rope would stop the suspect in such a manner that the suspects arms were dislocated and the musches damaged beyond repair.

STREGA-- (Italian) A female Witch.

STREGHERIA-- (Italian) A term to denote all Witches, regardless of gender.

STREGONE-- (Italian) A male Witch.

STREGONERIA-- (Italian) Witchcraft as a magickal persuit as opposed to the religious aspects.

SUBCONSCIOUS-- The child-like part of the mind. All power of divine knowledge cones through the subconscious and is therefore altered.

SUCCUBUS-- A non-material entity in female form called up for for sexual purposes. Some believe that there is only one form which becomes a Succubus for the purpose of collecting semen from a human male. The entity then becomes the Incubus which impregnates a human woman in order to reproduce. These 'children' possess qualities of both their human and demonic parents. Compare to Incubus.
I have a spell for the calling up of a Succubus which I am tempted to use, but as it is in German, I am waiting until I can find someone versed in the Magickal Language of German as opposed to the standard language. To understand this, I refer you to the Magickal term 'elements' compared to the Chemical term 'elements'.

SUFFUMIGATIONS-- An incense made wholly of herbs and burned during spells.

SUMMER SOLSTICE-- See Litha.

SUMMERLAND-- In Wicca the place where the Horned God rules and to which all souls travel between incarnations. Also called the Sidhe (Celtic) pronounced 'Shee'. It is not a place of punishment or reward, but rather a place of resting between lives and a place where you learn lessons from a past life to help you live our next one better. When you are ready to die, the Horned God takes you through the Tunnel of Light to the Summerland where you wait rebirth at the Hands/womb of the Goddess.
One way to understand this is if you step off the curb without looking, and a bus hits you, The Horned God comes up and asks if you are ready to pass on (i.e. die). If you say "no" He will leave. But if you say "Yes" He will take your soul through the Tunnel of Light to the Summerland where you will grow younger and younger. While you are reverse-ageing, The Gods set you in a comfy chair in front of a TV set and VCR. They then put in a tape entitled, {note: visualize a tacky fanfare here}"This is Your Life!" And you spend the next period of time watching a video of your life. Occcasionally the Gods will touch the pause button and ask, "Why did you do this?" or "What prompted you to say this and what else could you have said?" Be aware that none of this is judgmental, They are only curious as to your motives and trying to make you see other options.
Eventually, the tape reaches the end and as the credits are playing, They ask you to choose your next set of parents. When you do, you are taken by the Goddess and drop- kicked out of the Summerland and into the womb of your new mother.

SUMMONER-- 1) That Witch whose job is to call all other Witches together for a rite or spell. During the Burning Times the Summoner was the only person who knew the true names and addresses of the Coven so that if one of the Coven was taken by the christians, he couldn't betray the others under torture. Modern Covens give the Summoner the added job of Public Relations and checking out any new potential members to the Coven. In many modern Covens the Summoner is the assistant to the High Priest and fulfills the same function as the Maiden. In other Covens, the Summoner is the High Priest as only he would know who the members were and as the most experienced person, he would be the best PR person possible.
2) (rare British use) The Fetch.

SUN-- One of the symbols of the Horned God in His aspect of the Provider.

SUN WHEEL-- A symbol of the Horned God which is found all over the world. It consists of four 'L' shapes so arrainged that they form an equal-armed cross within a circle. Often the space between the 'L' and the circle contains three smaller circles.
When William the Bastard conquered England in 1066, he carried a banner with the Sun Wheel to show the local Witches that he was their king and to obtain their aid in the invasion.

SUNWISE-- See deosil.

SUPERCONSCIOUS-- The higher self made up of emotion, memory, ESP and imagination.

SUPERNATURAL-- A term used by cowans to refer to any of the magickal and psychic arts that can easily be understood and used by almost anyone with the determination to study them. It is generally used by cowans to refer to anything that they don't understand and so, is therefore, somehow bad. Witches never use the term as to us, these acts are completly natural.

SUPERSTITION-- I'd like to be professionel here but the best way to describe this term is to say that Religion is what I follow and superstition is what you believe in.
The above was what the Zen masters call a koan. Think about this defination for a few years and if you still don't get it, call me and I will enlighten you.

SWIMMING-- Originating in babylon to punish Witches and adulterers, it was adopted at various times to prove the crime of Witchcraft during the Burning Times. Swimming had two versions, in both the Witch was tied up and dunked into a river or lake.

1. #1 was if the Witch floated, she was guilty because water, being the instrument of baptism, was rejecting the Witch or
2. #2 was if the Witch sank, she was guilty because water, being the instrument of baptism, was enacting god's justice.

SWORD-- A very large Athame. A Tool that corresponds to fire and the Athame, but of a greater size. In Gardnerian Wicca it is generally owned by the High Priestess and used only for the Coven. It is best for the Sword to be used outdoors as there is more room and less chance of poking a hole in the ceiling during an invocation.

SYCOMANCY-- Divination by figs.

SYLPH-- A non-material elemental entity composed of only air.

SYNCHRONCICITY-- A term used by Jung to refer to meaningful coincidence. An example of this is the term "speak of the devil" where you are talking or thinking about someone and they suddenly call you or drop by for a visit.

SYMBOLS-- The language of the mind and magick.

SYMPATHETIC MAGICK-- The system of magick that uses symbols and object links to accomplish a desired goal.

SYNCHRONICITY-- The action of having a number of similar things happen at the same time. More than a coincidence.
Return to Contents.

To contact me or to request topics to be covered, send to RikJohnson@juno.com
by: Rick Johnson
PO Box 40451
Tucson, Az.
85717

Return to the Home Page.
Return to the Miscellenous Page.
Return to the Vocabulary Page.