WITCHCRAFT/WICCA: A religion that is centered around the worship of a goddess, a female deity. Witches revere the life force of nature and seek to be in tune with its cycles. Wicca, the modern form of witchcraft, was inspired by the writings of Gerald B. Gardner in the 1950's. He is often known as the father of modern witchcraft.

WHITE MAGIC(K): Magick that is worked for good purposes, through harmless acts and methods. Witches use white magick.

WISE WOMAN: A solitary female Witch who made charms and prescribed healing herbs to the dwellers of the rural villages in Europe.

AMULET: An object worn or carried to drive away negative energy or spirits. It is a protective object that is sometimes inscribed with runic or other magickal symbols.

DIVINATION: Obtaining knowledge through using tools that either stimulate psychic awareness or point to future occurances. Examples of tools used for divination are: dowsing rods, casting runes, tarot cards, pendulum, or ouiji board.

PENTAGRAM: a 5-pointed star used in magick for many centuries. It represents the 4 elements (Earth, Air, Fire, & Water) plus--Spirit. It also symbolizes the body, and the 5 senses. It is used mainly in protective magick. When it is enclosed in a circle, it is called a pentacle. Witches often wear pentacles as pendants, and are usually hidden beneath their clothes--to keep them close to the body and energized, as well as because of the negative conotations wrongly associated with the symbol--as a symbol of the Devil. An inverted pentagram is the symbol of the third degree of Witchcraft.

SATANISM: True "Devil-worship" is rarely, if ever, practiced. It is usually a mask for indulging in vices such as "perverted" sexual acts, drug and alcohol abuse, and murder (in extreme cases). A famous example of a Satanic cult was the prestigious Hellfire Club, to which such people as Benjamin Franklin, Oscar Wilde's wife, and Aleister Crowley (among others) belonged to. It is mportant to realize that Wicca and Satanism are not synonymous. The Wiccan Rede: "An' it harm none, do what ye will", prohibits a true Witch from taking part in anything that may harm any person, including themselves, or at least reminds them that they must be prepared to pay the consequences three fold when they do harm.